EPISODE CONTEXT

Episode 400 marks the exact midpoint of Ninja Hattori-kun's massive 694-episode run, firmly within the show's long-running episodic format where standalone comedy sketches dominate rather than serialized arcs. By this stage, all core character dynamics — Hattori's devotion to helping Kenichi, Kemumaki's scheming rivalry, and Shishimaru's comic relief — are deeply established and running on full steam. There are no major narrative shifts to track here; the series continues its reliable formula that carries it through its remaining nearly 300 episodes.