Najica Blitz Tactics

Najica Blitz Tactics (Japanese: ナジカ電撃作戦, Hepburn: Najika Dengeki Sakusen) is an anime television series by Studio Fantasia and Amber Film Works.[2] It aired in Japan from October 5, 2001 to December 27, 2001. The series is similar to that of Agent Aika, both being directed by Katsuhiko Nishijima and animated by Studio Fantasia, with much of the same content.

Najica Blitz Tactics
Volume 1 DVD cover of Najica Blitz Tactics.
ナジカ電撃作戦
(Najica Dengeki Sakusen)
GenreAction, science fiction[1]
Anime television series
Directed byKatsuhiko Nishijima
Produced byYasuki Miki
Kazuhiko Ikeguchi
Atsushi Yamamori
Tomohisa Iizuka
Music byJun'ichi Kanezaki
StudioStudio Fantasia
Amber Film Works
Licensed by
ADV Films
Original networkTV Kanagawa, Chiba TV, TV Saitama, Kids Station
English network
Original run October 5, 2001 – December 27, 2001
Episodes12
Manga
Written byTakuya Tashiro
Published byMedia Factory
English publisher
ADV Manga
MagazineComic Flapper
DemographicSeinen
Original run2001 – 2003
Volumes3

Though Najica was later adapted into a manga by Takuya Tashiro (田代 琢也, Tashiro Takuya), the majority of the difference in content were in the context of the missions and especially the ending.

Story

Najica Hiiragi is a noted perfumer for CRI Cosmetics, famous for being able to identify over 500 scents. As the series began, she is struggling to finish "The Day Series" (a series of scents modeled after the days of the week), trying to find the perfect scent for the final perfume, "Sunday".

Secretly however, Najica is actually a field agent for CRI's Intelligence Bureau, an agency unknown to the public (and even to most of its own employees for the sake of their own protection). She is an expert markswoman with her preferred weapon; the Stechkin APS, an old Russian firearm with selective fire (auto and semi-auto) and a wooden holster that doubles as a shoulder stock. The twenty-round magazine is loaded with non-lethal plastic bullets.

Najica is also an expert helicopter pilot, and she has a custom-modified Mil Mi-35 Hind assault helicopter with remote control and advanced avionics.

Najica's first mission in the narrative is to recover a Humaritt (android) codenamed "ZZZ" and referred to as "Lila", Najica becomes suspicious when CRI Intelligence is contracted by Shinba Industrial to recover more lost and possibly rogue Humaritts; especially since most of them are in the hands of criminals, revolutionaries, guerrillas or terrorist groups. Her suspicions increase when Lila is assigned to be her partner, even though Najica insists she be allowed to continue working alone. As time goes on however, Najica begins to trust Lila, even if Lila's lack of social graces make her wince.

Characters
  • Najica Hiiragi (柊　七虹香（ひいらぎ　なじか),[3] (Voiced by: Yumi Tōma (Japanese); Kira Vincent-Davis (English)) the title character, is a world-class perfume maker by day and a special agent for C.R.I.[4] She works to develop cosmetics with her assistant Kirala as well as partake in missions given to her by the company. All of her missions are received with a single rose.
  • Lila (リラ)[3] (Voiced by: Juri Ihata (Japanese); Monica Rial (English))[4] is a gynoid known as a Humaritt who was rescued from a bisexual countess. She becomes Najica's partner for the series. Although at first, her lack of social grace irritates Najica, the two eventually care for one another.
  • Jin Majima (間島　甚（まじま　じん）)[3] (Voiced by: Iemasa Kayumi (Japanese); Mike Kleinhenz (English)) is the C.R.I. head and Najica's commander. Jin is usually seen with Gento during a mission briefing.
  • Shinobu Misato (美郷　偲（みさと　しのぶ）, Misato Shinobu)[3] (Voiced by: Asako Dodo (Japanese); Kim Prause (English)) is a brown-haired secretary working for the C.R.I.
  • Rena Uzuki (海槻　玲奈（うづき　れいな）, Uzuki Rena)[3] (Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese); Melissa Williams (English)) is a green-haired secretary working for the C.R.I.
  • Gento Kuraku (玖洛　玄人（くらく　げんと）, Kuraku Gento)[3] (Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka (Japanese); Andy McAvin (English)) is often Najica's informant when it comes to missions involving Humaritts. He is in love with her and tries to ask her out, or hit on her, often.
  • Kirara Mitsuboshi (御津星　キララ（みつぼし　きらら）, Mitsuboshi Kirara)[3] (Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani (Japanese); Mandy Clark (English)) is Najica's assistant. She is currently working with her to perfect "The Day Series" of perfumes.

Theme music
Opening theme
"Najica", by Diligent Circle of Ekoda
Ending theme
"Body & Mind", by Natsumi Harada

Broadcast

The Najica anime television series premiered on Television Kanagawa the Thursday broadcast night of October 4, 2001 at 25:40 (October 5, 2001 at 1:40am) with broadcasts on Chiba Television Broadcasting and Television Saitama the following night. It was broadcast on Kids Station the following Thursday at 23:30, starting October 11.[5] During the week of November 15, the first three channels did not air a new episode. Starting with episode 7 on November 22, the Kids Station Thursday night broadcast then preceded TV Kanagawa's broadcast, with the final episode airing on December 27, 2001.[6]

Episode list
No. Title[3] Original airdate[7][6]
1"A Magnificent Secret Agent with a Rose in her Hand"
"Karei naru ējiento wa ichirin no bara to tomo ni" (華麗なるエージェントは一輪の薔薇と共に)		October 5, 2001 (2001-10-05)
Najica Hiiragi wraps up target practice and is summoned to her next mission with a single rose. There, she infiltrates a mansion to rescue a girl from a countess. Back at the city, Najica is a renowned perfumer at the CRI. She is summoned again by her boss and is hinted that she will have a new partner. At home, she discovers the girl that she rescued is in her room.
2"A Pretty Partner with a Gun in her Hands"
"Karei na pātonā wa utsukushiki dangan to tomo ni" (華麗なパートナーは美しき弾丸と共に)		October 12, 2001 (2001-10-12)
The mysterious girl is named Lila and she is to be Najica's new partner. Lila is a gynoid known as a Humaritt. Their first mission together is to stop the assassination of a judge's daughter at an amusement park.
3"Ugly Relics in the Jet Black Darkness"
"Shūaku naru ibutsu wa shikkoku no yami to tomo ni" (醜悪なる遺物は漆黒の闇と共に)		October 19, 2001 (2001-10-19)
In order to stop businessman Todd McCormick from selling a recently reactivated laser satellite which has been destroying things like military bases, Najica and Lila befriend McCormick as sisters but later infiltrate his aviation museum and must deal with their female guards. The mission is updated to include the recovery of a Humaritt.
4"The Fictitious Star with a Sweet Trap-like Perfume"
"Itsuwari no sutā wa amai wana no kaori to tomo ni" (偽りの星（スター）は甘い罠の香りと共に)		October 26, 2001 (2001-10-26)
Najica's next mission is to investigate a Japanese idol group called the 4C'zNs as one of its members is suspected of being a Humaritt. Lila pretends to be a new idol, and tries to scan the girls to see if they have the serial numbers indicative of a Humaritt. However, it proves difficult as the girls act the same, leading them to wonder if they might all be Humaritts. When the girls capture Lila, Najica rescues her but as they chase down the girls, they discover that they don't have the special markings and that their manager is the true Humaritt.
5"A Crimson Horizon Appears with an Empty Dream"
"Shinku ni somaru suiheisen wa hakanaki yume to tomo ni" (真紅に染まる水平線ははかなき夢と共に)		November 2, 2001 (2001-11-02)
Najica and Lila are tasked to go after Ricardo Kidel who has purchased a nuclear missile in the black market with hopes of staging a coup in another country. The mission also involves recovering another Humaritt. Najica is attacked by a sniper named Koharu.. The girls board the ship and then a submarine which carries the missile. They capture Koharu, and blow up the sub, sending the missile to fly uselessly into the ocean.
6"The Beautiful Eye of the Wild Beast Appears with the Shadow of Loneliness"
"Utsukushiki yajū no hitomi wa kodoku no kage to tomo ni" (美しき野獣の瞳は孤独の影と共に)		November 9, 2001 (2001-11-09)
Najica and Lila must recover an extremely strong combat Humaritt that does not have a master before an enemy militia does.
7"The Bullet of Murderous Intent Appears with a Dry Smile"
"Satsui no dangan wa kawaita hohoemi to tomo ni" (殺意の弾丸は乾いた微笑みと共に)		November 22, 2001 (2001-11-22)[lower-alpha 1]
While Lila recovers from her injuries, Najica must recover a teenage math genius who is trying to escape from government agents.
8"The Sky of the Desire Appears with the Flame by the Battle"
"Yokubō no sora wa tatakai uzumaku honō to tomo ni" (欲望の空は戦い渦巻く炎と共に)		November 29, 2001 (2001-11-29)
Najica and Lila work as models at an aircraft weapons event in order to look for a shady weapons dealer with a Humaritt named Tony. Their modeling takes publicity from a jealous company executive and his daughter. However, Tony later appears to steal that company's fighter plane, using the daughter as a hostage. Tony and Najica face each other in a dogfight, while Lila raids the dealer's ship.
9"A Brave Lion in the Desert Appears with the Goddess of the Destiny"
"Yūsō naru sabaku no shishi wa megami to tomo ni" (勇壮なる砂漠の獅子は女神と共に)		December 6, 2001 (2001-12-06)
Najica and Liia travel to a country run by a ruthless queen to recover a Humaritt from a rebel militia group led by the queen's daughter.
10"The Terminal Station of the Fight Appears with Dangerous Love"
"Tatakai no shūchakueki wa kiken na ai to tomo ni" (闘いの終着駅は危険な愛と共に)		December 13, 2001 (2001-12-13)
Ninja-like girls tack down a couple on a train trip through the forest and it is up to Najica to protect them before it is too late.
11"The Sad Parting Mission with Girl's Sincerity"
"Sekibetsu no misshon wo shōjo no magokoro to tomo ni" (惜別のミッションを少女のまごころと共に)		December 20, 2001 (2001-12-20)
Najica must recover a young male Humaritt from another Humaritt named X.
12"A Splendid Agent has the Rose of the Encounter in the Mind"
"Karei naru ējiento wa kaikō no bara wo kokoro ni" (華麗なるエージェントは邂逅の薔薇を心に)		December 27, 2001 (2001-12-27)
The creator of the Humaritts comes forth and explain the reason she created them.

Reception
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References
  1. Tiu, Diane. "Najica Blitz Tactics". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews.
  2. "Najica Blitz Tactics (TV)" Tokyo Insider. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  3. ナジカ電撃作戦. mediafactory.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. Divers, Allen (August 29, 2003). "Najica Blitz Tactics DVD 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  5. "ナジカ電撃作戦". najica.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2001. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. Najica broadcast schedules
    • Marumegane.com (TVK and Kids Station). showing rerun on TVK on November 15: "ナジカ電撃作戦". marumegane.com. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
    • CCSF bulletin board thread list, showing rerun of episode 1 on November 15: "CCSF News - ナジカ電撃作戦". ccsf.jp. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
    • CTT table of schedule, showing no episode on November 15: "僫僕僇揹寕嶌愴". ctt.ne.jp. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
    • Biglobe table of TV Saitama schedule, with no episode airing on November 15 week: "ナジカ電撃作戦 VOL.1". biglobe.ne.jp. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  7. 作品情報（シリーズ）– ナジカ電撃作戦 [Work information (series) – Najica Blitz Tactics]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

Further reading

Notes
  1. Starting with episode 7, the Kids Station's broadcast time of Thursday night 23:30 preceded TV Kanagawa's time of Thursday late night at 25:40, and thus the original airdates in the list have shifted to Thursdays to follow the times on Kids Station.
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