Dragon Ball Daimahasn’t been shy about itswillingness to revisit the franchise’s roots. Already, the series has doubled down on prioritizing adventure over action, and has introduced new characters to fill in the archetypes of older ones. Bulma is an interesting character in just how integral she was to the story duringDragon Ball’s earliest sections, being the provider of the wonderfully wacky inventions that gave character to the world. And now,Daimahas introduced another genius scientist to the series, andher terrifying invention proves just how dangerous Bulma can be.
Luckily forDragon Ball’s heroes, Bulma is on their side, consistently creating immensely helpful technology like the Dragon Radar, the spaceships taken to Namek, and the time machine used to fight both Cell and Goku Black. On the flip side, Goku and company are rather unfortunate to now have to deal with the evil inventions ofDragon Ball Daima’s Dr. Arinsu, the mysterious sister of Supreme Kai.
Dr. Arinsu was introduced inDaima’s very first episode and immediately framed to be a suspicious character with ulterior motives. While hanging around the First Demon World castle with the suspected series' main antagonist, Gomah, as well as Supreme Kai’s other shady sibling, Degesu,the peculiar doctor somehow made the most unpleasant impressionof the three. And inDaima’s most recent Episode #7, titled, “Collar”, she is revealed to be the mastermind behindDragon Ball’s most sinister invention yet.
Dr. Arinsu Introduces Dragon Ball’s Evilest Invention
The Mysterious Doctor Is Responsible For the Third Demon World Collars
Daima’s Demon Realm has been shown to operate in a hierarchy, with the First Demon World sitting atop the pecking order, and theThird Demon World residing at the bottom. As the main cast of characters has made their way through the Third, it’s become obvious that the land and its people are treated neither fairly nor equally compared to the other worlds. All residents, including the newest cast member and princess, Panzy,are required to wear collars that can track their every movement.
While the collars had already been shown to be the work of an incredibly evil government, Episode #7 reveals just how sinister of a creation they are. In what is likely the most emotional scene inDragon Ball Daimayet, Panzy tells the group that thecollars are forced onto anyone born in the Third Demon World, and those that refuse are killed. As the wearers grow, the collars grow alongside them so that they can never be removed. Upon examining the one around Panzy’s neck, Supreme Kai deduces that Dr. Arinsu must have been their creator.
Thankfully, Supreme Kai harnesses the magic necessary to remove the evil collars, and does so for Panzy, who shows immense gratitude. Previous to this moment, it was clear that Dr. Arinsu was untrustworthy to some degree, but showing her to be responsible for creatingDragon Ball’s most evil invention proves just how wicked she truly is. The moment is also a reminder thatthe heroes' own scientist is capable of great and powerful inventions, and they’re lucky she isn’t evil herself.
The Heroes Are Lucky That Bulma Is On Their Side
Bulma Is Often An Unsung Hero
ThoughBulma has largely been kept her original roleinDragon Ballfollowing its shift from adventure to action, her many inventions have been useful to Goku and the rest of the cast.There are endless examples of her being an unsung hero; no one would have been able to reach Namek without Bulma’s help, Trunks would not have been able to travel to the past and warn of the Androids, the Dragon Balls would be incredibly difficult to find, and so on.
While she mostly keeps out of the fighting, it isn’t a stretch to say thatBulma is one ofDragon Ball’s most important characters, and the heroes are incredibly lucky that the renowned Capsule Corp scientist is on their side. Seeing asDaima’s Arinsu has put her inventing powers to evil use by keeping an entire Demon World bound to tracking collars, it is a bit terrifying to think about what Bulma may be capable of with her own inventions.
It was a little uncertain duringDragon Ball’s earlier sections whether Bulma would turn out entirely kind, seeing as she unloaded several bullets into a then-child Goku in her very first appearance. Luckily, she became not only kind and caring, but also an integral member of the Z-Fighter roster.
Bulma Was Already Evil Once, and It Was a Problem
GT Already Hinted at the Destructive Power of an Evil Bulma
It may be terrifying to imagine what an evil Bulma would be capable of, butDragon Ball GThas already made it so that we don’t have to, turning the scientist bad during its Baby Saga. The enemy after whom the arc is named was capable of possessing people’s bodies and using them for deeds of destruction. And while he may have turned Goten, Trunks, and Gohan against Goku,none of the three were nearly as dangerous as when he took control of Bulma.
Putting her scientific prowess and genius to use,Bulma created a Blutz Wave Generatorthat recreated and amplified the energy which allows Saiyans to transform into Giant Apes. Because Baby was using Vegeta’s body as a host, he took on a monstrous transformation that gave even Super Saiyan 4 Goku trouble after using Bulma’s invention. While Dr. Arinsu’s collars are evil from more of a moral standpoint, Bulma has already created something which acted as a direct threat to Earth’s greatest warrior.
Bulma is a good person, though, and luckily for Goku and the others, her many creations are a consistent help in their battles. AsDragon Ball Daimacontinues, however, Dr. Arinsu is likely to take on a larger role in the story, and might just showcase how evil her scientific abilities truly are. Vegeta and Piccolo have just touched down in the Demon Realm with Bulma along for the journey, and if the situation calls for it, the two scientists might just have to have a battle of inventions.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
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Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
