Arale Norimaki

Creation and conception

Akira Toriyama initially wanted to create a manga about a doctor, but his editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, insisted he include a robot. Toriyama first envisioned a massive robot, but it was too large for the comic panels, so he scaled it down. When the editor rejected that smaller version, Toriyama made the robot a girl, knowing Torishima would find her cute. The editor also pushed for Arale to be the main character instead of Senbei, a change Toriyama later admitted worked out for the best.

Torishima originally planned Arale as a one-chapter guest, but he liked Toriyama’s female characters so much that he wanted her to lead the series. Toriyama resisted because Weekly Shōnen Jump targeted boys, so the two made a bet: Toriyama would write a one-shot with a female lead, and if it placed fourth or lower in reader polls, he could drop Arale after a single chapter. Torishima won when Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe (1979) took third place, but Toriyama stubbornly kept the series titled Dr. Slump.

Arale’s name is a pun on arare, a bite-sized rice cracker, and her full name, Norimaki Arale, refers to arare wrapped in nori seaweed. Toriyama gave his protagonists plain looks to focus on storytelling, believing weak-looking characters who prove strong are more interesting—Arale and Son Goku are key examples. Her glasses began as a gag, and Toriyama wanted to remove them because they were hard to draw, but they became her trademark. Readers who wore glasses wrote to say Arale’s glasses made them feel better about themselves, so he kept them. Arale usually has purple hair, though the 1997 anime shows it as dark brown.

Appearances

Depending on who Senbei is talking to, Arale is introduced as either his sister or his daughter. The Norimaki household expands when Arale and Senbei find an egg during a trip to the past. From that egg hatches a small winged creature they call Gatchan. Senbei later marries his dream girl, Midori Yamabuki, and they have a son named Turbo. To make things even more crowded, Gatchan then splits into two separate beings for no clear reason.

Dr. Slump calls itself a gag manga without a continuous storyline. Its focus is Arale’s funny way of exploring how life works, along with the wild trips Senbei’s inventions take them on. Arale has her own catchphrases: “N’cha,” “Bye’cha,” and “Hoyoyo” when she is confused, and she shouts “Kiiin” while running with her arms stretched out.

Arale crosses over into Toriyama’s Dragon Ball when Son Goku chases General Blue all the way to Penguin Village. After Blue freezes Goku, Arale takes him down with one kick and one headbutt. She can also ride the Kinto’un, proving she has a pure heart. In the anime, she first appears as a picture on the wall of Bulma’s capsule house in Dragon Ball episode 2, then on a TV Master Roshi watches in episode 16, and later on a poster in Gohan’s bedroom in Dragon Ball Z. She shows up in the film The Great Mystical Adventure, and her face appears in the eighth Dragon Ball Z movie. In Dragon Ball Super, she makes a brief cameo in episode 43 and plays a bigger role in episode 69.

Arale is a playable character in the crossover games Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and J-Stars Victory Vs. She is also playable in several Dragon Ball games: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, and Dragon Ball: Origins 2. She makes a non-playable appearance in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

In 2014, Toei Animation made two commercials for Suzuki featuring Dr. Slump. They advertise Suzuki’s Kei SUV Hustler and include new voice work from Mami Koyama as Arale and Kumiko Nishihara as Gatchan. In 2016, Ayami Nakajo played Arale in a commercial for G.u. clothing. In that ad, Akane Kimidori (played by Yuki Uchida) and Peasuke Soramame (played by Kengo Kora) are shocked when Arale swaps her usual overalls for a pleated skirt.

Voice actors

Over the years, several voice actors have brought Arale Norimaki to life. In the original Japanese, Mami Koyama voiced her in the first Dr. Slump anime and has continued in the role for almost every later appearance, including all Dragon Ball series. Taeko Kawata took over for the second Dr. Slump anime, while Yuko Hara, the keyboardist for the band Southern All Stars, voiced her in the radio drama. For English audiences, Lara Cody was the first to voice Arale in the Harmony Gold dub of the Dr. Slump pilot.

Linda Young later voiced her in Funimation's dubs of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure. Leda Davies, a Canadian actress, voiced Arale in the Blue Water dub of Dragon Ball. Sharon Mann provided her voice for the AB Groupe dub of Mystical Adventure. In Omni Productions' Dr. Slump dub, Andrea Kwan started as Arale, with Gloria Ansell taking over for later episodes.

Brina Palencia has voiced Arale in Dragon Ball Super and all Dragon Ball video games since Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3.

Reception

In 1982, Arale Norimaki placed 12th in Animage's fourth annual Anime Grand Prix for Favorite Character. Anime News Network's Carl Kimlinger noted that she stands out among the Dr. Slump cast, saying her laugh, her run, and the way she unknowingly causes chaos are all unforgettable. Sam Leach of the same outlet praised her appearance in Dragon Ball Super, highlighting how she clashes with Goku and Vegeta, with Vegeta frequently breaking the fourth wall to admit they cannot beat someone from a gag series.

When asked in 1987 who would win a fight between Arale and Son Goku, creator Akira Toriyama stated Arale was stronger. Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto developed an interest in drawing as a child by sketching pictures of Arale. In the 1985 Hong Kong film My Lucky Stars, Jackie Chan's character wears an Arale costume while working undercover at a theme park. Shigeru Miyamoto, discussing Mario's center of gravity in a Super Mario 64 strategy guide from 1996, said Mario runs like Arale-chan, with the correct sense of body weight.

Japanese comedian Hosei Yamasaki dressed as Arale on the Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! Cosplay Bus Tour, performing her signature "Kiiin" and "N'cha." After failing to get spaghetti for the entire cast, he had to fly to Italy to obtain it, remaining in the Arale costume the whole time. America's Funniest Home Videos has featured a clip in multiple episodes, first appearing in Season 1, Episode 3, where a man falls after putting his head through an Arale cutout.

In the 2004 Samurai Champloo episode "Bogus Booty," Mugen mimics Arale's run by extending his arms and shouting "Kiiin." The main character of the 2018 video game Dragon Quest Builders 2, for which Toriyama handled character design, runs with hands out like Arale. Korean mixed martial artist Seo Hee Ham is called "Arale-chan" in Japan because her appearance outside the ring resembles the character.