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Grenadier
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Grenadier

Grenadier

Format(s): Anime
Genre(s): Adventure Series

"The ultimate battle strategy: To avoid battle by removing an enemy's will to fight." — Empress Tenshi

a.k.a.: Grenadier ~The Senshi of Smiles~

Based in an alternate version of Japan's civil war period, this is the story of the travels of Tendou Rushuna, a buxom young woman with astonishing skill with a revolver. Known as a senshi, or firearms expert, Rushuna is on a personal journey to bring peace to the land. Uncomfortably aware that shooting people is not the best way to accomplish this, Rushuna is struggling to master the peaceful teachings of the Empress Tenshi. Accompanying her is Kojima Yajiro, a.k.a. Yatchan, a skilled samurai who has grown weary of battle and sees value in Rushuna's goals. Also along for the ride is Kurenai Mikan, an orphaned balloon artist who has painful memories of her own to deal with.

Learning that there is a price on her head, Rushuna journeys back to the Capital to clear her name. Pursued and watched by a mysterious man in a clown mask, Rushuna must battle the Juttensen or Ten Heavenly Enlightened one by one, each armed with strange and deadly weapons. She gains allies as she travels, beating her enemies with her skills and winning them over with her purity, trying to learn more about the mysterious Jester and to understand the Empress's strange actions.

Though there are only 12 episodes, Grenadier manages to explore each character and many of the foes in depth. The anime is very well suited to the incredible ballistics and improbable weapons of the show, easily switching speeds to let the viewer see what is happening during combat. Featuring high quality animation, the show also is known for its ample eye candy. Rushuna's impressive bosom gives her a signature method of reloading her revolver in combat that must be seen to be believed. It was for good reasons that the popular anime collection AMV Hell played the song "Dark Chest of Wonders" as accompaniment to Rushuna's eye-popping gymnastics.


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This show provides examples of:

Anime Anatomy - Although Rushuna is rarely completely naked, there are situations where you'd think that at least her nipples would be exposed...
Anime Theme Song - Since it aired on two different networks, there are two theme songs.
Blasting It Out Of Their Hands - Rushuna's primary method of disabling opponents, although since she is using live rounds, one wonders why they're not dying of blood loss.
Um, because they're usually still conscious and able to staunch the wounds?
Boobs Of Steel - Rushuna is the best marksman in the show, and the most endowed female. Unfortunately, so is her Evil Counterpart and rival.
Bottomless Magazines - Subverted: Rushuna can only fire six shots at a time, and even after reloading repeatedly she still runs out of bullets in at least one episode. That cleavage of hers can only hold so much, you know...
Broke Episode - Rushuna and Yajiro have to resort to street performances in order to get money in one episode.
Calling Your Attacks
Chivalrous Pervert - Teppa
Crouching Moron Hidden Badass - Rushuna
Crowning Moment Of Awesome - Rushuna's crazy Gun Kata duel in the final episode is a shining example, although Yajiro gets one when he deflects a massive cannonball with a frickin' katana.
Darwinist - The Jester.
Dramatic Wind - With Mikan's forgiveness, Rushuna's skirt is blown in the wind.
Evil Counterpart - Setsuna the Tenchi impersonator. This is reflected quite well visually, with her outfit, hair, and skin being stark contrasts to Rushuna's brighter colors.
Fan Service - One of the figurines actually came with two different detachable bosoms.
Firing In The Air A Lot - Win a weekend at the Peach Blossom Tower!
First Name Basis - Yatchan
Furo Scene - Rushuna is constantly searching for her next hot bath.
Gainaxing - Like you wouldn't believe. Actually used for a practical purpose, though.
Gun Kata - Rushuna and Setsuna in episode 12
Hot Springs Episode - Seen in the closing credits.
Hyperspace Arsenal - Mikan manages to produce an inflatable boat, costumes, a glider, even fully colored doubles of herself on demand. And her 50 gallons of water balloons vanishes without a trace. Apparently Mikan is carrying an inflatable portable hole!
I Have The High Ground - While the Jester can stand on air, he favors high vantage points such as tree tops and cliffs.
Improbable Aiming Skills - Rushuna is the queen of this, and is often considered to be The Stampede's Distaff Counterpart because of it.
Improbable Weapon User - Basically every member of the Elite Imperial Guard. Aizen Teppa uses a special, nigh-invincible cloth, another uses sound, and the Jester uses what appears to be Frickin Laser Beams.
Luminescent Blush - Kasumi gets the hots for Teppa.
Magic Bullets - Every blessed one of them.
Magnificent Bastard - The Jester, who is more proactive than most.
Marshmallow Hell - Done humorously, but also practically and for emotional effect as well. Rushuna hides Yajiro from enemy troops in a hot spring with it, but also uses it on a couple of her defeated enemies in a form of the Cooldown Hug.
Most Common Super Power - The three best women fighters in the series all have this. Lampshaded in manga by Mikan during an Omake, where she asks Rushuna how she got so big, and Rushuna has no idea.
Ms Fanservice - Rushuna. Yes. If it weren't for Mai Shuranui, she'd be the queen of this.
Only A Flesh Wound - Rushuna shoots dozens of people but never kills anyone.
Samurai - Yatchan.
Revolvers Are Just Better - The two best marksmen in the show both use revolvers, and Rushuna's is not only a custom job, but also considered very outdated by the standards of the setting.
Scary Shiny Glasses - Though not very scary, when Aizen Teppa hides his emotions, his lenses go shiny.
Schizo Tech - Robots, machine guns, and missiles, right next to swords and samurai armor.
She Is All Grown Up - With the use of balloons, Mikan briefly appears to be older than she is, and even does Marshmallow Hell to Yajiro at one point.
Sign Language - Suirou
Take My Hand - Yajiro and Fuuka, episode 9
Team Shot
Technical Pacifist - Yatchan believed that only with a sword could you feel the weight of a human life.
The Gunslinger - Rushuna and Setsuna.
This Is Something Hes Got To Do Himself - Yatchan versues the Jester.
Twelve Episode Anime
Unorthodox Reload - Rushuna loads her gun by ejecting bullets from her cleavage.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair - Every Japanese character has black hair, and Rushuna's blonde hair immediately marks her as a foreigner.