Bulma in Dragon Ball was originally voiced by Hiromi Tsuru in Japanese before the role was later inherited by Aya Hisakawa following Tsuru’s passing. In the English dub, Bulma is voiced by Monica Rial. As one of the franchise’s most iconic characters, Bulma became beloved for her intelligence, fiery personality, humor, and emotional importance throughout the Dragon Ball saga. All three actresses played major roles in shaping Bulma across different generations of anime fans. (behindthevoiceactors.com)

Japanese Voice Actor: Hiromi Tsuru / Aya Hisakawa

Date of Birth

  • Hiromi Tsuru — March 29, 1960 – November 16, 2017.
  • Aya Hisakawa — November 12, 1968. (en.wikipedia.org)

About Hiromi

Hiromi Tsuru was one of Japan’s most beloved voice actresses and became globally recognized as the original voice of Bulma across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and much of Dragon Ball Super. Her energetic, expressive, and emotionally sincere performance helped define Bulma’s personality for decades. Tsuru’s portrayal balanced comedic outbursts, emotional warmth, and sharp intelligence, making Bulma one of the franchise’s emotional anchors. (en.wikipedia.org)

About Aya

Following Tsuru’s passing in 2017, veteran actress Aya Hisakawa inherited the role of Bulma beginning with later Dragon Ball Super projects. Hisakawa carefully preserved many aspects of Tsuru’s iconic portrayal while gradually bringing her own emotional softness and maturity to the character. Fans praised her respectful continuation of one of anime’s most legendary roles. (en.wikipedia.org)

Hometown

  • Hiromi Tsuru — Hokkaido, Japan.
  • Aya Hisakawa — Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Career Highlights

Hiromi Tsuru

Hiromi Tsuru had a legendary anime career with major roles in Dragon Ball, Kimagure Orange Road, and Trigun. Her portrayal of Bulma became one of the most recognizable female anime performances in history and remained closely associated with the franchise for more than 30 years.

Aya Hisakawa

Aya Hisakawa is widely known for major roles in Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Ah! My Goddess. Taking over as Bulma introduced her to a new generation of Dragon Ball fans while continuing one of anime’s most iconic legacy roles.

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects publicly documented major credits from available sources and may not be exhaustive.

Hiromi Tsuru — Television Anime

  • Dragon Ball — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Z — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball GT — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Super — Bulma (early episodes)
  • Kimagure Orange Road — Madoka Ayukawa
  • Trigun — Meryl Stryfe
  • GS Mikami — Reiko Mikami
  • Ranma ½ — Ukyo Kuonji

Aya Hisakawa — Television Anime

  • Dragon Ball Super — Bulma (later episodes/projects)
  • Sailor Moon — Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury
  • Cardcaptor Sakura — Kerberos (true form)
  • Ah! My Goddess — Skuld
  • One Piece — Additional Voices
  • Fruits Basket (2019) — Additional Roles

Video Games

  • Dragon Ball FighterZ — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Xenoverse series — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — Bulma
  • Jump Force — Bulma
  • Granblue Fantasy — Guest Voices

Critical Reception

Hiromi Tsuru’s portrayal of Bulma is widely regarded as one of the most iconic performances in anime history. Fans praised her ability to make Bulma feel simultaneously comedic, intelligent, caring, and emotionally genuine across decades of storytelling. Aya Hisakawa’s continuation of the role also received strong praise for honoring Tsuru’s legacy while naturally evolving Bulma’s older and more mature personality in later Dragon Ball installments.

Our Sources

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English Voice Actor: Monica Rial

Date of Birth

October 5, 1975.

About Monica

Monica Rial is an American voice actress, ADR director, and scriptwriter widely recognized as one of the most prolific voices in English anime dubbing. Her portrayal of Bulma in the Dragon Ball franchise became one of the defining roles of her career. Rial’s energetic delivery, comedic timing, and emotional sincerity helped shape Bulma for generations of English-speaking fans across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Dragon Ball Super, and numerous films and games. (behindthevoiceactors.com)

Hometown

Houston, Texas, United States.

Career Highlights

Monica Rial has voiced hundreds of anime characters across multiple decades, becoming one of the most recognizable actresses in the industry. Beyond Dragon Ball, she is widely known for major roles in My Hero Academia, Soul Eater, One Piece, and Assassination Classroom. Her work as Bulma showcased her ability to balance chaotic comedy, heartfelt emotional scenes, and sharp scientific confidence throughout the long-running franchise.

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects publicly documented major credits from available sources and may not be exhaustive.

Television Anime

  • Dragon Ball franchise — Bulma
  • My Hero Academia — Tsuyu Asui
  • Soul Eater — Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
  • One Piece — Princess Vivi
  • Assassination Classroom — Kaede Kayano
  • Black Clover — Mereoleona Vermillion
  • Fairy Tail — Mirajane Strauss
  • Noragami — Kofuku
  • Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt — Stocking Anarchy

Video Games

  • Dragon Ball FighterZ — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Xenoverse series — Bulma
  • Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — Bulma
  • Fire Emblem Heroes — Various Roles
  • Borderlands 3 — Additional Voices
  • Smite — Voice Roles
  • Persona Series — Additional Voices

Critical Reception

Monica Rial’s portrayal of Bulma received widespread praise for preserving the character’s fiery personality and comedic energy while also delivering emotionally grounded performances during major family and emotional story arcs. Fans especially appreciated her chemistry with the English cast portraying Vegeta, Trunks, and Goku. Many viewers consider Rial’s version of Bulma one of the defining performances of the English Dragon Ball dub.

Our Sources

Social Media

Published by Limarc Ambalina

Limarc Ambalina is the founder of Japan Bound, a website covering all things Japan — from travel and culture to anime, manga, and pop culture. He is also the Director of Content at ISNation and the former VP of Editorial at HackerNoon. Based in Japan, he has been writing about Japanese life and entertainment since 2019, growing the site to over 2.4 million views.

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