Between July and October 2014 Akira Toriyama published an apparently minor story that would later gain enormous weight: Jaco, the Intergalactic Patrolman. The reason for its importance became known in its last pages, since served as a prequel to Dragon Ball and in the process we were offered two surprises: the unexpected appearance of Gine, Goku’s mother, and the introduction of Tights, none other than Bulma’s older sister. For context, this was before new movies, manga and anime.
It might seem that many of the loose ends that were left since the end of the adventures in the Dragon World were tied up, but the truth is that even in that manga a character appeared that the good Toriyama had not given a name: bulma’s mother. And that he had been drawing it for decades. But the funny thing is that there is a funny story behind it.
As cheeky as Bulma, but nameless
Bulma’s mother’s first appearance was in eDragonball chapter 69, during Goku’s first visit to the Capsule Corporation. At that time, Toriyama’s work was gladly bathed in layers of adventure and martial arts humor, but in that particular chapter they made it clear that Bulma, in addition to being a reckless girl, was also a prodigious scientist and a little mischievous. Something that he inherited directly from his two parents.
In that particular chapter we were not given the name of either of Bulma’s parents, referring to themselves as Bulma’s Father y Bulma’s Mother. In Dragon Ball many characters come, go and never return because they are part of the humor and spirit of the series, like the great monk in charge of the temple where the Great Martial Arts Tournament is held. However, between one thing and another, and as the series evolved, Bulma’s parents continued to show up.
Technically, only the parent would end up having a name: el dr briefs And the truth is that it has not been used too much in the manga either. It is not that it was necessary and Toriyama did not break his head either: if the daughter is called Bulma, which refers to a feminine garment, the father should be Brief, a kind of men’s underwear. But, despite the fact that the mother was much more present in the manga and especially the anime, where she did not cut a hair, still had no name.
Does Bulma’s mother really have a name?
For reference, in anime reference guides and TV specials, like the one you can see just above, they are literally called “Bulma’s Father” y “Bulma’s Mother“. And until the issuance and publication of Dragon Ball Super, things did not go much further. So, What does Akira Toriyama think about it?
On the occasion of the edition of Dragon Ball Forever, published ten years after the closure of the manga, the author of Dragon Ball gave an interview in which he broke down the names of all the characters in the manga to date. As he confessed, he could not remember any of them. In the case of Bulma’s mother, he directly said that she hadn’t. In fact, to muddle through he made one up as he went along and moved on to the next.
It didn’t have a name, right? If she had named it, she surely would have been Panty (laughs).
The name of Panty follows the family tradition around underwear, continuing with what I will be Trunks (underpants) or Bra (bra). However, this information seems to have been loose and lost, since even after the premiere of Dragonballz the battle of the godsas well as the takeoff of Dragon Ball Super on paper and on the big and small screen, we kept referring to the character simply as Bulma’s Mother. At least until very recently.
Bandai Namco puts a name on the table: Bikini
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was born both to bring the excitement of the anime to video games in an RPG key and to complete some data that was left loose. From the gradual disappearance of men transformed into animals to completely new scenes. What’s more, A.Kira Toriyama participated in the game and even created a sixth member of the Ginew Commando, Frieza’s special forces. And in the middle of all that, an unexpected answer: Bulma’s mother is called Bikini. At least in the game.
The name appears by surprise in a dialogue from Dr. Briefs himself, who says it very bluntly during the Cell Game arc. Which opens up two possibilities.
- On the one hand, Bikini’s name has only been used in video games. And it is not the first, nor will it be the last, that Toriyama’s work in manga and television (scripted by Toriyama) discredits this material.
- On the other hand, despite the fact that Bandai Namco’s RPG has Toriyama’s approval and approval, changes are also introduced in the game or events from the manga, movies, and series are invented in a whimsical way. Especially the DLCs.
In any case, bulma’s mother She has already appeared with some frequency in the new Dragon Ball Super manga: the superhero saga and Dr. Briefs continues to call her “Mom” (from Bulma, that is). Will they show up enough to become a recurring character? Well, it is clear that the change of protagonists, focused on the adventures of young Trunks and Goten, is going to ensure new fun moments with these grandparents for whom time does not pass.
In conclusion, in the absence of Bulma’s mother having an official name, duly established in the manga or anime, Bikini’s name is the closest thing on the table. And, despite this, it will not surprise us at all that when Toriyama himself is needed he will have forgotten it and he will have put a completely new one on it.
