TV-Series
Description
The Principal of Ninjutsu Academy in the anime Nintama Rantarō is the headmaster and founder of the school, and his full name is Ōkawa Heiji Uzumasa. In his youth he was regarded as a genius ninja, and it is on the basis of that reputation that he established the academy. He himself was once a student there, and in the anime he is said to have enrolled in the year 1515, placing his own schooling in the early sixteenth century of the story's setting. In his present role he lives in a small detached hermitage on the academy grounds, where he also conducts his official business, and he shares this residence with his loyal ninja dog Hemuhemu.
The Principal is best known for his sudden, random ideas and his self-indulgent habits. It is often remarked in the series that a large share of the troubles occurring at the academy can be traced to his whims, and his spontaneous schemes frequently create extra work and chaos for both teachers and students. He regularly sends students, especially the main trio of Rantarō, Kirimaru, and Shinbei, on errands that usually involve buying sweets or delivering letters to his acquaintances. His manner is relaxed and informal for someone in charge of a ninja training school, and his decisions tend to follow momentary inspiration rather than strict procedure.
His motivations are not explored in great depth. He appears to act from a blend of personal indulgence and genuine attachment to the school he created, and his involvement in events generally stems from whatever idea has just occurred to him. As founder and head of the institution, he holds authority over the entire teaching staff, and both instructors and pupils must accommodate his unpredictable initiatives. His relationship with the faculty is defined by the complications his ideas cause, while the students, particularly the first-year trio, serve as his most frequent errand runners. The most constant and clearly depicted relationship he has is with Hemuhemu, the ninja dog who lives alongside him and follows him faithfully.
The series does not give the Principal a significant personal development arc. He remains a consistent figure throughout, and the story uses him mainly as a source of comic disruption rather than charting any change in his character. His notable abilities are tied to his past as a gifted ninja and to his position as the founder of the academy. While detailed demonstrations of his combat skills are not a central part of his portrayal, his standing as a former genius ninja and his long stewardship of the school establish him as a figure of considerable authority within the world of the series.
The Principal is best known for his sudden, random ideas and his self-indulgent habits. It is often remarked in the series that a large share of the troubles occurring at the academy can be traced to his whims, and his spontaneous schemes frequently create extra work and chaos for both teachers and students. He regularly sends students, especially the main trio of Rantarō, Kirimaru, and Shinbei, on errands that usually involve buying sweets or delivering letters to his acquaintances. His manner is relaxed and informal for someone in charge of a ninja training school, and his decisions tend to follow momentary inspiration rather than strict procedure.
His motivations are not explored in great depth. He appears to act from a blend of personal indulgence and genuine attachment to the school he created, and his involvement in events generally stems from whatever idea has just occurred to him. As founder and head of the institution, he holds authority over the entire teaching staff, and both instructors and pupils must accommodate his unpredictable initiatives. His relationship with the faculty is defined by the complications his ideas cause, while the students, particularly the first-year trio, serve as his most frequent errand runners. The most constant and clearly depicted relationship he has is with Hemuhemu, the ninja dog who lives alongside him and follows him faithfully.
The series does not give the Principal a significant personal development arc. He remains a consistent figure throughout, and the story uses him mainly as a source of comic disruption rather than charting any change in his character. His notable abilities are tied to his past as a gifted ninja and to his position as the founder of the academy. While detailed demonstrations of his combat skills are not a central part of his portrayal, his standing as a former genius ninja and his long stewardship of the school establish him as a figure of considerable authority within the world of the series.