TV-Series
Description
Senbei Norimaki, commonly known by the nickname Dr. Slump, is a twenty-eight-year-old inventor who lives in Penguin Village and is one of the central figures of the anime Dr. Slump & Arale-chan. He is a genuine scientific genius capable of building remarkably advanced machines, but his brilliant mind is paired with a goofy, absent-minded, and easily distracted nature, along with a strong interest in women that frequently gets him into trouble. He greets people with the unusual phrase N'Cha, a verbal habit that his robot daughter Arale later picks up and uses herself. His full name is a play on words, since senbei refers to a rice cracker and norimaki senbei describes a rice cracker wrapped in nori seaweed.
In terms of background, Senbei starts the story as a bachelor living alone in a two-story house in the eccentric community of Penguin Village. His life changes dramatically when he builds a girl-shaped robot he hopes will be the world's most perfect creation. The robot, named Arale, turns out to be nearsighted, extremely naive, and blessed with extraordinary strength, and he decides to raise her as part of his family. Depending on the situation, he introduces Arale to the villagers as either his younger sister or his daughter. Over time his household grows well beyond just the two of them, eventually including his wife, his son, and several unusual creatures.
Personality-wise, Senbei is described as a goofy and lecherous genius inventor who can create the most brilliant and the most ridiculous inventions. He is capable of deep concentration on his scientific work, sometimes losing track of everything around him, but he is also prone to laziness and a fondness for crude humor. A recurring running gag shows that when he becomes serious or tries to look impressive, he imagines himself as a much handsomer and taller version of his actual self, and on some occasions he can briefly transform into that idealized appearance for about three minutes. Despite his vanity and foolishness, he genuinely cares for the people around him and often shows a protective, responsible side when his family is in danger.
His main motivations are to succeed as an inventor, to win the affection of his neighbor Midori Yamabuki, and to look after Arale as a caring father figure. He constantly builds new gadgets in the hope of impressing Midori, but his attempts usually backfire and create chaos instead. His romantic pursuit of Midori is a long-running element of the story, and his inventions, rivalries, and romantic misadventures drive many of the series' comedic plots.
His role in the story is that of the human anchor at the center of the series. As Arale's creator, he introduces her to the normal routines of village life, sends her to school, and tries to pass her off as an ordinary human girl despite her obvious superhuman abilities. Many episodes revolve around the fallout from his latest invention, while others focus on his conflicts with the recurring villain Dr. Mashirito, a rival scientist who repeatedly challenges him and builds robots meant to defeat Arale.
His key relationships include his bond with Arale, whom he treats as a daughter and fiercely protects even though she is much stronger than he is; his courtship and eventual marriage to Midori Yamabuki, who becomes the mother of his son Turbo; and his care for Gatchan, a winged creature that hatches from an egg he brings back from a time-travel trip to the Stone Age and that later becomes part of the Norimaki household. He also has a tense but comedic relationship with the neighborhood girl Akane, who frequently plays pranks on him and whom he regards as a bad influence on Arale.
Over the course of the series, Senbei develops from a lonely bachelor into a family man. He marries Midori, becomes the father of Turbo, and his household expands to include additional children and strange adopted creatures, with his family growing considerably by the end of the story. While he never loses his comic flaws, his role shifts toward that of a somewhat more responsible husband and father who looks after an increasingly unusual family.
His most notable ability is his genius-level talent for invention. His creations include Arale herself, a time machine, a mind-control hat, rocket shoes, and numerous other devices that range from the astonishingly useful to the outright absurd. He is also skilled enough with advanced technology to repair machines that others cannot, and he possesses a solid background in scientific knowledge that occasionally allows him to resolve problems in ways that surprise the other residents of Penguin Village.
In terms of background, Senbei starts the story as a bachelor living alone in a two-story house in the eccentric community of Penguin Village. His life changes dramatically when he builds a girl-shaped robot he hopes will be the world's most perfect creation. The robot, named Arale, turns out to be nearsighted, extremely naive, and blessed with extraordinary strength, and he decides to raise her as part of his family. Depending on the situation, he introduces Arale to the villagers as either his younger sister or his daughter. Over time his household grows well beyond just the two of them, eventually including his wife, his son, and several unusual creatures.
Personality-wise, Senbei is described as a goofy and lecherous genius inventor who can create the most brilliant and the most ridiculous inventions. He is capable of deep concentration on his scientific work, sometimes losing track of everything around him, but he is also prone to laziness and a fondness for crude humor. A recurring running gag shows that when he becomes serious or tries to look impressive, he imagines himself as a much handsomer and taller version of his actual self, and on some occasions he can briefly transform into that idealized appearance for about three minutes. Despite his vanity and foolishness, he genuinely cares for the people around him and often shows a protective, responsible side when his family is in danger.
His main motivations are to succeed as an inventor, to win the affection of his neighbor Midori Yamabuki, and to look after Arale as a caring father figure. He constantly builds new gadgets in the hope of impressing Midori, but his attempts usually backfire and create chaos instead. His romantic pursuit of Midori is a long-running element of the story, and his inventions, rivalries, and romantic misadventures drive many of the series' comedic plots.
His role in the story is that of the human anchor at the center of the series. As Arale's creator, he introduces her to the normal routines of village life, sends her to school, and tries to pass her off as an ordinary human girl despite her obvious superhuman abilities. Many episodes revolve around the fallout from his latest invention, while others focus on his conflicts with the recurring villain Dr. Mashirito, a rival scientist who repeatedly challenges him and builds robots meant to defeat Arale.
His key relationships include his bond with Arale, whom he treats as a daughter and fiercely protects even though she is much stronger than he is; his courtship and eventual marriage to Midori Yamabuki, who becomes the mother of his son Turbo; and his care for Gatchan, a winged creature that hatches from an egg he brings back from a time-travel trip to the Stone Age and that later becomes part of the Norimaki household. He also has a tense but comedic relationship with the neighborhood girl Akane, who frequently plays pranks on him and whom he regards as a bad influence on Arale.
Over the course of the series, Senbei develops from a lonely bachelor into a family man. He marries Midori, becomes the father of Turbo, and his household expands to include additional children and strange adopted creatures, with his family growing considerably by the end of the story. While he never loses his comic flaws, his role shifts toward that of a somewhat more responsible husband and father who looks after an increasingly unusual family.
His most notable ability is his genius-level talent for invention. His creations include Arale herself, a time machine, a mind-control hat, rocket shoes, and numerous other devices that range from the astonishingly useful to the outright absurd. He is also skilled enough with advanced technology to repair machines that others cannot, and he possesses a solid background in scientific knowledge that occasionally allows him to resolve problems in ways that surprise the other residents of Penguin Village.