What's up with DB and bowl cuts?

[floofychan333]

I've noticed that throughout the series many characters have bowl cuts, including grown adults. It's sort of OK for Gohan and Kid Trunks, but I don't know why on earth a grown man or woman would have one. Here's a list of all the bowl cuts and when:
Bulma in Tenshinhan arc (sort of)
Kid Gohan on Namek
Most of Future Trunks' appearances
Yamcha in early Cell arc
Kid Trunks and GT Trunks
Videl and Krillin in Buu arc (maybe?)
Kid Pan in the end of Z
Bulma in Buu arc and Super

So what's the deal with so many characters having bowl cuts? Does Akira really like them or something?

[Polyphase Avatron]

Maybe they're just easy to draw

[Zenkai]

Maybe they're just easy to draw

Ha! Exactly what I was going to say!

[Chuquita]

It was a popular boys' haircut in the early 90's.

[Cipher]

Toriyama loves bowls.

[Vijay]

Compared to drawing Spiky hairs with bangs covering 50% of characters forehead, bowl cuts are comparatively....simplistic

It makes characters look chibi or cute.

Kid Gohan in Saiyan Arc looked just....wild. With his long, unkept hair & overall lack of neatness.

Fast Forward Namek Saga. You have a cute, chibi boy in the middle of DragonBall's chasing game

Similarly, Kid Chi Chi. Pan-chan. Or Kid Torankusu. Or GT Torankusu

In fact, if you observe carefully Toriyama always gives the "bowl cut" characters some extra "it" factor compared to the rest

[Kuririn Fan]

Asians just love that hairstyle.

[TheBalishChannel]

Pan-chan. Or Kid Torankusu. Or GT Torankusu.

Doragon Bōru Zetto is perhaps my favorite anime, due in no small part to it's well choreographed fights and off-the-wall humor. Dōmo arigatō, Toriyama-sama for creating such brilliant characters like, "Son Gokou" and "Chibi Torankusu-bo" among many others. Klilyn-kun is probably my favorite of the Zetto Faitās, just 'cuz he's so darn kawaii-desu ne?

[VegettoEX]

Probably a better way to address that without the sarcasm. Of course, the same could be said for my statement right here. Oh well. I guess we both lose.

Vijay, what's up with the "Torankusu" spelling? You're wasting time and missing the point of the name in this language.

[Skar]

Maybe it was a popular hairstyle in the 90's? I remember a few of my friends and I had one when we were younger and we all thought it was rad.

Pan-chan. Or Kid Torankusu. Or GT Torankusu.

Doragon Bōru Zetto is perhaps my favorite anime, due in no small part to it's well choreographed fights and off-the-wall humor. Dōmo arigatō, Toriyama-sama for creating such brilliant characters like, "Son Gokou" and "Chibi Torankusu-bo" among many others. Klilyn-kun is probably my favorite of the Zetto Faitās, just 'cuz he's so darn kawaii-desu ne?

My favorite hairstyle was Mirai Torankusu's long hair in Bōjakku's film, Ginga Girigiri!! Butchigiri no Sugoi Yatsu (銀河ギリギリ!!ぶっちぎりの凄い奴?).

[LuckyCat]

In Japanese, this type of hair cut is called a Bo-chan-gari (坊ちゃん刈り) which means pudding bowl cut. It was popular there up until the 1970s when social restrictions in Japan became more laid back. Generally, it was associated with younger kids in school, because a dress code would mandate such a cut. That's why, at least for Gohan, it helped enforce the idea that Chi-chi was being extremely rigid and old-fashioned by giving him that cut.

As for Yamcha, I'm not quite sure. Maybe he cut it that way while studying under Muten Roshi to show he was a serious disciple.

[Vijay]

@ Vegetoex

Its a word. Name. Of a fictional character. From a Japanese comic book. "Wasting time? Its social website & its my freakin time for christ sake.

There's time & place to show your authority. Show it some place else

Here in Malaysia, DBZ DVD subs spell Trunks as Torankusu, Goku as Sun Goku, Cell as Super & Majin Boo as Demon

Is it such monumental crime to have a little "tease" by pronouncing one's fav name? I get that your tryin to uphold discpline but if ur gonna start nitpicking my every cough, sneeze & scratch, you're only degrading yourself.

Instead of relyin on sarcasm for such trivial matters, sharing knowledge between users/members would seem a lot more....respectable

[VegettoEX]

Ease up. I'm literally the one responding to other people telling them not to be sarcastic with you. I'm on your side. Just trying to understand.

You explained. Different dub with a different spelling. Thanks!

[Herms]

In Japanese, this type of hair cut is called a Bo-chan-gari (坊ちゃん刈り) which means pudding bowl cut. It was popular there up until the 1970s when social restrictions in Japan became more laid back. Generally, it was associated with younger kids in school, because a dress code would mandate such a cut. That's why, at least for Gohan, it helped enforce the idea that Chi-chi was being extremely rigid and old-fashioned by giving him that cut.

What's more, bocchan on its own refers to the son of a wealthy family, stereotypically someone spoiled and pampered. This type of haircut was associated with such rich brats, hence the name bocchan-gari, literally a rich-kid haircut. Perhaps not coincidentally, Helmeppo in One Piece starts off with this sort of hair, but drops it later when he becomes less sheltered.