Popular Anime 'Nintama Rantaro' Merchandise Series 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' Re-released, Causing a Huge Buzz Among Fans

The popular 'Nintama Rantaro' merchandise series, 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders,' has been re-released, generating significant excitement among fans. The immense popularity became evident immediately after reservations opened on sites like Animate and Movic, with access flooding in and some sites becoming temporarily inaccessible.

Fans Rejoice Over Long-Awaited Re-release

The 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' series features charming illustrations of the Ninja Academy's sixth graders from when they were first graders. Items such as can badges, mini shikishi collections, and acrylic stands (akusuta) have been developed, and many fans had previously requested a re-release.

In response to this reappearance, social media is abuzz with joyful posts like "Waaahhhhhh!!!!!!! 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' merchandise!!!!" and "'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' merchandise is so cute." New fans, in particular, have expressed their welcome, saying, "It's wonderful to see the happiness of new fans now that it's re-released."

Reservation Flood Leads to Access Issues

Immediately after reservations began, Animate's online store and Movic's website experienced a surge in access. Reports such as "The 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' merchandise site is so busy I can't open it" and "Everyone must be trying to access it..." came in one after another, leading to temporary difficulties in connecting to the sites.

Fans who managed to complete their reservations despite the struggle expressed relief: "Miraculously, the Animate app connected, and I was able to buy 'When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders' merchandise ~😭😭😭" and "I was able to reserve it at Animate ~ ~ 😭 Phew, that's a relief......!!!!" Some also lamented the sell-out of popular character acrylic stands, with one fan saying, "Only Chouji's acrylic stand was out of stock 😭😭😭 It's too painful not to get everyone 😭😭😭," indicating the fierce competition.

Amidst the difficulties of online reservations, some reports indicated that in-store reservations at Animate were relatively smoother. Comments like "In-store reservations at Animate went smoothly 👍 Akiba had reservation cards on the 4th floor, perfectly prepared ✌️" encouraged fans to try purchasing at physical stores.

Exchange and Transfer Activities Intensify

Due to the random nature of items like can badges and mini shikishi collections, numerous posts on social media are seeking "exchange" or "transfer." Activities are lively, with fans attempting to trade characters they received for desired ones, such as "Trade: Kempo Tomesaburo (x9) Want: Zenpoji Isaku" and "Want: Tachibana Senzo Trade: Shioe Monjiro."

Although the shipping and release date for these goods is still far off on May 29, 2026, fans seem to be filled with eager anticipation.

The Context

"Nintama Rantaro" (忍たま乱太郎) is a long-running Japanese animated television series based on the manga "Rakudai Ninja Rantaro" (落第忍者乱太郎) by Soubee Amako. The anime, which first aired in 1993, follows the comedic adventures of Rantaro and his friends Kirimaru and Shinbei as they attend the Ninja Academy to become professional ninjas. The "Sixth Graders" (六年生) refer to the senior students at the Ninja Academy, who are popular characters among fans due to their diverse personalities and cool ninja skills. This merchandise series, "When the Sixth Graders Were First Graders," capitalizes on the nostalgia and cuteness of seeing these usually formidable older students as young, adorable first-year apprentices, a concept highly appealing to the show's dedicated fanbase. The frenzy over the re-release highlights the enduring popularity of the series and its characters, as well as the strong demand for collectible merchandise.