Himawari!

About Himawari!

Meet Himawari! (ひまわりっ!), an adventure and comedy anime by ARMS (2006). Here is the premise in a nutshell. The premise: Himawari Hinata recently transfered to Shinobi Gakuen to train to become the best kunoichi she can be. She wanted to be a ninja ever since she was saved by one when she was little.

Soon after, on her first day, she crosses paths with Hayato Madenokoji (a new transfer teacher) who saves her life. Hayato does not possess any ninja skills or traits, he is teaching the ninjas about normal society to pay off his debt. However, Himawari notices that Hayato bares the same mark on his neck as the ninja who saved her when she was young.

With adventure at the core, exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. Yusura (Asumi Nakata) and Himawari Hinata (Kana Matsumoto) are two of the characters you will meet early. This one is best suited to anyone who enjoys travel-the-world storytelling. The run is 13 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with ARMS, which means the visual identity of Himawari! follows that studio's craft. The adventure focus matters here: exploration, new locations and a steady sense of momentum drive the story. With a 5.9/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Voice casting, including Asumi Nakata as Yusura, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 2006, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.