Is Arale a Dragon Ball character? Explained

Modified Jul 18, 2024 16:09 GMT

Answering if Arale is a Dragon Ball character or not (Image via Toei Animation)

"Is Arale a Dragon Ball character?" is a question that a lot of people who have only watched Akira Toriyama's most famous work often ask because this character has a very peculiar position in the mangaka's bibliography. The most straightforward answer is, she is not. Arale is the protagonist of Dr. Slump, who has found her way into some anime-only stories in Toriyama's other prominent series.

Many people don't know that Toriyama was already a successful mangaka in the 80s before he started publishing Dragon Ball in Shonen Jump and that was thanks to Arale in the Dr. Slump series. While a much more comedic work than the battle shonen he would become known for, this series cemented Toriyama as a household name in the industry and Arale is one of the icons of the medium.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.

Explaining if Arale is a Dragon Ball character or not

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As mentioned before, Arale is not a Dragon Ball character and has merely been a part of some cameos in this series. She first shows up during the Red Ribbon Army arc, getting involved in Goku's encounter with General Blue.

She has a role to play in the series' third anime film, Mystical Adventure, when the protagonist fights Tao Pai Pai, and they also meet again when Arale has a small cameo in Super.

In fact, Arale predates Akira Toriyama's most famous work and is actually the lead character of Dr. Slump. This gag manga marked Toriyama's first major hit in the industry, cementing himself as one of the most popular authors in the medium back in the 80s.

Arale is one of the most significant manga icons, especially when it comes to Japanese audiences. She is the first perfect android in the world of Dr. Slump, created by Dr. Senbei Norimaki.

While Senbei wants to make people in their village believe that Arale is a normal girl, she exhibits superhuman strength and endurance. This helps her achieve feats in a comedic manner not too different from the one seen in modern series such as One Punch Man.

The legacy of Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama had an undeniable impact on the world on anime and manga (Image via Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama)

The passing of Akira Toriyama on March 1 of this year was a massive shock to the anime and manga community as most people didn't hear anything about the legendary author's health problems. Ranging from presidents to popular athletes, eminent global personalities celebrated his work and legacy, thus showing the reach of the impact he had.

Toriyama is always going to be remembered mainly for his work with Dragon Ball, which is probably the most popular anime series of all time.

Moreover, his career also helped shape and influence several popular and legendary mangaka, with the likes of Masashi Kishimoto, Eiichiro Oda, and Tite Kubo - the authors of Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach respectively. These renowned manga creators also mourned the passing of Toriyama.

Final thoughts

Arale is not a Dragon Ball character and only has cameo appearances in anime-only productions of that franchise. However, she is the main character of the Dr. Slump series, a manga that put Akira Toriyama's name on the map in the early 80s.

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Edited by DEEPALI