| 1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/senran_kagura_shinovi_versus.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[UnusualEuphemism The battle]] of [[WorldOfBuxom Life]] and [[AssKicksYou Hometown]]. [[labelnote:From left to right]] '''Top Row:''' [[ShrinkingViolet Murakumo]], [[SweetTooth Minori]], [[TooKinkyToTorture Ryona]], [[{{Troll}} Ryobi]], [[ReiAyanamiExpy Yagyu]], [[CuteClumsyGirl Hibari]], [[MadScientist Haruka]]. '''Middle Row:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Imu]], [[TheComicallySerious Yozakura]], [[ValleyGirl Shiki]], [[LovableSexManiac Katsuragi]], [[TeamMom Ikaruga]], [[BrilliantButLazy Hikage]], [[CuteAndPsycho Yomi]]. '''Bottom Row:''' [[{{Hikikomori}} Murasaki]], [[{{Bifauxnen}} Miyabi]], [[DefrostingIceQueen Yumi]], [[TheHeroine Asuka]], [[TheRival Homura]], [[TokenMiniMoe Mirai]].[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ->''Being born into this world, living to protect it to the end, so is the way of the ninja''\ |
| 5 | ''Beautiful and brave, pushing our bodies to their limits, confusion blooms''\ |
| 6 | ''Our days are nonchalant and full of laughter''\ |
| 7 | ''Our nights filled with fear and uneasiness''\ |
| 8 | ''Hidden from sight in the shadows, to prove that we are alive we rise, toward a vivid light.''\ |
| 9 | -- '''''Shoujô-tachi no shinei''''' (''Portrait of Girls'') [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ6utpqTs44 Opening]]. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | ''Senran Kagura''[[note]]"Senran" is a [[PerfectlyCromulentWord made-up word]] using the kanji for flash/brandish and war. "Kagura" comes from a theatrical Japanese dancing by the same name[[/note]] is a series of {{fanservice}}-filled BeatEmUp [[PantyFighter games]], produced by Marvelous Entertainment and developed by Tamsoft. The premise involves different schools of {{ninja}} (commonly referred to as "shinobi" in this series), generally split into two factions[[note]]Depending on the translation, light/good ninja and dark/evil ninja, who primarily differ in their methods of teaching and executing their employers' orders.[[/note]], facing off against each other, as well as against entities called "[[TheHeartless Yoma]]", as they deal with the rigors of ninja training and [[SliceOfLife their daily lives as a shinobi]]. The ultimate goal of most of these schools is to produce the best shinobi they can, as well as to eventually raise the ninja who will become a "[[TitleDrop kagura]]", a high-ranking shinobi who specializes in DemonSlaying. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | The ''focus'', however, [[WorldOfBuxom is on the large amounts of equally large breasts on the majority of the gals]], so much so that the series [[BigBreastPride prides itself on this facet]], calling its genre "''the'' Hyper-Battle of Bursting Breasts" (emphasis [[WordOfGod theirs]]). The games, of course, include copious amounts of JigglePhysics bounciness, ClothingDamage, and MaleGaze, among other relevant {{fanservice}} tropes. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Yet, despite of all the attention the series garners for its [[{{Pun}} well-rounded, bouncy aspects]], ''Senran Kagura'' also blends the elements of school life comedy, cute girls doing cute things, the drama of the harsh world of shinobi, and a lot of shōnen elements, sometimes to great effect. Of course, this leads to the series having somewhat of a [[MoodWhiplash schizophrenic presentation]], as the director likes to flaunt the fanservice, while the writer is known for writing material {{darker|AndEdgier}} than what one would expect from a series like this (see the Trivia tab for more information).[[note]]Eventually, the director's stance on which aspect of the series to focus on changed. He stated that the series has branched out since the first game's debut, and has been attempting to strike a balance with the fanservice and the more serious story elements. He also specifically mentioned that the 3DS titles [[DarkerAndEdgier will be more story-driven]], with the fanservice elements taking a back seat, while the Vita games and other spin-offs will focus on being LighterAndSofter affairs with [[HotterAndSexier more of a focus on the fanservice]].[[/note]] |
| 16 | |
| 17 | As for the gameplay, most games in the series have a focus on attaining high combos while mowing down groups of foes. Missions set up the stages, while the action is broken up by the occasional VisualNovel-styled cutscenes and narration, which provide more details on certain parts of the storyline. During battle, characters are able to perform a "[[TransformationSequence shinobi transformation]]", changing them from their regular attire to their shinobi form, which gives them more varied combos and the ability to perform devastating special moves called "Secret Ninja Arts". Taking too many hits, however, induces ClothingDamage, causing costumes to lose their HP and defensive bonuses. Costumes can eventually be completely removed by taking too much damage, leaving a character in her swimsuit and ''[[FragileSpeedster with no defenses]]''. However, players can choose to activate "[[BattleStrip Frantic]]" mode, which discards all clothing (except the swimsuit) and defenses in order to boost offense significantly. Be warned though, [[GlassCannon it's much easier to die while in Frantic mode]]. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | The early 3DS titles were side-scrollers, but the Vita game ''Shinovi Versus'' branched the gameplay out into a fully 3D battlefield, akin to games like ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors''. The sequel to the 3DS games carries over some of this aspect from ''Shinovi Versus'', while introducing new concepts such as tag teams. The sequel is also the first in the series to have playable male characters (earlier games had male characters as [=NPCs=]). |
| 20 | |
| 21 | When Marvelous later desired for the series to be brought to international markets, Creator/XSEEDGames took up the call. ''Senran Kagura Burst'' was localized and sold in North America as an eShop download title in 2013. ''Burst'' had sold well enough that XSEED decided to continue localizing the series, with ''Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus'' for the Platform/PlaystationVita being their next title to work on, along with, [[http://www.siliconera.com/2014/06/27/senran-kagura-producer-fan-service-male-character-senran-kagura-2/ interestingly]], the RhythmGame of the series, ''Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit''. Thanks to XSEED, every game in the series was brought over internationally, except for the mobile game, ''Senran Kagura: New Wave''. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | The official Japanese site can be visited [[http://senrankagura.marv.jp/ here]], but be wary of NSFW content, given the premise. The official site for the localized ''Senran Kagura Burst'' is [[http://www.hanzonationalacademy.com/ here]], while the site for ''Deep Crimson'' is [[http://www.hanzonationalacademy.com/sk2/ here]]. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Aside from the video games, the series had a few manga adaptations, as well as [[TheAnimeOfTheGame an anime]] that started in January 2013. The second season, based on ''New Link'', titled ''Senran Kagura: Shinovi Master'' started in October 2018. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Homura would later appear as a GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/NitroplusBlasterzHeroinesInfiniteDuel''. Likewise, Yumi appears as a GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle''. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | The director of the series, Takaki, later produced a sort of SpiritualSuccessor to ''Senran Kagura'', going by the name of ''Valkyrie Drive'', which is essentially a sci-fi/fantasy ''[[WorldOfBuxom Senran Kagura]]'' with even more explicit fanservice and [[YuriGenre yuri elements]]. ''Valkyrie Drive'' was conceptualized as a multimedia project, and includes [[Anime/ValkyrieDriveMermaid an anime]] (which is primarily focused on), and [[VideoGame/ValkyrieDriveBhikkhuni two]] games, each taking place in the same world but [[CultureClash within different settings]] to keep things fresh between them. See those pages for more information. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Compare to ''Anime/ReleaseTheSpyce'', another series about ninja girls going on secret operations, though with less focus on fanservice. Also compare to similar ecchi series like ''Manga/IkkiTousen'' and ''Anime/QueensBlade''. Compare to ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'' for the MagicalGirlWarrior equivalent. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | ---- |
| 34 | |
| 35 | !!Games in the ''Senran Kagura'' series: |
| 36 | |
| 37 | * ''Senran Kagura: Portrait of Girls'' (2011; 3DS; Japan-only)[[note]]A 3D side-scrolling BeatEmUp game.[[/note]] |
| 38 | * ''Senran Kagura Burst: Crimson Girls'' (2012 in Japan, 2013 in North America, 2014 in Europe; 3DS)[[note]]An UpdatedRerelease of ''Portrait of Girls'', featuring another storyline that follows the Hebijo School girls.[[/note]] |
| 39 | * ''Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus'' (2013 in Japan, 2014 in North America; Playstation Vita; 2016 for PC Worldwide)[[note]]A 3D brawler, similar to games like ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors''.[[/note]] |
| 40 | * ''Senran Kagura: New Wave'' (2012; MobilePhoneGame; playable through GREE and Mobage on iOS, Android and PC.)[[note]] A mobile card game featuring many new characters, a new story, and occasional events. Has since been rereleased as ''New Wave G Burst''.[[/note]] |
| 41 | * ''Senran Kagura: New Wave G Burst'' (2013; MobilePhoneGame; playable through GREE, Mobage, Mobcast and D Game on iOS, Android, PC, 3DS and Wii U.)[[note]] The UpdatedRerelease of New Wave that introduced several changes to certain game mechanics, as well as 22 new characters. PC and Wii U version can only be played via mobile user-agent. The game was discontinued in October 2020.[[/note]] |
| 42 | * ''Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit'' (2014; Playstation Vita; 2016 for PC)[[note]]A RhythmGame involving cooking.[[/note]] |
| 43 | * ''Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson'' (2014 in Japan, 2015 in North America and Europe; 3DS)[[note]]Meant to be the first "true" sequel to ''Portrait of Girls'', combining elements from the first game and ''Shinovi Versus''. Introduces tag-teams and playable male characters.[[/note]] |
| 44 | * ''Senran Kagura: Estival Versus'' (2015 in Japan, 2016 in North America and Europe; Playstation Vita and Playstation 4; 2017 for PC)[[note]]Sequel to Shinovi Versus.[[/note]] |
| 45 | * ''Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash'' (March 2017 in Japan; September 2017 in North America/Europe/Australia for Playstation 4; 2018 for PC)[[note]]A third-person shooter featuring the characters using water guns. The game also supports Playstation VR.[[/note]] |
| 46 | * ''Senran Kagura Reflexions'' (2017 in Japan, 2018 Worldwide; Nintendo Switch; 2019 for PC)[[note]]A Senran Kagura dating-sim that takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch's HD rumble feature.[[/note]] |
| 47 | * ''Senran Kagura: Peach Ball'' (2019; Nintendo Switch and PC)[[note]]A Senran Kagura pinball game that also makes use of the Switch's HD rumble.[[/note]] |
| 48 | * ''Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link'' (2018; iOS and Android)[[note]]The second mobile game of the series. Players assume the role of the girls’ master, who alongside them will aim for the “Shinobi Master” at the height of the shinobi martial arts tournament known as the “Shinobi Masters.” Features returning characters from ''New Wave'' alongside brand new characters.[[/note]] |
| 49 | * ''Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal'' (2018; Playstation 4 and PC)[[note]]A remake of ''Senran Kagura Burst'' with elements from the Versus games, as well as all new animations.[[/note]] |
| 50 | * ''Senran Kagura 7EVEN'' (TBA; Playstation 4)[[note]]The seventh installment of the series that was teased at the end of Peach Beach Splash. Stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.[[/note]] |
| 51 | * ''Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars'' (''Senran [=NinNinNinja=] Taisen Neptune: Shojo-Tachi no Kyoen'') (2021/2022; Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch)[[note]]A {{Crossover}} with ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}''[[/note]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | ---- |
| 54 | |
| 55 | !!{{Trope}}s presented by ''Senran Kagura'': |
| 56 | |
| 57 | * ActionBomb: Rat Shinobi in SV are the this on hard difficulty. |
| 58 | ** ''Estival Versus'' introduces the new [[MechaMooks Puppet Walker]] enemies that will enter a self-destruct sequence once they take enough damage. The resulting blast wave can take away a large chunk of your health if you don't vacate their vicinity in time so once you see them go up in flames, run! |
| 59 | * ActressAllusion: While originally glossed over, Ryouki's ''Peach Beach Splash'' bio points out that [[Creator/KikukoInoue she is eternally 17 years old]] due to her being dead. |
| 60 | * AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: The Lingerie Lottery in Shinovi Versus has a system where the player's luck decreases the more lingerie the player purchases, forcing him/her to pay more for a better chance. It doesn't help that there are 98 pairs though. |
| 61 | * AdultsAreUseless: ZigZagged. While Kiriya tends to remain by the sidelines of the games' events due his fear of causing the same mistake that almost got Rin killed, he plays a significant role in ''Deep Crimson'' by convincing the Shinobi Council to let the girls take care of Dougen. We also have Hanzo and his wife, who are the reason ''Versus'' and ''Estival Versus'' events happen in the first place. |
| 62 | ** And last but not least, there are Rin and Daidouji who are major players in the stories of ''Burst'', ''Versus'' and ''Deep Crimson''. Played straight with them in ''Estival Versus' and ''Peach Beach Splash'' where their plot relevance is minimal. |
| 63 | * AffectionateParody: You have some of the most serious tropes generally associated with a ninja work of fiction... in an high-school setting and with a lot of humor, cute and sexy girls, hot-bloodness and the power of friendship. See also {{Pastiche}} below. |
| 64 | * AllThereInTheManual: Takaki has a tendency of elaborating about the setting and the characters' background on random tweets, interviews or in the Artbooks (known as ''Perfect Bibles'') released for each game. [[NoExportForYou Unfortunately only the compilation book for the first three games (Portrait, Crimson Girls and Versus) has been published in english.]] |
| 65 | * AmusementPark: The Candy Theme Park stage, Minori Land, in ''Estival Versus''. Overlaps with LevelAte. |
| 66 | ** Also valid for the CD drama from the first anime series, where the girls visit a shinobi-themed amusement park. It's cute as well as hilarious. |
| 67 | * AndYourRewardIsClothes: The player can unlock different types of clothing and accessories as they progress through the game. |
| 68 | ** Training Events in ''New Wave G Burst'' will give out additional costumes for Ultra Rare+ cards if player manages to fill each costume's corresponding meter. |
| 69 | * AnimalJingoism: The emblem of Hanzō Academy is a frog. Hebijo Clandestine Girls' Academy uses a [[MeaningfulName snake]]. It serves to highlight the rivalry between schools on a level aside from their moral alignments. |
| 70 | * AnimationBump: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkUgG4nLPUo The opening]], Headed by Creator/A1Pictures but outsourced to Creator/ToonCity (better known for its work for Creator/{{Disney}}). |
| 71 | * TheAnimeOfTheGame: Airing in January 2013. It was simulcasted by Creator/{{Funimation}}. |
| 72 | * AntiFrustrationFeatures: |
| 73 | ** In ''Estival Versus'', there are these special finishers called Purupuru Finishes which are triggered if you defeat your opponent or vice versa near one of the "'''!'''" signs on the map, and they're critical to getting one of the trophies. However, this includes the destructible festival platforms as well, which are needed to be destroyed to unlock the Shinobi Girl's Heart stories. Luckily, if you happen to destroy all of the platforms, this specific Purupuru Finish will be unlocked in the shop anyway, saving the players a lot of trouble of having to worry about them being [[PermanentlyMissableContent lost]]. |
| 74 | ** Raid Boss Events in ''New Wave G Burst'' have a feature where the player can send out a cooperation request to their team, or other players to help defeat a boss that's too powerful to beat alone. |
| 75 | * ArcWords: A couple pop up across entries in this series: |
| 76 | ** Shinobi, written with the kanjis meaning "The Beauty in Death". Mainly used by Daidouji-sempai. Has since become a term for describing the girls' unyielding fighting spirit. |
| 77 | ** The word "dance" is used quite a bit in the series, most notably to refer to battles. Heck, "kagura" itself is a name for a type of Shinto theatrical dancing. |
| 78 | * ArtificialBrilliance: In ''EstivalVersus'', potentially crossing over into SpitefulAI. If you use a transformation Ultimate Ninja Art, bosses will spam their own Secret Ninja Arts, or failing that any moves with guard frames, running down the clock and giving you as little opportunity to hurt them as they can. |
| 79 | * AssKicksYou: Hibari has a prominent hip throw as the finisher to her aerial combo, and uses her butt with her aerial smash. Her aerial special even involves her using ninja magic to grow giant, then drop butt-first onto her opponents. The Crimson Girls opening even shows Hibari and Haruka trading butt blows so powerful it literally shreds their clothing. |
| 80 | * AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Hibari sometimes plays into this. |
| 81 | ** Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson's Hipster DLC, [[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas not]] that kind of {{Hipster}}, is a ShootEmUp non-canon story where Hanzo city is being attacked by the Hebijo girls using the “bursting boob power”. The problem? The power makes them ''gigantic''. It's up to the Hanzo girls to defeat the Hebijo girls and save Hanzo city. |
| 82 | ** This happens to Ryōna in the OVA of ''Estival Versus''. She drinks some sort of poison and turns into a giant. The other girls get her back to normal by beating the poison out of her. |
| 83 | ** Happens in the final mission of the Hebijo story arc in ''Peach Beach Splash''. [[spoiler:Once again, Ryōna turns gigantic by getting into contact with poison. This promptly turns her into the FinalBoss of the arc. The four other Hebijo girls have to turn her back into normal by spraying the poison (in the form of foam) of her body with their water pistols.]] |
| 84 | * BackToBackBadasses: Rin and Daidouji in Rin's ending CG in ''Shinovi Versus''. |
| 85 | * BadassAdorable: Most of the series' main characters are young schoolgirls. That doesn't stop them from turning into deadly shinobi when they engage in combat, though. |
| 86 | * BathtubBonding: Katsuragi is very big on it. Same goes for Haruka. |
| 87 | * TheBattleDidntCount: In the Hanzo storyline of the first game (and ''Burst''), Hebijo Academy spends the first few chapters pulling this out of their asses. After Homura's first fight, it's implied she's lying, and Haruka at least has the excuse that [[spoiler: she's body surfing into a lifelike doll of herself]], but the rest of the girls will just infuriatingly run off, claiming that you didn't deal any damage, neverminding that ClothingDamage in this series is practically evidence in a court of law that you took substantial damage. ''Shinovi Versus'' does this ''again'' in the Hanzo story, this time courtesy of the Gessen girls. |
| 88 | ** Katsuragi even lampshades this after her battle with Imu. |
| 89 | -->'''Katsuragi:''' Let me guess. You "weren't really trying, and it didn't count?" |
| 90 | * BattleStrip: What Frantic mode is. A shinobi will discard her clothes to greatly boost her offense and movement speed, at the cost of defense and being forced into her underwear. |
| 91 | * BeachEpisode: |
| 92 | ** Episode 4 of the anime. |
| 93 | ** Estival Versus has this as it's whole premise, new custom bikinis and all. |
| 94 | * {{BFS}}: Ikaruga's nodachi (a two-handed katana whose blade is between 1m and 1.50m long); Yomi (her opposite number) has a claymore as large or larger than she is. |
| 95 | * BigBad: |
| 96 | ** ''Burst'' and ''Ninja Flash!'' anime: |
| 97 | *** ''Burst'': In ''Skirting Shadows'', the Hanzo storyline, Homura is the leader of the [[ThugDojo Hebijo]] squad sent to steal the Super Secret Ninja Scroll from Hanzo Academy in preparation for an all-out war against them. In ''Crimson Girls'', the Hebijo storyline of ''Burst'', [[spoiler:Headmaster Dōgen and Orochi are revealed as the [[BigBadDuumvirate true villains]], the former being the man who runs Hebijo [[TheManBehindTheWoman and orders Homura around]], and the latter being the powerful [[EldritchAbomination yoma]] whom Dōgen wants to use to TakeOverTheWorld]]. |
| 98 | *** ''Ninja Flash!'' and manga adaptations: As in the game, Homura[[spoiler:'s boss, Headmaster Dōgen,]] is the leader of [[ThugDojo Hebijo]] who aims to steal both Super Secret Ninja Scrolls and use their power to destroy Hanzo Academy [[spoiler:and TakeOverTheWorld]]. |
| 99 | ** In ''Shinobi Versus'', Yumi is the villain of the Hanzo and Gessen storylines as the leader of Gessen Girls School who wants to destroy Hanzo for befriending the Crimson Squad, while Miyabi is the villain of the Hebijo and Crimson storylines as the new squad leader of Hebijo who wants to destroy the Crimson Squad for betraying the school. [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss Until]] both of them are revealed to be pawns of [[HijackedByGanon Dōgen]], who manipulated them into fighting as part of his revenge plot.]] |
| 100 | ** In ''Deep Crimson'', [[spoiler:Dōgen and Orochi are once again the villains as they]] are the leaders of the [[EldritchAbomination yoma]] invasion of Japan. |
| 101 | ** In ''Estival Versus'', [[spoiler:Sayuri/Jasmine]], while by no means evil or villainous is revealed to have masterminded the events of the story in an attempt to [[spoiler:force the girls to accept and adopt her beliefs that a Shinobi must cast off her bonds with others and her emotions in order to become a "true" Kagura]]. |
| 102 | * BigBoosHaunt: The Halloween stage in ''Estival Versus''. |
| 103 | * BigFancyCastle: Hebijo and Gessen Academy sure count as this. The former is a traditional Japanese castle with pagoda-style structures, while the latter is a cross between a western-style manor (exterior) and a Japanese shrine/garden (interior), complete with a coliseum on the roof. |
| 104 | * {{Bit Part Bad Guy}}s: The delinquents from early in the original game and the Hanzo story of ''Burst''. Not remotely dangerous, and more or less disappear entirely once Hebijo becomes an issue in the plot -- they're there both to ease you into the game with enemies less threatening than even the {{Mook}} Hebijo students, and plot-wise as an example of what the Hanzo students had actually been facing prior to their clash with Hebijo. |
| 105 | * BlackAndWhiteMorality: Good Shinobi vs. Evil Shinobi, though it's averted as ninjas on both sides are sympathetic. [[spoiler: Invoked by the higher ups, as the intentional separation is there to draw out Shin.]] |
| 106 | * BloodlessCarnage: Despite the majority of the cast fighting with blades, hammers, kunai, etc, the main tell that they're doing any damage comes in the form of ClothingDamage. Outside of [[DarkerAndEdgier the third manga]], blood is rarely shown. |
| 107 | ** Subverted, however, in that the in-game "novels" frequently describe characters bleeding (most notably when Yagyu attempts to find the Hebijo school), and [[spoiler: the insides of Orochi]] heavily showcase blood dripping everywhere. |
| 108 | * BodyguardLegacy: The Goshin Clan mainly exists to look over the Reincarnation Orb, which is [[spoiler:the "sealed" form of Kagura]]. "Naraku" is the name given to the person who is tasked to look over the Reincarnation Orb [[spoiler:once Kagura reawakens and recovers the Orb once Kagura inevitably exhausts her body to the point of self-destruction.]] |
| 109 | * BolivianArmyEnding: The Crimson Squad and Rin's Story endings in ''Shinovi Versus'', though with the pretty implication that they'll live to fight another day. |
| 110 | * BossGame: Most missions throughout the franchise are finished by defeating a boss, which is usually one of your current character's rivals. |
| 111 | * BoundAndGagged: Hibari when she's kidnapped in episode 9 of the anime. |
| 112 | * BreastExpansion: The third ''Deep Crimson'' DLC allows players to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this to [[http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201410010017/image/7/ jarring proportions]]. It can also be inverted and give the girls flat chests instead. |
| 113 | * BustContrastDuo: The twins Ryoubi and Ryouna have this dynamic. The former is one of the few small-chested girls in the cast (who can nonetheless [[BreastExpansion expand its size]] for her ninja transformation) and has a complex regarding her figure, as well as being a {{Sadist}}. The latter is one of the contenders of the girl with the largest bust among the cast, and is flightier and more cheerful, as well as being TooKinkyToTorture. |
| 114 | * CastFromHitPoints: The Limit Break, which creates an explosion around the character to knockback surrounding enemies, a la the Mega Crash from ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom''. It costs 10% of the character's health to use. |
| 115 | * CatchPhrase: |
| 116 | -->'''Hanzō students before battle:''' ''Let's dance!'' and ''I'll show you a dance cloaked in shadows!'' |
| 117 | -->'''Hebijo students before battle:''' ''I dance for the honor of evil!'' |
| 118 | -->'''Gessen students before battle:''' ''Sink into the dreams of sleeping souls!'' |
| 119 | -->'''Crimson members before battle:''' ''I sacrifice myself to the will of evil/our dance!'' |
| 120 | -->'''Mikaruga Sisters:''' ''Dance in the Festival of Midsummer!'' |
| 121 | -->'''Zodiac members before battle:''' ''Follow in the guidance of the stars!'' |
| 122 | -->'''[[JokeCharacter Murasame]]:''' ''I'm gonna do my shadow dance!'' |
| 123 | * ChargedAttack: Breach Arts |
| 124 | * ChildSoldiers: Students are asked to throw off their student mentality when entering a ninja school; from now on, they are expected to conduct themselves as shinobi. |
| 125 | ** JustifiedTrope: The harsh rules of the world of shinobi exists for a reason: to prepare shinobi students for their principal duty, fighting against youmas. [[spoiler:During Rin's first mission, her group of 50 (including a kagura) were slaughtered by 10 youmas in a few minutes.]] |
| 126 | * CityOfAdventure: Asakusa in ''Burst''/''Versus'' and Kyoto in ''Deep Crimson'' |
| 127 | * ClothingDamage: Taking damage (regardless of how much health a character actually has) wears down a girl's clothes and will eventually leave her in a defenseless bikini if too many hits are accrued. It's also the only visual way to tell that the characters [[BloodlessCarnage are actually trying to kill each other]], as actual bloodshed is rare. |
| 128 | * CodeName: Every shinobi student is assigned one, and as such we don't know their real names. |
| 129 | * CombatPragmatist: Shinobi tend to be. |
| 130 | ** As Yumi puts it in SV, their combat is not for sport. Shinobi fight to kill. |
| 131 | ** Same can be said when Miyabi scoffs at Asuka for complaining about Ryōbi and Ryōna assisting her. |
| 132 | * UsefulNotes/CommonRanks: Shinobi have their own ranking system. It applies for shinobi students, too. |
| 133 | ** Lower-level Shinobi : Hibari, Mirai, Minori. |
| 134 | ** Middle-level Shinobi : Asuka, Yagyu, Yomi, Haruka, Ryōbi, Ryōna, Murasaki, Imu, Shiki, Yozakura. |
| 135 | ** Higher-level Shinobi : Katsuragi, Ikaruga, Homura, Hikage, Miyabi, Yumi, Murakumo. |
| 136 | * ConservationOfNinjutsu: Interestingly, this applies to both Hanzo and Hebijo. When there are tons of Hebijo mooks the Hanzo gals defeat them easily. When the Hanzo gals try to gang up on a single Hebijo girl, the Hanzo gals are in danger of losing badly. |
| 137 | ** The five Hebijo snake girls are far from being on the level of your ordinary Hebijo mook, though. |
| 138 | ** JustifiedTrope: It is explicitly mentioned that the light faction handpicks the already-talented while the dark faction accepts anyone. |
| 139 | ** This also applies to the Yoma as the series goes on: |
| 140 | *** In the ''Versus'' continuity. [[spoiler:In Rin's backstory, a ''single'' Yoma effortlessly slaughtered a Kagura and her entire elite squad, and would have killed Rin as well if not for Miyabi's father. By contrast, the combined forces of all four teams are able to make quick work of an entire army of Yoma in the Crimson Squad's ending.]] |
| 141 | *** ''Deep Crimson'' plays with the trope since introduces lower classes of Yoma to be used as regular mooks but also allows the girls to take down giant Yoma (of the same class that nearly killed Rin in the past) on their own. And that is without counting Daidouji who takes on a massive army of Yoma by ''herself'' |
| 142 | * ContinuityNod: In ''Bon Appetit'', Hibari is Homura's final boss and she asks Homura why she never did any of her funny impressions for her [[spoiler:during her time at Hebijo]]. Said impressions were introduced in ''Burst'' when the girls were trying to make Hikage laugh. |
| 143 | * CookingDuel: The entire premise of Senran Kagura Bon Appétit. |
| 144 | * CostumePorn: The costumes are not only very well created, but all are unique to the certain character. For specific examples, check out Yomi, Mirai, Murasaki, Murakumo, Hisui, Tsubame, Leo, and Yūyaki's outfits. |
| 145 | * CrapsaccharineWorld: On one hand, death walks with the shinobi. Most of the characters have lost at least one loved one. Training can be deadly. The girls perfectly accept that the fights are NoHoldsBarredContest which can leave them dead and try in all earnestness to kill each other. They know [[AnyoneCanDie they can be finished by the winner]]. Failure during a mission can mean death. [[MoodWhiplash And then]], on the other hand, not only are the generally cheerful girls capable of simply acting like normal teenagers most of the time, but when all is said and done, the level of violence on-screen is equivalent to say, ''Franchise/OnePiece'' and nobody ever dies outside of [[KilledOffScreen backstories or otherwise off-screen deaths]] (which can sometimes cause [[NeverFoundTheBody ambiguity]] as to who's [[KilledOffForReal actually dead]]). Overall, it's the seriousness with which the girls take their duty as shinobi and the grim backstories that most of them have which paints a really dark outlook on the franchise. |
| 146 | * CrateExpectations: Each game has crates lying around that can be broken to gain useful items and power-ups. These items include healing onigiri, ninja scrolls, futomaki rolls, power-ups that boost your attack and defense and make you temporarily invincible, and in the case of ''Estival Verus'', bombshells. |
| 147 | * CreepyCrosses: Hebijo Academy's logo is an upside-down cross with two snakes wrapped around it. Fitting for a school that trains evil shinobi. |
| 148 | * CrossOver: Through DownloadableContent, ''Estival Versus'' adds [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Ayane]] and [[Manga/IkkiTousen Hakufu, Kan'u, and Ryofu]] as bonus playable characters. |
| 149 | ** For ''Peach Beach Splash'', all of the above return, and they are joined by [[Manga/IkkiTousen Ryomo Shimei]], [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Marie Rose and Honoka]], Anime/SuperSonico, [[VideoGame/ValkyrieDriveBhikkhuni Renka and Rinka Kagurazaka.]], and most recently, [[VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia Neptune.]] |
| 150 | ** ''New Link'' goes even further beyond: almost all of the aforementioned characters return, but they are also joined by the likes of [[VideoGame/FatalFury Mai Shiranui]], [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Kula Diamond, Leona Heidern]], [[Anime/QueensBlade Leina, Airi, Tomoe, Elina]], [[Manga/ToLoveRu Lala Satalin and Momo Belia Deviluke, Yui Kotegawa, Konjiki no Yami]], [[Literature/HighSchoolDXD Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Koneko Toujou and Rossweisse.]] |
| 151 | * CurbStompBattle: In a story sequence, Ikaruga ends up having to fight her resentful brother and never lays a finger on him. [[spoiler: ... Because she doesn't have to. He's so hopeless at ninjutsu, and her so comparatively skilled that she defeats him easily without ever having to attack him directly. Which is the reason she was adopted and made a shinobi in his place in the first place, and the reason for his resentment of her.]] |
| 152 | * CuteMonsterGirl: Most of the ''yoma'' {{mook}}s in ''Deep Crimson'' are humanoid female creatures what are appealing to the eye, in sharp contrast to their larger counterparts. |
| 153 | * DamnYouMuscleMemory: InUniverse in ''Peach Beach Splash'', explaining why real weapons are used for melee attacks: pulling blades on an enemy that close is such a mindless reflex that it pretty much had to be allowed. |
| 154 | * DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Anathematic Ninja Arts are ninja arts that give the user tremendous power with huge risk. So much that there are forbidden techniques for reversing the art! |
| 155 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Each character in the cast, even Hibari later on, though Asuka seems to be the exception. Being a shinobi is suffering. Check [[Characters/SenranKagura the character page]] for individual character entries. |
| 156 | ** Although to balance things out, she goes through many of the darkest moments in the actual game. |
| 157 | * DarkerAndEdgier: Induced in the third manga series ''Guren no Hebi''. Despite having some of the lighter moments present in other adaptations of the series, the tone of ''Guren no Hebi'' is very bleak and grim and it adverts the BloodlessCarnage the rest of the series utilizes, making all the fights somewhat disturbing to read. Additionally, the storylines of the 3DS games are much more serious (usually with more at stake) compared the ones present in the Vita titles. |
| 158 | ** Hebijo's story in ''Shinovi Versus'' is by far the darkest plot in the game, if not the entire series. There are little to no jokes or lighthearted banter, and none of the team's "quirks" are played for laughs compared to the other teams. Miyabi's ruthless, single-minded obsession with restoring Hebijo's honor and taking vengeance on its enemies is played dead seriously. Imu blindly and unquestionably follows Miyabi's vengeful agenda out of lustful obsession. Murasaki possesses a nigh-uncontrollable berserker rage capable of ripping even the strongest Shinobi apart limb from limb. Ryōna is a psychotic masochist who takes a euphoric delight in being punished. Ryōbi, while not ''quite'' as insane as her sister, is still clearly unhinged [[spoiler:and is secretly a traitor plotting to murder the rest of the team for their roles in the death of her and Ryōna's sister.]] |
| 159 | * DeadlyTrainingArea: Haruka develops one for her team's use in ''Deep Crimson'' |
| 160 | * DeathMountain: Mt. Orochi, where the Crimson Squad's hideout is located and contains a small village. It is considered to be the most dangerous place for shinobi to venture to as the mountain is seen as a breeding ground for Youma. |
| 161 | * DefeatEqualsExplosion: Bosses in New Wave will blow up after being defeated. Exactly ''why'' this happens is pretty much a mystery. |
| 162 | * DenserAndWackier: Even though the first game had its moments of fanservice and comedy, it is still considered one of the more serious games in the series. Later titles though started lean more heavily into the fanservice side of the series with the latest canon title being a water gun game. |
| 163 | * DesperationAttack: Ultimate Secret Ninja Arts in Shinovi Versus. Unlike the previous ninja arts that require one or two ninja art scrolls, the Ultimate art can only be performed if the player has five ninja art scrolls. The catch? The player's health must be at a dangerous low. Most of the time you'll only have one or two shots to pull this off because you can only hold ten ninja art scrolls. On the plus side, they do look pretty kick ass and your opponent gets completely stripped if they're KO'd by it. However, it's [[AwesomeButImpractical better off being used as a last resort]]. The health limit is removed in ''Estival Versus''. |
| 164 | * {{Determinator}}: True to their etymology, ''all'' of the shinobi. But especially Asuka and Homura. |
| 165 | * DirtyOldMan: Averted with Kiriya-sensei, who does his job professionally and [[NotDistractedByTheSexy doesn't blink when the fanservice presents itself]]. While Hanzo usually acts like a doting grandpa toward Asuka despite her many shortcomings, he still has shades of this, especially in the anime. However, he's very low-key about it and is never shown to be completely depraved about it either, especially when compared to how Dirty Old Men are usually depicted in Japanese works. |
| 166 | ** Played completely straight in the anime however. While the games have him strong and professional enough to easily thwart his girls' attempts at taking revenge on him, the anime special has him go out of the way to humiliate Asuka and Homura to the point that he can't save himself. |
| 167 | * DiscOneNuke: In ''New Wave'', free Ultra Rare cards in with high stats can be given to the player as early as level 1. This can make it very easy for earning new cards and sweeping through bosses. |
| 168 | * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Several examples throughout the franchise. The most obvious is the constant image of a girl with ''something'' inserted between her breasts, be it scrolls, sushi rolls, or whatever. To say nothing of the random positions some characters take in the anime and the manga, as well as when ClothingDamage occurs in the games. ''Bon Appetit'', being a non-serious RhythmGame, takes it up to eleven due to it being a cooking game as well. |
| 169 | * DownerEnding: The ending to Hebijo's story in ''Shinovi Versus'' has [[spoiler:Hanzo, the Crimson Squad and Gessen completely destroyed and their Elite Shinobi all vanquished, leaving none left to oppose Rin and Dogen's plans.]] |
| 170 | ** Subverted in the same game by the ending to the Crimson Squad's story has [[spoiler:the Crimson Squad surrounded by a seemingly infinite horde of Youma. They gear up for a fight, but its clear that they have little to no hope of surviving...[[BigDamnHeroes until the rest of teams suddenly show up to lend them a hand]].]] |
| 171 | * DownloadableContent: With the exception of Portait of Girls and Burst, the games offer DLC content ranging from clothes to different accessories to even bonus stories and characters. |
| 172 | * DropInDropOutMultiplayer: Boss events in ''New Wave'' have a system where players can assist others in defeating bosses by sending requests to each other. |
| 173 | * DualWielding: Used by several characters. |
| 174 | ** Asuka uses two ''Wakizashi''. |
| 175 | ** Homura ''hexuple'' wields ''Katana''! Like WolverineClaws, no less!! |
| 176 | ** Suzune/Rin wields two FuumaShuriken. |
| 177 | ** Murakumo wields a spear in one hand and a bloody cleaver in the other. |
| 178 | ** Then we have Ryōna, who uses two unusual pistols with the butts of the guns bolted on ''both'' ends. |
| 179 | ** Ashiya mostly uses two chakrams. |
| 180 | ** Kagari wields two tambourine shaped knives. |
| 181 | ** Aria wields a pair of cymbals. |
| 182 | ** Tsubame uses two sabers. |
| 183 | ** Kisaragi uses two hachiwara. |
| 184 | ** Yūyaki dual-wields two Nōdachi. |
| 185 | ** Renka uses bachi. |
| 186 | ** Kafuru uses two water guns. |
| 187 | ** Ryōki wields a shotgun in one hand and a shield in the other. |
| 188 | * DysfunctionJunction: All the girls have some malfunction, see DarkAndTroubledPast above. It's a miracle that the Hebijo girls aren't at each others throat, if only because their anger is directed at someone or something outside the group. |
| 189 | ** While that can be said for Homura's group, Miyabi's group, [[spoiler: do self-destruct near the end of their story. They get better though]]. |
| 190 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: With the series drifting more towards fluent HackAndSlash gameplay and making it the norm, going back to the original ''Senran Kagura Burst'' can come off as a bit jarring by comparison since the first game plays like an old-school BeatEmUp game. This was the original direction the series started off as before the success of ''Shinovi Versus'' proved Hack and Slash gameplay to be more popular, to the point that when ''Burst'' itself got an UpdatedRerelease in the form of ''Burst [=Re:Newal=]'', the entire gameplay had to be changed and updated to match previous games before it. |
| 191 | * EldritchAbomination: Yamata no Orochi... Where to start? [[spoiler:It seems to be one-third humanoid giant, one-third dragon, and one-third HumongousMecha. Four of its five necks have no heads on them, instead ending in great masses of bloodstained katanas. It has two bizarre mechanical appendages that can only be described as giant tennis rackets covered in bloodstained katanas. On its central neck is the head of a mecha-dragon, covered in [[RuleOfThree bloodstained katanas]], and in the head's mouth is a human face, contorted with rage. Oh, and the sound of its roar is mixed with a baby crying.]] |
| 192 | ** The Yoma in general follow this trope [[http://senrankagura.marv.jp/series/kagura2/#!/system_yoma to a tee]], with many of them combining human anatomy with monstrous designs. |
| 193 | ** The greatest example in the series is Shin, [[spoiler: responsible for creating all the yoma, and in fact the only reason there's a good vs evil conflict in the first place: To create enough bloodshed to draw him out]]. |
| 194 | * EldritchLocation: [[spoiler:The inside of Yamata no Orochi. It's a weird red version of the normal world with odd features like floating interfaces in the background and rotating gears on the floor. It also has inexplicable grassy meadows and you can hear Orochi's heartbeat wherever you go.]] |
| 195 | * EliteMook: In ''Crimson Girls'' there is a tall dummy mook with the highest health of any enemy in the game, with [[DualWielding two katanas]] and a gun that shoots shurikens. Unlike the other [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] these guys are so tough they only ever appear one at a time. |
| 196 | ** The game takes off the kiddie gloves with Hebijo's final mission where you have to face [[spoiler:Daidouji]] backed up by four robo-dummies. |
| 197 | ** ''Shinovi Versus'' introduces different flavors: [[GiantMook Bear mooks]] that don't flinch with normal attacks, [[LightningBruiser Samurai]] that do the same but with lower defense, added speed and strength, Badgers and Foxes that attack with claws and Rats that ferry supplies. |
| 198 | * EqualOpportunityEvil: According to Homura, this is the virtue of the Dark Ninjas. Of course, just because they accept everyone [[TrainingFromHell doesn't mean that everyone have what it takes to be one]]. As for Homura personally, she quickly accepts people who wants to be her friend. [[spoiler:Such as Hibari.]] |
| 199 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes[=/=]EvilIsOneBigHappyFamily: The opening of the Hebijo storyline is about how those girls met and formed into their own little group. |
| 200 | * EvilVersusEvil: In ''Shinovi Versus'' the former elites of Hebijo Academy (now dubbed the Homura Crimson Squad) are being hunted down by the new Team Hebijo elites because they are renegades, inevitably causing them to clash. Downplayed because the Crimson Squad are essentially an AntiHeroTeam. |
| 201 | * ExcusePlot: [[VideoGame/BadDudes Rampant Ninja-related crimes these days. Are you bad enough gals to save Japan?]]. Although this diminishes as the series goes on, particularly as the characters deal with their trials, and the Yoma become more of a prominent threat. |
| 202 | ** The director split the franchise into two. The Vita games will be more focused on the fanservice (Though they have serious plots of their own), while the DS games focus more on the darker story. |
| 203 | ** Played very straight in the Shinobi Girl's Heart missions in ''Estival Versus,'' [[SarcasmMode featuring a lot of deep, character-driven, soul-searching plots]] such as Homura trying to cure her laryngitis, or Hikage looking for a place to take a nap. [[SubvertedTrope This is to balance]] a main plot that deals with themes of grief, dying with unfinished business, and the psychological toll of having signed up to die young. |
| 204 | ** Again played straight with ''Peach Beach Splash''. There's something about using shinobi energy to keep Shin sealed, but when asked, Mr K and Ms R say that really they thought that having a giant watergun fight for all the girls would be fun. |
| 205 | * EyepatchOfPower: Yagyū and Mirai. |
| 206 | ** And there's also an unlockable eyepatch that can be worn by any girl... including the two girls who already have them. It's especially funny when Yagyu equips two eye patches and says sardonically, "I don't need this..." |
| 207 | * ExtranormalInstitute: Hanzo, apparently a regular highschool with regular students... save for five of them and the special lessons they take. |
| 208 | ** Hebijo is a much more regular NinjaSchool. |
| 209 | * FaceHeelTurn: Hibari transfering to Hebijo school. [[spoiler:[[FakeDefector It was part of a plot to infiltrate the academy and recover an important item stolen by the snake girls.]] Hibari may seem weak and childish most of the time, but this girl has wits and guts when it counts the most.]] Doesn't apply in the Hebijo storyline [[spoiler:as Hibari is revealed to be {{brainwashed}} by [[BigBad Dougen]].]] |
| 210 | ** [[spoiler:Rin when it is revealed that she is Suzune-sensei.]] |
| 211 | * FactionSpecificEndings: ''Shinovi Versus'' has each faction's stories (Hanzo, Crimson Squad, New Hebijo, Gessen) ending differently from each other. |
| 212 | * FakeLongevity: OneHundredPercentCompletion in ''Burst'' requires clearing every mission on each story with the initial 5 characters, getting every character (including the secret ones) to level 50, clearing every mission at least once with an A Rank and once in Frantic Mode (thankfully not with every character) and will take upwards of 70 hours. Beating the main story for both sides combined only takes around 10. |
| 213 | ** ''Bon Appetit'' has this for its Platinum trophy. The most gratuitous being clearing 200 songs when most of the others require a minimum of 100 if aiming for them and playing optimaly. |
| 214 | * FamousAncestor: UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo is the founder of the Hanzo Academy. Asuka is his grand-daughter, and yet she leaves a lot to be desired. |
| 215 | * FanDisservice: The large-scale ''youma'' featured in the series usually have a feminine figure, but instead of making them look appealing, the series produces the ''opposite'' effect by heaping on BodyHorror, MindScrew, and the Uncanny Valley. |
| 216 | ** For example, one of the Youma from ''[=SK2=]'' is actually an unfought giantess... whose breasts tear themselves free of her body, crash into the ground and start rolling around like demonic bowling balls the size of trucks. The ''boss fight'' begins here; you have to do enough damage to the wrecking boobs to shatter them like eggs, only to discover ''the giant faces inside leering out at you''. |
| 217 | * {{Fanservice}}: Let's get counting! |
| 218 | ** BoobsAndButtPose: Some cards in New Wave have someone do this. Though it's unsurprising given the amount of fanservice in the game. |
| 219 | ** ClothingDamage: Exaggerated in VS it extends to even the underwear (or in the case of EV and PBS, swimsuits) leaving only some censoring). |
| 220 | ** EroticEating, according to the trailer. It's also in the manga and happens in the anime, [[FanDisservice where Kiriya-sensei of all people gets in on it]]. Exaggerated with "Bon Appetit", being the main focus of the game. |
| 221 | ** JigglePhysics: They put the 3DS' computing capability to ''great'' use! |
| 222 | *** Although to be fair, the jiggles are canned animations and aren't calculated in real time. |
| 223 | ** {{Joshikousei}} |
| 224 | ** Which is followed by, of course, SailorFuku. |
| 225 | ** The VirtualPaperDoll feature of the games can crank this up to eleven, with several outfits [[BuxomBeautyStandard highlighting the girls boobs]], [[MaleGaze butt]], stomach, [[LegFocus legs]], or any combination of the above. Let's see: HotAsHell outfit, SexySantaDress, SchoolSwimsuit (or BarelyThereSwimwear), [[{{Stripperific}} Christmas ribbons]], and [[HandOrObjectUnderwear chocolate covering]][[labelnote:note]]Only in ''Bon Appetit''[[/labelnote]], and ''[[HandOrObjectUnderwear soap bubbles]]?'' Ummm...sure. We'll go with it. |
| 226 | %% Due to FiveManBand's requirements, the entry here has been deleted for not adhering to them: mostly for having Zero Context and for all members being female. For better or for worse, the current definition of the trope requires at least three guys and two girls (the maximum gender ratio being four guys and one girl) CONSISTENTLY working as a team and fulfilling specific roles in order to count for FiveManBand.%% |
| 227 | * {{Flanderization}}: All the cast is hit by it on ''Shinovi Versus'', especially in the "Shinobi Girl's Heart" side stories for each character. |
| 228 | ** Also present on ''Bon Appetit'', but it's [[RuleOfFunny done intentionally to drive the game's humor]]. |
| 229 | * FondMemoriesThatCouldHaveBeen: In the first game, Homura and Asuka passing some time as friends, dining at Hanzo's restaurant [[spoiler:before the final assault on Hebijo academy and knowing that they will then have to fight. Asuka asking Homura her reason to follow the way of the ninja may qualify as a stealth TearJerker.]] |
| 230 | ** YouCantFightFate: [[spoiler:Not that Asuka, as a ninja, isn't ready to put down Homura if she is ordered to; but now that she knows a little more about the snake girls and, putting aside the 'good' and 'bad' labels, the fact that Hebijo and Hanzo students are basically the same, she can't help but ponder about the absurdity of the situation]]. |
| 231 | * FoodFight: This was one of the recent events in New Wave. |
| 232 | * FoodPorn: Senran Kagura Bon Appétit takes this up to eleven. |
| 233 | * ForeverWar: Between the good/light shinobi and the evil/dark shinobi. It seems pointless and [[spoiler: in a way, it's purposefully so. Shinovi Versus reveals the war is there to lure out the progenitor of all disasters and Yoma, Shin, who only comes out once enough blood has been shed.]] |
| 234 | * FormerBigot: Kurokage spent most of his life killing all "evil" (read: mercenary) shinobi in the name of justice, before realizing that most of them were only working for the money they needed to get by (and since shinobi code dictates that all shinobi battles must be to the death, well...). After that, he tried to keep his students/adopted daughters from making the same mistakes he had [[spoiler:and eventually succeeded]]. |
| 235 | * FunbagAirbag: Happens to Hibari in the 10th episode. |
| 236 | * GagDub: Downplayed example; the anime's English dub ends up turning the narrator into a straight LemonyNarrator that doesn't even try to pretend the viewers are tuning in for anything aside from the fanservice and loves to remind them what type of show they're watching. |
| 237 | * GameBreakingBug: ''Estival'' has a few: |
| 238 | ** The turtle mooks can get stuck in a loop where they will never stop spinning, making impossible to the player to defeat them and progress the mission, forcing the player to repeat the stage. |
| 239 | ** Sometimes the game will spawn mooks outside the reach of the player and while some characters will be able to take them downusing long range attacks, most of the time is necessary to retry the stage. |
| 240 | * GenderFlip: As an April Fool's joke, we had ''[[http://andriasang.com/con0ga/senran_kagura_boys_edition/ Senran Kagura: Boys Edition]]''. |
| 241 | ** There's only one person who could be responsible for something like this. [[spoiler: Kaede]]. |
| 242 | * GenkiGirl: Hibari and Minori fit this trope to a T. |
| 243 | * GeodesicCast: The franchise tends to introduce girls in five-man squads. |
| 244 | ** The original game introduced the Hanzo Academy and Hebijo Academy teams (and [[LateArrivalSpoiler each side had]] a SecretCharacter in Daidoji-sempai and Suzune-sensei). |
| 245 | ** ''Shinovi Versus'' introduced the Gessen Girls academy and the New Hebijo girls, of course with five each (Though lacking a SecretCharacter). |
| 246 | ** The Japan-only phone-based ''New Wave'' introduced a total of '''ten''' new teams[[note]]A second Hanzo team, a ''third'' Hebijo team, an IdolSinger group called Milky Pop, a rock band called the A.R.C. Angels, a FiveTokenBand from the Dancer's Fan school, a team of Otaku from Shinozuka Industrial High, a musician team from the Municipal Blooming Arts school, the public morals committee from Metropolitan Light Cherry Blossom Girls University, and more recently, the {{Youkai}}-themed Tooya Tengu-Shinobi Alliance and the astrology themed Zodiac Guiding Star Association[[/note]]. |
| 247 | ** ''Estival Versus'' introduced a festival-themed group consisting of Asuka's grandmother Sayuri, her three apprentices, and a half-ghost Sayuri brought [[ItMakesSenseInContext partially back to life]]. |
| 248 | ** ''Deep Crimson'' subverts the ''normal'' pattern by introducing only three characters, Kagura, Naraku, and [[PromotedToPlayable Ikaruga's brother, Murasame]], but introduces a new one by grouping the girls in ''pairs'' (Asuka and Homura, Ikaruga and Yomi, etc.). Since Kagura and Naraku are introduced as a pair unto themselves, the only real deviation is Murasame (who is unlocked either through an OldSaveBonus or as DownloadableContent). |
| 249 | ** As of ''Shinovi Versus'', the franchise [[EnforcedTrope insisting on]] the five-man squad arrangement has resulted in it trying to force various groups of characters that are otherwise unrelated into five-man groups. |
| 250 | * GiantMook: |
| 251 | ** There are large and overweight female delinquents that are prominent in ''Skirting Shadows''. ''Crimson Girls'' introduces even more with [[BrawnHilda huge muscular girls]] in [[SailorFuku Seifukus]], and large round dummies with TorpedoTits. |
| 252 | ** ''Shinovi and Estival Versus'' has the bear shinobi. They're large overweight female ninja with the [[RollingAttack ability to mow you down by performing rolling attacks]]. It also isn't helped by the fact that they can deal fire damage as well, or that they need strong attacks to flinch. |
| 253 | ** ''Deep Crimson'' features massive versions of the standard dummies. |
| 254 | ** ''Estival Versus'' has ram-based shinobi who have their standard gargantuan appearance (not unlike the bear shinobi), but when these fall, they will [[ShedArmorGainSpeed return to being to normal shinobi]] who start DualWielding the ram's horns. |
| 255 | * GoodMorningCrono: Every adaptation of Skirting Shadows starts with Asuka waking up from a vivid daydream mid classroom. |
| 256 | * GraffitiTown: The Downtown at Night stage in ''Estival Versus''. |
| 257 | * GraphicsInducedSuperDeformed: The sprites in New Wave appear as chibified versions of the characters during the story and event missions. |
| 258 | * GrayingMorality : ''Deep Crimson'' is that to ''Senran Kagura Burst'' : while Burst revolves around the theme that Good and Evil are not so different, Deep Crimson pushes it a little further with the Good ninjas of Hanzo being ordered to do an evil act in the name of the greater good, while Homura's Crimson Squad takes the morally good standpoint. |
| 259 | * GirlsWithGuns: Mirai, Ryōna, Ryōbi, Seimei, Chitose, Ukyō, Sakyō, and Kurōdo fit this trope. |
| 260 | * GreenHillZone: The Training Grounds stage in ''Shinovi Versus'' and ''Estival Versus'' and the Training Field in ''Deep Crimson'' |
| 261 | * GreyAndGrayMorality: Probably the point of the plot of the first game and its deconstruction of the '[[BlackAndWhiteMorality good ninjas vs evil ninjas]]' trope, as both groups are shown to have similar circumstances, and ultimately, whatever his or her affiliation, a shinobi is someone who has to kill or be killed. As Hanzo puts it: Light needs darkness to exist. |
| 262 | * GoodIsNotSoft: A ninja has to be ready to do anything it takes to defeat an enemy, and could expect nothing else in return from an enemy. It's a form of courtesy toward an enemy to give everything you have to bring him down. |
| 263 | * GoldenSuperMode: In ''Burst'', the "Life or Death" (Frantic in the localization) mode gives the user a surging golden aura the longer they fight. When Katsuragi uses it, the aura combined with her golden hair and green eyes makes her look very much like a Super Saiyan. |
| 264 | * GoodVersusGood: Gessen figthing Hanzo in a Shinobi Battle Royale where AnyoneCanDie. |
| 265 | * TheGoomba: Varies depending on the game, but the most common themes they share is that they'll usually be training dummies, delinquents, and lower-rank shinobi. Easily disposable and are less of a threat even in large numbers. |
| 266 | * GuestFighter: ''Estival Versus'' features a guest appearance from [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Ayane]], [[Manga/IkkiTousen Sonsaku Hakufu, Kan'u Uncho and Ryofu Housen]] as DownloadableContent. |
| 267 | * GuideDangIt: For people aiming for OneHundredPercentCompletion, certain hidden trophies in ''Shinovi Versus'' and ''Estival Versus'' can invoke this to a certain degree. While most hidden trophies can be easily obtained simply by playing through the game and experimenting on some things, some require an online guide just to even see how to get them.[[note]]Recent updates to trophy lists on some platforms allow you to look at the text on hidden trophies.[[/note]] |
| 268 | ** The three most notable examples come from ''Shinovi Versus''. There are three hidden trophies named ''Don't Worry About It'', ''Please No More!'', and ''You Were Never Heard From Again'', which have no in-game indication of how to even get them. For the first two, it requires the usage of the [[LimitBreak Ultimate Hidden Ninpo]]. Keep in mind that the Ultimate Ninpos in ''Shinovi Versus'' can only be activated when you're low on health, so unlike ''Estival Versus'', you rarely get the chance to even use them. For the former, you need to defeat a boss with one while she's in her underwear. For the latter, you need to let a boss defeat you with one while your girl is in her underwear. The last trophy requires you to [[VideoGamePerversityPotential be a perv in the dressing room]] in so many ways. From simply groping to outright stripping the girl's clothes. This one can be rather tricky to get without some proper steps of how to do it. |
| 269 | ** In ''Estival Versus'', while most Purupuru Finishes are triggered by defeating your opponent or vice versa near an "'''!'''" sign, there are a couple that don't follow this rule and are only triggered under special conditions. Three of them are tied to certain costumes, which are the Hawaiian Shirt, Summer Swimsuit, and the Bath Towel. These are required for getting one of the trophies in ''Estival Versus''. All you have to do is dress a girl in one of these and then fight her in a mission or online mode. These finishes will trigger regardless of whether or not you're near a sign. |
| 270 | *** But the most infamous example is the Puppet Kaboom finish. Because unlike the three mentioned above, the game gives no indication whatsoever that this one actually ''exists''. To get this finish, you need to be on a Puppet Walker while it's about to self-destruct. But it's very unlikely that you would've even considered trying it on your first playthrough because a): you wouldn't had known about it, and b): you would've abandoned the Puppet Walker out of instinct. |
| 271 | * HardLevelsEasyBosses: Going Frantic turns most of the game into this, with levels populated with Mooks that can easily gang up on you and deplete your health in seconds due to your halved Defense, only to end with a Boss fight that can be won near-effortlessly by performing a few Secret Ninja Arts due to your doubled Attack power. |
| 272 | * TheHeartless: Orochi in the first game [[spoiler:and Burst, the final boss born from the pain and suffering of the dead snake girls]]. |
| 273 | ** Has become a major plot point in ''Shinovi Versus'': such monsters are knowns as youma and only shinobi can fight against them. The catch being conflict between shinobi and blood spilled in shinobi kekkais are precisely what such entities feed on. |
| 274 | *** Hence the need for the 'kagura', aka the highest rank a shinobi can hope to attain, [[DemonSlaying a warrior specialized in hunting youma]]. Miyabi, and later Homura and Asuka aim to reach this rank. |
| 275 | * HarderThanHard: Expert routes in ''New Wave G Burst's'' Raid Boss Events feature bosses that are so powerful, that they make the ones on Hard route look like child's play. |
| 276 | * HateSink: Most of the evil shinobi are {{Anti Villain}}s at worst, and the [[TheHeartless yoma]] are mindless beasts [[spoiler:who are also fully capable of love and kindness]], but these two evil shinobi are truly evil: |
| 277 | ** [[spoiler:[[DiabolicalMastermind Dōgen]] is the cruel man who runs [[ThugDojo Hebijo Academy]]. Throughout the series, he manipulates the Hebijo girls, both old and new, into serving him. He cares nothing for them, however, and is willing to use their deaths to serve his plans. Whether it be sacrificing girls to [[EldritchAbomination Orochi]] (game)/the Yin and Yang scrolls (anime and manga), pitting several shinobi schools against each other, or summoning an army of [[TheHeartless yōma]] to destroy Japan, Dōgen completely lacks the sympathetic qualities of the other evil shinobi and antagonists, instead being defined by his malice and desire to TakeOverTheWorld.]] |
| 278 | ** [[BitchInSheepsClothing Komichi]] was Homura's seemingly kind mentor and crush who is responsible for her turn to evil. After gaining Homura's trust over a long period of time, he got her to confess to being a good shinobi heir, then reveals that he was an evil shinobi sent to kill her family. When Homura asks him why he befriended her instead of simply torturing her for the information, he explained that he [[{{Sadist}} loved to see the looks on people's faces after being betrayed]], before trying to kill Homura herself and ultimately getting her rejected by the good shinobi [[CrimeOfSelfDefense after she fought back]], driving her directly into the arms of the aforementioned [[spoiler:Dōgen]]. |
| 279 | * HenshinHero: While just about everyone is sufficient with combat in most normal circumstances, they can all undergo Shinobi Transformation, which will boost their stats, give them access to their Ninja Arts, and also ''fully restore their health'', so it behooves you to learn timing to maximize its effectiveness. |
| 280 | ** You can also invert this by stripping down to your skivvies... Which STILL powers you up. |
| 281 | * HighlyVisibleNinja: |
| 282 | ** Despite how the entire cast is made up of shinobi, there isn't a lot of emphasis on stealth. The characters' outfits are often rather flashy and can sometimes be [[{{Stripperiffic}} revealing]]. That said, there's usually emphasis put on how the theatrics only start within a [[WeirdnessCensor Camouflage Barrier]]. |
| 283 | ** While louder than the traditional image of a ninja, some of the outfits do actually would blend in for a character's context. Such as everygirl student Asuka's ninja outfit just being her uniform with some extra layers, or adopted aristocrat Ikaruga's military parade uniform. |
| 284 | * HonorBeforeReason: For a ninja, the success of the mission take precedence over everything, even one's life. |
| 285 | * HotBlooded: |
| 286 | ** Katsuragi, who gets extremely fired-up during combat. Other girls exhibit this behavior as well, but not everyone. |
| 287 | ** Daidouji's another good example, but hers is mixed with an element of battle-lust. |
| 288 | * HotterAndSexier: The anime adaptation threw a lot of the original plot and the melodrama through the window and turned the fanservice up to eleven, with the second season ''doubling it'', notably adding in uncensored nudity this time around. |
| 289 | ** Purposely invoked with ''Shinovi Versus'', ''Estival Versus'' and ''Bon Appetit'', as the director stated that the Playstation games are purposely intended to have more fanservice than the 3DS titles. |
| 290 | * HoverBot: Haruka, one of Homura's companions, has a robot that has only 2 arms and floats, that she uses to fight. |
| 291 | * {{Hypocrite}}: [[spoiler:Haruka's Freudian Excuse is that her father abandoned her to her unnaturally close mom who's implied to have done more than had her be a dress up doll. In the present, Haruka proves You Are What You Hate when she goes after Hibari with the same abnormal obsession.]] |
| 292 | * ILetYouWin: If you're fighting the Hanzo team, your wins always count for real. If you're playing as the Hanzo team, well, ''tough cookies''. |
| 293 | ** In the Hanzo story, every defeat of the Hebijou girls until the final confrontation ends with a cutscene revealing the other girl was holding back in some way. Haruka is the most blatant about this, with every fight against her revealing that she was either using a puppet in her stead, or that she deliberately threw the fight to acquire a second, less-obvious goal. |
| 294 | ** This continues into Shinovi Versus. Where TWO new schools attack Hanzo, and when playing through the Hanzou storyline, they never truly win the first round against either team. |
| 295 | ** Also in Shinovi Versus, you can ''finally'' be on the giving end, even though [[MindScrew you won anyway.]] After Hikage's fight with Imu, Imu is doubled over, questioning why Hikage never agreed to her challenges if she was able to take her down, while Hikage says nothing... |
| 296 | -->'''Imu:''' "Don't tell me... ''You were holding back!?"'' |
| 297 | -->'''Hikage:''' *smirks*. |
| 298 | * ImprobablyFemaleCast: Technically, it's not as if men couldn't be shinobi too. It's just that the whole cast happens to be female. There are now more than ''eighty'' named female shinobi in the cast across the franchise, not counting {{Guest Fighter}}s and family members, and exactly ''four'' men: [[BigGood Hanzo]], [[CoolTeacher Kiriya]], [[JokeCharacter Murasame]] and [[BigBad Dogen]]. |
| 299 | * InterfaceSpoiler: In Deep Crimson, if you read the description of the music track "Shinobi Clones", which unlocks after you first fight them, you'll discover that the Ten Yoma Generals are [[spoiler:Yoma clones of the Hanzo Girls and the Crimson Squad born from the blood shed by them during the events depicted during the finale of the first game and the beginning of Deep Crimson long before this it is revealed in the story.]] |
| 300 | * InterclassFriendship |
| 301 | ** After the two group stopped trying to kill each other and got to know each other, Asuka's Hanzo Academy, a elite ninja school, ends up being friends with Homura's Crimson Squad, who end up being runaway ninjas. Though, the two who fit this the most are Ikaruga, who was adopted into a rich ninja family, and Yomi, who was born in the poorest slums. |
| 302 | ** Ikaruga's first true friend in Hanzo Academy was with the orphaned Katsuragi. |
| 303 | * InstantWinCondition: For the fights that require you to obtain an item or defeat a certain number of enemies. |
| 304 | * InstrumentOfMurder: Every member of the A.R.C. Angels has a musical instrument fit for combat. The same goes for the Municipal Blossoming Arts shinobi as well. |
| 305 | * InvisibleToNormals: One ninja technique is invoking a barrier to allow fighting while invisible to all but other ninjas. This is how the girls can fight in the open in areas like shops without drawing attention. It has the side effect of attracting Yoma though. |
| 306 | * InterplayOfSexAndViolence |
| 307 | -->'''US localization website:''' ''A little violent, a little sexy, and a ton of fun!'' |
| 308 | * {{Irony}}: In ''Deep Crimson'', both Asuka and Homura separately take time to note the irony [[spoiler:that Homura (a renegade former "Evil" shinobi) is the one more concerned with protecting innocent people from the yoma while Asuka (the in-training "Good" shinobi) is struggling with having to fulfill the morally-ambiguous mission of killing Kagura and Naraku as ordered by the higher-ups.]] |
| 309 | * JigglePhysics: Comes with the territory. The original game seemed to have been made just to show off this effect in 3D. The Switch titles make use of the proffered HD Rumble system in the Joycon controllers, as well as the motion controls, to make the jiggle physics even more 'realistic' - the developers [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssg-co8MBQE explicitly showed off a plate of wobbling flan pudding]] as a way to indicate how they planned to exploit the HD rumble technology. |
| 310 | * {{Joshikousei}}: Invoked. The shinobi schools are all located alongside regular schools, so the shinobi have to wear their school's uniform in order to blend in and prevent the normal school populace from suspecting them of being anything other than regular students. |
| 311 | * KaizoTrap: A minor one in ''Shinovi Versus''. [[spoiler:In the final battle against [[DuelBoss Asuka/Homura]], depleting your opponent's health to zero will not end the battle right there on the spot. Instead, it will trigger an automatic Aerial Rave for which you must succeed in order win the fight. Fail the Aerial Rave, and your opponent regains 10% of her health and the opportunity to activate her [[LimitBreak Ultimate Hidden Ninpo]], dragging the fight even longer and wearing you down with each failure.]] |
| 312 | * KatanasAreJustBetter: The number of girls who favor katana is disproportionate (looking at you, Homura), even though shorter blades would be easily concealed. |
| 313 | * {{Kiai}}: Every girl shouts ''CHESTO!'' a lot when finishing combos, even the quieter and more reserved ones. Possibly referring to [[BuxomBeautyStandard a certain other chest]]. |
| 314 | * KilledOffScreen: How the franchise handles when secondary characters kick the bucket: as the plot is told in a VisualNovel fashion, a wall of text allow for more ambiguity than a gory CG. See Miyabi's group or Tsumuji for examples. |
| 315 | ** It allows for some neat NeverFoundTheBody tricks, too - The Hebijo girls in the first game are exhibit #1, but Dougen must be pretty glad for it. Well, or for all the good it did him at least, as Homura didn't miss him in SV. |
| 316 | *** [[RunningGag Or we can only hope]]. |
| 317 | * KnightOfCerebus: The Yoma in general are the main source of {{Surprisingly Creepy Moment}}s. The series is a lighthearted fanservice-fest, and most of the shinobi villains [[PunchClockVillain are not really villainous]]. These creatures, however, are {{Eldritch Abomination}}s born from the bloodshed of shinobi wars and described as something out of a horror story, and whenever one shows up the mood instantly darkens. |
| 318 | ** From the first handful of games, and the first season of the anime, is [[spoiler:Dogen and Orochi. The former is the Headmaster of Hebijo and a genuinely evil shinobi who does awful things for the sake of his power, while the latter is a powerful Yoma made up from thousands of dead, suffering shinobi and a truly terrifying force that Dogen feeds shinobi to make it powerful enough to bring about an apocalyptic event]]. |
| 319 | * KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:Ikaruga's big brother Murasame eventually gives up on taking the mantle of the ninja clan, instead focusing on what he's good at: being a shrewd businessman. This is after Ikaruga makes it clear that he's outclassed and Hanzo gives him some sobering small talks. The fact that Hanzo himself said that Murasame's father praises his son's business skills helped.]] |
| 320 | * LecherousLicking: Haruka does this to Hibari in the 10th episode of the anime. [[RapeAsDrama Whether it stops with just licking]] is up for debates. |
| 321 | * LethalLavaLand: The Shinobi Festival stage in ''Estival Versus'' is an interesting subversion. It's a shinobi festival located on an active volcanic slope, where molten lava is seen flowing in the background. The main stadium itself is located right in the middle of the volcanic crater, where the audience is cheering in the background despite [[ConvectionSchmonvection not being burned to a crisp by the intense heat from the lava a few feat away]]. The lava however doesn't really serve as a major obstacle. Justified, as Sayuri mentions the battlefields are at least in part created by her Shinobi Barriers, and she has a flair for the dramatic. |
| 322 | * LevelUpFillUp: Completely restores HP and the ninja art count, and is often a necessity for surviving end-game battles. Won't fix clothing damage, though. |
| 323 | * LickingTheBlade: Hikage licks her dagger ''[[{{Fetish}} a lot]]'', doing it every time she uses a Secret Ninjutsu, as well as as part of her post-level victory pose. |
| 324 | * LighterAndSofter: Both the anime and the first two manga adaptations, as well as the Vita titles (especially ''Bon Appetit'') compared to the 3DS titles, which have more of a TournamentArc feel to them compared to the more dramatic Yoma-related arcs in the 3DS games. The games have a taste for the dramatic for a fanservice game, to convey the point that even if the girls are highschool girls trying to live a 'normal' and happy school life, the ninja world they have chosen to inhabit can be terribly dark and violent. |
| 325 | ** Applies especially to ''Estival Versus''. Despite dealing with themes of grief and early, thankless death, the stakes are explicitly non-lethal and the competition is treated as a friendly challenge by the characters. |
| 326 | * LimitBreak: The Hidden Ninpos/Secret Ninja Arts. They're special attacks that consume your Ninja Scrolls but can clear out multiple enemies at once and deal massive damage to bosses (with the added bonus of instantly stripping the bosses of their clothing). Each girl has three different Ninpos: a Level 1 Ninpo (1 scroll, strips leg clothing), a Level 2 Ninpo (2 scrolls, strips upper clothes), and a Level 3/Ultimate Ninpo (3 or more scrolls with a special condition, depending on the game, strips both top and bottom). In ''Burst'' and ''Deep Crimson'', there's even an additional aerial Ninpo that can be performed in mid-air. |
| 327 | ** Also in ''Deep Crimson'', there are the special [[CombinationAttack Secret Fusion Ninja Arts]] for characters who fight in pairs. Unlike the other Ninpos, these are stage-wide and can target all enemies on the stage at once, but require ''both'' characters to have three Ninja Scrolls at the same time. Only certain pairs will have specific fusion Ninpos (like Asuka's and Homura's Flying Wild Dance) while the rest have generic ones regardless of the pair-up. |
| 328 | ** In Burst and the Versus games, there's even a technique aptly named "Limit Break". But it isn't so much a special attack as it is just a burst of energy that can knock enemies away at the expense of a bit of your health, regardless if you're already trapped in an enemy combo or not. ''Deep Crimson'' removes this feature entirely. |
| 329 | * LocomotiveLevel: Some missions in ''Deep Crimson'' take place on the roof of a speeding bullet train because Homura misplaced her team's train tickets. |
| 330 | * MacGuffin: The Light and Dark Super-Secret Ninja Scroll (sic). |
| 331 | * MagicalGirlWarrior: The shinobi are pretty girls with transformation sequences and magic costumes! |
| 332 | * MagicSkirt: Present on the anime where the skirt never moves even when the girls are hanging from the ceiling. Heavily averted in the games where upskirt shots are easy to see and often unintentional. |
| 333 | * MarryThemAll: Katsuragi aims for this in ''Bon Appétit''. Her story mode aims for her to succeed at this while Ikaruga's is aimed to stop her. |
| 334 | * MechaMooks: ''Estival Versus'' has the new Puppet Walkers which are armed with claws and long-range cannons and are pretty durable, able to take a lot of punishment without flinching. Defeating them however causes them to enter a [[ActionBomb self-destruct sequence]] so you better run away when that happens. Fortunately they drop special bombshells that allow you to summon one into battle, becoming a handy PowerUpMount for a limited time. |
| 335 | * MenUseViolenceWomenUseCommunication: Played With. As shinobi, the girls use violence as a mean of communication with an energy one would expect from a {{Shonen}} manga. On the other hand, communication is pivotal in the anime adaptation finale in order to avoid TotalPartyKill of both sides. [[spoiler:Hibari's true power is explicitly a form of communication.]] |
| 336 | * {{Melodrama}}: ''Tons'' of it in the games. See the CrapsaccharineWorld & MoodWhiplash entries. |
| 337 | * MirroringFactions: Part of the theme of the game is how the two sides aren't that different in terms of people; only in who's killing who and the name of the side printed on their business cards. |
| 338 | * MokeleMbembe: The ending of Daidouji's story leads her to go searching for Mokele-Mbembe in the Amazon rainforest in a quest to find and defeat a creature even mightier than a dragon. |
| 339 | %%* MonsterArena: The Yoma Nest in ''Deep Crimson'' |
| 340 | * MoodWhiplash: Extremist in case of the games, as pertaining to a franchise featuring plenty of comedic hijinks and boobs jokes set in the CrapsackWorld of modern shinobi. Usually, each instance of Katsuragi groping another girl, Yagyu having a nosebleed over Hibari or the Hanzo shinobi fooling around in bikini is followed by a dramatic flashback on how a character lost a beloved one (parents on the run for failing to kill themselves after a failed mission, dead little sister, relative murdered by an opposing faction, decapitated mother, etc), melancholic musings about the meaning of life as a shinobi, and NoHoldsBarredContest between highschool girls. The melodrama can be quite heavy, at times. [[spoiler: See LighterAndSofter above for the anime and manga adaptations.]] |
| 341 | ** Yet NobodyCanDie: So far none of the main girls, from any of the schools, has kicked the bucket. There must be some weird comedic/moe-moe invulnerability shield at work here. Also, see the {{Pastiche}} entry below. |
| 342 | ** The opening animation to ''Estival Versus'' perfectly summarizes this in the first few moments as it begins with Ryōbi and Ryōna silently praying at their sister's grave followed by Ryōbi hearing a noise. The viewer is then treated to a gratuitous panty shot from Ryōna as she peeks through some nearby bushes and Ryōbi spanks her for being too loud. |
| 343 | * MoralityKitchenSink: There are very few characters in the franchise who can be considered to be unambiguously good (Asuka) or evil (Dōgen). The good shinobi have their {{Knight Templar}}s and the evil shinobi have their {{Noble Demon}}s to the point of believing in the idea of NecessarilyEvil. The neutral forces range anywhere to being jerks, wanting to do good or just trying to stay alive. [[spoiler:Even the strongest good guy is just determent on wiping out the AlwaysChaoticEvil demons without any regard to their own existence, while the demons themselves are NotAlwaysEvil]]. And practically no one is safe from having a DarkAndTroubledPast. One of the earliest lessons the series tries to teach is that the world is not black and white, and learning how to live with that is important. |
| 344 | * MundaneUtility: Crops up occasionally. ''Bon Appetit'' is all about using ninja skills for cooking, and in the opening cutscene for ''Peach Beach Splash'', Yumi is seen using her ice powers to cool a swimming pool. |
| 345 | * {{Ninja}}: In-universe, the proper term is ''shinobi''.[[note]]The term "kunoichi", meaning "female ninja", is rarely used in the franchise, though, as it is sexually connoted and suggest ninja who use exclusively female techniques. ''Senran Kagura'''s characters are [[ActionGirl fighters]], above all else.[[/note]] |
| 346 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Can be [[InvokedTrope invoked]] with the many types of costumes the girls can wear. Want to dress your shinobi girl as a NinjaMaid, {{Miko}}, MagicalGirl, or {{Pirate}}? Go ahead. |
| 347 | * NinjaSchool: Hanzo Academy for the Good gals, Hebijo Academy for the (arbitrarily defined) Bad gals. |
| 348 | * NinjaRun: Naturally. Different characters sometimes have different variations of the run (i.e. Hibari has more a an AirplaneArms thing going on in hers). |
| 349 | * NintendoHard: Training Events in ''New Wave G Burst'' for a few reasons. These events work similar to Raid Boss events, except they require you to fight bosses that can tank more hits than normal raid bosses, acquire exactly 10,290 hearts to train ''three'' characters, which means grinding more than any other event type, and last for a week-and-a-half. |
| 350 | * NippleAndDimed: Anytime the series gets close to fully exposing a character's chest, expect there to be a SceneryCensor of some sort to hide the nipples specifically. And sometimes, [[BarbieDollAnatomy they don't even bother with that]]. Katsuragi is an JustForFun/{{egregious}} perpetrator of this, [[TheissTitillationTheory as her shinobi outfit makes her prone to getting exposed the most]].[[note]]Not only does that never happen, but she happens to wear a strange bikini underneath her shinobi outfit that is apparently capable of remaining hidden until she takes enough ClothingDamage that the tatters of her outfit can't be used to hide anything anymore.[[/note]] |
| 351 | ** ''Shinovi Versus'', which allows the destruction of lingerie, plays this dead straight. If a girl's swimsuit top is destroyed, [[GagCensor a pair of stickers of the girl's own chibified face]] cover her nipples. |
| 352 | ** Fully averted in the OVA that comes with Estival Versus. |
| 353 | ** This is also averted in the Shinovi Master anime. |
| 354 | * NobleDemon: The Hebijo girls are far from being as evil as they seem; in fact, the game goes to lengths to show that they are in fact really close to the Hanzo girls while being much more aware than them that they chose to live in a dark and violent world. Hell, "evil shinobi" means little more than being a mercenary rather than an actual villain. |
| 355 | ** Homura: [[spoiler:She fights to feel alive and to protect her Hebijo comrades.]] |
| 356 | ** Yomi: [[spoiler:Apart from her fixation on rich ojou-sama, she's probably one of the sweetest and most friendly of the Hebijo girls. But you have to be a good listener with an affinity for bean sprouts.]] |
| 357 | ** Hikage: [[spoiler:She has multiple opportunities to eliminate Katsuragi, but she never follows through.]] |
| 358 | ** Mirai: [[spoiler:She just want to be recognized, preferably as an ''equal''.]] |
| 359 | ** Haruka: [[spoiler:She ''genuinely'' wants to be friend with Hibari.]] |
| 360 | * NoCanonForTheWicked: Zigzagged. While the original intent was for the Crimson Squad's (who ''are'' Evil Shinobi) ending to be the "canon" ending for ''Shinovi Versus''. The sheer popularity of Yumi and the general disinterest Japan had for ''Deep Crimson'' made it Gessen's ending the canon one and from which ''Estival Versus'' picks up. However, so the development present in the other routes doesn't go to waste, the writers cherry-picked elements from them to complement the Gessen route. |
| 361 | * NoFourthWall: The dressing rooms of the games have no such obstruction. The girl's comments, snarking and exclamations of embarrassment are made to you, the player. |
| 362 | * NotAlwaysEvil: [[spoiler:''Shinovi Master'' anime reveals that yoma can develop human emotions and can even feel love. Fubuki's mother was a humanoid yoma who fell in love with a human and Rasetsu mainly follows Fubuki since her mother saved her life in the past. Later it is revealed that Reki of the Senki Shu is a sentient yoma who originally joined up with shinobi to exterminate her own kind, only to get betrayed by the said shinobi.]] |
| 363 | * NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:While each of the Hebijo girl seems to meet her end fighting her Hanzo counterpart during the final invasion of Hebijo Academy, the silhouettes of the snake girls can be seen in the distance among the ruins of the school when the fight with the last boss is over.]] |
| 364 | ** [[spoiler:Since then, Burst has confirmed that Homura and her friends survived the fight: They have become runaway ninja after defeating Suzune-sensei and appear in Shinovi Versus as a whole new, independent group named ''Homura Gurentai'' (Homura Crimson Squad).]] |
| 365 | ** [[spoiler:Dogen]] shows up alive and well in both the ''Deep Crimson'' and ''Versus'' timelines. [[spoiler:In both timelines, he again meets his end at Homura's hands, but time will tell if either will stick.]] |
| 366 | ** Also, Hebijo's Suzune-sensei: [[spoiler:She was initially a student of Kiriya-sensei supposedly KIA during a mission years ago.]] |
| 367 | * {{Nurikabe}}: Nurikabe (translated as "False Wall") is a name for an enemy in ''Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson'', though it appears as a large RockMonster with crystals sticking out of its body, one of them hiding a girl what has been fused into the monster. |
| 368 | * ObligatorySwearing: After XSEED accommodated the series with an M Rating / 16 PEGI due values dissonance regarding sexual themes in the West preventing the series from being aimed towards older teens, the English lines got kinkier and strong cuss words started being used. Mirai for one cusses like a sailor once she gets feisty, firing “fucks” like no tomorrow. Ryōki also does this when she's in her Evil personality, and her sister Ryōbi also swears often, especially when dealing with Ryōki[[spoiler:'s ghost]], Ryōna, or anyone else who makes her angry. |
| 369 | ** SpiceUpTheSubtitles: Resulting from this practice is that the localized text contains strong language while the girls speaking in Japanese are nowhere as rough as the subtitles are making them out to be saying. |
| 370 | * OddCouple: Ikaruga/Katsuragi (they began as FireForgedFriends), Yomi/Hikage. |
| 371 | * OnceDoneNeverForgotten: In ''Peach Beach Splash'' when the Gessen girls practice their shooting skills [[ItMakesSenseInContext by squeezing their own breasts]]. Afterwards, they're quickly agree [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain to make sure the others never find out about it]]... except they forgot they're being filmed by cameras constantly. Miss R. ensures them they will never let them forget about it. |
| 372 | * OnlyOneFemaleMold: Despite all the shinobi having officially different busts that are shown in official artworks, you'd never be able to tell by looking at most of the cast while in-game. Exceptions being two flat and short girls (Mirai and Ryōbi [[BreastExpansion half the time]]), and two larger than everyone else (Daidouji and Murasaki). |
| 373 | * OnlyOneName: The entire cast, aside from Asuka's grandfather. Justified, since there are a lot of indications that these names are actually {{Code Name}}s and not their real names. |
| 374 | * OptionalBoss: |
| 375 | ** For the Hanzō storyline, we have [[spoiler:Daidōji]], and for the Hebijo storyline, we have [[spoiler:Suzune-sensei, aka [[NotQuiteDead Rin]]]]. Both of them need to be defeated with all 5 characters in a row. The former focuses on [[MightyGlacier pure power at the expense of speed]]. Once her HP is in the red, if she catches you on the ground, she ''will'' use an unavoidable, unblockable dragon punch [[OneHitKill that kills you in one hit]]. As for the latter, good luck even ''catching'' her as she [[LightningBruiser dashes around the battlefield at lightspeed]] slashing you up and throwing {{Fuuma Shuriken}}s. |
| 376 | ** Most of the paths you can take in ''Deep Crimson's'' Yoma Nest end in a battle against a stronger version of a boss from the main story. The most difficult path, however, ends in a battle against [[spoiler:Ultimate Asuka and Crimson Homura.]] |
| 377 | * OrderVersusChaos: What good and evil shinobi are more about. Good shinobi aim to protect this world but are rather stern and strict, while evil shinobi are depicted are more tolerant and individualists, but also more aggressive. |
| 378 | * OutOfGenreExperience: ''Peach Beach Splash'', which is a third-person shooter rather than a beat'm up. |
| 379 | * PalmtreePanic: The Tropical Beach stages in ''Shinovi Versus'' and ''Estival Versus''. Doubles as a BeachEpisode. |
| 380 | * PantyFighter: More like "Jiggly Fighter" in this case, especially when every character can have her clothes worn down to her bikini/underwear (or less in certain games). |
| 381 | * {{Pastiche}}: Of serious ninja flicks; the melodramatic mannerisms of the series are fair and good, but when all is said and done, it's still a franchise about boobs, cute girls, [[{{Fanservice}} strong yuri overtones]] (see YMMV) and the PowerOfFriendship never failing to save the say. |
| 382 | ** It varies from faction to faction, though. While Hanzo ninja are reluctant to kill unless absolutely necessary and rely heavily on the PowerOfFriendship trope, Hebijo ninja are much more faithful to the traditional depiction of the pitiless shinobi and are shown to be willing to kill to accomplish their mission. |
| 383 | *** During Haruka's mission to infiltrate Hanzo school in 'Burst', most of her reconnaissance squad ends up being possessed by the power of the ninja scroll and Haruka has to order Mirai to be ready to kill any of their former allies who would pose an obstacle to the success of the mission; Mirai is distressed by having to kill her comrades, and even Haruka is far from being comfortable with the situation, but they end up doing it anyway. |
| 384 | *** On Shin Hebijo route in Shinovi Versus, Miyabi's group killing most of the others schools' characters is heavily implied. Yet as Ikaruga at least is shown to having survived her fight with Murasaki and has the opportunity to warn Yomi, their fate is ultimately anyone's guess. |
| 385 | * ThePowerOfHate: The main theme of the Hebijo school, each student is motivated by a past grudge she can't get over. |
| 386 | ** Subverted in Burst[[spoiler:, as it's the ThePowerOfFriendship which allows Homura to save the others Hebijo girls from Orochi.]] |
| 387 | * PrivateMilitaryContractors: Shinobi are this, when you boil it down. The difference between "good" and "evil" is that Good has been subsumed as a division of the Japanese military and has more restrictions imposed on its conduct, while Evil still accepts business contracts from private interests. |
| 388 | * ThePsychoRangers: The Yoma Generals in ''Deep Crimson'' is an entire team consisting of direct combat counterparts for the main cast, lead by, of course, Asuka- and Homura-clones. |
| 389 | * PsychoticSmirk: Mastered by Suzune, for example when Haruka seems confident they can defeat the Hanzo girls, or when Miyabi tells her her objective is to restore 'Hebijo's pride'. |
| 390 | * PublicDomainSoundtrack: |
| 391 | ** In ''Shinovi Versus'', The Gessen girls' themes are all arrangements of classical music. The themes are references to their name, design or character (for example, 'Shiki' translates as 'Four seasons'). |
| 392 | *** Yumi: Requiem Mass in D minor, by Mozart, and Piano Sonata No. 8 (Sonata Pathétique), by Beethoven |
| 393 | *** Murakumo: Scythian Suite Op. 20, by Sergei Prokofiev |
| 394 | *** Yozakura: Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata), by Beethoven |
| 395 | *** Shiki: The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi |
| 396 | *** Minori: The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky |
| 397 | ** This trend continues in ''Estival Versus'', with each girl getting a song that's "festival" themed. |
| 398 | *** Yumi: Once again Mozart's Requiem Mass in D minor, though it is taken from Lacrimosa portion of the song. |
| 399 | *** Minori: The Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns. Specifically, from the "Finale." |
| 400 | * RankInflation: You can normally get ranked A through D for mission performance. Beat a mission in Frantic mode and it gets bumped up to a star. |
| 401 | * RashomonStyle: While the Hebijo and Hanzo storylines in ''Burst'' claim to be different angles on the same story, there are clear contradictions in the narrative. [[spoiler:The most blatant is with Hibari's defection to the Hebijo side... in the Hanzo story arc she voluntarily joins in in shameful self-exile after losing the Hanzo secret scroll, whereas the Hebijo story presents the same sequence of events as though she was simply brainwashed. The anime tries to combine these by having her be brainwashed into giving over the scroll, then willingly join Hebijo to reclaim it.]] |
| 402 | ** ''Deep Crimson'' deals with this by retelling the entire final chapter of ''Burst'', streamlining the story and changing things as necessary to better fit the Yōma into the narrative. |
| 403 | * RedOniBlueOni: |
| 404 | ** ''Shinovi Versus'' deliberately contrasts Yumi and Miyabi, who are Good and Evil Blue Oni, against Asuka and Homura, who are Good and Evil Red Oni. |
| 405 | ** Ukyou and Sakyou, the twin guitarists from A.R.C. Angels, are a deliberate inversion. Due to mutual admiration, each sister decided to copy the other, so Ukyou, a natural Blue Oni, dyed her hair red and acts like an aggressive GenkiGirl, while Sakyou, a natural Red Oni, dyed her hair ''blue'' and plays it calm and sweet. |
| 406 | * RedSkyTakeWarning: Yoma are preceded by this. |
| 407 | * RealPlaceBackground: The series is mainly set in the Asakusa district in Tokyo while ''Deep Crimson'' is set in Kyoto and thus you visit many of their turistic spots through the games. |
| 408 | * RivalsTeamUp: At the end of Homura's storyline in ''Versus''. |
| 409 | * RocketTagGameplay: How New Wave's battle system works. |
| 410 | ** Going Frantic ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Life or Death"]] in the Japanese text) makes the main games this, due to the massive offense boost and even bigger defense penalty Yin stance causes. |
| 411 | * RuleOfSexy: One of the distinguishing features of the franchise being clothing damage when enough attacks have landed. One of the other distinguishing features of the franchise is the fact that almost everyone has large breasts, even if/when it makes little sense. |
| 412 | * SchoolFestival: In ''Shinovi Versus''. For shinobi schools though, a school festival is more akin to a fierce martial arts tournament [[SeriousBusiness where the loser's school is burned to the ground by the winner]]. |
| 413 | ** And again in ''Estival Versus'', although the "Festival" is started by an independent entity. |
| 414 | * SchoolSettingSimulation: Hanzo Academy, unlike its rival Hebijo Academy, is designed as a modern Japanese high school under the guise of a ninja academy. Various missions in the series will often take place inside the school with classrooms to enter, each containing a wave of shinobi students or delinquents to defeat, and other sub-sections of the school include the rooftops, the gymnasium and the spacious field. |
| 415 | * SecretIdentity: In ''Shinovi Versus'', Hanzo must have been delighted [[spoiler:to play the role of a teacher for the girls-only school of Gessen; he was asked to do it by his friend/rival Kurokage feeling remorseful to have forced his beliefs about a pure and good shinobi world where evil has been extinguished on Yumi's group and want them to find their own way.]] |
| 416 | * SetAMookToKillAMook: In ''Estival Versus'', it is now possible to do this by summoning other mooks to your aid with a special summon bombshell. The mook you summon is random but will help you out in battle by attacking enemies and diverting their attention. You can only use one summon bombshell at a time, as using another one will immediately replace your summoned mooks with new ones. |
| 417 | * SequelEscalation: While the original game involved a lot of deconstructing BlackAndWhiteMorality, ''Shinovi Versus'' introduces the ''Gessen'' and ''New Hebijo'' teams, who are even more hardline philosophically. |
| 418 | * ShoutOut: |
| 419 | ** Murakumo's manga is about a muscular shinobi warrior in a post-apocalyptic future saving people from the clutches of evil ninja thieves. Hmmm....When you think about it, it sound suspiciously similar to a certain ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''. |
| 420 | ** ''...I am Yozakura...Bzzz...Yozakura...[[Anime/TheBigO Showtime]]...'' |
| 421 | ** In ''Deep Crimson'', Hikage's aerial Ninja Art has her [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure throwing a bunch of knives at her target and shouting "MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA".]] |
| 422 | *** Mirai's renegade uniform has her wearing a pink tank top that has a star symbol with 'Star Platinum' written around it. |
| 423 | ** Daidouji's Shinobi outfit pretty much makes her into a female Jotaro Kujo. |
| 424 | ** In the US version of ''Estival Versus'' on of the missions is called [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic "You know, for kids!"]] |
| 425 | ** In ''Peach Beach Splash'', a boss fight pits you Mr. K and Ms. R who are fighting on mechs. As they are defeated, the mechs will explode, turn them into ATwinkleInTheSky and they shout lines such as [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} "See you next week!" and "I'm blasting off again!"]] |
| 426 | * SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Despite the dark worldview, Senran Kagura tends to fall toward the idealist side, with ThePowerOfFriendship and all the characters being badass having prevented any major death so far. |
| 427 | ** Initially Asuka is TheIdealist, Homura TheCynic. One of the the points of the first two games is to see their beliefs (and the two characters) drawing closer. |
| 428 | * SkewedPriorities: Inverted. In the ''Versus'' games, the Crimson Squad is repeatedly mocked for worrying about keeping their mundane jobs ahead of their Shinobi duties. Except it's repeatedly shown they're barely making rent and often don't have enough to eat, and it's not like they have families [[spoiler:or a school]] to back them up, making their concerns completely valid to the audience. This is already a [[DarkAndTroubledPast delicate matter]] for Yomi, and this attitude makes her [[BerserkButton lose her shit]] at least once. |
| 429 | * SkinshipGrope: Dur. You don't see anything, but it happens between Yomi and Mirai early on. Not to mention all the times that Katsuragi invokes this on purpose. |
| 430 | * SlippySlideyIceWorld: The Snow Mountain stage in ''Shinovi Versus'' and the Snow Festival Grounds stage in ''Estival Versus''. |
| 431 | * StageFatality: ''Estival Versus'' introduces humorous fanservice versions of these called "Purupuru finishes". |
| 432 | * StoneWall: The turtle ninja in ''Shinovi Versus'' have the highest defense out of all the other mooks. Yes, even more than the ''giant bear shinobi''. Luckily, their attacks don't do that much damage. |
| 433 | * StormingTheCastle: The Hanzo girls' assault on Hebijo and Gessen castle. |
| 434 | * StupidGood: Unexpectedly, the ''evil'' shinobi of Hebijo have shades of this trope. As mentioned under Equal Opportunity Evil, they pride themselves on accepting everyone, while good shinobi only accept a select few. This even applies to people whom they have reason to suspect are joining specifically to betray the school, or people who are ''explicitly'' joining to kill one of the other students. |
| 435 | * StylisticSuck: The crude-looking fighting animations in ''New Wave'', as this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV2ovq8UsxI video]] demonstrates. |
| 436 | * SummonMagic: Several high level ''ninpo'' actually call forth special animals to help their summoner attack. |
| 437 | ** The most commonly-occurring example is Hibari's cartoony magic rabbit, who rides around on a thunder cloud; he can be seen in just about every game she can use ''ninpo'' in. |
| 438 | ** Asuka and Yumi have powerful summons in ''Shinovi Versus'' -- [[Manga/{{Naruto}} a giant frog]] and giant ice-spider, respectively -- but neither of these appears in ''Estival Versus''. The girls' ultimate ninpos instead become brief access to their {{Super Mode}}s. |
| 439 | * SuperDeformed: The ''Waist Deep'' DLC chapter of ''Senran Kagura 2'' features the Hanzo Academy and Crimson Squad girls who become pint-sized chibis one night at Kyoto's hot springs inn. [[spoiler:It was due Mirai, who, after finding out the hard way that stealing and consuming one of Kagura's orbs didn't make her any bustier, laced her friends' food with the leftover orbs to avoid being made fun of.]] Completing said chapter unlocks the ability to play as the girls' chibi version. |
| 440 | * SuperMode: Started by Homura and her "Crimson Mode", but now each team leader has access to one as of ''Estival Versus''. |
| 441 | * SuperMovePortraitAttack: Happens sometimes in New Wave when the player is about to finish off an enemy. Also occurs in ''Versus'' games where a close-up animation will occur before every Ninja Art. |
| 442 | * TechnicolorNinjas: Very few of the characters have outfits that resemble something a ninja would actually wear, and yet they are just as effective at their craft as any traditionally garbed ninja. This is given a HandWave with the ninjas' able to seal small battlegrounds in what amounts to a pocket dimension -- depending on the translation it either takes advantage of WeirdnessCensor or is an actual, cut-off-from-Earth pocket dimension. |
| 443 | * TheLostWoods: The Forest of Requiem stage in ''Estival Versus''. |
| 444 | * ThirdOptionAdaptation: According to ''Estival'', the canon ending to ''Shinovi'' was primarily the Gessen ending with several elements from the other three paths added in, including [[spoiler:Ryōbi and Ryōna's assassination plot, TheReveal about Kagura and Shin, Rin leaving Hebijo and becoming an independent Shinobi, Dogen's return and brainwashing plot, and the four teams genuinely befriending one another.]] |
| 445 | * ToBeAMaster: In the beginning, it was only Asuka who was completely devoted to the concept, but ever since ''Shinovi Versus'' introduced the concept of the Kagura, well, everyone's wanted to be one. |
| 446 | * ToBeLawfulOrGood: The Hanzo girls find themselves faced with this dilemma in ''Deep Crimson'' when they're given orders by the Good Shinobi higher-ups [[spoiler:to capture and then eliminate Kagura and Naraku, despite not being told why and being uncomfortable with killing humans when they seem to share the same goal of destroying the yoma.]] They don't necessarily like the orders, but it's hard for them to reconcile their feelings with their duty to follow orders or falling off the path of the "good" shinobi. Ironically, it's the Crimson Squad who choose to be the "Good" in this scenario, fighting their Hanzo counterparts and chewing them out for acting the role of mindless drones to nebulous higher-ups when they should be protecting the innocent citizens from the rampaging yoma (which the Crimson Squad takes upon themselves to do in their stead). |
| 447 | * {{Tomboy}}: Katsuragi seems like one. She goes around without buttoning her shirt ''or'' wearing anything underneath. There's also Kanzaki who backs this up with her [[{{Bifauxnen}} masculine personality]] and [[LadyLooksLikeADude appearance]]. |
| 448 | * TrainingFromHell: The daily regiment at any NinjaSchool, but Hebijo takes it to an extreme degree, even by ninja standards. |
| 449 | ** It helps to compensate the fact that contrary to Hanzo, few of Hebijo's students come from a family with a ninja background; the main recruitment point has much more to do with anger and revenge. |
| 450 | * TookALevelInBadass: Asuka, barely competent at first, grows into becoming one of the finest shinobi of her school and a worthy rival for Homura. |
| 451 | * TooKinkyToTorture: Haruka very blatantly enjoys being beaten to the point of having her clothing shredded. Ryōna on the other hand takes this up to eleven. |
| 452 | * {{Toku}}: Yomi and Ikaruga do a semi-regular tokusatsu show for the children of the slums, complete with masked super-heroes and (ninja-powered) special effects. |
| 453 | ** SwappedRoles: Ikaruga plays the villain. |
| 454 | * TransformationSequence: Shinobi Transformation! |
| 455 | * {{Troperiffic}}: The game is seemingly intended to be a massive collection of {{Fanservice}} and {{Fetish}} tropes. A ClicheStorm is one thing, but a storm this big is... kinda hard to frown at. |
| 456 | * TrueCompanions: Explicitly used within each school. [[VillainousVirtues Including the "bad" ones.]] One chapter of the manga, lifted straight from the first game, has Asuka drawing up a little family tree made up of her classmates. |
| 457 | * UltimateFinalExam: The final exam at Hanzo National Academy involves defeating a hundred wooden puppets equipped with real weapons, all within a time limit and without sustaining injury of any kind. Failing the exam would close off the Path of the Shinobi for the student forever. This is only shown in Kiriya's flashback regarding his past student Rin, in which she would have failed the exam against one last sniper had Kiriya not stepped in to destroy the puppet so that she could pass. |
| 458 | * UnexpectedShmupLevel: Senran Kagura 2's Hipster DLC features this. |
| 459 | * UnreliableNarrator: We have the Funimation dub of the anime to thank for that. |
| 460 | * UpdatedRerelease: ''Senran Kagura Burst: Crimson Girls'', which is an updated version of the first game, ''Senran Kagura: Portrait of Girls''. It's biggest update is a story mode that follows the antagonists of the game, the Hebijo schoolgirls. |
| 461 | * VagueAge: The English localization of the SK games, which lists birthday, blood type, height, and the three measurements, leaves out their age. The Japanese games, [[ValuesDissonance having different standards]], averts this. |
| 462 | * VideoGamePerversityPotential: As expected of a fanservice franchise. In each games' dressing rooms, you can do questionable things to any of the girls such as flipping their skirts or [[JigglePhysics jiggling their breasts]]. However, [[WhatTheHellPlayer all of them will tell you to stop it or outright scold or reprimand you for it]] (except for [[TooKinkyToTorture Ryōna]], of course). |
| 463 | ** ''Reflexions'' may as well be ''Video Game Perversity Potential: The Game.'' The game essentially requires the players to get ''ahem'' [[IncrediblyLamePun "hands-on"]] with the girls by giving them a massage; and yes, you can certainly touch them in ''those'' places. |
| 464 | * VictoriasSecretCompartment: The franchise puts much emphasis on the fact the girls use their ample cleavage to hide their secret ninja scroll. |
| 465 | * VictoryPose: After clearing each stage. |
| 466 | * VillainsOutShopping: As part of the GreyAndGrayMorality, every character has hobbies and talks about things they plan to do in their downtime, and most of the girls are downright cordial to each other if they happen to meet in public. It's at its most visible in ''Bon Appetit!'', which shows how the Hebijo Elites might react to the other characters if they didn't have a [[spoiler:brainwashing-induced]] pathological hatred of the other teams. |
| 467 | * VirtualPaperDoll: Customizing the girls' appearances is a staple feature in the games that gets more and more advanced with every installment. |
| 468 | ** In ''Burst'', you can assign each one a Uniform (seen pre-transformation), a Shinobi Outfit (seen post-transformation), a swimsuit (for frantic mode and also seen during transformations), and an extra item or two (accessories and generic wigs). There were also a few restrictions in terms of what girls could wear what costumes. |
| 469 | ** In ''Shinovi Versus'', any girl can wear any costume, "extra" is divided into the hair slot and several accessory slots, wigs now include designs based off the hairstyles of the various characters, you can adjust the size and placement of accessories, and the swimsuit slot was replaced with the lingerie slot (the designs of which consist strictly of skimpy underwear, rather than some of the less-revealing offerings from ''Burst''). |
| 470 | ** In ''Deep Crimson'', any costume in the Uniform or Shinobi Outfit slots can be applied to either one of those slots (even if they were intended for the opposite slot), wigs come in any combination of style and color (I.E. character 1 can wear a wig based on character 2's hairstyle that has character 3's hair color), accessories can be assigned to appear in either or both of a girl's transformed and untransformed states, lingerie are called swimsuits again (but are otherwise the same as in ''SV''), transformed and untransformed states can each be assigned an individual swimsuit, and you can also give the girls different weapons (which are purely cosmetic). |
| 471 | * VisualNovel: Some parts of the story are delivered in this fashion, complete with artwork. |
| 472 | * VocalDissonance: Look at Shiki's face. Those sharp eyes, the beauty mark, even her transformation showcasing a GrimReaper theme, her ninja costume which seems to be made of garterbelts only, none of this would prepare you for the voice she has - it sounds younger than most of the other characters, like that of a small child. |
| 473 | * WaterGunsAndBalloons: The theme of ''Peach Beach Splash''. |
| 474 | * WhamEpisode: The Crimson Squad's story in ''Shinovi Versus'' reveals that [[spoiler:not only did Dogen [[NotQuiteDead survive]] the events of ''Burst'', but the reason the New Hebijo girls are such massive assholes is because [[HijackedByGanon he brainwashed them]] to go into homicidal rage whenever they see someone from the other teams (Except Miyabi. He's blackmailing her).]] |
| 475 | * WhamLine: This line in the above Crimson Squad story contains a major reveal about the story: |
| 476 | -->'''Tsumuji:''' ...I want to be strong enough to defeat you. But, that's impossible with Hebijo as it is now. |
| 477 | -->'''Homura:''' What do you mean? |
| 478 | -->'''Tsumuji:''' Hebijo is rotting. [[spoiler:[[HijackedByGanon Dogen has everyone brainwashed.]]]] |
| 479 | * WombLevel: [[spoiler:The final level of the Hebijo campaign in Burst is the inside of Yamata no Orochi. Being an EldritchAbomination, it's an EldritchLocation.]] |
| 480 | * TheWorfEffect: This happens to ''all'' of Hanzo. They never have a clean victory in their own stories until the final set of fights, and in the other stories, they lose clean ''every'' time they fight. The one exception is Yagyu, who beats Mirai in there first encounter in both storylines of burst. |
| 481 | * WorldOfActionGirls: Falls in line with the premise. Although male shinobi exist (Kiriya and Hanzo are two retired shinobi, for example), it's implied that there aren't any that are active in the schools depicted so far. ''Senran Kagura 2'' actually adds in a playable male character in the form of Ikaruga's brother, Murasame, who gets the same RuleOfSexy treatment as the girls. |
| 482 | * WorldOfBuxom: Almost the entire cast is busty as hell, and you can count the exceptions on one hand. Mirai used to be the only flat-chested character, but ''Shinovi Versus'' introduced [[http://senrankagura.wikia.com/wiki/File:9ryoubi.jpg Ryoubi]], who's just as flat but compensates with the illusion of her [[http://senrankagura.wikia.com/wiki/File:Screenshot_2013-10-02-22-07-00.png shinobi form.]] Then ''New Wave'' [[http://senrankagura.wikia.com/wiki/File:Fccf0a53.jpg introduced Muramasa]] and [[http://tinyurl.com/h2uapaf Ranmaru]], who's actually modestly-sized instead of being huge or flat[[note]]Oddly, she and Hibari both have an official bust size of 80cm despite Hibari looking several sizes larger than Ranmaru.[[/note]]. Estival Versus then added Kafuru, who also sports a modest endowment. {{Lampshaded}} in ''Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars'' when [[MetaGuy Neptune]] notes that this crossover for [[ACupAngst Blanc]] will be like playing on Hard Mode or even [[HarderThanHard Nightmare Mode]]. |
| 483 | * {{Wutai}}: This is a game series about female shinobi that takes place in ''Japan'', so of course there will be stages placed in Japanese schools, cities, towns, shrines, temples, castles, and even [[HotSpringsEpisode public hot springs]]. |
| 484 | * YouAllLookFamiliar: The models for the most of the mooks pretty much have the same skin. |
| 485 | * YoungerThanTheyLook: Despite their appearances, the majority of the characters are below age 18, with few exceptions (Characters like Ikaruga, Haruka, and Nachi who ''are'' 18, while characters like Miyabi, Imu, and Daidōji are in their 20s, for example). |
| 486 | ---- |
| 487 | -->''"Troper, dance in the shadows for justice!"'' |
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