Affectionately referred to as “titty ninjas”, a series that began out of creator Kenichiro Takaki’s simple earthly desire to see 3D tiddies popping out of the 3DS’ screen has subsequently grown into something far greater: a diverse, well-written series with broad appeal, and a cast that has proven itself more than strong enough to break free from gameplay genre constraints.
Developer: Marvelous AQL, Tamsoft, Honey Parade Games
Publisher: Xseed, Marvelous
Available on: Various
Cover Game Articles
Senran Kagura: Introduction - The Senran Kagura series is one of the more well-known franchises in Japanese gaming today. It's a series that knows who its audience is... but remains full of surprises. Let's talk about that!
Senran Kagura: An Almost-Comprehensive Look at Gessen’s Use of Classical Music - A particular highlight of the Senran Kagura series is its soundtrack... particularly how the Gessen girls' themes are all based on melodies from Western art music. Let's investigate that a bit further!
Senran Kagura Bon Appétit: The Fastest Route to the Heart - Let's cooking! The Senran Kagura girls swap their implements of violence for cooking utensils... but somehow still manage to blast each others' clothes off with alarming regularity.
Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash: No Shirt, No Shoes, All Shinobi Shooting - Peach Beach Splash saw the girls of Senran Kagura fighting in a whole new way: with water guns. This is a game full of surprises... not least of which is the fact it's an important, canonical entry in the overall story!
Senran Kagura: Shinobi Creativity - A core appeal element of the Senran Kagura series for many people is the fact you can get creative with the girls in the Diorama mode. Let's do just that!
Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal: The Pairing of Sword and Shield - Delving into the Hanzou arc of Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, featuring the life and times of the "good" shinobi and how life is never quite as black-and-white as you might want it to be.
Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal: Within the Depths of Shadow - Exploring the Hebijo arc of Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, and how it gives us an insightful look into the lives of "evil" shinobi.
Senran Kagura Peach Ball: Bump ‘n’ Bounce - Investigating Senran Kagura Peach Ball, a spinoff game in the series that sees Yumi, Asuka, Murasaki, Ryona and Yomi fall foul of Haruka's latest experiment. The only cure for a bad case of the furries is, of course, pinball!Other Articles about Senran Kagura
The MoeGamer Podcast, Episode 35: New Age of Beatdowns - Pete and Chris continue their discussion of beat 'em ups by looking at the Dreamcast's transitional period, and the increasing focus on games specifically designed for the home. Plus the usual news and "what we've been playing" segments.
The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 30 – Midnight Magic - Pete and Chris join forces to explore the weird and wonderful world of video pinball. Plus the usual news and "what we've been playing" segments.
Waifu Wednesday: Yomi - All right, all right, one more Senran Kagura waifu and then we’re done! DONE, I say! For now, anyway. I wanted to give Yomi a bit of attention because she’s an immensely likeable character who subverts a lot of expectations and has some interesting backstory. She particularly shines in Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal’s Hebijo arc, but I … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Yomi 
Waifu Wednesday: Miyabi - It occurs to me that in previous installments of this column, I have given some time and attention to three of the four main “faction” leaders in Senran Kagura — Homura, Asuka and Yumi — so it probably behooves me to devote today to Miyabi. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge her a moment … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Miyabi 
Waifu Wednesday: Haruka - Out of all the members of Senran Kagura’s core cast, Haruka initially seems like the one who has it most together — or, perhaps more accurately, is most at peace with the person she is. Combining a sense of genuinely warm, sisterly affection for her friends and comrades with an overtly sexual interest in both … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Haruka 
Waifu Wednesday: Asuka - It would be remiss of me to run a Senran Kagura feature and not give good old Asuka a bit of time in the Waifu Wednesday spotlight, wouldn’t it? Like Ikaruga, Homura, Mirai and Hikage before her, Asuka has been part of the series since its inception, and was initially regarded as its main protagonist. … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Asuka 
The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 29 – The Happenings - Pete and Chris reconvene after a short break to catch up on all the gaming news that has been happening since the last Nintendo Direct and Tokyo Game Show 2019. Turns out there's quite a lot of it!
Waifu Wednesday: Homura - Homura, leader of the Crimson Squad and former elite shinobi of Hebijo Clandestine Girls’ Academy, has stood out throughout the whole Senran Kagura series, and she’s also a character that has undergone some of the most interesting and significant development over the course of the various games’ narrative arcs. Whether it’s her early appearances as … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Homura 
Waifu Wednesday: Yumi - It would probably be remiss of me to ignore one of the most consistently popular characters in the Senran Kagura series while we’re smack dab in the middle of a detailed exploration of it, huh? Yes, it is absolutely time to acknowledge Yumi’s popularity among fans of the series worldwide — and also to address … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Yumi 
Waifu Wednesday: Hikage - One wouldn’t think that a character seemingly devoid of emotions would be a popular choice. But Senran Kagura’s resident snek wife would like a quiet word to educate you. As one of the more longstanding members of the Senran Kagura cast — she’s been in there since the very beginning — it’s understandable that Hikage has plenty … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Hikage 
Waifu Wednesday: Mirai - I’ve had at least one specific request to show Mirai some love while we’re in Senran Kagura season — and I know at least one other person who will appreciate her inclusion, too — so here you are: Mirai gets her turn in the spotlight this week. As it happens, I was going to bring … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Mirai 
We Need To Get Better At Talking About Sex - Sex is great and all, but have you tried talking about it? This is something that the games industry in general appears to struggle greatly with, since adult gaming is still in a weird niche where it’s commonly understood to exist and is appreciated by its core audiences, but at the same time it’s still not … Continue reading We Need To Get Better At Talking About Sex 
Waifu Wednesday: Ikaruga - Since we’re about to kick off a veritable estival (sic) of Senran Kagura funtimes here on MoeGamer, I thought we may as well start with a relevant Waifu Wednesday. At this point, even if you just take the console and handheld games into account and discount the two mobile games, Senran Kagura has an absolutely massive ensemble cast so … Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: Ikaruga 
Special Announcement: The MoeGamer Compendium, Volume 1 - Good morning, everyone! Today I wanted to share a very special announcement with you. I made a book! Yes, for those who would like to remove the “always-online” DRM requirement from MoeGamer’s Cover Game features, I now present to you the ideal solution for all your reading needs: The MoeGamer Compendium, Volume 1, collecting together … Continue reading Special Announcement: The MoeGamer Compendium, Volume 1 
What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Bountiful Beauties Edition - Senran Kagura is a longstanding favourite here at MoeGamer, so there was no way I was going to miss out on a shiny new limited edition for a reimagining of the game that started it all. Marvelous Europe’s limited editions have been consistently good quality in my experience, and they’ve really outdone themselves with this … Continue reading What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Bountiful Beauties Edition 
The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 11 – Shadow of Silent Probotectravania in Time. Also Asterix - Pete and Chris get together to chat about old-school Konami... and how this somewhat fallen-from-grace publisher might be learning from some of its mistakes. Plus the usual news and "what we've been playing" segments.
Senran Kagura Reflexions: Shinobi Intimacy - Here in the West, we’re all thoroughly familiar with the idea of furthering your enjoyment of a game by purchasing additional merchandise to celebrate your love of it. Depending on the game, we might get action figures, posters, comics, books, soundtrack CDs… but rarely something “extra” in the original medium, unless a sequel comes along, … Continue reading Senran Kagura Reflexions: Shinobi Intimacy 
Reflections on PlayStation Vita - At the time of writing, Sony has just announced that production of the PlayStation Vita will be ending in 2019, with no plans for a successor. This follows news from earlier this year that we’re counting down the days until the last Western physical Vita release, with many of the last releases coming in limited … Continue reading Reflections on PlayStation Vita 
The “Build a Harem” Tag - It’s been a while since a Community tag post, so let’s let our hair down a bit, since the ever-charming Raistlin was kind enough to nominate me with some very nice words! This particular tag originated from Cactus Matt over at the excellent Anime Q and A blog — he’s a frequent collaborator with a … Continue reading The “Build a Harem” Tag 
The One-Liner Challenge - Time for a Community tag post! This one looked like a particularly fun one, and after the lovely Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime specifically requested me to do one about games, who was I to refuse? The original tag came from The Awkward Book Blogger and was based around, as you might expect, … Continue reading The One-Liner Challenge 
Altering Content and Self-Censorship Pleases No-One - Yesterday, DRM-free digital distribution platform GOG.com posted a lengthy interview with localisation producer Tom Lipschultz and team leader Ken Berry from XSEED Games, whose most recent localisation project Zwei has recently been released on GOG’s storefront. Lipschultz in particular has been known up until the time of writing as someone who claims to hold a … Continue reading Altering Content and Self-Censorship Pleases No-One 
The MoeGamer Awards: Best Community - The MoeGamer Awards are a series of made-up prizes that give me an excuse to celebrate games, concepts and communities I’ve particularly appreciated over the course of 2017. Find out more and suggest some categories here! The first thing I’d like to celebrate is something that I feel is rather important: community. Over the last … Continue reading The MoeGamer Awards: Best Community 
What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash - I grew up with computer games in the ’80s and ’90s. Those who also grew up in that era know that means one thing: big box game releases! If there’s one thing I’ve come to really miss in the last couple of console generations, it’s big box releases of games on all platforms — not … Continue reading What’s in the Box: Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash 
An Open Letter to Kenichiro Takaki, Marvelous Games and All Producers of Games with Fanservice - A recent article published by PlayStation Lifestyle suggested that Senran Kagura creator Kenichiro Takaki has considered toning down the fanservice elements of his most famous series. Speaking with the site, Takaki-san reportedly said that he had pondered this possibility “a little bit… the game started out very small and that was the big selling point … Continue reading An Open Letter to Kenichiro Takaki, Marvelous Games and All Producers of Games with Fanservice 
Destructoid’s Valkyrie Drive Review is More Than Just “Bad Games Journalism” - This week, Destructoid’s Jed Whitaker posted a review of Valkyrie Drive Bhikkuni, a PC port of a Vita game produced by Senran Kagura creator Kenichiro Takaki’s new studio Honey Parade Games. The review, such as it was, angered a lot of people — and with good reason, since it began with the headline “Dynasty Warriors for … Continue reading Destructoid’s Valkyrie Drive Review is More Than Just “Bad Games Journalism” 
Some Thoughts on Localisation - Localisation is, it seems, a somewhat thorny issue these days — but it’s one worth discussing. Before I begin today, I’d like to emphasise that by no means am I attempting to present a “definitive” opinion here. By its very nature, this is a topic that is highly subjective and a matter of opinion, and … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Localisation 
The MoeGamer GameCast: Episode 3 - In this episode, Midori, Yumi, Penelope and I talk about why so many modern JRPGs are flat-out ignored, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and more. Midori also has a quiz for you if you want to try and prove you know more than your average Western games journalist about the JRPG genre in general. The original music, … Continue reading The MoeGamer GameCast: Episode 3 
Waifus I Have Loved - As Valentine’s Day rolls around once again, I find myself keenly aware that not everyone in this world is fortunate enough to be blessed with a partner, lover, spouse or otherwise significant other as understanding, tolerant and patient as my good wife. At times like this, a man often turns to solace in the arms … Continue reading Waifus I Have Loved 
Senran Kagura Estival Versus: Sights and Sounds - The Senran Kagura series has a striking, immediately recognisable audio-visual aesthetic, thanks to both Nan Yaegashi's wonderful art, and the fantastic soundtracks the games have enjoyed over the years.
Senran Kagura Estival Versus: Narrative, Themes and Characterisation - One of the biggest strengths of the Senran Kagura series is its comprehensive lore, featuring intertwining character backstories and its own take on Japanese mythology. Let's explore further!
Senran Kagura Estival Versus: Historical Context and Mechanics - The Senran Kagura series has its roots in the beat 'em up genre -- so let's take a look at the history of such games, and how all this helped make Senran Kagura into what it is.
Senran Kagura Estival Versus: Introduction - Senran Kagura is one of the most consistently misunderstood entries in the Japanese gaming canon. Let's make a start on putting that right, shall we -- and where better to begin than a look at creator Kenichiro Takaki's past work?
Senran Kagura: More Than Just Life and Hometown… Much More - “Tits are life, ass is hometown.” So runs the catchphrase of Senran Kagura creator Kenichiro Takaki, and the unofficial tagline for the series as a whole. While Takaki’s sentiments are refreshingly honest in a world of increasing political correctness — indeed, supposedly the only reason Senran Kagura exists at all is because Takaki wanted to see breasts on the … Continue reading Senran Kagura: More Than Just Life and Hometown… Much More Gameplay videos
Gallery
Localisation Notes
While Shiki is often depicted speaking Engrish in the original Japanese voiceovers, this was replaced with French in the English subtitles. I am pretty Japanese ninja!
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