Idol Defense Force Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese anime
that consists of 4 OVA episodes, ran from 1993 to 1995, that told the very offbeat tale of five idol singer/fighter pilot sisters. A Hitoshi Yoshioka's light novel
work.
SNAP are, indirectly, responsible for getting Hummingbird on the map. They have gone up against the Toreishi sisters twice - in their first encounter, the girls were contractually obliged to play sitting ducks, but the lengths to which they went to present obvious targets got them noticed. During their next encounter, they were effortlessly picked off by a grossly handicapped Hummingbird, who made their debut.
Hummingbird-02
Hummingbird-03
Hummingbird-04
Hummingbird-05
Episode 02:
Episode 03:
Episode 04: The Hummingbirds' final concert song.
Company
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
that consists of 4 OVA episodes, ran from 1993 to 1995, that told the very offbeat tale of five idol singer/fighter pilot sisters. A Hitoshi Yoshioka's light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
work.
Synopsis
The five Toreishi sisters, Kanna, Yayoi, Satsuki, Uzuki and Mina are teenage idol singers who are collectively known as The Hummingbirds. They are also one of the ace fighter pilot squadrons in the Japanese military. For in this world, the military is owned and operated by the large entertainment and music corporations. So when they aren't saving the world from major overseas threats, they are on stage in frilly dresses singing about the "Rainbow Forces" of love. This is the story of how they came to be Japan's most successful idol group and their first line of defense.The Hummingbirds
(from eldest to youngest)- Personal aircraft: HB-01
- Kanna is the eldest of the Toreishi sisters and leader of the Hummingbird squadron team. Her date of birth is on October 16, age 19 ('95 Song of the Wind, age 20).
Kanna is the de facto squadron leader, and a by-the-book operator in every sense of the word. As well as planning and organising the team's tactics, it is she who ensures that both her sisters and her employers both keep their parts of the contract, and is the first to negotiate compromises in the event of disagreement. Although she loves her sisters, she demands a lot from them, and does not tolerate foolishness gladly.
Reflecting her protective big sister role, Kanna's flying style appears to be more of the point defence interceptorInterceptor aircraftAn interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
. Although she can get up close and personal in the fight, she rarely does. Her personal aircraft is similar in performance to Satsuki's. In concert, Kanna occasionally duets with Yayoi.
- Personal aircraft: HB-02
- Yayoi is the second eldest of the Toreishi sisters. Her date of birth is on March 7, age 18 ('95 Song of the Wind, age 19).
Somewhat tomboyish, Yayoi was initially reluctant to become an idol, but didn't want to be left out. Ebullient and athletic, Yayoi participates in any and every sports meet she can, and takes no quarter when she participates - even against her own sisters. Similarly, when her sisters (read: Mina) annoy her, she lets them know about it, most often with a well-aimed slap to the face.
Along with Satsuki and Kanna, Yayoi is one of the front-line fighters. Unlike Kanna, she is less afraid to get herself in the fight, and has been known to tag-team with Satsuki. Conversely, however, her aircraft seems to be more heavily-armed than Satsuki's, and makes heavier use of its VTOLVTOLA vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
systems (indeed, using them to launch from base).
- Personal aircraft: HB-03
- Satsuki is the third eldest of the Toreishi sisters and the main heroine of the series. Her date of birth is on May 15, age 17 ('95 Song of the Wind, age 18).
The middle sister, Satsuki is very insecure about her looks and her flying ability, the latter of which is ironically perhaps the best of the team. Prone to moments of self-doubt, she can often be coaxed to moments of incredible bravery by mentioning her fighter pilot father, whom she idolises. Indeed, Satsuki's love for her father, who is missing and presumed dead by some, is a major component of her character.
Satsuki's speciality is dogfightDogfightA dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
ing and close-quarters engagement. It is actually her flying that gets the girls noticed by their producer. During a 'turkey-shoot' with the group SNAP, her sisters are swiftly taken out, but despite her best efforts to present an easy target, the incompetence of her opponents wears out her patience, prompting her to bring the F-14 she is flying to a nose-up stop in mid air. She is eventually tagged, but her aircraft stalls and falls. Fortunately, she is able to restart her engines and level out.
Satsuki's preference for such close-quarters combat is reflected by the design of her personal aircraft, an agile air superiority fighterAir superiority fighterAn air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to gain air superiority in a war, by entering and seizing control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are designed to effectively engage enemy fighters, more than other types of aircraft...
similar in design to the Mikoyan MiG-29Mikoyan MiG-29The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
or the Sukhoi Su-27Sukhoi Su-27The Sukhoi Su-27 is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability...
with a performance envelope comparable, perhaps superior to an F/A-18 HornetF/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
. In concert, Satsuki occasionally duets with Mina.
- Personal aircraft: HB-04
- Uzuki is the fourth of the Toreishi sisters. Her date of birth is on April 20, age 15 ('95 Song of the Wind, age 16).
Despite her age, Uzuki's breasts is physically better developed than Satsuki, which fuels her older sister's neuroses. Although Uzuki sometimes presents the air of being a little slow and laidback, she's more than capable of delivering an incisive critique (intentionally or otherwise) to her sisters. Uzuki keeps an unusual hobby: she cares for a tank full of marimoMarimo, also known as Cladophora ball, Lake ball, or Moss Balls in English, is a species of filamentous green algae found in a number of lakes in the northern hemisphere. A marimo is a rare growth form of the species where the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance...
balls, doting on them, and even singing to them. On occasion, she will carry them with her in a baggieBaggiesBaggies may refer to:* Baggies, made by Pactiv Corporation, were the first brand of food storage bags. Twist-tie-sealed bags that keep food fresh, they are available in quart , gallon and 2-gallon bags...
.
In the cockpit, Uzuki usually takes the front-seat, with Mina as her co-pilot/RIO/girl-in-back. Uzuki cites the F-4F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
as her favourite model of aircraft. However, it appears that heavy aircraft are her particular forté, as evidenced by the design of her personal aircraft: a vast, multirole bomber/carrier/supply craft that requires JATOJATOJATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....
modules to launch from base. In concert, Uzuki is the only one to sing songs solo.
- Personal aircraft: HB-05
- Mina is the youngest of the five Toreishi sisters. Her date of birth is on June 6, age 12 ('95 Song of the Wind, age 13).
Mina is the youngest sister, and acts it. Blessed with a mile-wide mischievous streak, her favourite target is Yayoi. Unfortunately, in targeting her, she is usually playing with fire, and payback is swift and severe. Mina also appears to have a big appetite, as she is often seen eating.
Although she generally plays co-pilot and girl-in-back to Uzuki, Mina does fly solo. Her personal aircraft is an attack helicopter, normally carried aboard Uzuki's craft and deployed mid-air.
Personnel
- Hazuki is the girls' mother, manager and songwriter. Daughter of a wealthy businessman, who apparently owns the company that built the girls' aircraft, Hazuki has inherited her father's business acumen, and seemingly passed it on to Kanna. She also acts as the liaison between the Air Force and the team. In essence, Hazuki is the team's commanding officer, with Kanna playing executive officer - Hazuki negotiates the contracts, Kanna ensures they are carried out.
- Shunsaku is the Hummingbird's record producer. He discovered the girls while they were flying as marks for another act, and was impressed enough to negotiate a contract with their mother. A former member of the air force (it is not made clear which branch of the service he served in, but he is a qualified pilot), his previous career was helpful in part when the girls had to disarm bombs placed in their aircraft by Yajima's people.
- Shinobu is the Hummingbird's executive manager, usually overseeing the girls' public appearances.
- The Toreishi sisters' father who disappeared years ago during a flight mission.
SNAP
SNAP were a popular four-man Idol Pilot boy band represented by Yajima Office. Ostensibly led by media darling and fan-favourite Kakkun, the team had a huge following of rabid fans, despite their incompetence in the air. The group flew F-16s.SNAP are, indirectly, responsible for getting Hummingbird on the map. They have gone up against the Toreishi sisters twice - in their first encounter, the girls were contractually obliged to play sitting ducks, but the lengths to which they went to present obvious targets got them noticed. During their next encounter, they were effortlessly picked off by a grossly handicapped Hummingbird, who made their debut.
Fever Girls
The Fever Girls are a duo of beautiful idol pilots who are under contract by Yajima. Originally fierce rivals of the Hummingbirds, they become friends with them (and especially with Satsuki) after a particularly foul bid of play by their boss.- Age 19 ('95:Song of the Wind, age 20). She has a long ponytail hairstyle reached down to her waist. Her height is 164 cm and her three-sizes are B96/W60/H85.
- Age 20 ('95:Song of the Wind, age 21). She has a purple, wavy hairstyle features reached down to her waist. Her height is 163 cm and her three-sizes are B94/W58/H84.
Personnel
- Head of the Yajima Office management agency, which handles such acts as SNAP - the Toreishis' first foes - and, later, the Fever Girls. Yajima is ruthless to a disturbing degree: when the girls debut, once again flying against SNAP, he stipulates that the girls fly ageing F-4F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s in ridiculous - and deliberately unergonomic - animal costumes in order to hamper their chances. When this ploy is unsuccessful, thanks to both the girls' flying ability and a free-flight compromise negotiated by Kanna, he attempts to acquire the girls for his own company. When this is knocked back, he gradually ups the stakes in his attempts to ruin the Toreishi sisters, courting terrorism and kidnap along the way. His plans are almost always scuppered by the sisters' entourage, technology, sheer luck, or any combination thereof. He appears to be an old flame of Hazuki's from before the days of her marriage.
- Goro is a friend of the Toreishi family, having trained under and flown with the girls' father. He appears in episode 2, after resigning from a NATO task force to work for Yajima Office as the Fever Girls' flying coach. Despite this, he remains friendly to his old mentor's family, even going so far as to give Satsuki much-needed encouragement in the face of his own students.
Aircraft Fighters
Hummingbird-01Hummingbird-02
Hummingbird-03
- Like Hummingbirds 01 and 02, Satsuki's plane is a heavy supersonicSupersonicSupersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
fighter aircraftFighter aircraftA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
capable of VTOLVTOLA vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
and armed with Vulcan cannonM61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
s and an integral missile bayBomb bayThe bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over the target or at a specified launching point.Large-sized...
. The fuselage is painted red.
Hummingbird-04
- Hummingbird-04, piloted by Usuki, is actually a large tanking and resupply plane. It mounts two wing-mounted pop-out GatlingGatling gunThe Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
turrets and a large arsenal of homing missiles, which are usually used to resupply the other Hummingbirds but can also be launched on their own.
Hummingbird-05
- Hummingbird-05, piloted by Mina, is an attack helicopterAttack helicopterAn attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...
used for short-range and air-to-ground engagements. It is kept in and launched from a special bay in Hummingbird-04.
Episode list
| # | Title | Original Air Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Insert Themes
Episode 01:-
- Lyrics by: Mitsuko Shiramine
- Composition by: Takeo Suzuki
- Arrangement by: Takeo Suzuki
- Song by: The Hummingbirds
-
- Lyrics by: Mitsuko Shiramine
- Composition by: Takeo Suzuki
- Arrangement by: Takeo Suzuki
- Song by: The Hummingbirds
Episode 02:
-
- Lyrics by: Anju Mana
- Composition by: Takashi Kudou
- Arrangement by: Atsuko Miyagi
- Song by: The Hummingbirds
-
- Lyrics by: Kumiko Yoshizawa
- Composition by: Chiho Kiyooka
- Arrangement by: Atsuko Miyagi
- Song by: Setto Tentama
-
- Lyrics by: Yuriko Mori
- Composition by: Takashi Kudou
- Arrangement by: Atsuko Miyagi
- Song by: Pretty Pretty
Episode 03:
-
- Lyrics by: Minako Yanagi
- Composition by: Miho Fujī
- Arrangement by: Takeo Miratsu
- Song by: Setto Tentama
Episode 04: The Hummingbirds' final concert song.
-
- Lyrics by: Mitsuko Shiramine
- Composition by: Takashi Kudou
- Arrangement by: Takeo Miratsu
- Song by: The Hummingbirds
Production
Staff- Author: Hitoshi Yoshioka
- Director: Kiyoshi Murayama
- Character Design: Masahide Yanagisawa
- Art Director: Chitose Asakura, Torao Arai and Yoshimi Umino
- Director of Photography: Kazunori Hashimoto and Mitsuru Sugiura
- Sound Director: Hideyuki Tanaka
- Music: Takeo Miratsu
Company
- Production: Toho Company, Ltd.Tohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, Toshiba EMI and Youmex - Animation Production: Ashi ProductionsAshi Productionsis a Japanese anime studio, located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan, known for its four magical-girl anime, especially Magical Princess Minky Momo. It was established by Toshihiko Sato and other artists on December 24, 1975 as...
- In-Between Animation: J.C.StaffJ.C.STAFF, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
, Kino Production and Pastel - Music Production: Toshiba EMI
Trivia
- This was the anime series Hekiru ShiinaHekiru ShiinaHekiru Shiina is a professional seiyū and J-pop singer who was born in Higashi-kurume, Tokyo. Shiina is 152 cm tall....
first appeared in. - The sisters' names come from the names of the months in the traditional Japanese calendarJapanese calendarOn January 1, 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar. Before 1873, the Chinese style lunisolar calendar had been in use since 7th century. Japanese eras are still in use.-System:...
: means "October"; means "March"; means "May"; means "April" and means "June". Their mother's name, means "August." - The name is a transparent pun of "Tracy", a family name referring to another hero-team show, The ThunderbirdsThunderbirds (TV series)Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
. Indeed, some of the craft borrow design characteristics and color schemes from that series.