is a Japanese light novel series written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. It was adapted into an anime television series animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi that aired from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in 2014 and released the series on December 16, 2014, along with an English dub.
Plot
Suddenly finding himself in the Sengoku period, average high school student Yoshiharu Sagara is about to be killed on the battlefield. He is saved by none other than the man who would later become the respected Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but at the cost of the latter's life. With the course of history altered as a result of these events, Yoshiharu tries to make things right again. Yoshiharu, however, is surprised to discover that the people he meets, the places he encounters, and the historical events he is dragged into are somewhat different than what he remembers from his favorite Sengoku era video game – Nobunaga's Ambition. Yoshiharu soon discovers that, in this version of the Sengoku period, Nobunaga Oda does not exist – instead being replaced by a young woman named Nobuna Oda who holds his position as a daimyō. Yoshiharu begins working under Nobuna's command, who nicknames him , with hopes of correcting the course of history and finding his way back home to the present-day world.
Characters
Oda Clan
A modern-day teenager who finds himself in an alternative version of the Sengoku period where some of the famous warlords of the era are female. Taking on the historical role of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who died while saving Yoshiharu's life, Yoshiharu swears to fulfill the dead man's dream of becoming a feudal lord and becoming popular with the ladies by using his knowledge from the videogame, Nobunaga's Ambition to foresee future events and help Nobuna in her quest to unite and conquer Japan and to hopefully change her real life counterpart's fate in the Incident at Honno-ji. Others also refer to him by the nickname "Saru" ("Monkey") much to his chagrin, and he becomes Nobuna's punching bag whenever she gets mad or emotional.
The daimyō of Owari. She has a tsundere attitude. Known by her enemies as the "Big Fool of Owari", she is a brilliant and ambitious teenage girl who plans to conquer and unite Japan to strengthen the nation and allow it to stand on equal ground with advanced European nations. An admirer of foreign culture and items, their influences inspire Nobuna's ambition. Throughout the series she is troubled by her position of leadership. As a person who is kind at heart, she seeks to rule with benevolence, fairness and kindness. However, she often finds herself in positions where she must make decisions that could compromise the integrity of her idealism. She begins to develop romantic feelings for Yoshiharu, which culminates with them entering into a secret love relationship later in the light novels. She also gets angry with Jūbei's inability to read the atmosphere as well as her constant interruptions whenever Nobuna and Yoshiharu try to share some quality time alone.
Also known as Jūbei, she is a brilliant tactician and strategist - although her strategies are renowned for their ruthlessness and cruelty. Originally a loyal and dutiful general of the Saitō clan, she later becomes one of Nobuna's most important generals after Dōsan Saitō, leader of the Saitō clan, allies himself with Nobuna. Due to her pride and ambition, Jūbei wants nothing more than to be acknowledged by others, especially by Nobuna - who she admires very much. She has the unfortunate inability to read the mood and atmosphere in the room and has interrupted Nobuna and Yoshiharu's romantic moments on more than one occasion under the pretext of protecting Nobuna (as her relationship with Yoshiharu is supposed to be a secret). After saving Yoshiharu's life at Kanegasaki, Jūbei begins to develop feelings for him, even to the extent of trying to marry him, even though she would constantly deny her feelings towards him until the events of volume 11. This dismays Nobuna to the point she considers executing Jūbei. During the events on volume 11, Mitsuhide finally came to admit her true feelings to him, even though the relationship between Nobuna and Yoshiharu has been exposed to Japan, she would still try to marry him, despite what has been revealed to the public. Because of Jūbei's role in the death of the real life Oda Nobunaga, Yoshiharu tries his best to avoid the Incident at Honno-ji as he is aware of everything that takes place before and after said incident.