Dr. Toilet

**Dr. Toilet** (トイレット博士 *Toilet-hakase*) is a gag manga by Kazuyoshi Torii, which spun out of Weekly Shonen Jump's **Akatsuka Gag Laughter Reserved Seating** features. It was the most successful of Torii's series, running from 1970 to 1977 in the magazine.

## Overview

The scientist Dr. Toilet may have a gross job in studying fecal matter, but he takes his work seriously. However, him being the eponymous protagonist and having this sort of focus in the series does not last long, with the "Dr. Toilet" title becoming an artifact as the work changed directions and cast members. The rest of our story thus has much different protagonists; namely, a vulgar, horny young man named Ichirota as well as his teacher Sunami-sensei.

Considered one of Weekly Shonen Jump's 1970s blockbuster titles, *Dr. Toilet* amassed a 30-volume run over eight years and held a record for a series with the most tankobon collections at the time (being displaced by *Kochikame* with 31 volumes in 1984, before that series eventually closed with 200 volumes in 2016). This was also one of the first Jump works to represent the motto of the magazine at the time; "Friendship, Effort, and Victory".

Although it was popular enough to get Jump selling 10 million copies, the extreme toilet humor, sexual content, and violence caused controversy and became a talking point. The series also contains words and expressions that would be discriminatory in today's publishing industry and society, though the Ota Publishing reprint kept these factors intact.

A sequel, *Sunami-chan of 1-chome*, was serialized in Weekly Young Jump starting in 1979 with the magazine's debut issue but proved to be short-lived. The feature revolved around the former Metakuso Group students in high school, while Sunami-sensei had since become a single man due to his wife running away.

The Dr. Toilet manga has experienced some degree of overseas recognition, having translated editions published in South Korea as well as in France starting in 2019.

## Characters

In addition to this cast, Kazuyoshi Torii himself will pop up at times in the series and will occasionally interact with his own characters.

### Initial Stage (Volumes 1-5)

#### Dr. Toilet

(トイレット博士)

Our preliminary hero, who studies human feces. However, the doctor himself soon takes a backseat to his side characters and was gradually phased out when Torii got bored of writing merely scatological gags, not even appearing in the final chapter of the series.

Toilet himself even winds up complaining that his amount of screentime is low through the initial takeover by Ichirota and Sunami, and Torii would later remark that "Dr. Toilet was an unfortunate protagonist".

In the 1993 Shonen Jump Multi World event and pamphlet, Toilet is only referred to as "Inconspicuous Protagonist #1".

#### Assistant

A playful, patient assistant of the doctor who readers never learn the name of, and who only appears in the earliest chapters.  He ends his sentences in "Dado" or "Mou".

#### Vacuum Angel Unko-chan

(うんこちゃん)

A pretty and mysterious young woman who loves feces, and is thought of as a vampire due to her ways of sucking such material out through other humans' anuses. She becomes Toilet's other assistant due to her handiness with his favorite subject. Her role gradually decreased and disappeared through this early period though, as she began to refrain from poop.

#### Dr. Darabichi

(ダラビチ博士)

Dr. Toilet's childhood friend and rival, who is a rather vicious scientist and false doctor. He is a troublemaker deeply attached to money and fame, and enjoys causing chaos. Yet, he also has a humanitarian side and will "donate" stolen money to cancer patients and have parent-like aspects. He ends his sentences in "Dara~".

Due to Darabichi's ways of being a rival, he often takes the lead part in this portion of the series.

#### Dr. Darabichi's Assistant

As with Toilet's assistant, this man's name is unknown and he only serves Darabichi early on.

#### Tameyan

(タメやん)

A vacuum car driver with a strong personality, who also takes the lead role in stories often. The vacuum car's hose itself is also sentient and will sometimes be the focus of stories.

Tameyan ends his sentences in "Yanke".

### The Rest of the Series (Volumes 6-30)

#### Osamu Sunami

( スナミ・オサム )

A schoolteacher at Oyama Elementary, and later Oyama Daiichi Junior High. His exact age is not clear, though he was a young man in the late Pacific War (WW2) when he lost his classmate Hanako in a bombing raid. He will lecture his students for their vulgar behavior and will have clashes with the PTA, but will also display many examples of vulgarity himself.

He forms the Metakuso Group and hands out Metakuso badges to members as proof of their comradeship. He adds the suffix "-dachi" to the end of his sentences. Out of the club, he wears a shirt reading "Ma" (for the start of their catchphrase, "Matankey"). He is also famous for his kancho technique, "The 7 Years of Death".

Sunami was modeled after the editor-in-chief for the series of the same name, and his family (wife Shizuko, son Ichijo, and daughter Futaba) were also inspired by the editor's family. Though Sunami loves his family, his loyalty is often caught between keeping up with them and being part of the Metakuso Group.

This teacher winds up going through some bizarre situations through the later portion of the series, such as being turned into a cyborg and then an octopus alien. However, just before the end of the feature, he regains his humanity and re-establishes the Metakuso Group.

#### Ichirota

(一郎太)

A young boy, initially named "Sadao". His notable features are his shaved head and thick lips. He joins the Metakuso Group and is a lewd type, but tries to strive to act well around girls he likes only for things to go awry. He lives with his strict parents and grandmother.

Ichirota initially has feelings for a young girl named Mariko, but after he transfers to junior high and the two go their separate ways (due to attending different schools), he falls for a popular girl named Miyoko.

Out of the club shirts, Ichirota can be seen wearing one with the character "Ta".

#### Hanpeita Mikazuki

(三日月 半平太)

A boy with a shaved head and a "crescent moon"-pattern of baldness (as a pun on the meaning of his surname, *Mikazuki*/"crescent moon"). He is initially a member of Sunami's "Sunami Club" but becomes part of the Metakuso Group. He adds the word "Muun" to the end of his sentences.

His club shirt has the "N" character on it.

#### Yohachiro Jinpachi, aka "Chinbo"

(珍念 与八郎)

A runny-nosed boy that Ichirota has known since elementary. He also joins the Metakuso Group. Though he is the youngest of the group, the other boys envy his large dick.

His club shirt heads up the final portion of their catchphrase, reading "Ki".

#### Pippi

(ピッピ)

A boy with thick glasses and a "P" helmet. He is the only new recruit to the Metakuso Group towards the end of the series, and is initially shunned by Sunami. Pippi is serious and polite, but is unaware of his limits.

Pippi's own shirt breaks the tradition of the club, reading a "Pe" on it.

#### Principal

(校長)

The principal of Oyama Daiichi Junior High, also nicknamed as "Principal Wai-wai" for his habit of saying "wai-wai". His brother is the prinicipal of Oyama Elementary. He is eager to join Sunami's Metakuso Group but is not approved by Sunami, who is terrified of the idea. Even so, he still interacts with the group in the position of someone just below an apprentice level, due to his lack of ability.

After the final chapter, he becomes part of the new Metakuso Group once Ichirota graduates. He cannot say the "Matankey!" slogan that the Metakuso Group members say, instead saying "Matanpey!" due to his speech impediment.

#### Mariko Kobayashi/"Mari-chan"

(小林 マリ子)

Ichirota's elementary school love interest, appearing only through the material covering his 6th grade year. Ichirota secrely longs for her, but the two are unable to take any relationship further due to parting ways after elementary graduation.

#### Miyoko Asada/"Miyo-chan"

(浅田 美代子)

The "school idol" of Oyama Daiichi Junior High, who Ichirota falls for upon his entrance to the school. She supports the Metakuso Group's activities.

#### Aohana

( アオバナ )

A runny-nosed boy in Ichirota's class, who is not part of the Metakuso Group. He ends his sentences in "Zuzu".

## Reprints

* Jump Comics: 30 volumes. There may be chapters placed out of order when compared to the original serialization.
* Ota Publishing: 3 volumes. It was intended to cover the full series, but only 3 were put out before its cancellation.
* Fukkan: 30 volumes
* eBookJapan: 30 volumes