TV-Series
Description
Naoe Kanno, nicknamed Nao, is a witch of the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing, originating from Fuso and affiliated with the Fuso Imperial Navy. She serves as the designated partner of Karibuchi Hikari. Born to strict parents, Kanno was an obedient child with a strong interest in literature. She idolized poetry, keeping a diary of Tanka and other verses, and developed an admiration for Gallian literature. At the naval academy she specialized in the Gallian language. During her training she was often picked on by peers and instructors, but her intense fighting spirit drove her to approach targets until the very limit, sometimes colliding and damaging her Striker Unit, which earned her the nickname Destroyer. This habit also allowed her to become highly skilled at closing in on opponents and then avoiding them by a paper-thin margin.
Upon being appointed a Pilot Officer, Kanno was assigned to the European Dispatch Fleet and participated in Operation Barbarossa. She provided inland support during the Petersburg Invasion Operation and later took up the defense of Petersburg. Although only on paper, she was subsequently moved from the European Dispatch Fleet to the 201st Flying Corps and then to the 343rd Flying Corps. As the exchange of witches between nations intensified amid the war in Europe, she became a member of the newly formed 502nd Joint Fighter Wing.
Kanno’s personality is often described as Napoleonic: despite her small stature, she is bold and daring in the air, and brash and sometimes belligerent in social settings. She consciously adopted this fierce demeanor because she believed that fighting the Neuroi required a ferocious personality; she roused herself with a personal prayer to that effect when her witch abilities awakened. This attitude does not naturally lend itself to teamwork or cooperation, though it is somewhat softened under the command of Flight Lieutenant Aleksandra Pokryshkin, who reminds Kanno of a beloved elder sister from her childhood. Kanno’s motivations are deeply tied to the war itself she throws herself into combat with an almost reckless intensity. Her combat style is encapsulated in her own motto: if you run out of bullets, use a blade, and if the blade breaks, use a body blow. She operates best against large targets and believes the larger the enemy, the more worthwhile it is to defeat. Her signature maneuver is a nose dive from just above the target, firing as the two pass each other.
Within the story, Kanno initially refuses to accept Hikari as a member of the 502nd because she feels Hikari no longer resembles the original partner, Takami Karibuchi. However, after witnessing Hikari’s intelligence and determination to fight, Kanno begins to accept her, and the two eventually develop a close friendship. This relationship marks a key part of Kanno’s development as she learns to trust a new partner despite her earlier reservations. Other significant relationships include her respect for Pokryshkin and a brotherly rivalry with the ace pilot Nishizawa Yoshiko, who once visited the 502nd base and overwhelmed Kanno in a mock battle, leading them to address each other as Sister.
Notable abilities include her exceptional close-quarters combat tactics, her willingness to press attacks up to the point of collision, and her refined skill at evading enemy strikes at the last instant. She is a pure fighter who relies on courage and aggressiveness rather than caution, making her particularly effective in frontal engagements and against massive Neuroi.
Upon being appointed a Pilot Officer, Kanno was assigned to the European Dispatch Fleet and participated in Operation Barbarossa. She provided inland support during the Petersburg Invasion Operation and later took up the defense of Petersburg. Although only on paper, she was subsequently moved from the European Dispatch Fleet to the 201st Flying Corps and then to the 343rd Flying Corps. As the exchange of witches between nations intensified amid the war in Europe, she became a member of the newly formed 502nd Joint Fighter Wing.
Kanno’s personality is often described as Napoleonic: despite her small stature, she is bold and daring in the air, and brash and sometimes belligerent in social settings. She consciously adopted this fierce demeanor because she believed that fighting the Neuroi required a ferocious personality; she roused herself with a personal prayer to that effect when her witch abilities awakened. This attitude does not naturally lend itself to teamwork or cooperation, though it is somewhat softened under the command of Flight Lieutenant Aleksandra Pokryshkin, who reminds Kanno of a beloved elder sister from her childhood. Kanno’s motivations are deeply tied to the war itself she throws herself into combat with an almost reckless intensity. Her combat style is encapsulated in her own motto: if you run out of bullets, use a blade, and if the blade breaks, use a body blow. She operates best against large targets and believes the larger the enemy, the more worthwhile it is to defeat. Her signature maneuver is a nose dive from just above the target, firing as the two pass each other.
Within the story, Kanno initially refuses to accept Hikari as a member of the 502nd because she feels Hikari no longer resembles the original partner, Takami Karibuchi. However, after witnessing Hikari’s intelligence and determination to fight, Kanno begins to accept her, and the two eventually develop a close friendship. This relationship marks a key part of Kanno’s development as she learns to trust a new partner despite her earlier reservations. Other significant relationships include her respect for Pokryshkin and a brotherly rivalry with the ace pilot Nishizawa Yoshiko, who once visited the 502nd base and overwhelmed Kanno in a mock battle, leading them to address each other as Sister.
Notable abilities include her exceptional close-quarters combat tactics, her willingness to press attacks up to the point of collision, and her refined skill at evading enemy strikes at the last instant. She is a pure fighter who relies on courage and aggressiveness rather than caution, making her particularly effective in frontal engagements and against massive Neuroi.