| Mr. Popo | |
|---|---|
| Dragon Ball character | |
| First appearance | Dragon Ball chapter #163: The Sanctuary of Kami-sama (Weekly Shōnen Jump No. 13, 1988) |
| Created by | Akira Toriyama |
| Voiced by | Japanese Toku Nishio English Alvin Sanders |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Lord Popo Dumplin |
| Species | Genie Majin |
Mr. Popo (ミスター・ポポ Misutā Popo) is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama. Mr. Popo made his debut in chapter #163 The Sanctuary of Kami-sama, first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on March 7, 1988. Throughout the manga and the television series, Mr. Popo is viewed as the caretaker of Kami's Lookout and assistant to the "Earth's Guardians".
Appearance
editIn Dragon Ball
editMr. Popo is first introduced at Kami's Lookout after Goku defeats King Picolo. Goku arrives at The Lookout in search for Kami where he encounters Mr. Popo for the first time. Mr. Popo informs Goku that the only way to meet Kami is to fight him and win; a battle ensues. Goku attacks with everything he has but Mr. Popo easily counters each attack proving that Goku is nowhere near his level. In the anime, Goku even attempts a Kamehameha wave which Mr. Popo swallows. Despite Goku's defeat, Goku is still granted the opportunity to meet Kami; for the following three years, Mr. Popo trains Goku at Kami's Lookout. The three years of training prove to be very valuable for Goku, learning Mr. Popo's Ki Sense ability and upgrading his signature Kamehameha to the Super Kamehameha.[1]
In the Sayain Saga of Dragon Ball Z, Mr. Popo assists Krillin, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien Shinhan and Yajirobe with their training prior to the arrival of the anticipated Sayain threat. When Vegeta and Nappa, the Sayain threat, arrive to planet Earth, Mr. Popo and Kami remain at the lookout observing the battle from above. Throughout the battle, Mr. Popo is constantly worried about Piccolo since him and Kami exist as two bodies but one being. When Piccolo is killed by Nappa, Mr. Popo is in pain as he is forced to see his good friend Kami die and dissapear before him. Kami's death causes the Dragon Balls to turn into stone, nullifying their power.[2] After the battle, Mr. Popo helps Krillin, Bulma and Gohan travel to Namek, Kami's native planet, so that they can retrieve the only remaining Dragon Balls in the universe in order to revive Piccolo which would also revive Kami, bringing back the Earth's Dragon Balls.
In the Cell Saga of Dragon Ball Z, Mr. Popo is seen saying his final farewell to Kami because Kami permanently fuses with Piccolo to gain more power and become the nameless Namek. This new complete form of Piccolo is able to overpower the Androids that wish to kill Goku.[3] When Cell achieves his final form, Mr. Popo guides and trains Gohan, Goku, Future Trunks and Vegeta in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. With the new Earth's Guardian, Dende, Mr.Popo observes the Cell Games from Kami's Lookout.
In Films
editSimilar to the anime series, Mr. Popo's role in films has also been very minimal. Throughout all of the Dragon Ball films that have been released, Mr. Popo makes a minor appearance in Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, and Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku.
In Video Games
editMr. Popo has appeared in many Dragon Ball video games since his inception in 1988. The following are some of the more well known video games that he has appeared in.
Abilities
editThroughout Mr. Popo's appearances in the anime and manga, his ultimate power is never seen because he is portrayed as a trainer and never partakes in any of the critical battles. Despite his position, many of his abilities are revealed while training Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Gotenks, and Tien Shinhan.
Mr. Popo is the first character shown to have the Ki Sense ability. This power allows him to sense other's energy no matter how fast they are moving. This ability is shown during his first encounter with Goku where Goku appears to vanish but Mr. Popo is able to keep track of where Goku is throughout their battle.[1] Another ability that Mr. Popo posses in his arsenal is a technique known as Swallow Ki Blast. This ability is unique to Mr. Popo and is also shown during the first encounter with Goku in the anime series. Goku fires his Kamehameha wave at Mr. Popo but Mr. Popo proceeds to swallow the entire Ki Blast. Similar to many other characters in the Dragon Ball universe, Mr. Popo has the ability to Levitate. Levitate is the most common way that the main characters' travel on planets. Another ability that Mr. Popo possesses is Immortality. Immortality allows Mr. Popo to outlive all of the Earth's Guardians and help in properly training the next guardian.
Voice Actors
editIn the Japanese adaptation of the Dragon Ball anime series, Mr. Popo is voiced by Toku Nishio. Mr. Popo is voiced by Alvin Sanders in the Westwood Media English dub of Dragon Ball Z and by Dave Pettitt in the Blue Water English dub.[4] Mr. Popo is voiced by both Chris Cason and Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z and by Chris Cason in Dragon Ball Z Kai. In the Spanish adaption of the entire Dragon Ball series, Mr. Popo is voiced by Carlos Segundo.[5]
Controversy
editSince the first airing of Mr. Popo, a lot of controversy has risen about his appearance. At first glance and description, Mr. Popo is black-skinned, red-lipped, turban-wearing assistant to the Earth's Guardians. Some have said that he relates to the racist stereotype of Sambo or blackface.[6] In the 4Kids version of Dragon Ball Z Kai, Mr. Popo skin color was changed from the original black to blue in order to avoid the blackface comparison.[7] Creator, Akira Toriyama, has never commented on Mr. Popo's appearance and left many wondering why his appearance closely resembles blackface.
Notable Quotes
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Vol. 14 (ch. 157–168): Heaven and Earth. February 2004 and さらなる飛躍 (in Japanese). August 1988.
- ^ Vol. 19 (ch. 223): Piccolo's Last Stand. March 2003 and ピッコロと悟飯(in Japanese). May 1989.
- ^ Vol. 30 (ch. 360): Kami-sama and the Demon King Become One. December 2003 and 神と大魔王の融合 (in Japanese). February 1992.
- ^ "Mr. Popo". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ "Voice(s) of Mr. Popo". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ Weatherford, Carole Boston (2000-05-04). "Japan's bigoted exports to kids". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ Isler, Ramsey (2008-04-11). "What's Wrong With Dragon Ball Z Part Two". IGN. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ a b "Showdown in the Past". Dragon Ball Z. November 15, 1996.