OVA
Description
Rei Fukai serves as a pilot in the Fairy Air Force's (FAF) reconnaissance unit, the Special Air Force (SAF). Holding the rank of Second Lieutenant, later promoted to First Lieutenant and Captain, his serial designation is B within the Electronic Warfare and Long-Range Reconnaissance Squadron. He pilots the advanced reconnaissance aircraft B-503, nicknamed "Yukikaze," equipped with a near-sentient AI system; this aircraft evolves through iterations including the FFR-31MR/D Super Sylph and the FFR-41MR Mave.
A native of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Fukai graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Data Processing and worked briefly for a company. His employment terminated after he set fire to the workplace due to poor coworker relationships, resulting in a criminal conviction and assignment to the FAF as an alternative to imprisonment. Prior to joining the United Nations Air Force (UNAF), he was a reserve pilot in his nation's air force, later assigned to UN forces during regional conflicts threatening his country. His demeanor and nationality fostered his status as an outcast and loner.
Psychologically, FAF psychiatrist Edith Foss diagnosed Fukai with traits of social rejection. He displays minimal interest in people or objects outside his duties, reserving only occasional mild interest for individuals like Major James "Jack" Bukhar, Edith Foss, or engineer Tom "Tomahawk" John. His primary emotional bond is with the Yukikaze's AI, which communicates via cockpit displays. This relationship borders on symbiotic, the AI actively participating in mission decisions and reprogramming nearby systems. Following the destruction of the original Yukikaze airframe, Fukai lapsed into a quasi-comatose state requiring psychological intervention. Physically, he is slender yet muscular with narrow, well-formed features often described as coolly handsome.
Fukai's early FAF career involved flying the Sylphid, gaining combat experience before SAF assignment. He faced court martial after going AWOL during a reconnaissance mission to save a civilian jet targeted by terrorists. Major James Bukhar, whom Fukai saved during this incident, testified on his behalf, leading to acquittal; this formed Fukai's only deep human friendship. Bukhar later became his commanding officer, attempting to reintegrate him socially. Fukai retired from military service once but voluntarily returned to the FAF.
Operationally, Fukai spearheads high-risk reconnaissance missions under the SAF's mandate to gather intelligence "at all costs," a policy earning his unit the derogatory nickname "Grim Reaper." Key missions include an encounter with a JAM duplicate of Yukikaze, leading to conflict with superiors; capture by JAM clones seeking to study his aircraft, during which he killed a captor and escaped before their base disintegrated; engagement with JAM intruders and unauthorized combat assistance against Japanese MSDF units during engine testing on Earth; and participation in covering the UN forces' withdrawal from the planet Fairy after portal closure.
His development shows subtle shifts. While initially detached and prone to rule-breaking, experiences against the JAM – including their human cloning and infiltration tactics – deepened his commitment to the conflict. He states his motivation is fighting for his own world, not Earth's. Despite remaining reserved, his actions defending Earth and covering the withdrawal from Fairy demonstrate a protective instinct extending beyond his bond with Yukikaze.
A native of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Fukai graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Data Processing and worked briefly for a company. His employment terminated after he set fire to the workplace due to poor coworker relationships, resulting in a criminal conviction and assignment to the FAF as an alternative to imprisonment. Prior to joining the United Nations Air Force (UNAF), he was a reserve pilot in his nation's air force, later assigned to UN forces during regional conflicts threatening his country. His demeanor and nationality fostered his status as an outcast and loner.
Psychologically, FAF psychiatrist Edith Foss diagnosed Fukai with traits of social rejection. He displays minimal interest in people or objects outside his duties, reserving only occasional mild interest for individuals like Major James "Jack" Bukhar, Edith Foss, or engineer Tom "Tomahawk" John. His primary emotional bond is with the Yukikaze's AI, which communicates via cockpit displays. This relationship borders on symbiotic, the AI actively participating in mission decisions and reprogramming nearby systems. Following the destruction of the original Yukikaze airframe, Fukai lapsed into a quasi-comatose state requiring psychological intervention. Physically, he is slender yet muscular with narrow, well-formed features often described as coolly handsome.
Fukai's early FAF career involved flying the Sylphid, gaining combat experience before SAF assignment. He faced court martial after going AWOL during a reconnaissance mission to save a civilian jet targeted by terrorists. Major James Bukhar, whom Fukai saved during this incident, testified on his behalf, leading to acquittal; this formed Fukai's only deep human friendship. Bukhar later became his commanding officer, attempting to reintegrate him socially. Fukai retired from military service once but voluntarily returned to the FAF.
Operationally, Fukai spearheads high-risk reconnaissance missions under the SAF's mandate to gather intelligence "at all costs," a policy earning his unit the derogatory nickname "Grim Reaper." Key missions include an encounter with a JAM duplicate of Yukikaze, leading to conflict with superiors; capture by JAM clones seeking to study his aircraft, during which he killed a captor and escaped before their base disintegrated; engagement with JAM intruders and unauthorized combat assistance against Japanese MSDF units during engine testing on Earth; and participation in covering the UN forces' withdrawal from the planet Fairy after portal closure.
His development shows subtle shifts. While initially detached and prone to rule-breaking, experiences against the JAM – including their human cloning and infiltration tactics – deepened his commitment to the conflict. He states his motivation is fighting for his own world, not Earth's. Despite remaining reserved, his actions defending Earth and covering the withdrawal from Fairy demonstrate a protective instinct extending beyond his bond with Yukikaze.