Nintama Rantarō


Nintama Rantarō is a Japanese anime series produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and Japanese broadcast on NHK since April 10, 1993. It is an adaptation of the manga series Rakudai Ninja Rantarō, written and illustrated by Sōbe Amako. Nintama Rantarō centers on the title character and his friends as they attend a school for budding ninjas. Like the manga on which it is based, there is a considerable amount of anachronisms for comedic purposes; for example, the titular character Rantarō is bespectacled. The anime also references other Japanese media personalities such as Ken Shimura. The series is currently the longest-running anime on NHK. The official English title is Ninjaboy Rantaro.
In July 2011, a live action film version directed by Takashi Miike titled Ninja Kids!!! was released. A sequel was released on July 6, 2013, called Ninja Kids!!! Summer Mission Impossible!.
IG nep_nintamapr

Characters

First Year Ha Class

;Rantarō Inadera
;Kirimaru Settsuno
;Shinbee Fukutomi
;Shouzaemon Kuroki
;Isuke Ninokuruwa
;Danzou Katou
;Torawaka Satake
;Sanjirō Yumesaki
;Heidayū Sasayama
;Kingo Minamoto
;Kisanta Yamamura

First Year I Class

;Denshichi Kurokado
;Sakichi Ningyou
;Hikoshirou Imafuku
;Ippei Kaminoshima

First Year Ro Class

;Fushikizou Tsurumachi
;Ayakashimaru Ninotsubo
;Heita Shimosakabe
;Magojirō Hatsushima

Second Year

;Saburōji Ikeda
;Sakon Kawanishi
;Kyūsaku Nose
;Shirobei Tokitomo
;Sekito Haniwa

Third Year

;Magohei Igasaki
;Samon Kanzaki
;Sannosuke Tsugiya
;Sakubei Tomatsu
;Tounai Urakaze
;Kazuma Santanda

Fourth Year

;Takiyashamaru Tairano
;Kihachirō Ayabe
;Mikiemon Tamura
;Shuichirō Hama
;Takamaru Saitō

Fifth Year

;Heisuke Kukuchi
;Kanemon Ohama
;Raizō Fuwa
;Saburō Hachiya
;Hachizaemon Takeya

Sixth Year

;Monjirō Shioe
;Senzō Tachibana
;Chōji Nakazaike
;Koheita Nanamatsu
;Tomesaburō Kema
;Isaku Zenpōji

Kunoichi Class

;Yuki
;Tomomi
;Shige

Staff

;Denzō Yamada
;Hansuke Doi
;Headmaster
;Hemu-Hemu
;Shina Yamamoto
;Mess Hall Lady
;Shinzaemon Tobe
;Natsunojō Andō
;Shuusaku Komatsuda

Tasogaredoki Castle

;Konnamon Zatto
;Sonnamon Moroizumi
;Jinnai Yamamoto
;Jinnaizaemon Kōsaka
;Osaretsu Oshitsu

Dokutake Castle

;Happōsai Hieta
;Ōkinakurinokinoshita Anata
;Captain Tatsumaki
Dokutama
  • Shibuki
  • Ibuki
  • Fubuki
  • Yamabuki

Other characters

;Rantarō's Mother
;Kameko Fukutomi
;Rikichi Yamada
;Dai-San-Kyōeimaru Hyōgo
;Makinosuke Hanabusa

Music

Opening Themes
  1. "Yūki 100%" by Hikaru Genji
  2. "Yūki 100%" by Hikaru Genji Super 5
  3. "Yūki 100% " by Ya-Ya-Yah
  4. "Yūki 100% " by Hey! Say! JUMP
  5. "Yūki 100% " by NYC
  6. "Yūki 100% " by Sexy Zone
  7. "Yūki 100% " by Junior Boys
  8. "Yūki 100% " by Johnny's Jr. Ending Themes
  9. "Dancing Junk " by Super Monkey's
  10. "Don't Mind Namida " by Hikaru Genji Super 5
  11. "Shaking Night" by Hikaru Genji Super 5
  12. "Shihou Happou Hijideppou"
  13. "0-Ten Champion " by Junich&JJr
  14. "Owara Nai School Days " by Junich&JJr
  15. "Kō Shichai Rare Nai " by Junich&JJr
  16. "Nin-Nin Nintama Ondo " by SAY S
  17. "Itsu Datte " by Emiri Nakayama
  18. "Hemu-Hemu Waltz " by Hemu-Hemu
  19. "Tamae Kaki Uta Shinbe We no dan " by Yuko Bracken
  20. "Memory and Melody" by SPLASH
  21. "Ai ga Ichiban " by Sayuri Ishikawa
  22. "Shihou Happou Hijideppou " by Mayumi Hunaki
  23. "Sekai ga Hitotsu ni Naru Made " by Ya-Ya-Yah
  24. "Kaze " by Aya Ueto
  25. "Oh!ENKA " by Kanjani8
  26. "Ai ni Mukatte " by Kanjani8
  27. "Yume Iro " by Hey! Say! JUMP
  28. "Yume no Tane " by NYC
  29. "Kaze wo Kitte " by Sexy Zone
  30. "Matta Nante na Shi! " by Sexy Zone
  31. "3-byou Waratte " by Junior Boys
  32. "Yancha na Hero " by Hey! Say! 7
  33. "Imada!! " by WEST.
  34. "Kono Aozora wa Wasurenai " by Johnny's Jr.

Episodes

A total of 25 series have been broadcast with each season containing a different number of episodes. Every episode title ends with the phrase no dan. In 2012, special episodes were broadcast to mark the show's 20th anniversary as well as the 15th anniversary of Ojarumaru, the show broadcast in the slot before Nintama Rantarō. This trend continued in 2017 and 2022, with the broadcast of special episodes to mark the show's 25th and 30th anniversary respectively. Currently, a total of 2550 episodes have been broadcast as of January 2025. There was also a series of specials titled Nintama Rantarō no Uchū Daibōken with Cosmic Front NEXT, and two of them had English-dubbed versions produced by William Winckler Productions that have not been released.

Films

A total of five films based on the series have been released in Japan. The first film, Nintama Rantarō the Movie, was released by Shochiku on June 29, 1996. The second film, Gekijō-ban Anime Nintama Rantarō Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudō! no Dan, was released by Warner Bros. Japan on March 12, 2011.
In July 2011, a live action film version directed by Takashi Miike titled Ninja Kids!!! was released. The rights to produce an American version of the film were in negotiations in 2011. A sequel was released on July 6, 2013, called Ninja Kids!!! Summer Mission Impossible!.
A new anime film titled Nintama Rantarō: Invincible Master of the Dokutake Ninja, based on Kazuhisa Sakaguchi's 2013 novel of the same name, was released to Japanese theaters by Shochiku on December 20, 2024. The film is directed by Masaya Fujimori at Ajia-do Animation Works, with Sakaguchi writing the screenplay. Shochiku held English-subtitled screenings at Shinjuku Piccadilly, Namba Parks Cinema, and MOVIX Kyoto during March 7-13, 2025. Encore Films released the film to theaters across Asia throughout spring and summer 2025, with English subtitles available. It became available on Amazon Prime Video in 180 countries on August 12, 2025.

Video games

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

Broadcast

The anime series premiered on NHK G on April 10, 1993, and aired in a weekly 30-minute timeslot until March 19, 1994. Since October 3, 1994, the series airs daily on NHK E in a 10-minute timeslot.