Sanchoume Zouhyou Monogatari (三丁目雑兵物語 lit. A Private Story on Third Street) is a Slice of Life manga written and illustrated by Gregorius Yamada. Serialized in Sanada Taiheiki magazine, it ran from 2015 to 2019.
Throughout mankind's long period of living on the planet, there came the rise and decline of many different cultures across the world. Each of them fostered many different combatants to wage war and bring honor and glory to their respective societies. But what if a member from each were plucked from their times and decided to crash in an old, dingy apartment complex in modern-day Japan?
To the dismay of one unlucky landlord in Ota-ku, his dreams of a quiet life would come to an abrupt end when the first tenant of Itou Mansion is a young lady claiming to be an ashigaru. Not long after she arrived comes another woman bearing the armor of a knight of the Teutonic order who immediately collapses from heat exhaustion. And then yet another girl comes along who is dressed up as a viking proudly seeking to pillage and raid the place.
Those three alone cause enough of a headache for the poor landlord already and they won't be the last batch of warriors. Indeed, others through humanity's history begin to join the fray and to laze around and overall cause problems for the owner.
Sanchoume Zouhyou Monogatari provides the following tropes:
- The Alleged House: Itou Mansion is an apartment complex built by the Landlord's grandfather and because of its age it is exempt from modern rules and regulations. It's also constantly subject to unpermitted modifications by Teuton.
- Bookends: The beginning of the first chapter starts with the meeting between the landlord and Ashigaru outside of Itou Mansion. The ending to the last chapter has the Ashigaru, who is now older and a ronin, return to Itou Mansion.
- Beach Episode: Chapter 5 has the Landlord take the tenants to the Beach for some relaxation until they meet a member of the elusive Sea People.
- But Now I Must Go: After the debacle with Pizarro, William, and Mehmed II is resolved the warriors, with their different reasons, decide to move out and go their separate ways though it takes a while for the Landlord to believe it. The History Club president theorizes they're likely going back to their original time periods. It doesn't last as eventually older versions of themselves eventually move back in during the epilogue.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Landlord, his younger sister, and the History Club President are only known by said titles. Likewise, the warriors are otherwise called by what they are. What it keeps from becoming a Nameless Narrative are the three historical figures consisting of Francisco Pizarro, William the Conqueror, and Fatih Mehmed II.
- Everyone Has Standards: The reason none of the warriors have actual bladed weapons is due to the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law. With that said, it's laxer towards weapons that are blunt or otherwise have practical uses to them. The Landlord expresses their surprise at such laws actually being followed at all.
- Going Native: All the warriors display some form of this during their stay in the modern era. Of them, Viking is the most vulnerable as a nod to how Viking settlements readily embraced the local culture while leaving behind very little of their own.
- Here We Go Again!: Peace and quiet finally descend on the Landlord's property following the departure of the warriors as his life returns to normal. As he finishes cleaning to prepare for new tenants the same Ashigaru girl returns having become a Rōnin during the transition into the Edo period.
- Historical In-Joke: As much of the cast are historical warriors pulled throughout history these types of jokes are inevitable.
- Horns of Barbarism: Parodied. Viking states that no, her peers did not have such stupid horns on their helmets. The insistence of her Landlord, as well as seeing the examples set by Ashigaru and Teuton make her question if they really did wear horns. Hearing the neighborhood kids call her out as a phony for not having them serves as the final nail in the coffin and she can be seen with two taped onto her helmet while hanging out with them in the park. She actually ends up being attached to them. Upon returning to her own time her fellows wonder why the hell she is wearing and is pressured into taking them off.
- Pose of Supplication: When Teuton voices her excitement upon hearing of Valentine's Day, her landlord breaks into one of these and breaks the news that no, Valentine's Day isn't about celebrating Saint Valentinus. Teuton bitterly notes that probably explains why she saw so many couples while visiting the market.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The story ends with these for the main warriors following their return as well as one for the three conquerors alongside some character commentaries.
