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| Leaked concept art for Battlefield V's company screen. |
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| Genderfield 5! |
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| Battlefield fan reactions after seeing the Battlefield V reveal trailer for the first time. |
[Girls und Panzer] can't afford to linger on any one person for too long without ruining battle momentum, considering how many of the girls take up the screen. Outside of Miho then, it relies on a principle that shows should be following more in the first place: “Show, don't tell.” Off the field and especially on it, each vignette of these characters doing something carries with them precious statements that speak volumes about them on their own: their personalities, their proficiencies, their interests, their aspirations. Granted, outside of Miho and perhaps her personal tank crew, all four of these aspects are relatively simplified, but, using inference, they are simplicity thoroughly defined, and above all, a unifying message between all of them gets across.... This method of narrative also extends beyond to the plot, the tactics, and the tanks as well, so that not a single moment is wasted trying to explain something the viewers can contextually figure out on their own. None of it feels contrived, and you know what? I appreciate that the staff assumes us, or at least the majority of us, as intelligent enough to do some mental legwork.
Now it's time to hop onto a World War II tank and take a trip down memory lane.
"What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended?"
In the first episode, audiences are introduced to Miho, who is shown commanding a Panzer IV Ausf. D in the opening scene. After the first 4 minutes, we get to see Miho going to her new school - Ooarai Girls Academy - in a simple but endearing sequence, complemented by a lovely piano and flute piece that is essentially Miho's leitmotif. It was reminiscent of Life is Strange's title sequence with the song "To All of You" playing in the background. Seeing this for the first time, little did audiences knew that this cute, clumsy and shy girl was more than what she seemed.
After what appears to be her first class, Miho is invited to have lunch with two other students, Hana Isuzu and Saori Takebe. Now, some folks have criticized how fast Miho became friends with them. And I'll admit, they do have a point considering how idealistic Hana and Saori turn out to be as Miho's friends. This could have easily been fixed if there was a time jump that said something like "six months later" after the first cafeteria scene. Anyway, once lunch is over, we see Miho hanging out with Hana and Saori in a classroom. It was during this scene that, despite being shy, Miho demonstrates that she is very observant and a good judge of character by giving Saori and Hana positive assessments on their respective personalities. When Hana attempts to return the favor by saying that Miho is great, Miho immediately downplays such a notion by claiming that "she's totally lame" and that she was accused of being irresponsible in her previous school. If that ain't a sign of humility, I'm not sure what is.
Just when it seemed that Miho was finally acclimating to her new school, the Student Council shows up to draft her into doing tankery. Miho reveals that the only reason why she transferred to Ooarai Girls Academy was that the school didn't had tankery - until her first day, that is. Miho suffers a meltdown so bad that a teacher (presumably the only normal teacher in the whole show) gives permission for her to go to the infirmary. Concerned about Miho's well being, both Saori and Hana feign sickness to look after their new best friend.
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| These two characters underwent something traumatic, yet only one of them has visible signs of remorse. |
The loss caused a falling out with Miho and her mother. As described in TV Tropes:
Miho hails from the most respected (and feared) family of Tank Warriors in Japan, and yet humiliates her family by breaking Her School's decade-long streak of undefeated championships by electing to help teammates from drowning rather than holding a key position; coupled with her mother's already cold and and distant upbringing this drives a deep wedge between her and the rest of her family, prompting her to move to Oarai High School. The disgrace was enough to make [Miho's mom] seriously consider disowning and disinheriting her.This whole incident would forever change Miho's life, complete with her being afflicted with PTSD. Upon reflecting on the incident in a later episode, Miho would remark:
I still don't know whether it was the right thing to do or not. But, back then, I wanted to save her, my teammate. And that's good enough for me.When it came to her perspective on tankery, Miho comments near the end of the first episode:
My mom and sister always thought of tankery as something that the family just did without thinking about it. Those two have talent, so it was fine for them at least. But I... I'm not like them.From that point on, the series would be about Miho's journey to find "her own way of tankery," thus setting herself apart from her family's traditional attitudes towards tankery - the so called Nishizumi style. In other words, Miho "must strive to find [her] own voice. Because the longer [she waits] to begin, the less likely [she is] to find it at all." As if to reinforce this notion, after Miho finally talks in detail about her life changing incident, Hana and Saori had this to say:
Hana: Tankery isn't about doing what other people expect.
Saori: That's right. Tankery isn't just a set of rules... tankery is what you make of it!Another line from Dead Poets Society is also applicable for Miho's situation:
Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, that's baaaaad. Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."I'm not sure who inspired Miho to think differently from her family's accepted doctrine on tankery, but it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine it has to be a character similar to Mr. John Keating as portrayed by Robin Williams, right?
"You will give [them] an ideal to strive towards."
In the second episode, a search for tanks begins. While looking for one in a parking lot, Miho realizes that another student was following her. Instead of telling the apparent stalker to take a hike and leave, Miho asks the girl if she wanted to join in the search for tanks. The girl introduces herself as Yukari Akiyama, the biggest tank nerd in the show. (According to some online surveys, Yukari is considered as the most popular character among the girls from Ooarai, even beating Miho! Then again, since a large portion of the show's English speaking fans online also happen to be history/tank enthusiasts, this shouldn't be much of a surprise. Plus, she's the only character from the show who has her own subreddit.) Once the tank search ends, a Panzer IV is assigned to Miho, with Hana, Saori and Yukari as part of her tank team.
On her way to school during the second episode, Miho stumbles across a fellow student ostensibly facing a "human existential crisis" muttering "all life is painful." Despite being a total stranger, Miho decides to carry this individual to school. "Human existential crisis girl" promises Miho that she'll pay her back for that one kindness. During a mock battle in the third episode, Miho runs into this girl a second time. Turns out she's Mako Reizei, a secret genius with low blood pressure and a childhood friend of Saori. Proving her worth the first time she's behind a tank's wheel by just reading the manual, Mako eventually gets to be the driver for the Panzer IV. With Mako on board, the so called Anglerfish team was finally established... although I personally prefer to call them by their fan nickname: Kampfgruppe Miho.
Being the only one in her new school who had actual experience with tankery, its no surprise that Miho eventually gets promoted during the third episode as the overall commander of Ooarai's "armored division." Thus began Miho's career as a commander of an entire's school tankery squad.
Fleeing from the opposing team during episode eleven, the Ooarai tanks have to cross a river. Disaster strikes, and Miho is confronted by what seems to be an impossible decision... setting up the stage for one of the best scenes in the entire show.
On her way to school during the second episode, Miho stumbles across a fellow student ostensibly facing a "human existential crisis" muttering "all life is painful." Despite being a total stranger, Miho decides to carry this individual to school. "Human existential crisis girl" promises Miho that she'll pay her back for that one kindness. During a mock battle in the third episode, Miho runs into this girl a second time. Turns out she's Mako Reizei, a secret genius with low blood pressure and a childhood friend of Saori. Proving her worth the first time she's behind a tank's wheel by just reading the manual, Mako eventually gets to be the driver for the Panzer IV. With Mako on board, the so called Anglerfish team was finally established... although I personally prefer to call them by their fan nickname: Kampfgruppe Miho.
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| The Breakfast Club: Girls und Panzer Edition |
Fleeing from the opposing team during episode eleven, the Ooarai tanks have to cross a river. Disaster strikes, and Miho is confronted by what seems to be an impossible decision... setting up the stage for one of the best scenes in the entire show.
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| Miho: "I can't make this choice!" Saori: "No, Miho. You're the only one who can." |
If there was some sort of bizarre mandate from the showrunners to use this scene to shoehorn in some cruel life lesson, an excuse would probably look like this:
This choice is really a metaphor for growing older. When you are a child you think you can have a bit of this one, a bit of this one. When you are an adult you sometimes have to make difficult decisions.... You cannot try to cheat everything, you cannot make things perfect. Either you have to accept grief, to accept the death of [your teammates] or the other choice is to take the decision to sacrifice everything else you know for [your friends and allies] - you have to choose to accept that pain.
The showrunners seem to have been aware that audiences would be pissed if they suddenly forced Miho into choosing only from from two binary options to punish her a second time (as if having a falling out with her family wasn't bad enough). Besides being antithetical to the show's overall tone, it would have gone against Miho's moral code. From her perspective, the two choices presented are not mutually exclusive. Being forced into a situation where she supposedly can save one or another but not both, she would think outside the box to at least try save both parties. During the flashback scene in episode seven, Miho's mother reminds her that "You cannot be grandly victorious without sacrifice..." It was this very belief that put Miho at odds with family tradition. For her, no one gets left behind.
TV Tropes describes the scene:
When the Rabbit Team's tank gets stuck in the middle of a river crossing and begins to tip over, they unanimously ask Miho to go on without them even though they are in real danger of eventually being dragged down the river by the current (because they need to win or else the school will be disbanded and the whole team will all be separated). Even in the face of the risk of the school being closed, Miho refuses to leave them. Much to Ōarai's credit, there's no talk in the team of doing otherwise: All of her teammates see it as proof of why they follow her. Then Miho Takes A Third Option and jumps across the other tanks to bring a towline to the Rabbit Team's tank, much to the amazement of all of her teammates and the spectators, enabling all the tanks to escape the river before Kuromorimine. It's not only an impressive feat, but it's an instance in which Miho to successfully practices her way of Sensha-do, saving her teammates without jeopardizing the match.
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| The Girl Who Leapt Through |
"They will race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall."
In the first episode, upon finding out Miho's refusal to take up tankery, the Student Council summons her to their office. Here, they ask Miho to reconsider her choice. In an act of true friendship, Hana and Saori (who accompanied Miho) decide to stand up for their new best friend. As described in TV Tropes:
Miho ultimately joins Sensha-do class because Saori and Hana, her first two friends at Ōarai, decide that they want to join the same class as her, even though they wanted Sensha-do. Even when the Student Council is berating her for not joining, the girls argue vehemently for her, which she later tells them no one has ever done for her before.With this one display of genuine and unconditional friendship, here begins the path when Miho gets much needed moral support in her journey to find her own way of tankery.
Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Molke (the Elder) once said "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." This military maxim is displayed several times in the show. The first match Ooarai partakes against another school, St. Gloriana Girls College, ends up being a disaster for them due to poor teamwork among the various tank teams. Because of their defeat, Miho has to perform the embarrassing Ankou dance... in public. However, the Student Council President acknowledges that the loss "was due to all of us", so the Student Council shares the humiliation alongside Miho and her tank team by doing the dance as well. Later on in the same episode, the freshmen team ask Miho to forgive them for running away during the match. On queue, the Student Council show up to deliver tea from St. Gloriana, with the President saying they are leaving Miho to do the planning "from now on."
With their first real match in the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament, all tank teams prepare to face off against Saunders University High School. Members of Anglerfish team work to improve response time handling their respective tasks in the Panzer IV. All the other tanks were repainted (as if they faced backlash from a disgruntled fanbase) to more authentic color schemes.
Eventually, Ooarai has to fight Pravda Girls High School in the Tournament's semi-finals. On the eve of this match, morale for the Ooarai team is at an all time high. They feel confident enough that they can easily take on the winner of the previous Sensha-dō Tournament in spite of their lack of experience. This overconfidence would get them into a situation not so different from what the German 6th Army faced during the Battle of Stalingrad. The lead up to the encirclement during the eighth episode is a love letter to how Operation Barbarossa played out in real life (the only major details missing were Rasputitsa and the Ooarai team being divided into three groups: North, Center, and South), and is filled with a good deal of references to reward observant history fans. Once they are trapped inside an abandoned church, morale begins to plummet along with the temperature and the team's food. Things are made worse when its revealed that loosing the Tournament also means that Ooarai Girls Academy would be shut down. To raise their spirits, Miho at first tries to give out words of encouragement. When that ain't enough, she does something unexpected - she performs the Ankou dance! Anglerfish team gives Miho backup, and soon the rest of Ooarai's tank squad join in on the dance. "They will race behind Miho" indeed. Morale goes back up, giving the team the impetus needed to get back into the match. In a reverse Operation Winter Storm (had it been launched from within Stalingrad), Ooarai succeeds where the German 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army failed by breaking out of Pravda's encirclement. The Pravda flag tank eventually gets taken out when it was ambushed by the History Club. Thus, Ooarai wins the semi-finals. Why they won was probably best summed up by none other than Maho Nishizumi (whose stoic demeanor is a possible homage to legendary Panzer Ace Michael Wittmann), Miho's older sister:
With their first real match in the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament, all tank teams prepare to face off against Saunders University High School. Members of Anglerfish team work to improve response time handling their respective tasks in the Panzer IV. All the other tanks were repainted (as if they faced backlash from a disgruntled fanbase) to more authentic color schemes.
Eventually, Ooarai has to fight Pravda Girls High School in the Tournament's semi-finals. On the eve of this match, morale for the Ooarai team is at an all time high. They feel confident enough that they can easily take on the winner of the previous Sensha-dō Tournament in spite of their lack of experience. This overconfidence would get them into a situation not so different from what the German 6th Army faced during the Battle of Stalingrad. The lead up to the encirclement during the eighth episode is a love letter to how Operation Barbarossa played out in real life (the only major details missing were Rasputitsa and the Ooarai team being divided into three groups: North, Center, and South), and is filled with a good deal of references to reward observant history fans. Once they are trapped inside an abandoned church, morale begins to plummet along with the temperature and the team's food. Things are made worse when its revealed that loosing the Tournament also means that Ooarai Girls Academy would be shut down. To raise their spirits, Miho at first tries to give out words of encouragement. When that ain't enough, she does something unexpected - she performs the Ankou dance! Anglerfish team gives Miho backup, and soon the rest of Ooarai's tank squad join in on the dance. "They will race behind Miho" indeed. Morale goes back up, giving the team the impetus needed to get back into the match. In a reverse Operation Winter Storm (had it been launched from within Stalingrad), Ooarai succeeds where the German 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army failed by breaking out of Pravda's encirclement. The Pravda flag tank eventually gets taken out when it was ambushed by the History Club. Thus, Ooarai wins the semi-finals. Why they won was probably best summed up by none other than Maho Nishizumi (whose stoic demeanor is a possible homage to legendary Panzer Ace Michael Wittmann), Miho's older sister:
Miho doesn't allow herself become constrained by the book. She has the ability to adapt to the situation. Her team won because of her decision making and her ability to bring her team together as one.
"But in time, they will join you in the sun... In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."
By defeating Pravda, Ooarai heads into the finals against Kuromorimine Girls Academy, which was Miho's former school and the current school of her sister Maho. Before the match starts, the commanders of St. Gloriana, Saunders, and Pravda all pay Miho a visit to wish her luck. This prompts an interesting observation by St. Gloriana's commander Darjeeling (arguably the most bookish and posh of all the characters on the show):
The match against Kuromorimine can be viewed as the clash of competing ideologies. It was the stage where the upstart Ooarai tankery team would battle against the vaunted Nishizumi style. To misquote a section from The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene, Kuromorimine's mentality before and during the match can be described as follows:
The hard won victory by Ooarai during the tournament had unforeseen consequences. TV Tropes writes:
As described in TV tropes:
You're a strange person.... You always end up making friends with all the people you fight.Miho, being her usual meek and not so eloquent self, responds by saying it's all due to how wonderful everyone is. In the second recap episode, Miho admits that a reason why she wanted to win the finals was because she wanted "to stay with everyone!"
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| "Even if there's a small chance, we owe this... to everyone [at our school] to try. We will. Whatever it takes." |
[In they eyes of the school's leadership team,] success in [Panzerfahren] depended on organization, discipline, and the use of superior strategies developed by trained military minds. [Kuromorimine] exemplified all of these virtues. [Its students] drilled relentlessly until they could perform elaborate maneuvers as precisely as a machine. [The school's tank commanders] intensely studied the victories of [military geniuses such as] Frederick the Great; war for them was a mathematical affair, the application of timeless principles. To [them, Miho was leading] an unruly [no name school's tankery team]. Superior in knowledge and skill, they would outstrategize [her]. [Ooarai] would panic and crumble in the face of the disciplined [Kuromorimine panzer divisions]; the [Ooarai] myth would lie in ruins, and [Panzerfahren] could return to its old ways.Despite the odds stacked in their favor, Kuromorimine looses the match. To borrow yet another paragraph from The 33 Strategies of War:
The reality facing [Kuromorimine] was simple... instead of responding to present circumstances, they were repeating formulas that had worked in the past. Their [commanders adhered to old doctrines so rigorously], and their [subordinates] were automatons on parade. [Kuromorimine] had [four matches] to study [Miho's success--her] innovative strategies and the speed and fluidity with which [her forces] converged on the enemy. Reality was staring them in the face, yet they chose to ignore it. Indeed, they told themselves that [Miho] was the one who was doomed.TV Tropes explains it as follows:
Kuromorimine's strategy is a quick and direct offense to break enemy lines backed by the superiority of their tanks. This is on par with the Nishizumi style of "Always Advance," and for 9 years it has been the sole reason of the school's success in Sensha-Do.
They have the worst reaction of all the teams to Oarai's... tactics. It's clear that they've trained extensively to fight in formation while relying on the superiority of German heavy armor and cannons but fall apart when unable to do so. Kay even points this out, mentioning that they're so reliant on their formation ability and gunnery that they don't know what to do when they can't make use of them.By this point, Ooarai's various tank teams had matured. In the words of TV Tropes:
The overall character development of the first 5 teams of Ooarai tankery squad is one big heartwarming moment as well. As they all start off as individual groups with no experience in the sport, and didn't know what they were getting into. However, because of one girl's efforts for them, the groups decide to better themselves in tankery and not rely on their leader to win. By the final tournament, the first 5 tankery teams have become competent enough on their own, as well has developed such as strong trust on their commander that they will follow whatever commands she gives and, if need be, sacrifice their unit for her.This victory is further detailed by the following quote from TV Tropes:
Because the sheer awesomeness of the episode was enhanced by the fact that what brought Ōarai's final victory was not extra firepower nor numbers. It was Team Spirit, it was selfless loyalty, it was a highly cohesive team working together. Over all this, it was it all through the application of Nishizumi-Miho style of always helping your teammates.If you were to ask me, the last six minutes of the twelfth episode was so satisfying that it evoked memories of me watching the Throne Room medal ceremony at the end of A New Hope for the first time. If the show ended here, I probably would have been okay with it due to how good the finale was. It was probably a bit too good that Der Film couldn't produce an ending that was on par.
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| How to end a war? With an epic flag raising ceremony. |
In the last 9 years prior the series, Kuromorimine dominates the national high school tournament and became a fearsome name in Japanese tankery. However, the monopoly of skill, hardware, and prestige by Kuromorimine caused prospective tankers from other schools to give up their chance to make name for themselves. This caused a decline in interest toward tankery and those who are in 'favorites' were slacking off because their position is secure enough, despite Japan is going to be the host for the World Tournament. This all changed when Miho abandoned her flag tank to save her teammates, costing Kuromorimine their 10th victory. While controversial, Pravda's victory proved that even the juggernaut like Kuromorimine can be defeated, inciting other ambitious upstarts like Eclair from Maginot to come out of the woodwork. However, it isn't until the no-name school like Ooarai win against both Pravda and Kuromorimine that the vision of "anyone can win if they're doing their best" is vindicated. Ooarai becomes a household name for underdog schools and Miho in particular is an idol for local school tankery messiahs...The end of Kuromorimine's domination is the beginning of a Japanese tankery renaissance.Based on expanded lore material such as the Ribbon Warrior manga, by this point Miho has grown "beyond a hero and a team leader to be a true inspiration." This was to be proven in Der Film when Ooarai Girls Academy gets shutdown despite having won the Tournament. To save the school, Ooarai has to win an annihilation match against the All-Stars University Team, a group inspired by United Nations Military Peacekeepers and is comprised of only the best university tankery practitioners from all over Japan (not just from one school). When it's revealed they have to fight a university team of 30 tanks led by a 13 year old child prodigy in tankery, alarm begins to spread among Ooarai's team commanders. Miho doesn't back down however, and finally gives a long awaited badass speech:
But no matter how challenging the path, no roads are ever impossible for a tank. A tank keeps going, even through a volcanic eruption. Our path is hard, but we must find a way to get to the end!Just before this match starts, tanks from Kuromorimine, Saunders, Pravda, St. Gloriana, Anzio Girls High School (aka Italy), Jatkosota High School (aka Finland), and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy (aka Japan) arrive to reinforce Ooarai's tank squad in a scene that I dare say is comparable to that famous rotating shot of all the heroes from The Avengers, and was further enhanced when all the schools' leitmotifs played and are all combined in one awesome music track. The Ooarai tank squad becomes a Seven Nation Army. TV tropes comments on this one additional fact:
What makes this more awesome is that no one from Ooarai contacted any of the schools that came to their aid to ask for their help. They just show up by themselves, though it is somewhat implied that this was set up by Darjeeling.Der Film turns into a crossover that can give Avengers: Infinity War a run for its money. Once it's established that "yesterday's enemies are today's friends", the various high school commanders all gather to formulate a plan to defeat the University Team.
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| You can't save your school alone. |
Miho [is] chosen as the CO of the entire high school team. Keep in mind that Miho divided the teams into 3 platoons and assigned a commander and lieutenant for each one (herself, Maho, and Kay as commanders with Darjeeling, Katyusha, and Nishi as lieutenants) possibly as a way of ensuring each platoon can act independently of each other. Maho just elects Miho as CO, and everyone agrees to it without question. Nobody even complains about the rather girly platoon names Miho assigns them. When the strategy meeting gets kind of rowdy due to the commanders' different suggestions, Maho keeps them in line and reminds everyone that Miho's in charge.
In an epic tank battle that lasts for over fifty minutes, the combined forces of Ooarai and its allies defeat the University Team with the very narrow margin of one tank left standing. This victory secures Ooarai Girls Academy from the threat of being closed down anytime soon.
Setting a Precedent (or how Life is Strange can benefit from Girls und Panzer)
NOTE: If you aren't a fan of the Life is Strange series, you can skip this portion and move onto the final section of this post.
Considering how Miho's story arc ultimately played out, one might be tempted to use it as inspiration when thinking about similar characters. I couldn't help but be reminded at times of one specific character. And yes, I'm referring to Life is Strange's protagonist - Max Caulfield.
While Max and Miho obviously have noticeable differences between each other, they do have some interesting similarities. Both of them fit into (at least) the following tropes:
If Miho had resolve the final decision in Life is Strange, I strongly believe that she would have chosen neither. She doesn't want anyone to get hurt, and she would do whatever it takes to make it so. If need be, she'll seek the support of friends and allies to save as many as possible. Both Chloe and (at least some) Arcadia Bay citizens would survive. If someone had to die, Miho probably would have sacrificed herself if it was the only way to save everyone else.
Speaking of the ending... Bay or Bae, the game's conclusion would have pushed Max into becoming a better person, right? For a sizable portion of the Life is Strange fanbase, Max settling down with Chloe (or Warren, or whoever's your preferred love interest) and living happily ever after is all that matters. If you ask me though, that is not enough.
For one thing, Girls und Panzer reminded me that a romantic relationship is not a necessity for having real happiness and/or success. I guess the time I've spent browsing Life is Strange fan sites gave me this impression that Max needs to be in love for her to be truly happy, and that Chloe alone that can provide Max the support to have a worthwhile life. Girls und Panzer on the other hand shows that Miho is not solely dependent on her sister Maho or just one member of Anglerfish team. It's all of them, plus the rest of Ooarai's tankery squadron and the tank commanders of the other schools they fought during the series. Miho didn't emotionally invest on the shoulders of one individual alone. For someone who is shy and socially awkward, that's amazing. As if to highlight this very notion, the second character song for Miho - Infinity Orbit - has these two particular stanzas:
If there were any established characters from the first game who can fill this role, it would be Kate and Warren. Those two are likable and are well established enough that they can rise up to be Max's true companions (alongside Chloe in a "all the good guys live" timeline) if they overcome their weaknesses... assuming fans give them the opportunity to prove their worth. Hell, I'd even give Victoria a shot if the "worst" I can expect is the same dynamic portrayed between her and Max in The Sense of Me fanfic. By now, Max deserves her own version of Kampfgruppe Miho.
Romantic or not, the real substance of a post Bay or Bae story would showcase Max having learned from her past mistakes whilst maintaining her best traits in the face of adversity. Miho's story arc can provide a solid template for such a story.
With how things stand right now, I'd argue that Miho is a better fit for being a "Superman" archetype than Max. Seeing Miho triumph against all odds without sacrificing neither anyone nor her principles is an inspirational tale I felt so satisfying and uplifting... that it helped me shake off any negativity caused by "post Life is Strange depression."
Considering how Miho's story arc ultimately played out, one might be tempted to use it as inspiration when thinking about similar characters. I couldn't help but be reminded at times of one specific character. And yes, I'm referring to Life is Strange's protagonist - Max Caulfield.
While Max and Miho obviously have noticeable differences between each other, they do have some interesting similarities. Both of them fit into (at least) the following tropes:
- Adorkable (quiet at first, sweet, endearing, and dorky in a sheepish way; somewhat shy and socially awkward)
- Cute Clumsy Girl
- Cuteness Proximity (have a weakness for cute things, such as teddy bears)
- Determinator (would do whatever it takes to achieve a goal)
- Do Not Call Me [Insert Name or Title] (prefers to be called something else)
- Heroic BSoD (experienced an emotional breakdown)
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness (can't be corrupted and won't do anything bad)
- Nice Girl
With a good deal in common, if there is a timeline where Max and Miho got to know each other, I think they would easily be good friends. Max having an INFP (the mediator) personality would help. Perhaps they would have seen each other as two kindred spirits with the same moral compass. Besides, due to being out at sea most of the time, Ooarai Girls Academy has the benefit of having frequent golden hour photo ops. Come to think about it, we know very little of Miho's favorite hobbies, books, films, TV shows, video games, and music other than she's a fan of Boko/Punchy the Bear. In that sense, she's more of a blank slate than Max, who can share her pop culture know-how with Miho... and possibly entice her to try photography. Conversely, Max would really have benefited from a friend like Miho, especially if they meet after 63rd Sensha-do Tournament. Miho would be an exemplar that Max can look up to when it came to matters such as making friends and leadership.
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| Life is Strange fans after finishing the game for the first time... and finding out Max won't be in a sequel anytime soon. |
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| If Girls und Panzer fans were as obsessed with shipping as the Life is Strange fandom, we'd see more of this. |
If it were just for myself, I would have gotten lost and never made it anywhere.
But I chose this path knowing I had friends. It's my path.
My friends are there to support me when in need.
Thank you for always being by my side.
Whether you're laughing or crying with me, I know you're there.
I'll become a stronger individual.
I can be certain because I have all of my friends. I'll try my best today.
Take note that the lines have the word friends in plural, not singular. It also reminds me that for Life is Strange, Max needs more friends that are as genuine as Chloe. And no, that one dimensional caricature of a group called "The High Seas" introduced in the comics is not it!
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| Don't worry Max and Chloe, the "Panzer Five" is here to save you from SJW mediocrity! |
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| "You're All My Best Friends!" - |
With how things stand right now, I'd argue that Miho is a better fit for being a "Superman" archetype than Max. Seeing Miho triumph against all odds without sacrificing neither anyone nor her principles is an inspirational tale I felt so satisfying and uplifting... that it helped me shake off any negativity caused by "post Life is Strange depression."
Closing Thoughts
While Girls und Panzer is not - admittedly - a shinning example of masterful, original storytelling with profound commentary on real world and/or philosophical issues, the show is much more than all out tank action with cute girls. Miho's journey - its execution and underlying themes - is the show's emotional core... which I found so compelling. The show, one can argue, is a "coming of age" story. In the words of TV Tropes:
The show is as much about Miho overcoming her insecurities about Sensha-do and life as it is about the Panzers themselves. True to the title, the girls' struggles are treated with just as much reverence as the tank battles, and by the end of the show a good chunk of the named character have learned something about themselves...One fan summed up the show through the Hero's Journey:
Miho, lives a peaceful, tankless life and goes to a tankless school. But then she is dragged into Senshadou, or in tv trope terms, she “resigned to the call” and “crossed the first threshold.” The viewer, nor the hero, does not know it until later, but she is fighting to protect her home/school. This is a trait of the “hero’s journey.” This one is a stretch, but her defeat against St. Gloriana could be loosely considered the “belly of the whale,” which is the symbolic death of the hero. While there is nothing close to death in GuP, it was Oarai’s first match and defeat. She then faces the “road of trials” in the form of the national tournament. Maho acts as the “well done daughter girl,” by whom Miho wants to be acknowledged. Supernatural aid does not exist, but she does attain victory partially due to factors other than skill: the enemy’s honor (against Saunders), and the enemy’s carelessness (against Pravda). There is an “action film, quiet drama scene” of the Oarai team eating Katsu before the finals. “The Return” takes place in the form of the finals. It is a great battle of wits, and the team must use everything they’ve learned to achieve victory. Finally, Miho leads her underdog team to victory, and saves her school.
Quiet, cheerful and shy, but utterly devoted to her friends, Miho falls into the category of an ISFJ, the defender archetype. Supportive, reliable and imaginative, Miho’s strengths are being able to rally her friends from difficult situations and devising creative solutions to challenges that she faces. She is, however, very reserved and quite unwilling to discuss her problems with others until she opens up, and she can be very stubborn despite her adaptability in Panzerfahren, being uncompromising about her friends’ well-being. Throughout Girls und Panzer, Miho is presented as being fiercely loyal and determined, even when it comes at the expense of her own well-being, and this is a personality flaw that makes Miho a believable character – putting others ahead of herself, Miho often forgets about her own happiness and takes on more responsibilities than she might otherwise be able to handle. Fortunately, in the company of friends like Saori, Hana, Yukari and Mako, Miho begins striking a finer balance and matures as an individual, coming to rediscover her love for a sport and a new reason to love it. Far from perfect, and far from invincible, Miho is a solid lead for Girls und Panzer whose capacity as a commander on the field is balanced by a very human, plausible personality off the field.On April 2, 2019, Kotaku published an investigative report on Anthem's development. In the aftermath of the article's posting, I recall reading one comment that compared Bioware's attitude of making games during this decade as though real life was an anime! What prompted this comparison were quotes such as:
Even when [things] feel like a complete disaster, there’s a belief that with enough hard work... it’ll all come together.... ‘Everything is going to be fine in the end.’A stereotypical anime, from what I've read, usually tell stories of characters who solve problems through "the power of friendship." If the mindset for Anthem's senior leaders was generally like this, they didn't take notes from an anime like Girls und Panzer. Because, as Kotaku's Jason Schreier wrote, "many who worked on Anthem accused the leadership team of indecision and mismanagement." Unlike Anthem's developers, the Ooarai tank squad did not suffer from "total lack of leadership across the board" once Miho became their overall commander. With Miho, they were also fortunate to have a leader who cared for their well being, had a clear vision, and inspired them to do their best.
If I had to choose a quote from a historical figure to sum up the "philosophy" of Girls und Panzer, it would probably be this one that was allegedly by Charles Darwin:
In the long history of humankind... those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.Miho certainly has absorbed the essence of this quote by heart. Her tactical brilliance is complemented by an emphasis on "teamwork toward a common goal over the idea that everything must be sacrificed to victory." She would probably make Panzer generals such as Rommel, Guderian, and Manstein proud if they had a daughter like her. While Miho has a long way to go to be regarded as a leader comparable to esteemed historical leaders like Washington, Lincoln, and FDR, she's on the right track to "become legend."
Here's hoping that the remaining parts of Girls und Panzer: Das Finale will capitalize on the show's strengths and ultimately conclude on a satisfying note that is as good as the twelfth episode's ending.
Panzer Vor!
PS: The teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX was finally released during the Star Wars Celebration on April 12, 2019, revealing that the film is titled (very awkwardly, if you ask me) The Rise of Skywalker. Here's what some of the characters from Girls und Panzer had to say:
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| Initial Star Wars fan reactions to Episode IX's teaser trailer. |
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