The series takes place in Kasumi Kogen (which translates into "The Village of Mist"), which is a village located somewhere in rural Japan. This village is the home of the Shinobi Gakuen, where competent female students come to study to become kunoichi (female ninja). The people who live in the village are all alumni of the school.
The main female character of the series is Himawari Hinata. When she was a young girl, she was rescued from an airplane accident by a ninja with a mark on his neck. Since that day, she swore she would become a ninja. The story begins with Himawari trying to gain entry into Shinobi Gakuen.
The main male character of the series is Hayato Marikoji, a single 24-year-old man who took on a teaching job at the school to settle a two million yen debt. Hayato is not a ninja, but he was hired so he could teach the girls how to be able to act "normal" after graduation, when they start taking on missions to save other people. When Hayato realizes what he's gotten himself into, he tries to leave. However, when Himawari saves Hayato's life, he changes his mind.
There are three other students who are focused on in the series. Shikimi wears glasses, and has a lot of knowledge of medicinal herbs; however, her ninja teleportation is slow. Yusura is an animal-themed student, with panda-like paws, tail, and animal ears; she can also converse with animals. Yusura has a pet named Momota, who has an attack that consists of farting. Himeji is half-American, and is an expert in weaponry; she carries around guns and a large sword.
As I watched the first episode of this series, I found myself being reminded of Naruto on several occasions, especially the fact that the main character of this show has a last name that shares with the first name of one of Naruto's female characters (Hinata). Looking at the dates this show aired on Japanese television, I'd be willing to wager it was created in an attempt to capitalize on Naruto's popularity. The big difference between the two shows is the fact that Himawari!'s cast is primarily female, where Naruto's cast is primarily male. Also, Himawari! seems to be written to be more of a comedy. While Naruto does have its comedic moments, it's also a show with serious elements in it as well.
When it comes to the visuals, there are some fanservice shots of Himawari's underwear. Outside of that, I didn't see anything else that was too terribly objectionable. Personally, I would recommend Himawari! to anime viewers who are 13 or 14 years of age and older.
| Himawari! | 13 | 2006 | Shigenori Kageyama | ARMS | Maiden Japan |
| Himawari!! | 13 | 2007 | Shigenori Kageyama | ARMS | Maiden Japan |
