Ninja Girl & Samurai Master ( org. Nobunaga no Shinobi, lit. Nobunaga's Shinobi) is a yonkoma series created by Naoki Shigeno which began serialization in Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine in 2008. It later got an Animated Adaptation by TMS Entertainment that began airing as part of the Fall 2016 lineup. The series is available for worldwide streaming on Crunchyroll here
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The series takes place during the Sengoku Period and stars a young ninja girl from the Iga clan called Chidori. When she was young, she slipped into a river and almost drowned but was saved thanks to the warlord Nobunaga Oda. On that day, she swore that she will serve Nobunaga one day. Five years later, she and another ninja named Sukezo are sent to serve Nobunaga. Comedy ensues, as Chidori does her best to help Nobunaga to achieve his goals to unite all of Japan.
Ninja Girl & Samurai Master provides examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: Chidori calls Sukezo "Suke-chan."
- Badass Adorable: Chidori is one of the cutest ninjas you might see, but she can easily take down a large group of foot soldiers on her own.
- Been There, Shaped History: Chidori has had part on major events in Nobunaga's reign, but her being a shinobi means that she cannot take any credit from them. The least she can do is tell someone about the events she has gone through like to Ota Gyuichi (the author of The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga).
- Blush Stickers: Most of the female cast has these.
- Butt-Monkey: In terms of physical comedy and unfavourable comments, Hideyoshi gets the short end of the stick.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Nobunaga says he believes that the time when bows and arrows are going to be obsolete when talking about his firearms, Chidori thinks that it means that time of shurikens have come.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: When Hanzo calls Chidori cute, Sukezo erupts in flames and declares him as an enemy.Chidori: But he's an ally.Sukezo: He's definitely an enemy!
- Dual Wielding: Chidori commonly fights using two swords at the same time.
- Dude Magnet: Chidori has been called cute by numerous male characters in addition to Sukezo being in love with her. Kicho and Oichi are highly renowned for their beauty and are quite popular.
- Forgotten First Meeting: Chidori thinks that Nobunaga probably has forgotten the first time the two of them met each other when she is send to serve him. Turns out that Nobunaga does indeed remember Chidori.
- Happily Married: Nobunaga and Kicho, also Hideyoshi and Nene. Toshiie and Matsu take the cake though.
- Has a Type: Oichi apparently likes men with muscles.
- Idiot Hero: Chidori, to put it bluntly, has more skills as a ninja than she has brainpower. When Nobunaga comments how Imagawa might have fives times his five thousand troops, she gets stumped trying to count it. And when she tries to use the Technique of Not Forgetting (scarring one self to remember important stuff) while spying on Imagawa, she fears that she will bleed to death due to how many times she stabs herself.
- In-Series Nickname: Saru for Hideyoshi, as it reportedly was in Real Life.
- Knight Templar Big Brother: Nobunaga is this in regards to his sister Oichi. When Hideyoshi decides to "describe" Oichi by giving out her three measurements, Nobunaga's reaction is to point his gun at him.
- Large Ham: Imagawa is really loud and boisterous. So loud that he can be heard outside of Imagawa Estate.
- Lethal Chef: Nene is not a really good cook. She once managed to knock out both Chidori and Sukezo out after they claimed they have Acquired Poison Immunity.
- Ninja Brat: Both Chidori and Sukezo are kids, but are still good enough that they are send to serve Nobunaga. Heck, in their first meeting, Chidori defended Nobunaga from a bunch of samurai with a couple of kunai.
- No Mouth: Nobunaga isn't drawn with a mouth most of the time for whatever reason.
- Oblivious to Love: Chidori still has yet to pick up on Sukezo being in love with her. For a time, Hideyoshi was unaware of Nene being in love with him either, however, he does realize eventually.
- Official Couple: Nobunaga and Kicho, Hideyoshi and Nene, Oichi and Nagamasa, Toshiie and Matsu.
- Older Than They Look: Chidori is turning 16 or 17, Sukezo presumably is the same age, they both look to be around 12; the art style contributes, and also the other characters are significantly older.
- Only Sane Man: Nobunaga is most level-headed of the cast, and most of his comedy comes from reacting to other's antics.
- Rapid-Fire Comedy: As excepted as an yonkoma, but the anime also follows suit for keeping a similar structure to each scene.
- Relationship Upgrade: Hideyoshi and Nene go from Oblivious to Love to Happily Married in a matter of a few episodes.
- Retirony: Lampshaded by Imagawa when, after capturing two of Oda's fortresses, he overhears three of his soldiers talking about what they plan to donote after the invasion is complete, and yells at them to stop raising such Death Flags.
- Samurai Ponytail: While many of the male characters have a topknot, Mori is one of few who outright has a ponytail.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Toshiie and Matsu, they even wear matching outfits!
- Sneeze Cut: When trying to spy on Imagawa, Chidori almost sneezes when we see Nobunaga worry about her. She gets her sneeze covered when Imagawa himself sneezes due of being talked about between Mori and Hideyoshi.
- Super Drowning Skills: Chidori can't swim at all. Even after she almost drowned five years ago, she still hasn't learned how to swim.
- Tsundere: Nene in regards to Hideyoshi.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: Kicho is bit of an air-headed version of this. Especially in the Silk Hiding Steel part, where she is ready to don samurai armour to protect her castle if needed.
