“Forever amazed that Bulma and Vegeta got together” – David Seibei on Twitter

If there was one couple that boggled my mind a bit when I was a kid, it has to be this one. When Dragon Ball Z got fans into anime and manga back in the day, fans were probably left in a shock when two seemingly different characters, Vegeta and Bulma, got together to have a kick-ass and handsome Super Saiyan of a son. Their relationship might make you think about how love works in the wackiest ways for better or for worse. Let’s take a look at one of the unique power couples in anime history in a month known for romance. 

For those who may not know about the characters, Vegeta is the Prince of the Saiyans and is obsessed with defeating the main character, Son Goku; Bulma is a human female scientist that specializes in making a variety of gadgets for her father’s company. Both characters met during the 2nd major arc of DBZ, when Vegeta, previously a major villain, threatened to kill Bulma over one of the Dragon Balls. After Vegeta was resurrected from death at the hands of the villain Frieza, the two began getting to know each other better when he decided to live with her on Earth after the 2nd arc. They went on to have two children, Trunks and Bulla, by the end of the series. Vegeta and Bulma’s relationship has sparked a lot of fan interest as details are scarce as to the exact moment where they both decided to bond as one and become the rival family to Goku’s.

I’m sure we’ve all had our moments where we see certain couples and go “What!? How did they get together!?” The bad boy and the good girl, the popular person and the nerdy person, interracial coupling – you name it, curiosity about their origins gets our gossip radar going off. Some scientific folks will tell you that oxytocin, the love hormone, is one reason why love and relationships happen. Of course, love is never that simple. 

Consider the circumstances surrounding Vegeta and Bulma. Vegeta was once a murderous individual obsessed with becoming immortal due to his race being enslaved and nearly destroyed. Bulma was a happy-go-lucky woman who suddenly was feeling a bit left behind because of super-powerful people surrounding her. I do think that both Vegeta and Bulma got together because of their feelings towards Goku.

With regards to Vegeta, many DBZ fans will let you know how determined he was to surpass Goku. Bulma and Goku go way back as they met when they were children in the first episode/chapter of Dragon Ball. She does take a liking to him at one point near the end of the original Dragon Ball series, before he ended up marrying a country girl named Chi-Chi. There is a possibility that the reason she got with Vegeta was to show off what Goku missed out on. 

When it comes down to it, every strong relationship is built on shared core values. They triumph over any differences in the end. Both Vegeta and Bulma do have things in common. They are both prideful in what they do. They are committed to their work. They are both born-strategists as well. The two are of “royal” status (Bulma is wealthy because of her family ties to the well-known Capsule Corporation). Bulma was previously affiliated with Yamcha, a former bandit turned fighter and a playboy. Yamcha represented some of the dangers of oxytocin as it can delude someone into thinking that the object of your desire should be the one to get with. 

You’re probably thinking “Vegeta is a {9ce92d51dcb98f8633190a8b9cb0ab401ce0a6841d2e16892913b6986e57eb6b}@{9ce92d51dcb98f8633190a8b9cb0ab401ce0a6841d2e16892913b6986e57eb6b}&# nut who is rude and tried to kill everyone once! Isn’t Bulma intoxicated by that love hormone again!?” As someone once told me, things happen or in this case, it became a monogamy hormone. When Goku reacted to a future version of Trunks revealing his parents’ identities, Trunks said that the two were lonely. Perhaps they were lonely because Goku was going miles ahead of where they were at? Vegeta admitted that Goku keeps moving one step ahead of him, while Bulma noticed that Goku became more of a man destined for greater things. It’s shocking and a bit hard to process things when change happens in front of you over time. 

While Vegeta considers Goku to be his eternal rival, the same can be said for Bulma. She was “stronger” than Goku when they were both teens because of her life experiences, but they switched places as the years went by. Because of this change in dynamics, Bulma probably wanted to be as strong as Goku mentally because of their long history. Friends can get competitive with each other in a healthy way that strengthens their bond.

Hey, the enemy of an “enemy” can indeed be a friend and possibly much more. It’s that commitment to surpass someone/something that can drive people wild. That makes them interesting and lively. Mindy Kaling once said it best that being entrenched in something is attractive and awesome.

As this article proclaims about Vegeta and Bulma, they really are the greatest arguing oldest married couple ever. And perhaps, the best example of how to make a relationship grow into something more despite opposite  personalities.

(c) Manga Therapy – Where Psychology & Manga Meet – Read entire story here.