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Performing Arts

Tokumei Kibō - Dragon Ball Language

3K views · Dec 2, 2021
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Discover the Dragon Ball character NO ONE knows by name—Tokumei Kibō! Taught by Derek Padula, the Dragon Ball Scholar. Tokumei Kibō (匿名希望, “Anonymous Hope”) is the mysterious moniker of Chichi when she enters the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai in disguise. Tokumei (匿名, “anonymous,” or “pseudonym”) is the Japanese way of stating a name without it being a name. It’s like saying ‘Name withheld by request.’ Why does Chichi enter with a fake name? I argue in Dragon Ball Culture Volume 6 that the theme of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai is ‘mysteries and reveals.’ For example, when Son Gokū arrives in a new outfit and has grown taller, none of his friends recognize him until he reveals his signature hair. Yajirobē wears a Latin wrestling mask to cover up his face and hide his identity. Kami-sama possesses the body of a human being as a disguise in order to fight Pikkoro. And Pikkoro enters under the moniker of Ma Junia, only to remove his clothes and reveal in the grand finals that he is Pikkoro’s reincarnation. In Chichi’s case it’s the opposite. Her mask is that she exposes her face, yet no one knows who she is. Kibō (希望, “hope,” or “aspiration”) implies yearning for a goal. What could this young girl be yearning for? Chichi uses this moniker in order to face Son Gokū in the tournament, because when they were children he promised to make her his yome (嫁, “bride”) but never came through on the promise. Chichi presumes that Gokū will attend this event, so she fights her way through the tournament for the chance to meet him again and make him fulfill the promise. Once she reveals her intentions, Gokū tells his friends that he thought the word yome meant ‘a type of food.’ Nonetheless, Gokū is a man of his word and decides to propose to her on the spot. It’s the first engagement in the history of the Tenkaichi Budōkai. The happy couple walk off the stage together, although I’m not sure if Gokū knows what he signed up for. This just goes to show you the power of a name, or lack thereof. For more on Chichi’s East Asian origin and her transformation into a kung fu princess, read Dragon Ball Culture Volumes 2 and 6. dragon ball, dragon ball z, dragonball, dragon ball super, tokumei, kibo, tokumei kibo, anonymous, pseudonym, moniker, language, anime, manga, culture, akira toriyama, etymology, japanese
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