The Dr. Slump manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Akira Toriyama. It follows the humorous adventures of the little girl robot Arale Norimaki, her creator Senbei Norimaki and the other residents of the bizarre Penguin Village.
While many of the characters are humans, the cast also includes anthropomorphic animals and objects, robots, extraterrestrial lifeforms, and gods. Characters that are parodies of historical figures, fairy tales, popular Western movies, and real people that author Toriyama knows are also common. Many of these characters make a minor appearance in Toriyama's more well-known series, Dragon Ball.
Creation and conception Toriyama drew several short omake manga included in the Dr. Slump tankōban volumes that supposedly depict the actual events of how he came up with the characters, although, as they are often humorous, the level of truthfulness to them is uncertain. In one he claimed that when he told his editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, that he wanted to make a manga about a doctor, Torishima told him to add a robot. Toriyama originally wanted a very large robot, but as it would not fit in the panels, instead made it small. When Torishima rejected that idea, he made the robot a girl knowing Torishima would find her "cute". Another depicts him, having wanted to give the Norimakis a pet monster and having that rejected by his editor as it was not cute, coming up with the idea of Gatchan after his sister brought her child to see him. Gatchan was based on the main character in one of Toriyama's rejected manga, called . The author stated that Torishima enjoys romance and that the relationships of Arale and Obotchaman, Akane and Tsukutsun, and Taro and Tsururin in Dr. Slump were all his ideas.
Toriyama's editor Torishima was the model for the evil character Dr. Mashirito. Torishima later explained that when Toriyama decided to have a "mad scientist" appear, he told him the character's initial design was "too weak" and to come up with someone "nasty" to have a big impact, and to imagine the person he hates the most in the world. Having not received the manuscript until just before the deadline, Torishima did not have any time to change it with Toriyama having given the character Torishima's face and changed the name to his with the syllables reversed. The editor hoped the character would be unpopular and therefore a one-off, but everyone loved it because Toriyama had previously written about his editor and the audience knew who it was based on.
The character Nikochan, an alien species with their buttocks on their heads, was hastily created after Toriyama was pressed for time having played too many video games and was initially rejected as "filth", with him given another night to re-work it. Having continued to play games instead, Toriyama sent in the same manuscript the next day with Torishima accepting, apparently having not noticed that it was the same. However, in a later volume Toriyama said that Torishima thought Nikochan was disgusting, but accepted because it was too close to the deadline to change.
While thinking that Arale was too strong during a meal, Toriyama was startled by eating an umeboshi and came up with Suppaman. However, because he did not enjoy the sour taste, decided to make Suppaman a weakling instead. A similar scene is given for Bubibinman; when a fly flew into his curry rice, he made him a weak character out of anger. In a later volume, Toriyama revealed he had created Suppaman for a previous manga that was rejected by Torishima, and added him to Dr. Slump out of pity for the character. The author said he designed the character's younger brother, Syoppaman, to be an "elegant prince" type, which is the exact opposite of Suppaman. Peasuke's habit of asking people for autographs comes from Toriyama himself, who collected those of famous manga artists.
Main characters
Arale Norimaki
is a little girl robot created by Senbei Norimaki. Despite her size, she is unbelievably strong and fast. She is very naive and lacks common sense, which often causes trouble for the residents of Penguin Village.
Senbei Norimaki is Penguin Village's goofy and lecherous genius inventor who is able to invent the most brilliant and ridiculous inventions. As a running gag, he imagines his appearance as a handsomer and taller version of himself when he is being serious. He is 28 years old and uses the unusual greeting "N'Cha", which Arale adopts. After creating Arale, he alternatively tells the village residents that she is either his younger sister or his daughter, depending on the occasion.
Senbei's name is a pun on the word for a rice cracker (senbei) and with his family name, Norimaki Senbei, it refers to a rice cracker wrapped in nori seaweed. He is voiced by Kenji Utsumi in the first anime and by Yūsaku Yara in the second and Dragon Ball Super. In Dragon Ball, he attempts to fix Son Goku's Dragon Radar. Senbei also makes a brief non-speaking role in the Dragon Ball film The Great Mystical Adventure. In the Funimation English dubs of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super he is voiced by Brice Armstrong and R Bruce Elliot respectively.
Akane Kimidori is a rebellious 13-year-old girl who quickly becomes Arale's best friend. She often plays pranks on Senbei who considers her a bad influence on Arale. She starts dating Tsukutsun Tsun late in the series, and a look ten years into the future shows they got married. Akane is voiced by Kazuko Sugiyama in the first anime and by Hiroko Konishi in the second. She has a brief appearance in the Dragon Ball series. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball she is voiced by Laura Bailey.
Taro Soramame is Arale's older "bad boy" friend at school. The 15-year-old is usually seen smoking cigarettes and trying to act "cool." After graduating from high school, he becomes a police officer. He starts dating Tsururin Tsun, whom he eventually marries ten years in the future. Taro is voiced by Toshio Furukawa in the first anime and by Shinichirō Ōta in the second. He briefly appears in Dragon Ball, shown on a date with Tsururin. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball he is voiced by Eric Vale.
Peasuke Soramame is Arale and Akane's classmate and Taro's little brother who always wears an animal hat. He develops a crush on a younger but taller girl named Hiyoko, whom he eventually marries and has a child with ten years in the future. He is voiced by Naomi Jinbo in the first anime and by Megumi Urawa in the second. He makes a brief appearance in Dragon Ball. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball he is voiced by Sonny Strait.
Gatchan , full name , is a green-haired, cherub-like creature with wings, hatched from an egg brought home by Senbei from a time traveling trip to the Stone Age. Gatchan eats almost anything, rubber being the only exception, and particularly seems to like metal. It can also shoot rays from its antennae. Gatchan speaks in its own language, which consists primarily of sounds like "koo pee pee" that Arale (and later, Turbo) somehow seem to understand. One day, after going on an eating-spree, Gatchan spins a cocoon around itself and when it emerges two weeks later, it has split into two. It is eventually revealed that Gatchan is actually an angel sent by Kami-sama to destroy the corrupt human civilization.
Arale named Gajira from a combination of the names Gamera and Gojira, the latter is known as Godzilla in the West, hence Gatchan is known as "Gadzilla" in the English version of the manga (although it is occasionally referred to as Gajira or "Gazira"). Gatchan is voiced by Seiko Nakano in the first anime, by Chie Sawaguchi in the second, and by Kumiko Nishihara in Dragon Ball Super. Both Gatchans appear in Dragon Ball and the Dragon Ball movie, The Great Mystical Adventure where they help Arale fight Taopaipai. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball they are voiced by Meredith McCoy.
Midori Yamabuki is Arale's beautiful teacher and Senbei's dream girl. After a long period of unrequited love and nervous misunderstandings, Senbei proposes to her while thinking she is out of earshot. Surprisingly, she accepts immediately and they are married in the next manga panel, becoming Midori Norimaki. Despite Senbei not knowing how kids are made, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to Turbo. She is 23 years old at the beginning of the series. She is voiced by Mariko Mukai in the first anime and first five films, by Yōko Kawanami in the sixth through ninth films, and by Yuko Minaguchi in the second anime and tenth film. Midori also appears in Dragon Ball. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball she is voiced by Meredith McCoy.
Tsukutsun Tsun is the son of the Chinese Tsun family, who practices kung fu. Although normally not as strong as the powerful Arale or Gatchan, when extremely angry he becomes more powerful than both. Whenever he is touched by a girl he turns into a tiger and cannot change back unless touched by a guy. He starts dating Akane Kimidori late in the series, and a look ten years into the future shows they got married. He is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in the first anime and Ryōtarō Okiayu in the second. He has a brief appearance in the Dragon Ball series. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball he is voiced by Justin Cook.
Tsururin Tsun is the daughter of the family. She has various super powers, such as telekinesis and teleportation. She starts dating Taro Soramame, and a look ten years into the future shows that they eventually marry. She is voiced by Yūko Mita in the first anime and Houko Kuwashima in the second. She briefly appears in Dragon Ball, shown on a date with Taro.
Obotchaman is a humanoid robot based on Arale's design, with certain "annoying" qualities removed, that was built by Dr. Mashirito to destroy Arale. Initially named , he is both extremely polite and well-mannered so Mashirito tells him that Arale and Senbei are trying to take over the world, when that is actually his goal. However, Obotchaman falls in love with Arale and learns that his creator is the evil one. He ends up moving close to the Norimakis, stealing Suppaman's house for his own, and befriending Arale and the rest of the cast. Ten years in the future, Obotchaman and Arale eventually marry and have a robotic baby made by Senbei. He is voiced by Mitsuko Horie in the first anime and by Motoko Kumai in the second. He makes a brief appearance in Dragon Ball but has a slightly larger part in its anime adaptation, where he tries to help General Blue fix his car (unaware that Blue is a bad guy). In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball he is voiced by Kent Williams.
Turbo Norimaki is Senbei and Midori's infant son, who is nearly killed by aliens and then revived by them, in the process accidentally imbuing him with many super powers including teleportation, flight, and telekinesis. Consequently, he can also speak and is a genius, the likes of which surpasses even his own father. In the seventh through ninth Dr. Slump films an older version of him is seen. His name comes from Toriyama's dog at the time, "Turbomaru". He is voiced by Yūko Mita in both anime adaptations and by Mami Matsui in the Dr. Slump films. He appears in Dragon Ball, where he fixes Son Goku's Dragon Radar after Senbei was unable to figure it out. Once Arale defeats General Blue who had taken the Radar, Turbo creates a new Dragon Radar using parts from Senbei's plane. In the Funimation English dub of Dragon Ball he is voiced by Monika Antonelli.
Supporting characters Aoi Kimidori