is a Japanese

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

television series by Studio Fantasia and

Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America. Most of the anime and f ...

, and directed by Takeshi Mori.

Story

Fifty years before the series begins, scientists learn that a group of

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...

s will enter the

Solar System The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...

on a collision course with Earth. The

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

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 , ( Miyako: ''Sïmuzï'') is one of the Miyako Islands, a part of the Ryukyu Islands. The island is administered by Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Irabu Island via . Shimoji-shima is included within the Ir ...

in 2024, where Mikaze and her friends are tasked with defending the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

from large fragments left over after a failed attempt by the Comet Blasters, who are based on one of seven

space stations A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station is ...

, 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.

Release

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. The series was then 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 Entertainment USA. However, when Bandai Entertainment USA shut down, the series became unlicensed. The series is one of the "main JSDF collaborative anime works", as noted by scholar Takayoshi Yamamura. The show's producer, Sugiyama Kiyoshi, is said to have conducted "extensive research about JSDF" with Yamamura saying that Kiyoshi is considered an "industry expert regarding collaboration between anime and JSDF."

Episode listing

Stratos 4 (2003-2004)

Stratos 4 Advance (2005-2006)

Stratos 4 Advance Final (2006)

Music

The music for ''Stratos 4'' was composed by

Masamichi Amano is a Japanese music composer, arranger and conductor. He studied at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and completed master's degree in 1982. Biography He graduated from Akita Minami High School and went on to study at Kunitachi College of ...

References

External links

Official Stratos 4 website

Bandai Channel's official homepage for ''Stratos 4''

Bandai Entertaiment page
* {{Studio Fantasia 2003 anime television series debuts 2004 anime OVAs 2005 anime OVAs 2006 anime OVAs Action anime and manga Anime with original screenplays Aviation television series Bandai Entertainment anime titles Bandai Visual Comedy anime and manga Science fiction anime and manga Studio Fantasia