IS Academy
IS Academy is an academy where Infinite Stratos users from all over the world come to learn how to effectively pilot an IS. It is a boarding school comprising of mainly girls, even the staff are women who double as instructors due to their former status as pilots or test candidates. The academy has only one male student, Ichika Orimura.
Contents
History & Reason for the IS Academy
The IS Academy is, as its name suggested, an educational corporation meant to nurture IS controllers. The Japanese government sees it as a principle and duty to fund it and run it. However, the results of the research are revealed to the entire world due to the common agreement, and at the same time, Japan has no right to neither remain silent nor hide them. No matter what happens in this school, the Japanese government has to intervene fairly and has the obligation of settling these under the premises that the other countries in the treaty have agreed on. Also, the school has opened its doors to foreign students without any conditions, and the Japanese government is to provide protection—as according to the contents of the IS treaty regarding IS pilot training agencies. This is the school’s code of discipline.
Ichika's idea about the IS Academy's situation was "Basically, it’s like ‘you damned Japan, creating that IS and causing chaos in the world, at least you should build a school to train people in this field of discipline. Hand over your research and technology. Ah, you’ll bear all the financing costs’.
Design and Technology of the Area
It is built on an offshore island which can only be reached via a monorail connecting it to the mainland. It has a decidedly futuristic look, with all its domes and a branch-like tower in the middle of it. There are plenty of trees and parks to tone down the metallic look. The buildings are designated in different places to differentiate their purposes, such as the dormitories being next to a small bridge with trees and a small river under it.
Technology-wise, it is about as sophisticated as it can be. The classrooms are fitted with holographic desks which show the name of the student when called upon (like when Ichika is supposed to introduce himself, his name appeared beside him) and a holographic chalkboard. There are various "shimmering" holograms that appear all over the academy. There is a large moving holographic strip alongside the school building to broadcast pretty much everything, like weather, temperature, etc.
General Status
Due to the social status change that has come about due to the appearance of the IS, a few of the girls are generally arrogant towards the males because of their abilities to pilot an IS. But at the same time, the entire school population of girls are somewhat naive and curious about the opposite sex, as most of them are from all-girls schools. (Since females are the only ones who can pilot an IS, the government set it up such that children at a very young age are separated into same-gender schools, and it spent more funding on the girls' side).
Their knowledge of boys seems to be mostly from Boy's Love (Yaoi) Comics, as they were blushing at the idea of Ichika and "Charles" holding hands, and their comments of them sticking together for the selection matches. So they are very interested in Ichika (being the first male to pilot an IS), and often try to take the initiative to talk to him, and try to get the upper hand above the rest (like how a senior tried to discourage Houki from teaching Ichika about IS, saying that she has more experience than her). They likewise become very excited and motived when he's around or any chance to be around him (something that was taken advantage of by Tantenashi Sarashiki during the school festival by giving away the right to live in the same room as him in a contest in exchange for them to vote for the Student Council).
Uniforms/IS Clothing
The uniform is standard among the entire school, white blazer with long sleeves and a skirt, with variations among the IS Candidate Representatives (a few normal students also have their uniforms customized). The only way to tell between the years are their neckties, which are different colors (blue for first years, yellow for second years, red for third years.)
- Ichika Orimura - Being the only male, he wears a white blazer with long trousers.
- Cecilia Alcott - Wears a long blouse that covers her legs.
- Lingyin Huang - Detached sleeves for her blazer.
- Charlotte Dunois - Wears a male uniform as a spy. As a girl, she wears a much shorter skirt than any of the other girls.
- Laura Bodewig - Wears a pair of baggy pants and jockey boots.
- Tatenashi Sarashiki - Wears sleeveless coat over her blazer and her skirt is arguably short.
- Kanzashi Sarashiki - Have robot-like parts hanging on her hips' sides and puffs at the top of her sleeves.
- Honne Nohotoke (non-Representative) - Extended sleeves that obscure her hands.
- Utsuho Nohotoke (non-Representative, novel) - Short-sleeved blazer.
- Mairead Sandilands - Wears a white blazer with long sleeves, green leggings that end under the skirt, while the skirt stops an inch to two inches above the knee. Her feet are clad in dark grey two-inch heels and you notice some type of small weapon in the top of the left legging if it could be seen under her skirt. A tartan sash in the clan colors of Sandilands goes from her left shoulder and ends at her right hip, where it is clasped with the crest of her family; displaying an eagle with wings spread, with the words 'Spero Meliora' on the badge.
When the students are doing IS training, they switch to a tight-fitting suit (similar to a one-piece swimsuit) and leg stockings that reached to their thighs. For the female Representative Candidates, they wear the same suit with varying colors, while Ichika wears a tank top and Bermudas of similar material.
Facilities
- Classrooms - There are at least 4 classrooms for 1st years, and there are classrooms for the seniors from the 2nd to 3rd years.
- Dormitories - The place where the students live. Each room has 2 single beds for roommates and a bathroom. There is also a public bath for them to use. Ichika (living in room 1025) was assigned different roommates at different points of the light novel due to him being an exception (in the manga & light novel, he was supposed to travel between his home and the academy, but his sister forcefully arranged it so he can stay, much to his chagrin).
- Changing rooms - A giant locker room located at the arena where the students can go and change into their training suits or their respective curricular clothes. Ichika has to go there all the time, because the girls always change in the classrooms (being the only male tires him out).
- Battle Arena - An area where duels, class representative tournaments and occasional IS practice take place, the edges are shielded to prevent accidents. There are:
- There Are at least 6 of these battle arenas. Arena 6 is an open air arena connected to the central tower.
- Stones benches for the spectators to sit and watch.
- A VIP box for the countries guests (usually representatives of various R&D corporations).
- 4 maintenance areas for the IS users to suit up, in addition to a launch pad leading to the arena. There is an observation room where the teachers can monitor the battle. the condition of the IS, and the security of the arena.
- Boys' Large Bath - A large indoor bathroom with views of the forest and the tower. This place was made as the teachers thought the boys (Ichika and "Charles") would need an area to freshen up after training.
- Infirmary - A place where IS students needed to treated for illness or injuries.
Extracurricular Activities
As it is a school, there are different clubs for the students to do extracurricular activities. The Student Council helps to manage the clubs by sending them aid and set up events to promote their works and attract new students to the school.
Known Clubs and Members
- Student Council - Tatenashi Sarashiki
- Kendo Club - Houki Shinonono
- Tennis Club - Cecilia Alcott
- Lacrosse Club - Lingyin Huang
- Cooking Club - Charlotte Dunois
- Tea Ceremony Club - Laura Bodewig
- Handball (Soccer) Club - Kiyoka Aikawa
- Newspaper Club - Mayuzumi Kaoruko
- Multiverse Laision - Mairead Sandilands
In the light novel, Ichika was forced to become the Vice-President of the Student Council, so that Tatenashi can keep an eye on him. However, she gave him trouble by "loaning" him to clubs under the pretense of giving aid, when it was meant to silence the girls who were complaining about Ichika "being monopolized by the Personal IS Group".
Security
Being the only IS Academy that teaches users how to pilot an IS, security is of the utmost importance. No unauthorised personnel can enter the IS Academy. For anyone who wish to be admitted into the IS Academy, they would need to be recognised by their respective governments to have the talent. The only exception was during the cultural festival, where the students are allowed to bring in guests, provided they have a pass to get in with.
Around the Battle Arena, there is an energy barrier similar to that of an IS (only stronger), meant to contain the amount of damage within the area, and also to keep unwanted interference. Should there be an intruder in the area, there will be a security lockdown, with shield barriers up to Level 4 (apparently the highest level possible) and shield shutters to partition the entire place. The teacher instructors will then come out in their IS (supposedly the Rafael Revive Basic models) to deal with the intruder.
Staff
- Juuzou Kutsuwagi - Principal of IS academy (outside world is told that his wife is the principal)
- Chifuyu Orimura - Homeroom Teacher of Class One & 1st Year Dorm Supervisor
- Maya Yamada - Assistant Homeroom Teacher in Class One
- Edwards Franchee - Math teacher & 25 years old from Canada
Students
1st Years
Class One
- Class Rep: Ichika Orimura - Vice-President of the Student Council
- Houki Shinonono
- Cecilia Alcott
- Charlotte Dunois
- Laura Bodewig
- Honne Nohotoke - Student Council Member
- Kiyoka Aikawa
- Shizune Takatsuki
- Yuzu Tanimoto
Class Two
- Class Rep: Lingyin Huang
Class Four
2nd Years
- Tatenashi Sarashiki - President of the Student Council
- Kaoruko Mayuzumi - Vice-President of Newspapers Club
- Forte Sapphire - pilot of the personal IS Cold Blood
- Sara Welkin - England's representative cadet
- Mairead Sandilands - Scotland's representative Cadet and pilot of IS Clota
3rd Years
- Utsuho Nohotoke - Student Council Member
- Unnamed 3rd Year Senior - a girl who hides her intention to be with Ichika by offering him lessons in controlling IS, only to be deterred by Houki, who revealed her relations with her sister.
- Daryl Cayce - pilot of the personal IS Hellhound
