Forum - View topicRomance in Anime
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heen
Posts: 29 |
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I'm fairly new to anime and I just finished watching about 6 shows. The thing I am finding to be very frustrating is the ROMANCE in anime!!! The Japanese writers seem to all be very horny but when it comes to romance in anime, it never FLOURISHES; it is sometimes very frustrating to watch lol.
Some examples are... *some little spoilers* 1. Full Metal Panic: The romance between Sousuke and Chidori never flourish, you know they like each other but they never admit it... However there is evidence of romance progressin but still... 2. Great Teacher Onizuka(sp?) - Teacher and Onizuka nothing ever happens 3. Fruit Baskets: nothing ever happens... 4. Hajime No Ippo: Ippo and that girl nothing happens List could possbile go on... I've asked this question to many people and they all seem to agree 
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heen
Posts: 29 |
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SORRY FOR DOUBLE POSTING, computer must have lagged
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Time and Space
Posts: 167 Location: China |
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I disagree, the beauty of romance in anime is that we don't know what the outcome of the romance will be or know between which characters the romance will flourish, the will-they-won't-they aspect, which is actually employed in any programme whether it's anime or not. Anime is not a soap opera where we see the two 'love birds' living a happy love life but with the odd unbelievable problems thrown in here and there. Fruits Basket for example was great because we always knew that Yuki and Kyo were in love with Honda, but we didn't know which of the two Honda preferred, it would have been a bit crap if Honda and Kyo started dating in the first episode and then we just watch them romance for the rest of the series. Even where there is an active romance in the series, like in Suzuka where Akitsuki goes out with Honoka, 'nothing really happens' and this is because it would ultimately put an end to the viewers eagerness to see the developing relationships and potential flourishes of love that may or may not arise between Akitsuki and Suzuka. In Suzuka, even with this premature boyfriend girlfriend development, we were still uncertain as to who Akitsuki would end up with. Take Aoi Yori Aoshi, in this we know which two characters are going to be together when the series ends, but the fact that their relationship is hidden and restrained actually makes it worth watching, we want to see how such a relationship can possibly survive under such circumstances.
As you say, the fact that "nothing really happens" is generally integral to the changing relationships between the characters and whatever circumstances they find themselves in. Something only happens at the end in a fantastical culmination of whatever interesting events and uncertainties drove that particular romance forward in the first place. |
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heen
Posts: 29 |
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Thats true actually, but the ending of anime shows always make me feel a little empty. The ending of fruit baskets never really showed who she prefered. But yes i now agree with you
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Time and Space
Posts: 167 Location: China |
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Oh...right, well, that was probably the first discussion on ANN where someones view actually changed, I think I'm a hero.
EDIT]But actually, we don't really agree do we? I disagreed with you that romance in anime was frustrating by arguing that the fact that "nothing ever happens", or that the romance "never flourishes"(both of which I interpreted to mean the absence of a visible loving relationship that is unbreakable and formed early on in a series) actually makes the romances' intriguing, not frustrating. But you still find, and likely always will find them frustrating, especially if you didn't enjoy the finale of fruitsbasket, one of the best anime around. Perhaps someone more experienced than I am with anime can suggest a series whose ending you might enjoy. Last edited by Time and Space on Tue May 22, 2007 5:06 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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frouella
 Posts: 199 Location: 大阪 |
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 I think I actually heard the gears in your head grind to a halt there for a second -- I know mine did!
All of this spontaneous agreement kind of takes the wind right out of an argument, huh? 
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18408 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Time and Space gave a good answer, although I've never really thought of Fruits Basket as a true romance series. (Much more about relationships in general and finding a place to belong and be accepted.)
I can see where heen is coming from, however, as there are many good examples of anime where romantic relationships drag out interminably with no real movement. Ah! My Goddess is a classic example of that, but it isn't the only one. In other cases the romance just moves with glacial speed, as in the case of Miroku and Sango in Inuyasha, but does ultimately go somewhere - and usually in such cases, when it does finally "go somewhere," it's quite satisfying. Some of this is just Basic Storytelling 101, and not specific only to anime, however. American TV has proven time and again that romantic relationships tend to lose their appeal once the tension and uncertainly drains away; Moonlighting was a classic example of this, as the ratings took a nosedive once the main characters finally hooked up. Thus it's in a writer's best interest to string things out if it's expected to be a longer series. Some series do fully round out their key romantic relationships, however, or at least come to some kind of resolution. One of the better examples of this is Midori Days, a generally light-hearted 13-episode romantic comedy which sags badly in its middle but finishes strong by fully dealing with all its romantic entanglements in the end. Another I always found quite satisfying on this front is Blue Gender, which is actually more of a bug-hunting action-oriented sci-fi but probably features more movement on its key romantic relationship over the course of its run than any other 20-odd-episode series I've ever seen. Planetes also works well in this aspect, although again the romance is only a secondary component, as does Princess Tutu - although it may not play out at all the way you'll expect. If you're looking for pure romance stories that thoroughly examine and deal with every aspect of a romantic relationship, look no farther than SaiKano and Koi Kaze, both of which are masterful handlings of anime romance. For a much more heavily angst-ridden and soap operaish take, check out Rumbling Hearts. |
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Time and Space
Posts: 167 Location: China |
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I must admit that Honda often seems disinterested in a 'deeper' relationship with either Kyo or Yuki, but the OP defined it as romance, so I'll just blindly follow his/her lead. And the ending could be interpreted either as a romantic choice of Kyo over Yuki or simply a really good friend accepting her insecure friend for who he is, which in hindsight, seems more likely, hmmm, I may have to rewatch the series now. |
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Moobkrad
Posts: 33 Location: California, US |
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If you want something like a soap opera, look for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. It's considered a romantic drama. Althought, just as Fruit Basket, is about acceptance, but in another level of relationships. And you see how it ends, it doesn't end inconclusive like others.
Genshiken has some romance in it, and you can see how it ends. Nadesico, althought a parody, the romantic part has a conclusion. etc... there is alot of shows that show a definite conclusion to a relationship. If that is what you are looking for, check up this shows. Last edited by Moobkrad on Tue May 22, 2007 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7992 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Rumbling Hearts (aka Kimi ga Nozumu Eien) is a fantastic title, I'd definitely recomend that after recently finishing it myself. Also the third title Time and Space mentioned is actually Ai Yori Aoshi. Aoi is the name of the female lead.
Some other good series with a conclusive romance are: REC-Characters shack up in the first episode due to circumstances and then start to have second thought as they're forced to live and work togather. Really unconventional series that's only 10 or so short episodes but was really great. Suzuka-The guy becomes enamored with a popular girl and after dating her and confessing he loves her, he's shot down. Then he joins the track team to make her notice him and trys to get a second chance. His and Her Circumstances-An extremely vain girl who works hard only because she wants the praise of others is upstaged by a guy. She plots her vengence on him but they end up falling for each other. I didn't really like how they handled the last episode but it was good overall. Shuffle!-It gets off to a rough start and appears to be your standard fanservice/comedy harem anime, however, the second half changes everything. He does choose a girl and it had some great drama. Last edited by Kruszer on Tue May 22, 2007 7:51 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Moobkrad
Posts: 33 Location: California, US |
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So that is the translated title? My friend told me it roughly translated to, "I'll Desire you Forever" |
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Kruszer
Posts: 7992 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Not exactly, it is the title they chose to call the series for whatever reason yeah, but the Japanese title actually traslates to something like "The Eternity You Desire" which is what I've seen it as usually. |
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Moobkrad
Posts: 33 Location: California, US |
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I meant, as official translation, does it has one yet? My friend is Japanese, so I usually don't question her; as she doesn't question my spanish. But anyway, she gave me a whole explanation of what best fits to describe it as title for this anime, since it doesn't translate literally into English. She end up going with that one.
Funny enough, it does has a direct translation to Spanish, which if you translate it to English from there it would lead to what I told you. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Yes, and the official translation is Rumbling Hearts. Period.
How often does she play/watch bishoujo game/anime? No offense, but being the native speaker of a language does not necessarily make the best translator. |
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Craeyst Raygal
 Posts: 1383 Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT. |
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Still waters run deep.
Key, unfortunately, makes a common critical error in regards to Ah! My Goddess, a series that actually features anime's strongest and most enduring couple. You see, in the case of Ah! My Goddess, and many series like it, we're not watching a developing relationship, but an established one. The story is not "will they ever get together?" but instead "What are their lives like now that they're together?" With Ah! My Goddess, we're told in episode one that Belldandy will be at Keiichi's side forever. Folks, they're - for lack of a better term - married in the first scene. Are there many poorly written romances in anime? Certainly. For the life of me, I can't understand exactly where Kou Iraki and Nina Purpleton found each other. However, Ah! My Goddess is not one of them. They're a loving, openly affectionate, eternally devoted couple that set the gold standard for all others in anime to be judged against. |
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