Is this series uninteresting to the average anime fan?

Mar 28, 2023 5:30 PM

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Aug 2022

188

Girls und Panzer (GuP) is a very unusual series. That unusualness is extended to its fandom, which I've gotten a very strong impression that at least half of the English speaking fans online are primarily interested in stuff like tanks and military history... with anime being a secondary hobby. They seem more likely talk more about classic films like The Bridge on the River Kwai or shows like Band of Brothers instead of what's the latest anime airing in this season.

I know that the series has a respectable following in Japan, but why hasn't that popularity extended to the English speaking fandom abroad?

Hell, virtually none of the major Anitubers with more than 600K subscribers have talked about this show. To the point that the most watched GuP video essay on Youtube is not from an Anituber, but from a history meme channel with over 2.5 million views.

Would love to hear your thoughts on "Why Girls und Panzer ain't more popular outside of Japan?"

Alpha-NineMar 28, 2023 5:34 PM

Mar 28, 2023 6:18 PM

-BL0SS0M-

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Aug 2021

187

I can only speak from my experience with it, but as someone who’s studied military history and WWII tanks particularly it was difficult for me to take the rather extreme liberties GuP takes with its combat and whatnot. In short, I can’t help but force logic onto it. The classic films you mentioned focus a lot on accuracy and realism (imo at least), whereas an anime is more on the entertainment and wacky concepts. Western fans might be watching for the military aspects & vehicles, and Japanese fans for the cute girls zooming around in said vehicles. Different expectations from what they’re viewing.

Mar 28, 2023 6:25 PM

Calal-Chan

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Jul 2013

1627

What isn't fun about cute moe girls in tanks shooting tank shells at each other in an extreme sport that makes no sense. You watch it because it is fun like other sports shows.

Mar 28, 2023 6:33 PM

zombie_pegasus

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Oct 2014

15247

I watched Girls und Panzer before I was ever interested in military history and I personally loved it. I'm a big fan of CGDCT in general as well as anime about women's sports so an anime about cute high school girls doing a sport where they blow each other up in tanks (but don't actually hurt each other) was a blast for me.

Mar 28, 2023 6:43 PM

ThatCreepyOldGuy

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Jul 2022

My opinion, the majority of western anime fans just see this as K-ON! with tanks and have zero interest in it. The CGDCT genre really doesn't have an analog in western media, so it really doesn't surprise me.

Mar 28, 2023 9:38 PM

DabGod

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Jun 2016

108

I don’t care about the history or specifications of tanks. I only even found out about it because of an iFunny (yes, gross) post from like 2015 I had saved that was just one of the songs from the Movie. If I had to guess, you market a show where the appeal is tank history and middle school girls, it’s not gonna hold up when MHA, Death Note, Naruto, CSM, Bleach, Sailor Moon, blah blah popular anime are clearly what mainstream in the west wants. Idk just my idea, it doesn’t have enough romance/cute visuals to fit any of the aesthetic shows people watch (don’t ask for examples I don’t watch them so I don’t remember names but you probably know what I’m on about here)

Mar 28, 2023 11:19 PM

Theo1899

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Jun 2016

12784

Even though the series is entertaining most people don't give a shit about WW2 tanks.

MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST

Mar 29, 2023 1:22 AM

PospecSA

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Jan 2023

Girls und panzer is not very popular among english speeking comunity because they are more into tanks than anime, and they are playing games like World of tanks or Warthunder.

Mar 29, 2023 7:07 AM

DarkHomieC

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Nov 2020

382

There’s multiple reasons for it not being popular in the west, and it’s not because it’s uninteresting.

1. Majority of western watchers doesn’t watch anything that isn’t mainstream or huge viewership, the people that are usually watching GUP or finding out about GUP are: WT players, History/tank enjoyers, WOT players, or anybody that has gotten it recommended.

2. Another reason that I have seen is that people people don’t like female MCs/ majority female cast (that isn’t harem), for some reason that I don’t understand about.

3. GUP falls into that genre that you would have to enjoy (Military, School Girl Genre), GUP, Highschool Fleet, Arpeggio of the Blue, Strike witches/Brave witches etc.

The majority of western Audience preference and the genre that GUP is in, is the reason why GUP isn’t that popular in the west.

Mar 29, 2023 2:20 PM

#10

Daninokuni

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Apr 2016

515

It was not really interesting to me. It's mostly an average spokon, with too much friendship power to be interesting.

I don't know about the tanks details, but this show didn't get me intersted in such topics.

Mar 30, 2023 4:48 AM

#11

JB-94

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Oct 2021

431

DarkHomieC said:
There’s multiple reasons for it not being popular in the west, and it’s not because it’s uninteresting.

1. Majority of western watchers doesn’t watch anything that isn’t mainstream or huge viewership, the people that are usually watching GUP or finding out about GUP are: WT players, History/tank enjoyers, WOT players, or anybody that has gotten it recommended.

2. Another reason that I have seen is that people people don’t like female MCs/ majority female cast (that isn’t harem), for some reason that I don’t understand about.

3. GUP falls into that genre that you would have to enjoy (Military, School Girl Genre), GUP, Highschool Fleet, Arpeggio of the Blue, Strike witches/Brave witches etc.

The majority of western Audience preference and the genre that GUP is in, is the reason why GUP isn’t that popular in the west.

Pretty much this, in my humble opinion.

GuP is a pretty niche concept in combining fairly detailed tank and historic battlefield strategy with CGDCT; finding people that like both elements would be pretty difficult I think...

Mar 31, 2023 2:37 PM

#12

gokuto211

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Oct 2022

it does seem to be a niche anime. i enjoyed it.

Mar 31, 2023 2:47 PM

#13

Leodensian

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Jun 2022

Maybe going with the German "und Panzer" for the title was a mistake. Makes people think it's going to be some kind of Nazi anime or something.

Apr 1, 2023 8:32 AM

#14

nDroae

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Oct 2010

2258

My biggest issue with it was always the title. While it represents the content accurately with a bid for attention through juxtaposition, it also sounds like a low-effort ecchi show about big tiddy bikini babes. It's easier to sell others on a show with a tryhard artsy title like "Arpeggio of Blue Steel," even if the show isn't as good.

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Apr 3, 2023 4:35 PM

#15

Alpha-Nine

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Aug 2022

188

Appreciate all the responses so far! But let's keep the ball rolling....

ThatCreepyOldGuy said:
My opinion, the majority of western anime fans just see this as K-ON! with tanks and have zero interest in it.

I suppose the tank aspect might have turned off some Western anime fans, who may ask "Why bother with GuP when a pure SOL/CGDCT series like K-ON! exists?"

Trivia: The head writer of GuP, Reiko Yoshida, was also the head writer for the anime adaptation of K-ON! as well.

DabGod said:
it doesn’t have enough romance/cute visuals to fit any of the aesthetic shows people watch

I guess the show's lack of romance or sexual fanservice might have been a turnoff for certain demographics.

Theo1899 said:
Even though the series is entertaining most people don't give a shit about WW2 tanks.

I get that impression too.

PospecSA said:
Girls und panzer is not very popular among english speeking comunity because they are more into tanks than anime, and they are playing games like World of tanks or Warthunder.

This seems to be the case as well. Forgot to mention in my original post that a good deal of GuP's English speaking fandom are apparently preoccupied with WoT and the like in their free time instead of following seasonal anime.

DarkHomieC said:
3. GUP falls into that genre that you would have to enjoy (Military, School Girl Genre), GUP, Highschool Fleet, Arpeggio of the Blue, Strike witches/Brave witches etc.

This notion makes a series like Lycoris Recoil an interesting anomaly, as I feel like it shares certain elements of "Military, School Girl Genre" shows but managed to defy expectations by becoming a sleeper hit back in Summer 2022.

Apr 3, 2023 8:17 PM

#16

DabGod

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Jun 2016

108

Alpha-Nine said:
Appreciate all the responses so far! But let's keep the ball rolling....

ThatCreepyOldGuy said:
My opinion, the majority of western anime fans just see this as K-ON! with tanks and have zero interest in it.

DabGod said:
it doesn’t have enough romance/cute visuals to fit any of the aesthetic shows people watch

I guess the show's lack of romance or sexual fanservice might have been a turnoff for certain demographics.

Theo1899 said:
Even though the series is entertaining most people don't give a shit about WW2 tanks.

I get that impression too.

PospecSA said:
Girls und panzer is not very popular among english speeking comunity because they are more into tanks than anime, and they are playing games like World of tanks or Warthunder.

DarkHomieC said:
3. GUP falls into that genre that you would have to enjoy (Military, School Girl Genre), GUP, Highschool Fleet, Arpeggio of the Blue, Strike witches/Brave witches etc.

oh solid hello OP uhh
I didn’t really mean sexual since they’re middle schoolers iirc but I mean like a lot of, (sorry it’s late and I’m not thinking hard to articulate this politically correct) more popular plot-light girly anime do have some sort of basic romance or love interest. and this had none, just tank battles. Which: I love tanks explosion kablow so it was cash, but I think that kinda explains part of the loss in popularity. They just didn’t cast as wide of a net as other shows
BUT on the subject now that you mention; yeah the usual creep demographic that shows about middle school girls also attract definitely wasn’t getting any action with this one, so probs didn’t help. But like, I’d rather a show be less popular than have sussy moments that gets the sicko ratings boost

Apr 4, 2023 5:06 AM

#17

Turgineer

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Nov 2022

Girls und Panzer is not Harem, Ecchi or romance. That's why the amount of fan base is slightly lower.

An anime that generally attracts tank enthusiasts. It's not of much interest to general anime fans.

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Is this series uninteresting to the average anime fan?

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