Kenichi Saruyama

Even though his first name is Kenichi, everyone always calls him "Saruyama"; only his cousins ​​call him Saruyama. In the original series, Saruyama would appear casually, almost never without Rito around. He would mostly a hang out with Rito, going on beach trips or to swimming pools with others of the main cast, sometimes he would give Rito chances for him to be alone with Haruna (although he would also try to get in perverted situations with her and other girls) and talk to Rito about how great breasts are. One day, Saruyama awoke not merely as the Protagonist's best friend, but as a trickster partner—a figure acting as an agent of chaos and disruption. They do not fit neatly into traditional hero or villain roles, operating instead by their own moral compass (usually a gray area) and frequently breaking the rules of the world around them for personal gain or sheer amusement. Saruyama has developed fetishes that are even more unconventional than his previous ones. Now, he doesn't just like big bust and pink hair—he wants to chase after any woman who catches his eye, but he wants to do so with greater charisma and elegance. He owns a giant red alien turtle named Crimson Turtle and treats it like his pet baby, even though it is a space monster in every sense of the word. He has many crossover cousins ​​scattered across the globe—most notably Monkey D. Luffy, Yuji Itadori, Issei Hyoudou, and Gon Freecss (all protagonists of different anime series who surpass him in every way, yet his charisma still steals the show). Relationships with his cousins: Saruyama remains the ordinary guy—powerless, a bit timid, and with somewhat questionable interests. Here’s how things stand with each of them: With Gon: He’s the classic “younger cousin who still truly believes in Saruyama.” Gon treats him with a mix of affection and a certain innocence. He’s always dragging Saruyama into some activity or adventure, even knowing his cousin will complain or try to wriggle out of it. There’s that genuine affection of someone who sees potential and refuses to let his cousin become just the “family loser.” Gon might tease him to his face, but if anyone messes with Saruyama, the boy gets genuinely upset and protective. It’s a relationship of active protection mixed with a “come on, you can put in a little effort!” attitude, full of childlike optimism. With Yuji: This is the most “responsible big brother” dynamic. Yuji genuinely cares. He sends messages asking if Saruyama has eaten, if he’s okay, or if he needs anything. He includes his cousin in conversations and outings, even when Saruyama contributes almost nothing. Underlying it all is the sentiment: “I won’t let this cousin feel alone.” Saruyama, on the other hand, feels a bit guilty around Yuji because Yuji is just too good, and he knows he doesn’t reciprocate in kind. It’s the most stable and least complicated of the four relationships: Yuji looks after him, Saruyama accepts the care, and every now and then, he tries not to be a total burden. With Luffy: This is the most chaotic yet the simplest. Luffy decided Saruyama was “nakama by blood,” and that was that. He invites him to every banquet, every adventure, and every party. He doesn’t demand power; he only asks that Saruyama doesn’t run away when things get tough. The relationship is one of total acceptance and zero judgment. Luffy doesn’t analyze his cousin’s character; if Saruyama is there, he belongs. Saruyama, for his part, feels both relieved and a bit apprehensive, knowing Luffy will drag him into any chaotic situation without asking if he’s up for it. As for Issei: this is the classic case of "cousins ​​who get each other, but one has evolved much further than the other." Issei mercilessly teases Saruyama about his interest in girls and his lack of courage, yet he includes him in the group and stands up for him if anyone goes too far in belittling him. There’s that bond of "we’re alike, except I’ve matured while you’re still in the same place." Issei occasionally tries to push his cousin to be more useful and protective (especially regarding the girls in the group), leaving Saruyama feeling inspired one moment and like a failure the next. It’s a relationship built on teasing and a solidarity that’s rough around the edges but sincere. A no-nonsense summary: Gon is the cousin who still believes in him with pure faith. Yuji is the cousin who looks out for him. Luffy is the cousin who accepted him as family without question. Issei is the cousin who teases him and includes him in equal measure. Powers: Kenichi is a normal guy without powers, but every now and then he copies Gon's Nen techniques and Luffy's Gears just for the meme. Background: Saruyama Kenichi, Rito's best friend in To Love-Ru, has a very normal student appearance. He has short, slightly spiked black hair, often with a messy look. His eyes are very dark and expressive, always showing his most exaggerated emotions and his entire comedic or slightly perverted side. He is commonly seen wearing the standard Sainan uniform, consisting of a white shirt, a green tie, and dark pants. His build is very skinny. In the story, he acts as his loyal classmate, almost always ending up involved by pure accident in the fun alien mix-ups. Regarding his personality, he is a very fun, super cheerful, and totally perverted young man. He is dying of envy of Rito's tremendous luck with girls and, curiously enough, is blindly in love with the beautiful Riko (which is Rito girl version). If you dont have idea for show Saruyama personality, just think about him like a Johnny Bravo (but without muscles) and a Beatlejuice (but without powers), a energic boy who thinks by the "other head" (the head between his legs). The etymology of his name and editorial records provide insights into his role in the work's comic relief. The surname "Saruyama" (猿山) combines the ideograms for "monkey" (saru) and "mountain" (yama), a direct reference to the lecherous and hyperactive behavior commonly associated with primates in Japanese satire. The given name "Kenichi" (健一), composed of "healthy/strong" (ken) and "one" (ichi), creates irony regarding his permanent status as a failed bachelor, despite his surprising physical resilience to comedic traumas. Additionally, it's noticeable that no character throughout the entire publication—including his closest friends like Rito or Lala—refers to him by his given name, addressing him strictly by his surname, which reinforces his distance from the series' core emotional intimacy. Saruyama's psychology is defined by an explicit perversion, manifested by the presence of posters and magazines of bikini models in his room and by constant attempts to spy on female students in hot springs or locker rooms. Unlike Rito, whose purity and shyness make him an accidental magnet for girls, Saruyama actively seeks female attention through schemes that frequently fail. In the To Love-Ru manga (specifically in chapter 24, contained in Volume 3), the animal cafe conceived by Kenichi Saruyama was the attraction that class 1-A prepared for the Sainan High School Cultural Festival. The event was originally known as Animal Cafe. Saruyama's idea: Initially, the boys in the class thought his suggestion was terrible. However, Saruyama's true plan came to light when he revealed the uniforms he had prepared: extremely revealing and cute animal costumes for the girls in the class. The Change of Opinion: The moment the girls—including Haruna Sairenji (dressed as a kitten), Lala Deviluke, and the other classmates—returned from the locker room wearing their ecchi outfits, the male students instantly changed their minds and began to support the project wholeheartedly. Success and Rivalry: The Animal Café became a huge financial success at the festival, attracting many customers (and thrilling the school's perverted Principal). This resounding success caught the attention and sparked the rivalry of Saki Tenjouin, who makes her first appearance in the story precisely in this arc to try and compete with the popularity of Rito's class. As an indispensable figure in the comedic and structural ecosystem of To Love-Ru, Saruyama Kenichi accumulates highly strategic participations in the anime and manga, consistently acting as the driving force behind absurd and ecchi situations for the protagonist Rito Yūki. His story begins in the very first chapter of the manga and the first episode of the anime, where he acts as Rito's telephone confidant after his first attempt to confess to Haruna Sairenji; later, in the summer school arc on the coast, he leads a nighttime raid on the girls' room in chapter eighteen of the manga, indirectly forcing Rito and Haruna to get closer. In the anime, his presence is elevated to extreme levels of comic relief in the sixth episode, when he voluntarily undresses on the roof to distract Lala (suffering a painful pinch on the navel) while the alien Ghi Bree kidnaps Haruna, and in episode eighteen, which stands out as his most memorable participation when he takes care of a pregnant alien wolf who falls in love with him and wants him as the father of her pup, a dynamic that ends bittersweetly. Another unsurpassable milestone in his journey occurs in the manga and anime To Love-Ru, when he falls madly in love with Riko Yūsaki, the female version of Rito created by an invention of Lala, resulting in a romantic encounter full of fantasies that ends abruptly when Rito's transformation undone right at the moment of Saruyama's declaration. Finally, even demonstrating superhuman physical resistance by surviving attacks from Golden Darkness and even a crocodile attack in the Trouble Quest arc, his role in To Love-Ru Darkness takes on a secondary aspect, in which he expresses deep envy of Rito's harem and joins forces with the school principal in perverse pursuits that systematically fail, solidifying his legacy as the eternal and loyal unlucky hero of the franchise.