While the biggest draw of Dragon Ball Super: Broly is certain to be Goku and Vegeta’s face-off against the title character, longtime fans of the anime have also grown fond of the loving, hilarious and at times contentious marriage of Vegeta and Bulma, played in the English dub by Chris Sabat and Monica Rial.
While discussing the new film, both voice actors had plenty to say about the dynamic between their characters and how they relate to one another as performers. According to Rial, “[Chris Sabat] and I have been friends forever. Obviously we have some sort of chemistry, because at Funimation we end up opposite each other all the time.” Despite not actually recording together, their friendship gives room for her to play around with dialogue during her sessions. “I know him well enough to be like, ‘This is how he’s going to read this line, so I’m going to take this choice so that he has something to play off of.'” Sometimes the playful banter even gives way to real life competition. “I spend a lot of time going, ‘How can I set him up so that he gets a really good punchline in?’ or ‘How can I get a punchline in so I can steal his thunder a little bit?'”
Chris Sabat echoed Rial’s enjoyment of Bulma’s comedy amidst the fight sequences. “Those are the best moments,” he agreed. In general, he was most attached to the relationship-building aspects of the series. “My favorite thing is the interaction between Goku and Vegeta, Vegeta and his family, Vegeta and Bulma. I like the comic elements of Dragon Ball.” The actor also admitted to purposely scheduling his costars’ sessions first, adding, “I selfishly will let other people record first so that I get to record second. Anyone else in my position would do the same thing.”
Outside of her romance, Rial has great love for Bulma as a STEM genius. “I think she has become such a great role model,” the actress explained. “She’s certainly become this strong confident woman who’s not afraid of anybody.” While Dragon Ball Super: Broly unfortunately doesn’t showcase much of that side of her, Rial was happy to provide the comic relief. “She gets a lot of little comedic moments, which I really enjoy. I think it’s needed in this movie, [which is] hardcore. It’s kinda nice to have her come in and tell a little joke just to break it up.”
You can see more of Chris Sabat and Monica Rial’s Vegeta and Bulma starting January 16th, 2019 when Dragon Ball Super: Broly hits American theaters. Let That Hashtag Show know your thoughts in the comments below!
