Takei Junko (竹井醇子) is a Witch of the 504th Joint Fighter Wing, originating from Fuso and attached with the Fuso Imperial Navy. From her soft demeanor and gentle manners, she was called the "Lady of Libau" (リバウの貴婦人, ribau no kifujin). Meanwhile, Pilot Officer Lucchini simply calls her JunJun (ジュンジュン). An old acquaintance of Sakamoto Mio, the two are on a first name basis with each other.
Background[]
The daughter of a high-ranking officer in the Navy, Junko never had any special desire to become a Witch at first, but once her magic power manifested itself she was sent to a training facility. She received instruction on Kodoukan Kendo (講導館剣道) under Squadron Leader Kitagou. and had been friends with Squadron Leader Sakamoto and Flying Officer Wakamoto since their times in Maizuru. Incidentally, at that time she called Sakamoto by "Mio-chan" (美緒ちゃん).
Junko decorated her first battle in the Fuso Sea Incident. Afterwards, she received a formal officer training in a prestigious military school and was appointed as a Pilot Officer. At the time, because of her small physique and shortage of proficiency, her evaluation by those around was low. However, thanks to her contact with (at the time) Pilot Officer Katou Takeko she bloomed reasonably as a commander.
Upon the early days of the war, Junko was deployed to Libau, where the base of the Fuso Imperial Navy European Dispatch Fleet was located. There, she looked up to Sakamoto as her preceptor and received combat coaching from her. Later, together with (at the time) Pilot Officer Nishizawa Yoshiko, the three achieved outstanding military gains and were called the "Libau Triumvirate".
After Fuso's evacuation from Libau, she was deployed to the defense of the Karlsland area. She later returned to the homeland and assisted in the rearing of the next generation as an instructor at a training academy, displaying excellent coaching abilities. In contrast to the one-on-one spartan training offered by Sakamoto, as a coach, Junko stresses raising the coordination and average level within a group.
In Blitz in the Blue Sky, Junko was deployed to the 501st Joint Fighter Wing as a trainee of commanding officer candidate and participated in the Gallian coast's landing operation. After the failure of said operation, she finished her induction course and returned to the Fuso homeland. Later, she received an invitation to be the combat commander of the 504th Joint Fighter Wing when it was established in 1944. Accepting the offer, Junko once again headed for Europe in the Aircraft Carrier Amagi. On that occasion, she first dropped by for a moment at the 501st's former base in Britannia to take over goods and personnel before proceeding on to the base in Romagna.
Junko took over command of the Operation Trajanus, but had to lead an evacuation war due to the failure of said operation. She received a minor injury then, but recovered thanks to Flying Officer Malvezzi's healing magic. While the 504th JWF was out of service, she stayed in Romagna and assisted with the unit's reconstruction.
Abilities[]
In Silver Wings, Junko possesses an inherent magic called "Inspiration" (鼓舞, kobu) that strengthens the magic power of her wingman. However, such details are uncertain in the Anime.
Well-informed about the international situation, Junko is a superior military officer that excels at seeing the big picture and sense of balance. In comparison to Sakamoto's great abilities as a combat commander, Junko has a reputation for her squad management, command and administrative coordination abilities, being deemed as an excellent officer cadet. It's been said that even Sakamoto obediently lends an ear to her opinions.
Striker units[]
Miyabishi Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Legs Model 21 (No. V-107)[]
Yamanishi Shiden Model 21 (unknown machine number)[]
Junko's Comments On Other Characters[]
On Minna
- "Yes, I talked with her a little when I visited the 501st's base. I got the impression she was a gentle and calm, someone who everyone can gather around. But she also seemed to be able to be quite strict at times, perhaps because of the role she fills in the group."
On Lynne
- "Lynne? That's the girl who is always together with Miyafuji, right? She still seems a bit helpless at times, but she's a great sniper, and she's gentle and obedient, so I'm sure she'll improve at her own pace. People that on the other hand improve a lot right away tends to have a hard time later on instead."
On Yoshika
- "Miyafuji? Yes, she's a quite mysterious girl. She has a totally different personality, yet it still somehow feels like she's just like Mio used to be. She seems like someone who would never try to hide anything, and she is also great at understanding others. That means it's very easy to get to know her and trust her, so I understand why Mio has taken a likening to her."
On Mio
- "I've know Mio for quite some time. We first met during the Fuso Sea Incident, and we were later transferred to the same base in Libau. She has taught me a lot. How to defeat the Neuroi, how to fight in a dogfight, how to take command over a formation... I owe it all to Mio."
On Trude
- "She's the one racing with Flying Officer Hartmann for the spot as the top ace of Karlsland. I'm really impressed with her ability to fight for such a long time carrying all those weapons. Since the outcome of a battle often is decided by a concentrated outburst of power in just an instant, having the ability to carry the double amount of firepower is a very practical ability that deserves respect."
On Hartmann
- "She's quite mysterious. She's a truly amazing ace in the sky, but down on the ground, it seems like she thinks even just moving her finger is making too much an effort. But I also feel I can understand that attitude. Since battles are usually relatively short and you only need to really be on your guard for a short period of time, she saves up for those moments by always being really relaxed. There are a lot of things we could learn from the witches of Karlsland."
On Shirley
- "She is very much like what you would expect from a witch from Liberion. She's an individualist, very freedom loving. Someone who cares about getting time over to do the things she wants to do. But she still gets along very well with everyone else, and she always plays her part well when it really matters. She sort of reminds me of Flight Lieutenant Gentile in our unit."
On Perrine
- "Whenever I'm with Mio, she's always looking at us from afar. I wonder why? I've heard she really cares about Gallia. That is something I can relate to, since we all really want to protect our home countries."
On Sanya
- "She's an excellent night witch. Being able to sleep safely is incredibly important when you are on the front. She must be very patient keeping up such a difficult job without complaining. And she's also very good at singing and playing the piano."
On Eila
- "Her special ability being the ability to predict the future is simply amazing! Having the ability to always avoid getting hit surely is something all witches can be envious of. She's also something of a prankster, and I also like how she really seems to care a lot about Sanya."
On Lucchini
- "There are a lot of Romagnan witches in my unit, and they all seem to do things as they please, but she's even one step above them. She seems to always be either eating, sleeping or playing. However, just as the members of my unit, she plays her part when it really matters. You can count on that."
Appearances[]
Anime
- Strike Witches Season 2, Episodes 1, 3 and 12
- 501st Joint Fighter Wing Take Off! (mentioned only)
Audio Media
Manga
- Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky
- Strike Witches Zero:1937 Fuso Sea Incident
- Strike Witches Zero:1939 Koukaku no majo
- Strike Witches: The Sky That Connects Us, Chapter 7
- Strike witches: Chii Sanya, cameo in chapter 17
- Strike Witches: Kurenai no Majo-tachi
- World Witches: Contrail of Witches
Video Games
- Strike Witches: Blitz in the Blue Sky - New Commander Struggles!
- Strike Witches: Silver Wings
- Strike Witches: Kiseki no Rondo
Other
Trivia[]
- Junko is quite good at cooking, with curry being her specialty among specialties. Besides that, she is also good at boiled cuisine and fried bean curd cuisine such as nikujaga and tatsuta-age.
- Her familiar is a white dog believed to belong to the Kishu-inu pedigree.
- Takei Junko is based on Junichi Sasai, the "Prince of Rabaul", who was killed by Marion E. Carl, an 18.5-victory ace of Marine squadron VMF-223, one of the few Midway-based pilots to survive the Battle of Midway. At the time of his death, Sasai's official score stood at 27, and 57 claimed.
Gallery[]
