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... “triangles” instead of “trigons.” ⏎Girls und Panzer ⏎ Rating: 3 (of 5) ⏎ Review: “Guys and tanks seem kinda mismatched to me.” ⏎ This line of actual dialogue from the first episode is the acid test for this series. If the meaning implicit in this line repels you then this is not a series for you. If, however, it intrigues you enough to find out more, then you may well enjoy this absurd but surprisingly endearing exploration into the world of Tankery. ⏎ In an alternate world where Tankery is promoted as the ultimate elective for producing polite, graceful, reliable, and appealing young women (yes, this really is the pitch line used in a promotional video shown at one point), Miho Nishizumi has specifically transferred to the one high school which doesn't have such an elective because she wants to get as far away from it as possible; although she comes from a family with a long tradition of Tankery, some bad experiences she had with it in the past have driven her away from it. Thus she is horrified when the pushy Student Council President announces that the school is going to resume its mothballed Tankery program and wants Miho specifically to be part of it. Though new and dear friends Hana and Saori have her back and fiercely stand up for her, Miho knows that they, too, are interested in Tankery. Ultimately she decides that ing her friends is more important to her than running from the demons of her past. ⏎ Regardless of what one might think about the jaw-droppingly ridiculous premise of the series, one thing cannot be denied: better friends than Hana and Saori simply won't be found in anime (or most anywhere else, for that matter). The relationship they quickly form with Miho goes a long way towards making the first episode not only tolerable but also a little endearing, too. Beyond that, the premise pretty much comes down to a silly excuse to insert cute girls into tanks – but my, is the premise good-looking in execution! An opening animation sequence done partly through first-person perspective is quite impressive as it showcase the basic tanks + girls concept, but the animation elsewhere is well above the norm, too. Only the very stereotypical mix of character designs hampers what is otherwise a praiseworthy visual effort. ⏎ The episode ends with an eye-popping revelation about the nature of the setting but no indication of what that might mean. Whatever the case may prove to be, this is so far proving to be a cute entry which panders to otaku without feeling slimy about how it does it. ⏎ Girls und Panzer is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. ⏎ From The New World episode 2 ⏎ Rating: 3...