Chichi. Is she a commentary on the role of women in Japan?

[dylanmorgan17]

I am doing a case study for my university course on anime and manga and a big part of that is gender and sexuality in anime and manga. There are bound to be real world and in-universe discussion in this thread so I am not sure where to palce this.

I want to know some in depth analysis on Chichi in her role as house wife to Goku and a strict educationally focused mother. Is her strict attention to educating Gohan and getting him into the best school or whatever her pressuring Gohan to live a fufilling life that is beyond hers or she just doing what she thinks is best for her son? I also understand that maybe she wants Gohan not to be in such a violent upbringing compared to Goku's.

Is it common place for most Japanese to have arranged marriages? According to Grandpa Gohan in filler their marriage was arrange by Ox King and Gohan and I realise that aspect is to be taken filler.

That shopping trip in movie 7, is it common place for women in Japan to achieve fufillment through shopping in such an aggessive and savvy manner?

The questions I am asking are from a podcast episode from 2010 or 2011. I feel as though I recall these questions quite clearly but forget the podcast itself. Does know which one it was?

20 questions FTW.

[DBZAOTA482]

Yep, Toriyama wanted to make a parody on stereotypical Asian housewifes/mothers and their tendencies through Chichi. Concerning over family welfare, has her husband henpecked, is rather overprotective of her first born child, a tad single-minded devotion to molding Gohan into a scholar so he doesn't end up as poorly educated as his pops, and is more intimating than any villain from DBZ when provoked to anger (In-Universe and to DBZ lovers alike).

[Eire]

You are digging a bit too deep in shallow parody of stereotypical Asian educational mama. Toriyama didn't plan to make DB anything "deep", he just was putting in his bag what seemed to be funny for him and potential readers.

I want to know some in depth analysis on Chichi in her role as house wife to Goku and a strict educationally focused mother. Is her strict attention to educating Gohan and getting him into the best school or whatever her pressuring Gohan to live a fufilling life that is beyond hers or she just doing what she thinks is best for her son?

Both- originated in said stereotype

Is it common place for most Japanese to have arranged marriages?

The traditional marriages arranged by parents where people have no choice are a relict even among the conservatives.
On the other hand the widely accepted thing are dates arranged by parents or professional matchmaker.

That shopping trip in movie 7, is it common place for women in Japan to achieve fufillment through shopping in such an aggessive and savvy manner?

No, that's just for fun.

Edit: if you are looking for good sources, you should base your studies on works focused on marriage and gender tropes. Maybe Futari Ecchi would be a better choice, since it had a toons of comments.

[Cipher]

There's something of a joke in how hickish tomboy Chi-Chi grows up into an education-minded tigermom as well.

[Gaffer Tape]

Yeah, that's an important part of Chichi's character I felt the dub lost by making her smarter, although I actually think their portrayal of a goofy husband and smart wife works but in a different way. Chichi is just as stupid as Goku, and she's very naive, and that instills in her a strong sense of expectation of how life is supposed to work. So many people say that her character was rewritten once Gohan came into the picture, but that's not entirely true, as that's a fundamental facet of her character from the very beginning.

What makes Goku and Chichi work from a comedic standpoint is not smart juxtaposed with stupid but traditional, romantic expectations of perfection versus someone who doesn't understand the "rules" of society let alone adheres to them. So Chichi has an expectation that Yamucha and Goku are trying to court her because that's what she believes is supposed to happen to her. That's why she becomes so angry with Goku when they're reunited, because he's not playing by the rules. And when she becomes a mother, she believes it's her duty to make her son study, study, study, even though she doesn't understand any of it. She just knows somehow that that's what mothers do, and that she's going to do the heck out of it.

[DBZAOTA482]

There's something of a joke in how hickish tomboy Chi-Chi grows up into an education-minded tigermom as well.

Do you want to hear another joke?

Yamcha

[NANLIT]

And when she becomes a mother, she believes it's her duty to make her son study, study, study, even though she doesn't understand any of it. She just knows somehow that that's what mothers do, and that she's going to do the heck out of it.

So if Chi Chi's mom didn't die when Chi Chi was young, she would have raised Gohan like her mother raised her? If her mother lived and didn't force study habits in her, she wouldn't have done it to Gohan? That's an interesting thought.

[Cipher]

Yeah, that's an important part of Chichi's character I felt the dub lost by making her smarter, although I actually think their portrayal of a goofy husband and smart wife works but in a different way. Chichi is just as stupid as Goku, and she's very naive, and that instills in her a strong sense of expectation of how life is supposed to work. So many people say that her character was rewritten once Gohan came into the picture, but that's not entirely true, as that's a fundamental facet of her character from the very beginning.

What makes Goku and Chichi work from a comedic standpoint is not smart juxtaposed with stupid but traditional, romantic expectations of perfection versus someone who doesn't understand the "rules" of society let alone adheres to them. So Chichi has an expectation that Yamucha and Goku are trying to court her because that's what she believes is supposed to happen to her. That's why she becomes so angry with Goku when they're reunited, because he's not playing by the rules. And when she becomes a mother, she believes it's her duty to make her son study, study, study, even though she doesn't understand any of it. She just knows somehow that that's what mothers do, and that she's going to do the heck out of it.

I agree with this.

That is all.

[dbgtFO]

A good analysis Gaffer, short, easy to understand and very reasonable.

As for Topic Creator, I recall Toriyama mentioning in some interview that he didn't like having to deal with "weak" women in his manga, so he gave his female characters strong personalities. I guess that's why Chi Chi came to be the way she was, instead of a submissive wife.
Admittedly I know nothing about japanese family life, but I seem to have(falsely?) gotten the idea that wives in a japanese marriage were/are very submissive, which if true would mean Chi Chi would be the opposite of a stereotypical commentary on the role of women in Japan, I'd think.

[Gaffer Tape]

And when she becomes a mother, she believes it's her duty to make her son study, study, study, even though she doesn't understand any of it. She just knows somehow that that's what mothers do, and that she's going to do the heck out of it.

So if Chi Chi's mom didn't die when Chi Chi was young, she would have raised Gohan like her mother raised her? If her mother lived and didn't force study habits in her, she wouldn't have done it to Gohan? That's an interesting thought.

Well, I suppose that's possible, and definitely an interesting thought. But expectations of one's stereotypical role in society is strongly pervasive. I've heard of experiments done with young children and dollhouses where the children will put the mommy doll in the kitchen and send the daddy doll off to work, even in cases where their own home life has a working mom and a stay at home dad, just because it's more common, and they've already picked up on that. So it's never explicitly stated where Chichi gets her values. Maybe they were instilled by her equally simplistic father. But then again, maybe her mother would have held the same set of ideals. Or maybe they came from books or fairy tales that she read, or some other form of popular culture.

[Eire]

Admittedly I know nothing about japanese family life, but I seem to have(falsely?) gotten the idea that wives in a japanese marriage were/are very submissive, which if true would mean Chi Chi would be the opposite of a stereotypical commentary on the role of women in Japan, I'd think.

That's a bit more complicated.

Firstly marriage in Japan was always a matter of family business, to even greater degree than in West. Woman's and man's world were separated- men held position outside the house and were traditionally considered the main breadwinners (simplification- historically it was more twisted, but let's focus on the time after Meiji Restoration) while the house was managed by wife. Long story short men were considered too busy to take care of anything connected with the house, so wife managed all family matters from spending money (all money- men were giving them whole salary and revived pocket money) to rising and education of the children that was and is a big business for whole family. So Chi-Chi is even more stereotypical than it seems being crazy about education and having husband completely alien to all family matters.

That also fits the theory that she didn't have any mother's role model tried to emulate the stereotypical image of good mama and wife.

I've heard of experiments done with young children and dollhouses where the children will put the mommy doll in the kitchen and send the daddy doll off to work, even in cases where their own home life has a working mom and a stay at home dad, just because it's more common, and they've already picked up on that.

Personally I can't know any housewife. Maybe because of that during my practice in kindergarten I've never observed such a behaviour. Nor did I, or any of my friends. Dollhouses are a perfect communities of attractive single sisters, sharing baby girls conceived by sole desire of having a child.

[soulnova]

I just want to add that Chichi might have been disenchanted with Goku those few months after they married. She just realized the kind of man she married... a man who training was first priority, not her. I'm sure she still loved him but simply, her dream of a husband and bread winner was an illusion. She couldn't have the perfect husband but she would have the perfect son. Take that Cell.

The moral of the story for me when I first watched DBZ was "Get to know the person before marrying, or you will turn into a bitter strict wife".

[DBZAOTA482]

It makes me wonder how things would turn out if she went with Vegeta instead. It has some plausibility even though Vegeta seems the type of guy she'd hardly stand behind around and Vegeta might hate her just as much as she hates him (openly at least), however Vegeta would be more of a reliable guy than Goku and the feelings might eventually come out, like an average Tsundere x Tsundere couple (Slap-Slap-Kiss).

[soulnova]

D: What? VegetaxChichi?

No, no... I really doubt that. Vegeta only stayed around Capsule Corp because he could get food, plenty of space and training room. (and pool). I think that if Goku had actually turned her down, Krillin might had made his move, or she would have even gone with Yamcha because she still thought he had feelings for her.

[DBZAOTA482]

D: What? VegetaxChichi?

No, no... I really doubt that. Vegeta only stayed around Capsule Corp because he could get food, plenty of space and training room. (and pool). I think that if Goku had actually turned her down, Krillin might had made his move, or she would have even gone with Yamcha because she still thought he had feelings for her.

Chichi with Kuririn?! That sounds nice too although not that many women find bald midgets attractive but he has plenty of heart. I don't see why she'd want Yamcha since he's already pussy-whipped by Bulma and she probably wants a man with some conjones but we all know Yamcha ain't got some.



Poor Yamcha.

EDIT: I thought the idea of VegetaxChichi has some plausibility because they quite a few things in common. Both came from royalty to give it up later on in life, both for known for how quick-tempered they are, and both are the only two characters that told Goku off at more than one occasion (and they some quite annoyed with him). However, we never see them interact with each other but I would have sworn there was a scene in the anime where Chichi did intimidate Vegeta and he did as she said.

[soulnova]

EDIT: I thought the idea of VegetaxChichi has some plausibility because they quite a few things in common. Both came from royalty to give it up later on in life, both for known for how quick-tempered they are, and both are the only two characters that told Goku off at more than one occasion (and they some quite annoyed with him). However, we never see them interact with each other but I would have sworn there was a scene in the anime where Chichi did intimidate Vegeta and he did as she said.

Is not what they have in common, but what they want. Chichi would still want someone who works to "win the bread" and a loving father for her children, hence why I thought Krillin would have had a small chance (she liking him is another issue LOL). At least Goku is willing to spent some time with his sons going to picnics and training, and we kind of see him working in the field in the 2008 Special (which put a smile on my face) so I bet things were better in their household.

But Vegeta wants to train and not be bothered by "little things". There's nothing Chichi can offer him to make him stay.

[DBZAOTA482]

EDIT: I thought the idea of VegetaxChichi has some plausibility because they quite a few things in common. Both came from royalty to give it up later on in life, both for known for how quick-tempered they are, and both are the only two characters that told Goku off at more than one occasion (and they some quite annoyed with him). However, we never see them interact with each other but I would have sworn there was a scene in the anime where Chichi did intimidate Vegeta and he did as she said.

Is not what they have in common, but what they want. Chichi would still want someone who works to "win the bread" and a loving father for her children, hence why I thought Krillin would have had a small chance (she liking him is another issue LOL). At least Goku is willing to spent some time with his sons going to picnics and training, and we kind of see him working in the field in the 2008 Special (which put a smile on my face) so I bet things were better in their household.

But Vegeta wants to train and not be bothered by "little things". There's nothing Chichi can offer him to make him stay.

Well, in the manga it isn't really stated that Vegeta was staying at Bulma's hut but whatever.. Kuririn it is.

Ironically, in the dub Chichi was once talking about trading mates with Bulma and she said "Although Vegeta's not as sweet but he's certainly more reliable."