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General info
Dr. Slump is the name of a manga (Japanese comic) drawn by the
mega-famous Japanese artist Akira Toriyama. If this name does not sound
a bell, it is certain that the name of the other series by the same
author, which has acquired more relevance than Dr. Slump all over the
world will sound a bell. We are speaking, of course, about Dragon Ball.
Dr. Slump began to appear weekly in the Japanese manga magazine
Shônen Jump in January 1980. The month of august of 1984 the series was
finished in its manga version, which was reedited in 18 manga volumes of
about 200 pages each one.
The enormous success that this series had in Japan gave way to
the production of a TV series, which, with the same name as the manga,
was broadcasted for the first time in TV Tokyo, the 8th of April, 1981,
and which lasted until the 19th of February, 1986. Moreover, 6 films
which had a duration of approximately 1 hour were produced in order to
take profit of the popularity of the TV series. In Catalonia we have
been able to watch the series dubbed in Catalan since some years ago in
TV3 and all the generation which are now in their 20's will be familiar
with the words "ohio!" or "kupipi".
Since 1993 the Japanese can enjoy a new set of episodes about the
adventures of Arale & Co., but these episodes have not the magical hand
of Akira Toriyama behind.
Plot
Dr. Slump, whose actual name is Senbee Norimaki, is a great
scientist who lives in a very little village of the most rural Japan,
which is called Penguin Village. This village has almost no contact with
the rest of Japan. Tough he is a great scientist, Senbee is a little
stupid, sexual pervert but most important of all, he is very funny. The
story begins when this doctor invents in his home a robot which has the
perfect appearance of a 13-year-old girl. This girl has an enormous
strenght and an enormous naivety as well. This robot has been given the
name of Arale (Arare, in Japanese, is the name of a kind of cookie, and
senbei is also a name of cookie, bigger that the arare ones) and she is
the main character of the story since the first episode.
The series is only aimed at telling the adventures of Arale and
her friends, whitout any predetermined plot, that is to say, the
episodes have nothing in common with each other, this is not a series
which has a linear plot but every episode is a different story.
Setting
We have already said that the action of the series takes place in
a little Japanese village in the country, what we have not said is that
in this village everything is very peculiar: the sun brushes its teeth
every morning just when it sets out, there is a little pig with a mike
who announces us that the day has already begun in Penguin Village, the
crows fly as they say "stupid, stupid", the peasants are hypos and the
mountains are able to speak.
Moreover, the shits talk and walk, Senbee is able to create the
stranger inventions and there are aliens who walk along the village as
if it was their planet.
Arale's powers
Arale has an enormous strenght and she can run very very fast, as
fast that she uses to blow up the police patrol car when it is trudging
the road... Moreover, she is able to throw up fire by her mouth (ncha!
cannon), cut the Earth in half with a single punch and make any silly
thing, as wanting to buy bras, make the moon grow with a pistol of
growing rays, or tickle a Tiranosaurus Rex. Gatchan can throw up an
electric ray for electrocutating her enemies and she can eat anything
except rubber.
Senbee's inventions
Senbee, apart from Arale, has been able to create lots of
inverosimile things during the series. Some examples may be:
-A machine which is able to copy anything (people, things...)
-A pistol to change the size of anything.
-A time machine
-X-ray glasses
-Any type of means of transportation.
-A pistol to make somebody invisible.
And much more things. The funny thing is that all of his
inventions are able to speak and walk and make fun of their creator
telling him he is a stupid.
This is the kitsch universe of Doctor Slump, directly sprung from
the sick mind of Toriyama-sensei. It is impossible to resist the absurd,
stupid and idiot humour of the series and be able not to throw the guts
laughing every time you watch an episode on TV. We hope that you will
like the site and that you have a good time!!
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