Kage Kara Mamoru!

Kage Kara Mamoru! (陰からマモル) is a series of light novels written by Achi Taro. The light novels had ended in March 2008 with the release of Volume 12, but as of July 2009, a new series entitled Motto! Kage Kara Mamoru! (もっと!陰からマモル!) has started serialization. It features manga and anime adaptations. The main character is Mamoru Kagemori, a ninja who is sworn to protect his neighbor Yūna Konnyaku.

Story
The Kagemori family has secretly protected its neighbor, the Konnyaku family, for 400 years. Mamoru has been the protector of the daughter, Yūna Konnyaku, since they were in kindergarten. When Yūna is in trouble, Mamoru quickly puts on his ninja suit and transforms into a competent ninja; able to protect her from harm. Unfortunately, this poses quite a challenge as Yūna, being both clumsy and absent-minded, often stumbles into situations where Mamoru must once again come to her rescue.

On the first day of their new school term, a model airplane accidentally makes a dive towards Yuna, but it is quickly stopped by a thrown kunai. At school, Airi Sawagashi invites Yūna to go bowling, but is unhappy when Mamoru also comes.

At the bowling alley, Yūna wanders into the men's restroom and interrupts a yakuza deal involving fake dolls. As a result, they kidnap her and take her to their boss. Mamoru follows them, takes out the gang, and rescues Yūna.

The story continues as new characters enter Yūna and Mamoru's lives with both good and evil intentions, wacky adventures, hints of romance, and confrontations with the strangest of adversaries.

Characters

 * Mamoru Kagemori (陰守 マモル)
 * Mamoru Kagemori is a dowdy boy whose hair is disheveled and wears thick glasses, which are actually a form of concealment/camouflage, and is very lazy except when he's saving Yūna. He is actually the son of a ninja family, which has been protecting the Konnyaku family for 400 years. He reveals his true self (without glasses) when he transforms into a ninja to protect Yūna from harm. He has been friends with Yūna since they were children, and has also been in the same class as her since kindergarten. He also has a fear of bears, which developed because of him trying to protect Yamame from a bear in his childhood.
 * Voiced by: Atsushi Kisaichi (Japanese)


 * Yūna Konnyaku (紺若 ゆうな)
 * Yūna is Mamoru's childhood friend and neighbor. She is a quite clumsy and often ditzy girl. These qualities cause her to get into many troublesome situations. Since she has known Mamoru since kindergarten, Mamoru knows everything about her, except the thing that Yūna looks at every night before bed. The thing Yūna looks at before she goes to sleep is a photo of her and Mamoru which she cherishes. It is hinted that she is in love with Mamoru, but is afraid to admit her love to him.
 * Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese)


 * Airi Sawagashi (沢菓 愛里)
 * Airi, a wealthy girl, is a classmate and friend of Mamoru and Yūna. She discourages any relationship between Yūna and Mamoru, because childhood friends who become lovers are generally unsuccessful. However, she also has feelings for Kagemori. She conceals her feelings by always beating up Mamoru but occasionally gives hints that she likes him but unfortunately Mamoru doesn't understand it.
 * Voiced by: Ryōko Shintani (Japanese)


 * Tsubaki Mapputatsu (真双津 椿)
 * Tsubaki is a miko swordswoman. Her sword can cut anything but nata de coco. She was first hired by the yakuza boss in order avenge his earlier defeat at Mamoru's hands. She is pursuing them for the sake of justice. After finding out the truth about the yakuza boss, she takes revenge on that boss.  She also decides to enter Mamoru's school. After Mamoru cheers her up while she was depressed about being old-fashioned, she begins to develop feelings for him.
 * Voiced by: Sachiko Kojima (Japanese)


 * Yamame Hattori (服部 山芽)
 * Yamame is a ninja and a relative of Mamoru. She remembers when Mamoru comforted her when she was little; however, she is quite disappointed after seeing the glasses-wearing person he is now. After Mamoru saves her from an animal man Chin Panji, and starts to like him, she apologizes to Mamoru. The next day, Yamame decided to enter his school. She is also responsible for Mamoru's fear of bears, caused by him having to save her from one in the past.
 * Voiced by: Ai Shimizu (Japanese)


 * Hotaru Kumogakure (雲隠 ホタル)
 * Hotaru is a ninja. She confesses her love to Mamoru when they first meet. She lost to Yamame in a ninja athletic meet after being distracted by Yamame pretending to see a UFO.  She and her brother attack Mamoru in order to avenge their disgrace.  Her feelings for Mamoru prevent her from defeating him.  She saves Mamoru by giving him (via mouth-to-mouth) some of her family's secret medicine thus allowing him to defeat her brother.  Afterwards, she moves into the neighborhood and starts attending the same school.
 * Voiced by: Erina Furukawa (Japanese)


 * Bullmaru (ぶる丸)
 * Kagemori family's bull terrier ninja dog. Despite its cute appearance, Bullmaru is actually a very skilled canine and is able to use various ninja weapons in its mouth.


 * Sakurako Kagemori (陰守 桜子)
 * Sakurako is Mamoru's mother. She is a ninja and is in charge of protecting Yūna's mother.


 * Kengo Kagemori (陰守 堅護)
 * Kengo is Mamoru's father. He is a ninja and is in charge of protecting Yūna's father.


 * Miminosuke (耳の介)
 * Yamame's ninja rabbit companion.

First Series

 * 1) Mamoru the Shadow! ISBN 4840108382
 * 2) Mamoru the Shadow!（2） 椿の初でいとの道 ISBN 4840110123
 * 3) Mamoru the Shadow!（3） 忍の里から来た少女 ISBN 4840111243
 * 4) Mamoru the Shadow!（4） 来襲!甲賀最強の忍 ISBN 4840111987
 * 5) Mamoru the Shadow!（5） 小鐘井黄金伝説 ISBN 4840111987
 * 6) Mamoru the Shadow!（6） ゆーなとユーナ王女様 ISBN 4840114501
 * 7) Mamoru the Shadow!（7） ホタルの居候日記! ISBN 484011515X
 * 8) Mamoru the Shadow!（8） ウエディング時代劇娘 ISBN 4840115923
 * 9) Mamoru the Shadow!（9） 伊賀娘たちが来た! ISBN 9784840117760
 * 10) Mamoru the Shadow!（10）プリンセスアイリーン ISBN 9784840118903
 * 11) Mamoru the Shadow!（11）うらしまゆーな ISBN 9784840120876
 * 12) Mamoru the Shadow!（12）最後にマモル ISBN 9784840121941

Second Series

 * 1) More! Mamoru the Shadow! (July, 2009)

Anime
The light novels were adapted into a 12 episodes anime series by the Group TAC studio and produced by Aniplex. This anime series was broadcast on TV Tokyo between January 7, 2006 and March 25, 2006 with last two episodes aired the same day.

The anime opening theme is "Million Love" (ミリオン・ラブ) sung by Mai Nakahara and the ending theme is "Rainy Beat" sung by Ryōko Shintani, Sachiko Kojima, Ai Shimizu, and Erina Furukawa.

Manga
The 5 volumes of the manga adaption were released by the publisher Media Factory. The manga adaption wasfirst serialized between November 2005 to April 2006 in Monthly Comic Flapper seinen magazine and since August 2006 in Monthly Comic Alive.

DrMaster published between July 16, 2008 and January 21, 2009 the English translation of the first three volumes of this series under the name of Mamoru The Shadow Protector.

In Indonesia, The manga has been licensed by Elex Media Komputindo, under the title 'The Bodyguard''.