Synopsis:
Jiyu Nanohana is a cute and well-endowed teenage girl who catches the fancy of almost every guy she meets. When a strange samurai tells her that she is the successor of the legendary swordsman Yagyu Jubei, Jiyu refuses to believe him. But the descendants of Yagyu Jubei's rivals have already sensed this, and one assassin after another is sent to attack Jiyu! Fortunately, Yagyu Jubei left a little something for our heroine -- a lovely heart-shaped eyepatch. As soon as Jiyu dons the eyepatch, she is overcome with Yagyu Jubei's power and transforms into an ass-kicking ninja girl! Jiyu must somehow put an end to the 300-year old feud between the ancient samurai clans... before the feud puts an end to her.

Review:
Light-hearted and fun, Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl has the action of samurai / ninja anime without the dreary themes that usually accompany them.

Jiyu is an unwilling heroine who wants nothing else but to lead a normal life. She repeatedly rejects the fact that she is Yagyu Jubei's successor, and tries to get rid of the lovely eye-patch on several occasions. Jiyu's continuous denials succeeded in wearing me out, and there were times I would wish she'd just accept the truth already. While Jiyu's transformation is magical girl-esque, it isn't anything like Sailormoon's over-exaggerated and lengthy sequences. Even as I reached the end of the series, I still liked watching Jiyu transform. he fight scenes are quite impressive. There are some fancy moves and engaging swordplay, but not a trace of blood and gore. A lot of funny things erupt even during serious moments, thanks to the series' quirky overall style and humorous characters.

The art and animation are excellent. As Jiyu Nanohana, our heroine looks incredibly cute and almost cuddly. As Jubei-chan the ninja girl, she's depicted as an icy beauty who's taller and more willowy than her original self. Although the characters are all drawn very well, there are a few who look outrightly hilarious -- as their roles in the story require. The music is just as remarkable. The opening theme inspires images of magnificent ninja encounters, and the jubilant ending theme enhances the overall feel-good factor. The series concludes on a rather touching note. Although the main points are resolved, there are some loose ends (like unexplained characters) which are left hanging.

Jubei-chan provides a taste of ninja action with a tiny infusion of magical girl elements. It's a refreshing break from heavy stuff like "Ninja Scroll", and definitely worth checking out.

Miscellanies:
This series is 13 episodes long.

Screenshots:

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Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl (DVD Box Set Special Edition)
Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl (DVD Box Set - Anime Legends)
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Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl (DVD Box Set)

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