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Category:    Home > Reviews > Anime > Animation > Comedy > Adventure > Tragedy > Supernatural > Macabre > Girls und Panzer: Das Finale, Part One (2017)/Magical Girl Site: Complete Collection (2018/both Sentai Blu-rays)

Girls und Panzer: Das Finale, Part One (2017)/Magical Girl Site: Complete Collection (2018/both Sentai Blu-rays)



Picture: B+/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Main Programs: B+



And now for a new of anime releases...



The girls are back from Ooarai Academy on their mission to become the best tank operators. However, they then learn their friend Momo is endanger of failing a year, now their only way to save her is to find another tank to join their ranks and for Momo to show off her skills as tank commander in the next Caterpillar Tread Cup. But can the girls find a mysterious tank, train and be ready for greatest battle royale of tanks?


In Girls und Panzer: Das Finale, Part One (2017), the girls of Ooarai Academy and company are a group of misfit girls with miss-match tanks and the underdogs of tank company schools. On board a gigantic mega-city size ship, the girls from various school battle one another for rank, prestige and glory. Every day, they discover tanks within the belly of their ship and the girl's job are to train and get their tanks back in shape. Through the classes, battles, laughs they girls work together and learn what it is to be 'Tank Girl'.


This is a fun little series about cute little loli's driving tanks and have mock battle with live ammunition. While the girls are there to train, they also have fun and make friends with friendly rivalry and competition. Extras include clean opening and closing animations, Japanese promo and trailers.



Aya is bullied and beaten at school and at home she is beaten by her sadistic brother. Aya's life is so horrible she wants to kill herself to escape her living hell. But then suddenly, she finds a Magical Girl Website and told that she is selected to become a magical girl. Just when she is about to rape and killed, a magical toy appears in her hands and she learns of magical girls, her powers are real ...and she is not the only magical girl. However, not everything is sugar and sweet, other magical girls are killing each other for their 'wands'/magical powers and they are connected to something called the 'Tempest' and the end of the world in Magical Girl Site: Complete Collection (2018).


Aya is a shy, quiet and kind girl, but that's why others bully and abuse her every day because they are not afraid of her speaking up about her abuse. But because of this very reason, she became a magical girl and given a 'wand' with magical powers and in her case, she is able to teleport people. However, the price for using their magical power, the more they use it, the more their lives are shortened. She meets another magical girl Yatsumura who has the ability to freeze time. Aya then learn the dark fate of magical girls, that there are other magical girls who are willing to kill each other for each other's magic wand. Then Aya and Yatsumura wonder and discover why the 'Administrators' of Magical Girl Websites are manipulating them, not for good but using them to collect the negative energy in the world to bring about the end of the world and there is a countdown to what they call the 'Tempest'. Aya, Yatsumura and a group of magical girls' rebel against the Administrators and to stop their 'Tempest'.


This series is full of dark tragedies and the complete opposite of what people believe of 'Magical Girls', that magical girls are born of misfortune and tragedy and by using more powers only creates more tragedy and negative emotions. It is a dark story on the dark side of human nature and there are no happy endings, only sacrifice. Extras include Magical Girl music video, clean opening and closing animations and trailers.


Episodes include:


Magical Girl Site - Aya is being abused at school and at home every day, until she discovers the Magical Girl Site and she meet Yatsumura who explains she is a magical girl now. The first time Aya uses her power she saves herself from being raped and kill and Yatsumura tells her the world is better off with those bullying her.


Tempest - Aya learns from Yatsumura the 'rules' of being a magical girl and there are other magical girls out there killing each other. But even worst there is some secret countdown to the end of the world and they are connected to it.


The Princess and the Poison Apple - Aya and Yatsumura reach out to a magical girl killer Rina to find out more information about the 'Tempest' and to gather more magical girls to their side. Aya's brother finds out about the magical girls begins planning to abuse the girls.


The Replacement and the Transfer Student - Aya's bully Sarina is turned into a Magical Girl. Aya learns of Yatsumura's tragedy. Sarina plans to use her new found powers to get her revenge on Aya.


Revenge and Resolve - Sarina attacks Aya and Yatsumura and the whole building collapses, Aya saves Sarina. Nijimi discovers Aya and Yatsumura has lied to her Rina.


Fake - Aya's brother manipulates Nijimi to find out more information about the magical girls. Aya and Yatsumura learns more about the Tempest is about collection more of humanity's negative emotions to start the Tempest and there is already a group of magical girls against the Administrators.


A United Strategy - The magical girls all call a truce to exchange information about the Tempest, but the site Administrators plan to kill all magical girls who know too much.


Last Summer - The girls spend a day at the beach to create some good memories. Aya's brother steal Nijimi's wand which is able to command anyone with their voice.


The Gods Won't Forsake Me - Aya's brother plans to turn all the magical girls into his personal slaves and nearly gets away with it until Nijimi finally realizes she has been used and seriously wounds him, but not without sacrificing her life.


Breaking - As the girls attend Nijimi's funeral, the Administrators attempt to kill all the Magical Girls, but Aya secretly saves them and reveals Sarina has come over to their side.


Girls of the Rebellion - The girls manage to capture and kill one of the Administrators, but Yatsumura sacrifices herself to protect the other girls when Nana attacks. Then Yatsumura is turned into the new 'Administrator'.


and We Are... - Aya is able to wake up Yatsumura from her trance by reminding them of their friendship and her promise to become stronger and together they defeat Nana. The Administrators learn that they are not immortal and they have to rethink their plans, they claim Aya and Yatsumura has not changed anything and good has not beaten evil, they plans to punish them for their rebellion and they did not really save the world ...yet.


As for playback, the 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on each release is different, with Panzer looking great and Magical softer and less defined than expected, more of a disappointment than expected. Panzer offers Japanese and lesser English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mixes that disappoint and are not very convincing, while Magical offers only a Japanese DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless mix, but it is on the weak side, so these are sonically far from the best Sentai releases we've covered over many, many years.



- Ricky Chiang


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