Evoking a sense of nostalgia, school animes have continuously allowed viewers to take a trip down memory lane and re-experience one’s youth. Whilst some school animes take a more fantastical and larger-than-life approach, others are seemingly more ordinary and give fans that heartwarming though sometimes painful slice-of-life feeling.
Exploring and showcasing various students and teachers, principals have unfortunately usually been left on the sidelines. As figures wielding total power that use it for their ends or faceless entities that don’t even feature in the storyline, it’s easy to leave them out entirely. However, some anime have found interesting and unique ways of portraying principals within the plot. Warning, spoilers ahead.
6 Principal (Nichijou - My Ordinary Life)
Following the ‘normal’ everyday lives of a group of childhood friends and residents within the town of Tokisadame, Nichijou is considered to be one of the funniest slice-of-life anime out there. The crazy and outlandish unfolding of events that arise from everyday scenarios is what captivates casual and hardcore fans of anime. The anime was released back in 2011 and is still held in high regard by the anime community.
Despite not being featured that much, the principal makes his mark in one of the show’s most iconic moments when confronting a deer. As expected, the scene between the principal and the deer escalates into an all-out brawl as a shocked Yuko Aioi watches on in awe and terror. Hilarious, unexpected, and precious, deer vs principal lives on as one of anime’s and Nichijou’s most hilarious and surreal scenes.
5 Hiroshi Uchiyamada (Great Teacher Onizuka)
Great Teacher Onizuka is an iconic and beloved series from the ’90s and early 2000s. Whilst the anime, unfortunately, didn’t continue Eikichi Onizuka’s story at Holy Forest Academy, the show was still enjoyable and remains a comedy coming-of-age classic to this day. Chief among Onizuka’s obstacles is the tenacious and conniving vice principal Hiroshi Uchiyamada. Whilst on the surface, Uchiyamada is a hilarious foil against Onizuka who ends up being the butte of jokes, the character has some surprising depth.
Whilst he innately disagrees with Onizuka and attempts to get him in trouble, the vice principal receives many realizations throughout the show about who he is (as a teacher and family man) and what it means to be a great educator. The show makes many jabs at Japan’s education system and how it doesn’t prioritize the well-being of actual students. Uchiyamada eventually transforms into a character who leads the charge to reform education and that it should put students and their first, and not about academics trying to look good and climb to higher positions. For that, the character deserves some praise and recognition.
4 Gakuho Asano (Assassination Classroom)
Though technically not a principal, Gakuhou Asano serves as a board chairman of the Kunugigaoka Junior High School. Shrewd, ruthless, and entrenched in his views, Asano will do what it takes to ensure that his standards are met and that his beliefs are absolute. As such, he is primarily the main antagonist for the first half of the series. Eventually, he is put into place and defeated by Korosensei and mellows out, letting go of his fixed views on elitism.
A man who believes it is his right to control and use others, Asano initially had a strained relationship with those around him, especially his son. However, they are eventually able to reconcile, showcasing an interesting arc and growth for this father figure that most other series don’t get to even round out.
3 Senzaemon Nakiri (Food Wars!)
Whilst initially appearing as a superficial muscle hunk who loses his clothes at the taste of good food, this principal is a well-respected and shrewd individual. Having established the Totsuki Culinary Academy where much of the show takes place and played a role in fostering his granddaughter’s ‘god tongue’ ability, Senzaemon is a force to be reckoned with.
Despite his skill and legendary status, the guy is also pragmatic, compassionate, and open, making him an ideal person to lead such as respected institution. Senzaemon later plays a critical role in the Nakiri family drama that unfolds later on in the series, making him a more rounded and complex character that gets the chance to make a mark on the viewers.
2 Nezu (My Hero Academia)
The cute and positive principal of U.A High School is introduced early on in the series though his character remains shrouded in mystery. One of the only indicators of his past is that he was brutally abused and tortured by humans. Being possibly one of the only animals in the world to manifest a quirk, Nezu is a rare sight in the world of heroes.
Eccentric and kind, Nezu is a dedicated educator who cares deeply about the well-being of his students and teachers that reside on campus. His quirk is shown to be super intelligence (High Spec) which allows him to execute quick decisions and strategies within a short frame of time.
1 Monokuma (Danganronpa Series)
A strange teddy bear who initiates a life of mutual killing amongst students, Monokuma or Monobear is the self-styled headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy and also happens to be the main antagonist throughout the Danganronpa franchise. Appearing like a Yin-Yang symbol, a being of white and black split down the middle, Monokuma aligns with his appearance by flipping between states of being normal and sadistic.
Having killed numerous amount of people throughout the series out of fun or to maintain his hold over power, Monokuma whilst crazed and reviled is an extremely captivating character as far as villains go. Though it would be terrible if people had a vile principal like that at their school.