Trese Part 1 Episodes 1-3

Alexandra Trese walks a fine line between two worlds in the city of Manila.  Though she is Human, she is also a Protector and Mediator for those who live in the supernatural realms within the city.  When the police receive word of grizzly murders they cant explain, that’s when Trese is called in.  But keeping the peace between Humans and Monsters is no small task and rumors are spreading that the truce that has kept open war from consuming Manila is on the brink.  If Trese can’t find out what’s stirring up trouble, it wont just mean the end of Manila, but the entire world as well.

 
Coming as a request from a friend, we’ll be spending the next couple of reviews in a different part of the Anime world with a dark and exciting new realm to explore.  Based on the Filipino Comic by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, Trese carries on in the tradition of Anime inspired project like Castlevania, bringing a gory and wondrous mythology to the rest of the world.  I may have my gripes about the lead heroine herself but overall, I’m having a blast in these first three episodes just watching the world and creatures around her. 
 

Toonami Flashback Friday Episode 4-Gundam Rising

It was the beginning of the new millennium, January 2000, when I first caught a 15 second teaser for a show that was destined to change my life forever.  Up close battle cries, explosions, maniacal laughter, GIANT ROBOTS and the promise of “Those who have laid eyes on a Gundam shall not live to tell about it.”  What the hell was “Gundam W”?  Two months later, I got my answer and I have been a fan ever since.  This was the show that challenged Dragon Ball Z for the Toonami throne, the series that blew everyones young mind and became lunch table conversations all week long.  This was Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
 

Girls und Panzer der Film

Though they have won their High School Tankery Tournament, the Tankery Team of Ooarai Girls High School are devastated to learn that their beloved school is to be closed for good.  As Miho and the others begin to imagine lives apart from one another, a last ditch deal is struck.  If the Ooarai High girls can defeat a college level Tankery Team in a Team Deathmatch style showdown, Ooarai High will remain open.  Their opponents: The University Strengthened Team, led by a prodigy as skilled as Miho, Alice Shimada.  Against overwhelming odds and with the fate of their school on the line, Miho, Saori, Hana, Yukari and Mako will have to call in every favor they have and prepare for the ultimate battle.

Girls und Panzer is a strange series but dammit it works and it works so well.  The idea of cute High School Girls operating vintage World War II tanks in an actual school sport proved to be a hidden gem for me (does it count as a Sports Anime, cause I do find I have soft spots for those).  Having just finished up the TV Series, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Girls und Panzer movie, more of the same just meant to be seen on a bigger screen I guess.  Well there’s a lot of retreading and underutilization when it comes to the story and the characters, old and new.  When it comes to the action, well you know half of you are here for the tank mayhem (1/4^th are also here for the girls and another 1/4^th are here for both in equal measure) and damn if you thought that you got plenty of the good stuff in the TV Series, Tankery has never looked or sounded better than it does here.
 

T5W#337-Top 5 Girls und Panzer Commanders

While we still have one more piece of Girls und Panzer story to look at on Friday with Girls und Panzer der Film, I wanted to use today’s Top 5 Wednesday to talk about how entertaining and great the cast of this show is.  While all of the Tankery Schools are Japanese, each one bases its look and feel off of countries with extensive histories of tank usage. This was a pretty unique aspect to the show and gave us some of the biggest and best personalities for Ooarai Academy to go up against.  So today, I’ll be counting down the Top 5 Girls und Panzer Commanders, the leaders of the Tankery Teams who inspired their comrades and maybe made me laugh a little bit too.
 

Girls und Panzer Part 3 Episodes 9-12

The Student Council finally comes clean about why it is so imperative they win the National Tankery Tournament: if they lose, Ooarai Girls High School will be shut down.  With a new, far more important goal, the Tankery team heads into their final match with additional firepower and theyre going to need it.  Their final opponent is Kuromorimine Girls High School, home to one of the strongest Tankery teams in the world.  And their Commander…is Maho Nishizumi, Miho’s older sister.  It’s all come down to this.  With her team behind her, Miho is determined to show her family that there’s more to Tankery than just victory.

There was a point when I was watching the final match of Girls und Panzer and I suddenly realized: while I really wanted Miho and the girls to come out victorious, if they didn’t win…that was ok too.  The Ooarai Girls have overcome some very tough opponents from across the world and have grown into much stronger and fun loving girls through their time with Tankery.  That means more than any award ever could.  Buuuut there was the matter of their school under the threat of being shut down looming over their heads so they did need to win no matter what.  Never before has “whatever it takes” been so fun to watch.  I’m really gonna miss this show but before I start crying over a feel good finale to a feel good show, let’s break down the final battles.