Yukikaze (戦闘妖精・雪風 Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze^?, lit. Battle Fairy Yukikaze) is a five-episode Japanese direct-to-video anime series produced by Gonzo and Bandai Visual and was released in Japan from August 28, 2002 to August 25, 2005. It is based on a popular science fiction novel of the same name by Chōhei Kanbayashi, and was produced in commemoration of Bandai Visual’s 20th anniversary. It was also later aired in Japan on the anime television network Animax, who later aired in its English language networks across Southeast Asia and other networks worldwide.

Yukikaze has twice won the Tokyo Anime Award for Original Video Animation in 2003 and 2006.

Plot

Yukikaze occurs in the near future. Some decades ago, an alien force known as the JAM invaded Earth through a dimensional portal that appeared over Antarctica. The United Nations established a defense force to oppose the threat and after a series of bloody battles, managed to push the enemy back to the other side of the portal, which is a planet named “Fairy” by the humans. However, the battle still rages on. The main character, Rei Fukai, pilots the Super Sylph B-503 fighter, nicknamed “Yukikaze”, an advanced armed tactical reconnaissance plane equipped with a near-sentient AI computer system, and belongs to the Special Air Force (SAF), the strategic recon wing of Fairy Air Force (FAF). After one mission, B-503 and crew encountered what appears to be a friendly Super Sylph, but without IFF. Yukikaze, the AI, designated the other plane as hostile, and Fukai opened fire, shooting it down. (this covers only the 1st of 5 episodes.)