Dragon Ball DAIMA has been delighting long-time Dragon Ball fans and critics alike thanks to its combination of adventure, comedy, and heart. One of the most fascinating things about Dragon Ball DAIMA is its frequent callbacks to the original Dragon Ball, with the show reintroducing items and ideas that fans have not seen for many years. This even stretches to its characters, as Shin and Glorio’s relationship feels like a modernized take on the dynamic Bulma and Oolong had in the early arcs of the original Dragon Ball. But who is who?
Bulma is one of Dragon Ball’s most famous and beloved characters. Making her debut in “Bloomers and the Monkey King,” the first chapter of the manga, and “The Secret of the Dragon Balls,” the first episode of the anime, Bulma is introduced as an intelligent but temperamental young girl who will do whatever it takes to collect the Dragon Balls so she can wish for the beautiful boyfriend of her dreams.
Bulma And Oolong Were Goku’s First Friends
Bulma and Oolong Helped Goku Take Down Emperor Pilaf, Forming A Lifelong Bond As They Did
However, after convincing Goku to come with her on her quest, a different side of Bulma is quickly revealed. Despite initially only keeping Goku around for his ball and to act as a bodyguard, Bulma slowly starts to care about Goku, taking on an almost older sister role, teaching Goku about the things he’s missed out on due to spending most of his childhood alone in the woods.
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In “Oolong the Terrible,” the fourth episode of the anime, and “Oo! Oo! Oolong!” the fifth chapter of the manga, Bulma and Goku stumble on Aru Village and find that the locals are living in fear of a monster called Oolong, as he keeps coming into their village and stealing their daughters. However, when Goku and Bulma confront the monstrous Oolong, they soon discover that he isn’t as terrifying as he seems. In reality, Oolong is a tiny humanoid pig who uses shapeshifting powers to make himself look more intimidating than he is. It is soon revealed that the daughters he’s kidnapped have taken over his mansion and are living in the lap of luxury, constantly pressuring Oolong into getting them more stuff and doing errands for them.
So, keen to avoid his demanding wives, Oolong joins Bulma and Goku on their quest. However, this union is far from smooth, as Bulma and Oolong quickly begin to clash with one another. Oolong’s cynical and sarcastic personality annoys Bulma because he frequently calls her out for her vanity and selfishness. Plus, he refuses to do as he is told, further angering Bulma, who presumed she could exploit his shapeshifting abilities to make their quest easier. Even worse, Oolong is an unashamed coward willing to do anything to save his own skin, even if it means abandoning the people he is with. This leads to Bulma drugging Oolong with a PP Candy that forces Oolong to go to the bathroom whenever she makes pig sounds, a threat she frequently uses to keep the pig in line.
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However, as the saga continues, the pair start to warm up to each other as they endure a litany of hardships. This reaches its peak during the saga’s final act when Oolong, despite insisting he doesn’t want to be a hero, races to Shenron and wishes for a pair of panties, stopping Pilaf’s dreams of world domination in their tracks. In later sagas, Oolong and Bulma are frequently seen together, and while they still tease and snap at each other, they have obviously become close friends who will help each other out when the situation calls for it.
The Many Parallels Of Shin And Glorio
Shin And Glorio Share The Dynamic That Bulma And Oolong Had In Early Dragon Ball
Glorio and Shin are similar to Bulma and Oolong in several ways. One of the most instantly noticeable parallels between the two pairs is how their relationship forms. Goku meets Oolong after he’s already been traveling with Bulma for a while, meaning that while Bulma knows a lot about Goku and how he acts, Oolong is out of the loop for a while. The same is true for Shin and Glorio, as by the time Dragon Ball DAIMA starts, Shin has been hanging around Goku for a while, meaning he is pretty familiar with his eccentricities. However, due to only meeting Goku recently, Glorio doesn’t understand Goku, leading to him being treated as an outsider by the other two.
Plus, the early episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA have seen Shin taking on an almost older sibling role to Goku, with him often having to temper Goku’s worst impulses and keep him on track. This is best seen during the Warp-Sama scene at the start of episode three, where Shin desperately tries to get Goku to shut up and stop insulting Warp-Sama. This is also seen during the fourth episode, as when Goku gets excited about collecting all the Demon Realm Dragon Balls, Shin tries to get Goku back on task, reminding him that “rescuing Dende-san comes first,” much like how Bulma frequently had to remind Goku of their quest during their first saga.
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On top of this, Glorio shares Oolong’s street smarts and ruthless nature. The third and fourth episodes show that Glorio can clearly tell when a shopkeeper is trying to rip him off and will do whatever it takes to pay the price he wants, even if it means resorting to the threat of violence. Plus, when the group goes to the bar in the third episode, Glorio is clearly used to and comfortable with these rougher environments as he brushes off the thugs who try to make a scene without a hint of fear and has no qualms about physically defending himself when it becomes clear they won’t obey his order to leave them alone.
These personality quirks combined with a conversation seen in Dragon Ball DAIMA’s third episode make it clear that Glorio and Shin share Oolong and Bulma’s class dynamic. From the very start of Dragon Ball, Bulma is shown to be a rich, pampered city girl who is used to having every comfort and convenience at her fingertips, as shown by the sheer number of capsules she’s carrying and how upset she gets when she has to go without baths or clean clothes. While Oolong is still wealthy (as shown by his massive mansion), he’s clearly on a lower societal rung than Bulma, as much like Yamcha, he is basically a bandit who uses force and trickery to get what he wants.
In the second episode, Glorio notes that Shin’s people come from the Second Demon World before saying that:
“I’m sure you and your sophisticated kind never had any reason to come to the Third Demon World.”
This, combined with Shin’s repulsion at bugs and general cluelessness about Third Demon World culture, makes it clear that they are the Bulma of this group, being a child of immense privilege who is going to be forced to make do without the creature comforts they’ve become accustomed to.
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Glorio and Oolong also share another fascinating parallel: their allegiance and motivations are unclear, leading to Goku’s other companion distrusting them. When Oolong first joins the group, Bulma is outwardly suspicious of him, frequently noting that she presumes he will run away or betray them. This suspicion (combined with Oolong’s abrasive personality) is why Bulma drugs him with the PP Candy, hoping that the threat of soiling himself will act as leverage. Similarly, Shin obviously doesn’t fully trust Glorio. This is proved by the start of the third episode, where Shin heavily questions and clearly doubts his story about being sent to fetch Goku, and the later scene where Shin pushes Glorio to reveal how he knows so much about the Second and First Demon Worlds.
Dragon Ball DAIMA features many callbacks to the original Dragon Ball. Glorio and Shin’s relationship is no exception, as the pair perfectly mimics Bulma and Oolong’s dynamic during the Emperor Pilaf Saga. While both of them like Goku and want to see him succeed, their vastly different personalities, experiences, and worldviews mean they approach obstacles differently, leading to the pair not trusting each other and frequently clashing in an attempt to get their own way. Plus, each of them perfectly maps onto one of the pair’s personalities, with Glorio being the streetwise guy who knows when to push things and when to step back and Shin being the older sibling figure who tries to keep Goku on track despite not fully understanding the situation they’ve found themselves in. But only time will tell if, like Oolong before him, the nature of the conflict forces Glorio to become a true hero.
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
Due to a conspiracy, Goku and friends are transformed into children. They intend to travel to a mysterious new world to undo this change
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Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
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