Repost because the last post was removed for not having [Spoilers] in the title.Light spoilers ahead, you have been warned!Second warning, this is gonna be suuuuuper long.Recently I’ve watch a little underrated gem called Sora No Woto (English: Sound of the Sky), and I thought the world building was rather excellently done. It is really a shame that not many people have seen this show, do check it out if you can, as it is something really special. Not only is Sora No Woto set in an extremely interesting world, it also manages to tell a beautiful story featuring a cast of charming characters as well.I do understand that the slice of life, slow paced nature combine with the moe aesthetic of the show might not be for everyone. But have no worries, I was so inspired that I decided to write this super long post to introduce this amazingly world to you, /r/anime! And who knows, maybe after reading this you might just decide to check it out too!This is purely an introduction to the world of Sora No Woto. I do have another equally long essay with analysis of the plot and characters as well as my theory to explain certain things in the show - but that is for another time. For now, let us jump right in an explore the fantastic world building of the show! The World Has Already EndedAlthough it does not feel like it, Sora No Woto is very much set in a post-apocalyptic world. Civilization is well past its prime, and mankind is slowly marching toward its eventual demise. The remaining dwindling population are just the remnants - an insignificant fraction compared to the height of humanity of the former era. Much has been lost that could never gained again, from historical records to technologies to entire languages being forgotten. When the story began, the world has already ended, or is very close to it - the extinction of mankind is not a question of if, but when. How did it come to this? Events of the PastA great catastrophe that happened a long time ago is largely responsible for the current state of the world. Humanity fought a desperate war against an enemy of unknown nature referred to only as “them” and lost. The origin of these entities are shrouded in mystery, as is the reason behind the conflict. The only things we know for sure is that mankind fought to protect themselves and failed, which brought profound consequences upon the earth. This resulted in the utter decimation of human civilization as well as the total collapse of the ecosystem - from which the planet never fully recovered.What exactly happened after we lost? Where did the enemy go? How much time has passed since then? No one knew exactly, but humanity were not entirely wiped out. No records survived, and even if there were, it is likely that no one alive could read the language anymore. The last of mankind lingered on and endured into a new age, where the past with its magic-like technology is simply referred to as “the former era”. But this residual human civilization is just a pale shadow of what it used to be. Current State of the WorldThe destruction from the war left a permanent scar on the natural world. The ocean is now virtually sterilized - just giant body of water devoid of any wildlife. Entire continents turn into lifeless desert, rendering the land completely uninhabitable. This desolate wasteland - called “No Man’s Land” by the living human is slowly expanding, threatening to swallow whole whatever little livable area remaining.The landmass has changed so much that the world map is almost unrecognizable from the one we are familiar with. The universal understanding of the earth’s geography we take for granted today has vanished from the collective human knowledge - as such no people alive in this age has an idea of how the world look like on a global scale. As the planet is effectively uncharted at this point, a map of the world has to be redrawn, with much speculation and extreme inaccuracies.Among this harsh unforgiving world, there exists an area of lush land where the soil is fertile, the water is fresh and wildlife thrives. It is in these precious regions that humanity lived on, formed into nations and even managed to wage wars against one another over scarce resources. Politics & War in a Dying WorldIn this small pocket of civilization (which might possibly be located in what used to be Japan, China & Korea), humanity are divided into small, competing nations - each with its own system of government and cultural identity. The story mainly focuses on the conflict between the Republic of Helvetia (République d’Helvétia) and the Roman Empire (Romischen Reiches) - whose territories share the same landmass. Although it is worth noting that war is hardly exclusive to these two nations.While the name “Republic” might suggests otherwise, Helvetia is as much a monarchy as the Roman Empire is. Both countries are ruled by monarchs - the Archduke for Helvetia and the Emperor for Roma. Members of the royal family wield immense power and influence over society. Political marriage are common tools used for brokering peace between states.Helvetia and Roma fought a long, fruitless conflict for many years. When the war effort proved detrimental to both countries and their people, a temporary armistice was finally reached. It has been 6 months since then and the peace arrangement are still going nowhere with both sides unwilling to compromise on their conditions. Meanwhile, trouble are starting to brew at the borders - as even within the ranks of Helvetia’s military, there are those who would be happy to see the war continues until one side is completely eliminated.A point worth mentioning here is regarding the level of technological advancement in this world. Technology seems to have been largely stucked in the level of the 19th century with the only exception being firearms and military vehicles - probably thanks to the constant warfare. Culture & Religion - A Melting Pot of Various InfluencesAs continents slowly get engulfed by the vast desert, people of multiple different ethnicity migrating from all over the globe into this one tiny habitable corner of the world. Over time, culture evolved into what can only described as a melting pot of various heritages with overlapping eastern and western influences. Yet, there is still a clear distinction of cultural identity between different nations. Since the story is only told from the Republic of Helvetia’s side, we will mostly look at Helvetia’s culture here:The national language of Helvetia is French (while the Roman Empire use German), yet many of characters have Japanese name - which are given to them by the church at birth.The Japanese language itself is dead, no one could write or speak it anymore. Kanji text is referred to as ideograms - a long forgotten language from the previous era. The church seems to have some capacity of translating the symbolic meaning of kanji characters, although this is used exclusively for people’s names. This is why many people can write their names in kanji, but cannot read the language.Many sign their names with just pen and writing, but those with Japanese name can use a seal as signature. These seals are actually used in real life in modern day Japan.The food of Helvetia is a mixture of European and Asian dishes. Many people eat with chopstick, while others eat with forks & knives. Both flambéed steaks and tempura vegetables are part of the local cuisine.During local festivals, candy apples are sold together with fried onigiri, while Venetian carnivale masks are seen alongside traditional Japanese masks.The architecture and clothing are decidedly European (Spanish to be exact), but the currency is the Yen and Sen.The main religion of Helvetia - the Helvetian Orthodox Church is a fusion of Christianity and Shintoism. The church is built with a clear Catholic style, yet prominently display a Shinto Tomoe symbol. Instead of baptizing babies, the church gives them Kanji names. Similarity, the sister’s uniform borrow design aspects from the garments of both Christian nuns and Shinto miko.This colored glass window design at first looks just like an image of Madonna and Child, yet upon closer inspection, the Asian influence is undeniable. The shide - zigzag shaped paper often used in Shinto rituals can be seen at the church or all around town during festivals.The Helvetian Orthodox Church claims that there are an infinite number of gods (or 8 millions, depends on who you ask) and that they are merciful. In contrast, the Roman Empire seems to retain a more traditional form of monotheistic religion, their scripture teaches that there is only one God - who is unforgiving.The local festival to honor the dead is a combination of the French Fête des lumières and Japanese Bon Festival.Ema are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshipers write their prayers or wishes - an old custom that was preserved until this day, except here everything is written in French.The Water Splashing Festival originated from Southeast Asia and China as part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the new year. Yet here it is incorporated into a local legend about the Fire Maidens who protected the city.Just like in real life, there are variations in the legends depends on who tell it. The Roman version of the Fire Maidens tale directly contradicts the Helvetian version.Next, let’s take a tour of Seize - the border city where the main story of Sora No Woto takes place. Seize - the Town of Lakes & GlassSeize is a city in the province of Trois, it is located in the northwest border of Helvetia, directly next to No Man’s Land. “Seize” and “trois” mean sixteen and three in French, respectively. So this is effectively City 16 and in Province 3 - the Helvetians aren't exactly creative in naming locations. The design of the town is directly inspired by the city of Cuenca and the town of Alarcón, both from Castilla La Mancha, Spain.The town used to be a flourishing tourist destination before the war. Many ruins of abandoned buildings dotted the area surrounding town, suggesting a much more prosperous past.The town is famous for its high quality materials and excellent craftsmanship at producing glassware. The glass workshop at Seize produced a significant amount of lenses for the military during the war.The actual fighting has never reached Seize, so the citizens mostly enjoy a quiet, peaceful life. Yet almost everyone has lost someone they know to the war.Besides glass product, another popular export of Seize is locally distilled Calvados apple brandy. The local merchant guild run an illegal bootleg alcohol operation with the help of the 1121st platoon.The due the remote location of Seize, everything is more relaxed here. From the law, to religion to military discipline.These are a few key locations in Seize:The Time Telling Fortress serving as the garrison for the local Helvetian army consist of 5 girls in the 1121st Platoon. As the name implied, one important function of the fortress other from protecting the city is to help the townspeople keep track of the time with the sound of trumpet from the clock tower. We will look at the Time Telling Fortress and the 1121s Platoon in greater details below.The church, which also double as an orphanage as well as the unofficial hospital for the town besides its main religious function as a place of worship. The church largely depend on the local people for donations to care for orphans and treating the sick and injured. Run by one sole young sister Yumina with the occasional help of priest from a larger parish in the neighbouring city of Treize.The Windmill - a shop that sells glassware and repairs music instruments among other things. Operated by a resourceful proprietress named Naomi.The glass factory lies just on the outskirt of town, where the majority of Seize famous glass products are manufactured. At the head of this factory is Carl - an artisan in glassmaking whose talent has earned him the title of maestro.The general store, which mainly specialize in food supplies. Owned by one humorous Mr Martin.The house of madame Jacott - an old lady who lives alone in the mountain outside of town, she comes into Seize everyday to sell the vegetables that she grown at home.The square, where events such as open market and festivals take place.The dam, which provide water for farming as well as flood control.The city gate.The skyline of Seize, as seen from the Time Telling Fortress.The narrow streets of Seize.Statue of a Fire Maiden - a figure from a local legend.Some of the few ruins and abandoned structures in the area surrounding the city.Strange rock formations known as the “Enchanted Forest” located outside of town.Several observation units - remnants from from the former era still lie in the wilderness around Seize. They are strangely still functional, even after many years without maintenance. The Time Telling Fortress - Home of the 1121st PlatoonThe Time Telling Fortress, also know as the Time Heralding Fortress or simply the Bastion is the official military garrison of Seize. Stationed in this army base is the 1121st Platoon - responsible for protecting the town and maintaining national border, among other tasks. Before exploring the fortress further, let’s briefly meet the members of the 1121st.The 1121st is a pink branch of the Helvetian army, meaning they are part of of the armored troops (tank). This is signified by the patch of pink of colour on their uniform collars. The traditional emblem of the platoon is a white owl on two crossed swords. The 1121st only has five members, exactly the minimum requirement for a tank crew. All of them are female, hence the nickname “bastion maiden” from the locals:Second Lieutenant Filicia Heideman - The officer in command of the 1121s and also the tank commander.Sergeant Major Rio Kazumiya - Second in command, senior bugler at the bastion and the communication officer.Corporal Noel Kannagi - The engineer, driver and resident genius of the platoon.Private Second Class Kureha Suminoya - The gunner and youngest of all the bastion maidens.Private Second Class Kanata Sorami - A brand new recruit, bugler in training and ammunition loader.Shuko - an owl which was adopted by the girls and is now the mascot of the platoon.If at this point you are thinking “these girls don’t look like they should be in charge of protecting an entire city”, you would be correct. The reality is with the armistice going on and the location of the town borders No Man’s Land, Seize is of little strategic importance to Helvetia. As such, military presence in the city is little more than a token decorative force. In fact, the 1121st - a tank platoon of the Helvetian army, doesn’t even have a working tank!The fortress itself is very old, possibly date back to the former era and many secrets lie within it. It is evidence that building used to be a school and a convent before finally it was finally taken over by the Helvetian army. The compound was originally designed to house a much larger number of people, but now many areas have fallen into disrepair, either due to the war or negligence.Key locations of the Time Telling Fortress:Blueprints of the the fortress: Ground floor + first floor + second & third floor and a bird eye's view.The bridge: the only way into the fortress. The bridge is not large enough for vehicles so walking is the only way into the bastion.The parking lot: technically lies outside of the fortress, on the city side of the bridge. This is where vehicles of the 1121st are parkedThe terrace: front entrance to the fortress, where the garrison flags are held. (From left to right: platoon flag, national flag, army flag)The outer courtyard: use as an assembly area, formerly a school yard. Part of the outer courtyard has been destroyed, leaving only a cliff.The inner courtyard: with a tub and water pump, this is where the platoon girls do things like washing the dishes and laundry.Old school buildings: now has fallen into ruins.Vegetable garden: at the back the compound, where the 1121st grow their vegetables for consumption as well as to share with the townspeople.The hangar: formerly the gym building for the school, now converted into a hangar to house the (non functioning) tank of the 1121st - the Takemikazuchi. Also double as a workshop for Noel to tinker with her inventions.The clock tower: sadly, no longer has a working clock. The tower is now used as both a watch tower and a high point from where the time-telling trumpet signal is played.The distillery: located in basement level, where the bastion maidens brew bootleg liquor.The dining room: breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here. This room also serves as an unofficial meeting room / common room because of its convenient location and large space. In this room also lies the only telephone in the entire city.The kitchen / pantry: right next to the dining room, where meals are made.The infirmary: where the sick and injured are treated.The classroom: where training and lessons take place.Commander’s office / tactics room: Where Filicia handle military paperworks and discuss important military matter with Rio - her second in command.The bathroom.Living quarter hallway.Filicia’s room.Rio’s room.Noel’s room.Kureha’s room.Kanata’s room.While it is true the 1121st is mostly there for decoration, but that doesn’t mean the girls don’t make themselves useful, far from it. Next, let’s take a look at the daily lives and duties of the bastion maidens. Daily Routine & Missions of the Bastion MaidensLife at the border is tough. Due to the remote location as well as the negligible importance of Seize, the 1121st is always short on ammunitions, medicines and various everyday need items. Monthly salary usually arrive late, and always in the form of military currency with extremely limited use. With supply constantly running low and struggling finance, the maidens are forced to get creative in order to boost their income.The main contact between the 1121st and army HQ is through a courier - major Klaus. He delivers military orders and personal correspondences, as well as army personnel to and from the bastion on a regular basis. However, whenever there is urgent documents that need to be rushed to HQ, the girls need to take the train to the next town to deliver them if Klaus is not there. Such is the inconvenience of a remote, middle of nowhere military base.However, the backwater isolation of the bastion is not without its benefit. Second Lieutenant Filicia is committed to making life as easy as possible for the girls under her command. This range from very lax military protocol to nice, lavish meals to taking over cleaning duty. In fact, she has a tendency to act more like a mother than a captain and will probably spoil the girls rotten given the chance. On the other hand, second in command Sergeant Major Rio - who is much more military minded is there to keep her in check, playing the role of the tough boss.So, what is it exactly that they do everyday when there’s no war to speak of? Let’s go through a typical day in the life of the 1121st Platoon to find out.5:00 - 5:30 Whoever is on trumpet duty (either Rio or Kanata) has to wake up early, wind the clock at the dining room. At 5:30, that same person then climb the clock tower to play the morning trumpet, signaling the sun rise.5:30 - 6:00 Whoever is on cooking duty makes breakfast for the whole platoon.6:00 - 6:30 Breakfast time6:30 - 7:00 Clean up after breakfast and a quick briefing for the day.7:00 - 12:00 Morning duty / training with a salute ceremony to the flags at 9:00. At 11:30, whoever is on cooking duty makes lunch for the whole platoon. At 12:00, whoever is on trumpet duty play midday trumpet, signaling noon time.12:00 - 13:00 Lunch time & noon break.13:00 - 18:00 Afternoon duty / training. At 17:00, whoever is on trumpet duty play afternoon trumpet, signaling school time is over.18:00 - 18:30 Debriefing for the day. Whoever is on trumpet duty play the evening trumpet, signaling the sunset.18:30 - 19:00 Whoever is on cooking duty makes dinner for the whole platoon.19:00 - 20:00 Dinner timeAfter 20:00 Free time.Duty and training rotate everyday based on a fixed schedule, and can include any of the following activities:Cleaning the garrisonDoing the laundryCookingPaperworksTending the vegetable gardenWeapon maintenanceGround combat drillTank combat drillGuard dutyTechnical lessonsPhysical trainingShopping for suppliesPersonal groomingFixing the tank (this job is pretty much limited to Noel)Mingling with locals, helping with festivals preparation and suchGhost huntingOperation bootleg liquorOccasionally, they will receive actual orders from Helvetia Army HQ or get a request for help from the citizens of Seize. When this happen, these missions take priority over everything else. Some examples include:Patrol dutyMaintenance check on former era observation equipmentDisaster reliefEnsuring the safety of the elderly over the winterRoutine telephone duty Weapons & Equipment of the 1121stWhile not exactly the most equipped troops in the Helvetian army, the 1121st has all (almost) all the tools necessary to perform their duties. For a squad of 5 people, they are decently well armed, with the following weapons available:One heavy machine gun (MG42 with drum magazine)Two light machine guns (MP38 or MP40)Four rifles (Karabiner 98k, with optional optic attachment)Five handguns (Mauser C96)For transport, they have the following vehicles:Two VW Type 82 Kübelwagen military utility roadstersOne Zündapp KS750 motorcycleAnd finally, the star of any tank platoon:One (sadly defunct) Vector Type Zero autonomous moving tank - a relic from the former era - the Takemikazuchi. More on this below.The 1121st wear the standard Helvetian army uniform, with the platoon emblem sewn on the left arm and a pink patch on their collar signifying their status as tank troops. These uniforms comes with a few variation for comfort and versatility:Standard uniform - used all year around.Winter uniform - includes a coat and scarf worn over the standard uniform to keep warm during the winter.Summer uniform - made of lighter materials and shorts is used instead of pants.Other military equipment are available to the bastion maidens, such as:Standard issue wristwatches. Time pieces are rare and probably expensive, which is why only the military has them. Hence the need for the trumpet sounds to help normal citizens keep track of the time of day.One trumpet and one bugle, belongs to Rio and Kanata respectively. The usage of brass instruments is restricted to the army only. Since radio hasn’t been rediscovered, communication on the battlefield solely relied upon trumpet signals. A system of code was invented so that the sound of these instruments can be used to convey precise complex messages such as ceasefire, commencing attack, pinpoint locations and much more.One telephone - possibility the only one in the entirely city. This phone is a directly hotline to the Helvetian army HQ in the capital. Only to be used in case of extreme emergencies, otherwise all communications with HQ still rely on good old fashion pen and paper documents.Compass and geographical maps of the surrounding area.Military binoculars.Standard issue backpacks, capable of carrying heavy loads.Standard issue first aid kit. The Takemikazuchi - a Relic from the Former EraUnlike the tanks with treads we are familiar with, all the tanks in Sora No Woto run on metal legs. There are two theory that explain this: First, they were probably designed this way to be better suited to the mountainous terrains of Helvetia. Second, they are modeled after the Vector Type Zero tanks of the legendary former era, all of which run on legs.The Takemikazuchi is a legacy from the former age, with no more than 10 models left in the entire world. It is a much more sophisticated machine compare to the conventional armors used by the Helvetian army, capable of a wide range of functions both in and outside of combat.The interior of the Takemikazuchi versus that of a standard Helvetian tank - both with a full crew. The Takemikazuchi with its advanced autonomous capability can be crewed with as little as two people.The Takemikazuchi is controlled with computer and projected HUDs, compare to the conventional tank, which is all manually controlled.The Takemikazuchi has 6 legs instead of 4 like a normal tank, she is able to move with much greater speed and elegance, even capable of climbing vertical surfaces as well as jumping great distances.State of the art lightweight armour made from an special alloy of the previous era, enabling the Takemikazuchi to withstand multiple direct hits from traditional tanks without sustaining any major damage.The tank is equipped with at least four laser sights for accurate targeting.Has an intercom system that can be used within members of the tank crew as well as to communicate with other tanks. Unfortunately the Takemikazuchi is one of the rare few tanks left that comes equipped with this system, so trumpet signals is still used.Has sensors that can measure temperature and weather outside.Possesses and external audio system that can be used to play music.Can be used as a power generator.The Takemikazuchi comes with the following armaments:Main gun - a recoilless railgun that is able to fire several different types of ammo including HE (high explosive) and AP (armor piercing) shellsChaff projectiles (10 rounds)Smoke grenades (10 rounds)Missile Pod 1 (10 missiles)Missile Pod 2 (10 missiles)Machine gun (400 rounds)Anchor wire which be fired and retrievedA versatile machine, the tank also has the follow modes built-in, which can be enabled or disabled via the control console. Although not much is known about what exactly each mode does, as we only caught brief glimpses of them on the HUDs.Normal Mode - for normal operationPractice Mode - for combat simulation and trainingStealth ModeSniper ModeTarget Pursuit ModeSetting ModeSound ModeSleep ModePresumably more more wonders of the previous era sleep within the Takemikazuchi, its full potential has yet to be completely discovered. And that's it! Here's an album of composite scenery porn from the show your enjoyment! http://ift.tt/1RVwa6X
