Alice Shimada

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk2KLWgEcY4 (For the Win by Two Steps From Hell)

`*-¨We will take those odds pls go ahead and start the match.¨- Alice Shimada*`

## Other Information

### Relatives

* Chiyo
* Dr. Boko Shimada
* Wesley
* Mika

## Information:

Alice Shimada (島田 愛里寿 *Shimada Arisu*) is the commander of Red Blossom's Sensha-dō team, a young prodigy who skipped grades to reach university despite her young age. She is the daughter of Chiyo Shimada, and Equal to Phoenix Moscva.

## Profile

Alice is a member of the All-Stars University Team and its Overall Sensha-dō Commander. She skipped grades to reach university for this purpose, which has had the side effect of leaving her relatively lonely in the university environment.

She is the heir to the Shimada Style. Known as a "ninja" style due to its penchant for unanticipated moves and tactical unpredictability, the Shimada Style is the polar opposite of the Nishizumi Style. Like Miho Nishizumi, Alice feels pressure to uphold her family honor, part of which involves refusing to ally with Miho, despite her high admiration for Miho.

## Appearance

Alice is a pale-skinned girl with light brown eyes and blonde, shoulder-length twin ponytails tied with black ribbons. When competing in sensha-dō she wears her university's uniform. At the Boko Museum, she is seen wearing frilly, feminine attire and carrying a pink handbag.

## Personality

Alice is a *very* shy girl. When Miho encounters her at the Boko Museum and gives her the last rare Boko toy, she can't speak and runs away in shyness, unable even to thank Miho. She seems to be be quite intelligent, and to take her responsibilities extremely seriously for a child of her age. She is shown to have a keen tactical mind and is a very skilled fighter. Perhaps because she's so very shy, she appears to be quite cold at first but, as seen in the OVA, she warms up once she better knows the people around her.

In the Drama CD Alice feels that she does not know much about friendship. She herself does not appear to have many friends, even from her tank crew. She may also lack social skills, both as a result of her being held in high regard and set apart as a child prodigy, as well as from being ostracised by the rest of the university students due to her age. This awkwardness is evident when she attempts to congratulate Miho on her victory after the match but, being unsure how to speak directly, instead uses the giving of a Boko toy to get her message across. She is in many ways a parallel character to Miho, but in a societal position more equivalent to Maho Nishizumi. In the OVA she becomes friends with Miho, which makes her less lonely.

## Background

The first appearance of Alice is when the Anglerfish team crew visit the run-down Boko Museum, riding the rides and attending a theatrical performance where the Boko protagonist of the play is asking for 'cheer up power' from the audience. As a fan of Boko, it was when Miho was herself cheering that Alice's voice is heard as well: Alice is the only other visitor at the Boko Museum's theater.

When Anglerfish Team visit the gift shop afterwards, Alice is there. She and Miho happen to reach for the same rare Boko plushie at the same time. Awkward and uncertain, she stands for a moment in regret —but is then given the toy by Miho. This apparently increases her anxiety, and after a moment of confusion, she flees without a word.

Alice is next seen in uniform, looking out from her tank over the remains of a sensha-dō practice scrimmage. Her sub-commanders, Azumi, Megumi and Rumi, note the ease of their victory due to Alice's 'Ninja Tactics.' As Alice checks her pocket watch, relieved that her TV has been recording the Boko show, she receives word of a call from her mother. Afterwards, in her dormitory room, she converses with her mother, who sets her the task of destroying the name of Nishizumi Style in the upcoming match with Ooarai. Alice acknowledges the match's importance, and asks for the favor that if she wins, the Shimada family will sponsor the financially precarious Boko Museum.

Alice commands the All-Stars University Team throughout the match. She personally commands a Centurion Mk. I A41 Tank, although she abstains from participating directly for the majority of the battle, preferring to coordinate the university forces from a distance. However, in the final stages of battle, when the University Select Team numbers are dwindling, Alice personally joins the match and leads her tank into battle. She proves to be an incredibly skilled commander, overcoming a Chi-Ha-Tan ambush, defeating Turtle and Anteater Teams in a high speed chase, and taking out Rabbit Team, Mallard Team and the CV-33 before rendezvousing with the Bermuda Trio for the showdown against the Nishizumi sisters.

In the final confrontation, Alice ends up alone against both Miho and Maho. She proves herself to be a formidable opponent, even whilst outnumbered two to one. After an extended duel, Alice is defeated when Miho, her tank accelerated in its charge by a blank fired by Maho, uses a banzai charge to plant a shot into Alice's tank at point blank range.

After the match, Alice congratulates Miho on winning the match and gives her the Boko plushie from the museum as a memento. In the OVA, Alice is included in a group photo with the entire Oarai Team —and after meeting them, takes an interest in becoming involved in normal high school life.

In Der Film, Alice is last seen in the restored Boko museum with her sub-commanders, her mother evidently having humored her daughter's desire to support the museum despite the University Team's loss.

## Trivia

* Alice's surname **Shimada** means "island" (島) (**shima**) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (**da**).
	+ Alice's family name could be a reference to real life ace tanker **Major Toyosaku Shimada**, who distinguished himself during the Battle of Slim River in British Malaya.
		- Alice's family name could also be a reference to this series' official character designer, **Humikane Shimada**.
* Like Miho, Alice is a fan of Boko, and she accepts the challenge of fighting Oarai if Chiyo, in the case of a win, becomes the sponsor of the Boko Museum, which is about to close because of lack of funding.
* Alice uses a hand-held radio (as opposed to the in-built radio in her tank) when communicating exclusively with the members of the Bermuda Trio.
* Alice fights her battles "heads up": viewing the battle while standing in the hatch of the tank, rather than through the vision slits. She is the one of only eight tank commanders shown to adopt this posture.
* Through use of hand signals and, evidently, her feet, Alice commands her entire tank crew without speaking. She is only rarely seen to use her tank's radio handset during the heat of battle.
* Alice personally accounts for ten tanks incapacitated during the match against the Oarai Compound Team, the highest total in the match.
* During a practice match, Alice commanded a white M4 Sherman.
* Alice's university residence dorm is devoid of Boko paraphernalia save for a small set of pocket-sized bears.
	+ From the telephone set, her dorm room is number 204.
* While Alice is 13-years-old, she skipped grades and is in university instead of middle school.
* In the drama CD, it is revealed that Alice likes frilly clothes.
* Alice considers Boko to be her one true love.
* As shown in the "Alice War!" OVA , Alice suffers from motion sickness.
* Alice's birthday is October 24, the same date in 1944 as the sinking of the aircraft carrier *Zuikaku* and the battleship *Musashi* during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
	+ Coincidentally, a year later (1945) on this day, the United Nations was founded.
	+ Interestingly, Alice's birthday is the day after Miho's birthday, which is October 23.
* Alice's friendship with Miho Nishizumi shares some similarities with Lysithea and Edelgard from Fire Emblem: Three Houses' Crimson Flower route.
	+ Also Alice and Lysithea are both prodigies and teddy bear lovers as well.
* Alice shares some similarities with Alice Ip from *Dance Dance Revolution* series, both shares the same first name, loves to sing and appear to be very shy girls but the differences are, Alice Shimada is 13 years old, Japanese and a tank commander while Alice Ip is 15–17 years old, Chinese, dancer and a singer.