"Wearing It Boosts Your Fighting Power?" Weighted Vest Resembling Vegeta's Battle Armor from Dragon Ball Draws Attention

[Financial News] A weighted vest inspired by the battle armor worn by Vegeta, a character from the Japanese manga Dragon Ball, has emerged and is drawing attention on overseas social media.
According to X, formerly Twitter, and other platforms on the 7th, French startup GravCore recently unveiled the "Vegeta Battle Armor Basic Model V2."
The product weighs 3.5 kg by default, and its weight can be increased to as much as 20 kg by adding weight modules to the front and back pockets. It is designed for exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, and running, and is priced at about 260,000 won.
Dragon Ball is a work serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995 by Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama (1955-2024). Published and broadcast in more than 70 countries, it has sold over 200 million copies and is one of the most popular manga series of all time. In South Korea, it also has a strong fan base among men in their 30s and 40s who grew up watching it as children. The artist died in March 2024.
The battle armor that inspired the product is the outfit Vegeta, the rival of the protagonist Goku, wore when he first appeared in the series' mid-story Saiyan arc. In the story, scenes of characters training in heavy clothing to increase their fighting power appear repeatedly.
The product came to public attention when Cooper Mitchell, a U.S. home workout equipment reviewer, shared photos on X. He wrote, "A weighted vest modeled after Vegeta's battle armor has been released. I would have thought it was ridiculous in the past, but if it gets people moving, I'm all for it."
However, it has not been confirmed whether the product is officially licensed by the rights holder of Dragon Ball.
[email protected] Sung Min-seo Reporter