Girls und Panzer – 05

In preparation for Oorai’s battle with Saunders, Yukari infiltrates their school and collects recon. Her cover is blown, but she learns what their flag Panzer will be. Still, Saunders is an exceedingly wealthy school with three teams, and they’ll be sending ten Panzer against Oorai’s five. The match begins, and Oorai soon learns Saunders is using a radio interception balloon to listen in, so they switch to cell phones and make the first kill.

While enjoying Panzer-shaped desserts delivered to the table by RC Dragon Wagons in a Panzer cafe, Miho and her team cross paths with her sister Maho and her flunky, Erika. Their exchange is, shall we say, chilly, with Erika calling Miho’s school “nameless” and their efforts an “insult to Panzerfahren”, while Maho says…nothing. She warns Miho not to soil the Nishizumi name in the coming battle. But while the confrontation is unpleasant  all Miho & Co. can do is keep their eyes on the immediate match against Saunders, which commences in the episode’s second half and will conclude (one would think in Oorai’s favor) next week. As always, the odds are against them.

The Saunders Panzer corps emulate the Americans in all things, including Shock-and-Awe with regards to their numbers, facilities and resources. But they also possess a healthy dollop of arrogance and overconfidence. Arisa listens in on communications, apparently unaware all that needed to happen for her to be getting false info would be someone on Oorai spotting her balloon, which is exactly what happens. It’s Oorai that draws “first blood”, so now it’s nine on five, with the Saunders Shermans spread out all over. Now that she knows what both Hana (being disowned) and Yukari (having friends for the first time) have invested in Panzerfahren, Miho is compelled to prevail. Thumbing her nose at Maho won’t hurt, either.

Rating: 6 (Good)

Car Cameos: Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe watch the match beside their vintage “Pink Panther”, a modified Land Rover used by the British Army’s Special Air Service.

Tank Cameos: As stated, an M25 “Dragon Wagon” Tank Transporter deposits tank-shaped treats to the girls. The Saunders team is composed of ten Sherman tanks, including one Firefly, one M4A1 76mm, and eight 75mm. Yukari spots rare M4A6s on the Saunders hanger deck.