About “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.” in a few words:

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is a Japanese anime series based on the manga of the same name. It follows the daily life of a high school student named Saiki Kusuo, who has a wide range of psychic abilities, including telepathy, telekinesis, and psychokinesis. However, Saiki’s powers often bring more trouble than benefits, as he struggles to maintain his normal life and avoid attracting attention to his powers. The show is known for its humor and quirky characters, including Saiki’s classmates and family members who also possess their own unique personalities and quirks.

Meet the characters from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

Saiki Kusuo

Saiki is the painfully calm, deadpan psychic who somehow makes absolutely everything look like a minor inconvenience — like the world is a noisy room and he’s the one person with good earplugs. He has every supernatural power you could imagine and uses them mostly to avoid people and to make his life boring (mission accomplished, mostly), though he’ll secretly fix things in very specific, petty ways. He hates attention, loves peace, and also has this weird fondness for instant curry and tiny, private comforts that he pretends not to enjoy. He’s paradoxically nosy when it matters — like, he won’t ask how you are but he already knows and sighed about it yesterday. Honestly, he’s a sponge of dry humor and tiny acts of sabotage-for-good, and you can tell he cares even when he is aggressively not-caring.

Nendou Riki

Nendou is the lovable brick wall of a friend who is loud, simple, and absolutely unbothered by nuance — in other words, peak chaotic good. He’s hilariously dense (like, will-miss-every-social-cue dense) but also ridiculously loyal and absurdly confident in the most delusional ways, which is kind of the best. He’ll punch problems (sometimes literally) and then forget he’s supposed to be scary, because he also collects cute things? It’s almost criminal how much of a big teddy bear he is under the “tough guy” exterior. I swear he once tried to start a club and forgot why it existed three minutes later — but signed everyone up anyway.

Kaidou Shun

Kaidou is the grandiose chuunibyou king who lives in his own dark fantasy soap opera — “The Jet-Black Wings syndrome,” forever dramatic and forever convinced he’s destined for a tragic, heroic fate. He’s melodramatic, stubborn, and has the best grim frowns (also, he talks to himself a lot — endearing and weird). Deep down he’s actually super earnest and a little lonely; like, his whole edgelord routine is basically cosplay for feelings. He’ll threaten the sky but then get flustered when someone compliments his handwriting, and that’s the kind of mood I love. Also he keeps a ridiculous notebook of conspiracy-y poetry? Not that he’d ever admit that out loud.

Teruhashi Kokomi

Teruhashi is peak idol energy — impossibly beautiful, self-aware, and totally used to being adored (and she likes it, don’t lie). She’s got this blinding, princess-like confidence but also little panics about being normal sometimes, which makes her surprisingly relatable if you squint. She’s dramatic in the best way: everything is a moment, everything is aesthetic, but she genuinely wants to be liked for more than just looks (and will melt into cute panic if you tell her to stop posing). Also, she’s secretly competitive (shh), and might own more hair accessories than there are days in the year.

Yumehara Chiyo

Yumehara is the riotously romantic dreamer who reads way too many shojo manga and then tries to live like one; it’s adorable and slightly alarming. She daydreams in full technicolor, is shy as a rabbit but bold in her illusions, and will dramatize a grocery run like it’s the finale of a love story. She’s awkward in a way that makes everyone else feel warm and also guilty for being so normal, and she clings to hope like it’s a hobby. Sometimes she’s painfully logical too? No, wait — that was five minutes ago; now she’s writing sonnets in the margins of her school notes.

Hairo Kineshi

Hairo is the sunlit muscle of enthusiasm — hot-blooded, loud, and ridiculously motivational, like a walking pep rally. He lives for sports, team spirit, and yelling inspirational things while pumping his fist, but he’s also got this soft spot for fairness and friends, so his bellowing usually comes from a pure place. He acts tough but will cry at sentimental commercials (or so I’ve heard, possibly witnessed in a gym locker room). He can be a bit scatterbrained, like, he once tried to organize a practice and forgot the balls, but that didn’t stop him from leading cheers until someone found them.

Mera Chisato

Mera is the fiery delinquent-turned-softheart — tough exterior, sharp tongue, and the kind of person you do not want to anger; also the kind of person who’ll steal your hoodie and then act like it’s yours now. She has this fierce loyalty and a protectiveness that pops out unexpectedly, especially around people she cares about (and she cares more than she admits). She’s dramatic and hot-headed but also surprisingly sentimental — she keeps a playlist of songs that are probably not as angst-filled as she pretends. Sometimes she picks fights for fun and then apologizes awkwardly two days later with snacks, which is peak Mera energy.

Kuboyasu Aren

Kuboyasu is the classic reformed tough guy who looks like he’d win a street fight but actually has a soft spot for kittens and romantic comedies (don’t tell him I said that). He’s intimidating on sight—silent, scarred-looking, the whole vibe—but then he’ll blush profusely at something sweet and you realize he’s trying very hard to be a normal person. He has a past and regrets and also low-key gleeful hobbies that contradict the whole “bad boy” image, like collecting stickers or whatever, who knows. He’s got this calming presence when he’s around friends and also an intense side that resurfaces if someone’s being unfair, which is both useful and slightly terrifying.

Saiko Metori

Saiko is the theatrical, cosplay-obsessed girl who treats life like a dramatic performance — costumes, accents, and more dramatic poses than a soap opera. She’s clever, a little manipulative in the cutest possible way, and loves roleplay so much she’d probably narrate a math class if given the chance. She can be suspiciously perceptive about people’s motives (like, way more than she should be), yet she’ll vanish into a blushing mess if the spotlight turns personal. Also, she’s maybe a secret hopeless romantic? Or just loves fictional relationships? Honestly, both could be true and she’d sell tickets to the premiere of that reveal.

Rifuta Imu

Rifuta is the quietly scheming type — small, sharp, and like a pocket-sized mastermind who enjoys the gentle clack of chess pieces way too much. He’s calculated, a touch smug, and loves plans-within-plans, but also has strange whims and childlike pleasures that make him oddly charming (he collects obscure stationery, probably). He gives off this “I am two steps ahead” vibe but will occasionally get tripped up by something unexpectedly wholesome and then panic internally. There’s a cold, efficient side and a surprisingly goofy side that peeks out when he thinks no one’s watching, which is honestly my favorite contradiction.