Dragon Ball: Despite Being a Gifted Scientist With High Emotional IQ, Akira Toriyama Reduced Bulma to a Stereotypical Dumb Teenager

SUMMARY

• Akira Toriyama created Bulma as a character with immense potential with her high IQ.
• However, her goals to simply find a boyfriend stopped her from doing her best.
• She deserved much more in terms of her character growth.

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It is an undeniable fact that the quality of female characters in Dragon Ball has been unfortunately declining. While Akira Toriyama introduced them to various goals and potential, they all quickly died down to live through stereotypical eyes that reduced their belongingness. For someone like Bulma, she was a character who had been a part of the series from the very beginning.

Bulma | Credit: Toei Animation

To make things better, it would make sense for female characters who have no shortage in potential to be given the spotlight. While that may be unlikely, it is important to understand just how unfairly Bulma was treated. Even more so because before she became Vegeta’s wife, she had a lot going on for herself as a scientific genius.

Dragon Ball Ruined Bulma’s Potential

When Bulma was first introduced in Dragon Ball, she was given a purpose; going on to collect the Dragon Balls with Goku despite her goals being rather rudimentary. For someone with her intellectual capability, it shouldn’t have been difficult to find a purpose in life that didn’t revolve around finding a man for herself. She is smart and she is rich. Moreover, by stereotypical standards, her beauty is also beyond compare. It shouldn’t have been difficult to find a partner.

Vegeta and Bulma from Dragon Ball | Credit: Toei Animation

Even though she was someone who was relatively young when she started collecting them, it shouldn’t have become her primary goal despite having grown in age. Bulma’s wits are beyond comparable, having created a time machine out of nothing.

For someone who gets to travel the world to get objects that could grant her almost any wish in the world and yet her goals are so limited. Chasing boys and wanting to find a boyfriend, and get married aren’t the only goals women have. Especially those as smart as Bulma.

Bulma’s Teenage Stereotype

She becomes a girlfriend, wife, and mom first. Bulma, who has the brain to invent some of the greatest additions to the Dragon Ball universe, was reduced to nothing but a teenager with feelings. Granted, she was only in her early years when her mission began, but it is not a justification of what her character was left to become.

Goku teleports to Bulma’s bedroom | Credit: Toei Animation

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife

For someone who has the potential to act as one of the smartest characters in the franchise, Bulma is seen as an annoying addition who is more so there for fan service and to be Vegeta’s wife than anything else. There is not even any room for debate with regard to her character and how much wasted potential she had.

Her intellect was put to the side as a means to prioritize her relationship and the fact that she was a woman in want of a husband. The decline her character saw was downright unfair. Bulma wasn’t a character who couldn’t survive without a partner but she was most certainly made to become one.

Dragon Ball is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Adya Godboley

Articles Published: 1723

An avid writer fluent in everything Marvel, Adya Godboley is an Assistant Anime Content Lead for FandomWire. She has rich experience in critically analyzing all that is said in between the lines. Hopelessly obsessed with Greek Mythology, she is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in English. Adya has written over 1400 articles on various topics expressing her passion and love for all things entertainment, from superheroes to anime and the occasional gacha games.