Nintama Rantarō (忍たま乱太郎, lit. Rantarō the Ninja Boy) is a Japanese anime series produced by Ajia-do Animation Works and broadcast on NHK since 10 April 1993. It is an adaptation of the manga series Rakudai Ninja Rantarō, written and illustrated by Sōbe Amako. Nintama Rantarō centers on the title character and his friends as they attend a school for budding ninja. Like the manga on which it is based, there are a considerable amount of anachronisms for comedic purposes; for example, the title character is bespectacled and katakana is used several times. The anime also references other Japanese media personalities such as Ken Shimura. The series is currently the longest-running anime on NHK and the second longest-running anime series of all time.