Takaharu Igasaki

Takaharu Igasaki (伊賀崎 天晴) is AkaNinger (アカニンジャー), who is also known as The Fiery Ninja (あつい忍者), the Red Ranger of the Ninningers. He is the older brother of Fuuka Igasaki. He is called as Brother Taka (タカ兄) by Yakumo and Taka-chan (タカちゃん) by Nagi.

Biography
One of Yoshitaka Igasaki's successors, Takaharu was one of his grandchildren chosen to become the Ninninger, even the first one to use it's powers. While on his way to his family's dojo, an army of Hitokarage destroyed it, with Takaharu transformed for the first time as AkaNinger and eliminate them. After reunited with the other Ninninger candidates, Tsumuji Igasaki, his father leads them to Gengetsu Kibaoni's resting place, which was sealed by Yoshitaka until the Sealing Shuriken were released by the revived Gengetsu and wandered off to various part of the city. After the Ninningers destroy Youkai Kamaitachi, it grew large and they received five OtominNin Shuriken, which they used to form Shurikenjin and finished the Youkai. Yoshitaka revealed himself to be much alive, but lectured them for their inexperience and lead them to their new dojo that they will use as their new base.

Over time, Takaharu becomes his team's leader, as they face many more Youkai and tried to reclaim their grandfather's 48 Sealing Shuriken, while trying to inherit the Last Ninja title.

Alerted to a Youkai appearance, the Ninningers discovered only a Sealing Shuriken found by Fuuka, realizing that someone else was now fighting the Yokai. Following this, it was revealed that Yakumo's mother, fashion designer Harukaze Katou, had the End Shuriken as an accessory on a designer dress she made for her new fashion show in Japan. The Ninningers then enacted their plan to recover the End Shuriken and swap it with a fake, with Takaharu and Yakumo heading onwards as the others aided them through disguises. However, matters were complicated as the Kibaoni Army moved to take the End Shuriken themselves, sending the magic Youkai Ittan-momen and the new Jukkarage grunts. His first act was to use a transformation spell to turn Fuuka into a mouse, with Kasumi seemingly following, leading Takaharu to house them in a mouse cage. Nagi was then turned into a rock before the Ninningers caught up with the End Shuriken, with Yakumo being the last one standing when Takaharu was turned into a doll. However, he was able to outsmart Ittan-momen with a combination of magic and Ninpou as Kasumi, having used a decoy, acquired the End Shuriken. Fuuka and the others were then changed back to normal when Yakumo used a reverse spell against Ittan-momen. The Ninningers found that the End Shuriken was a fake all along when Kyuemon attempted to take it before receiving unexpected aid from a sixth Ninninger with his own OtomoNin in the giant battle.

During the hottest point in summer, the boys decided to play a prank on the girls after Nagi overheard Kasumi confide in Fuuka that she was afraid of ghosts. Luring the two to an abandoned building which they claimed to be haunted possibly due to a Yokai, they proceeded to put on spooky costumes, with Takaharu dressing as a red pepper. Pulling their prank, they were confused to see only a spooked Fuuka run out, especially due to her claiming to see a 'lady ghost' which they did not account for. Takaharu headed back for Kasumi, followed by Yakumo and Kinji. With no word, Nagi and Fuuka found they had been frozen by the Yokai Yuki-Onna, with Fuuka soon following suit. Left alone, Nagi managed to conjure some heat as Kasumi revealed herself having used a decoy, luring the Yokai into a trap. Takaharu and the others were thawed by a Fire technique as the Ninningers proceeded to defeat Yuki-Onna.

When Yoshitaka announced the mid-point results of the Last Ninja race, Takaharu was devastated to learn that he made last place at 6th. In reality, however, "grandad" was actually Nekomata's doppelganger Yokai Mataneko in disguise, who intended to get revenge against the Ninningers by breaking them up, hosting a lightning quiz round when the initial results failed. After the Ninningers noticed signs that something was amiss, Kasumi fetched a second Yoshitaka, exposing the first as a fake via catnip. The Ninningers then transformed to fight him, with Takaharu as AkaNininger Chozetsu defeating Mataneko with Shinobimaru after being accidentally enlarged alongside the Yokai. Afterwards, at the request of his grandchildren, Yoshitaka gave his true mid-point results, stating that they were all still at the starting line, with this news only giving them a strengthened resolve to continue training.

Personality
Takaharu is the type that acts before thinking. He acts like a big brother, trying to pull everyone together, sometimes unsuccessfully. His caring nature makes him draw the shortest straw most of the time, but even then, he is an optimist who believes everything will be alright.

As one of the successors of Yoshitaka Igasaki, their grandfather and the Last Ninja, Takaharu always looked up to him and admires his skills. Takaharu also wanted to inherit the Last Ninja title and would lecture anyone that tarnishes his grandfather's pride. While Takaharu has a bad performance in ninja techniques when training, but is eventually able to master it quickly if he is in a real battle, something that is noted by Yakumo and his Red Sentai Ninja predecessors.

Family

 * Tsumuji Igasaki - Father
 * Yoshitaka Igasaki - Grandfather
 * Fuuka Igasaki - Younger sister
 * Yakumo Katou - Cousin
 * Harukaze Katou - Aunt
 * Nagi Matsuo - Cousin
 * Kasumi Momochi - Cousin

Powers and Abilities

 * Ninjustsu Expertise
 * Being trained to be a ninja for many years, he is skilled in ninjutsu and Shuriken Ninpo.
 * Enhanced Reflexes
 * He was able to catch a flying shuriken with his hand.
 * Body Flicker
 * He was able to move at an almost untraceable speed in a puff of smoke.
 * Body Replacement
 * He is able to put a straw dummy in his place to fool his enemies. He is also able to rescue a hostage by putting himself in the hostage's place.
 * Replacement Technique (身替わりの術)
 * Learned from NinjaRed, Takaharu/AkaNinger can use an enhanced body replacement technique, which replaces the user with a convincing replica of the original. First used to fake his death at the hands of Youkai Nekomata when they time-hopped into the year 2005.
 * Ninja Art: Cloning Technique (忍法・分身の術)
 * NinjaRed's special technique, Takaharu/AkaNinger can split into multiple clones of himself to assist him in combat. This technique can be made by utilizing the Kakuranger Nin Shuriken but unlike other Ninningers, Takaharu is capable of mastering it without the use of Hin Shuriken.
 * Water Walking
 * When he was thrown into the water, he was able to land safely on it.
 * Flame Technique (火炎の術): While fighting with Kikyo, Takaharu/AkaNinger is able to perform this technique alongside her without the Goton Nin Shuriken, singeing Puppet Ninja Kuroari and providing an opening for Takaharu to defeat him.
 * Shuriken Ninja Art (シュリケン忍法)
 * Thanks to his Nintality inherited from Yoshitaka Igasaki, Takaharu can perform a wide variety of abilities through ninja techniques in addition to those accessed using the Ninninger arsenal.

Super Sentai Battle Base
AkaNinger is among the vast pantheon of Rangers which are avaliable in the mobile game Super Sentai Battle Base, with his Chozetsu form also being avaliable.

Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: Game de Wasshoi!!
AkaNinger appears with his team in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: Game de Wasshoi!!, where they are controlled by the player to fight the Yokai as on the show.

Portrayal
Takaharu Igasaki was played by Shunsuke Nishikawa (西川 俊介). As a child, Takaharu is portrayed by Kento Kusumi (久住 健斗). As AkaNinger, his suit actor is Yugo Fujii in the first 7 episodes and Kosuke Asai from episode 8 onwards.

Etymology
Takaharu's family name, the Igasaki is a reference to an intermediate-ranking  of the, , whom also known by the name Igasaki Doshun (伊賀崎道順).