"Girls und Panzer" Topic

Japanese Anime has been producing weapons-grade WTH for some time now, but the series called "Girls und Panzer" or (ガールズ&パンツァー (Gāruzu ando Pantsā)) stands out – along with being a contender for this year's "Most Gratuitous Use of German in a Title" award.

Synopsis: The art of Sensha-dō, or operating tanks, is a traditional martial art for girls and international championships are held amongst girls schools. Schools with long-standing programs field teams of various tanks (usually from a single nationality). So, of course, the heroine's school fields a motley collection of a Pz.IVD, Type 89, M3 Lee, Pz.38(t), StuGIII and Renault B1 bis.

Yes, that is a pink Lee and the Pz 38 is gold.

The crew of the StuG learns that the basifen (back banners) blows the assault gun's ability to creep in under cover. Combat is non-lethal (somehow).

I am actually contemplating doing the unthinkable and building this… ah… unit as a way to intro wargaming at Comic Con next summer. We had good success with demoing FoW this year with StuGs vs. T-34s that using anime might draw even more participants. The mix in the Oarai school team is a good way to introduce the concept of different skills and weaknesses in each tank.

I just have to watch the series to see what other team to build. Saunders University High with their Shermans might be a good match as they can mix it up while still being vulnerable if they get too cocky. The Italians with the mix of P40, L3/33 and Semovente 75/18 might be too easy to knock about.

Wyatt

I love that some of the big time scale model companies sneak in their boxes in the anime. Or perhaps that was the creators nodding their head to them. I'm unsure which

I actually did mention before hand of making the StuG from there for FoW/15mm

Clips, though not whole episodes, are available on youtube.

YouTube link

-Kosta

Try Crunchyroll for full episodes

Why? just,…. why?

^^^^That is my question.

Well at least they did a good job on the tanks …

That is *awesome*. You never know what will come out of Japan next.

Please tell me there is a chibi bunny-demon that randomly appears from time to time with exposition!

"weapons-grade WTH"

+50 internets to you, sir.

That is just too weird. The tanks are so well done in the cartoon, even to the interiors (love the girly touches inside), but the whole concept is SO bizarre – even for the Japanese. It is "weapons grade WTH" indeed!

Doug

It's Anime. If you have to ask, you'll never understand. I gotta look up this series though, never miss a chance with cute girls + cool military hardware!

I guess that modern JGSDF Type 10 MBT belongs to the "referee".

Looking through the Youtube videos, in one episode they have those 5 battle a rival school's tank team which has a Churchill IV leading 4 Matilda IIs!

The Type 10 belongs to the instructor.

Hulu+ has episodes 4-7 in their entirety.

Wyatt

So has the first FoW army sporting this theme been spotted already?

???????????????

Huh?!!?!?!?

Ha, ha, those Japanese…..

It's not bad, the girls are very cute and are typical schoolgirls. You have the cute one, the reserved one, a laconic one who has a serious sleeping disorder and the geeky tank fanatic who had no friends before taking up Tankwondo. And then there is the heroine, who is an experienced tank user, but she had a bit of a mishap and wanted out of the sport because if it, but she found true friends and she's happy playing again. If you think this will have all the classic tropes of US teen television, you are sorely mistaken.

Each tank is driven by a particular club. The Type 89 is run by the volleyball team, while the Stug is handled by the history club (They all follow historical figures and dress appropriately, not some weird nazi fetish or something …)

The team was recently reinforced by a Char B and another major tank was discovered in storage, but it has yet to show up. The Panzer IV was rebuilt into an F2 model with L/43 gun.

The action is more like tag or capture the flag with tanks. They do a lot of driving around and shooting on the move, trying to lure the enemy into ambushes or just stay out of the line of fire.

They do use live ammo, but the penetration is limited and the tanks are reinforced with carbon for protection, though some impacts will start fires or seriously crumple the plating. This is all repaired off-screen. Whenever a tank is considered knocked out a white flag will automatically deploy.

The series is great fun to watch the latest episode is out today if I'm not mistaken.

I like the pink Lee.

Why? just,…. why?

Why not?

Seriously, though, the Japanese have a pretty big crowd that are military fanbois, can tell you all the specs of [weapon system].

It'd be great fun to run all the different tanks/teams in a Tank Aces campaign… But who makes a JGSDF Type 10?

AHHHHHH! The Pink Panzer!

Or is it Pink(y) Lee?

My son showed my an episode of this when he recently visited. Kinda fun.

HAH! LOL, this was too cool. the Brit team drinks tea while fighting. When a tank smashes into a store the owners smile in delight as a good omen and getting a free renovation, no one seems to mind exploding shells in the city….

YouTube link

They do use live ammo …

What? Not paint?

Interesting. I don't normally play FoW but I might be willing to try if this became an acceptable army…
Is that a German Leopard 2 or a Japanese Type 10 that has a single crew member listed?

I just have to watch the series to see what other team to build.

Good luck with that. It's only been a few episodes into the entire show, currently airing and there no fansubs, let alone official subs yet. So…..unless you speak Japanese….

I love that some of the big time scale model companies sneak in their boxes in the anime. Or perhaps that was the creators nodding their head to them. I'm unsure which

Modeling and gunpla in particular are major hobbies there from what I hear. I'd not be surprised if the modeling companies supported the show. I know there is a series dedicated to Gunpla where the participants custom build their own models from various parts, then, some how big battle? Which involved the mechs becoming real or something? I didn't quite figure that one out and wasn't interested enough to watch it because I do not do Gunpla…. I do occasionally paint the models for my friend though when he wants something to look better, but that's it.

Only the Japanese…

> Is that a German Leopard 2 or a Japanese Type 10 that has a single crew member listed?

It's a Type 10.

I've been watching the Youtube clips. Great fun.

If this doesn't melt your heart, nothing will …

YouTube link

BTW, ten hour version, so don't try to see the whole thing, it might leave scars …

And why isn't there a team with an Infantry Tank MkI?

@Patrick R.

Ten hours? Of driving through the snow and singing? Cruel and unusual punishment indeed!

That's just weird.

So who's got an idea for rules for this then?

If you guys want full episodes, google search 'Girls und Panzer Anime flavor'. First result will get you episodes 1-9, all with subbed translations (with gratuitous German thrown in).

I have to say, I'm enjoying the ratio of Girls:Panzer in the series. The producer has promised exactly zero 'panty shots' in the series, which can be pretty annoying in other series. And the character development is surprisingly well done. Kudos as well to my two favorite characters – the Rommel impersonater, and the tank-fan whose 'soul-mate' is Guderian.

There are tons of anime about school girls competing in sports like tennis or volleyball, this is just the same, they use tanks instead of a ball or a hockeystick.

I'm looking for suitable figures as tank commanders, but no luck so far. Anybody know of any suitable gashapon ?

Good grief….

Infinite array you just won ten billion internets for suggesting that search!

"AHHHHHH! The Pink Panzer!"

I've seen a real pink panzer.

A Soviet T-34/85 painted pink, with a middle finger coming out of the cupola, floating on a barge in the Voltava river in Prague last year.

Aha! I found the pic of the scale models I was talking about

Tamiya and Italeri? I wish I could have a daughter with such tastes!

Animeseason.com will have the whole thing with subs.

Here's the link…..http://www.animeseason.com/girls-und-panzer/

I hope the producers of this show merchandise some 1/72 diecast models. I could use a Type 89 or four.

"I've seen a real pink panzer.

A Soviet T-34/85 painted pink, with a middle finger coming out of the cupola, floating on a barge in the Voltava river in Prague last year."

IS II, note the rear MG ball turret, the muzzle brake and the wheels.

The Prague tank is an icon of the Velvet Revolution, a war memorial painted by students in 1989 in defiance of the regime….

judging by the response to this thread it's pretty clear that these guys got it spot on – what do FoW boys like? girlz and tanks…

So, of course, the heroine's school fields a motley collection of a Pz.IVD, Type 89, M3 Lee, Pz.38(t), StuGIII and Renault B1 bis.

This sounds like a perfect excuse for fielding a mixed kampfgruppe of all of the odd tanks in your collection! I mean, what other historically credible reason one could have for fielding all of those vehicles at the same time?

That said, rather than re-enacting said team, why not inventing your own tankitsu team? Coming up with a motley bunch of tanks for them could be half of the fun. How about a team with Mae West tank, BT-42 assault gun, Italian M11/39, Somua and Bob Siemple tank?

At first I thought the idea was COMPLETELY stupid. And I've never been interested in mangas (and especially NOT interested in mangas featuring bare-legged young girls!)

But I've watched this a few minutes… and I think it's rather good. The tanks are well represented; there are some funny little ideas in the stories; the music themes are funny too and well choosen…

In fact, I like it.

My wife and I watched the first three episodes last night – AWESOME. Check out episode 2. When the girls find their tanks one team is looking over the StuG and talking about its characteristics and one girl makes a disparaging comment about it.

The response is a blistering rundown of what an effective tank it is culminating with the memorable line "Apologize to Finland!" and they all turn toward Scandinavia, bow and say "sumimasen"

Aha! I found the pic of the scale models I was talking about

Tamiya and Italeri? I wish I could have a daughter with such tastes!

First box is a hybrid Italeri/Dragon box, the one underneath is Trumpeter, and the two underneath that are Hobby Boss. There is a Tamiya box underneath those, and after that it gets too hard to see.

BTW, there was a much better scene where they were in a hobby shop. On one of my armor modeling forums we played spot the kit too… :)

Damon.

First box is a hybrid Italeri/Dragon box, the one underneath is Trumpeter

I thought the second one in that pile looks like a Zvezda kit.

Top shelve – Cromwell, Wolverine, SdKfz 222, Panzer II
2nd shelve – ???, Flakpanzer 38(t), Brummbar

No Panthers or Tigers, that girl has taste!

2nd shelve – ???, Flakpanzer 38(t), Brummbar

That first tank looks to me like the command version of Panzer I.

And now you all understand why this is popular in Japan. Young boys like to look at girls and tanks.