June 18, 2024

The Mr. Popo Episode (S3E12)

1 hour 4 minutes

Jelli and Bekinney continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball by breaking down episodes 125, 126, and 127, , "Earth's Guardian Emerges," "Eternal Dragon Resurrected," and "Quicker than Lightning." We continue discussing the Piccolo Jr. Saga, and talk about one of Dragon Ball's most controversial topics: Mr. Popo.

In this episode:

Jelli and Bekinney are cataloging a new species

We recap the episodes and discuss our favorite moments

Trigger warning: This episode contains in-depth discussion of racial stereotypes and problematic depictions of people of color. While it is only our intention to discuss and educate, and not at all to condone, there are non-flinching discussions of potentially upsetting items.

Why we're not going to talk about Kami-sama, Piccolo Jr, the dragon being repaired, or other items that are debuted in these episodes...yet

Then we do it, we talk about Mr. Popo

First, we contextualize his appearance using the setting and similar characters in 1001 Arabian Nights

Then, we discuss the story of Little Black Sambo, and its popularity throughout the world and in Japan

We talk about minstrel history

We discuss whether Mr Popo is a problem

Jelli crams in Godzilla references by brining both Godzilla Minus One and Shin Godzilla to the table

and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual

Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise, and unspool what we all love so much about Goku, the Dragon Ball franchise, the Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball manga, and more.

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