Rantarō the Ninja Boy

Nintama Rantarō (忍たま乱太郎, lit. "Rantarō the Ninja Boy") is a Japanese anime series based on Sōbē Amako's manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō. It was produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and originally broadcast on NHK. It is aimed at young children, featuring the adventures of Rantarō and his friends and teachers at Ninja school. The fact that glasses are worn by one of the main characters is intentionally anachronistic. The manga references other Japanese media personalities such as Ken Shimura.

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 are in negotiations.

Plot
Rantarou, a young boy with glasses and reddish hair, begins to attend Ninjutsu Gakuen (Ninja School). He is determined to become an elite ninja, unlike his father who is a very poor, common ninja. At the school, he makes two good friends, Kirimaru and Shinbei. Kirimaru is obsessed with money, and always has some kind of part-time job. Because he doesn't have a family, he usually stays with Doi-sensei (and gets him to "help" with his part-time jobs) when school is out. Shinbei, a pudgy boy with a constantly running nose and hair that becomes a lethal weapon, is the son of a very rich family. However, Shinbei is not very bright, and usually misses the point of any conversation.