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Despite what its ratings might indicate, Shika no Ou (The Deer King) is a movie with a lot of interesting, worthy things to say, and is very deserving of your time, provided you're willing to forgive (or at least look past) the pacing issues typical of novel-to-movie anime adaptations. This is a film that, even with a nearly two-hour (quite long, by anime movie standards) runtime, still feels too tightly compressed, though stretching the story out over an entire season might have been a worse choice. Those who deride the movie for its purely visual similarities to Ghibli's Princess Mononoke ignore the wide ... gulf between the themes of the works. On the surface, Shika no Ou is very clearly about the triumph of science over superstition, but at the same time it demonstrates the value of traditional practice, and the necessity of paternal duty. Yes, viewers who appreciate positive father-daughter stories will especially enjoy this one. It's hard to remember that the original novels were written nearly a decade ago, and the movie had already been in production for several years before the emergence of COVID-19; that's how poignant this film is at times.

Strong recommendation.

Girls und Panzer, which literally translates to "Girls and Armor," or more directly, "Girls and Tanks," is an odd show. It's 100% what the title says it is, and yet it's nothing like you might expect.

You might think a show about cute girls engaging in tank battles would be fanservice and ecchi-laden. Girls und Panzer delivers a single girl washing a tank in a bikini and a brief scene where a girl's bust is measured (over clothes) for her Tankery uniform. As cute as the cast can be, it's the tanks themselves the show wants you to ogle.

You might think the series would be ... presented as a joke, or (at the other extreme) become very dark, but Girls und Panzer plays its material straight. The girls' Tankery battles are treated with all the seriousness that accompanies more traditional "sports" anime. While it requires some suspension of disbelief to accept that tank battles with live rounds don't incur mass casualties, such is the world of Girls und Panzer.

Despite - yet simultaneously because of - these choices, Girls und Panzer is successful at turning its ridiculous premise into an enjoyable experience.

Girls und Panzer does a nice job in its presentation, as well. The series is brightly colored and well-animated. While the "tank porn" steals the show, the character movements and expressions look fluid and natural. The music draws on military hymns and adds to the experience, despite being a bit repetitive. The sound effects are great, and I found no issues with the (Japanese) voice work.

If I had to pick Girls und Panzer's biggest flaw, it's that the large cast and 12-episode run do not allow for much character development between the centerpiece battles of nearly every installment. A few major characters are given a bit of backstory or insight into their lives outside of Tankery, but it's clear that isn't the focus.

All-in-all, Girls und Panzer is a solid, if unconventional title that unexpectedly owes more to the "sports" anime genre than to any other. And a highly entertaining one, at that. It's a series I'd recommend to viewers of all ages who enjoy cute (but not sexualized) girls, strategic battles, and of course, tanks.