When I first read about this, the first thing that came to mind was a ninja version of My Wife is a Gangster. The dorama starts off with our simple-minded husband getting married to his ninja wife and then she disappears after one month of marital bliss. Husbands quits his job as travels around looking for his missing wife eventually ending up in Edo.
Tsuma wa Kunoichi has three parts. The first is the husband who though simple-minded, is an astrology freak and is science smart. He ends up being a school teacher and every episode ends up solving some sort of problem using science/logic. This part basically plays like a feel good comedy especially with the kids.
Then there is Romeo and Juliet part of the story. This is not like Basilisk where its ninjas from warring families. The husband knows she is close by cause she saves his bacon twice but if she's found out, she'll get killed by this former feudal lord Matsuura Seizan.
The third component of Tsuma wa Kunoichi is the historical part with forces in Japan not wanting to open its borders and using kunoichi to spy on people, especially people who come into contact with foreigners. There's this part toward to end of episode 4 that takes this dorama into a dark place which is very jarring compared to the bright story of the teacher husband.
The story is intriguing with a Romeo and Juliet who cannot meet because it would mean their deaths and all that historical stuff and not to mention some nice ninja fighting. What pulls this dorama down is that the tone is uneven. It has a bright family drama look and yet the story can be serious and mature. Acting is pedestrian.
I'm sticking with this dorama for the story and ninja fighting despite my misgivings about the tone and acting. Watchable.
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