Directory: Characters → Androids → Dr. Slump
Arale Norimaki (則巻アラレ) is the main protagonist to the Dr. Slump series created by Akira Toriyama, and as well as a minor character in the Dragon Ball manga and anime. She is an android built by Senbei Norimaki, known for her naiveté, energetic personality, superhuman strength, and lack of common sense. She is also nearsighted and needs to wear glasses. Senbei's mission is to convince the other citizens of Penguin Village that Arale is no more than a typical 13-year-old girl, which they appear to believe in, despite taking notice to Arale's numerous displays of superhuman athletic capability.
Overview
Creation and concept
Arale's résumé in the manga
Akira Toriyama was told to put in a robot as the co-lead by his editor Kazuhiko Torishima when he mentioned that he wanted to make a manga about a doctor. Initially Toriyama planned on making the robot big, but decided that it would end up being too big to fit in the panels and decided to make it small. Torishima did not like the idea and so Toriyama created the robot girl Arale since Torishima liked girls a lot.[4]
Appearance
Arale has the appearance of a little girl with purple hair and wears glasses. Over the years of the series run, Toriyama tended to end up drawing Arale shorter and making her look a lot younger than her appearance at the beginning of the series.
Name
Her name is a pun on the Japanese word for a small senbei (あられ, arare), a bite-sized rice cracker. With the family name ("Norimaki Arare"), it refers to a sort of arare wrapped with nori seaweed.
Personality
Arale's résumé describes her as enjoying the hobby of poking 'poop', disliking boredom, having the talent of feminine allure, and being born on the '17th of Flying Fish'. A comic relief that appears in many volumes and episodes of Dr. Slump is that Arale, having been designed as a child, complains about not having a "big enough chest", a desire which Senbei declines to fulfill. Her disappointment in this may allude to Arale's inheritance of some of the perversion of her maker. She also tends to lift her shirt with no regard; doing so on one occasion simply to gesture as she asks Senbei if she can launch rockets from her chest.
Biography
Dr. Slump
Creation and starting school
Arale being created in Senbei's Lab
Arale Norimaki was created in the laboratory located in the house of Senbei Norimaki. When she was first brought out into the outside world around the town of Penguin Village, she was introduced to Aoi who was the manager of a cafe called the Coffee Pot. There, Arale was given the identity of being Senbei's younger sister to hide the fact that she was an android.[5][6]
Arale's first day of school meeting Akane
The next day, Arale enrolled into Penguin Village Middle School to fit in with the other kids after meeting the Headmaster. Her teacher was Midori Yamabuki who was Senbei's dream girl. In class she was sat next to Akane Kimidori, the rebellious younger sister of Aoi. Arale shocked everybody at the school on her first day with her intelligence during class and strength during P.E. At the end of the day, she followed Akane who was meeting up with Taro Soramame and his younger brother Peasuke. Not knowing Arale's power, Taro tries to intimidate Arale by punching a soda can, but she easily destroys a wire pole in front of them making them scared and gain respect for Arale as their friend.[7][8]
Arale became popular enough at Penguin Village Middle School to the point that every club in the school wanted her, but she ended up being too good for all of them. She eventually joined Akane's club, the Sukeban Deka Fan Club.[9][10]
Testing the Time Slipper and discovering Gatchan
Arale, Peasuke and Senbei watching the prehistoric egg hatch
After Senbei finishes working on a time machine named Mr. Time, he shows it to Arale who accidentally gets transported through time. After spending some time in the past she transports back to the present proving Mr. Time to be a success.[11][12]
After the Time Slipper was successfully tested, Arale goes on a journey with Senbei and Peasuke to the prehistoric ages to capture a dinosaur. While they're there, Peasuke's prehistoric ancestor gives them a mysterious egg in exchange for Senbei's lighter. When they return to the present the egg hatched it turned out to be a strange baby with wings instead of a dinosaur.[13][14]
Arale finding out that Gatchan eats metal
Arale named the baby Gadzilla, Gatchan for short, after convincing Senbei to keep it. The next day, Arale and Senbei decided to find out how they are going to deal with raising Gatchan. Arale found out that Gatchan eats metal. When Arale threw Gatchan really high on accident while playing with it, it fell into the ground revealing that Gatchan can survive that. Later that night in the bath, Arale and Senbei discover that Gatchan had wings.[15][16]
Barbershop panic
Arale giving the bank robber trouble as his hostage
Sometime after Arale started 8th grade[17], she came across a bank robber while she was out playing with Gatchan who was running away from the Police when he accidentally robbed the police station instead of the bank. The bank robber thought Arale and Gatchan were just innocent kids and decided to take them as hostages and hide in an abandoned hut. While there Arale tries to play Ultraman with the robber and then accidentally shoots herself in the face with his gun frightening him thinking she killed herself but didn't actually affect her and instead only broke her glasses. Instead the robber chose to distract Arale by having her blind folded and try to find him and hit him with a stick like a pinata which she ended up destroying the entire hut with the stick trying to find him. The robber tried to threaten Arale afterwards by holding his gun to Gatchan but when Gatchan ate it, he ran away scared trying to find the police as he would prefer to be arrested then dealing with them.[18]
Kenta Kuraaku's news coverage of Arale destroying the moon
Four weeks later, while studying with Peasuke and Akane at the Soramame Barber Shop, the bank robber returned and tried to take Senbei and Kurikinton as hostages after suffering humiliation from his last appearance to prove he is not a joke. When the police arrive, the kids come into the front area to see what is going on and the bank robber sees that Arale and Gatchan is among the group and decides to run out and turn himself into them but Gyaosu yells at him for being a coward and forces him to go back into the barbershop and continue what he started.[19]
Arale destroying the moon by throwing a rock
Arale continues to playfully mess around with the bank robber as one of the hostages in the barbershop. Kenta Kuraaku of the Penguin News Network shows up to interview the bank robber but mistakenly ends up interviewing the "hostages" instead until he is amazed when Gatchan eats the microphone which Akane tells him is nothing compared to Arale who can break the Moon with a rock. As night approaches, Kenta continues his news broadcast and focuses on Arale instead who takes a rock and throws it directly at the moon splitting it in half and during the excitement of the crowd watching what Arale is capable of, the robber walks away saying that he will never rob again.[20]
Saving Earth from King Nikochan
Arale laughing while Gatchan saves the Earth by eating King Nikochan's spaceship
One night when Arale and Gatchan were up really late playing, a giant dice landing in the front yard of the Norimaki house and they went in front to check it out. When they went up to it, it turned into a flypaper trap and they were taken aboard King Nikochan's spaceship by King Nikochan's servant when he was asked to bring some Earthlings. While on the ship, Arale met King Nikochan, the evil king to an alien race called the Nikos. Arale insulted King Nikochan because of his funny looks and did not take anything he said seriously. After they destroyed Mars to try to get her attention, she was too busy messing around with Gatchan. When the Nikos were getting the laser to destroy Earth next, the ship got eaten by Gatchan, which saved the planet.[21]
After the ship was eaten, Arale told them that Senbei can build them a new ship and decided to save the Nikos by having Gatchan fly them to Earth's atmosphere into Penguin Village. On the way to her house, Arale introduced the Nikos to stuff on Earth such as mountains and poop. After she introduced the Nikos to Senbei to have him build them some new transportation, she took them to the Coffee Pot and show her friends the Nikos and all the goofy stuff they do. When they were done and left with the new vehicle Senbei built for them, Arale tells Senbei that they were aliens and that he didn't know and he accidentally built them a car instead of a spaceship, still stranding the Nikos on Earth.[22]
Fighting Dr. Mashirito
Arale becomes a target for Dr. Mashirito when he finds out that she is the strongest robot around. Mashirito comes to Penguin Village to fight Arale using his robot, Caramel Man 001, but Arale easily beats him. Arale's second encounter with Dr. Mashirito is during the Penguin Village Grand Prix which is held by Tori-Bot. During the race, Arale has no problem even with several distractions setting her back. When it comes down to the last three racers which are her, Senbei and Dr. Mashirito using his Caramel Man 002, the winner is Arale but by technicality Tori-Bot declares himself the winner.
Arale fighting Caramel Man 003
Shortly after assembling into a team with Sourman, Gatchan and Mr. Pig called the Global Defense Force, Mashirito comes back with his new invention, Caramel Man 003, and his new team, the Mashirito Army, consisting of him, King Nikochan and King Nikochan's Servant. Mashirito's new plan for handling Arale is using a Poop-bot to distract her while he shoots her with a powerful laser, with Gatchan captured in a rubber claw to prevent him from eating the rest of the robot. While Arale is distracted by the Poop-bot, Mr. Pig pops one of Caramel Man 003's tires, causing Arale to pay attention to the fight again, where she headbutts the robot to free Gatchan so he can eat the Robot, leaving Mashirito defeated again.
Mashirito's next conflict with Arale is when he creates his fourth Caramel Man which is known as Obotchaman. Instead of trying to destroy Arale, Obotchaman becomes good and falls in love with her. After a few more conflicts with the various Caramel Man, Arale encounters a fully cyborg Mashirito in a martial arts tournament. Being matched up against him in the final round, Arale battles him but then ends up shutting down in battle and Obotchaman disguised as Arale finishes off Mashirito in the final battle killing him and Arale is declared the champion.
Dragon Ball
Meeting Goku
Arale on the Flying Nimbus
When spring break starts for Arale and the other students of Penguin Village High School, Arale and the Gatchans witness the sky chase between Goku and the Red Ribbon Army member General Blue. Arale ends up meeting Goku when he falls off of the Flying Nimbus in front of her. When Goku calls back his nimbus to go fly over to the wreckage of General Blue's plane, Arale is amazed at his flying cloud and runs after him. At the site of the broken plane, Goku panics as General Blue and his Dragon Balls are nowhere to be found, and he is then surprised when Arale and the Gatchans appear right before him wondering where they train since they are so fast. Goku tries to use the Dragon Radar to find where Blue ran off to with the Dragon Balls but its broken, so Arale tells Goku that she knows a doctor who can fix it. Arale offers to show where Senbei is and proves to be able to ride the Flying Nimbus along with the Gatchans, indicating that they are pure of heart. When General Blue makes his way to the Norimaki household to kill Goku and steal Senbei's plane, Arale launches him into the air with a headbutt and he flies away. Arale's strength impresses Goku, which makes him admit that she is way stronger than he is and he tells her that she should fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament before leaving.
Post Red Ribbon Army Conflict
Arale becomes the mayor of Penguin Village after winning the 2nd Annual Penguin Village Grand Prix. 10 years later in Age 759, she marries Obotchaman and moves in with him and they raise a robot child together that Senbei created. It is confirmed that Arale lives past the age of 73 in Age 805 with no physical changes since she is an android.
Appearances in other media
Dragon Ball movies
Mystical Adventure
Arale in Mystical Adventure
Arale appears in the 1988 film Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure. She launches a boulder at General Tao while he is above Penguin Village, riding a pillar in pursuit of Goku. After he face plants into the ground, she and the Gatchans poke him with a stick. She survives getting hit directly by his Dodon Ray. Soon, Arale and Goku defeat Tao when he steals Goku's Dragon Balls and launches missiles at them while fleeing on a flying vehicle.
Dragon Ball Cameos
Other than her appearance in the General Blue Saga, Arale makes many minor background cameos on pictures in the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z animes.
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Artwork featured in Cooler's Revenge
- In "The Emperor's Quest", she appears on a poster in Bulma's Capsule House.
- In "The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi", a different poster of Arale is seen in the same spot in Bulma's Capsule House.
- In "Find that Stone!", she can be seen briefly for a second on the TV Master Roshi is watching.
- In "Global Training", a poster with Arale on it is seen inside of Launch's Capsule House.
- She appears on a poster in Gohan's room in Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug.
- In Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, an artwork of Arale that is the cover of Dr. Slump chapter 37, "Our Hero, Suppaman", is seen in Gohan's room. This artwork is also featured in the Akira Toriyama - The World artbooks.
- An extremely drunk Master Roshi made a facial impression of her face in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan.
- Arale and Tori-Bot can be seen in Goten's cake fantasy at the beginning of Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming.
- In the episode "Granddaughter Pan", a book with Arale's name on the side can be seen on a book shelf in Gohan's house.
Rocky
In the 1989 Dr. Slump spin-off manga Rocky, Arale meets Rocky, a man who is constantly committing speeding. He tries to lose her, but the girl manages to catch him and puts a poop on his head.
Dr. Slump remake
Arale in the Dr. Slump remake from 1997
Arale's origin is different in the Dr. Slump remake where instead Senbei is making an attractive female maid for himself, but a lightning storm hits his house causing his machines to malfunction making Arale instead. Later on, she comes across Goku while he is hunting a crocodile in a river near Penguin Village. After having his radar broken, Goku stays with Arale and the rest of the Norimaki's until Senbei fixes the radar. While Goku is in town, Arale helps Goku fight off Ninja Murasaki and General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army who tried to steal the Dragon Balls.
Power
Arale can move at Mach 1 while walking, got from Earth to Saturn in a few seconds, and ran around the world many times in a brief amount of time. She can easily lift 100 tons, and has enough power to destroy the Earth with a single punch[23] or move the planet from Mars to Venus (which is a distance of at least 141,578,000 miles) with a single stomp. She also survived being crushed between Mars and Earth with little visible damage. She also managed to knock Caramel Man 001 so hard that he flew into the sun in a few seconds and cracked it upon impact. In the crossover episodes of the Dr. Slump remake with Dragon Ball, Arale fights against Goku when he is out of control in his Great Ape form, and she grabs him by the tail and throws him off into an open area. However it is shown in Dr. Slump that she is unable to defeat Caramel Man 007, even with the help of Obotchaman.
Arale easily overpowers General Blue in Dragon Ball and defeats Mercenary Tao as well in Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure. During the time the King Piccolo Saga was made, Toriyama stated that if Goku and Arale fought, Arale would probably be stronger than Goku.[24]
Special abilities
- Earth-Splitter – Arale punches the ground beneath her, causing the planet to split in half. Also used in Dragon Ball: Origins 2 and J-Stars Victory Vs.
- Watermelon/Pumpkin Cannon – A "technique" that Arale uses several times as a prank on Senbei. She loads a Rocket Launcher with a pumpkin or a watermelon and fires it at her target, usually wearing a kunoichi outfit while doing so. Also used in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.
- Woohoo! – Arale picks up a large boulder and throws it at her opponent. She used this technique in Mystical Adventure. It is also one of her Blast 2 in the video game Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and one of her A button surprise attack in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.
- Kiiin! – Arale runs at extreme speeds of up to 500 miles per hour, while shouting 'kiiin', onomatopoeic for the sound of a speeding airplane. This technique is named Ping! in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
Arale defeats General Blue while "Playing Pro-Wrestling"
- Playing Pro-Wrestling – A combination of the Arale Kick and Headbutt, followed by a beam fired by the Gatchans. It is her Ultimate Blast in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
- Arale Kick – Arale runs after her target and does a dropkick.[25] Also used in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.
- Headbutt – Arale lunges upward at her airborne target, headbutting the foe in the torso with very powerful force. This technique is capable of sending the average person flying for hundreds of miles.
- N'cha Cannon – Arale's secret weapon. N'cha cannon is a very powerful beam shot from the mouth. To use it, Arale takes a deep breath before yelling out her signature greeting, "N'cha!" (or another greeting, on a rare occasion) very loudly. Though this is devastating, using it repeatedly, or when low in battery power, can drain her energy supply and render her immobile. Also used in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.
- Ncha! – Arale takes a deep breath before yelling out her signature greeting, "N'cha!" Ncha! is one of Arale's Blast 1 in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
- Excited – One of Arale's Blast 1 in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
- Transformation – A technique that Arale uses to "transform" into her "alter-ego", Ultraman. She demonstrates this ability by turning on a flashlight and saying "Ultraman! Schwaaa!" before changing her clothes into a spandex superhero jumpsuit, and then repeating "Schwaaa!"
Video game appearances
Arale in Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Arale first appeared in a 1982 handheld game Dr. Slump Arale Part I: Hoyoyo Bomber. She later appeared in a Dr. Slump video game for the Arcadia 2001 released in 1983, in a Dr. Slump game for PlayStation based on the second television series in 1999, and in Dr. Slump: Arale-Chan for Nintendo DS in 2008.
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Arale with the Gatchans in Dragon Ball: Origins 2
Arale appears in Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu and Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen, and she is the final special boss of Dragon Ball 3: Gokuden. She also appears in Dragon Ball Z: W Bakuretsu Impact and Dragon Ball Heroes.
Arale is a playable character in several Jump video games, including Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden, Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and J-Stars Victory Vs. She is also a playable character in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Battlers, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, Dr. Slump: Arale-Chan, and Dragon Ball: Origins 2. The "Dream Match: Goku vs. Arale" story in Budokai Tenkaichi 3 depicts a world in which Arale challenges Goku to a game of wrestling and is barely defeated by him, with Goku praising her for her power.
Voice actresses
- Japanese dub: Mami Koyama (1981 series/Dragon Ball), Taeko Kawata (1997 series)
- English dubs
- Harmony Gold dub: Cheryl Chase (Dr. Slump), Julie Maddalena (Dragon Ball)
- Blue Water dub: Leda Davies (Dragon Ball)
- FUNimation dub: Meredith McCoy (anime), Brina Palencia (Budokai Tenkaichi 3)
- Brazilian dub: Jussara Marques
- Spanish dub: Ana Fernández (Dragon Ball), Ana Pallejà (Dr. Slump OVAs), Mónica Padrós (Dr. Slump)
Arale look-a-like in the crowd
Trivia
- There is girl seen in the crowd in "Krillin's Frantic Attack!" that looks a lot like Arale.
- In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, before the player engages in battle with Arale in the story mode, Kibito Kai states "I used to be a fan of her!".
Gallery
.jpg "AraleFger(TWS).jpg (59 KB)") Arale Norimaki  Arale riding a reptile .jpg "Slmp126(TWS).jpg (118 KB)") Arale on top of a dragon .jpg "AraleOnMonster(WS).jpg (106 KB)") Arale on a blue monster  Arale riding a plane .jpg "Arale(WS&ATE93).jpg (80 KB)") Arale on the phone  Arale in a Vietnam War-era USMC uniform  Arale running  Arale rides a mechanical cricket .jpg "AraleRdSmPl(TW).jpg (92 KB)") Arale on a flying vehicle  Arale Norimaki  Art of Arale and Senbei  Arale in the Dr. Slump opening  Arale with her friends  Arale trying out the baseball club .jpg "AraleExcerciseProgram(Ep16).jpg (54 KB)") Arale Norimaki on Roshi's TV in "Find That Stone!" .png "AraleMarble(DB).png (120 KB)") Arale mistaking a marble for a Dragon Ball  Taro and Arale .png "AraleShowsPoop(DB).png (96 KB)") Arale shows poop to General Blue  Arale and Goku in Dragon Ball  Arale poster in "Global Training"  Gohan and Arale (Daizenshuu 1)  Poster of Arale in Gohan's room in Lord Slug  Master Roshi impersonating Arale in Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan  Arale and Tori-bot Appearing in Goten's fantasy  A book with Arale's name is seen on his book shelf  Arale looking up at Senbei in the remake  Arale trying on her glasses  Arale excited for class  Gatchan and Arale followed by Kinoko Sarada in Dr. Slump: Arale-Chan  Obochaman, Arale and the Gatchans  Arale in Dragon Ball: Origins 2 .jpg "Aral&Goku(O2).jpg (15 KB)") Arale and Goku in Dragon Ball: Origins 2 .jpg "Arale&Poop(JSVV).jpg (153 KB)") Arale with poop on a stick in J-Stars Victory Vs  Turbo gives Arale a watch that turns her into an adult  Adult Arale  Arale and Obotchaman's child |
References
- ↑ Dr. Slump volume 4 extra, "Dr. Slump Ho-yo-yo Resume"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 9, "1980: Living For Tomorrow!"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 235, "A New Mayor"
- ↑ Dr. Slump extra chapter, "Dr. Slump A True Story"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 1, "The Birth of Arale"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan episode 1a, "Arale-chan's Birth"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 2, "Here Comes Arale"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan, episode 1b "Hey! Friends"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 5, "Which Will It Be?"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan episode 2a, "Arale-chan Goes to School!"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 10, "The Time Slipper"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan episode 3a, "Great Adventure with the Time Slipper"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 11, "The Mysterious Egg"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan episode 3b, "What's with the Egg?!"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 12, "Is It a Girl? Is It a Boy!?"
- ↑ Dr. Slump & Arale-chan episode 4a, "Huh?! Is it a Boy? Is it a Girl?"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 14, "Arale on the Loose: Part 1"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 18, "Kidnapped!?"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 22, "Barbershop Panic: Part 1"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 23, "Barbershop Panic: Part 2"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 29, "Earth S.O.S.!: Part 1"
- ↑ Dr. Slump chapter 30, "Earth S.O.S.!: Part 2"
- ↑ Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, 2007
- ↑ Dragon Ball: Bouken Special, 1987
- ↑ Dragon Ball manga, vol. 7, page 159. ISBN 1-56931-926-X
External links
| Penguin Village residents | |
|---|---|
| Norimaki Family | Senbei Norimaki • Arale Norimaki • Gatchan • Midori Norimaki • Turbo Norimaki • Obotchaman • Reality Machine |
| Kimidori Family | |
| Soramame Family | |
| Tsun Family | |
| Penguin Village Police Force | |
| Extraterrestrial Residents | |
| Other Residents | |
| Poops | |
| Related articles | |