Kampfer 02

Summary:

Natsuru throws Akane's gunshot off but just barely and Sakura faints from the shock. Saved by the bell, the chain sword user retreats and Natsuru piggybacks Sakura to the infirmary. Natsuru and Akane are summoned to the Student Council President's office and are interrogated inconclusively by Shizuku. At Sakura's insistence, Natsuru promises to arrange a meeting with her saviour-crush after school the next day. Natsuru invites Akane to his house and much innuendo ensues in his room as they, together with Black Seppuku Bunny and Harakiri Tiger discuss how to make Sakura lose interest in Natsuru's Kampfer form.

At the appointed time and place, Akane changes form to trigger her buddy's transformation. He duly reports his real name to Sakura as they did not dispense with the pleasantries. Sakura invites him up to the roof and asks him out. Natsuru uses the thirty sixth strategem but, in the face of Akane's threat, goes back out to carry out Plan A, i.e. the Stupid Dance. But standing there in Sakura's place is Red Team's Sangou Shizuku whose stuffed toy, Electrocuted Mountain Cat, is also a gift from Sakura. The fight goes badly for Team Blue, partly because Shizuku is three times faster and Natsuru hasn't learnt how to summon his Zauber attack at will. Even when he does, it's no big deal. Natsuru comes up with a saving move using the sprinkler system but stops Akane's coup de grace head shot in exchange for her promise to leave Sakura alone. Shizuku declares that they are still enemies and that she will keep fighting to know the reason why Kampfers are fighting. The next morning, Akane and Natsuru are summoned by Shizuku again who, in order to keep the Kampfer a secret, transfers Natsuru to the female side of the school.

Reaction:

Harakiri Tiger says that the Kampfers tend to be gathered around the same place but his assurance that all Kampfers are female and that Natsuru's transformation is proof of that didn't make sense. Yeah, I know, this is the kind of series it is and I'm still expecting stuff to make sense. But, seriously, this could mean that some beautiful girl out there is a trap. Imagine if you're at it halfway through and she turns back into a he. Blargh. Moving along, it was nice to see Natsuru showing some spine - telling Akane to STFU and getting the deal he wanted with Shizuku. Not that Sakura will really the protection methinks. With the hint about the dolls, she could turn out to be a Moderator or someone linked to them.

What Others Are Saying:

• Divine notes possible pacing issues with the anime racing through manga material but I didn't think it felt rushed so hopefully we'll be able to have good coverage and wrap-up within the next ten episodes.
• There's an interesting opinion about colour schemes in anime over at Ogiue Maniax - I do agree that at least the look and feel of the colours didn't repel me from this series but I don't think the eroge colours of Queen's Blade made me drop the series, after all, I did manage to enjoy the Nowa arc.
• Julius Firefocht enjoys the seiyuu in-jokes while Steve revels in Akane's dirty talk - Sleepy digs both. I propose a come-from-behind home-run idea: a THREESOME of stuffed toy mascot seiyuu in-jokes dirty talking.
• Netto declares Natsuru "the luckiest guy on the planet" - I hate to spoil the party but, as a guy, I'd say the lack of penis takes off some of the shine.
• Over at THAT Federation, Crusader remarks that "despite the inherent meekness of Akane’s megane form that she is still capable of thinking deviously in addition to having fantasies that might one day be as glorious as those of Kanako's and Hosaka's." - I think it's the meekness that drives her glorious fantasies; those fantasies are most likely Freudian slips of the tongue with all the more glory given how she must normally have to repress them. In contrast that sexuality is remarkably absent from the conversation of her badass foulmouthed and decidedly unrepressed Kampfer form. WRT Calawain's screencap of this scene, I couldn't help but remember how, during BMT, our OC shot a watermelon as a demonstration and made the whole company file pass it - the front had a tiny hole but the back was just a complete mess.

Very much looking forward to the MariMite parody next episode!

Related posts:

1. Kampfer 07
2. Kampfer 08
3. Kampfer 10