Something happens at episode seven of Sora no Woto: what seemed like a placid mongrel dog suddenly bared its teeth. Brief and unexpected, it gives the animal a presence it hid so well previously. Rarely does it show them again and in the series' brief run of twelve episodes the dog remains serene and predictable - the bite never comes despite ample opportunity. Contrary to earlier predictions based upon the first three episodes, the series meanders but never succumbs to the obvious and though it may leave more loose threads than is justifiable it most importantly has a heart, a feature lacking in so many other series.

In the distant past, a disaster befell the Earth and much of the knowledge of technology was lost along with much of population and fauna. After joining the Helvetian army as a bugler and assigned to the 1121st Platoon, Kanata must adjust to the slow paced lifestyle of the remote border town of Seize and her comrade's idiosyncrasies, all while improving her bugling skills. Her misadventures include the exploration of a haunted, ramshackle school, an impromptu training exercise as well as rescuing children from a vicious typhoon. Her squad mates include the precocious Kureha, the solemn technical genius Noel, the big sister Rio and their whimsical leader Filicia; over the course of the series they rebuild of the multipedal tank: Takemikazuchi while their pasts are revealed and motivations explored.

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Unimaginative. Tired. Bland. Tedious. Insipid. The list of derogatory descriptions for Kämpfer is lengthy but suffice to say the utter lack of inspiration the series demonstrates is quite staggering. Cherry picking the most aggravating elements from other shows and combining them into a thoroughly banal presentation of gender swapping and fighting females which, on the face of it, is a combination ripe for exuberance.

The opening scene is enough cause for one to turn off and continue no further: a luminous red-head shooting at a fluorescent blue-haired buxom female running and darting about conspicuous trees while her clothes are seductively shredded. Were it not for the next scene, a comparative master class in introductions, the series would be starting off at the very bottom of the entertainment hill. The inaugural episodes oscillate from apathetic combat to surprisingly gratifying school humour and only seems to hit its stride in the third which introduces a plethora of débutantes eager to ravish the goofy protagonist who woke up one morning a different sex than that which he went to bed.

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