Grenadier (manga)

Grenadier - The Senshi of Smiles (グレネーダー　～ほほえみの閃士～ Gurenēdā ~Hohoemi no Senshi) is a twelve episode anime series directed by Hiroshi Kojina and produced by Group TAC and Studio Live. It aired on WOWOW in Japan from late 2004 to early 2005, and was licenced and distributed in America by Media Blasters. It was adapted from the manga of the same name by Sōsuke Kaise which is released in the U.S. by Tokyopop and in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten.

Grenadier follows the travels of the Samurai Yajiro Kojima, a mercenary swordsman, and of the extremely busty Rushuna Tendo, an expert Senshi. A Senshi, or "Enlightened", is one who is skilled to some degree in the use of guns. The series begins with Yajiro, or the "Rear Guard Tiger", and a small army of Samurai launching a frontal assault against a fort in an attempt to free their Uesama (Samurai Lord); however, the fort was taken over by a power-thirsty group of gunners, and the assault fails.

Yajiro orders a retreat, but is spotted by the enemy and chased to a small cliff, which he jumps off of to escape. With his pursuers still following, he follows a nearby hot-water stream upcurrent where he finds Rushuna bathing in a hotspring. She seems undisturbed by his presence or her own nudity and hides him in the hotspring with her ample breasts as cover until the enemy passes them by. After this, she introduces herself as a traveler and reveals the ultimate battle strategy to Yajiro; to avoid battle by removing an enemy's will to fight.

Hearing the gunfire of the renewed assault upon the fort, Yajiro leaves Rushuna to rejoin combat. He arrives in time to see the leader of the gunners use a Gatling Gun to decimate the samurai. Rushuna also arrives at this point and shows her considerable gun talent and effectively ending the battle by defeating the lead gunner and rescuing the lord by herself.

Something in him changing, Yajiro decides to become Rushuna's partner and travel with her.

Main Characters

 * Rushuna Tendo, age is about 20 something but she claims to be 16. An extremely busty, blonde senshi who was trained to be Tenshi's shadow, who fights to end strife and chaos. She earns the title "Grenadier, the smiling Senshi" from Tenshi at the end of the series. Rushuna serves as a vehicle for much of the show's fan service, some of which takes surprisingly innovative forms (for instance, storing ammunition in one's cleavage).


 * Yajiro Kojima, a kenshi also known as the "Rear Guard Tiger," who battles in an attempt to bring about world unity. Rushuna calls him "Yatchan", an informal name he is initially irritated with but grows to accept.


 * Mikan Kurenai, an orphaned girl who specializes in balloons of all shapes and sizes. After helping her to see beyond revenge in episode six, she joins Rushuna and Yajiro to 'keep an eye on them'.

Other Major Characters

 * Tenshi (Anime only), the Empress of Tento, is a young and wise woman who taught Rushuna the ultimate battle strategy.


 * Setsuna Oomido, a shadow of Tenshi like Rushuna, she takes on Tenshi's form and mannerisms to control the capital and the Ten Heavenly Enlightened, hoping to one day rule the world. Her fighting skills and shooting prowess rival Rushuna's. It is implied that she and Doshi are lovers. After her defeat by Rushuna in the final episode, she decides to travel like Rushuna.


 * Kaizan Doushi, the Jester who helps Oomidou Setsuna in her plans of world domination. Former captain of Yajiro when the rebels attempted to invade the capital a year and a half before the final episode. He had been evil for at least ten years.


 * Kasumi, a shotgun wielding former colleague of Yajiro. She is a double agent in the capital, pretending to be a rebel, but secretly in league with Kaizan Doushi (the Jester) and Setsuna Oomido.


 * Tenma Ganzo, a massive man (who happens to resemble a clown) whose senshi killed Mikan's parents. In episode six, Rushuna defeats him and he joins Touka.


 * Furon, a 17 year old king who was manipulated by the Jester ten years ago into using Enlightened Evil to protect his kingdom.


 * Koto, a teenage girl who gave Rushuna and Yajiro a medicated bath.


 * Banmaru Zoushi, a gadget master who aspired to become a Juttensen; in episode six Rushuna defeats him and he joins Touka.

The Juttensen
(Note: The Ten Heavenly Enlightened are the assassins of Tento and only five are directly named in the anime. They bear each of the ten sacred weapons)


 * Touka Kurenai, the madam of a brothel and originally one of the Ten Heavenly Enlightened. She takes in those orphaned or homeless after battles and allows them to work for her. She is also a practitioner of Tenshi's ultimate battle strategy, and allies with Rushuna when the latter proves she is following Tenshi's plan. Her weapon is a lance with an exploding ball that comes out on a chain. First appears in episode five.


 * Souma Sanzo the Blade-Bard Enlightened. His weapon is sound waves produced from his gauntlets and from an odd accordion/piano object (the Annihilation Surge Array) which operates by blowing air through the nose into it. His vibrations can affect equilibrium. Killed by the Jester after Rushuna defeats him. Appears in episode seven.


 * Teppa Aizen the Cloth Skill Enlightened. He possesses a skill passed down through his family which took three hundred years to perfect: the Aizen-Style Armor Cloth Skill. It allows the user to transform any cloth into a living weapon or armor -- he personally uses adamantium cloth. He also has explosive gauntlets. After Rushuna, his childhood friend, defeats him, he allies with her and aids in later episodes. Teppa is also a closet pervert and a ladies' man in the capital. First appears at the end of episode seven.


 * Fuuka Shirato the Welding Wild Dance Enlightened. One of Yajiro's fallen comrades during a journey to Tento, she lives only because of her assimilation by the weapon Enlightened Evil. Appears in episode nine.


 * Suirou the Hakubi Shin-No-Shin (Underwater) Enlightened. Draws his enemy into an underwater fighting situation and then fights with claws or with a torpedo launcher. Killed by the Jester after Rushuna defeats him. Appears in episode ten.

Trivia
In the first episode, which notes several times that Rushuna's gun only holds six bullets, at one point she shoots seven in a row without reloading.