"Girls und Panzer" is a hugely popular TV anime series set in a fantastical world where high school girls ride tanks and compete in a sport known as "Sensha-do." The series features a wide variety of unique characters, and the high school they attend is just as unique. Here we'll introduce Oarai Girls' High School, the school at the heart of the story and where main character Nishizumi Miho attends.

What is the Oarai Girls' High School School Ship?

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogakukan, Movic, Q-Tech

 

In the world of Girls und Panzer, middle and high schools are located aboard large ships called school ships, where towns and lifestyles exist just like on land. Oarai Girls' Academy is a school ship registered as an enclave of Ibaraki Prefecture, officially known as "Oarai Prefectural Girls' Academy." It is approximately 7,600 meters long and has a population of 30,000. There are 9,000 students in both the junior and senior high school divisions. Students in the maritime department are responsible for ship-related matters such as maneuvering. Other departments include general education, business, clothing, fisheries, agriculture, information, and nutrition. Students taking tank driving courses are enrolled in the general education department.

The Revival of the Oarai Girls' High School Tank Team

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogate, Movic, Q-Tech

 

Sensha-do has lost its popularity in Japan, but the world championships will soon be held in Japan. Oarai Girls' High School decided to revive its tank driving classes for the first time in 20 years and recruited applicants. However, only 21 students showed up, and with only one tank remaining, it was truly starting from scratch. Since then, one more student has enrolled, and the number of tanks has increased by four, bringing the total to five. Although the team is made up of amateurs, with only Nishizumi Miho having experience in tank battles, they continue to train hard with the goal of winning the national tournament.

Oarai Girls' High School's Rising Star!

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogakukan, Movic, Q-Tech

 

The amateur team at Oarai Girls' High School welcomes Lieutenant Chono Ami as a special instructor and begins their training. They then play a practice match against St. Gloriana Girls' Academy. Although they lose the match, Darjeeling, intrigued by their commander Miho's fighting style, recognizes Oarai as a rival and begins to watch every subsequent match. Following this incident, Miho officially becomes the squad leader. In the first round of the 63rd National Tournament, they face Saunders University High School, a wealthy and powerful school with the largest number of tanks in the country. Not only are they outnumbered 5 to 10, but they also face a disadvantage in terms of vehicle performance. However, they take advantage of the opponent's wiretapping and isolate the flag vehicle, somehow managing to destroy it and advance to the second round. In the second round, they face Anzio High School. Again, they face a 5 to 10 numerical disadvantage, but Oarai's vehicle performance is slightly superior. Despite being at the mercy of the CV-33 light tank, weighing less than 5 tons, they overcome the enemy's attacks and easily destroy the flag vehicle, advancing to the second round. In the semifinals, Oarai will face last year's champion, Pravda High School. They've added two new B1bis tanks, bringing their total to six, and upgraded their Panzer IV tanks to F2 specifications. However, they remain outnumbered 6 to 15, and the snowy field makes the battle even more difficult. Completely surrounded and pressured to surrender, they refuse to give up. Oarai had a reason for not wanting to lose... They then break through the encirclement, destroy the flag vehicle, and advance to the semifinals. And finally, the final. Their opponent is Kuromorimine Girls' Academy, Miho's former alma mater, where her older sister, Nishizumi Maho, is captain. They were the reigning champions of high school tank warfare, having won nine consecutive national championships until last year. Oarai will add two new tanks, bringing their total to eight, making it an 8-on-20 battle. They will toy with Kuromorimine by dividing up enemy tanks, defeating them one by one, and taking advantage of the terrain to their advantage. With only the flagship vehicle, the Panzer IV, left, Kuromorimine's flagship vehicle, the Tiger I, is isolated, leading to a one-on-one battle between the Nishizumi sisters. The battle continues, with Miho's final blow putting the Tiger I out of action, and they achieve their first victory.

The Secret of Oarai Girls' High School...

It's over, our school is finished.

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogate, Movic, Q-Tech

 

Oarai Girls' High School was scheduled for closure as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's School Ship Consolidation and Closure Plan. Oarai Girls' High School, which had not shown particularly outstanding results in either academics or club activities, was the first on the list. To avoid closure, Chairman Kadoya decided to establish a legacy by winning the national championship in Sensha-do, a sport once popular on campus. This is why Kawashima said she absolutely could not afford to lose.

A verbal promise is not a promise.

 

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogate, Movic, Q-Tech

After winning the national tournament, it seemed like the school had escaped the threat of closure, but in the movie, it is once again in danger of closure. Despite believing that winning the national championship would save the school, Kota Tsuji, head of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Academy Ship Bureau, insisted that "verbal promises are not promises," and forced the school's closure. All residents of the Academy Ship abandoned the ship, and the school was truly closed. Chairman Kakutani refused to give up, and secured the cooperation of Shichiro Kodama, chairman of the Sensha-do Federation, and Shiho Nishizumi, chairperson of the Japan Sensha-do Professional League Establishment Committee. He secured a written promise to rescind the school's closure, provided the team could beat the university selection team. However, the match turned out to be 8 vs. 30. The vehicles were all superior tanks, and on the eve of the match, the rules were announced as an annihilation match, not a flag match, leaving Miho feeling hopeless. Having never given up in any match before, Miho was discouraged, thinking that this time it might be different. However, just before the match began, former rival schools entered the fray against the Oarai team, making it a 30 vs. 30 match. Despite the close battle against the university students' experience and skill, they annihilated the entire university team and won the match, finally canceling the school's closure.

Oarai Girls' High School Vehicles

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogate, Movic, Q-Tech

 

Oarai has eight vehicles up until the film. Each team is named after an animal.

Anglerfish Team: Panzer IV Ausf. D (Episodes 1-7) → Panzer IV Ausf. D Modified/F2 Spec (Episodes 8-9) → Panzer IV Ausf. D Modified/H Spec (Episode 10 onwards)

Turtle Team: 38t Panzer B/C (Episodes 1-9) → 38t Panzer B/C Hetzer Spec (Episode 10 onwards)

Duck Team: Type 89 Medium Tank Ausf. Ko (Episode 1 onwards)

Hippo Team: Sturmgeschütz III F (Episode 1 onwards)

Rabbit Team: M3 Lee Medium Tank (Episode 1 onwards)

Duck Team: B1bis (Episode 8 onwards)

Anteater Team: Type 3 Chi-Nu Medium Tank (Episode 10 onwards)

Leopon Team: Porsche Tiger (Episode 10 onwards)

Oarai Girls' High School's New Battle

Source: Girls und Panzer © Bandai Visual, Lantis, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogate, Movic, Q-Tech

 

In the final chapter, the girls will participate in the winter tournament "Infinite Track Cup" and face "BC Freedom Academy" in the first round. They will also welcome their ninth tank, the Mark IV tank (Shark Team), into a new battle.

Recommended related articles