Takamaru Saitou is a 15-year-old student in the Fourth Class of Ninjutsu Academy, making him two years older than his classmates. He originally trained to be a hairdresser, but learned that his family has a ninja history. Takamaru is known for his honest and gentle nature, but also for not having much experience with ninjutsu. He is the tallest among his class, always ready to help others, and is loved (and sometimes chased!) by many female ninjas thanks to his hairdressing skills. His curiosity, quirky habits, and a surprise ninja family secret make his story unique.
Takamaru Saitou has light brown hair in the original manga, but in the anime, his hair is noticeable bright yellow or even gold, which stands out compared to the other students. Because of his hair color, fans sometimes call him "Banana."
He is noticeably the tallest among the fourth-year students due to being older.
Takamaru is gentle, honest, and very curious. He often seems relaxed and easygoing, but sometimes he doesn't notice danger quickly, which gets him into trouble.
He loves to learn new things and is not embarrassed to take lessons with younger students because he thinks "age doesn’t matter when it comes to learning."
He makes a lot of notes, but sometimes takes notes on the wrong things or misses the important part.
Takamaru is obsessed with hair care and cannot ignore damaged hair, even if it means acting strange around others.
Takamaru comes from a family of hairdressers, and he first wanted to become one, too. However, he learned from his father that their family was originally from a ninja background. His grandfather, Yukimaru, worked as a ninja disguised as a hairdresser. This discovery pushed Takamaru to join the ninja world.
He found out later on that his grandfather belonged to the Ustakake Castle ninja team, which had appeared in previous stories as well.
Takamaru has amazing hair-cutting skills and can change a person’s hairstyle in an instant—even creating ridiculous hairstyles to defeat opponents!
He trains shaving using razors on his own knee, so his knees are covered with scars.
He is not skilled in ninjutsu yet, but he does his best and works hard to catch up.
- Most younger students and even fifth years call him "Takamaru-san" and use polite language because of his age.
- For fifth-year students, he adds "kun" to their names and speaks to them as equals, but to sixth-years, who are the same age but have more ninja experience, he uses respectful titles and polite speech.
- He is good friends with Kukuchi, who he relies on for study help.
- Takamaru belongs to the Gunpowder Committee, but this is never shown in detail. He is just suddenly part of it.
- He is the most popular among the female ninja students because of his hairdressing skills, but he actually finds their attention annoying. They often chase him just to get their hair done.
- In a 2011 popularity poll on the official anime site, Takamaru ranked third in the upper-grade student group.
- For Ninjutsu Academy’s 30th Anniversary, a special Takamaru-themed hair treatment, with cosmos scent and cherry blossom extract, was sold.
- His famous catchphrase when cutting hair, "Choki Choki Choki!", was a fun ad-lib by his voice actor, Daisuke Namikawa.
"Choki Choki Choki!"
Discovering His Ninja Roots
Takamaru Saitou met Rantarou Inadera and his friends, Kirimaru Settsuno and Shinbei Fukutomi, while searching for clues about his grandfather’s ninja past. He learned from his father, Yukitaka, that his family used to be ninjas, and his grandfather had been a master of disguise.
Adapting to Student Life
Even though he’s the same age as the sixth years, Takamaru joined the fourth year because he had no ninja experience. He doesn’t mind studying with younger kids and believes age should never stop someone from learning.
He spends a lot of time taking notes in class, but often writes down the funny or wrong details.
Life at Home and at School
On holidays, Takamaru works at his family’s hair salon. Because of his training, his knees are always scarred. He is famous for fixing bad hair or accidentally giving someone a bizarre hairstyle very quickly.
He cannot ignore damaged hair and will often fix people’s hair spontaneously.
Gunpowder Committee and Class Drama
Takamaru is a member of the Gunpowder Committee but doesn’t have his own story about joining it. In one episode, he realizes he never actually had a welcome party, so he and another student, Ishito Hataniwa, get a celebration together many years after joining.
He once refused to join the Ustakake ninja team, which prevented him from being targeted as a runaway ninja later on.
Social Life and Popularity
Takamaru is always surrounded by female ninja students who want their hair styled, though he personally finds it troublesome.
He was voted third most popular older student in a fan poll.
Blood type: A
Birthday: Libra (exact date not given)
Age: 15
He is the tallest in the Fourth Class.
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