TV-Series
Description
Denzō Yamada is the practical training teacher for the first-year Ha class at the Ninjutsu Academy, a position for which he is well-suited due to his long and respected career as a highly skilled ninja. At 46 years old, he stands 166 centimeters tall and has a distinctive appearance featuring a long face, straight eyebrows often compared to guitar strings, and a mustache reminiscent of Salvador Dalí. He was born in the remote Hyōnosen mountains, a place described as a secret region.
Yamada sensei’s personality is a blend of strictness and underlying warmth. In the classroom, he is gruff and demanding, frequently exasperated by the chaotic antics of his young students. Despite his tough exterior, he acts with genuine kindness and a strong sense of morality, serving as a paternal figure to the children under his care. He is known to be proud of their progress when it truly matters and offers comfort and encouragement after his rigorous lessons.
A defining and unique aspect of his character is his absolute passion for and confidence in cross-dressing as a woman. Whenever an opportunity for disguise arises, he enthusiastically transforms into his alter ego, Denko. While his early disguises were played for laughs as being unconvincing and even grotesque, they have been portrayed over time as surprisingly effective, capable of fooling both allies and enemies alike. He takes this persona very seriously, insisting on being called Denko-san while in disguise and reacting with anger if someone refers to him as Yamada-sensei. He often claims that this transformation is a service for the audience.
Yamada’s motivations are rooted in a deep commitment to his role as an educator and a protector. His dedication to teaching often keeps him from returning to his own family, leading to a strained but caring relationship with his son, Rikichi, who is also an active ninja. Rikichi frequently visits the academy to try and convince his father to come home, resulting in the two of them bickering over Yamada’s many excuses to stay at work. At home, he is married to a famously beautiful woman who was once a kunoichi, though her face has never been shown. Their home is guarded by a fierce cat, and his long absences are a point of contention with his wife, who sometimes sends him strange gifts to express her frustration.
Within the academy, his closest relationship is with his colleague and roommate, Hansuke Doi, the classroom teacher for the same first-year students. The two experienced ninjas are on good terms, having known each other even before Doi joined the academy as a teacher. When the academy faces threats from enemy clans like the Dokutake ninja army, Yamada often steps into the role of master strategist, creating plans and tactics to resolve dangerous situations.
In terms of abilities, Yamada is a master of practical ninja arts. He is an expert with matchlock rifles and a highly skilled user of stone battle, a ninja throwing technique. His years of experience as a battle ninja make him a formidable fighter, and his strategic mind is a great asset to the school. Yet, his most famous and practiced skill remains his henge or transformation technique, particularly his female disguise as Denko, which he considers his most accomplished ninja art.
Yamada sensei’s personality is a blend of strictness and underlying warmth. In the classroom, he is gruff and demanding, frequently exasperated by the chaotic antics of his young students. Despite his tough exterior, he acts with genuine kindness and a strong sense of morality, serving as a paternal figure to the children under his care. He is known to be proud of their progress when it truly matters and offers comfort and encouragement after his rigorous lessons.
A defining and unique aspect of his character is his absolute passion for and confidence in cross-dressing as a woman. Whenever an opportunity for disguise arises, he enthusiastically transforms into his alter ego, Denko. While his early disguises were played for laughs as being unconvincing and even grotesque, they have been portrayed over time as surprisingly effective, capable of fooling both allies and enemies alike. He takes this persona very seriously, insisting on being called Denko-san while in disguise and reacting with anger if someone refers to him as Yamada-sensei. He often claims that this transformation is a service for the audience.
Yamada’s motivations are rooted in a deep commitment to his role as an educator and a protector. His dedication to teaching often keeps him from returning to his own family, leading to a strained but caring relationship with his son, Rikichi, who is also an active ninja. Rikichi frequently visits the academy to try and convince his father to come home, resulting in the two of them bickering over Yamada’s many excuses to stay at work. At home, he is married to a famously beautiful woman who was once a kunoichi, though her face has never been shown. Their home is guarded by a fierce cat, and his long absences are a point of contention with his wife, who sometimes sends him strange gifts to express her frustration.
Within the academy, his closest relationship is with his colleague and roommate, Hansuke Doi, the classroom teacher for the same first-year students. The two experienced ninjas are on good terms, having known each other even before Doi joined the academy as a teacher. When the academy faces threats from enemy clans like the Dokutake ninja army, Yamada often steps into the role of master strategist, creating plans and tactics to resolve dangerous situations.
In terms of abilities, Yamada is a master of practical ninja arts. He is an expert with matchlock rifles and a highly skilled user of stone battle, a ninja throwing technique. His years of experience as a battle ninja make him a formidable fighter, and his strategic mind is a great asset to the school. Yet, his most famous and practiced skill remains his henge or transformation technique, particularly his female disguise as Denko, which he considers his most accomplished ninja art.