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Translating a book into a movie or show is always a challenge for developers. Why? Because taking all the information contained in a book and trying to cram it into a 2 hour movie is near impossible. So why do developers constantly try and do what seems impossible? Well it is my opinion that books have an uncanny ability to truly capture a readers attention with the use of two things, characters and story. The attention to detail and the ability many authors have to flesh out a character or grab a readers attention with interesting plot twists is what has kept books from dying ... out for so long. And so we come back to the question, why do developers try and do seems impossible? Maybe it is to try and reach a new demographic in a day and age where reading just isnt "cool" or "in," or maybe developers would just like to create there own interpretation of the original work or maybe they just want to cash in on the success of the book. Whatever the case, developers have tried countless times to try and recreate the magic of a certain book in visual form, and the outcomes range the full spectrum of great and horrible. When it comes to anime, in my opinion, there is one thing that will truly define whether the developers rendition will succeed, time.

Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi is based off the light novel of the same name and follows the adventures of Ookami, Ryoushi and the group they work for, Otogi Ginko (Otogi Bank). This anime's story really had everything going for it right from the start. While the story's structure is by the books, little details kept things fresh and exciting. With a change up of action and romance things were fast paced and while this is not unusual for an anime story line and maybe not original, I couldnt help but smile at parts or notice myself getting drawn in. And yet, this anime's biggest downfall is its story. Why you ask, after all my praise do I say that the story is this anime's achilles heal? It comes back to what I said in my opening comments, time was what brought this anime to its knees.

What Ookami-san (abr. title) really needed was 24 episodes, maybe even 32. While the story and characters are all very enjoyable, because of this anime's short length, you only seem to graze the surface of everything. You never seem to get the chance to get deep into things, get under the character's skins and see what they see, essentially immerse yourself. Even the story, we only seem to be looking at the tip of the ice berg in the anime, and even the more interesting elements, such as the antagonist only seem to be an after thought, a "reason" given to the "good" guys to fight evil. I have not read the light novels, but I feel as though the story was not given enough thought. With what I saw at the start, there was more than enough material to really delve deep and grab the viewers attention, and yet instead we are side tracked with usual anime shit such as the usual "moe moe" we all seem to want. And while much of the story may seem cliche at times, there was a lot of squandered potential. By the end of the anime, most would have realized that there would be no "real" ending, and things would be left unattended. Which is unfortunate because like I said numerous times, Ookami-san had so much potential, so many more characters which could have been developed more, so much more story to be revealed, so much more plot. It all seemed so rushed. My feeling was the developers were trying to cram as much of the story in as possible, but by doing this they were unable to get to the essence of the plot, and unable to draw viewers in.

Ookami-san does have some solid strong points though. The animation was very well done, with fight scenes that were enjoyable and smooth. The art was also extremely pleasing, with very good character models and detailed backgrounds. The sound was done very well also, with great voice actors for the main characters, and sound quality that while not outstanding, surely stands above other series in the same genre. Really, by the end of this series, it was these qualities that kept me coming back and allowed me to finish the last few episodes. But anime is not all about the quality of its art or animation.

As I stated at the start of this review, Ookami-san's biggest weakness was its time management. This show desperately needed 24 episodes. What started out as a great show, by the end left a bad aftertaste, and not because the story or characters itself were bad, but because of squandered potential. It is not impossible to adapt a book into an anime, as there are many examples of great adaptations, but what needs to be addressed when attempting such a difficult task is time. What amount of time is needed to truly convey what the novels were trying to convey? How much time is needed to truly recreate the story? How much time is needed to delve into the necessary characters and develop them? And unfortunately with Ookami-san, the developers didnt seem to ask themselves these questions.

When it comes to watching anime, any anime series can keep someone entertained for the entirety of its length. But it takes a truly remarkable series to become memorable among the bottomless sea of anime. Kara no Kyoukai is that series.

Kara no Kyoukai 7: Satsujin Kousatsu Part 2 is the finale of a string of movies based of a series of light novels by Kinoko Nasu. In the final movie, the story revolves around the appearance of multiple murders as well as the disappearance of Ryougi Shiki, and Kokutou Mikiya's attempt to unravel the mysteries of the murders and Shiki's whereabouts.

Story: 10

I was ... really conflicted on whether or not the story for the finale deserved a 9 or a 10, but in the end i chose the give it a 10 against my better judgment. All of the Kara no Kyoukai movies have a very adult plot, focusing on murder and moral values within society, and the 7th movie also takes this stance while focusing on Shiki and Mikiya's relatioship, as well as tying up lose ends in the plot, and revealing things that the other movies left out. The use of suspense and mystery, as well as the constant flash backs that reveal more and more of Mikiya and Shiki's tale really helps to keep the story flowing as well as keeping the viewers interested. If I had to be really picky, the only problem with the story is the pacing at some points. The flow of the story does not have a constant pacing, where at some points it seems to move extremely slow while other times the story seems to progress and reveal information in a short amount of time.

Art: 10

Really, all the Kara no Kyoukai movies have amazing art and animation and the finale is no exception. The use of a dark color palet brings out the story's dark undertones of the story, as well as complementing the characters and scenery.

Sound: 10

Sound is also used very effectively as well to help create a mood to immerse the viewers in. It is up beat when it needs to be, and sad when it needs to be as well. The combination of the art and sound creates a mood that helps immerse viewers in Shiki and Mikiya's world and the situation they are in. It is the addition of these elements which truly brings out Kara no Kyoukai's brilliance. Keeping the viewers attention is only half the battle, for an anime to truly become remarkable in the eyes of the public it needs to draw in the viewers, immerse them in the characters world. Having the viewer feeling tense as a character rounds the corner, having them feel for the characters during emotional moments, this is all created through the use of art and sound, and Kara no Kyoukai nails it.

Character: 10

As stated in the story, we get to see more of the relationship between Shiki and Mikiya as well as their development as characters. Shiki is a very unusual character, one of the reasons that people are drawn to this anime, and although she is hard to identify with, seeing her struggle with her problems, struggle with understanding her emotions, as well as evolve as a person is what draws us to her. While other movies did not so much focus on Shiki and her emotions and how she is changing, this movie is solely dedicated to it, and that is one of its greatest draws.

Enjoyment: 10

What can I say, I have been praising this movie for the whole review. It is a masterpiece in my eyes, and while it may not have as much action as the others, it is still my personal favorite.

While writing this review, I was trying to find things wrong with this movie, but not matter how hard I thought, I was not able to. It may seem stupid that I gave this all 10's, but really, this movie deserved every one of them. It is outstanding, amazing and remarkable.

So let me ask you, what makes an anime memorable to you? Characters? Story? Art? There are only a select few animes that ever reach this level with people, an anime which you will remember while forgetting many others. It needs to stand out, it needs to grab your attention, and most importantly, it needs to affect YOU. For me, Kara no Kyoukai 7 is that kind of anime.

In all honesty, when i first started watching this, I didnt think it would be that great. Kampfer is based of the light novel series by Toshihiko Tsukiji and revolves around the protagonist Seno Natsuru. One night he is turned into a girl and told that he is forced to fight as a Kampfer.After reading the description myself, I was skeptical, but decided I would try it anyways. I knew I would be entertained by this anime for a while but besides that I wasnt expecting much. I was very much surprised when I found I had become hooked to the series. And its ... not because this series is extremely original or innovative. Instead, Kampfer keeps up a great sense of humour (although lewd at times I was always laughing) as well as a story which seems to get deeper and deeper the more you watch it. I wasnt convinced at the starting the story would be much but as we are getting into some of the later episodes it seems to be getting stronger. As for the characters, they really are by the books, the shy glasses, the strong willed student council and the eccentric childhood friend, but the characters themselves seem to be growing and evolving giving them another layer which is a nice addition.

The art and animation is well done for this anime and I particularly like the sound that they used, its up beat when it needs to be and soft when needed. I do recommend this to anyone who likes these types of animes, it is definitely a cut above the rest. I give this a solid 9.