Common Name: Nobunaga no Shinobi
Alternative Names: Nobunaga's Ninja, Ninja Girl & Samurai Master
Score: 6/10, 4/5
Length: 2 Seasons of 26 Episodes
Genre: Action, Comedy, Short-form, History, Samurai
Summary: Long ago, a young girl was saved from drowning thanks to the man who would later become one of Japan's greatest daimyos (feudal lord), Oda Nobunaga. Now trained by the Iga ninja clan, Chidori has sworn fealty to Nobunaga certain that her lord will bring peace to the land. Though his unification will likely require her to kill others, she is certain that Nobunaga's intentions are ultimately good.
Review: Historical revisionism is, almost by design, a very dangerous form of fiction. If handled poorly, revisionism can be turned into justification for nearly any of history's great atrocities. There is, however, just as much danger in over exaggerating the negatives of a person or situation. If taken too far, tyrants and genocide can be seen as historical flukes, an impossibility that came to fruition because the cosmos aligned in just the right way. So, it comes as a bit of a surprise to find a childish retelling of Oda Nobunaga's grand campaign throughout Japan that strikes a balance between those two extremes--not to light and simplistic but not afraid to remind people how many fell before the man who is remembered to this day as a bloodthirsty demon.
It is interesting to point out that, before the Warring States period,
Japan was a unified nation...relatively speaking
Being a kid's retelling of historical events, it goes without saying that this show glosses over a lot of the things that branded Nobunaga as "The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven," a supposedly self-assigned title. Yet, I can't say there isn't value in showing a lighter side of Nobunaga. Through the eyes of the fictional ninja, Chidori, we get to see what amounts to a rational retelling of the man Nobunaga likely was. As his vassal, Chidori functions as just another head within the Oda clan. Through interactions with the man's generals, his wife Kichou (commonly known as Nōhime), and his sister Oichi, Chidori's life offers a glimpse into the man's more human nature. While it is unlikely that Nobunaga was truly a man that loved sweets to a faulted and cared deeply for his servants, it does provide a rather compelling narrative into what drove people to serve the man. As his ninja, however, we also get a glimpse into Nobunaga's life as a samurai lord. Presented as a brilliant tactician and inspiring general, Chidori acts and kills dozens at his command because she, like many others, likely felt the charismatic power of the man who sought to unify Japan, albeit through force.
So, in a way, we get a fairly clear and much more reasonable picture of Oda Nobunaga, a man who could simultaneously be a kind, humorous man among friends and a cruel, heartless demon to all who dared to make an enemy of the man.
The truth of the matter is that Nobunaga was likely a complicated and conflicted individual who saw a chance to bring the nation under his rule, certain that it would be better for everyone that way. To call the man a demon is likely an over exaggeration made popular over the years since that image is far easier to hate than that of a man. Yet, to deny the fact of his violent ambition would be no better. So, as a whole, I find it reassuring that this show didn't gloss over or sugar-coat too much in its efforts to abridge history through humor. On that note, though, I feel like I should admit that I did find this show's humor funny. In one respect, the show functions like every absurdist history should, making a good, easy joke out of making the historical figures we put on pedestals act like everyone else. In another, the show's use of Mary Sue character humor also offers a simple but fun brand of comedy that's rarely seen. While Chidori's mainly serves the purpose of giving us the author's interpretation of Nobunaga, there is a certain catharsis in watching her kill dozens and spy on notable figures without much difficulty--effectively making her Queen of the Shinobi or some such nonsense.
The show's unnecessary and mildly prudish sexualization of her, however, is a bit off-putting.
When all is said and done though, this show is a simplistic kid's show. It is, by no means, great. If anything, I'd call it tolerable as an overall product. The art is pretty dull. The animation is hardly there. The music is decent but doesn't stand out. The plot is what you'd expect of a historical retelling but the way in which the story is paced drags on at weird moments for some extra humor on the side, cheapening the experience in some ways without being particularly offensive about it. Put simply, this show was a novelty I picked up because it struck the right cord for me personally but I recognize that it isn't something everyone could enjoy. So, I'll leave this with a tentative recommendation. If, by some odd chance, you are interested in historical comedies and the story of Nobunaga then give this show a shot. Otherwise, I see no reason to bother.