How Akira Toriyama’s Ideal Woman Shaped Dragon Ball’s Obsession With One Heroine
Bulma’s enduring fan obsession isn’t accidental—it springs from Akira Toriyama’s ideal of a purposeful, efficient woman. A 1987 interview reveals how that vision molded Dragon Ball’s resident genius into the franchise’s most obsessively idolized heroine.
Bulma has always felt like Toriyama's favorite, right? Turns out that was not exactly a secret. Digging back into a 1987 interview, he basically spelled out his ideal woman, and it lines up with Bulma so perfectly it is almost funny. There is also a spicy joke in there about cheating that is... well, very 1987 magazine interview energy.
Toriyama's type, on the record (1987)
In a chat published in 'Dragon Ball: Adventure Special' on November 18, 1987, Akira Toriyama laid out what he liked and what he could not stand in people. It is blunt, and it explains a lot about how he wrote women — Bulma in particular.
'I am pretty impatient, so I can't stand people who putter around. Efficient, sexy women are great.'
If you are thinking 'that sounds exactly like Bulma,' you are not wrong.
Why Bulma checks every box
- She is the engine of the plot from day one: Bulma builds the Dragon Radar, which literally makes Dragon Ball possible.
- She is sharp and decisive, always moving the mission forward — the opposite of the 'aimless' vibe Toriyama said he disliked.
- She speaks her mind to anyone — Beerus, Vegeta, whoever — and does not flinch. That fearless, bossy streak is peak Bulma.
- Her look evolves arc to arc. The fashion shifts track her confidence and independence instead of just being costume changes.
- She reads like the creator's favorite female character: prominent, useful, and fun to write, not just window dressing.
The cheeky line about cheating
That same 1987 interview also includes a flippant aside where Toriyama jokes that if he could get away with it, he would be tempted to try cheating 'just a little.' It is the kind of eyebrow-raising magazine quip that gets screenshotted forever. For what it is worth, he consistently spoke with real respect and affection for his wife over the years, so the joke runs counter to how he presented his actual life.
Looking back after his passing
Revisiting these old interviews after Toriyama's death adds a bit of texture to how he built Dragon Ball. Bulma being smart, efficient, and unapologetically bold was not an accident — it was the blueprint. Once you see that, all her biggest moments click into place.
If this sent you down a rewatch rabbit hole: Dragon Ball episodes are available on Crunchyroll (availability can vary by region).