Am I the only person who doesn't like Dorian and Iron Bull's 'relationship'?

I love them together. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

... as friends it is fine. But the 'romance' was written in a gross manner and Dorian deserves better than to be abused by someone who is otherwise an amazing character. I think the writers ruined Bull by making him treat Dorian the way he does. It comes off as harassment to me. But then again I love their romances with the Inquisitor and I often romance either one or the other. 

Well... dunno what to tell you, except that I disagree wholeheartedly. That's fandom for you. If you don't like their relationship, just romance them or don't take them out together.

I like their relationship, or, rather, what it becomes.
I don't like how it starts.

The first few dialogues have more than a few implications of anything from harassment to what essentially amounts rape, when taken out of context.
In context, however, the game does sort of try to justify this by saying "hey, Iron Bull is just really good at reading people because Ben-Hassrath". Hence, he knows when Dorian says "no" he actually means "yes" or when Dorian shows up too drunk to really consent, it's only because Dorian needed the liquid courage to go through with something that he actually wanted. Both of those things, in real life, are inappropriate, to say the least. But Bull has author fiat on his side.

Of course, then, it can also be problematic since Bull can misread a playful flirt or two from the Inquisitor (who does have the option to say no, and with whom Bull will just drop things unceremoniously). Once again, it's the fact that an author can decide that one character they're writing understands subtext with another character they're writing, but can't do that with the player. It does create the appearance of a double standard though.

That all said, things turn out well enough between them and it's a sweet enough little side story that I can forgive a little dramatic license going on behind the scenes (especially because it is such a small little side story). I would hope they learn from the mistakes they made from it, and I totally get where people for whom that initial creepiness hits a little too close to home, would be troubled by it. But all in all, I like it more than I find it problematic.

Eh, I hire everyone because I like the feeling of completeness. From what I understand they only get together if you have them in your party 24/7. I rarely bring them together if I am romancing neither and if I do bring them more often it is because I am romancing Dorian or Bull. My f!Lavellan is riding the bull and my m!Lavellan is with Dorian so in those cases I do not mind them going out on the field together since one of them is spoken for by the Inquisitor. 

I don't like it cuz I can't help but feel they're both happier with each other than they are with my Inquisitor.

But no, while I can see how it starts and some of the dynamics might reflect an abusive/unhealthy relationship I don't think that's what the end product winds up being. 

They're good together. Bull the dominate alpha male and Dorian the submissive boi.

First off, let me say that DG, the writer of Dorian, categorically denied that the relationship is abusive. It would seem that he and PW, who wrote Iron Bull, were actually quite invested in getting this partnership off the ground and it is clear they actually seem to favour it over the PC romance pairings (based off the epilogue in Trespasser for each).

However, it wouldn't be the first time that the writers at Bioware have completely missed the fact that certain dialogue can sound as though the relationship is abusive. As someone who was trained to keep an eye out for abusive relationships IRL I was extremely uncomfortable with the dialogue between them, particularly Iron Bull's. So I made a point of not taking them out together after that. My favourite Inquisitor romances Dorian so it is not a problem.

I think there is also a problem in the fact that they make no distinction between Dorian romancing a Tal'Vashoth Bull and a Qun-loyal Bull. For me, the latter is creepy and manipulative on Bull's part and totally irresponsible, bordering on treasonous, on Dorian's. Bearing in mind that Dorian apparently cares so much for his country that he would willingly sacrifice his own happiness with the Inquisitor to "save" it, why would be indulge in a relationship with a member of an organisation that actively wants to destroy it, even more so after he knows that Bull sacrificed his own men for the cause? Bear in mind that Dorian originates from Qarinus, his family is still important there, and the last time the Qunari assaulted mainland Tevinter it was the region of Qarinus where they made landfall. So what better way of advancing the Qunari cause that for one of their spies to be in a relationship with someone who knows the area and the important figures associated with it?

There are also implications for Trespasser.



No matter what Bull's status is, I also don't like that he always seems to be trying to belittle or embarrass Dorian in front of other people. It all comes back to this control thing that Bull has going for him. It is why I cannot romance Bull because I do not like that aspect of him, particularly as it is clear from hints he gives in conversation that this is something that the Tamassrans used on him. In other words it is all connected with Qunari mind control and something he doesn't lose even after he has left the organisation.

So whilst both Dorian and Bull are consenting adults in the relationship and the writer asserted it was not abusive he did admit that it wasn't an entirely healthy one. I would definitely always prefer to keep them apart and would have appreciated dialogue that allowed the Inquisitor to advise against it rather than light-heartedly urge Dorian on. Sadly, both the writers and a lot of fans just don't see this.

Well, my Inquisitor always romances Dorian, so I have never seen the Iron Bull/Dorian romance come to fruition as it were. I watched some of their banter on Youtube about it and it certainly made me uncomfortable. But maybe Dorian likes it? It could be a kink where he likes humiliation or something.

There is no "Qun Bull". There is Hissrad, pretending to be Qun Bull. And all of Hissrad's romances are a sham.

One thing I do wonder is how DA4 will handle the possibility of Dorian and Bull's relationship. I don't believe there's a tile in the Keep for whether they're in a relationship or not. So will the game automatically assume that they're together if the inquisitor isn't in a relationship with one of them? I guess they could just avoid bringing it up at all, but if DA4 is in Tevinter I'd be surprised if Dorian didn't play a decent part.

This thread is getting kinda annoying with everyone stating their OPINIONS as FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE. 
It was obviously not meant to be an abusive relationship (probably not the healthiest but still...), and it has been stated as much. What you perceive is secondary.