The episode begins when the last one left off. Everyone is on the edge of their seats, and even Maho is shocked. Duck Team barely survivese, but Pravda's flag tank is defeated, resulting in Oarai's victory.
The Oarai girls celebrate. Katyusha is shocked for a moment and then starts to cry, but as Nonna hands her a tissue, she denies crying. Miho's teammates gather around her and thank her. Katyusha is surprised that Miho would attack the heavily reinforced part and succeed, but Miho modestly says that she would have lost if they had attacked all at once. Katyusha, however, is less sure, admitting that maybe Oarai is good, and saying they're not frustrated by the loss, before getting down from Nonna's shoulders to shake Miho's hand. She encourages Miho to win the finals.
In the stands, Shiho suggests that Miho won because she let down her guard, but Maho points out that Miho's ability to fight without relying on "by the book" strategies, her decision making and her restoring everyone's morale was proof of skill. This is a nice look at what kind of regard Maho has for Miho's skill. Shiho dismisses Miho's fighting style as "heresy" and tells Maho to crush it. Maho, looking disheartened for a moment, promises to live up to her expectations. This seems to be one case in which, as Nishizumi heiress, she acts against her desires.
Back at Oarai, the student council tells the students that everyone's hopes ride on them, and they are to perform maintenance on their tanks. Miho, in the student council office, goes over Black Forest's 20-tank formation and says that their tanks are also of superior quality to Oarai's. Yuzu wonders if they can buy a tank, but Anzu says that even with clubs giving them some of their funds (presumably due to the school being on the line becoming public knowledge), it might be difficult. I've noticed that Girls und Panze fanfics often have the girls suddenly find new tanks around the ship, and while this stretches belief, it's in part necessitated by the fact that it's not so easy to buy a tank. Momo says they can either upgrade or mod their current tanks, and Miho agrees.
Yuzu asks about the Porsche Tiger, and Momo is enthusiastic about using it to burst through Black Forest's forces. Yuzu gets a call, and learns that the restoration of the Porsche Tiger is complete.
Some members of the team watch the Porsche Tiger in action, and Yukari is especially excited to see it, saying that it's a treat for tank enthusiasts like her. She then points out the flaws- getting stuck in mud, overheating and catching on fire- all of which happen in rapid succession, which does not surprise Nakajima. Anzu says that "it pains you to call it a tank", but Yukari points out that it is powerful. Yuzu asks if they have any other tanks.
The Morals committee drives around campus, using a megaphone to ask everyone to report any sightings of a tank. Rabbit Team walks around the parking lot, doing the same. Aya and Yuuki playfully argue over how to put it.
Anzu, having bought a Hetzer conversion kit, decides to use it on the 38(t), and Momo proposes Schurzen on the Panzer IV. While they're talking with Miho, a girl named Nekota, whom Miho appears to recognize, asks in a soft and faint voice if she can join. Miho enthusiastically accepts, but realizes they don't have a tank for her. Nekota asks if "that other tank" is unusable, and shows her to a Type 3 Chi-Nu in the parking lot. Aya and the others passed by it, thinking it was worthless if no one touched it. This gives some idea of how much Oarai has scoured the ships- perhaps they have literally looked everywhere.
The Auto club is assigned to the Porsche Tiger, and briefly discuss whether they can drift the tank. Meanwhile, Nekota has invited her friends- Momogawa and Piyotan- to join, and is thrilled to meet them for the first time in real life.
The repairs, modifications and other maintenance is performed on Oarai's tanks. Yukari's excited about the Mark IV special, and Mako shows up with some rice cakes, saying that her grandmother is out of the hospital and will be coming to the finals. Hana asks Miho's permission to excuse herself. Saori asks why, and Hana says that there will be a gallery opening on Saturday, with her flowers on display.
Saturday comes, and the rest of Anglerfish Team comes, enjoying the flowers. They recognize Hana's flowers because of the tank vase, and Hana then arrives, dressed in a kimono. Miho says Hana's flowers are nicely made, and very like her. Hana says her friends helped her out, and her mother agrees, as she arrives. She says that Hana has always been good at flower arranging, but her flowers have never had much "freshness" until now, and she believes tankery was what helped her in that regard. Hana is surprised, and Yuri goes on to say that Hana has diverged from her, but also created something new. Miho watches, pleased, as mother and daughter reconcile, while talking about the tank vase.
Back at school, the preparations conclude, and Momo says that they must win. Anzu calls Miho over and has her say a few things to the team; after a bit of hesitation, Miho complies. Miho says that they are fighting against Black Forest tomorrow, pointing out that it's the school she left. However, Miho says that Oarai is the school she will consider her alma mater. She says she'll stay calm and do her best, asking everyone else to do the same.
While it is a given that Miho is happier at Oarai, I personally have to wonder whether Miho's time at Black Forest was entirely unpleasant. She most likely had some friends there, and may have had some happy memories of doing tankery together with her sister.
Meanwhile, at Black Forest, Maho looks over her tanks, with a shot seeming to emphasize he status as a Byronic Hero.
Back at Oarai, as practice ends, Saori suggests that they eat at Miho's place, and Hana is looking forward to eating Saori's cooking.
The student council realizes that everything will be decided tomorrow, and decides to stop somewhere to lighten the mood. The proprietor lets off a Hurricane of Puns related to "katsu", much to Momo's annoyance, especially when Anzu joins in.
The scene shifts to Miho's apartment, where they're enjoying Saori's food. Saori has an important announcement to make- she got her Amateur Radio Level 2 License, a significant step up from Level 4, and she enlisted Mako's help to do it. Miho congratulates Saori (oddly enough, while shifting back to calling her by her last name), and Yukari is amazed at how well Saori can use the radio. Miho and Hana agree, with neither expecting Saori to say that she was engaged, much to Saori's annoyance, as she is planning on changing that. Saori suggests that Miho get a boyfriend, and Miho says she's happy being with all her friends, and that she loves all of them. Yukari takes it as a confession, while Saori teases Miho about how girls shouldn't think that way.
Other teams are relaxing in various ways that are highly characteristic of them.
- Duck Team spikes some volleyballs.
- Hippo Team eats on a bench looking out at sea.
- Leopon Team works on their tanks
- Anteater Team looks out at the moon while eating on their tank.
- Mallard Team makes posters thanking everyone for their support.
- Rabbit Team watches Kelly's Heroes, particularly the part in which one tank gets stuck in a narrow street, and another is unable to turn its turret.
Before dawn, the ship pulls into the harbor, and the tanks are transported to the tankery training grounds near Mt. Fuji. Yukari's quite excited to be doing a match in "the holy land of tankery" and with many people turning out and a festival-like atmosphere on the grounds, it seems she's not the only one. Ou Taiga, Oarai's school reporter, gets a rare appearance in the anime at this point.
While making her final preparations, Miho is greeted by Orange Pekoe and Darjeeling, who are surprised that she got this far, but note that she has a track record for overturning expectations. Kay greets Miho by calling her by her first name without honorifics (by contrast, Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe use the extremely formal "anata-gata" to refer to Oarai), and hopes to see another "exciting" and "crazy" fight. Katyusha then greets Miho next, hoping she'll crush Black Forest like Operation Bagration.
Anzio is conspicuously absent. There are a few explanations for this.
- One can assume that, at the time of the production, the producers didn't want to call any more attention to the offscreen second match than was necessary.
- In the manga, Anchovy is quite the Sore Loser, and one could assume that she still has hard feelings about Miho defeating her in spite of what Anchovy perceives as inferior resolve.
- In the OVA, it turns out that the entire Anzio team showed up, but they partied so hard the night before that they ended up sleeping through the entire match.
Darjeeling says that Miho is unusual, befriending everyone she fights, and Miho simply says she finds everyone "wonderful." Darjeeling then implies that she hopes to win against Oarai in the future.
At the assembly of all the tankery teams, the commanders and deputy commanders are asked to step foward. From Black Forest, Maho and Erika come, while Miho and Momo come from Oarai.
Erika contemptuously says that Miho would naturally become the leader of a weak team. Ami, as if to interrupt this, reveals herself as the referee for the finals, and has the teams exchange bows. Maho then leaves, and Erika turns back to Miho to tell her that she only got this far by chance.
Miho hesitates for a moment and starts to leave, but is stopped by someone calling out for her. As the girl, whose name is Koume Akeboshi, thanks Miho, she immediately recognizes her. Koume apologizes for causing Miho trouble, but is glad Miho didn't quit tankery. Yukari watches, pleased at being proven correct, and Saori calls Miho over.
All in all, it's a touching look at what Miho managed to accomplish, and how those whom she saved- whose opinions matter most- feel about it.
In the stands, many people, including the families of several of the main charactes, have shown up for the match.
Miho decides to go to Point 207 (all those points seem quite random without a map to reference) to gain an advantageous position before Black Forest can begin its all-out attack. Since the starting locations are far apart, she's confident that they will be able to do so. With a brief nod to the student council and all her friends laying their hands on hers, Miho begins.
Maho says that the finals are here, and warns the team not to let their guard down. She quotes Guderian that it's better to have a fast runner than thick skin, and sets out.
The signal to begin the match is sent out, and all tanks on both sides advance.
Yukari turns to Miho and says that her saving her friend wasn't wrong.
Oddly enough, Miho confesses that she's still not sure whether saving Koume and the others was the right thing to do, even if she says that she wanted to save her teammate, and that was enough for her. Granted, Girls und Panzer's entry under the Values Dissonance page suggests that the Japanese focus on duty over friendship is part of the reason why Miho's decision is viewed as less absolutely right than it would be in the West, but it only goes so far. The narrative largely seems to be on Miho's side, with the only people opposed to her decision being those who are otherwise portrayed as fairly ruthless and arrogant for the most part. Shiho and Erika, for the most part, don't really get any Jerkass Has a Point, (with the possible exception of Erika berating Miho for leaving Oarai in Chapter 15 of the manga, but that's about the departure rather than Miho's decision; who knows how things would have gone if Miho had stayed at Black Forest?)
Miho's reaction to a similar incident in Little Army, also indicates just how strongly she feels about this. The Nishizumi style never sat entirely well with her, and it only got worse when she realized that she was expected to act so ruthlessly. In light of how she knew her mother's position on winning at all costs, her decision to save the tank took a great deal of courage, a degree that many don't realize she has.
TL:DR, it seems most likely that Miho is sure that her decision was right, and decided to leave Black Forest because if she stayed, she would face pressure to not make that decision in future situations.
Two kilometers from the forest, Saori gives a more formal transmission report. They wonder if she's more like a pro, but Mako points out that it's an amateur license.
Much to their surprise, Black Forest is already at the forest, and everyone is shocked at how quickly they got there.
The Black Forest troops fire on Miho's tanks in a simultaneous bombardment on Erika's command, before Erika asks them to aim for the flag tank- which is Anglerfish Team. In a contrived but amusing turn of events, Anteater Team, struggling with the controls, backs into a shell that would have struck Miho's tank.
Anteater Team, surprisingly enough, has actually managed to live this down in sequel fanfics, even if they're generally not one of the better teams.
So with Oarai barely evading defeat shortly after combat begins, where does that leave them now? We didn't find out immediately, as the preview for the next episode is for Introductions II." Again, there's not much to say about it, although I did notice a few things.
- Miho erroneously says that she only did tankery under the Nishizumi style until she arrived at Oarai, when she had been searching for her own way of tankery since the end of Little Army.
- Some parts of the battle against Saunders (such as why the Type 89 didn't take a shot at Alisa's Sherman, or why Anglerfish Team could afford to risk themselves)
- Miho nicely points out that even if Mako seems lazy and uninterested in others, she's kind at heart.
And after that, as a result of Girls Und Panzer's Troubled Production, the last two episodes weren't shown for months, not unlike what happened with Puella Magi Madoka Magica. You won't have to wait nearly as long for my coverage of Anime Episode 11, though since I'm just going back to the manga's Pravda arc.
Next Installment: In the tenth chapter of the manga, Miho faces pressure from school and home to win the match with Pravda.
