Ena Saitō is a fun and caring friend from the anime Laid-Back Camp. She goes to school with Rin Shima and is always chatting with her through messages, even on weekends. Ena is known for her unique sense of humor, her love for her chihuahua Chikuwa, and her skill in doing creative hairstyles. Though she is not a member of the Outdoor Activities Club, Ena is close with its members and helps them out from time to time. She dislikes the cold and getting up early but enjoys looking after her friends and trying new things related to camping.
Ena Saitō is easily recognized by her short hair, which she often keeps neat and sometimes styles into fun shapes for her friends. She loves to experiment with different hairstyles, especially for Rin Shima. Ena has a playful and calm look, and she sometimes wears casual, comfy clothes that suit her laid-back personality.
Ena is relaxed, easy-going, and often makes jokes or playful comments. She likes to prank her friends by trying out wild hairstyles on them. Despite liking to tease others, Ena really cares about her friends and is always there to help, especially for Rin Shima, who can be shy. She can be a bit lazy, enjoying sleeping in on weekends and sometimes struggling with early mornings. Ena is not a big fan of the cold.
Ena is a student at Motosu High School. Her father, Jun Saitō, supports her interests, even buying her expensive camping gear to encourage outdoor experiences. Her mother has only been mentioned in the video game Have a nice day!. Ena is very attached to her pet chihuahua, Chikuwa, spending her own money on special camping gear for the dog.
Ena is very good with her hands and can make amazing and creative hairstyles, often posting pictures online as "hair art." She is skilled at both grooming pets and cutting her friends’ hair. Ena also handles her own and Chikuwa's grooming, showing her talent as a future pet salon worker. When it comes to camping gear, she prefers items that are safe and warm, even if they cost more.
- Rin Shima: Best friends since middle school. Ena supports Rin and helps her open up to others.
- Nadeshiko Kagamihara, Chiaki Ōgaki, and Aoi Inuyama: Ena met them after helping the Outdoor Activities Club. They became good friends.
- Chikuwa: Ena’s beloved chihuahua, whom she dotes on and often brings into conversations or on trips.
- Jun Saitō (Father): Supportive and involved in Ena's interests, especially camping.
- Ema Mizunami: Later becomes Ena’s new hair model after Rin’s haircut.
School Life and Friendships
Ena Saitō is known at school for being a bit mischievous and crafty, especially with hair. She is often seen making unique hairstyles for Rin Shima, sometimes turning them into funny or wild shapes and sharing the photos online.
Involvement with Camping
Though Ena is not an official member of the Outdoor Activities Club, she gets involved thanks to her friendships. She helps Nadeshiko Kagamihara and the Club meet Rin Shima. Ena is seen as a key person for maybe bringing Rin into the club, but she insists on staying in the Going-Home Club because she likes her free time.
Ena chooses her camping gear based on safety and warmth, once surprising everyone by bringing a very expensive winter sleeping bag on a club camping trip.
Work and Personal Life
She takes on part-time jobs during winter break and later works at a convenience store near Nadeshiko’s house.
Memorable Events
During the Christmas Camp at Asagiri Plateau, Ena brings Chikuwa along with a cute bunny-ear hood. Later, after a camping trip in Izu, she cuts Chiaki Ōgaki’s hair in her backyard, jokingly suggesting wacky styles before settling on a normal cut. She also cuts Rin’s hair, which changes their hair-model relationship and prompts Ena to start styling Ema Mizunami’s hair.
Movie
In Laid-Back Camp The Movie, Ena lives alone in Yokohama and works at a pet salon as a trimmer. She visits home on weekends, takes Chikuwa out for walks, and joins her friends, including Rin, Nadeshiko, Aoi, and Chiaki, in a big camping project. At the end, she camps with her dad and Chikuwa.
- Ena is the only main character whose last name is not based on a place name, since she was first a side character. However, her given name "Ena" does come from a place in Gifu Prefecture.
- She loves her chihuahua, Chikuwa, so much that she misses her even after just a few days apart and spends a lot on pet equipment.
- Ena has a habit of making others laugh, sometimes teasing Rin when she’s in a good mood.
- She was the first, besides Rin and Nadeshiko, to appear on both the cover and the spine of the manga’s volume 10 with Chikuwa.
- In the anime Laid-Back Camp, fans sometimes call Ena the “teasing master Saitō.”
- “Still can’t quit the Going-Home Club!”
- “Come on, Rin, let me try a new hairstyle for you.”
- “Chikuwa is the best, isn’t she?”
- Birthday: September 1
- School: Motosu High School, Year 1 → Year 2
- Likes: Chikuwa (her dog)
- Dislikes: Being cold
Ena Saitō brings fun, warmth, and a bit of mischief to Laid-Back Camp, showing that even indoor-loving friends can enjoy camping adventures in their own way!
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