Lime-iro Senkitan

Lime-Iro Senkitan (らいむいろ戦奇譚, lit. Lime-Colored Exotic War Story) is a game series developed and published by ELF Corporation. The story was adapted to a 13-episode anime that aired in Japan between January 5, 2003 and March 30, 2003.

It has two sequels: a second season Lime-Iro Ryukitan X; and a 2 episode OVA Lime-Iro Senkitan: The South Island Dream Romantic Adventure.

Development and release history

The original game was released for PC on 13 December 2002.

A PlayStation 2 version titled Lime-Iro Senkitan Jun (らいむいろ戦奇譚☆純) was announced on 21 July 2003 at the Tokyo Character Show^[1] and was published 25 March 2004.^[2]

Story

The story takes place in 1904 (37th year of the Meiji Era) during the Russo-Japanese War in which former Japanese diplomat, Shintaro Umakai, becomes the teacher of a secret group of teenage girls, the Lime Unit, who are based on the flying battleship Amanohara. The girl's Konjiki (supernatural powers) enables them to operate unmanned mecha named Lime against Russian Lime units led by Grigori Rasputin who often attack the Amanohara while it is travelling towards Port Arthur for the final battle.

Characters

Main characters

• Shintaro Umakai

Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki

A former Japanese diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Russia. He received his degree in teaching in Sapporo, Hokkaidō which led him to being hired as teacher for the Lime Unit. His leaving of Russia caused his former fiancée, Sophia, to join with the Russian Spiritual Corps. Early on, and after the death of Lt. Commander Date, he became the commander of the Lime Unit, even though he is a civilian.

Lime Unit

• Momen Sanada

Voiced by: Ai Shimizu

A young girl who comes from a poor family, she leaves home to find work in a nearby city, and finally ends up joining the Lime Unit instead. Momen calls Shintaro brother because of his similarities shared with her brother. She is very active and ready to do anything for Shintaro. Momen controls the red Lime, Yukimura (wields a sword).

• Asa Katou

Voiced by: Kaoru Sasajima

A girl who grew up under her father as a military child and as such is a very commanding and tough person. She practices kendo and has shared a special bond with Lt. Commander Date, whom she loved as a brother. Asa controls the green Lime, Kiyomasa (wields a staff).

• Sarasa Honda

Voiced by: Tsubasa Otomiya

Sarasa has a fascination with Western culture, which causes her to buy, wear, and use "western" products, but which are actually made mostly in Osaka. She acts overconfident, and often hides various things about herself which may make her appear weaker to other people, such as claiming people in the West make dolls instead of origami cranes as gifts because she can't make them herself. She also has a dog named Antionette Gandhi XIII, or Angie for short. she also falls in love with her teacher. Sarasa controls the blue Lime, Taiga (wields a pole-arm/lance).

• Kinu Fukushima

Voiced by: Sayaka Aoki

The best friend with Asa but has a low self-confidence which causes her to cry when Asa becomes forcefully verbal with her. She has special connections to the spiritual world which had enabled her to talk with spirits until Shintaro broke the bond. She also makes use of voodoo dolls quite frequently. Kinu controls the yellow/orange Lime, Masanori (wields a gun).

• Rinzu Kuroda

Voiced by: Yuka Aimoto

A very quiet girl, most likely from her tragic experiences early on in which her father kept her locked up like a bird in a cage after the rest of her family died. Shintaro helped Rinzu break free of her sorrow by revealing that her father had died trying to save her, instead of actually committing suicide. Rinzu controls the purple Lime, Nagamasa (wields a bow, and is displayed as a centaur).

Minor characters

Amanohara crew

• Kaji Hyogo (梶兵庫)

Voiced by: Koji Ishii

The commanding officer aboard the Amanohara.

• Sumi Ichijōji

Voiced by: Asako Dodo

The head doctor aboard the Amanohara. She often tries to seduce Shintaro, especially against the Lime Unit girls.

• Kuki

Voiced by: Satomi Koorogi

A benevolent, human form demon who gives the Amanohara the ability to fly. She is accompanied by human form Shikigami triplets who are cast as little girls.

• Lieutenant Commander Date Masanosuke

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama

The previous commander of the Lime Unit until he sacrificed himself to defend Sarasa from an enemy Lime. He had a special brother-sister style bond with Asa and they often practiced kendo with each other.

Russian Spiritual Corps

• Grigori Rasputin

Voiced by: Susumu Chiba

The leader of the Russian Spiritual Corps. He later found and recruited Sophia, Rasha, and Saten into the organization. It is believed he survived a large boulder that fell on him in the final episode, which would allow for his real death in 1916. He controlled the large black Lime, Pyotr.

• Sophia

Voiced by: Kumiko Yokote

The former fiancée of Shintaro. After he left her to return to Japan, she was found by Rasputin who realized her ability to manipulate her Konjiki. She was sent to the Amanohara to disrupt their activities and eventually cause Shintaro to kill the Lime Unit girls. She failed her mission however, and was greatly injured when she was crushed by a large boulder in the final episode. In order to protect Shintaro, she uses the last of her strength to send her Lime to intercept a blast from Rasputin's Pyotr. Her last wish, before dying, was that Shintaro live on without her. She controls a light blue Lime and goes by the codename Veludo.

• Rasha

Voiced by: Kaoru Morota

Her parents were believed to be rebellious Russians around the beginning of the 20th century. Her parents were thus killed by Russian soldiers or police. She was however saved by Rasputin from certain rape and death by the hands of her parents murderers. She controls a light purple Lime as well as several minor Lime.

• Saten

Voiced by: Mika Kanai

The only survivor of a famine and was saved by Rasputin while she lay in the street starving and barely alive. She controls a dark red Lime as well as several minor Lime.

Episodes

1. The Girl's Academy on the Battleship
2. Amanohara, Weigh Anchor!
3. As a Soldier, and as a Teacher
4. Detective Sarasa?!
5. The Other Homeland
6. The Peaceful Day Off
7. A Thousand Paper Cranes
8. I'm not Afraid of Bad Luck
9. Little Step
10. The Closed Heart
11. Onii-chan's Day
12. The Last Class
13. Victory Bell, Echo Towards the Future

Music

References

External links

• Official site (Japanese)
• Lime-iro Senkitan (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Lime-iro Senkitan at The Visual Novel Database