- "There is no running away in the Nishizumi-style."
- ―Maho Nishizumi
- "Our commander is Japan's best!"
- ―Panther Commander
Maho Nishizumi (西住 まほ, Nishizumi Maho) is a supporting character in Girls und Panzer, Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu! and is secondary protagonist in Girls und Panzer der Film.
Profile
Maho is a third year student at Kuromorimine Girls High School. Her birthday is on July 1. She's the overall commander of her school's Sensha-dō team. Maho is also the heiress to the Nishizumi Family. She is the commander of a German Tiger I. She is the older sister of Miho Nishizumi. Maho comes from Kumamoto City, Kumamoto.
Appearance
Maho is a tall girl with short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her hair resembles her sister Miho's a little, but is a darker color and two pieces hair stick out on each side of her head.
She has been seen wearing the Kuromorimine Girls High School uniform, and during battle wears the Sensha-dō jacket and hat. On two occasions she has worn the Ooarai Girls High School uniform. In more casual situations, she has been shown wearing a white button-up shirt with black stripes and a blue dress.
Wore a Christmas outfit for her Christmas party with several of Kuromorimine's tank commanders.
Personality
Maho is well known for her fervent passion of Sensha-dō, being a talented leader and well-respected by her mother, sister, and teammates. She seems cold and distant toward others at times, but this is actually a facade in order to fulfill her mother's strict expectations. In reality, she's a very kind person, even to her opponents, and loves Miho dearly. The reason she strives to be a good Nishizumi heiress is so that her younger sister Miho will be free to live her life as she wishes.
In the official spin-off manga Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu!, she's shown to be quite easy going and caring when she doesn't have any important mission to take care of, as she tried to hold a Christmas party for the Kuromorimine students who don't have their own celebrations, but her school's strictness and her tendency to post messages as short as possible always make the ones around her feel uneasy, and the fact that she herself doesn't know much about parties and celebrations doesn't help, too.
Background
Maho same as Miho, comes from a family that traditionally practices Sensha-Dō or tank martial arts. She was once on the same team as Miho until their defeat against Pravda Girls High School during last year's Sensha-Dō finals due to Miho decision. Had they not lost, Kuromorimine would have had ten consecutive tournament wins, a feat unheard of in the sport. Since then, Miho left Kuromorimine and transferred to Ooarai Girls High School to avoid Sensha-Dō.
Last Duel between Nishizumi Sister
Despite seeming aloof, she lends her team helicopter for Miho's teammate Mako Reizei with Saori Takebe a ride to visit Mako's sick grandmother. When their mother expresses an intention to tell Miho that she will be disowned, Maho becomes visibly displeased with this development. During the match against Pravda, Maho convinces her mother to stay when Shiho thought that the the match was a waste of time. Maho also argues that Miho's victory was not the result of luck, but her ability to adapt her tactics to the situation and inspire her teammates. Nevertheless, Maho obeys her mother's command to defeat Miho's team.
During the finals, Maho's tank faces Miho's in single combat, and is defeated, resulting in Miho winning the tournament. After the match ends, Maho congratulates Miho, admitting defeat and saying that Miho's style was completely unlike the Nishizumi style, pleased that Miho has found her own way of Sensha-Dō.
In the prequel manga, Little Army, Maho is first shown on the news, having won a tournament for her middle school, and returns home at the end of Chapter 3. However, Miho's friend, Emi Nakasuka, is angry with Maho, and Miho arranges for a Sensha-Dō match with Maho's team, which ends with Miho's team being defeated.
After the match, Emi becomes somewhat more receptive to Maho, but reveals that during the last tournament, she fired on the opposing team's flag tank while it was in the process of saving one of her own team's tanks. Before Maho can say anything about this, Shiho arrives, congratulating Maho on her victory, and Maho later confirms Emi's accusation before coldly walking off, upsetting Miho.
Miho, troubled by Maho's behavior, considers quitting Sensha-Dō altogether, but realizes with her friends' help that Maho is not acting like herself, and asks her mother whether Maho was expected to make that decision. Maho remains silent as Shiho chides Miho for even asking the question of whether Maho's decision was necessary, but Kikuyo defends Maho in front of Miho's friends, saying that she is burdened by being heiress.
Maho approaches Miho afterward to apologize, and says it is fine for her to quit Sensha-Dō if she comes to hate it, but she should find a way of Sensha-Dō she can call her own if she wishes to continue. Maho later returns to school, asking Kikuyo to look after Miho and saying that as long as she's the heiress, Miho will be free.
In Girls und Panzer der Film, Maho's tank is the only surviving tank in the entire 30 vs 30 battle.
Quotes
- (on loaning Mako her helicopter) "This is also part of Sensha-Dō."
- (Little Army) "As long as I'm the inheritor of the Nishizumi school, Miho will be free."
- (to Miho) "Congratulations on winning the championship, outstanding victory. You fought true to your nature... although it was entirely different to the Nishizumi style."
Trivia
- Her favorite flower is Sakura and her favorite tank is the German Panther Ausf.F.
- She has an Akita-ken breed dog, which is shown in Girls und Panzer der Film.
- Maho's birthday is the July 1st, the same date in 1942 as the start of the First Battle of El Alamein. Ironically Maho as the elder sister represents the First Battle of El-Alamein while Miho as the younger represent the Second Battle.
- The Tiger she uses has the turret number 212, which is the same as the Tiger tank commanded by German tank ace Michael Wittmann, with tank ace Balthasar “Bobby” Woll as the gunner during the Battle of Villers-Bocage. In history, Tiger 212 was immobilized and abandoned in battle, eventually burnt out.
Gallery
.jpg "Maho vs Erika (cropped).jpg (383 KB)")
