Lime-Iro Senkitan is a game series developed and published by ELF Corporation. The story was adapted to a 13-episode anime that aired in Japan between January 5, 2003 and March 30, 2003. It has two sequels: a second season Lime-Iro Ryukitan X; and a 2 episode OVA Lime-Iro Senkitan: The South Island Dream Romantic Adventure.
The story takes place in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War in which former Japanese diplomat, Shintaro Umakai, becomes the teacher of a secret group of teenage girls, the Lime Unit, who are based on the flying battleship Amanohara. The girl's Konjiki enables them to operate unmanned mecha named Lime against Russian Lime units led by Grigori Rasputin who often attack the Amanohara while it is travelling towards Port Arthur for the final battle.
Characters
Main characters
Shintaro Umakai
A former Japanese diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Russia. He received his degree in teaching in Sapporo, Hokkaidō which led him to being hired as teacher for the Lime Unit. His leaving of Russia caused his former fiancée, Sophia, to join with the Russian Spiritual Corps. Early on, and after the death of Lt. Commander Date, he became the commander of the Lime Unit, even though he is a civilian.
Lime Unit
Momen Sanada
A young girl who comes from a poor family, she leaves home to find work in a nearby city, where she often gets fired or scolded due to her clumsiness, because of it she always has apprehensions of being fired whenever she does something wrong. She later ends up joining the Lime Unit instead. Momen calls Shintaro brother because of his similarities shared with her brother. She is very active and incredibly strong, but she is pretty much immature and a klutz, that she should would often trip and expose her panty to Shintaro. She is ready to do anything for Shintaro, where she even wakes him up every morning. Momen controls the red Lime, Yukimura.
Asa Katou
A girl who grew up under her father as a military child and as such is a very commanding and tough person. She is a tomboy who practices kendo and has shared a special bond with Lt. Commander Date, whom she loved as a brother. She may be small but she is very aggressive and stubborn and often acts in a boyish manner; she also cusses a lot and is often annoyed with Sarasa's prima donna antics that she often argues with her. She controls the green Lime, Kiyomasa. Among the girls, she is the only one whom Shintaro never saw naked, nor was he able to accidentally see her in her underwear. It is suggested that she is the youngest among the girls in the unit.
Sarasa Honda
Sarasa is a primadonna who has a fascination with Western culture, which causes her to buy, wear, and use what she mostly think are "western" products, but which are actually made mostly in Osaka, the attire she wore, that she thought is western is actually an Ao Dai. She acts overconfident and brash, and often hides various things about herself which may make her appear weaker to other people, such as claiming people in the West make dolls instead of origami cranes as gifts because she can't make them herself. She also has a dog named Antionette Gandhi XIII, or Angie for short. she also falls in love with her teacher. Sarasa controls the blue Lime, Taiga. It is suggested that she is the oldest among the girls in the unit, she also performs poorly in class.
Kinu Fukushima
The best friend with Asa but has a low self-confidence which causes her to cry when Asa becomes forcefully verbal with her. She has special connections to the spiritual world which had enabled her to talk with spirits until Shintaro broke the bond. She also makes use of voodoo dolls quite frequently. Kinu controls the yellow/orange Lime, Masanori. Among the girls, she is the only one who has had sex with Shitaro where he reluctantly did it to break her bond from the spirits that has cause her konjiki to go out of control and thus saving her life.
Rinzu Kuroda
A very quiet girl, most likely from her tragic experiences early on in which her father kept her locked up like a bird in a cage after the rest of her family died. As a loner, she has develop a certain relationship with herself through her mirror, by performing certain acts of self gratification by her lonesome. Shintaro helped Rinzu break free of her sorrow by revealing that her father had died trying to save her, instead of actually committing suicide. Rinzu controls the purple Lime, Nagamasa. Among the girls in her unit she is the only one who willing offered herself to Shintaro, but it was uncertain if the latter has accepted her offer.
The head doctor aboard the Amanohara. She often tries to seduce Shintaro, especially against the Lime Unit girls. It was suggested that she is the first female on board the Amanohara whom Shitarou had sex with.
Kuki
A benevolent, human form demon who gives the Amanohara the ability to fly. She is accompanied by human form Shikigami triplets who are cast as little girls. She occasionally requires sex from Shitarou in order to charge her spiritual powers, though at times she can also do it by relaxing at an Onsen.
Lieutenant Commander Date Masanosuke
The previous commander of the Lime Unit until he sacrificed himself to defend Sarasa from an enemy Lime. He had a special brother-sister style bond with Asa and they often practiced kendo with each other.
Russian Spiritual Corps
Grigori Rasputin
The leader of the Russian Spiritual Corps. He later found and recruited Sophia, Rasha, and Saten into the organization. It is believed he survived a large boulder that fell on him in the final episode, which would allow for his real death in 1916. He controlled the large black Lime, Pyotr.
Sophia
The former fiancée of Shintaro. After he left her to return to Japan, she was found by Rasputin who realized her ability to manipulate her Konjiki. She was sent to the Amanohara to disrupt their activities and eventually cause Shintaro to kill the Lime Unit girls. She failed her mission however, and was greatly injured when she was crushed by a large boulder in the final episode. In order to protect Shintaro, she uses the last of her strength to send her Lime to intercept a blast from Rasputin's Pyotr. Her last wish, before dying, was that Shintaro live on without her. She controls a light blue Lime and goes by the codename Veludo.
Rasha
Her parents were believed to be rebellious Russians around the beginning of the 20th century. Her parents were thus killed by Russian soldiers or police. She was however saved by Rasputin from certain rape and death by the hands of her parents murderers. She controls a light purple Lime as well as several minor Lime.
Saten
The only survivor of a famine and was saved by Rasputin while she lay in the street starving and barely alive. She controls a dark red Lime as well as several minor Lime.
