Bra/Goten (DragonBall Z/GT)
Subject: Bra/Goten (DragonBall Z/GT)
Title: Reasons in Madness
Author: usay
Spoilers: End of Majin Buu saga, all the way to the very end of DBGT.
Email: Allison [dot] now [at] gmail [dot] com
Website: http://allison-now.deviantart.com
Intro/Authors Notes
Bra and Goten: One of the most debated non-cannon couples in the DB fandom universe. At first glance, any normal DB fan would probably think I was crazy. But like many other fans, I was completely disappointed in DBGT. Unfortunately, Akira Toriyama had no say in the production, it was a complete studio project. Had Toriyama been involved, I believe events would have unfolded much differently - maybe not to the point where Bra and Goten were a canon couple, but to a point where the potential in their love is very obvious… and very undeniable.
As you read this, please keep an open mind, and for the love of Pete, bear with me.
Characters
Bra Briefs-Vejita (aka Bura, Bulla in US dub)
Bra is the second child of Bulma Briefs and Vejita, the younger sister of Trunks. Not much is known about her due to her miniscule part in DBGT, but so far what we do know is this: She’s a teenage girl who loves shopping, is a daddy’s girl, and shows no interest in sparring. (Although in one particular GT episode when she becomes possessed by Bebi - she can fly! Apparently without any training!) But the source of this power is highly debated: Did she fly because she was possessed, or because she’s half Saiya-jin? Hmmm…
Bra does not appear to be romantically involved with anyone. She is most commonly shipped with Goten, Jyuunana-gou (Android 17) or Uubu.
Son Goten
Goten is the second child of Son Goku and Chichi, the younger brother of Gohan. Goten is quite reminiscent of his father - cheerful, a killer appetite, but not one of the smartest people. He’s a bit whiny, but was the youngest person ever to go Super Saiya-jin at age five. He’s a good warrior on a team and remains a top fighter, but he has trouble holding his own. In DBGT, Goten was supposed to join Trunks and Goku on the quest for the Black Star Dragonballs, but is left behind thanks to his mischievous niece Pan. He is then portrayed to be living a simpler life: Dating girls, gabbing on his cell phone, and just kicking back.
Goten does not appear to be romantically involved with any one person. In a late episode of DBZ he claims he doesn’t have time to train because he has a date with an undisclosed girl. In DBGT he is seen with Paresu, a girl-next-door type who is fascinated by his powers. However, since Goten is often portrayed as girl-crazy, no one’s sure as to when or if Goten will lose interest.
Relationship
Age Difference
Best to get this one out of the way first. Yes, there is an eleven-year difference (Bra estimated around age 15 in DBGT; Goten around 26). But come on, seriously - when has a huge age gap stopped anyone from shipping a couple? Lots of people are swept away with the younger woman/older man shipping, which occurs often in real life. Besides, once Bra is 18 it won’t matter one bit. Let’s not forget that Trunks/Pan has a huge shipper fanbase, and they’re an entire generation apart! Age is only a number, which is proven time and time again in love.
Family
Ooh, daddy-drama!. Goten is the second child of Goku, while Bra is the second child of Vejita. Goku and Vejita remain “friendly” rivals up until the very end of DBGT, but Vejita is still in a place of his own. He’s basically a bad guy playing on the good guy’s team, and appears to be very protective of Bra. He may not be too keen on the idea of his only daughter dating one of Kakkarotto’s brats. Then again, if Bra can convince him to shave of that stupid mustache, who knows what else she can convince him to do? I don’t imagine Goten’s parents would be a fuss, seeing how he’s a grown man at this point and dates other girls without speculation from them.
Here is where it gets interesting, however… Goten and Trunks, Bra’s brother, are best friends. They’ve known each other pretty much since they were in diapers and are very close. What would Trunks’ reaction be if Goten told him he was dating his baby sister? It would make hanging out with him kind of awkward. But hey, Trunks might be more comfortable with Bra dating Goten than dating someone completely random. But I’m going out on a whim with that one.
Social
Bra and Goten have little to no screentime together. The few times they appear together they are standing a pretty good distance from each other, and never engage in any real conversation. But let’s look at the facts for a second: Goten’s family and Bra’s family are friendly. Trunks gets along with both Goten and Gohan, so why wouldn’t Bra get along with them too? True, her limited interest in sparring could limit the time they spend together, but the two families do appear to make efforts to “get together” so it’s not as though they’re complete strangers. I imagine Goten at said family gathering, maybe sipping on a drink and looking around, and noticing Bra across the room, thinking “Wow! When did she grow up?” True, while their age gap is big, Bra does seem to attract guys. (Remember the weirdos in the car? “Hey cutie!” “Who, me?”)
Preserving the Race
In the world of DB, the Saiya-jin race is a dying breed. Goku and Vejita are the only remaining Saiya-jins, which makes creating more on Earth difficult. Goku may not have as much pride in being Saiya-jin as Vejita does, but I’d imagine they’d both want to see their race live on as long as possible through their children and grandchildren. It makes sense to pair Bra and Goten together, seeing as how they’re both half Saiya-jin and thus would create another half Saiya-jin together. Now, Trunks is half Saiya-jin, and Pan is one quarter Saiya-jin. Assuming these two have a child, that’d be a three-quarter Sayia-jin right there! The hope of the Saiya-jin race relies on the offspring of Vejita and Goku! (And Gohan.)
Evidence
I know what you’re thinking. How can their possibly be evidence for a non-canon couple? While DB in general is not a romantic story, there are some loose ends that the end of GT left unanswered.
In the very last episode of DBGT we see a glimpse of some sort of tournament, with Goku Jr. and Vejita Jr. in the ring. Pan is in the audience, now over 100 years old, to watch her grandson Goku Jr. A young woman with familiar blue hair sits next to Pan and they chat for a bit. Pan then discovers that this unnamed woman is the mother of Vejita Jr. and the president of Capsule Corporation, meaning that she is a member of the Briefs family. There are two answers for this: Either the blue-haired woman is Trunks’ daughter, or she’s Bra’s daughter. If Pan is 100 years old at this point, it’s safe to assume that Trunks and Bra are very old or deceased (that’s a pretty hard age to reach!) and that this girl received ownership of Capsule Corp as a result. While Trunks was the President of Capsule Corp in GT, he is older than Bra by approximately eleven years, so who’s to say he didn’t retire and let Bra run the family business? In turn, Bra could hand the business down to her child when she felt she could no longer maintain it.
Bra’s “child” is the mother of Vejita Jr, who still has the ability to go Super Saiya-jin despite the small percentage of Saiya-jin blood he has. Bra is half Saiya-jin, so in order to produce a child that would have enough Saiya-jin DNA to turn Super Saiya-jin, she’d have to procreate with someone at LEAST half Saiya-jin. Who does she know that’s half Saiya-jin and unrelated to her? Goten! Bra and Goten would create a half Saiya-jin child together. So if their child mated with a human, THAT child would be a quarter Saiya-jin. Could that be enough Saiya-jin DNA to turn it Super Saiya-jin?
To help better understand where I’m going with this, I’ve provided a chart tracking the Saiya-jin bloodline as it is passed down. Question marks appear when the identity of the person is unknown. Hearts signify where people are a couple and have children. I’ve also included everyone’s percentage of Saiya-jin blood for easier reading.
Upon these findings, I can (almost) safely assume that the blue-haired woman is the child of Bra and Goten. Vejita Jr. has more Saiya-jin blood than Goku Jr., which means that there is more solid Saiya-jin blood in his family than there is in Goku Jr.’s Family.
(Of course, I could be completely wrong. This is solely evidence that I’ve collected and mused over for awhile. This blue-haired woman could just as easily be Trunks’ child as it could be Bra’s child, but thinking it could be Bra’s child leaves more possibilities for a Bra/Goten hookup. Hooray for being a fangirl!)
Why Bra and Goten?
I just think they have some common ground that would bring them together. Bra is the second child of Vejita and Bulma; Goten is the second child of Goku and Chichi. Both are the youngest in their families and have an older sibling to live up to. Gohan is the glory child, the strongest and the best, and while Goten admires his older brother, there has to be some deep-seated jealousy somewhere. Bra, on the other hand, is the only daughter of Vejita and Bulma, and apparently can play the Daddy’s girl card very well. Admittedly, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that she may feel inferior to her older brother Trunks, the president of the family business. They have been depicted arguing a few times. Ahh, sibling love…
Anyway, onto the point. Bra and Goten got the short end of the straw when birthing orders were being handed out. Younger children do tend to feel inferior to the older sibling and look up to them. So who’s to say that they couldn’t confide in each other? Who needs to be admired by your parents when your partner admires you for just being you? :D
The Good Stuff
Fanfiction
Unfortunately, REALLY good Bra/Goten fanfic is hard to come by. Most of the time it’s sloppily written with Bra being typecasted as the spoiled Saiya-jin princess who can’t FATHOM why Goten doesn’t want her. Fortunately I’ve found a few mushy romance fics that are quite good and true to their characters.
Alter Ego -- Goten yearns for Bra but keeps getting rejected. Finally he does something that will alter the way he’s perceived forever…
Gone -- Yes, I wrote this. A very long time ago. Not so much of a romance fic, but a good read.
Fanart
Being the Bra/Goten shipper that I am, I have a plethora of fanart located at my deviantART gallery.
My Saiya-jin Princess -- Yes, I normally spell Bra’s name with a U, but spelled it differently for the sake of this essay. She’s quite nude in this one but everything’s covered where it counts, so be forewarned!
Sneaking A Peek -- Lounging at the beach, Goten cops a look at the cute teenage girl. Wandering eyes, much?
So Many Ladies -- Goten with the three girls he’s shipped with most - Paresu, Bra, and Marron. Although he doesn’t seem to mind being fought over at all!
Walk on the Beach -- Random cute cuddly-ness. Notice Bra’s earrings. :D
You’re All I Want -- Ooh, looks like Bra has her eyes on the prize!
Reason in Madness -- There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
We Finally Meet -- No one’s quite sure how or when Goten and Bra met… but I like to think it went a little something like this.
My Strange Fandom -- Yes, sometimes I poke fun at my own fandom. But it’s all in good nature, I say!
Let The Girl Have Her Bra! -- Goten realizes the irony in Bra’s namesake.
And thus concludes my essay. I hope by reading this you’ve been shown the light on this potential romance. While I don’t ask that you like them or love them, I hope you come away from this a little more knowledgeable about this would-be perfect romance.
Title: Reasons in Madness
Author: usay
Spoilers: End of Majin Buu saga, all the way to the very end of DBGT.
Email: Allison [dot] now [at] gmail [dot] com
Website: http://allison-now.deviantart.com
Intro/Authors Notes
Bra and Goten: One of the most debated non-cannon couples in the DB fandom universe. At first glance, any normal DB fan would probably think I was crazy. But like many other fans, I was completely disappointed in DBGT. Unfortunately, Akira Toriyama had no say in the production, it was a complete studio project. Had Toriyama been involved, I believe events would have unfolded much differently - maybe not to the point where Bra and Goten were a canon couple, but to a point where the potential in their love is very obvious… and very undeniable.
As you read this, please keep an open mind, and for the love of Pete, bear with me.
Characters
Bra Briefs-Vejita (aka Bura, Bulla in US dub)
Bra is the second child of Bulma Briefs and Vejita, the younger sister of Trunks. Not much is known about her due to her miniscule part in DBGT, but so far what we do know is this: She’s a teenage girl who loves shopping, is a daddy’s girl, and shows no interest in sparring. (Although in one particular GT episode when she becomes possessed by Bebi - she can fly! Apparently without any training!) But the source of this power is highly debated: Did she fly because she was possessed, or because she’s half Saiya-jin? Hmmm…
Bra does not appear to be romantically involved with anyone. She is most commonly shipped with Goten, Jyuunana-gou (Android 17) or Uubu.
Son Goten
Goten is the second child of Son Goku and Chichi, the younger brother of Gohan. Goten is quite reminiscent of his father - cheerful, a killer appetite, but not one of the smartest people. He’s a bit whiny, but was the youngest person ever to go Super Saiya-jin at age five. He’s a good warrior on a team and remains a top fighter, but he has trouble holding his own. In DBGT, Goten was supposed to join Trunks and Goku on the quest for the Black Star Dragonballs, but is left behind thanks to his mischievous niece Pan. He is then portrayed to be living a simpler life: Dating girls, gabbing on his cell phone, and just kicking back.
Goten does not appear to be romantically involved with any one person. In a late episode of DBZ he claims he doesn’t have time to train because he has a date with an undisclosed girl. In DBGT he is seen with Paresu, a girl-next-door type who is fascinated by his powers. However, since Goten is often portrayed as girl-crazy, no one’s sure as to when or if Goten will lose interest.
Relationship
Age Difference
Best to get this one out of the way first. Yes, there is an eleven-year difference (Bra estimated around age 15 in DBGT; Goten around 26). But come on, seriously - when has a huge age gap stopped anyone from shipping a couple? Lots of people are swept away with the younger woman/older man shipping, which occurs often in real life. Besides, once Bra is 18 it won’t matter one bit. Let’s not forget that Trunks/Pan has a huge shipper fanbase, and they’re an entire generation apart! Age is only a number, which is proven time and time again in love.
Family
Ooh, daddy-drama!. Goten is the second child of Goku, while Bra is the second child of Vejita. Goku and Vejita remain “friendly” rivals up until the very end of DBGT, but Vejita is still in a place of his own. He’s basically a bad guy playing on the good guy’s team, and appears to be very protective of Bra. He may not be too keen on the idea of his only daughter dating one of Kakkarotto’s brats. Then again, if Bra can convince him to shave of that stupid mustache, who knows what else she can convince him to do? I don’t imagine Goten’s parents would be a fuss, seeing how he’s a grown man at this point and dates other girls without speculation from them.
Here is where it gets interesting, however… Goten and Trunks, Bra’s brother, are best friends. They’ve known each other pretty much since they were in diapers and are very close. What would Trunks’ reaction be if Goten told him he was dating his baby sister? It would make hanging out with him kind of awkward. But hey, Trunks might be more comfortable with Bra dating Goten than dating someone completely random. But I’m going out on a whim with that one.
Social
Bra and Goten have little to no screentime together. The few times they appear together they are standing a pretty good distance from each other, and never engage in any real conversation. But let’s look at the facts for a second: Goten’s family and Bra’s family are friendly. Trunks gets along with both Goten and Gohan, so why wouldn’t Bra get along with them too? True, her limited interest in sparring could limit the time they spend together, but the two families do appear to make efforts to “get together” so it’s not as though they’re complete strangers. I imagine Goten at said family gathering, maybe sipping on a drink and looking around, and noticing Bra across the room, thinking “Wow! When did she grow up?” True, while their age gap is big, Bra does seem to attract guys. (Remember the weirdos in the car? “Hey cutie!” “Who, me?”)
Preserving the Race
In the world of DB, the Saiya-jin race is a dying breed. Goku and Vejita are the only remaining Saiya-jins, which makes creating more on Earth difficult. Goku may not have as much pride in being Saiya-jin as Vejita does, but I’d imagine they’d both want to see their race live on as long as possible through their children and grandchildren. It makes sense to pair Bra and Goten together, seeing as how they’re both half Saiya-jin and thus would create another half Saiya-jin together. Now, Trunks is half Saiya-jin, and Pan is one quarter Saiya-jin. Assuming these two have a child, that’d be a three-quarter Sayia-jin right there! The hope of the Saiya-jin race relies on the offspring of Vejita and Goku! (And Gohan.)
Evidence
I know what you’re thinking. How can their possibly be evidence for a non-canon couple? While DB in general is not a romantic story, there are some loose ends that the end of GT left unanswered.
In the very last episode of DBGT we see a glimpse of some sort of tournament, with Goku Jr. and Vejita Jr. in the ring. Pan is in the audience, now over 100 years old, to watch her grandson Goku Jr. A young woman with familiar blue hair sits next to Pan and they chat for a bit. Pan then discovers that this unnamed woman is the mother of Vejita Jr. and the president of Capsule Corporation, meaning that she is a member of the Briefs family. There are two answers for this: Either the blue-haired woman is Trunks’ daughter, or she’s Bra’s daughter. If Pan is 100 years old at this point, it’s safe to assume that Trunks and Bra are very old or deceased (that’s a pretty hard age to reach!) and that this girl received ownership of Capsule Corp as a result. While Trunks was the President of Capsule Corp in GT, he is older than Bra by approximately eleven years, so who’s to say he didn’t retire and let Bra run the family business? In turn, Bra could hand the business down to her child when she felt she could no longer maintain it.
Bra’s “child” is the mother of Vejita Jr, who still has the ability to go Super Saiya-jin despite the small percentage of Saiya-jin blood he has. Bra is half Saiya-jin, so in order to produce a child that would have enough Saiya-jin DNA to turn Super Saiya-jin, she’d have to procreate with someone at LEAST half Saiya-jin. Who does she know that’s half Saiya-jin and unrelated to her? Goten! Bra and Goten would create a half Saiya-jin child together. So if their child mated with a human, THAT child would be a quarter Saiya-jin. Could that be enough Saiya-jin DNA to turn it Super Saiya-jin?
To help better understand where I’m going with this, I’ve provided a chart tracking the Saiya-jin bloodline as it is passed down. Question marks appear when the identity of the person is unknown. Hearts signify where people are a couple and have children. I’ve also included everyone’s percentage of Saiya-jin blood for easier reading.
Upon these findings, I can (almost) safely assume that the blue-haired woman is the child of Bra and Goten. Vejita Jr. has more Saiya-jin blood than Goku Jr., which means that there is more solid Saiya-jin blood in his family than there is in Goku Jr.’s Family.
(Of course, I could be completely wrong. This is solely evidence that I’ve collected and mused over for awhile. This blue-haired woman could just as easily be Trunks’ child as it could be Bra’s child, but thinking it could be Bra’s child leaves more possibilities for a Bra/Goten hookup. Hooray for being a fangirl!)
Why Bra and Goten?
I just think they have some common ground that would bring them together. Bra is the second child of Vejita and Bulma; Goten is the second child of Goku and Chichi. Both are the youngest in their families and have an older sibling to live up to. Gohan is the glory child, the strongest and the best, and while Goten admires his older brother, there has to be some deep-seated jealousy somewhere. Bra, on the other hand, is the only daughter of Vejita and Bulma, and apparently can play the Daddy’s girl card very well. Admittedly, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that she may feel inferior to her older brother Trunks, the president of the family business. They have been depicted arguing a few times. Ahh, sibling love…
Anyway, onto the point. Bra and Goten got the short end of the straw when birthing orders were being handed out. Younger children do tend to feel inferior to the older sibling and look up to them. So who’s to say that they couldn’t confide in each other? Who needs to be admired by your parents when your partner admires you for just being you? :D
The Good Stuff
Fanfiction
Unfortunately, REALLY good Bra/Goten fanfic is hard to come by. Most of the time it’s sloppily written with Bra being typecasted as the spoiled Saiya-jin princess who can’t FATHOM why Goten doesn’t want her. Fortunately I’ve found a few mushy romance fics that are quite good and true to their characters.
Alter Ego -- Goten yearns for Bra but keeps getting rejected. Finally he does something that will alter the way he’s perceived forever…
Gone -- Yes, I wrote this. A very long time ago. Not so much of a romance fic, but a good read.
Fanart
Being the Bra/Goten shipper that I am, I have a plethora of fanart located at my deviantART gallery.
My Saiya-jin Princess -- Yes, I normally spell Bra’s name with a U, but spelled it differently for the sake of this essay. She’s quite nude in this one but everything’s covered where it counts, so be forewarned!
Sneaking A Peek -- Lounging at the beach, Goten cops a look at the cute teenage girl. Wandering eyes, much?
So Many Ladies -- Goten with the three girls he’s shipped with most - Paresu, Bra, and Marron. Although he doesn’t seem to mind being fought over at all!
Walk on the Beach -- Random cute cuddly-ness. Notice Bra’s earrings. :D
You’re All I Want -- Ooh, looks like Bra has her eyes on the prize!
Reason in Madness -- There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
We Finally Meet -- No one’s quite sure how or when Goten and Bra met… but I like to think it went a little something like this.
My Strange Fandom -- Yes, sometimes I poke fun at my own fandom. But it’s all in good nature, I say!
Let The Girl Have Her Bra! -- Goten realizes the irony in Bra’s namesake.
And thus concludes my essay. I hope by reading this you’ve been shown the light on this potential romance. While I don’t ask that you like them or love them, I hope you come away from this a little more knowledgeable about this would-be perfect romance.