Himawari



In the Village of the Mists, a place where ancient tradition meets modern technology to train the ninjas of tomorrow, two people are transferring. The first is Hayato Marikouji, a new transfer teacher and a true fish out of water. The second is Himawari Hinata, a chipper ninja wannabe who possesses very little skill, but has seen ninjas on TV. She was saved by one from a plane crash when she was young, and aspires to become one herself. Himawari transfers into a class with several more experienced ninjas, and starts her training, discovering the secret of her and Hayato's past at the same time.

Himawari! (and its sequel series, which has an additional exclamation point) were Anime First series that aired in the spring of 2006 and the winter of 2007.

Tropes in Himawari! include:

 * Anime First
 * Ascended Fanboy -- Himawari, who knows almost everything about ninja from TV.
 * Blood Knight -- Himeji loves the sound of explosions and fighting in general.
 * Combat Medic -- Shikimi specializes in herbs and potions, but can hold her own in combat.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond -- Himeji
 * Designer Babies -- The reason most of the ninja in the series are so good is that they were genetically engineered that way.
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady
 * Ensemble Darkhorse -- Azami appears to be the most popular character. This wouldn't be the first time a crossdresser overtook actual girls in terms of popularity.
 * Everybody Lives
 * Fake Defector -- Tsukiyohime supposedly sells out her friends to a monster freezing over the forest, but true to her style, she was helping them to victory in an unexpected way.
 * Fake Memories --
 * Figure It Out Yourself -- Tsukiyohime rarely offers any actual advice, instead preferring visions and letting everyone else work out the rest.
 * Five-Man Band
 * The Hero -- Himawari
 * The Lancer -- Shikimi
 * The Smart Guy -- Azami
 * The Big Guy -- Himeji
 * The Chick -- Yusura
 * Fountain of Youth -- An episode in the first season sees most of the cast reduced to younger age, though it's only temporary.
 * Frying Pan of Doom -- Once Hayato and Team Himawari are on the run, he keeps one in his knapsack at all times, and can fight decently well with it.
 * Genki Girl -- Himawari
 * Genre Savvy -- Himawari, to some extent. She's seen enough of her favorite ninja show that she has at least some idea what to do. Whether it works is another matter.
 * Hot for Student -- Hayato and Himawari's relationship, though it's primarily from her end.
 * Humongous Mecha -- Karakuri mecha are built for an inter-school competition. Himawari's team returns in the second season to momentarily aid an escape with its Rocket Punch.
 * Interspecies Romance -- Yusura has a solid relationship with one Yonezawa. He happens to be a kappa.
 * Invisibility -- Kotaro, Hayato's childhood friend. Except for his ears. He seems very eager to go into great detail about how his invisibility works.
 * Journey to The Center of The Mind -- In an effort to cure Himeji in the second season, the main cast (and Hayato) go inside Himeji's head.
 * Mad Libs Catchphrase -- Yusura describes things as being "[adjective] like [animal]". Azami has "According to my information, [important news]. Also, [useless trivia]."
 * Miniature Senior Citizens -- Both the owner of the shop, and the school's principal.
 * More Dakka -- If she's not using her katana, Himeji is blasting things to hell.
 * Meganekko -- Shikimi.
 * Ninja at Ninja School.
 * Non-Human Sidekick -- Momota, Yusura's dog. Fights with flatulence.
 * Oddly Named Sequel -- The second season is differentiated from the first by only one exclamation mark. (Himawari! and Himawari!!)
 * The Omniscient Council of Vagueness -- The people aboard the triangular ship in the second season.
 * Once an Episode -- Tsukiyohime appears without warning and in the most improbable of locations to offer a bit of cryptic advice.
 * One-Gender School -- Both ninja schools.
 * Perpetual Poverty -- Hayato, continually strapped for cash. Though he's a teacher, he mooches off his students more than anything.
 * Personality Powers -- A twisted version. The ninja under the company's orders gain their powers from past traumas. For example, a boy who was denied a gumball turned into a Rubber Man ninja.
 * The Plan
 * Pocket Protector -- A cucumber that Yusura gave to Yonezawa as a gift saves him when he's Brainwashed and Crazy.
 * Raised By Grandparents -- Himawari was raised by her grandmother, and often speaks nostalgically of her.
 * Speaks Fluent Animal -- Yusura
 * Stalker With a Crush -- Komurasaki, a student from the boys' school, towards Himawari.
 * Star-Crossed Lovers -- Shikimi and Nanafushi. Ninja from the two schools are not allowed to find love, but that doesn't necessarily stop them.
 * Sunny Sunflower Disposition -- Himawari, of course.
 * Terrible Trio -- The Boss, Wabisuke and Sabisuke, a trio of turtle ninjas from the first season seeking revenge on Hayato. Not very effective, but their mission was misguided from the start.
 * Theme Naming -- "Himawari" means "sunflower" (as evidenced by her hair decorations), and almost the entire rest of the cast is named after plants as well.
 * Unusual Ears -- Tsukiyohime has elfin ears, which makes her stand out among the cast.
 * What Would X Do? -- In any given situation, Himawari will ask herself "What would Denzou do?"
 * Wholesome Crossdresser -- Azami is a boy, spying from the nearby boys' ninja school. Everybody knows, but nobody really minds. Though the viewers may be the ones who are the most surprised.
 * Verbal Tic -- Himeji's "de arinsu".
 * Where Are They Now? Epilogue