- "Hang in there Boko!"
- ―Alice Shimada
- "I'll fight, I'll fight, I'll fight for sure. Watch me beat up those jerks. I'll fight, it's the right thing to do, I'll do it with a high spirit, I'll do it resolutely."
- ―Boko's tag line
Boko is the name of a fictional teddy bear and franchise in Girls und Panzer.
Profile
Boko is a beaten up bear, it is characterized for being weak, but always having strength to never give up.
Appearance
Boko is a teddy bear. Boko's appearance, skin color, size and type changes between particular products, but he always has at least one of the following characteristics: tissues and bandages, broken limbs and visible injuries, like swollen eyes.
Personality
Boko has a strong personality and he is very optimistic: He doesn't fear his enemies and even though he always ends beaten up on the ground he never gives up. According to other characters from his franchise, like cats and mice, he is arrogant. According to the girls during their visit to the museum he's described as being weak.
Boko products
The most well known product from Boko is the stuffed animal, as it can be seen in the very first episode from the anime, other products include clocks, several types of boko toys, like him driving cars, a lucky stab pop-up boko, stuffed animals of all sizes, plushies, robotic bear, shows, theatrical show, wearables, like costumes and blankets, and movies. There are also museums and shops for these products, as mentioned by Miho.
Boko Museum
There are museums dedicated to Boko. One such museum is seen in the movie. It resembled a castle, but it was virtually abandoned and in a state of disrepair. As Alice said to her mother, it was on the verge of closing down. It had a robot Boko doing his introduction at the entrance. It also includes several Boko-themed rides such as the river cruise: "It's A Beat-up World", The ghost train: "Beated-up Mansion", and the outer space themed ride: "Space Beat-up-ssey". There is also an interactive show staging a typical Boko episode, where Boko is badly beaten up by his opponents and calls out the audience for strength, before nonetheless getting beaten up again. It is here that Alice Shimada is first seen. There is also a souvenir shop filled with Boko memorabilia.
In the OVA Alice War, according to Saori, Ooarai Girls High School has a Boko Museum that they could visit when they dock. Alice shows some surprise and happiness, it's either because it has diversified content from the museum seen in the movie or just because it's Boko.
Fans
Miho Nishizumi
- Main Article: Miho Nishizumi
Prior to the movie, Miho was the only known fan of Boko. Even her friends could not understand what she liked about him so much. She has a stand full of Boko on her bedroom and sleeps with one as well.
During a visit to her home, also known by others as the Nishizumi Style's House, she goes to her bedroom, she points out to her sister how everything is untouched, it's possible to see a few boko bears in the bedroom.
In Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu!, during Miho's birthday party, Shiho Nishizumi, Maho Nishizumi and Alice went to party dressed as Bokos to cheer her up, with Miho only realizing who the actors were after they'd left.
In the Drama CD, Miho manages to get the role of Boko in one of the shows, as the actor who was to play him had sprained an ankle. During the act she dodges some of the hits and tried to help the attackers get up when they'd fallen. Alice was in the audience, without knowing that it was Miho on stag:, she wonders if Boko was changing and becoming stronger, the girls convince her that it was nothing and Boko was still the same. Miho comments after Alice goes away, she would still rather watch Boko, as opposed to being Boko.
Miho usually holds onto a Boko during rough times, for example in Episode 7, while she was in her bedroom reflecting about how the Nishizumi Style is a truly emotionless way of fighting, or in the movie, when she is pondering about the future of Ooarai school.
Alice Shimada
- Main Article: Alice Shimada
Alice's first appearance in the movie is at the Boko museum that coincidentally Miho and her friends were also visiting. They both watched the Boko show at the same time. They later met eyes at the gift shop when she and Miho both tried to hit for a plushie at the same time. Miho gave away the toy to her and Alice left without saying a word.
In her university dormitory, Alice has a basket with some collectible plushies having a picnic in it.
During the annihilation match against Ooarai Compound Team, she carries the plushie with her in her pocket. She mentions that the never-give-up mentality of her opponents reminds of Boko.
In the OVA, she has a Boko styled blanket. While still in Ooarai, when Alice sleeps over with Miho, the bed is full of Boko bears. She also finds and wears a kid-sized Boko costume owned by Miho. Miho thought she hadn't brought the costume with her onto the school career, and whether or not Alice kept the costume after that is unknown. She is also seen with a Boko teddy bear in the end of OVA, it's possible that Miho gave it to her, as she doesn't make her cameo carrying it.
During the ending credits of the der Film she is with the Bermuda Trio members, Azumi, Megumi and Rumi, restoring the Boko museum, assuming that her mother is now a sponsor, which is odd as she would become a sponsor if All-star university won the annihilation match against the Ooarai. It is possible that the Bermuda Trio may also have a hand in the restoration after the events of Drama CD 5.
In Drama CD 5 Alice hangs out in a bar with the Bermuda Trio. They try to bond with her and create a friendship, and also take this opportunity to question her regarding anyone she may like: Alice's answer to this question is Boko, because he always get beaten up and yet regains strength. The Bermuda Trio comments between them that Boko is sort of a loser and might not be a good inspiration for their commander, however they take the conclusion they can't do anything regarding her hobby.
In the spin-off manga Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu! Alice brings Boko with her whilst sneaking onto the Ooarai carrier. The moment where she trips and drops Boko is whence she is brought face-to-face with Maho Nishizumi.
Trivia
- Boko's theme song is おいらボコだぜ. Alice sings this song during her Sensha-dō matches, which the Bermuda Trio take as a signal that she is joining the attack.
- Miho's stand of Boko bears eventually sees the exclusive addition of a photo of Anglerfish Team, symbolising how she values their friendship.
- Boko is usually seen fighting other animals, such as cats or penguins.
- Although the Shimada family only agreed to become a Boko Museum sponsor if Alice won the match against Ooarai, the museum is nonetheless seen in a restored state at the end of the movie. It is not mentioned who exactly is funding the restoration.
Gallery
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ooarai Girls High School | Anglerfish Team | Miho Nishizumi ♦ Saori Takebe ♦ Hana Isuzu ♦ Yukari Akiyama ♦ Mako Reizei |
| Duck Team | Noriko Isobe ♦ Taeko Kondou ♦ Shinobu Kawanishi ♦ Akebi Sasaki | |
| Hippo Team | Erwin ♦ Caesar ♦ Saemonza ♦ Oryou | |
| Rabbit Team | Azusa Sawa ♦ Aya Oono ♦ Ayumi Yamagou ♦ Yuuki Utsugi ♦ Karina Sakaguchi ♦ Saki Maruyama | |
| Turtle Team | Anzu Kadotani ♦ Momo Kawashima ♦ Yuzu Koyama | |
| Mallard Team | Midoriko Sono ♦ Moyoko Gotou ♦ Nozomi Konparu | |
| Leopon Team | Reira Nakajima ♦ Keiko Hoshino ♦ Maria Suzuki ♦ Tsuchiya | |
| Anteater Team | Nekota ♦ Momoga ♦ Piyotan | |
| Shark Team | Ogin ♦ Murakami ♦ Cutlass ♦ Flint ♦ Rum | |
| Miscellanous | Taiga Ou ♦ Sadoka ♦ Mazoe | |
| St. Gloriana Girls High School | Darjeeling ♦ Orange Pekoe ♦ Assam ♦ Rosehip ♦ Rukuriri ♦ Nilgiri ♦ Vanilla ♦ Cranberry ♦ Earl Grey | |
| Saunders Girls High School | Kay ♦ Alisa ♦ Naomi ♦ Helmet-Chan | |
| Anzio Girls High School | Anchovy ♦ Carpaccio ♦ Pepperoni ♦ Amaretto ♦ Gelato ♦ Panettone | |
| Pravda Girls High School | Katyusha ♦ Nonna ♦ Klara ♦ Nina ♦ Alina ♦ Ekaterina ♦ Olga ♦ Polina ♦ Natalia ♦ Lisa ♦ Mo ♦ Zemlya ♦ Neba | |
| Kuromorimine Girls High School | Maho Nishizumi ♦ Erika Itsumi ♦ Koume Akaboshi ♦ Leila Rou ♦ Emi Kojima ♦ Geshiko ♦ Sangou ♦ Mauko ♦ Sheska ♦ Manami Himuro ♦ Runa Onizuka ♦ Kirishima | |
| Chi-Ha-Tan Academy | Kinuyo Nishi ♦ Haru Fukuda ♦ Tamaki Tamada ♦ Shizuko Hosomi ♦ Setsuko Nagura ♦ Noriyo Hamada ♦ Tomiko Teramoto ♦ Emi Ikeda ♦ Rin Kubota ♦ Yasuko Nishihara ♦ Chiyoko Uenishi ♦ Tatsu Hasegawa ♦ Hanako Hirai | |
| Jatkosota High School | Mika ♦ Aki ♦ Mikko ♦ Touko ♦ Lili | |
| BC Freedom High School | Ribbon Warrior | Asparagus ♦ Moule ♦ Bordeaux |
| Das Finale | Marie ♦ Andou ♦ Oshida ♦ Sofue ♦ Isabe | |
| Blue Division High School | El ♦ Tristana ♦ Viridiana ♦ Andalusia | |
| Koala Forest High School | Wallaby ♦ Platypus | |
| Bonple High School | Ribbon Warrior | Jajka ♦ Uszka ♦ Pierogi |
| Das Finale | Maiko | |
| Maginot Girls College | Éclair ♦ Fondue ♦ Galette ♦ Madeleine ♦ Colombier | |
| Count High School | Noemi Kohiyama ♦ Anna Masukura ♦ Nachigami Sisters ♦ Marina Constantinescu ♦ Mizuki Ikarashi | |
| Tatenashi Girls High School | Shizuka Tsuruki ♦ Rin Matsukaze ♦ Haruka Endou | |
| Tategoto High School | Aung | |
| Maple High School | Trout ♦ Amber ♦ Oleo | |
| Kebab High School | Bosphorus | |
| Bellwall Academy | Tiger I Crew | Emi Nakasuga ♦ Hitomi Yuzumoto ♦ Kita ♦ Takami ♦ Nagisa Shiratori |
| Jagdpanther Crew | Neko Yamamori ♦ Yano ♦ Koharu Sakai ♦ Kanbara ♦ Hirono | |
| Elefant Crew | Chifuyu Doi ♦ Terauchi ♦ Wakasugi ♦ Kunihiro ♦ Nogata ♦ Enami | |
| T-44 Crew | Youko Minami ♦ Saionji ♦ Azuma ♦ Hokuto | |
| Panzer II Crew | Kashiwaba Sisters | |
| West Kureouji Grona Academy | Kiri Shiratori | |
| All-Stars University Team | Alice Shimada ♦ Azumi ♦ Megumi ♦ Rumi | |
| Japan Sensha-dō Federation | Ami Chōno ♦ Shiho Nishizumi ♦ Renta Tsuji ♦ Chiyo Shimada ♦ Shichiro Kodama ♦ Kikuyo Idegami ♦ Kanon Sasagawa ♦ Hibiki Inatomi ♦ Remi Takashima | |
| Non-Affiliated | Yoshiko Akiyama ♦ Jungorou Akiyama ♦ Hisako Reizei ♦ Shinzaburo ♦ Yuri Isuzu ♦ Chihiro Yusa ♦ Boko | |