| Stratos 4 | |
Title screen |
|
| ストラトス・フォー (Stratos4) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction, Slice of life |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Takeshi Mori |
| Studio | Studio Fantasia, Bandai Visual |
| Licensed by | Bandai Entertainment |
| Network | Animax, Bandai Channel |
| Original run | January 5, 2003 – March 30, 2003 |
| Episodes | 13 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Takeshi Mori |
| Studio | Studio Fantasia, Bandai Visual |
| Licensed by | Bandai Entertainment |
| Released | May 28, 2004 – August 27, 2004 |
| Episodes | 2 |
| Original video animation | |
| Stratos 4: Advance | |
| Directed by | Takeshi Mori |
| Studio | Studio Fantasia, Bandai Visual |
| Released | March 25, 2005 – January 27, 2006 |
| Episodes | 6 |
| Original video animation | |
| Stratos 4: Advance Final | |
| Directed by | Takeshi Mori |
| Studio | Studio Fantasia, Bandai Visual |
| Released | September 09, 2006 – October 27, 2006 |
| Episodes | 2 |
Stratos 4 (ストラトス・フォー Sutoratosu Fō) is an anime series by Studio Fantasia and Bandai Visual, and directed by Takeshi Mori. Originally spanning a 13-episode anime TV series, which premiered across Japan between January 5, 2003 to March 30, 2003, the series was continued onto three OVA-series sequels, the first of which was released on 28 May 2004 and spanned 2-episodes, followed by Stratos 4: Advance, which spanned 6 episodes and was released on 25 March 2005, and Stratos 4: Advance Final, which was released on 22 September 2006 and spanned 2-episodes, respectively.
The series has been broadcast by the anime satellite television network, Animax, across its respective networks worldwide, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and other regions. The original 13-episode television series and its first subsequent two-episode OVA series were licensed for North American distribution by Bandai's distributive unit across the region, Bandai Entertainment.
Contents |
Fifty years before the series begins, scientists learn that a group of comets will enter the Solar System on a collision course with Earth. The United Nations set up a two-tiered global defense system against the threat: the primary one being a space-based Comet Blaster group and the secondary being a ground-based Meteor Sweeper group. Most of the series takes place on an airbase on Shimoji Island in 2024, where Mikaze and her friends are tasked to defend the Earth from large fragments left over after a failed attempt by the Comet Blasters, who are based on one of seven space stations, to annihilate a comet. All is going well until a large meteorite crashes into a lightly populated island leading the girls on a run to find out the truth about the comets.
Some of the technological devices and systems used in Stratos 4:
The aircraft used in the anime span from the 1950s to the present day. All spacecraft are fictional.
Most aircraft are from the Cold War era, retrofitted with modern powerplants, avionics and flight control systems. The anime demonstrates well a hypothetical joint-use of American, European, Soviet and Japanese technologies for the common goal of shooting down meteor debris and protecting the Earth.
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| BAC TSR-2MS | Very-high altitude interceptor | 8 | Shimoji Island's main interceptor aircraft. | |
| Yakovlev Yak-28MST | Trainer aircraft | 4+ | Fictional aircraft, based on the Yakovlev Yak-28. It is Shimoji Island's main trainer aircraft. The Yak-28MST is not used for weapons training, but only for basic flight lessons, navigation training and air show displays. | |
| Raytheon Hawker 800 | Business jet | 1 | Shimoji Island's main shuttle aircraft between the island and mainland Japan. | |
| CH-47 Chinook | Large transport helicopter | 1 | Shuttles the airbase staff between Shimoji Island and "some hot springs". | |
| C-17 Globemaster III | Four-engined jet transport | 1 | Makes an unannounced landing at Shimoji airbase, carrying armed government troops as well as CEMA agents. | |
| SAC-0 "Stratos 0/4" |
Prototype interceptor spaceplane | 1 | A proposed spaceplane, based the (unbuilt) North American XF-108 Rapier Mach 3 interceptor, with nose design from the XB-70 Valkyrie. | |
| Sud Aviation Caravelle | Jet airliner | 1 | The airliner flown by Mikaze's father. Carries the friends and families of the airbase's staff to the festival in episode 08. | |
| ??? aircraft (Magenta-colored) |
Personal jet | 1 | The jet flown by Mikaze's older sister. Has a canard configuration. |
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| Orbital Station #7 | Space station | 1 | Home of the Comet Blasters. Governed by Commander Miharu Ohzara. | |
| SAC-1B | Anti-comet space interceptor | 3+ | Carries a Trident Missile in the nose, which is launched along with the main body at an incoming comet. The ship's crew separates from the weapon module in an escape pod (the cockpit, basically), which is used to fly back to the space station. |
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| TELAR | Mobile launch platform for interceptor aircraft | 8+ | 8×8 mobile launch platform truck, for Zero-Length Launch (ZLL) takeoffs. They carry the interceptors from the hangars to the launch area. | |
| Small motorbike | Motorcycle | 4 | Kouchin Restaurant's delivery bikes, used by the 4 protagonists to deliver takeout orders. Also used to travel from the boarding house to the Shimoji Airbase when they wake up late. |
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| Mikoyan MiG-31MS | Very-high altitude interceptor | 2 | Shimoji Island's new interceptor aircraft. Has increased payload and max speed over the TSR-2MS. Launched from the same TELARs. | |
| C-130 Hercules | Four-engined turboprop transport | 1 | Carries support equipment and spare parts for the two MiG-31MSes, as well as the simulators for those planes. Is also Lud's transport. | |
| Vickers-Supermarine Type-559MS | Experimental interceptor aircraft | 1 | An experimental interceptor aircraft air-dropped from the YB-60 at medium altitude. Equipped with an ultra-long-range radar, a very advanced flight computer and a simulation missile ("dummy missile") without warhead. Has two rocket engines. Has poor maneuverability. | |
| Convair YB-60 | Carrier aircraft | 1 | Converted jet bomber. Carries the Type-559MS experimental aircraft on the starboard wing between the fuselage and inboard starboard engine pod. |
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| Orbital Station #8 | Space station | 1 | The new home of the Comet Blasters. Built after the destruction of Orbital Station #7. Governed by Commander Earheart. | |
| Ilyushin Il-SX1 | Unmanned interceptor spacecraft | 2+ | Remote-controlled interceptor drone ship. Was supposedly used to avoid risking human lives in comet interception missions. |
5 different missiles have been known to be used in the 4 anime and OVA series.
| Name | Image | Type | Number | Description |
| Trident Missile (Air, Regular) |
Air-to-air anti-meteor missile | Abundant | The main missile used throughout the Stratos 4 franchise by the ground-based interceptors, TSR-2MS and MiG-31MS. | |
| Trident Missile (Air, Powerful) |
Air-to-air anti-meteor missile | Scarce | Two of these missiles were used to shoot down Orbital Station #7 in Stratos 4: Return to Base. | |
| Trident Missile (Air, Dummy) |
Air-to-air anti-meteor missile (inert warhead) |
Abundant | These missiles are used during practice missions against "virtual" meteors. Also carried by the Type-559MS, which shot one against an actual meteor. | |
| Trident Missile (Space, Regular) |
Space-to-space anti-comet missile | Abundant | The main missile used by the space-based interceptors. Its 3 warheads produce 3 rings of plasma, which intersect and projects a powerful, hot beam at the target comet and pulverizes it into smaller pieces, some of which are then picked up by the Meteor Sweepers if the pieces fall into the Earth's atmosphere. | |
| Trident Missile (Special, Stratos 4) |
Space-to-space anti-comet missile | Scarce | The missile used by the SAC-0 "Stratos 4" in OVA ??. It is buried in a protective sheath, which is jettisoned at launch. |
In the event a comet approaches the Earth with a high collision probability, all Meteor Sweeper (MS) bases are put on Standby. In the case where the Comet Blasters fail to shatter completely the comet, allowing one or more fragments to fall into the Earth's atmosphere, the Meteor Sweepers in the expected impact zones are dispatched to intercept those fragments.
Stratos 4 focuses on one such MS team, located on the island of Shimoji in Japan. The Shimoji MS squadron operates a fleet of TSR-2MS interceptors, each armed with one Trident anti-meteor hi-explosive missile, and equipped with an internal booster (named "Third Engine") and two booster packs (RATOs).
The aircraft take off in a rocket-like manner where it is launched at an angle from a truck-mounted railed launchpad rather than taking off conventionally by runway (except in episode 10 and OVA 5 of Advance). For redundancy reasons, always two aircraft are launched together per dispatch. The pilots fly the aircraft in a prone position. This is never explained; it is assumed to be used to counteract G-force. At mid altitude (30,000-40,000 ft), the boosters burn out and are dropped.
The TSR-2MSs rise swiftly into the stratosphere, where they fly in an inverted position like the space shuttle before delivering their payload. The "Third Engine" is ignited while inverted. At high altitude (80,000-100,000 ft), jet throttle is reduced, then, at very high altitude (120,000-150,000 ft), "Third Engine" throttle is also reduced. Both aircraft return to an upright attitude, lock onto the target and fire the Trident missile one after another (within approximately 5 seconds apart).
The TSR-2MS is depicted in episode CODE 103: Decision Height as being able to fly high enough to reach low Earth orbit before it runs out of fuel and stalls. The TSR-2MS has no braking chute, but has an arresting hook for emergency landings. The aircraft that "gets the kill" is later painted with a red comet icon on the fuselage side.
With the meteor destroyed, the base returns to Standby.
| CODE | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | "Initial Point" | January 5, 2003 |
| The pros show the rookies how it's done. | ||
| 102 | "Fox One" | January 12, 2003 |
| The rookies have a chance to show off. | ||
| 103 | "Decision Height" | January 19, 2003 |
| Mikaze breaks previous height record, but is short on fuel on the return trip so she ends up landing in Guam. | ||
| 104 | "Tally Ho!" | January 26, 2003 |
| The comet fragment that Mikaze's team is intercepting suddenly changes course inexplicably, resulting in a small disaster. | ||
| 105 | "Go Around" | February 2, 2003 |
| Mikaze, and later Shizuha and Ayamo are summoned to the mainland for an inquiry into the previous incident by some shady politicians with ulterior motives. | ||
| 106 | "Checking Six" | February 9, 2003 |
| The cat Admiral sneaks into the base, and hilarity ensues. | ||
| 107 | "High Speed" | February 16, 2003 |
| Mikaze and the gang chip in to help Mr. Sako rebuild the vintage space vehicle Stratos 0. | ||
| 108 | "Go Gate" | February 23, 2003 |
| The Shimoji Island base holds its 38th festival. Mikaze, Shizuha, and Ayamo's families all come visit for a fun-filled day. However, since Karin's parents have passed away when she was younger, she has no family members to visit her. She feels lonely and stays away from the festivities but her friends find her and cheer her up. | ||
| 109 | "Vapor Trail" | March 2, 2003 |
| It's time for a vacation to the hot springs resort, hence fanservice a-plenty. | ||
| 110 | "Mission Abort" | March 9, 2003 |
| Communication with Orbital Station 7 has been cut off and an emergency has been declared on Shimoji Island base. Karin collapses just when a comet was destroyed, and she was taken away by the shady politician to an unknown destination. | ||
| 111 | "Target Merge" | March 16, 2003 |
| Mikaze and Shizuha request time off from work in order to track down and help Karin, but their investigation reveals that mysterious alien lifeforms (referred to as "Star Seeds") have arrived on Earth via the comets. They can control human minds, and those under control have taken over most of Orbital Station 7, where Karin has been sent. | ||
| 112 | "Engage!" | March 23, 2003 |
| The Shimoji Island base comes under lockdown by some government military unit. Mikaze, Shizuha, and Ayamo's sneak onto a transport rocket bound for Orbital Station 7 in order to save Karin. | ||
| 113 | "Final Approach" | March 30, 2003 |
| With Mikaze, Shizuha, and Ayamo's help Orbital Station 7 is back under control. Together with Karin they pilot 2 comet blaster spacecrafts (SAC-1B) and successfully intercept a giant comet heading for Earth. | ||
| X-1 | "Return To Base" | May 28, 2004 |
| Annette and Chizuru visit Shimoji Island base carrying video recordings of Miharu's deteriorating condition in the days and weeks after alien infection. In the meantime Orbital Station 7 is hit by space debris which sets it on a collision course with Earth. | ||
| X-2 | "Dispersion" | August 27, 2004 |
| Annette and Chizuru return to Orbital Station 7 aboard a cargo vessel to rescue injured and stranded crewmembers as well as retrieve some secret data for the shady government bureaucrat. The station is then destroyed mid-air by Mikaze's team. | ||
| CODE | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | "Wave Off" | March 25, 2005 |
| 202 | "Roll Out" | May 27, 2005 |
| 203 | "Angle of Attack" | July 22, 2005 |
| 204 | "Clear Air Turbulence" | September 23, 2005 |
| 205 | "Dash One" | November 25, 2005 |
| 206 | "Lost Position" | January 27, 2006 |
| CODE | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 207 | "Cross-Wind Take Off" | September 09, 2006 |
| 208 | "Piper on the Target" | October 27, 2006 |
| As the three giant meteors descent, causing mass panic, the CEMA takes a stand against them. Commander Reynolds then secured permission to use Stratos 4 craft confiscated earlier, and summons Mikaze, Shizuha, Ayamo, and Karin to pilot them alongside other Comet Blasters and Meteor Sweeper pilots taking care of the last two meteors while Mikaze and the rest destroy the first due to a slight change in misison plan. The mission is completed and the extraterrestrial threat is eliminated. End credits shows the reunion between Sako and Miharu in an abandoned research facility and integration of Rei into the society, as well as fates for other main characters. | ||
The music for Stratos 4 was composed by Masamichi Amano.