TV-Series
Description
Piisuke Soramame, whose name is also romanized as Peasuke Soramame in some English materials, is a supporting character in the anime Dr. Slump & Arale-chan. He comes from the Soramame family, which operates a barber shop called Barber Soramame in Penguin Village, and he lives there with his parents and his older brother, Taro Soramame. He is a classmate and close friend of Arale Norimaki and Akane Kimidori, and he is one of the recurring figures in the everyday adventures of the village's school-age group. His name is a food-related pun, combining the Japanese word for broad bean with a reference to peas, in keeping with the playful naming style of the series.
His most recognizable feature is the hat with cat-like ears that he always wears, along with his very small stature. Although he is a middle school student at the same level as Arale and Akane, he has the appearance of an elementary school child and is often mistaken for one. This impression is reinforced by his habit of carrying a randoseru, the stiff backpack traditionally used by elementary school students in Japan, which he continues to carry even after he moves on to high school. Over the course of the series his height never noticeably changes. When a future camera is used to show him as an adult, he remains just as small as he was in his school days, a result that leaves him visibly dismayed.
In terms of personality, Piisuke is timid and prone to crying, and he frequently runs to his older brother for comfort and support. He tries to imitate the tough, rebellious manner of Taro and of his classmate Akane, but because he still looks like a small child, the attempt usually falls flat and he is often ridiculed for it. Despite his general shyness, however, he shows noticeable boldness in one particular area: his hobby of collecting autographs. He regularly approaches celebrities, famous visitors, and other notable figures in Penguin Village and asks them to give him their signatures, using a polite and persistent phrase that becomes a signature gag of his own. This hobby was reportedly inspired by the creator's own interest in gathering autographs from well-known manga artists.
His motivations are closely tied to these traits. He wants to appear older and tougher than he actually is, and he looks up to his brother and to Akane as models of that behavior. His enthusiasm for autograph collecting gives him a clear personal drive that leads him to interact with many of the strange residents who pass through the village. Later in the story, his feelings for a girl named Hiyoko become another important motivation. Hiyoko is younger than him but much taller, and the contrast between their sizes is used for humor. Their relationship begins after an incident in which he comes to her aid, a situation complicated by Arale, who uses one of the professor's inventions to shrink Hiyoko to insect size, forcing Piisuke to rescue her from a beetle. A glimpse of the future shows that the two eventually marry and have a son named Poosuke.
His role in the story is that of a main supporting character and a regular member of the friendship circle around Arale. He is frequently present for the chaotic events caused by Arale's behavior and the many odd occurrences in Penguin Village, and he often serves as a source of comedy. Much of the humor around him comes from the gap between his self-image and his childish appearance, from his failed attempts to act like a delinquent, and from the misfortunes that befall him in gag situations. For example, on one occasion his older brother shaves his head completely bald and then uses his scalp as the board of one of Professor Norimaki's gags, the Time Slipper. He is not a major driver of the plot but is instead a dependable comedic presence who helps fill out the world of the series.
In terms of development, Piisuke remains basically unchanged in appearance and temperament for most of the story, which is itself part of the joke: while other characters move through different stages of life, he stays small and childlike. The future timeline, however, shows that he does eventually take on the adult roles of husband and father, marrying Hiyoko and raising a family, even though his physical size never catches up with his age.
As for notable abilities, Piisuke has no supernatural powers or special skills. He is an ordinary human boy whose defining characteristics are his distinctive hat, his tiny stature, his persistent autograph collecting, and the running gags built around his failure to grow. His value to the series lies in his consistent, comedic presence and in the way his unchanging appearance contrasts with the extraordinary events unfolding around him.
His most recognizable feature is the hat with cat-like ears that he always wears, along with his very small stature. Although he is a middle school student at the same level as Arale and Akane, he has the appearance of an elementary school child and is often mistaken for one. This impression is reinforced by his habit of carrying a randoseru, the stiff backpack traditionally used by elementary school students in Japan, which he continues to carry even after he moves on to high school. Over the course of the series his height never noticeably changes. When a future camera is used to show him as an adult, he remains just as small as he was in his school days, a result that leaves him visibly dismayed.
In terms of personality, Piisuke is timid and prone to crying, and he frequently runs to his older brother for comfort and support. He tries to imitate the tough, rebellious manner of Taro and of his classmate Akane, but because he still looks like a small child, the attempt usually falls flat and he is often ridiculed for it. Despite his general shyness, however, he shows noticeable boldness in one particular area: his hobby of collecting autographs. He regularly approaches celebrities, famous visitors, and other notable figures in Penguin Village and asks them to give him their signatures, using a polite and persistent phrase that becomes a signature gag of his own. This hobby was reportedly inspired by the creator's own interest in gathering autographs from well-known manga artists.
His motivations are closely tied to these traits. He wants to appear older and tougher than he actually is, and he looks up to his brother and to Akane as models of that behavior. His enthusiasm for autograph collecting gives him a clear personal drive that leads him to interact with many of the strange residents who pass through the village. Later in the story, his feelings for a girl named Hiyoko become another important motivation. Hiyoko is younger than him but much taller, and the contrast between their sizes is used for humor. Their relationship begins after an incident in which he comes to her aid, a situation complicated by Arale, who uses one of the professor's inventions to shrink Hiyoko to insect size, forcing Piisuke to rescue her from a beetle. A glimpse of the future shows that the two eventually marry and have a son named Poosuke.
His role in the story is that of a main supporting character and a regular member of the friendship circle around Arale. He is frequently present for the chaotic events caused by Arale's behavior and the many odd occurrences in Penguin Village, and he often serves as a source of comedy. Much of the humor around him comes from the gap between his self-image and his childish appearance, from his failed attempts to act like a delinquent, and from the misfortunes that befall him in gag situations. For example, on one occasion his older brother shaves his head completely bald and then uses his scalp as the board of one of Professor Norimaki's gags, the Time Slipper. He is not a major driver of the plot but is instead a dependable comedic presence who helps fill out the world of the series.
In terms of development, Piisuke remains basically unchanged in appearance and temperament for most of the story, which is itself part of the joke: while other characters move through different stages of life, he stays small and childlike. The future timeline, however, shows that he does eventually take on the adult roles of husband and father, marrying Hiyoko and raising a family, even though his physical size never catches up with his age.
As for notable abilities, Piisuke has no supernatural powers or special skills. He is an ordinary human boy whose defining characteristics are his distinctive hat, his tiny stature, his persistent autograph collecting, and the running gags built around his failure to grow. His value to the series lies in his consistent, comedic presence and in the way his unchanging appearance contrasts with the extraordinary events unfolding around him.