is a 2015 Japanese animated film and a sequel to the 2012 anime series Girls und Panzer. Produced by Actas and distributed by Showgate, the film is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima from a script written by Reiko Yoshida and features an ensemble cast that includes Mai Fuchigami, Ai Kayano, Mami Ozaki, Ikumi Nakagami, and Yuka Iguchi. The film follows the students of Ōarai Girls' Academy learning about the closure of their school after their recent victory against Kuromorimine Girls' High School was denounced.
A Japanese newspaper first reported that a sequel to the anime television series was "being tentatively planned" in December 2012, but it was later denied by staff. A sequel was announced as a film in 2013, with Mizushima returning to direct it in April. The film was set to premiere in 2014 but got delayed the following year instead. New cast members to join the returning cast of Girls und Panzer were announced in June and October 2015.
Girls und Panzer der Film premiered in Tokyo on November 20, 2015, and was released in Japan on November 21. The film grossed over million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics for its action and character interaction. The film received awards and nominations, including the awards at Japanese Movie Critics Awards and Seiun Awards. Its sequel, Girls und Panzer das Finale, began to release one of its six films in the series in Japan on December 9, 2017.
Plot In a friendly exhibition match, Ōarai Girls' Academy join forces with a reckless Chihatan Gakuen against the combined forces of St. Gloriana Girls' College and Pravda Girls' High School. The match ends in favor of St. Gloriana and Pravda, and the participating students spend time in a bath afterward. Upon their return to the school, Ōarai students are informed by student council president Anzu Kadotani about the school's closure after the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology denounced their verbal agreement of keeping it open despite their win against Kuromorimine Girls' High School. A plane from Saunders University High School arrives to retrieve Ōarai's tanks for safekeeping as the students prepare to vacate the aircraft carrier that houses the school.
Anzu visits the Japan Senshadō Federation along with Ōarai's instructor Ami Chōno to protest the closure. With the help of Miho and Maho's mother Shiho Nishizumi, who wants a rematch for Kuromorimine, they convince the Ministry to sign an agreement to reopen Ōarai's school once they win the annihilation match against Hand-picked University Team commanded by Alice Shimada. On the day of the match, Kuromorimine, Saunders, Pravda, St. Gloriana, Anzio Girls' High School, Keizoku High School, and Chihatan join Ōarai to increase their numbers against the opponent's thirty tanks.
Kuromorimine and Pravda capture a hill to provide support to their allies atop but are bombarded by Karl-Geräts shells. Ōarai's Turtle and Duck teams, Anzio, and Keizoku join forces to destroy Karl. The remaining tanks of Ōarai and its allies arrive at an abandoned amusement park and use its attractions to eliminate the majority of Hand-picked University tanks, turning the tide in their favor. However, Alice eventually joins the fight and disables most of her opponent's tanks. With a total of three tanks remaining in the match, the Nishizumi sisters work together to confront Alice in a heated battle that ends with Ōarai's victory. Following the match, all the girls are traveling back to their respective schools, with Ōarai students sailing back to their aircraft carrier.
Voice cast Character Japanese English Miho Nishizumi Mai Fuchigami Margaret McDonald Saori Takebe Ai Kayano Jessica Calvello Hana Isuzu Mami Ozaki Caitlynn French Yukari Akiyama Ikumi Nakagami Rebekah Stevens Mako Reizei Yuka Iguchi Molly Searcy Anzu Kadotani Misato Fukuen Rozie Curtis Yuzu Koyama Mikako Takahashi Maeghan Avocato Momo Kawashima Kana Ueda Patricia Duran Noriko Isobe Mika Kikuchi Chelsea McCurdy Taeko Kondō Maya Yoshioka Kalin Coates Shinobu Kawanishi Mari Kirimura Cynthia Martinez Akebi Sasaki Sakura Nakamura Carli Mosier Takako Suzuki / Caesar Eri Sendai Shannon Emerick Riko Matsumoto / Erwin Satomi Moriya Luci Christian Kiyomi Sugiyama / Saemonza Yuka Inoue Tiffany Terrell Takeko Nogami / Oryō Ayuru Ōhashi Nancy Novotny Azusa Sawa Hitomi Takeuchi Allison Sumrall Ayumi Yamagō Nozomi Nakazato Katelyn Barr Karina Sakaguchi Konomi Tada Monica Rial Yūki Utsugi Yuri Yamaoka Maggie Flecknoe Aya Ōno Chuna Juliet Simmons Saki Maruyama Mikako Komatsu Kara Greenberg Midoriko Sono Shiori Izawa Tiffany Grant Moyoko Gotō Shelley Calene-Black Nozomi Konparu Emily Neves Reira Nakajima Nozomi Yamamoto Tiffany Grant Maria Suzuki Mai Ishihara Brittney Karbowski Keiko Hoshino Hisako Kanemoto Diane Gallagher Muuton Tsuchiya Eri Kitamura Luci Christian Mai Nekota / Nekonyā Ikumi Hayama Monica Rial Taki Momose / Momogā Masayo Kurata Karlii Hoch Aoi Hiyoshi / Piyotan Sumire Uesaka Maggie Flecknoe Darjeeling Eri Kitamura Kara Greenberg Orange Pekoe Mai Ishihara Ally Piotrowski Assam Satomi Akesaka Joanne Bonasso Rosehip Natsumi Takamori Stephanie Wittels Wachs Rukuriri Masayo Kurata Lauren Hernik Kay Ayako Kawasumi Emily Neves Naomi Mariya Ise Stephanie Wittels Wachs Alisa Aya Hirano Brittney Karbowski Anchovy Maya Yoshioka Kira Vincent-Davis Carpaccio Saori Hayami Christina Stroup Pepperoni Yō Taichi Christina Kelly Katyusha Hisako Kanemoto Hilary Haag Nonna Sumire Uesaka Shannon Emerick Klara Jenya Olga Jankowski Nina Saki Ogasawara Karlii Hoch Alina Kanami Satō Monica Rial Maho Nishizumi Rie Tanaka Kim Prause Erika Itsumi Hitomi Nabatame Elizabeth Bannor Mika Mamiko Noto Lauren Herink Aki Shino Shimoji Melissa Molano Mikko Miho Ishigami Jenni Strader Kinuyo Nishi Asami Seto Amelia Fischer Haru Fukuda Naomi Ōzora Terri Doty Tamaki Tamada Madoka Yonezawa Chaney Moore Shizuko Hosomi Ami Nanase Annie Mai Emi Ikeda Konomi Tada Kris Saltiel Noriyo Hamada Yuka Inoue Tomiko Teramoto Ikumi Hayama Kalin Coates Setsuko Nagura Miho Ishigami Rin Kubota Yō Taichi Alice Shimada Ayana Taketatsu Shanae'a Moore Megumi Ayumi Fujimura Carolyn Medrano Azumi Yuko Iida Melissa Pritchett Rumi Mai Nakahara Autumn Woods Shichiro Kodama Nobuo Tobita Christopher Ayres Shiho Nishizumi Yumi Tōma Chelsea McCurdy Yuri Isuzu Masayo Kurata Emily Neves Chiyo Shimada Satsuki Yukino Joanne Bonasso Ami Chōno Hekiru Shiina Shelley Calene-Black Jungorou Akiyama Yoshihisa Kawahara Christopher Ayres Yoshiko Akiyama Eri Sendai Maggie Flecknoe Shinzaburou Atsushi Imaruoka David Matranga Renta Tsuji Daisuke Kageura John Swasey Kanon Sasagawa Yuri Yamaoka Jenni Strader Remi Takashima Chuna Boco Ayumi Fujimura Joanne Bonasso
Production Development Jōyō Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper based in Ibaraki Prefecture, reported a sequel to Girls und Panzer (2012) was "being tentatively planned" in December 2012, citing the franchise's popularity. Following the report, publicity representative Yūji Hirooka at Bandai Visual revealed that there were no plans for a sequel but stated that the "possibility is not zero". At the Heartful Tank Carnival event in April 2013, Tsutomu Mizushima was announced to be returning to direct a film for the franchise after the project was greenlit. In the same month, producer Kiyoshi Sugiyama confirmed that the film would serve as a sequel to the anime television series. Mizushima announced the film's runtime was 120 minutes instead of the planned 90 minutes in March 2015.
Pre-production In June 2015, Asami Seto joined the cast of the film as Chihatan Gakuen commander Kinuyo Nishi. Additional cast were announced in October 2015, including Ayana Taketatsu as Alice Shimada, Ayumi Fujimura as Megumi, Yuko Iida as Azumi, Mai Nakahara as Rumi, Madoka Yonezawa as Tamaki Tamada, Naomi Ōzora as Haru Fukuda, Natsumi Takamori as Rosehip, Jenya as Klara, Mamiko Noto as Mika, Shino Shimoji as Aki, and Miho Ishigami as Mikko. Ami Nanase joined the cast of the film as Shizuko Hosomi in November 2015.
Animation Belarusian video game company Wargaming was deeply involved in the production of the film. The company provided illustrations of nine tanks that were featured in the film: BT-42, Centurion Mk 1, Churchill I–VII, Crusader, Karl-Gerät, T28, M26 Pershing, VK 4501 (P), and T95. Producer Sugiyama received black-and-white illustrations rather than photographs since they would be more useful in providing details for tanks during animation.
Post-production Sentai Filmworks announced the English dub cast for the film in November 2016. In an interview with the Embassy of Finland in Tokyo in July 2017, Mizushima explained the names Mika, Aki, and Mikko were associated with Finnish male names that can be sounded Japanese, revealing his familiarity with them from watching Estonian Autosport Union president Ari Vatanen's career in motorsports. He also revealed the Keizoku High School in the film was based on Finland's Continuation War during World War II.
Music ChouCho was announced to be performing the ending theme music of Girls Und Panzer der Film titled "Piece of Youth" in March 2015, after previously doing so for Girls und Panzer (2012). Bandai Namco Arts released the film's original soundtrack composed by Shirō Hamaguchi under their Lantis label in Japan on November 18, 2015. Japanese kantele player Hiroko Ara played the Finnish folk tune included in the soundtrack titled "Säkkijärven polkka".
Track listing All music is composed by Hamaguchi, except where indicated. Track 17 ("It's the Academy's Ten Colors!") is a medley of different songs by different composers: "Panzerlied" by Kurt Wiehle, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" by William Steffe, "Katyusha" by Matvey Blanter, "The British Grenadiers", "Funiculì, Funiculà" by Luigi Denza, "Säkkijärven polkka", "Marching in the Snow" by Nagai Kenshi, and "Panzerfahren March! Panzer Vor!" by Hamaguchi.
Marketing A teaser trailer for Girls und Panzer der Film was released in July 2014, followed by its first visual in November. In March 2015, a promotional video from Bandai Visual summarizing the franchise's story and the second visual for the film were released. The second teaser trailer for the film was released in June 2015. In October 2015, the third visual and a full trailer and new commercial video for the film were released. A novel written by screenwriter Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Fumikane Shimada and Isao Sugimoto was released on October 10, 2015, which would fill in the gap between the anime television series and the film.
Promotional partners for the film included Kirin Company, through their "Fire" canned coffee brand; Circle K Sunkus, through the use of a Rakuten point card; Ōarai Marine Tower; karaoke chains Manekineko and Dam; World of Tanks; Bakudan-yaki Honpo restaurant; Namco, which set up character pop stores in Japan; and Book-Ace bookstore.
Release Theatrical Girls und Panzer der Film held its world premiere at the Shinjuku Wald 9 theater in Tokyo on November 20, 2015, and was released in Japan on November 21. The film was released in 27 4DX theaters on February 20, 2016. Cinema Sunshine Heiwajima held an "extreme" 4DX screening of the film, which involved more aggressive chair movements, on March 5, 2016, after gaining positive feedback with their screening of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Additional three 4DX screenings of the film were held on March 20, 2016. Girls und Panzer der Film was previously scheduled to be released in 2014, before it was shifted between June and August 2015, and then to the November premiere. As part of the 10th anniversary of the release of Girls und Panzer, the film was screened in 127 theaters on October 9, 2022.
The film was released at the Scotland Loves Anime film festival in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2016, in the United States on November 18, with its American premiere taking place at New People Cinema in San Francisco, and in Canada on January 26, 2017.
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