Anime Review: Girls und Panzer Episode 3

Previously, Miho and her friends are on a full-scale battle training with the other members. As the battle starts, they already being targeted by the others. In the time when they want to escape from the target, Miho then find Mako sleeping in the battlefield with their tank going to her direction. What will happened next? This is the review of the Girls und Panzer episode 3 titled “試合、やります！ (Shiai, Yarimasu!; I'll Join The Match!)”.

(WARNING! SPOILER CONTENT INCLUDED! OPEN AT YOUR OWN RISK!)

(Mini-HD encode by AnimeOut, fansub by Commie)

So, the episode start from the scene they left in the previous episode. And this is what happen next.

Not very last though, but this is basically a scene they left in the previous episode

With the tank going to Mako's direction, Mako then jumps to the tank (safely?). While on the tank, it turns out that Mako is actually Saori's childhood friend. Because they actually in a dangerous situation, Miho then let Mako in the tank.

 Why she save? Well, miracle happens

They then find a bridge. By the time they entering the bridge (with Miho guiding the tank), Hana has a trouble driving on it and then snaps the bridge rail cable, making the tank stuck there. And also, the other team fires and hit them directly, knocking Hana, the tank driver, unconscious.

 That's scary. Really......

 And that makes even scarier

With no driver, suddenly Mako jumps into the driver seat and on a second mastered the driving. With that, they finally pass to the center of the bridge safely and immobilize all the enemy teams. Thus the battle is over and won by team of Miho and her friends.

 Reading while driving! Just don't do or try it for real and drive safely, okay!

 It looks like driving a car, or at least a truck

 I don't know why they missed it. I thought they are as experienced as Miho

Then, in a bathhouse, they talk about the victory and rearrange their roles for the next battle with Miho become the commander, Saori become the radio operator, Hana become the gunner, Yukari become the loader, and, with some blackmails, Mako become the driver.

 Everyone begging Mako to becoming the tank driver

 But she refuse it

 And then Saori blackmails her

She finally accept it

Then Saori have an idea to go to some store to buy some cushion to make the tank much comfortable, which is something unusual for tanks.

Even Miho confused about that

On the other day, with all the tanks being “upgraded”, all the members doing some Tank-Arts training.

Tank upgraded. Yeah, "upgraded"

 She seems happy with the changes

 Meanwhile, in some room.......

 There are two ojou-sama (lady).......

 And another ojou-sama. She being offered by Oarai to having a match with them, and she accept it

And after that, the student council also suddenly announce that they will have a practice match with St. Gloriana Girls High School on Sunday morning.

 Both Miho and Yukari look down because St. Gloriana is a veteran that also became a runner-up in the National Tournament

 Hearing they will meet on Sunday at 06.00 AM, Mako wants to quit from Tank-Arts......

 Which surprise Miho, Hana, and Yukari

 So, again, they begging Mako to not leaving Tank-Arts.......

And it's success

Then, all the team commanders gather to talk about the plan for the match. Kawashima (whatever the position in the student council) explains the plan; luring the enemy to the “killzone” with one of the member as the bait. Miho disagree with that because she think they will know that they being baited. Thus, Miho then assigned by the student council president as the commander of the school team.

LOL at the expression

Some member ask what happen if they lose. So the president answer that they will perform a Oarai's Ankou Dance

And then, on the Sunday morning, the match day, Miho and her friends doing their best, yet extreme, efforts to wake Mako up. Then, with both of the schools disembark in the harbor, their match soon begins.

Something that you probably think unusual to see in the neighborhood: a tank in front of a house

The locals cheering on Miho and her friends

It seems that Tank-Arts really famous in Japan currently

Even the local police also prepared for it

And it also like a football match; watching their home team's match

An usual thing in martial arts: Bow to each other

To be continued.....

IMPRESSIONS:

"YEAH!!!" - Mako Reizei, the halfhearted heroine

Mako for me is pretty much like a hero that come from nowhere in this episode. She is smart and she is also the one who saving Miho and her friends from the trouble. But, due to her laziness, she is somewhat halfhearted. She actually don't want to help them, but thanks to her friends (mainly Saori's blackmails), she do help them. Thankfully she not do it halfheartedly. If so, what would happen then? Anyway, it's a nice idea of them to add this kind of character to the company.

"NAAAH!!!" - The other team immobilized after being shot. Why Miho's team doesn't?

I still don't know the rules yet because they don't mention it there. But the instructor in previous episode clearly said “You just have to immobilize the enemies”. Then, it also shown that a single shot can immobilize the enemy. But, when the Reki-jou team shoot to Miho's team, even it clearly seen it was hit, why they're not immobilized? It seems that they want to make Miho's team win in the battle. Well, it's okay actually. But with that way, it doesn't seems fair. Why they do that? No good!

What kind of unusual view you ever see in your neighborhood?

If your answer is a driving tank, then this episode will reminds you with that. In this anime, since the anime is about tanks, then that wouldn't be unusual there. But in real life, what do you think? Well, my brother faced once, but in the local street. But in the neighborhood? I don't think it is. I still say it unusual even after watching Top Gear's “Star in A Reasonably Priced Car” with Ross Noble (series 17 episode 2) or the Top Gear challenge in series 17 episode 5 as the real life reference.

They're still not satisfied yet. So they make one bigger

I don't know if that's the reason or not. But the thing is, I already amazed with Oarai's City-Ship. That ship I think is even bigger than the usual cargo ship in real life. And suddenly, St. Gloriana ship also disembarking and it turns out, the ship is even bigger than Oarai's! If that ship really is exist in real life, just how big the ship will be!? I can't even think about that. So, back to topic, why theirs is bigger? Is it because St. Gloriana is much wealthier than Oarai?

"NAAAH!!!" - They end it awkwardly again!

Yes, they did it again. And that's not good. Well, some people maybe don't care about this. But I do. Because if some anime has so many good points but also has a major failure on it, it feels like “Well, I'm not sure if I like this anime or not”. It's like that. Though this episode is actually ends better than the previous episode, it's still feels awkward. Busou Shinki Moon Angel OVA, before the studio make it into one episode OVA, they actually split it into 10 episode ONA (with one episode runs in around 3 – 5 minutes) before as a part of Busou Shinki Battle Masters Mk.2 DLC on PlayStation Store. That means they also cut the scene like Girls und Panzer do. But that anime is better because they make sure that the episode ends properly. And yes, they end it properly. So, still not good then.

"NAAAH!!!" - Somehow the pace feels too fast

I said that because, just look at it. After the battle practice, they then do a Tank-Arts training, and suddenly announce a match with a veteran without any certain progress whatsoever. Well, maybe it's a nature of the student council. But, why so suddenly? They even still don't know each other yet it seems.

CONCLUSION:

A good episode in the terms of the action. The battle is too short actually and feels more like playing a video game than the real one. But, they add some intense feel to it like when Miho's team tank stuck at the bridge; the tanks slides down and then fired at the back, that sure intense! Then, this episode also shows how well experienced Miho is, like the way Initial D shows how well experienced Takumi, the main character, is. But unlike Initial D, comparing Miho to the others (even the student council), she is in a completely different level, making the impression bad. But thanks to the fact that Miho is actually hate Tank-Arts for some reason, this anime still has a good impact on it. But in overall terms, this episode still has many bad points. They still need to improve it.

Next will be the progress of the match. You sure can't wait for it, right? So don't miss it!