Saizō (菜造, Saizou?) is an old man who works as a gardener on the Mendō estate, but his true identity is that he is the oniwaban, or "ninja bodyguard", of Mendō's Father.
Biography[]
For an unknown period of time, Saizo loyally served Mendō's Father as his personal oniwaban, under the cover of being a gardener on the Mendō estate. At some point, he came to be the sole caretaker for his grandson Shingo under unknown circumstances. About a decade before the events of canon, he became the lead gardener on a project to create electrified plants, but a horrible accident destroyed much of the products and caused his grandson Shingo to vanish. Presuming Shingo to be dead, Saizō lost all heart in the protect and abandoned it, allowing the remnants to grow into the Electric Jungle that exists on the estate in the modern years. In the manga, it's noted that the project was officially discontinued by the Mendōs after it was discovered that the electric fruits and vegetables would shock anyone who tried to touch or consume them.
When a mysterious youth who dwelled in the Electric Jungle seemingly abducted Lum, Shūtarō Mendō led them to Saizō to borrow some of the insulated gardening suits he had to used to tend to the electric plants project. After the youth was captured, it was discovered he was actually Saizō's long-lost grandson, and the two were reunited.
Some time afterwards, Saizō would formally present Shingo to Shūtarō Mendō as his personal oniwaban. He would later be called upon to defeat his grandson when he attempted to elope with Ryōko Mendō.
He would be briefly seen on New Year's, asking if Shingo had remembered to send his master a New Year's card.
When Shingo refused an order from Shūtarō Mendō to go and retrieve his textbook from Tomobiki High School, Saizō appeared quickly to scold him for disobedience before booting him off through the roof. When Shingo returned and talked of having to marry Ryūnosuke Fujinami due to having touched her breast, Saizō supported him in this goal and presented him with a hairpin that he claimed was the traditional betrothal token for their family. According to him, once Shingo had placed this pin in her hair, she would be formally recognized as Shingo's bride. When the hairpin was destroyed by Ryūnosuke's Father, Saizo appeared on the scene with a huge bundle of replacements for Shingo. After she beat Shingo into a pulp for touching her breast, Saizo assured him that he could try again once he was healed.
Appearance[]
Saizō has the appearance of a slender, completely bald, clean-shaven old man, with tiny rimless glasses perched on his nose and largely toothless, sunken mouth. He normally dresses in a light t-shirt, straw hat, and long pants, befitting his role as a gardener. He has also been seen wearing an insulated anti-electricity suit and a "ninja costume", always with the same straw hat.
Personality[]
Saizō is a loyal and dutiful servant to his masters, with an old-fashioned respect for his betters. However, he is also notably senile, which primarily manifests in his recurring issue with confusing Shūtarō Mendō for Shingo, and vice-versa. It enrages him when he sees Shingo disrespecting his master, and he is quick to chastise him with blows to the head and kicks to the rear.
Powers and Abilities[]
Saizō is revealed to be a skilled ninja, capable of moving with blinding speed and performing incredible leaps and feats of acrobatics, despite his advanced age. He is also aware of his grandson's mutated physiology enough that he is able to use a special blanket to weaken Shingo by draining away his stored electricity.
With his cover role as a gardener on the Mendō estate, Saizō presumably has a fairly advanced understanding of horticulture, landscaping, and the other miscellaneous skills needed to fulfill that role convincingly.
His precise association with the electric plants project is unknown, but if he was involved in the design stage, he may well have considerable knowledge in the fields of plant crossbreeding and genetic engineering, which would have been needed to produce such spectacular mutant flora.
Appellations[]
| Name | What They Call Saizō | What Saizō Calls Them |
|---|---|---|
| Ataru Moroboshi | unknown | unknown |
| Shūtarō Mendō | Saizō | Shingo or Waka |
| Shingo | Grandfather | Shingo |
Trivia[]
- He is never actually named in the original manga, which instead simply refers to him as "Shingo's grandfather". The 1981 anime named him as Saizō, a moniker that reappeared in the OVA followups to that anime's continuity.
- His seiyū also voiced Mendō's Grandfather, Lum's Great-Grandfather and Upa.
- His second seiyū also previously voiced Kōsuke Shirai in the original The Obstacle Course Swim Meet, Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½, Inuyasha from Inuyasha, Bettō from The Merchant of Romance, Minoru from Middle-Aged Teen, Aisaki from Aberrant Family F and Sabato Rokudō from Kyōkai no Rinne.
- He also voiced B-Bo.
Media Appearances[]
Manga
- Chapters 302-304 (301-303 in wideban)
- Chapters 309-310
- Chapter 313
- Chapters 323-324