By Bobjonez98
Story: 8/10-
In the very distant future, Sensha-do (Way of the Tank) is considered a traditional martial art for young girls, it is a way to build character, relationships, and attitude. Miho Nishizumi, youngest daughter of the famous Nishizumi Tank Driving School, transfers to Oarai Academy to escape the world of Sensha-do. Once she arrives however, she discovers that the program is being revived, and she is pressured by the student council to join. The story follows Miho, and her friends as they scrounge up tanks, hone their skills, and enter the world Sensha-do championship. In the world of “Cute Girls Doing Military Things”, this is the middle child between Strike Witches and Upotte!. Panzers plot is not as complex as Strike Witches, but it doesn’t suffer from shifts in tone that plague it’s older sister. The tone is light, the girls are never in any danger, and it’s treated more like a serious sporting event than an all-out conflict. The majority of the series takes place during the tournament, so the plot, however simple, is kept in focus at all times, unlike Upotte! where it takes a back seat to slice-of-life. Overall, the story is focused, but not overwhelmingly so, the plot is simple, but has 1 or 2 curves in it to keep things interesting, and most importantly, it actually drives the series. Good Work.
Characters: 8/10-
While this series, like its sisters, has a multitude of characters, it keeps the family tradition of having all of them characterized. Oarai fields 8 tanks by the end of the series, each one operated by a social club or group within the school. The Volleyball Team, Auto Club, Hall Monitors, Student Council, and History Club each have their own tank, as well as a group of 6 young freshman, 3 girls who met online playing World of Tanks, and Mihos group. With so many characters, you would be forgiven for maybe mixing a few of them up on screen, but this WILL NOT HAPPEN. Each girl is given her own personality, quirks, voice, and way of acting both within and outside of the group. The main group consists of Miho, the meek and quiet leader of the group, Mako, the anemic driver who believes that “Mornings should not exist”, Saori, who just wants to find herself a handsome husband, Yukari, the tomboyish tank otaku, and Hana, the quiet child of a famous florist. Add in characters like Erwin, the WWII buff who commands the StuG, Katyusha, leader of the Russian team with a serious Napoleon complex, and Anzu, the childish Student Council president, and you have a real recipe for fun on your hands. However, with the series being so short, and having so many characters, screen time is going to be limited, and you find yourself wishing that your favorite character had more exposition.
Animation 9/10-
Ok, ok. I know 9 is a little high, especially when some consider the art style to be a little dated. But my god, do those tanks look beautiful. Accurate moving parts, tread movements, barrel lengths. All the tank designs are beautifully accurate and realistic. Every single battle scene boasts high production values, fluid motions, accurate recoil, realistic speeds and maneuvers. The battles are just top notch. Whoever did the 3D tank renderings on this show did an amazing job, serious kudos to them.
Op/Ed: 7/10|7/10-
Nothing really special here, they’re a little better than average, they’re catchy, but nothing that will get stuck in your head for hours at a time. They’re both upbeat and airy, they work well with each other, and the animations during them are fluid and fit the music.
Music: 9/10-
Battle Hymn of the Republic, Katyusha, British Grenadiers, Erika, Panzerlied, these are just some of the musical jems we are treated to during the course of the show. Add in a handful of marches and melodies furnished by the studio, and you have the perfect soundtrack for watching a few dozen tanks face off while cute girls are at the controls.
Overall for WWII Buffs and Tank Lovers: 9/10
Overall for Everyone Else: 7/10-
While it may be a cop-out to score this series this way, it’s very true. It was recently pointed out to me by a non-“WWII Buff/Tank Lover” that they enjoyed this series less than Upotte! because in Upotte! the girls were personifications of the guns themselves, making for a learning experience. By getting to know the girls, you learned the quirks of the guns, their unique traits, their roles. This is absent in Panzer. All the tank info given is spoken in dialogue by the characters, and the Tanks don’t particularly match the personality group that operates them (Notable exceptions; the History Club and their StuG, The Auto Club and their Tiger(P)). Basically, if you’ve come in knowing nothing about tanks, this is an enjoyable ride that has some thrills, great characters, and truly funny and unique moments. However, if you can tell your T34s from your Panthers, you’re going to absolutely adore this series.
