The series is called Girls and Panzer so that's exactly what they'll damn well focus on. As such, it's no wonder that the character interactions are part of what made this series shine. Even though the movie features several new characters in addition to an already huge cast established in the series, they still managed to be engaging, and more importantly, managed to establish a strong presence. Even during - or rather especially during - the action sequences, there is plenty of chemistry within the various teams. For instance, in both the series and OVA, we have already seen what Anzu and Anchovy are like, but this movie takes it further by having them on the same stage, thereby nicely featured how Anzio acted as a foil to the Turtle Team. Like the president, Ancovy is ever the optimistic genki girl. Though unlike the student council trio, their tankette isn't suited for the frontlines and thus contribute by providing reconnaissance and various other assists. And then of course, there are the little tag-teams set up such as Ooarai teams being the mentor to Chihatan, the zany tactics between Ooarai and Anzio and so on. The little moments outside of the tank battles are pretty heart-warming too. The staff did well in illustrating the friendship between the characters even with the limited screen time.
In other words, where the series is about them building up their relationships, the movie is hence about delivering the pay-off. After all the progress in the series, the movie took it further and served to deliver the results of their actions. Really, it's particularly charming to see how much the various Ooarai girls have grown and learned from their experiences in the series.
Next, there are of course the tanks: aka the other important half of Girls und Panzer. In Top Gear, the presenters liked to talk about how certain cars have 'character' and this arguably lends itself well even in GaruPan. As with the series, the movie further displays how the tanks have their own traits as much as they reflect the personalities of the girls driving them. From the way Anzio's plucky little tankette is bouncing around to provide vital backups in the background, to the way Tutle Team's Hertzer is cheekily zipping around the rivals and also how Leopon's hulking, lumbering Porsche Tiger is shown to be difficult to handle and breaks down easily, but in the hands of the capable automotive girls, proved to be a reliable ally and never let the teams down during crucial moments - the tanks all certainly showed as much personality as the girls and deserves just as much mention.
This brings us to the meat of the film: the tank battles. The tank battles were nothing short of fantastic, featuring the delightfully outrageous out of the box thinking that Ooarai has built a reputation for in the series. But since this is the movie, the staff has done well in turning things up to eleven and increasing the scale of the spectacles. What makes it even sweeter is the fact that for a 2 hour long movie, the tank battles themselves clock in at about 1.5 hours and there isn't a single dull moment to it. Part of it has to do with how the various manoeuvres are directed and how the battles are choreographed in showcasing the aforementioned Oorai's penchant for creative tactics. The choice of music and its usage is yet another aspect that deserves praises; it's not enough that each school has their own style and quirks, they also have to be paired with the appropriate leitmotif to hype up their entrance. The result is that you get some truly exciting moments that are further enhanced by the equally fantastic music: the one-scene wonder that is the Continuation/Keizoku School's Team easily comes to mind. The final fight at the theme park is yet another good example.
Last but not least, the voice acting needs some love too. Mamiko Noto as the whimsical Mika further strengthens the one-scene wonder status, while Maya Yoshioka was another notable part of the film in her portrayal of Anzio's lovable Duce. Overall, the film, as with the series, boasted a pretty impressive cast and yet another point that adds to the enjoyment value of the franchise.
Good directing, engaging tank battles, memorable soundtracks and charming characters; without a doubt, Girls und Panzer der film is my favourite anime of the year.
