No, Dragon Ball Wasn't Actually Bulma's First Anime

Dragon Ball is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and its legacy continues to grow by the day. Goku and Vegeta have woven a wild tale during their tenure that fans are exploring to this day. Of course, the show's popularity means new fans are coming to Dragon Ball in droves, so some of the anime's wildest history can be overlooked. But right now, it seems the conversation about Bulma and her shocking anime debut has taken over the fandom.

The whole conversation came to light on social media as trivia so often does. It was there fans began sharing unsung facts about anime and animation, so Dragon Ball was brought up a number of times. However, the fact that took most fans by surprise was Bulma's first appearance in anime. After all, she did not make her debut in Dragon Ball but rather Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love.

Bulma’s first animated appearance was not the first episode of Dragon Ball but actually the final scene of Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love, which came out only three months after the DB manga started, with her appearance being based on her outfit on the title page of chapter 4. https://t.co/6IbAeuCOkC pic.twitter.com/xjjAnxQTMN

— LumRanmaYasha (@LumRanmaYasha) January 26, 2023

As you can see above, the special features Bulma as we see her in the cover page for Dragon Ball chapter four. With a bow tying back her lilac hair, Bulma looks ready to ride with her gloves, cargo pants, and a padded top. This look is definitely an underrated one for the character, and of course, it features her early manga color palette. But at the time, well – Dragon Ball had not debuted to set things straight with Bulma.

Urusei Yatsura managed to fit in this cameo just three months after Dragon Ball was released, so the team worked quickly. It would take the actual Dragon Ball anime more than a year to bring Bulma to television on its own. After all, Akira Toriyama released his manga in late 1984, and the anime's premiere went live in February 1986. This means Urusei Yatsura brought Bulma to the anime world first, and this isn't the only cameo the anime did.

During its run, Urusei Yatsura has welcomed Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star and Appleseed's Briareos. The fun-loving series is not afraid to rope in other IPs when cameos are called for. So if you consider yourself one of Bulma's top fans, we suggest you check out her real anime debut in Urusei Yatsura if you haven't yet!

What do you think about this wild Dragon Ball trivia? Did you know this history behind Bulma? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.