Suds, brooms, tanks, and dancing. What more could you want?

A new video starring girls in high school gym clothes dancing while cleaning a tank recently dropped on YouTube, and it’s bizarrely entertaining. Some might wonder if it’s some kind of marketing ploy for the Japan-Self Defense Force, or if it’s part of some kind of military convention, but it’s actually a promotional video for the upcoming movie sequel to the anime Girls und Panzer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AIE9MKwpgc

Girls und Panzer features high school girls who practice the ancient art of sensha-dou, or war-tank fighting. It sounds strange, but it was wildly popular, and has also been released as a manga series, novel, OVA, video game, and animated film. It was so beloved by fans that it inspired multiple gimmicks, like tank noodles, tank sushi, and even decorative items. It’s even caused a surge in popularity of the Japan Self Defense Force.

The latest addition to the Girl-Pan collection is this promotional “dance movie” entitled “SEN-SHA”, which, without a clarifying kanji, can be conveniently interpreted as either “car washing” or “tank”. Since this is the newest installation in about two years, the new movie has been highly anticipated, and this video does plenty to boost the hype, as the clip is carefully designed to be very loyal to the designs in the anime, from the costumes and hair to the sets and props.

▼ The five main dancers are made up to look like the main characters of the anime.

▼ The tank used in the video is a movie prop. It’s a Panzer IV, which plays a pivotal role in the anime.

▼ This storage yard is a replica of one that appears in the anime.

We also love the inexplicable and somewhat shady appearance of Japanese pro wrestler Masahiro Chono, who for some reason drives the girls and their tank to the storage yard. He’s known to be a big fan of the series, but why he is included in the video is a mystery that may never be solved.

Though it’s a quirky advertisement for the new movie, we can’t deny that it’s a pretty entertaining video. Dance scenes in water showers, tutting (a dance style using only hand movements) while riding in a tank, and large group choreography designed by the dance troop s**t kingz make for pretty neat viewing, regardless of whether you’re a fan of the anime or not.

The new movie, Girls und Panzer: The Final Chapter Part 1, is the first of a six-part movie series, and is set to be released in Japanese theaters on December 9. It takes place after the original series, so if this dance video has piqued your interest and you haven’t seen the anime yet, go check it out before you see The Final Chapter Part 1. 

And in other movie news, get hyped with us because the Fullmetal Alchemist live action film is also coming out soon!

Source: Net Lab
Images: YouTube/Bandai Vision