Why do westerners like Bulma x Vegeta so much?

[DBZAOTA482]

This relationship was a bold move when it was introduced. The bad boy angle had always been pulled but how many of them involve the heiress of the multi-billion dollar capsule corparation hitching up with a reformed space pirate? None. Some may argue its set up holds up badly as Bulma went from being terrified of Vegeta to attracted to him and Yamcha is left in the dark, but any rate its definitely left a mark in Dragon Ball History.

However, I feel modern Dragon Ball has ruined what made them work in the first place.

It gets too much attention

One of the things about their relationship is that not much attention was brought to it. We were mostly given bits n' pieces on how they got together which made moments where their love really shows all the more grand. This continues onto GT but Vegeta seems to become perfectly content with being a family man even though he doesn't show it.

However, since Toriyama came out with an interview claiming it (along with Krillin x #18) as his greatest love story told, a lot more attention was brought upon it to the point where it's now technically the lead couple now but the new series doesn't grow with the audience like the original did making me wish their relationship was kept behind the scenes.

Vegeta treats Bulma like dirt

Namely in the Dragon Ball Super anime but BoG had a tidbit that rubbed me in all kinds of wrong. Vegeta simply refused to attend Bulma's birthday and Bulma is on a slight tipsy tirade about it showing that even money can't fix the burden on her heart. With this in mind, her lashing out at Beerus makes a lot more sense now. It wasn't just Bulma being Bulma- she had just snapped from the entire day shitting on her. Another example is from the anime where Vegeta finally takes Trunks to the amusement park. He pays no attention to Bulma or Trunks the entire afternoon he was there just cause "waaahhh wanna surpass Kakarot" like wtf... is he 5 or something? No wonder Bulma is always beating on Jaco for the littlest things... Vegeta must be the Prince of Petty.

Now the real problem with this shit is nobody even bothers to call Vegeta out on the mistreatment nor does Bulma stand up for herself, so Vegeta just keeps using her and then steps on her for his own benefit. Bulma's future doesn't look good.

For those would argue it's a "Toei-only" issue, it's not much better in the Super manga. Vegeta's a whipped lil' chump there.

So... you can say it's my most hated of the major official couples. It manipulates the "bad boy" angle by saying "Ooh he's so complicated! He's totally a loving family man but he just doesn't wanna show it!!". It's what the westerners like best and I don't like it.

I used to not really like Krillin x #18 but the new stuff changed my views on them. We actually get to see a side to #18 besides blunt sarcasm and materialism as her love for Krillin shine through which were very brief and rarely happened previously. Gohan x Videl is objectively the best written despite both characters now being mere shells of their former selves, and I will always have a special spot for Goku X Chi-Chi even though It's not that well written and is comically mishandled in Super (both anime and manga).

[Dbzfan94]

It seems to be really popular among girls. From what I gather, they're really thirsty for Vegeta and self-insert themselves into Bulma. Also they seem to love "bad guy turned good because of a woman" trope

[ABED]

That's a great question and one I don't have the answer for. I know a lot of people seem to love the story of the bad boy changing for the love of a woman, but I don't know if that's the case here. For one, he doesn't change for her, at least not primarily. It's an oddly appealing pairing as both are strong willed and makes a weird sort of sense despite the ickiness of her being in love with a monster.

[J.T. Drago]

I'm alright with the pairing. I'm just not a fan of how it made Yamcha look like the bad guy, so to speak.

[GamerSkull]

I think a lot of girls really like the pairing... to the point where they'd paint Yamcha as an abuser in fanfics.

Not really a fan of the pairing myself though.

So... you can say it's my most hated of the major official couples. It manipulates the "bad boy" angle by saying "Ooh he's so complicated! He's totally a loving family man but he just doesn't wanna show it!!". It's what the westerners like best and I don't like it.

I agree with this but I'm also of the opinion that Gohan and Videl are the only good pairing in the series... even though I do like Goku and Chi-Chi.

[Chuquita]

I don't like VegeBul as a pairing, but I like Bulma and Vegeta as individual characters.

I think they as a couple don't click for me because there's not enough in common between them and their personalities don't compliment each other in an interesting way where I'd want to see more. They really feel more together because plot than a natural thing that would happen, imo.

It's an aspect of Super that's made that part of the show tiresome for me. I'd rather spend some time on the other couples. I wasn't bored watching the Gohan and Videl or the Krillin and 18 scenes or the few Goku and Chi-Chi scenes.

[GamerSkull]

I don't like VegeBul as a pairing, but I like Bulma and Vegeta as individual characters.

I think they as a couple don't click for me because there's not enough in common between them and their personalities don't compliment each other in an interesting way where I'd want to see more. They really feel more together because plot than a natural thing that would happen, imo.

It's an aspect of Super that's made that part of the show tiresome for me. I'd rather spend some time on the other couples. I wasn't bored watching the Gohan and Videl or the Krillin and 18 scenes.

Agreed, loved some of the Gohan and Videl bits and I would have liked to see more of Goku and Chi-Chi (but they might have botched those two as a pairing up even more).

[Chuquita]

I don't like VegeBul as a pairing, but I like Bulma and Vegeta as individual characters.

I think they as a couple don't click for me because there's not enough in common between them and their personalities don't compliment each other in an interesting way where I'd want to see more. They really feel more together because plot than a natural thing that would happen, imo.

It's an aspect of Super that's made that part of the show tiresome for me. I'd rather spend some time on the other couples. I wasn't bored watching the Gohan and Videl or the Krillin and 18 scenes.

Agreed, loved some of the Gohan and Videl bits and I would have liked to see more of Goku and Chi-Chi (but they might have botched those two as a pairing up even more).

More Gohan and Videl would've been wonderful. Maybe when Super returns from hiatus?

I was sad they really botched Goku and Chi-Chi. They could've done some cool stuff (there were only a few good moments), but they regressed Chi-Chi back to her Cell arc self and tried to go out of their way to break them up without breaking them up; it was strange. Again maybe when Super returns they'll be kinder to GoChi? I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

[GamerSkull]

I don't like VegeBul as a pairing, but I like Bulma and Vegeta as individual characters.

I think they as a couple don't click for me because there's not enough in common between them and their personalities don't compliment each other in an interesting way where I'd want to see more. They really feel more together because plot than a natural thing that would happen, imo.

It's an aspect of Super that's made that part of the show tiresome for me. I'd rather spend some time on the other couples. I wasn't bored watching the Gohan and Videl or the Krillin and 18 scenes.

Agreed, loved some of the Gohan and Videl bits and I would have liked to see more of Goku and Chi-Chi (but they might have botched those two as a pairing up even more).

More Gohan and Videl would've been wonderful. Maybe when Super returns from hiatus?

I was sad they really botched Goku and Chi-Chi. They could've done some cool stuff (there were only a few good moments), but they regressed Chi-Chi back to her Cell arc self and tried to go out of their way to break them up without breaking them up; it was strange. Again maybe when Super returns they'll be kinder to GoChi? I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

They're trying to make VegeBul look better than other ships, including GoChi. Hate that.

Doesn't help that I'm not a fan of VegeBul.

[Terez]

I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

There seem to be a few Kakavege shippers on staff. But then, that has always been the case at Toei.

I don't care about any of the canon couples really but Vegebul is probably the most interesting of them to me. Bulma has thick skin and she can blow off Vegeta's expressions of his insecurities so it's hard to take statements like him "treating her like shit" seriously. He's that way to everyone and it's 99% hot air. Of course, he almost killed her when he lost his shit in the Boo arc but that has more to do with his Goku obsession than any intentional disregard for Bulma on his part, I think. Definitely tunnel vision. Goku was not immune either.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[ABED]

Goku and Vegeta are an awful couple in every regard. They're no Jim and Pam or Lucas and Peyton. They aren't even Sam and Diane.

[Chuquita]

Agreed, loved some of the Gohan and Videl bits and I would have liked to see more of Goku and Chi-Chi (but they might have botched those two as a pairing up even more).

More Gohan and Videl would've been wonderful. Maybe when Super returns from hiatus?

I was sad they really botched Goku and Chi-Chi. They could've done some cool stuff (there were only a few good moments), but they regressed Chi-Chi back to her Cell arc self and tried to go out of their way to break them up without breaking them up; it was strange. Again maybe when Super returns they'll be kinder to GoChi? I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

They're trying to make VegeBul look better than other ships, including GoChi. Hate that.

Doesn't help that I'm not a fan of VegeBul.

It does feel like that sometimes. I can deal with it if my own ships also get some love, which they have even though it's been in fits and starts with the staff changing constantly.

I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

There seem to be a few Kakavege shippers on staff. But then, that has always been the case at Toei.

I don't care about any of the canon couples really but Vegebul is probably the most interesting of them to me. Bulma has thick skin and she can blow off Vegeta's expressions of his insecurities so it's hard to take statements like him "treating her like shit" seriously. He's that way to everyone and it's 99% hot air. Of course, he almost killed her when he lost his shit in the Boo arc but that has more to do with his Goku obsession than any intentional disregard for Bulma on his part, I think. Definitely tunnel vision. Goku was not immune either.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

I can believe there are KakaVege or VegeKaka shippers on board; that princess catch back in episode 14 never would've happened otherwise; neither would the green couch scene. As to of if they're still on staff I'm not entirely sure. If not for that cool Vegeta literally cheering Goku into UI scene I'd have thought they had vanished with how most of the ToP was going.

I can deal with there being VegeBul; it's the canon ship after all. I make no bones about my non-canon ship when I know that as a non-canon ship it can't end happily outside of Dragon Ball Online and that was a bittersweet ending because the one is dying and then they both die.

I can definitely understand why VegeBul is as popular as it is. I do get it, it just never interested me all that much.

Vegeta himself has been written strangely this final arc, but the ToP itself has felt inconsistent to me.

[Terez]

I think the ship stuff partly depends on the staff involved.

There seem to be a few Kakavege shippers on staff. But then, that has always been the case at Toei.

I can believe there are KakaVege or VegeKaka shippers on board; that princess catch back in episode 14 never would've happened otherwise; neither would the green couch scene. As to of if they're still on staff I'm not entirely sure.

Well, the first one was KIng Ryū who is on some Marvel anime and the second was Fukushima who is still around-ish.

[Chuquita]

There seem to be a few Kakavege shippers on staff. But then, that has always been the case at Toei.

I can believe there are KakaVege or VegeKaka shippers on board; that princess catch back in episode 14 never would've happened otherwise; neither would the green couch scene. As to of if they're still on staff I'm not entirely sure.

Well, the first one was KIng Ryū who is on some Marvel anime and the second was Fukushima who is still around-ish.

When I first heard King Ryū had left Super the drop in new ship content suddenly made a lot more sense to me. I actually didn't learn they'd left until a good while after it happened. Super only has 3 episodes left anyway so I'm not expecting closure. When it comes to VegeKaka, at least I'll always have that bittersweet DBO ending with their final battle leaving supernovas behind.

Fukushima's so hit or miss with me. It's a when it's good it's good and when it's not good it's awkward situation.

[Terez]

VegeKaka

Oh so it's like that huh.

[Dragon Ball Gus]

VegeKaka

Oh so it's like that huh.

I know a better name... Vegerot.

[floofychan333]

Lots of fans in the West (especially in my age group) are folks introduced to anime with more romance, like in FMA with Ed and Winry, and sometimes crave romance in anime because it's what they know best. Plus, youth into anime are mostly lonely so we get our romance fix from the anime we watch. I've never dug Vegeta x Bulma myself though I go a little nuts for Gohan x Videl (when I watched that I was actually in a relationship) and Bulma x Yamcha (because I'd love to be as cool as Yamcha used to be and have a pretty girl hit on me). Shipping is rampant in the weebs, Tumblr trash, and young nerds of my generation.

[Chuquita]

VegeKaka

Oh so it's like that huh.

I'm probably misinterpreting, but if like that is like that, then yeah, preference wise.

I'm ok calling it KakaVege too (if I go waaay back KakaVege used to be called G/V where VegeKaka was called V/K). The ship's shrunken down to such a small size that who's name chunk goes first doesn't matter, but a long time ago it used to be so large there were cliques. I was originally VegeKaka, but then switched to KakaVege, but then switched back to VegeKaka, but by then the ship was so small that there were no more cliques. KakaVege is more popular, but no one cares which one you refer to the ship as or if you tag both KakaVege and VegeKaka in fan works. We all get along because we're all technically in the same boat. Things are more peaceful and friendlier nowadays as far as I can see.

I normally don't talk ship stuff here though. This is more my "check for new dbs info, theorize about newly revealed stuff" place.

Ultimately it won't matter who's left on Super's staff from my ship because Super's ending in four weeks and the movie in December is likely but not promised to have a completely different cast of characters with Yamoshi and his pals, probably (in which case I won't be following it at all). I'm in the process of figuring out where to go from here and part of that has to do with how dbs ends and what they reveal about the movie. Even though I posted a lot today, I'm trying to slow down in case March 25th is it for a long while just to make it easier for myself.

[Michsi]

It's not just western fans; VegetaxBulma is by far the most popular ship in DB. Back before Pixiv became a thing and started attracting every Japanese fan-artist out there, there were a million tiny personalized fan-sites and the VegetaxBulma motif dominated. Why do you think this pairing is so heavily focused on in DBS? They all recognized it's massive popularity. Other pairings get a nod from time to time too , but it's nothing compared to what these two get.

As for why it became so popular? I'm almost surprised people are wondering this. It has the perfect ingredients for an attractive pairing: a former villain badass that learns to love but has trouble admitting it/ hot and hot tempered scientist lady that takes no crap. And yes, the bad boy shtick still sells.

It's basically the same with Piccolo and Gohan/Pan - people just love seeing the big bad tough guy have a soft spot for "insert object of affection".

The 'bickering couple' might not be as popular as it was a few years ago, but Bulma and Vegeta are one of those pairings that have become more or less iconic for this franchise.

[ABED]

Shipping is rampant in the weebs, Tumblr trash, and young nerds of my generation.

Shipping existed pre-internet. People like watching romance. The issue is that when it's done well, there's almost nothing better, but when it's done badly, there's almost nothing worse.