"Kuishinbou" (JP), also referred to as "Harapeko" (JP), is a term used for a character who likes to eat a lot.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Kuishinbou (喰いしん坊) is the Japanese word for a "glutton (a person who is devoted to eating to excess)" or a "gourmand (a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much)".[3]
Alternate Name
This is also sometimes referred to as "harapeko" (腹ペコ), which means "to have a strong appetite". This comes from the Japanese word "hara" (腹), meaning "stomach", and “pekopeko”（ぺこぺこ), an onomatopoe meaning "appetite".[4]
History
The concept of kuishinbou first gained widespread popularity following the debut of the 1975 Fuji TV gameshow Kuishinbo! Mansai (JP). In this show, contestants will compete against each other in a food eating contest with the winner of each show being crowned the current generation's "kuishinbo". The show is still ongoing as of 2024.[2]
The first time the kuishinbou archetype was shown in a manga was in the 1985 series Dragon Ball. The main protagonist Son Goku was notorious for eating lots of food, with it not being uncommon for him to rack up hundreds of plates at a restaurant. He would also lose his ability to fight unless he ate a lot. This character trope of Goku would go on to inspire many future series to do the same, especially within the shounen genre, with the protagonists from manga series such as Naruto and ONE PIECE following the same trope.
It was also used as the title for the 2004 gag comedy manga series Kuishinbou! (JP), which was a series about competitive eating.[1]
Personality
Kuishinbou love to eat, it's one of their favorite things to do. They will do anything to get their hands on some food and fantasize constantly about trying to get or eat food almost all the time even when they already are eating something or they don't need it. Their stomach and desire for more food doesn't seem to have an end. These characters are usually known for their constant appetite. They will be seen eating food voraciously, sometimes to an inhuman degree.
They can be attached to all kinds of food or be interested in just one particular food.
Difference From Other Archetypes
Kuishinbou are similar to yoidere since they are both attached to a consumable, but the difference is yoidere are into alcohol, while kuishinbou are into food and drinks in general. Yoidere also don't consume in excess like a kuishinbou does.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Monkey D. Luffy from ONE PIECE  Usagi Tsukino from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon  Son Goku from Dragon Ball  Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto  Natsu Dragneel from FAIRY TAIL .gif "Kagura and Gintoki Sakata from Gintama (1).gif (1.84 MB)") Kagura and Gintoki Sakata from Gintama |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kuishinbou!. MyAnimeList (2004/10/01).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kuishinbo! Mansai. Fuji Television (2024/04/15).
- ↑ What is Kuishinbou. Nico Nico Pedia (2009/03/01). “A kuishinbou is a person who loves to eat, or who is always hungry. In most cases, kushinbou are just people who "like to eat", but it can also mean people who are obsessed with food, greedy to their appetite, always thinking about eating, worried about food more than anything else, etc. They look good when surrounded by food or cooking, their eyes light up when they see it, and they gobble it down. In recent manga and anime works, there are many cases where people are obsessed with eating.”
- ↑ What is Harapeko. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2012/01/10). “This refers to the state of being hungry. It comes from the onomatopoeia pekopeko, and expresses the sound of your stomach rumbling when you are hungry. It has become a kind of character status in creative works.”