Doloriano

Doloriano is the het ship between Dolores Madrigal and Mariano Guzmán from the Encanto fandom.

Canon
When Bruno was still with the family before he apparently disappeared from the Casa Madrigal, Dolores received a vision from her uncle who told her that the "man of her dreams" would be out of her reach because he would be engaged to someone else, causing her a great fear that would haunt throughout the years.

It is unknown at what point in her life Dolores began to fall in love with Mariano, but thanks to Bruno's vision it may have been at least since her teens. Despite the negative view her uncle gave her when she was young that the man she would fall in love with would be out of her reach, thanks to her gift of super hearing, Dolores most likely heard Mariano every day of her life. She found out that he is a kind momma's boy who enjoys poetry and fell in love with him from afar, while he had barely any idea of who she was at the time.

Because Mariano was chosen by Abuela Alma to be Isabela's husband and he initially had feelings for her, Dolores never dared to talk to him or confess her love, believing that Mariano could never be by her side and she lost hope. The first hints of Dolores's attraction to him are shown during breakfast the next day after Antonio's ceremony when Alma announces to the family that she spoke with the Guzmáns about Isabela's engagement and asks Dolores to inform the family the engagement date. Dolores announces Mariano's intentions to propose ("Tonight... he wants five babies") for a moment she coolly regards Isabela's shocked reaction before returning to her food, looking a bit withdrawn. Director Jared Bush confirmed that Dolores was lying about hearing Mariano say he wants five babies when Abuela Alma asked her about the proposal date, and that she made it up to mess with Isabela, uncomfortable with the idea of Mariano proposing to Isabela.

In "We Don't Talk About Bruno", Dolores watches sadly from a distance in the hallways of the Casa Madrigal as Alma leads the Guzmán family to the house for Isabela and Mariano's marriage proposal dinner. She sings briefly about her crush on Mariano and comments about the vision that Bruno gave her about the man of her dreams being out of her reach, before meeting with her family to help put dinner on the table. Throughout the song, Dolores tries to hide her feelings to the point that she constantly tell herself that she is okay with Isabela and Mariano's engagement, even though she was clearly suffering from the idea of losing the man she loved.

After the Casa Madrigal is destroyed and has to be rebuilt by the family and the townsfolk, Mariano being one of the first people in line with his mother to help the Madrigals. Because it would be revealed that Isabela never loved Mariano and eventually cutting off their engagement, Dolores finally works up the confidence to confess her feelings to Mariano during "All of You". As Dolores begins to sing about the things she likes about him, Mariano seems puzzled at first, but then his eyes widen in surprise and he falls in love with her. Mirabel and Isabela (who never wanted the engagement in the first place) were extremely happy and excited for Dolores when she proclaims her feelings for Mariano and the two become a couple. When Mariano jokingly says they should get married, Dolores gently telling him to 'slow down' but she looks clearly happy to be by his side.

Quotes
"[Bruno] told me that the man of my dreams... Would be just out of reach, betrothed to another."

- Dolores recounting the vision Bruno gave her.

"You talk so loud. You take care of your mother and you make her proud. You write your own poetry every night when you go to sleep. And I'm seizing the moment, so would you wake up and notice me?"

- Dolores confess her feelings towards Mariano.

Fanon
Doloriano is a very popular ship within the Encanto fandom, being the third-most popular ship in the "Encanto (2021)" tag on AO3 (only being beaten by Félipa and Julistín in that order). It is also the most popular ship for both characters, despite Mariano being a bit of a bicycle (due to being the only major character who isn't related to the family).

Generally, people appreciate that Dolores genuinely loves Mariano for himself, instead of just going after him for his looks or pulling the same "Love at First Sight" nonsense that the earlier Disney movies are still somewhat infamous for. Additionally, many like that Dolores' habit of eavesdropping is not painted as her being a stalker. It is heavily implied that her super-hearing ability is permanent and that she can't turn it off.

Mariano is also appreciated for being a genuinely sympathetic and funny take on the "Disposable Fiancée" cliché, as he is depicted as a human being deserving of love instead of merely being an obstacle.

The ship is also popular for fans who want to write "Next Gen" fanfic while being completely canon-compliant. The "He wants five babies" line is often referenced and fanfic writers had a field day making five Madrigal OCs each. Dolores is often depicted as a somewhat strict, but loving mom, since her kids literally can't hide anything from her.

A lot of fan content depicts Dolores taking Mariano to her room, which is often imagined as being soundproof. What they do in there tends to vary, but it's often just Dolores wanting Mariano by her side when she relaxes (with her often being headcanoned as neurodivergent) or Mariano getting a chance to get to know her better.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * The director, Jared Bush, has liked Doloriano content before on his twitter like when he praise a fanart of Dolores putting her red bow on Mariano's head.
 * According Jared Bush, the book "Mystery in the Rainforest" and the Deluxe Junior Novelization, Mariano and Dolores do eventually get engaged, much to the joy of their respective families.
 * According to Jared Bush, while Alma would have previously had some problems with Dolores and Mariano's romance due to her desire for the man to marry Isabela, realizing her mistakes and everyone coming together to rebuild the house, Abuela currently has no problems with their union.