Before I start discussing these series at all, I want to say that I’ve always been one to avoid any type of historical anime or games. I’ve always thought that they are extremely boring and just for people who are really keen about history. Well after watching these two episodes, I’d like to say take that statement back. I feel bad because I’ve skipped out on so many series that could have ended up on my “favorites” list. When I find some free time, I’m probably going to end up taking a look at some series that I’ve missed. The hard part is knowing where to start. If anyone has any suggestions, then let me know!
Recap: Yoshiharu Sagara finds himself in an alternate version of the Sengoku period where most of the warlords are female. As he gets situated, he finds that some of the historical events stay true to the history that he knows. He uses his knowledge from the game Nobunaga’s Ambition to help Oda Nobuna when she meets with Dousan as well as when she deals with her brother Oda Nobukatsu.
This has ended up becoming a big research project for me because I had absolutely no knowledge on Japanese history let alone any knowledge on the Sengoku period. While I’ve probably ended up spending more time looking up books and documents than actually watching the anime, I really think that it’s worth it. I strongly recommend doing some of your own research because it enhances your experience when watching the anime.
Anyways, on to discussing the anime. Even without doing any research, it’s an interesting way to learn something about Japanese history. Portraying famous warlords as beautiful women is an easy way to get people interested; however, it’s not the first time Nobunaga has been portrayed as a girl in an anime. As long as you don’t take everything too literally, you’ll be able to learn something from this series. One inaccuracy that I can name off the top of my head is that instead of Oda Nobukatsu, it was Oda Nobuyuki that was the brother Oda Nobunaga killed. Oda Nobukatsu was actually the second son of Nobunaga. Despite some inaccuracies, I’m glad this series stays close to its historical roots, while giving enough room for the each girl to show their feminine characteristics. As a kid, Nobunaga was described as a bit of a barbarian that would run around with other kids without regard to his rank; we can see that Nobuna also this characteristic as she’s always seems reckless such as when she’s making tea. It’s also this recklessness that let’s Nobuna grow closer to Sagara.
It’s funny seeing the interactions between Sagara and everyone else. In the first episode, he imagines himself as the replacement for the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi. While it’s just his imagination running wild, we see similarities between him and Hideyoshi. Sagara becomes the sandal bearer of Nobuna, while was a role that Hideyoshi also had when serving Nobunaga. Also, when Sagara gets to his new home, Asano introduces him to Nene and wishes for them to marry. It was not explained in the anime, but Hideyoshi eventually marries Nene. This is where research ingcomes in handy because it makes sense out of things and actually makes things funny.
To be honest, this series could have done without Sagara and be turned into an accurate historical/comedy anime without any element of romance. By adding Sagara into the mix, however, it’s almost as if we’re being placed into the anime. Because he is from the future, Sagara is the character that we can relate to the most. Although we cannot control what he says or does, his actions represent a part of us that would do the same if we were in his situation. Through Sagara, we’re given a place in this series instead of just being an observer.
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