TV-Series
Description
Professeur Slump, whose real name is Senbei Norimaki, is a central character in the anime Dr. Slump & Arale-chan. He is a 28-year-old scientist and inventor living in Penguin Village, and he is best known as the creator of the robot girl Arale. In the first episode of the series he builds Arale with the intention of making the world's most perfect little girl robot, but the result is a nearsighted, naive android who needs glasses and possesses extraordinary superhuman strength. To explain her presence to the other villagers, he presents Arale as his younger sister, and at times as his daughter, depending on the situation, a cover story that also helps him approach single women more easily.
His personality combines genuine scientific brilliance with a goofy, eccentric, and often lecherous nature. He is a prolific inventor whose creations range from time machines and shrinking or enlarging ray guns to transformation pistols, spaceships, and devices that can stop time, but his inventions frequently malfunction or are misused by Arale or by himself, leading to chaos throughout the village. One recurring comedic trait is that his usual scruffy appearance suddenly changes into a taller and more handsome version of himself whenever he becomes serious. He also uses an unusual greeting, N'Cha, which Arale picks up and repeats.
His main personal motivation early in the story is romantic, as he is determined to win the heart of Midori Yamabuki, the village schoolteacher. His scientific motivations are equally strong but more chaotic, as he constantly seeks to create amazing new inventions, often for selfish, vain, or mischievous purposes. He also desires recognition and respect, though his schemes regularly backfire.
Within the story, he functions as the deuteragonist and the driving force behind most of the action. Although the series centers on Arale and her adventures, it is Senbei who creates her, and it is his inventions that launch many episodes. He acts as Arale's creator and guardian, attempting with limited success to keep her innocent misunderstandings and destructive strength under control. He also provides the series with a recurring adversary in Dr. Mashirito, a rival robotics professor who seeks to conquer the world and repeatedly challenges Senbei through his own creations.
His key relationships shape much of the series. With Arale, he has a father-like bond, feeling pride in her abilities while being constantly exasperated by her lack of common sense. His relationship with Midori Yamabuki develops from unrequited infatuation into marriage in the middle of the series, and the couple later has a son named Turbo. He also forms a close friendship with Tsun, a fellow inventor who shares his enthusiasm for outlandish gadgets and his questionable personal interests, and the two often collaborate or compete in their eccentric projects. His rivalry with Dr. Mashirito defines several story arcs, as the two inventors oppose each other through their respective robots and machines.
The character shows noticeable development over the course of the series. He begins as a somewhat lonely bachelor inventor and gradually becomes a married man and father, with his family growing to include Arale, the winged creature Gatchan, and later his son Turbo. His household becomes increasingly crowded and chaotic, and he learns to adapt to it, though he never fully abandons his immature habits. His technical skills also mature in some ways, as some of his later inventions function as intended, but his personality remains fundamentally eccentric.
His notable abilities are entirely scientific rather than physical. He is a jack-of-all-trades inventor capable of creating robots, vehicles, time-altering machines, and devices that manipulate reality in absurd ways. Some of his inventions work precisely as designed, while others suffer from flaws that drive the comedy of the series. His greatest achievement remains the creation of Arale, whose strength and pure-hearted nature far exceed what he originally planned, and his reputation as the village's weird but gifted scientist rests on this mix of remarkable talent and constant mishaps.
His personality combines genuine scientific brilliance with a goofy, eccentric, and often lecherous nature. He is a prolific inventor whose creations range from time machines and shrinking or enlarging ray guns to transformation pistols, spaceships, and devices that can stop time, but his inventions frequently malfunction or are misused by Arale or by himself, leading to chaos throughout the village. One recurring comedic trait is that his usual scruffy appearance suddenly changes into a taller and more handsome version of himself whenever he becomes serious. He also uses an unusual greeting, N'Cha, which Arale picks up and repeats.
His main personal motivation early in the story is romantic, as he is determined to win the heart of Midori Yamabuki, the village schoolteacher. His scientific motivations are equally strong but more chaotic, as he constantly seeks to create amazing new inventions, often for selfish, vain, or mischievous purposes. He also desires recognition and respect, though his schemes regularly backfire.
Within the story, he functions as the deuteragonist and the driving force behind most of the action. Although the series centers on Arale and her adventures, it is Senbei who creates her, and it is his inventions that launch many episodes. He acts as Arale's creator and guardian, attempting with limited success to keep her innocent misunderstandings and destructive strength under control. He also provides the series with a recurring adversary in Dr. Mashirito, a rival robotics professor who seeks to conquer the world and repeatedly challenges Senbei through his own creations.
His key relationships shape much of the series. With Arale, he has a father-like bond, feeling pride in her abilities while being constantly exasperated by her lack of common sense. His relationship with Midori Yamabuki develops from unrequited infatuation into marriage in the middle of the series, and the couple later has a son named Turbo. He also forms a close friendship with Tsun, a fellow inventor who shares his enthusiasm for outlandish gadgets and his questionable personal interests, and the two often collaborate or compete in their eccentric projects. His rivalry with Dr. Mashirito defines several story arcs, as the two inventors oppose each other through their respective robots and machines.
The character shows noticeable development over the course of the series. He begins as a somewhat lonely bachelor inventor and gradually becomes a married man and father, with his family growing to include Arale, the winged creature Gatchan, and later his son Turbo. His household becomes increasingly crowded and chaotic, and he learns to adapt to it, though he never fully abandons his immature habits. His technical skills also mature in some ways, as some of his later inventions function as intended, but his personality remains fundamentally eccentric.
His notable abilities are entirely scientific rather than physical. He is a jack-of-all-trades inventor capable of creating robots, vehicles, time-altering machines, and devices that manipulate reality in absurd ways. Some of his inventions work precisely as designed, while others suffer from flaws that drive the comedy of the series. His greatest achievement remains the creation of Arale, whose strength and pure-hearted nature far exceed what he originally planned, and his reputation as the village's weird but gifted scientist rests on this mix of remarkable talent and constant mishaps.