Fitspo Baker

Do Girls Really Like Vegeta?

Yes, this is a man who oozes sexiness every time he walks into the room.

Like a fine wine that continues to age well, Dragon Ball is still continuing to be relevant in every anime/manga fan’s lives. Just recently, the ever-rageful Prince of the Saiyans, Vegeta, became a target both positively and negatively. Our anti-hero was voted #2 on a list of top 9 anime/manga boys that women wish were real. Gintama also made fun of his entire character in Episode 242 (Volume 42, Chapter 364 in the manga), where the girls of Gintama discuss Vegeta and question his appeal to women in front of a female Vegeta fan. As Gintama’s episode title proclaims, “Girls Like Vegeta”. Is the bad boy appeal of Vegeta extremely powerful for women to resist?

Here’s one girl’s thought about Vegeta:

“He’s always strong, but his loving tsundere-ness towards his family really gets me.” (A quote about Vegeta from the list conducted by Girl Sugoren)

After hearing that quote, it makes me wonder about Vegeta’s popularity after the Freeza arc. Most of us know that he cried during the arc and begged Goku to beat Freeza. Was that the moment made girls go “Awwww”? Vegeta’s character slowly changed afterwards, as he started to settle down a little with a family while still being the prideful Prince of Saiyans that he is. The guy was literally a complete a-hole who didn’t care about anything, except defeating Goku in battle. Vegeta did show some signs of love to his family, as he went berserk when his son, Trunks (whose future version was also VERY POPULAR among girls) was killed by Cell and risked his life to save everyone from Majin Buu. Of course, there’s that confident smirk, evil laugh, and arm fold he does that seems to draw a lot of attention.

With those characteristics that Vegeta has, why are girls drawn to them? Do we blame Hollywood? Do we blame the media? Or do we blame human nature? It could be girls’ inherent preference of “good genes”. “Good genes” in men tend to be a high level of masculinity and symmetry. Women at a younger age seem to enjoy seeing acts of bravery and risk-taking (which bad boys tend to do). There’s also the belief that girls secretly harbor the fantasy of turning the bad boy into a loving man who is committed to them.

Do Vegeta fangirls see hope that it’s possible for a bad boy to become a nice guy and still remain tough? Or do they appreciate the fact that Vegeta is a “bad boy” character that lives up to whatever perceived fantasies they have of him? It was interesting to see Bulma being attracted to Vegeta, but it somehow makes sense for her. Vegeta’s confidence in wanting to be stronger than Goku probably attracted her in the first place, since he was very determined to reach his goal at all costs. Also, as Trunks once stated, both his parents were lonely and that’s why they got together. A combination of strength and love can create interesting opportunities, don’t you think?

I do like to point out that the group of women who voted Vegeta on the Sugoren list were women in their 20s’. What happens when they get older? Will their opinions about “bad boys” change? Will they like Vegeta less? As women get older, their appreciation of certain types of men evolve.

Vegeta seems like the perfect guy to many girls. He is still a “bad boy” at heart, but he also fights with some sense of altruism. I think this is the secret to his popularity among women. The fact he’s an somewhat altruistic, tough guy. Both younger and older women can find him to be a character that satisfies their criteria for a great male character. Vegeta has been able to activate so many emotions in people’s (especially women’s) hearts, that you can’t help but react (and women tend to focus on emotions). Look at all the things he has said and done over his history in Dragon Ball.

Even though I’m not a girl, I love Vegeta. He’s played a big part in how my personality is shaped. I don’t know about this perceived notion that guys don’t like him, but like Piccolo (as Gintama hints). All I can say is that guys might feel a bit inspired to develop some sense of pride to keep themselves strong. To the female Vegeta fans out there, is his pride a strong factor in why you love the beloved Saiyan Prince and do you perhaps enjoy that quality in a man?

Power, confidence, and a good heart - when it comes to the ideal man, isn’t fiction just grand?

Power, confidence, and a good heat.. that’s not Vegeta, that’s Goku.
And I’m not sure about the age thing. I have liked Vegeta for at least 10 years, and I doubt that love will ever change. It’s not about him being a bad boy, taking risks, or turning him into a good guy…. it’s about his growth. Vegeta has the greatest amount of character development within the entire series, bar none. He is a character who is constantly struggling, at first with Freeza, then to beat and be better than Goku, then to defeat Cell, fighting with Bulma, struggling to be normal on Earth, then later struggling with his inner demon in the Buu saga. He is a character who is never satisfied, nothing is ever enough for him. His pride and his courage to continue is what makes him such a lovable character.

I think what girls find so attractive about him is that he is much more real than Goku. Goku is too perfect in my opinion. Perfectly strong, perfectly calm, perfectly loving, forgiving, and testing his limits purely to test himself. Perfectly selfless and pure.

I think girls recognize that men like that don’t really exist. But Vegeta… someone who struggles to be good, someone who struggles to be the best, someone who tries his hardest but never quite succeeds.. or when he does he is immediately presented with another challenge that makes his prior success laughable. I think this is far more similar to real men. No one’s life is easy, and Vegeta, I feel, represents this. But in the end, he is finally comfortable and happy with himself.

I think the men who identify with Vegeta recognize his struggle and determination to succeed anyway. At least that’s what I identify with, even though I am a woman. But I guess that kind of message speaks to everyone. Never give up, never lose your pride. Believe in yourself at all costs, because you can be the best if you want to be.

Vegeta, to me = Strength. Protection. Pride. Confidence. Courage. Endurance. Determination. And a slight, growing inkling to do the right thing when necessary.

Source: mangatherapy