Copyright © 1999 Daichi Akitaroh - MADHOUSE / Bandai Visual

If you've been waiting for another dark and gloomy series with serious sword-fighting action and stoic, fearsome heroes, you'll just have to keep looking. However, if you're willing to have some fun as silly gags and goofy characters collide onscreen, JUBEI-CHAN: THE NINJA GIRL, SECRET OF THE LOVELY EYEPATCH is exactly what you've been looking for. (Of course, this doesn't mean that this show doesn't offer some great martial arts action—even if our heroine probably shouldn't have such great depth perception.)
Visually playful and powerfully funny, JUBEI-CHAN is easily the most creative and wacky anime series I've ever had the pleasure of watching on DVD. Mixing more animation styles in one episode than you'll find during an entire Saturday morning of American cartoons, this delightful show places hilarious characters into ludicrous situations while weaving an intriguing storyline. And it left this reviewer clutching his sides in laughter.
Of all the madcap anime premises, this one is nearly sublime in its absurdity. Yagyu Jubei was the greatest swordsman in Japan 300 years ago and, on his deathbed, he charges his disciple Adago Koinosuke with carrying on his legacy. Oddly enough, the legendary warrior's legacy involves a lovely eyepatch in the shape of a heart and, with only vague and vaguely lecherous instructions, Koinosuke must find the individual who is destined to carry on Jubei's skills. It takes the luckless ninja three centuries before he finds someone, and she just happens to be cute young schoolgirl Nanohama Jiyu (who is nicknamed Jubei by her chronically-fatigued father).
When donning the lovely eyepatch, sweet little Jiyu becomes a feminine reincarnation of the invincible Yagyu Jubei, complete with his sword and his astonishing skills. Naturally, Jiyu is more interested in adjusting to life at her new school rather than dealing with the ninjas of the evil Ryujoji clan who keep attacking her (and who also happen to be her teachers). Throw in the fact that many of Jubei's friends and enemies quickly develop a romantic crush on her, and this anime could very easily be nicknamed THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT JUBEI.
The real highlight of this show is its unrelenting sense of humor. Whether it be a funky slapstick sequence (like when Koinosuke chases Jubei on her bike) or the panoply of hilarious expressions (like the ridiculous facial contortions of one ninja/substitute teacher when he realizes that the cute girl in his class is Jubei), the visual humor of this show surpasses description. Character designs vary over a wide and entertaining range, from the well-detailed Jubei to the strange monkey boys, and nobody is immune to comedic distortions. Pay particular to the changing kanji that appear on one character's shirt, cleverly reflecting his moods and desires.
This show truly rewards the benefits of DVD slow motion and quick replays. Some of the gags are so quick, the comic action so random, I found myself frantically pressing the rewind button so nothing could sneak by me. I have no complaints about the video quality, and the sound was fine as well. The DVD offers Japanese stereo sound and English Dolby, but this isn't exactly the kind of show that especially rewards or requires fancy setups.
The dub job was more than passable, and the woman who voiced Jubei had a really great scream. These are roles that practically demand overacting and the actors didn't disappoint. I was especially impressed with the emotional range of the actor who portrayed Koinosuke, as the hapless ninja tries to perform his responsibilities to Jubei while confronted with facets of modern life such as bicycles and toast for breakfast.
The only disappointment of this disk is the paucity of extra features. Besides the compulsory previews and DVD credits, the extras menu offered something billed as "Cooking With Jubei-chan." I was really looking forward to an animated short with the imaginative visuals and slapstick humor the show had led me to expect. Sadly, this is merely a slide show presentation of how to prepare Jubei-Yaki. But if you need an anime DVD to teach you how to make fried eggs, I guess this is just another reason to pick up this disk.
All in all, JUBEI-CHAN is delightfully entertaining. I didn't mind the fact that the martial arts action rarely took up more than a minute per episode, I just kept waiting for the next crazy visual gag to burst onto the screen. This show is so much more fun watching a grumpy "hero" with a stiff upper lip disembowel a bunch of ninjas. Show me the silly girl with the lovely eyepatch any day of the week.

Released in North America by Bandai Entertainment, Inc.
Bilingual DVD, 100 minutes
English Dubbed / Japanese Subtitled, #0970
$29.98
Available now in the USA
Where to buy