Genre: Harem, Action, Comedy
Story
Natsuru Senou is your typical high school student. One morning he suddenly wakes up realizing he has been turned into a girl. In the midst of confusion and shock, a stuffed tiger comes to life at his bedside and tells him he has been chosen as a Kämpfer, a female warrior. Chosen by the "moderators", Kämpfer are destined to fight against other Kämpfer. Problems arise for Natsuru as he tries to live his normal life pursuing a school crush when he is attacked by an unknown girl who is also a Kämpfer.
Gender confusion and potential angry feminists aside, the premise is promising. It's not the best plot line conceived ever, but it's fairly unique. Just like any usual harem anime, the series isn't too long. The story does move at a a somewhat brisk pace, but audiences won't feel too rushed in between the plethora of fan-servicey scenes as the girls intensely vie for Natsuru's affection. Don't expect too much out of Kämpfer; it'll surely leave you foaming at the mouth or furiously scratching your head towards the end why you watched it.Characters
Senou, Natsuru: When I talk about dull harem leads, Natsuru wins the award for being quite possibly the worst-conceived harem lead in anime history. Although he is around for parody and to essentially epitomize every harem lead ever, he's only a few brain waves ahead of being brain-dead. Dense as they come, if he weren't so hot as a girl, I probably would've dropped this series earlier. Let the sexuality confusion commence! 
Mishima, Akane: One of Natsuru's classmates, Akane can be summed up as the girl with bipolar disorder. Typically very shy and soft-spoken when in her Kämpfer form, she's a dirty-mouthed, headstrong, and bitter--a crazy bitch if you will. Of course, she develops feelings for Natsuru, but is usually too shy to make any constructive advances. 
Sangou, Shizuku: Surely one of the more inquisitive characters...scratch that. She's the ONLY character with a brain in the series. Naturally, she tries to uncover the mysteries and motives behind the moderators with Natsuru's help. Quite possibly the embodiment of perfection, her only flaw is her unwavering love for Natsuru. I just can't help but ask myself over and over again, "WHY?!" 
Sakura, Kaede: Natsuru's love interest. I'm fairly unsure what Natsuru sees in her aside from her nice rack; she has absolutely no personality. Keeping things a little interesting, she creates some conflict as she develops a crush for Kämpfer Natsuru, but absolutely detests regular Natsuru. Openly lesbian? You betcha! Comprising your usual bunch of shallow, archetypal characters, Kämpfer does allow for some brainless entertainment. Surely not a bad thing, but it does leave more to be desired from audiences expecting at least a hint of depth.
Voice Acting/Sound
Despite how not special Kämpfer is, it does have an impressive list of seiyu. Unfortunately the first time watching it through, I barely recognized any of them despite the cast poking fun at each other for sounding like insert said voice actor. Those who are able to recognize the respective VAs may find some charm with it, but unfortunately its appeal will fly over most people's heads. The soundtrack comprises some very average, nothing-out-of-the-ordinary sort of tracks. It was never meant to be a focus point, and it shows. Casual scenes of day-to-day activities are illustrated by tracks of the nonchalant/easy-listening variety while action scenes are depicted with a more uptempo track. One won't find any track too out of place...
Hated
For those wondering why there isn't a Loved section, it's quite obvious; there's not much positive I can draw from Kampfer. *compliment start* Sure, the animation is fluid and consistent; I'll add that the girls do look attractive. Admittedly, it was what drew me to the series in the first place.*compliment end*
Fan Service: Most of the time, I can appreciate a little bit of fan service here and there. Kampfer on the other hand, quite frankly is all fan service. Despite all the obligatory scenes, the artists made sure there were no nipple slips. Suggestive themes, racy angle shots, limited clothing if it all, I'm not exactly sure why they kept it 'clean' as they did. Kampfer's premise would have worked well as a short series hentai. 
Entrails Animals: Simply said, they're stuffed animals serving as messengers to their respective Kämpfer. I'm not too sure how these were conceived, but they're just weird how they have their intestines and entrails hanging out from their bodies. Potential slapstick comic relief? Suuuure...I'll take it as such. The End?!: Often times I gripe about how anime series end; it seems to be the achilles heel of most writers. Most writers will usually end the series on a haphazard note, leaving me completely underwhelmed and disappointed or some continue to keep the series ongoing until it fades into obscurity. Kampfer on the other hand, goes with neither, removing all traces of continuity and logic. The ending really hit the nail in the coffin in terms of letting me know that I've been trolled the entire time.
The Lowdown: I can say I gave Kämpfer multiple chances to wow me. I truly wanted to enjoy Kämpfer, but could never get beyond Natsuru's incessant blunders. Though a somewhat shallow and fan-service-based premise, it does have potential, and with a second season slotted in for release in the near future, I will most likely be duped into wasting time waiting for a more substantial advance in its shell of a plot. Its satirical direction will fly over most viewers heads (mine included), leaving audiences either confused, frustrated, or both. Please watch at your own risk.
Livin' the dream..
Notes: Watched series from beginning to end (gg fansub).
