Nintama Rantarō

Nintama Rantarō
忍たま乱太郎
Genre	Comedy, Action, Adventure
TV anime
Studio	Ajia-do Animation Works
Network	NHK
Original run	10 April 1993 – ongoing
Episodes	1,471 (as of S18E78)[1]
Anime and Manga Portal

Nintama Rantarō (忍たま乱太郎^?, lit. Rantarō the Ninja Boy) is a Japanese anime series based on Sōbē Amako's manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō. It was produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and originally broadcast on NHK. It is aimed at young children, featuring the adventures of Rantarō and his friends and teachers at Ninja school. The fact that glasses are worn by one of the main characters is intentionally anachronistic. The manga references other Japanese media personalities such as Ken Shimura.

In July 2011, a live action film version directed by Takashi Miike titled Ninja Kids!!! was released.^[2] The rights to produce an American version of the film are in negotiations.^[3]

Cast

Ninja School

Rantaro's Class

• Rantarō Inadera (猪名寺乱太郎,, Inadera Rantarō^?) Voiced by: Minami Takayama

The main character, a bespectacled first grade boy who is aiming to become an excellent ninja. Unfortunately, he often gets distracted and prefers to goof off with his friends Kirimaru and Shinbei.

• Kirimaru Settsuno (摂津のきり丸,, Settsuno Kirimaru^?) Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka

One of Rantaro's best friends. He is an orphan who lost his family and home during a war, and now makes a living doing various part time jobs. When school isn't in session, he lives with Doi. His primary interest is being obsessed with earning money.

• Shinbē Fukutomi (福富しんべヱ,, Fukutomi Shinbē^?) Voiced by: Teiyū Ichiryūsai

A rich merchant's son, who quickly became friends with Rantaro at the beginning of the series. He is overweight, a bit slower when it comes to thinking, and often has to be corrected by his friends. Nonetheless, he possesses great power and strength.

• Shōzaemon Kuroki (黒木庄左ヱ門, Kuroki Shōzaemon^?) Voiced by: Mami (Season 1-11), Saori Higashi (from Season 12)

Rantaro's classmate and first year Hagumi's class president.

• Isuke Ninokuruwa (二郭伊助, Ninokuruwa Isuke^?) Voiced by: Chie Satō
• Kingo Minamoto (皆本金吾, Minamoto Kingo^?) Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe
• Kisanta Yamamura (山村喜三太, Yamamura Kisanta^?) Voiced by: Tomiko Suzuki (Season 1-11), Saori Sugimoto (from Season 12)

Rantaro's classmate, collects slugs as a hobby.

• Danzō Katō (加藤団蔵, Katou Danzou^?) Voiced by: Hiroko Emori
• Torawaka Satake (佐武虎若, Satake Torawaka^?) Voiced by: Yūko Kobayashi
• Sanjirō Yumesaki (夢前三治郎, Yumesaki Sanjirō^?) Voiced by: Hiroko Emori
• Heidayū Sasayama (笹山兵太夫, Sasayama Heidayū^?) Voiced by: Akiko Muta

Heidayū likes traps and has his entire room rigged with them.

• Denshichi Kurokado (黒門伝七, Kurokado Denshichi^?) Voiced by: Yūko Satō
• Sakichi Ningyō (任暁左吉, Ningyō Sakichi^?) Voiced by: Kikumi Umeda

Kunoichi Class

• Yuki (ユキ^?) Voiced by: Sakura Tange (Season 2~8), Mariko Kōda (Season 1, 9 and on)

The leader of the kunoichi. She is also Rantaro's partner.

• Tomomi (トモミ^?) Voiced by: Hiroko Emori

Tomomi is the class president of the kunoichi. She is Kirimaru's partner.

• Shige (シゲ^?) Voiced by: Akiko Muta

Shige is the grand daughter of the principal and also Shinibei's partner.

Staff

• Hansuke Doi (土井半助,, Doi Hansuke^?) Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki

Rantaro's main classroom teacher. He often loses patience with Rantaro and his classmates due to their inability to pay attention. His personality resembles Iruka Umino, another ninja teacher who is voiced by the same voice actor.

• Denzō Yamada (山田伝蔵,, Yamada Denzō^?) Voiced by: Chikao Ohtsuka

Another teacher of Rantaro. He serves to teach the actual techniques and trains the lazy first graders. Denzo tends to lose his patience faster than Doi. He also shows unnatural fondness in disguising himself as a woman, usually with disastrous results.

• Headmaster (学園長, Gakuenchou^?) Voiced by: Mahito Tsujimura
• Hemu-Hemu (ヘムヘム^?) Voiced by: Ginzō Matsuo → Bin Shimada

A dog skilled in ninjutsu, he is the long time companion of the head master. Also in charge of ringing the school bell

• Shina Yamamoto (山本シナ,, Yamamoto Shina^?) Voiced by: Yūko Kobayashi, Masako Katsuki (movie)

The teacher of the female nintamas, she alternates between the form of a young woman and an old lady

• Mess Hall Lady (食堂のおばちゃん, Shakudou no Oba-chan^?) Voiced by: Seiko Tomoe
• Shinzaemon Tobe (戸部新左エ門,, Tobe Shinzaemon^?) Voiced by: Hirohiko Kakegawa

Shinzaemon Tobe is another teacher at the school, who occasionally appears from time to time. He's a sword instructor who is skilled, but if he doesn't have his daily meals, he loses the strength to even pick up the sword.

• Natsunojō Andō (安藤夏之丞,, Andō Natsunojō^?) Voiced by: Kan Tokumaru (Season 1~Season 18 Ep. 69), Mitsuru Ogata (from Season 18 Ep. 83)

Ando is the first grade teacher for another class. He often calls Rantaro's class lazy and unproductive, comparing them to his class which seem to do nothing but study all day, thus getting good marks on their tests.

Family

• Hiranosuke Inadera (猪名寺 平之介, Inadera Hiranosuke^?) Voiced by: Ikuo Nishikawa

Rantarō's father, a farmer and failed ninja.

• Rantarō's Mother Voiced by: Ako Mayama
• Shinbei's Papa Voiced by: Kenichi Ogata
• Kameko Fukutomi (福富 カメ子, Fukutomi Kameko^?) Voiced by: Wasabi Mizuta

Shinbei's younger sister.

• Rikichi Yamada (山田 利吉, Yamada Rikichi^?) Voiced by: Hiro Yūki (Season 1, 2), Kōsuke Okano (from Season 3)

Yamada-sensei's 18-year-old son, a free agent ninja. Unlike his father, he is rather handsome. His nickname is Ricky.

Dokutake Castle

• Happōsai Hieta (稗田 八方斎, Hieta Happōsai^?) Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka
• Anata Ōkinakuri-no-Kinoshita (大黄奈栗野木下 穴太, Ōkinakuri-no-Kinoshita Anata^?) Voiced by: Masaharu Satō
• Captain Tatsumaki (キャプテン達魔鬼, Kyaputen Tatsumaki^?) Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi

Other characters

• Dai-San-Kyōeimaru Hyōgo (兵庫 第三協栄丸, Hyōgo Dai-San-Kyōeimaru^?) Voiced by: Kōzō Shioya

A bumbling and forgetful pirate captain.

• Makinosuke Hanabusa (花房 牧之介, Hanabusa Makinosuke^?) Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

Tobe-sensei's self-proclaimed rival.

Music

• Opening Themes

1. "Yūki 100%" by Hikaru Genji (eps. 1-55)
2. "Yūki 100%" by[GENJI Super 5 (eps. 56-807)
3. "Yūki 100% (2002)" by Ya-Ya-Yah (eps. 809-1,253)
4. "Yūki 100% (2009)" by Hey! Say! JUMP (eps. 1,254-)
5. "Yūki 100% (2010)" by NYC

• Ending Themes

1. "Dancing Junk (ダンシング ジャンク)" by Namie Amuro (eps. 1-47)
2. "Don't Mind Namida (DON'T MIND 涙 Don't Mind the Tears)" by GENJI Super 5 (eps. 48-60)
3. "Shaking Night" by GENJI Super 5 (eps. 61-168)
4. "四方八方肘鉄砲(The First)" (eps. 169-199)
5. "0 grade champion (Zero Points for the Champion)" by Junich&JJr (eps. 200-265)
6. "The School Days Never End (終わらない SCHOOL DAYS)" by Junich&JJr (eps. 266-289)
7. "こうしちゃいられない" by Junich&JJr (eps. 290-369)
8. "にんにん忍たま音頭" by SAY S (eps. 370-409)
9. "Always Yell (いつだってYELL)" by Emiri Nakayama (eps. 410-499, 501-504, 506-509, 512-517, 519-522, 524-527, 529-530)
10. "HEMUHEMU Waltz (ムヘムのワルツ)" by HEMUHEMU (episode 500, 505)
11. "たまえかきうた しんべヱの段" by Yuko Bracken (episodes 510, 518, 523, and 528)
12. "Memory and Melody" by SPLASH (eps. 531-568)
13. ""Ai ga Ichiban (Love's Best)" by Sayuri Ishikawa (eps. 569-648)
14. "四方八方肘鉄砲(Second Generation)" by Mayumi Hunaki (eps. 649-808)
15. ""Sekai ga Hitotsu ni Naru Made (Until the World is One)" by Ya-Ya-Yah (eps. 809-967)
16. "Kaze (The Wind)" by Aya Ueto (eps. 968-1,047)
17. "Oh!ENKA (桜援歌 (OH!ENKA)" by Kanjani8 (eps. 1,048-1,153)
18. "Ai ni Mukatte" by Kanjani8 (eps. 1,154-1,253)
19. "夢色" by Hey! Say! JUMP (eps. 1,254-)
20. "Yume no Tane" NYC
21. "YumeTamago" NYC

Episodes

Main article: List of Nintama Rantarō episodes

According to the official website, there are sixteen seasons so far. Each season has a different amount of episodes. Currently total, there are over 1,000.

Video games

Main article: List of Nintama Rantarō video games

Various video games were spawned, starting in 1995. Most of them were developed and published by Culture Brain.

References

1. ^ "忍たま乱太郎 これまでのおはなし". NHK. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/nintama/story/series01/index.html. Retrieved 2008-11-14. There are 17 "series" which are part of the overall series. This page lists all the episode titles.
2. ^ Elley, Derek (August 8, 2011). "Ninja Kids!!!". Film Business Asia. http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/ninja-kids. Retrieved August 9, 2011. 
3. ^ Bettinger, Brendan (August 30, 2011). "Hollywood Wants to Remake Takashi Miike’s NINJA KIDS!!!". Collider.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61M3hHkzu. Retrieved August 31, 2011. 

External links

• Nintama Rantarō (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• The official Japanese website
• Ninjitsu Gakuen, a Nintama Rantarou fansite that contains information on the plot, the anime and manga, and detailed character summaries.