妮卡・愛德華汀・卡塔雅南
Basic Information
- English Name
- Nikka Edvardine Katajainen
- Japanese Name
- ニッカ・エドワーディン・カタヤイネン
- English Name
- Nikka Edvardine Katajainen
- Nickname
- 妮帕（ニパ／Nipa）
- Voice Actor
- Natsumi Takamori
- Origin
- Suomus (スオムス) capital Helsinki
- Affiliation
- 502nd Joint Fighter Wing "Brave Witches"; formerly 24th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Company
- Rank
- Sergeant
- Inherent Magic
- Super Self-Recovery (multiplies with her familiar's healing magic; minor wounds heal instantly)
- Inspiration Model
- Nils Katajainen (1919–1997, Finnish Air Force ace)
Introduction
Nikka Edvardine Katajainen is a member of the "502nd Joint Fighter Wing 'Brave Witches'" in the "Strike Witches" series, voiced by Ms. Natsumi Takamori. She comes from Helsinki, the capital of the fictional country Suomus (スオムス, modeled on Finland), and is a bright, straightforward, and highly motivated witch.
She is best known for two traits: one, she possesses an extremely rare "super self-recovery" magical constitution; two, an extreme unlucky constitution—she is always getting caught up in all kinds of trouble, and is therefore nicknamed by her comrades "Unlucky Katajainen" (ツイてないカタヤイネン).
Appearance and Personality
Nipa has a neutral appearance like a young boy, and likes to speak and act in black-and-white terms. Her overly positive, forward-charging personality often prevents her from seeing the situation around her, and she is especially prone to being pranked by her best friend Ela. Although she is bright and sociable, she also has a side that cannot read the room.
She has a strong desire to "do her part for her homeland" and always gives her all in everything she does; but precisely because she is so straightforward, her superiors' evaluation of her is not particularly good, and she is even often misunderstood as having a bad attitude.
🍀 Unlucky Katajainen
Her unlucky constitution began to take root during her time at the training school, and she repeatedly operated training Striker Units to total loss. Fortunately, however, it never escalated into a situation that involved her comrades or caused fatal injuries.
🛠️ The Origin of the "Destruction Witch"
In battle she always ignores her shield and bites into the enemy with fierce attacks, and on top of that, for some reason she runs into Neuroi wherever she goes, so her aircraft is damaged especially frequently. Suomus's Striker Units rely on imports, and they were quite troubled by this ace who "achieves brilliant results but always breaks her equipment," and she was once assigned to clean the hangar.
🍄 An Unexpected Talent: Mushroom Gathering
Her specialty is mushroom gathering. In episode 7 of the anime "Brave Witches," she instantly saw through the mushrooms that Krupinski and Rossmann had brought back as the poisonous "Warai Take (laughing mushroom)," and only she and the bedridden Akira Karibuchi were not poisoned.
🤝 Values Her Comrades
She cares deeply about Akira Karibuchi, who was sent to the front-line battle zone in her sister's place, and has also said, "It's because of the Saturnus Festival that I was able to fit in with everyone," showing a considerate side.
Inherent magic: Super self-regeneration
Nipa possesses a special magical constitution that creates a multiplicative effect with her familiar's healing magic, allowing ordinary injuries to heal instantly. Because she circulates magic within her body, even crash accidents that would normally be considered certain death she can survive as if nothing happened, greatly astonishing those around her.
This constitution of hers forms a subtle complement to her unlucky nature: precisely because she can fall any number of times without dying, "always getting into trouble" became an everyday sight for her.
Background
- Training school period The budding of misfortune—She entered the training school at the same time as her witch powers awakened, training as a non-commissioned officer candidate. At this point, signs of her "misfortune" had already appeared, and she totaled training flight legs multiple times. Her classmates at the time included Suomus's top ace Ela Ilmatar Juutilainen, and second-in-command Hanna Wind.
- After graduation Sergeant, 24th Squadron, 3rd Company——She resembles Hanna Wind so closely that they are often mistaken for sisters, and the two forged a deep friendship through a certain battle. Although she shot down a Neuroi in her first battle, she was also hit and her engine was damaged, barely returning to base after nearly crashing.
- Stationing period Reunion with Eila——During her stationing at the Joroynen Observation Post, she reunites with Eila and thereby comes to know Sanya V. Litvyak, who was traveling with her (《The Sky Connected to You》).
- First theatrical appearance First appearance in visual media—Briefly appeared in "Strike Witches: The Movie," which was also her first appearance in a video work, and her first appearance scene was, as expected, "very unfortunate."
- 2016 Joins the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing——Recruited into the "Brave Witches," she is known alongside Waltrud Krupinski and Naoe Kanno, who are equally famous for wrecking their machines, as the "Break Witches."
Appearances
- TV anime
- Brave Witches (2016) / World Witches Take Off! (2021)
- Theatrical film
- Strike Witches: The Movie (2012)
- OVA
- 《Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow vol.3 The Bridge of Arnhem》 (2015) / 《Brave Witches Petersburg Grand Strategy》 (2017)
- Game
- 《Brave Witches VR - Operation Baba_yaga - Snow Interception Battle》 (2017), etc.
Character Reviews
Nipa is one of the most contrastingly charming characters in "Brave Witches": she is both an ace who racks up victory after victory and a公认 "jinx"; she can survive situations that should be certain death, yet even her aircraft will fall out of the sky without warning. This combination of "strong yet unlucky" makes her an extremely memorable comic relief character in the work.
"That girl who gives her all in the sky, covered in wounds yet always able to stand up smiling, is the most heart-wrenching presence in Brave Witches, and the one you can't help but want to cheer for."
— Overall Assessment
