Akira Toriyama isn’t one to write love stories. He tends to avoid romance as much as possible, really only touching the surface before moving on. It’s an aspect of Dragon Ball that genuinely works to its advantage, but it’s hard not to feel like some of the couplings are just a bit undercooked at times. Especially in modern Dragon Ball stories.
That said, while Toriyama doesn’t write romance well, he does know how to pair up characters. Pretty much every couple in Dragon Ball makes sense to some degree, and you can easily see why these two characters would end up together. At the same time, some couples play off each other much better than others.
9 Trunks & Mai
Trunks and Mai as a couple are just gross, past, present, or future. Mai is one of the oldest characters in the series. She was 1/3 of the first arc’s antagonistic trio. She should be Bulma’s age, and yet she shows a clear attraction to Bulma's very young son. No, Future Trunks and Future Mai being in the picture doesn’t make things any better. It’s still very poorly thought out.
The worst part is that this is something Toriyama himself specifically added into the series, something the Dragon Ball Super anime correctly tried to downplay before going all-in during the Goku Black arc.
8 Bardock & Gine
Gine’s actually not that bad of a character, and while she does contribute to making Goku more “special,” her presence gives some added depth to Saiyan culture. Whether that depth is a good thing is really a matter of personal preference. The underlying issue with Bardock & Gine is that they’re a part of a very poorly conceived backstory for Goku– one that flies in the face of some of Dragon Ball’s best storytelling.
Bardock and Gine, while good characters individually, take away from the greater Dragon Ball mythos. By making Goku’s parents special, he becomes a much less interesting protagonist in turn.
7 Dr. Brief & Wife
Dr. Brief’s wife’s name is never uttered in the manga, and his name is Dr. Brief, not Briefs, no extra “s” in there. That also isn’t his family name, it’s just his name. They’re not the Brief family, they’re just all named after undergarments. Tangent aside, Dr. Brief and his wife have a pretty fun relationship. She openly flirts with Goku when he’s an adult and Brief just minds his business.
It’s a charming, silly relationship and it’s nice that they’ve been a constant, perpetually young presence in the series since the Red Ribbon Army arc. The few times Dr. Brief contributes to the plot are always fairly humorous too. That said, they aren’t around often enough to make particular note of.
6 Son Goku & Chichi
Goku and Chichi are not a bad couple by any means. They’re odd and a bit eccentric, but it’s clear the two genuinely love each other. Toriyama can say all he wants about how much Goku sees his family as friends, but he loves Chichi. He wouldn’t bring her up as often as he does if he didn’t love her. He takes her feelings into consideration even if he is self-motivated.
They also have a partnership that works for them. While Goku may not be an ideal husband by our standards (or Chichi’s) it’s obvious that he makes her happy. They have a real bond with one another that’s not totally comparable to the average couple’s expression of love, but that’s fitting for them.
5 Bulma & Vegeta
Bulma and Vegeta shouldn’t work as a couple. They get together with absolutely no build-up in-between time skips after Vegeta spent two story arcs as a villain who was responsible for her then-boyfriend. And yet they do work as a couple, impeccably so. It’s almost like they were destined to end up together.
Vegeta and Bulma bring out the best qualities in each other, to the point where the former’s questionable background can actually be forgiven. Their chemistry is undeniable, and this is one pairing modern Dragon Ball handles super well. From Battle of Gods to the Universe Survival arc, DBS makes the scope of Vegeta and Bulma’s love for each other clear.
4 Android 18 & Krillin
Krillin is introduced with one goal in mind: to become a martial artist and pick up women. It’s a dishonorable trait, one he gets rid of quickly, but he mentions quite a few times how much he wants a girlfriend as he gets older. Come the Cell arc, Krillin has survived so much and done incredible things, but he still hasn’t found love.
It’s debatable how much chemistry these two characters actually have with each other, but they’re charming enough in their own right. They fit just as well together as Vegeta and Bulma do. The Boo arc shows them as a proper team, and they remain perhaps the most normal couple in the series.
3 Bulma & Yamcha
Bulma and Yamcha fight often, don’t seem to always get along, and even have infidelity issues. They also have a long history with each other, clearly have fun together, and care about each other intensely. Bulma breaks down when she finds out Yamcha died in the Saiyan arc, and it’s only understandable.
They’re a very dynamic couple, and they work hard to end up together. They don’t always get along, but their relationship takes work and they stick with it for quite a long time. It’s a shame Toriyama threw Yamcha under the bus the way he did. At least it made for a good twist with Trunks.
2 Caulifla & Kale
It’s not just subtext and it’s certainly not subtle. If Kale were Broly, nobody would even be questioning if they were together. Caulifla and Kale have a blatant romantic relationship that is not sisterly. If Trunks and Mai can be considered a couple, so should Caulifla and Kale. Their relationship with each other is own of the best aspects of the Tournament of Power.
Basically none of the new characters have any depth in this arc, but Caulifla and Kale manage to grow and shine as characters through their relationship to each other. They have a clear bond that inspires the other, and that culminates in the birth of Kefla. It’s pretty on the nose, to be honest.
1 Son Gohan & Videl
Gohan and Videl get points for being the only coupling Toriyama put real effort into building up in the original series (other than Yamcha and Bulma, of course.) Gohan and Videl spend the entire Boo arc getting to know each other. All their interactions in the early arc serve to flesh out their dynamic. Instead of just lumping them together, Toriyama finds common ground for both characters.
By the end of Dragon Ball, it’s no wonder Gohan and Videl end up together. Sure, it’s a shame we didn’t get to see the wedding, but they’re the only couple the series makes sure has plenty of set up before ending up together. It’s just a shame Videl fell victim to the Dragon Ball Spouse curse in Super.