TV-Series
Description
In the original Japanese version of the anime and manga Dragon Ball, the character known in early English dubs as Mao Mao is named Oolong. He is an anthropomorphic, shapeshifting pig who stands about three feet tall and has pale pink skin, typically dressed in trousers, button-down shirts, and suspenders. Oolong was expelled from the Southern Shapeshifter School after stealing a female teacher’s underwear, and as a result his transformation ability is limited; he can only maintain a given form for five minutes at a time before needing a one‑minute rest to transform again.
Oolong is initially introduced as a minor antagonist. He terrorizes a village by kidnapping young women, transforming into a giant ogre to threaten the villagers into handing over their daughters. However, he is easily defeated by Son Goku, who exposes his weakness and forces him to release the captives. After this defeat, Bulma decides Oolong’s shapeshifting could be useful in the search for the Dragon Balls and persuades him to join their journey.
Personality‑wise, Oolong is cowardly, greedy, and self‑serving, often looking for opportunities to escape danger or benefit himself. He also has a perverse side, frequently chasing after women. Despite these flaws, his interactions with Goku, Bulma, and later Yamcha and Puar gradually temper his selfishness, and he develops genuine, if sometimes reluctant, loyalty to his friends. His cowardice often lands him in comedic situations, and he frequently serves as comic relief, especially in later arcs where the series shifts toward more serious action.
Oolong’s motivations are rooted in personal comfort and safety. He initially joins Goku and Bulma out of coercion, having been tricked into eating a pill that gives him stomachaches on command. Over time, his desire for a carefree life and his friendships with the group become his primary drivers, though he rarely seeks out danger. At one pivotal moment, his quick thinking ruins the Pilaf Gang’s plan to take over the world: as Emperor Pilaf is about to make his wish on the Dragon Balls, Oolong interrupts by wishing for a pair of female underwear, using up the dragon’s single wish and preventing disaster.
Key relationships include his bond with Goku, whose innocence and strength both frustrate and endear Oolong; his dynamic with Bulma, who bosses him around but also accepts him as part of her circle; and his rivalry‑turned‑friendship with Puar, his former classmate from shapeshifting school. Puar, who completed the training, can maintain transformations indefinitely, highlighting Oolong’s inferior skills.
In terms of development, Oolong transitions from a self‑centered villain to a somewhat loyal, if unreliable, companion. He continues to appear in major events such as the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, where he supports his friends from the sidelines. As the series progresses into Dragon Ball Z and beyond, his role shrinks considerably; his limited abilities and cowardice make him ill‑suited for the increasingly high‑stakes battles, and he appears only sporadically, often for comedic moments.
Notable abilities center on his shapeshifting. He can mimic any object or creature, but the five‑minute time limit and his expulsion from school leave him less adept than his classmate Puar. His transformations are frequently used for escape, trickery, or comic effect, but they rarely turn the tide in serious conflicts. In the original Dragon Ball, his shapeshifting is occasionally useful, such as when he disguises himself as a bat to escape imprisonment or transforms to assist the group, but his physical strength and combat skills are virtually nonexistent.
Oolong is loosely based on the character Zhu Bajie from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, sharing the pig‑like appearance and a tendency toward laziness and gluttony. In an early 1980s English dub of Dragon Ball, he was referred to as Mao Mao, though this name did not persist in later adaptations.
Oolong is initially introduced as a minor antagonist. He terrorizes a village by kidnapping young women, transforming into a giant ogre to threaten the villagers into handing over their daughters. However, he is easily defeated by Son Goku, who exposes his weakness and forces him to release the captives. After this defeat, Bulma decides Oolong’s shapeshifting could be useful in the search for the Dragon Balls and persuades him to join their journey.
Personality‑wise, Oolong is cowardly, greedy, and self‑serving, often looking for opportunities to escape danger or benefit himself. He also has a perverse side, frequently chasing after women. Despite these flaws, his interactions with Goku, Bulma, and later Yamcha and Puar gradually temper his selfishness, and he develops genuine, if sometimes reluctant, loyalty to his friends. His cowardice often lands him in comedic situations, and he frequently serves as comic relief, especially in later arcs where the series shifts toward more serious action.
Oolong’s motivations are rooted in personal comfort and safety. He initially joins Goku and Bulma out of coercion, having been tricked into eating a pill that gives him stomachaches on command. Over time, his desire for a carefree life and his friendships with the group become his primary drivers, though he rarely seeks out danger. At one pivotal moment, his quick thinking ruins the Pilaf Gang’s plan to take over the world: as Emperor Pilaf is about to make his wish on the Dragon Balls, Oolong interrupts by wishing for a pair of female underwear, using up the dragon’s single wish and preventing disaster.
Key relationships include his bond with Goku, whose innocence and strength both frustrate and endear Oolong; his dynamic with Bulma, who bosses him around but also accepts him as part of her circle; and his rivalry‑turned‑friendship with Puar, his former classmate from shapeshifting school. Puar, who completed the training, can maintain transformations indefinitely, highlighting Oolong’s inferior skills.
In terms of development, Oolong transitions from a self‑centered villain to a somewhat loyal, if unreliable, companion. He continues to appear in major events such as the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, where he supports his friends from the sidelines. As the series progresses into Dragon Ball Z and beyond, his role shrinks considerably; his limited abilities and cowardice make him ill‑suited for the increasingly high‑stakes battles, and he appears only sporadically, often for comedic moments.
Notable abilities center on his shapeshifting. He can mimic any object or creature, but the five‑minute time limit and his expulsion from school leave him less adept than his classmate Puar. His transformations are frequently used for escape, trickery, or comic effect, but they rarely turn the tide in serious conflicts. In the original Dragon Ball, his shapeshifting is occasionally useful, such as when he disguises himself as a bat to escape imprisonment or transforms to assist the group, but his physical strength and combat skills are virtually nonexistent.
Oolong is loosely based on the character Zhu Bajie from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, sharing the pig‑like appearance and a tendency toward laziness and gluttony. In an early 1980s English dub of Dragon Ball, he was referred to as Mao Mao, though this name did not persist in later adaptations.