How does Goku really feel about Chi-Chi?

[Rocketman]

How does Goku feel about ChiChi? It's simple:

[Gohaz]

She's hanging on him, not lifting him up, lol!

[Saiga]

She's definitely lifting him up in the last panel, his feet are off the ground.

[Gohaz]

One is =P the other one ain't clear

[Fox666]

The other is also off the ground, unless it is twice the size of the other leg.

[KanChan]

How did this thread turn into a debate about whether she's lifting him up or not?

Anyway, I'm sure Goku and Vegeta love Chi-Chi and Bulma just like a husband should, but this isn't an anime about love and relationships. It's simply meet, fight, go home. What goes on after than isn't really all that important for the intended genre of this anime. Not that you didn't know that before.

I'm just... saiyan.

[Michsi]

There is a difference in lifting him up and hanging from him. I think lifting him up is cute and funny because it's the typicall love interest runs into the arms of the victorious hero -trope, but subverted with her being the one to lift him up. However, I still think she is hanging from him. That what I get from the the way her arms are placed and that Goku doesn't (seem to) say, "put me down".

[dbgtFO]

^Well in the first panel she is simply hanging from him, having her arms around his neck(though we technically only see her left arm around his neck).
Then in the second panel her arms(though we only see her right arm) are under his armpits, which definetly gives the impression that she's lifting him.
I also consider her legs compared to Goku's in that panel. Goku's left foot is at Chi Chi's knee it appears, so I can't imagine how it'd look, if their entire bodies were drawn, if she's not lifting him without it appearing weird in my mind.

[JakeisVegeta]

The way I see it, Goku is willing to do anything for the people he cares about. Even though he may abandon Chi-Chi constantly, criticize her overbearing of Gohan, and uses her just for food and sex (lol), Goku would still willingly die for her, because he cares for her deeply, and really, that's all that matters in a relationship. It is about valuing the life of someone over your own, and protecting that life, whatever it takes.

[Kibito_Kai]

If Freeza had killed Chi-Chi, I doubt that would have caused Goku to turn Super Saiyan.

I see it already... this will spawn a "How does Goku really feel about Kuririn" topic... and in it we will question Goku's sexuality....

[B]

I don't think Goku understands what romantic love is. I believe he loves Chichi in the sense that he cares about her, but he's not a devout husband. He wouldn't put her safety above or below anyone else's, and I think the same goes for Gohan and Goten. He's far too unassuming.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Like someone else said, I think that Goku loves Chi-Chi not romantically like a "normal" husband and wife do, but like a "friends with benefits" deal: in the sense that he genuinely cares about her (eg. constantly apologizing when he accidentally knocks Chi-Chi through the house, telling Gohan at the Cell Games to tell her he's sorry before his sacrifice) on account of them living together for so long and her providing him with food, sex and a child (who later doubled up as a sparring partner), amongst other things. I don't think Goku really understands romantic love. I doubt he's emotionally developed enough for that to be the case, since he's still essentially a child at heart who wound up married by accident. I also doubt that Goku would've transformed into a Super Saiyan if Freeza had killed Chi-Chi, because I think Goku's closer to Kuririn than Chi-Chi, on account of them being best friends who've known and trained together for so long.

On a related note, does Vegeta love Bulma and Trunks? Yes, because he flat-out states it in the Boo arc and even tries to force himself to deny it because he doesn't want to face the hard truth of the evil Prince of Saiyans actually caring about an Earthling and a half-breed whose only bond they had was through training to defeat the sons of the man he hated the most. That, and he's not a manchild like Goku. Although, after coming to terms with it, I doubt he openly shows it, which is perfectly fine, because a lot of couples in real-life don't openly show their love or have difficulty doing so, like a Dr. Cox/Jordan-type deal.

[Michsi]

I doubt he openly shows it

That depends. If you mean clear gestures of affection, than yeah, he is probably pretty reserved with that. But there are small moments like promising to take Trunks to the amusment parc despite having lost the bet and that one small scene where it seemed like Bulma was about to or already had hugged him. Yes, it's not him doing the hugging, but allowing her to do it in public still seems like a big step for him.

[Fin]

i tend to read goku as aromantic (and possibly asexual, but that's harder to tell ). in general, i don't think he values relationships (any human relationship) as much as most people do. his strongest relationships that i can think of are with kuririn and gohan, who are among the only people during the series that he has training in common with and that he's spent a decent amount of time with.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I doubt he openly shows it

That depends. If you mean clear gestures of affection, than yeah, he is probably pretty reserved with that. But there are small moments like promising to take Trunks to the amusment parc despite having lost the bet and that one small scene where it seemed like Bulma was about to or already had hugged him. Yes, it's not him doing the hugging, but allowing her to do it in public still seems like a big step for him.

Yeah, that's what I mean. I doubt he's the kind of person that kiss Bulma in public, but he'd still take Trunks to the amusement park and stuff, or let Bulma hug him.

[Wobbuffet]

I also doubt that Goku would've transformed into a Super Saiyan if Chi-Chi had killed Freeza [...]

I doubt it too, but that would be fun to watch.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I also doubt that Goku would've transformed into a Super Saiyan if Chi-Chi had killed Freeza [...]

I doubt it too, but that would be fun to watch.

Haha. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

[rs_chaosmaster]

Well even though this is filler I really think the History of Trunks shows Chi Chi's emotions for Goku best. I dont think we can argue that Chi Chi doesn't love Goku from things in this movie as well as her reaction to Goku dieing in the Cell games. However Goku doesn't have that same emotion when he finds out Buu has killed Chi-Chi so maybe their is less affection from him in the relationship then their should be??? Hmmm

[Piccolo Daimao]

Yeah, I think Chi-Chi kinda loves Goku, probably because of the fact that she'd maintained a crush on him for seven years. But I think that the only reason she stays with him after realizing what a loveless dick is is for convenience and security reasons, and for Gohan. However, in my fanon, Chi-Chi had an affair with Yamcha after he permanently broke up with Bulma.

[Fin]

i tend to think that by the end of the manga storyline goku and chichi's relationship was more like roommates who are somewhat fond of each other. and they're both comfortable with that.