‘Dragon Ball Super’ Illustrator Takes A Stab At Young Bulma

The illustrator behind the Dragon Ball Super manga, Toyotaro, showed that he could handle any point in the franchise’s continuity last week with a spot-on sketch of young Bulma.

Toyotaro is the writer and illustrator adapting Akira Toriyama’s story for Dragon Ball Super into manga. He has a long history of producing Dragon Ball art, and fans and professionals alike have taken to his style enthusiastically. While his story features a middle-aged, quirky scientist Bulma, his sketch last Wednesday showed love for the teenage girl hunting mythical Dragon Balls when the series first began.

The sketch seems to be based on Bulma in her so called “gypsy outfit,” which she wore for a while in the early days of Dragon Ball. She bought the get-up so that she could finally change out of the bunny costume, and wore it during their quest for the last Dragon Ball. It is a look iconic of Dragon Ball’s early stories, facing on fantasy world-building and a mix of magic and sci-fi, long before power levels or transformations were introduced.

These days, Dragon Ball Super has brought Bulma back to the forefront of many story lines. Her inventions and scientific meddling are the drivers of some of their biggest plots, including the Goku Black Saga. In addition, she has the unique ability to charm and manipulate Whis, making her invaluable to the world, as one slip up could lead to the destruction of Earth.

In Dragon Ball Super, Bulma tends to wear more simple outfits than the gypsy outfit Toyotaro drew in his spare time. She has spent most of the series in a white shirt, slacks and a red handkerchief around her neck — with occasional appearances in a lab coat or formal wear.

In the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Broly, film, Bulma has had her first big wardrobe update in a while. Fans are already ecstatic over her ath-leisure wear appearance, featuring a track suit and running shorts. She is featured heavily on movie posters in Japan.

Unfortunately, the movie will also be the first time a new voice actress steps into the role of Bulma. The character was played by Hiromi Tsumu for decades, but she passed away before work on Dragon Ball Super: Broly began. The film will feature Aya Hisakawa, who has an impressive resume in her own right, and a lot to live up to.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly premieres on Dec. 14 in Japan. It is expected to reach North American some time in January of 2019, though there is still no exact release date on the books.