Goku's age upon meeting Bulma

[dbgtFO]

Goku was 12.
I suppose Toriyama only read the first few chapters, where Goku stated he was 14, missing out on the retcon at the 21st Tournament.

[Speedster]

In Dragonball minus Goku was 3 years old. Towards the end of the chapter baby Goku was put to a spaceship and sent towards Earth and then Jaco left the Galactic Patrol headcourters to go to Earth too in order to exterminate him. In the Jaco the Galactic Patrolman manga, Jaco arrives on Earth and meets Bulma's family. Bulma is stated to be 5 years old. This means that Goku and Bulma have 2 years age difference. Worth noting here that when the two characters were first introduced in the original series they also had a 2-years age difference (14 Vs 16).

Also bear in mind that Beerus slept for 39 years and before sleeping he authorised Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta and he was unware of its destruction when he woke up. So when he went to sleep planet Vegeta was still existing. In the movie BoGs, at her birthday party, Bulma said she turned 38y.o, meaning she was born 1year after Beerus went to sleep.

Age 734 – Beerus goes to sleep (Age 773-39), (Age 735-1)
Age 735 – Bulma is born (Age 737-2),
Age 737 – Goku is born (Age 749-12),
Age 740 – Goku is sent to Earth/Freeza destroys planet Vegeta (Age 737+3)
Age 748 - BoD (8.5 months prior to 21st TB)
Age 749 – 21st TB/Goku is 12y.o. (Age 752-3, perhaps in May too)
Age 752 – 22nd TB (Age 755-3), May 7th (2 days before Piccolo's coronation on May 9th)
Age 755 – 23rd TB (Age 760-5)
Age 756 – Gohan is born (Age 772-16), (Age 760-4)
Age 760 – Arrival of Raditz/Gohan is 4y.o. (Age 756+4), (Age 761-1)
Age 761 – Namek arc (Age 756+4+1), (Age 762-1)
Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)
Age 765 – Cell arc (Age 782-20+3)
Age 772 – Buu arc/Gohan is 16y.o. (Age 765+7)
Age 773 – BoGs arc/Bulma is 38y.o. (Age 735+38)
Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)
Age 785 – F. Trunks travels back in time for the second time, 3 years before Cell (Age 788-3)
Age 788 - Cell is stated to have travelled from Age 788

So Goku was 11 and something when he first met Bulma and turned 12 the following year ...

[mabalia]

I understood that Bulma had lied about her age in BOG. It seems in character for her to do it as she's the type to want to appear younger to her friends, as she's vain and worried about growing old. Many people are like that in real life. At least Gohan and Videl wouldn't be teen parents, I like to think they dated for a while before getting married.

And I prefer to consider that she lied in BOG than having her lying in the original manga about her age where she stated that she's 16 years old. Because of Minus, if Bulma is 16 so Goku is 14 years old, and if Goku is really 12 years old so Bulma is just 14 years old, her interactions earlier in the manga with Roshi turns out more creepy than before.

It's just how I see it.

[Darkprince410]

Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)

Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)

That can't work. It was specifically indicated that it was a 17 year gap between when Trunks left and when he arrived, so it'd have to be Age 765 when he arrived to confront Freeza and Cold, according to your numbers. Bulma specifically told him he was going back 17 years into the past, and the rules established by Trunks later on in Super indicate that a deviation from the "set" jump would keep him from getting to the allotted timeline.

[cheddarsword]

In Dragonball minus Goku was 3 years old. Towards the end of the chapter baby Goku was put to a spaceship and sent towards Earth and then Jaco left the Galactic Patrol headcourters to go to Earth too in order to exterminate him. In the Jaco the Galactic Patrolman manga, Jaco arrives on Earth and meets Bulma's family. Bulma is stated to be 5 years old. This means that Goku and Bulma have 2 years age difference. Worth noting here that when the two characters were first introduced in the original series they also had a 2-years age difference (14 Vs 16).

Also bear in mind that Beerus slept for 39 years and before sleeping he authorised Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta and he was unware of its destruction when he woke up. So when he went to sleep planet Vegeta was still existing. In the movie BoGs, at her birthday party, Bulma said she turned 38y.o, meaning she was born 1year after Beerus went to sleep.

Age 734 – Beerus goes to sleep (Age 773-39), (Age 735-1)
Age 735 – Bulma is born (Age 737-2),
Age 737 – Goku is born (Age 749-12),
Age 740 – Goku is sent to Earth/Freeza destroys planet Vegeta (Age 737+3)
Age 748 - BoD (8.5 months prior to 21st TB)
Age 749 – 21st TB/Goku is 12y.o. (Age 752-3, perhaps in May too)
Age 752 – 22nd TB (Age 755-3), May 7th (2 days before Piccolo's coronation on May 9th)
Age 755 – 23rd TB (Age 760-5)
Age 756 – Gohan is born (Age 772-16), (Age 760-4)
Age 760 – Arrival of Raditz/Gohan is 4y.o. (Age 756+4), (Age 761-1)
Age 761 – Namek arc (Age 756+4+1), (Age 762-1)
Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)
Age 765 – Cell arc (Age 782-20+3)
Age 772 – Buu arc/Gohan is 16y.o. (Age 765+7)
Age 773 – BoGs arc/Bulma is 38y.o. (Age 735+38)
Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)
Age 785 – F. Trunks travels back in time for the second time, 3 years before Cell (Age 788-3)
Age 788 - Cell is stated to have travelled from Age 788

So Goku was 11 and something when he first met Bulma and turned 12 the following year ...

Okay, I already replied to this but after doing so, I thought i'd made a mistake. I did not.

I deleted the original post. Here goes though.

By that chart, Bulma would be 13 upon meeting Goku. However, in the manga, Goku states his age is 14, to which she replies he's two years younger than her, making her 16.

That's in the ORIGINAL manga, penned by Toriyama himself.

"But Goku can't count! He got his name wrong!" Irrelevent. He stated a false number that Bulma believed was true, to which she responded with her own age.

"But RETCONZ!" Let me ask you something. During their meeting, does she LOOK 13? During the Oolong arc, she states her bust size is 85. Not sure if a 13 year old would be that big. Unless your name is Yoko Litner.

Also of note here: Jaco is headed to earth to kill "Kakarot" right? That means that he does so AFTER the launch, which if Minus is accepted, is in age 740, where it's "stated" that Bulma is 5 years old, correct? That keeps in line with what I've said so far. That Bulma would be 13 at their meeting.

However, if you set the year back to 739, the year that was previously believed to be the destruction of Planet Vegeta and the launch of Goku's pod, then it's STILL wrong. Say Jaco gets there during 739, and they STILL say that she's 5 years old. That would only make her 14.

Again, I still can't see a 14 year old girl having a bust size of 85.

Here's a good example. In Dead Or Alive, a series known for it's women's assets, Hitomi is measured at 90. Now in DOA 3 and 4, she's 18 years old, and in DOA5, she's 20.

So Bulma, at 13/14, is supposed to be almost as big as Hitomi at 18/20?

For reference, here's a pic of hitomi in DOA4 (18 Yrs. old)



Ladies and Gentlemen, Bulma has just "Busted" Minus.

(Seriously? I just used a woman's chest size to debunk a "word of god" level Retcon? Seriously?)

[Speedster]

Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)

Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)

That can't work. It was specifically indicated that it was a 17 year gap between when Trunks left and when he arrived, so it'd have to be Age 765 when he arrived to confront Freeza and Cold, according to your numbers. Bulma specifically told him he was going back 17 years into the past, and the rules established by Trunks later on in Super indicate that a deviation from the "set" jump would keep him from getting to the allotted timeline.

In chapter 334 of the original manga Trunks told Goku that he comes from 20 years into the future. So if you were to follow the established rules in Super, Trunks needed to travel in fixed 20year jumps. The 17 years is a mistake originating from the special Trunks chapter where before the first trip Bulma told Trunks to go back 17 years...but we know he actually went back 20.

Also in chapter 335 Trunks says he would be born 2.5 years from his arrival timepoint.
According to your objection:
Age 765 – F. Trunks Appears
Age 767 – Trunks is born
Age 768 – Cell arc
Age 775 – Buu arc
Age 776 – Earliest possible BoGs arc
Age 777 – Earliest possible FnF arc
Age 778 – Earliest possible DBS episode 29
Age 779 – Earliest possible DBS episode 68
Age 780 – Earliest possible DBS episode 83

Future timeline...
Age 778 – F. Gohan fights the Androids and loses his arm
Age 779 – F. Gohan confronts the Androids and dies. F. Trunks turns SSJ
Age 782 – F. Trunks travels back for the 1st time
Age 785 – F. Trunks travel back for the 2nd time

So somehow Trunks, at the same age, was taller in the future timeline? I guess you will now say “Why not? He also has blue hair”…

"But RETCONZ!" Let me ask you something. During their meeting, does she LOOK 13?

Just to give an example from real life, Maddie Ziegler (the dancer who appears in Sia's video clips) is now 14. And here is Bulma at the start of DB. They actually have some resemblance.

"Also of note here: Jaco is headed to earth to kill "Kakarot" right? That means that he does so AFTER the launch, which if Minus is accepted, is in age 740, where it's "stated" that Bulma is 5 years old, correct? That keeps in line with what I've said so far. That Bulma would be 13 at their meeting.

Bulma doesn’t need to be exactly 13 at the start of the Dragonball neither exactly 5 in the Jaco manga. For example:
Jan 735 – Bulma is born
Apr 737 – Goku is born
Apr 740 – Goku is sent to Earth
Jun 740 – Jaco arrives to Earth (Bulma is 5.5)
Sep 748 – Bulma meets Goku (Bulma is 13.7)
May 749 – 21st TB

During the Oolong arc, she states her bust size is 85. Not sure if a 13 year old would be that big.

Again, I still can't see a 14 year old girl having a bust size of 85.

So Bulma, at 13/14, is supposed to be almost as big as Hitomi at 18/20?

We are not actually given any meaningful bust size in the original manga. A meaningful size would include both band size and cup size. In the manga, it says “85” meaning 85cm. But this is absolutely meaningless without knowing band size. For example with under bust circumference 62cm and bust circumference 85cm it is cup DD but with under bust 68cm and bust 85cm it is only cup B.

[Darkprince410]

Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)

Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)

That can't work. It was specifically indicated that it was a 17 year gap between when Trunks left and when he arrived, so it'd have to be Age 765 when he arrived to confront Freeza and Cold, according to your numbers. Bulma specifically told him he was going back 17 years into the past, and the rules established by Trunks later on in Super indicate that a deviation from the "set" jump would keep him from getting to the allotted timeline.

In chapter 334 of the original manga Trunks told Goku that he comes from 20 years into the future. So if you were to follow the established rules in Super, Trunks needed to travel in fixed 20year jumps. The 17 years is a mistake originating from the special Trunks chapter where before the first trip Bulma told Trunks to go back 17 years...but we know he actually went back 20.

Actually no. The wording Trunks uses in the original manga to describe how far from the future he came from indicates he's approximating, and not talking about a specific value. He gives it as an estimation of 20 years, but the later "Trunks the Story" chapter establishes it as being 17 years. Between the later established time frame from the special Trunks chapter and the fact given to us in Super (about how it has to be the same set time jumps or else he can't reach the same timeline again), the only way that'd work is if Trunks' first jump into the past was also from 17 years into the future.

[Nejishiki]

And I prefer to consider that she lied in BOG than having her lying in the original manga about her age where she stated that she's 16 years old. Because of Minus, if Bulma is 16 so Goku is 14 years old, and if Goku is really 12 years old so Bulma is just 14 years old, her interactions earlier in the manga with Roshi turns out more creepy than before.

It's just how I see it.

Setting aside that it's played for comedic effect & isn't portrayed as acceptable behavior, there's an equal amount of inappropriateness involved regardless of age. It's no worse or better if it's 16 to 14; it's underage harassment either way (I feel the need to restate that there's no confusion around the context of Turtle Hermit's extreme perversion).

[mabalia]

And I prefer to consider that she lied in BOG than having her lying in the original manga about her age where she stated that she's 16 years old. Because of Minus, if Bulma is 16 so Goku is 14 years old, and if Goku is really 12 years old so Bulma is just 14 years old, her interactions earlier in the manga with Roshi turns out more creepy than before.

It's just how I see it.

Setting aside that it's played for comedic effect & isn't portrayed as acceptable behavior, there's an equal amount of inappropriateness involved regardless of age. It's no worse or better if it's 16 to 14; it's underage harassment either way (I feel the need to restate that there's no confusion around the context of Turtle Hermit's extreme perversion).

I know, sexual harassment is a crime regardless of the victim's age. But at least in my country, for these types of crime there's a higher punishment when the victim's age is closer to a kid's age, and the limit established here is 14. It's not that there aren't punishments for the crimes against teenagers above 14, there are and they should be treated seriously, but the punishment is more severe for the crimes against children and preteens. Children and teenagers in my country have a especial body of laws to protect their rights, despite the constant atacks in the recent years that want to eliminate very important rights from them.

And I know we shouldn't take Roshi and his jokes seriously, but I still don't like him. Everyone is allowed to dislike at least one character, right

[cheddarsword]

[spoiler]

Age 762 – F. Trunks appears (Age 756+4+1+1), (Age 782-20)

Age 782 – F. Trunks time-travels for the 1st time. Returns and waits 3 years for the 2nd travel (Age 785-3)

That can't work. It was specifically indicated that it was a 17 year gap between when Trunks left and when he arrived, so it'd have to be Age 765 when he arrived to confront Freeza and Cold, according to your numbers. Bulma specifically told him he was going back 17 years into the past, and the rules established by Trunks later on in Super indicate that a deviation from the "set" jump would keep him from getting to the allotted timeline.

In chapter 334 of the original manga Trunks told Goku that he comes from 20 years into the future. So if you were to follow the established rules in Super, Trunks needed to travel in fixed 20year jumps. The 17 years is a mistake originating from the special Trunks chapter where before the first trip Bulma told Trunks to go back 17 years...but we know he actually went back 20.

Also in chapter 335 Trunks says he would be born 2.5 years from his arrival timepoint.
According to your objection:
Age 765 – F. Trunks Appears
Age 767 – Trunks is born
Age 768 – Cell arc
Age 775 – Buu arc
Age 776 – Earliest possible BoGs arc
Age 777 – Earliest possible FnF arc
Age 778 – Earliest possible DBS episode 29
Age 779 – Earliest possible DBS episode 68
Age 780 – Earliest possible DBS episode 83

Future timeline...
Age 778 – F. Gohan fights the Androids and loses his arm
Age 779 – F. Gohan confronts the Androids and dies. F. Trunks turns SSJ
Age 782 – F. Trunks travels back for the 1st time
Age 785 – F. Trunks travel back for the 2nd time

So somehow Trunks, at the same age, was taller in the future timeline? I guess you will now say “Why not? He also has blue hair”…

"But RETCONZ!" Let me ask you something. During their meeting, does she LOOK 13?

Just to give an example from real life, Maddie Ziegler (the dancer who appears in Sia's video clips) is now 14. And here is Bulma at the start of DB. They actually have some resemblance.

"Also of note here: Jaco is headed to earth to kill "Kakarot" right? That means that he does so AFTER the launch, which if Minus is accepted, is in age 740, where it's "stated" that Bulma is 5 years old, correct? That keeps in line with what I've said so far. That Bulma would be 13 at their meeting.

Bulma doesn’t need to be exactly 13 at the start of the Dragonball neither exactly 5 in the Jaco manga. For example:
Jan 735 – Bulma is born
Apr 737 – Goku is born
Apr 740 – Goku is sent to Earth
Jun 740 – Jaco arrives to Earth (Bulma is 5.5)
Sep 748 – Bulma meets Goku (Bulma is 13.7)
May 749 – 21st TB

During the Oolong arc, she states her bust size is 85. Not sure if a 13 year old would be that big.

Again, I still can't see a 14 year old girl having a bust size of 85.

So Bulma, at 13/14, is supposed to be almost as big as Hitomi at 18/20?

We are not actually given any meaningful bust size in the original manga. A meaningful size would include both band size and cup size. In the manga, it says “85” meaning 85cm. But this is absolutely meaningless without knowing band size. For example with under bust circumference 62cm and bust circumference 85cm it is cup DD but with under bust 68cm and bust 85cm it is only cup B.

[/spoiler]

Either way, it contradicts the original manga. Goku says 14, Bulma throws him out of the bathroom thinking he's really that old and says that he's only two years younger than her, making her 16.

Now we all know that Goku's... lacking, when it comes to numbers. This is stated during the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai, when he changes his age to 12, stating that Roshi had just taught him how to count.

This makes the gap between the two about 4.5 years, give or take. NOT 2.

If you're saying that you believe what Toriyama wrote in Minus and Jaco, then you're saying that that the original manga, the VERY BASIS FOR DRAGON BALL Z & SUPER, was retconned (sp?).

This would mean that Bulma was 2 years younger than Yamcha when they started dating (Yamcha was born in 733, two years before Bulma by that chart). I did check, and "loli" in Japan is considered to be anyone under the age of 13/14, making Bulma just barely acceptable by Yamcha's standards. As for what I'm referring to:

Puar: You're okay with that kind of girl? (in response to Yamcha not freezing up around Chichi)
Yamcha: Of course. I'm not a loli.

Also, if Bulma was 14 and Goku being the math wiz that he iz says 14 as well, she would have said "You're the same age as me!" instead. So yeah. If Minus/Jaco is accepted: Total retcon.

But let's be honest. Toriyama forgets so much of his own stuff that we may next see Trunks with red hair... OH WAIT WE ALREADY DID!

[SuperSalt]

In the original Dragon Ball manga, he is first stated to be 14 - but later at the tournament, it is revealed that he is indeed only 12; he just couldn't count.
Now, in the original manga, Goku is sent to earth as an infant. I haven't read Minus, but it's stated that he's ~3 y/o when he is sent to earth. How on earth is that possible, when we actually see infant Goku in the manga ?
Is it supposed to be a retcon, or can we ignore that fact when talking about Goku's arrival on earth and such?

[cheddarsword]

In the original Dragon Ball manga, he is first stated to be 14 - but later at the tournament, it is revealed that he is indeed only 12; he just couldn't count.
Now, in the original manga, Goku is sent to earth as an infant. I haven't read Minus, but it's stated that he's ~3 y/o when he is sent to earth. How on earth is that possible, when we actually see infant Goku in the manga ?
Is it supposed to be a retcon, or can we ignore that fact when talking about Goku's arrival on earth and such?

I look at it as there's a few possibilities.

Possibility 1: It's a retcon.

Possibility 2: It's Jaco's flawed retelling of the events (he is known to lie after all).

Possibility 3: Toriyama forgot the established timeline. The timeline that he himself helped to establish.

Toriyama is known to forget things and even change them later. But to do that in a prequel/origin story is just... yeah. Methinks he should only go forwards, not backwards.

Oh well, at least Arale is part of the canon, and NOTHING can change that.

[Darkprince410]

In the original Dragon Ball manga, he is first stated to be 14 - but later at the tournament, it is revealed that he is indeed only 12; he just couldn't count.
Now, in the original manga, Goku is sent to earth as an infant. I haven't read Minus, but it's stated that he's ~3 y/o when he is sent to earth. How on earth is that possible, when we actually see infant Goku in the manga ?
Is it supposed to be a retcon, or can we ignore that fact when talking about Goku's arrival on earth and such?

My personal feeling on it is that even though Goku was in the incubator for three years, he's not actually three years old. My head canon is that Saiyans are fertilized and grown in vitro within those incubators rather than within the womb. It was established that the Saiyan race has a population of only a few thousand, and it's suggested that females are used just as extensively as males when it comes to combat. Therefore, it'd be dangerous to such a small population to have pregnant females going out on missions and risking their lives and the lives of the fetuses, yet it'd also hinder productivity to cut their supply of warriors by keeping pregnant females on the home planet. As such, if they're born in vitro and grown in the incubators, it lets the fetus grow in the relative safety of planet Vegeta while also allowing the females to take part in missions without risk to losing the fetus.

Gine, while not a warrior, still has a rigorous job all the same as a member of the meat preparation industry for the sake of the warriors, and thus a pregnancy would still hinder her productivity.

So, the way I see it, the three years a Saiyan spends in the incubator is the equivalent of the 9 months a normal pregnancy runs in humans. Much in the same way we don't start counting ages until they're actually born (hence "birthday"), a Saiyan isn't considered "born" until he/she comes out of the incubator. Thus, Goku, despite having been in there for three years, is still considered an infant and thus the description of him by Roshi at the start of the Saiyan arc isn't inaccurate.

[Speedster]

Actually no. The wording Trunks uses in the original manga to describe how far from the future he came from indicates he's approximating, and not talking about a specific value. He gives it as an estimation of 20 years, but the later "Trunks the Story" chapter establishes it as being 17 years. Between the later established time frame from the special Trunks chapter and the fact given to us in Super (about how it has to be the same set time jumps or else he can't reach the same timeline again), the only way that'd work is if Trunks' first jump into the past was also from 17 years into the future.

He is “approximating” in the sense of not telling the exact period passed in years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds elapsed and instead rounding it off to the closest full year. Not rounding it off to the closest decade. This is further evident with Cell who said that he “won't be completed until 24 years from now” with "now" being when he was talking to Piccolo in the Cell arc. Plus it is the problem with Trunks’ having different appearance at the same age I said earlier if we were to accept the 17 years line.

Also if we go with what you say (the Cell arc taking pace in Age 768) and if we are to also accommodate for Pan's age at the end of the manga (which you also seem to support) Bulma would be at least 46+ (!!!) by the time she gives birth to Bra. And that is also discounting the time skips we have seen in Super. Because if you try to fit it all, Bulma would be 48+ when she gives birth to Bra. Remember that in Super Bulma gives birth to Bra at least 3.5 years after BoGs.

Spoiler:

BoGs - Year X
Freeza is resurrected - Year X+1 (the full three wishes could be used and were used)
Champa Arc - Year X+2 (after the three wishes in FnF the Dragonballs became stones for a year)
Episode 68 - Year X+3 (Shenlong could grand all three wishes. Bulma is not seemingly pregnant)
Episode 83 - Year X+3.5 (Bulma gives birth to Bra)

It makes sense far more sense for Bulma to turn 38y.o. in BoGs. That would make her around 41.5y.o. when she gives birth to Bra which is much more reasonable than her being close to 50.

My personal feeling on it is that even though Goku was in the incubator for three years, he's not actually three years old. My head canon is ...

As you proceed to give your personal feeling and headcanon here is my personal take on the matter: As far as I am concerned the 17 years is a mistake in the Trunks' Special chapter that perpetuated in Super. And I am not willing to twist logic and myself in order to accommodate it.

[cheddarsword]

Actually no. The wording Trunks uses in the original manga to describe how far from the future he came from indicates he's approximating, and not talking about a specific value. He gives it as an estimation of 20 years, but the later "Trunks the Story" chapter establishes it as being 17 years. Between the later established time frame from the special Trunks chapter and the fact given to us in Super (about how it has to be the same set time jumps or else he can't reach the same timeline again), the only way that'd work is if Trunks' first jump into the past was also from 17 years into the future.

He is “approximating” in the sense of not telling the exact period passed in years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds elapsed and instead rounding it off to the closest full year. Not rounding it off to the closest decade. This is further evident with Cell who said that he “won't be completed until 24 years from now” with "now" being when he was talking to Piccolo in the Cell arc. Plus it is the problem with Trunks’ having different appearance at the same age I said earlier if we were to accept the 17 years line.

Also if we go with what you say (the Cell arc taking pace in Age 768) and if we are to also accommodate for Pan's age at the end of the manga (which you also seem to support) Bulma would be at least 46+ (!!!) by the time she gives birth to Bra. And that is also discounting the time skips we have seen in Super. Because if you try to fit it all, Bulma would be 48+ when she gives birth to Bra. Remember that in Super Bulma gives birth to Bra at least 3.5 years after BoGs.

Spoiler:

BoGs - Year X
Freeza is resurrected - Year X+1 (the full three wishes could be used and were used)
Champa Arc - Year X+2 (after the three wishes in FnF the Dragonballs became stones for a year)
Episode 68 - Year X+3 (Shenlong could grand all three wishes. Bulma is not seemingly pregnant)
Episode 83 - Year X+3.5 (Bulma gives birth to Bra)

It makes sense far more sense for Bulma to turn 38y.o. in BoGs. That would make her around 41.5y.o. when she gives birth to Bra which is much more reasonable than her being close to 50.

My personal feeling on it is that even though Goku was in the incubator for three years, he's not actually three years old. My head canon is ...

As you proceed to give your personal feeling and headcanon here is my personal take on the matter: As far as I am concerned the 17 years is a mistake in the Trunks' Special chapter that perpetuated in Super. And I am not willing to twist logic and myself in order to accommodate it.

But again, my whole problem with these facts are that they retcon the manga itself. If Bulma is really only 38 in BOG then she was only 13/14 in the original manga, in which she states she's 16 when they first met.

...hmm... I wonder... I'm going to have to look into something. Problem is though, if I'm right, I may just shit myself...

[dbgtFO]

But again, my whole problem with these facts are that they retcon the manga itself. If Bulma is really only 38 in BOG then she was only 13/14 in the original manga, in which she states she's 16 when they first met.

...hmm... I wonder... I'm going to have to look into something. Problem is though, if I'm right, I may just shit myself...

Age of consent in Japan?
Here is a thoughrough answer.

[cheddarsword]

But again, my whole problem with these facts are that they retcon the manga itself. If Bulma is really only 38 in BOG then she was only 13/14 in the original manga, in which she states she's 16 when they first met.

...hmm... I wonder... I'm going to have to look into something. Problem is though, if I'm right, I may just shit myself...

Age of consent in Japan?
Here is a thoughrough answer.

No, I already knew about that. I'm just wondering if the manga we received was "accurately" translated. Back then, as sexuallized as Bulma was, it may have made more sense to translate her as 16 instead of 13/14.

So I was hoping to find some scans of the untranslated manga and see if I couldn't muddle my way through with Google Translate.