Discussion Unnecessary romance in novels

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by Kelsealoufromkalamazoo, Aug 14, 2022.

  1. Feed-me-DogFood

    Feed-me-DogFood Active Member

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    I mostly hate romance in a novel when it comes to certain types of novels such as ones that have modern hunters with powers kind of plots because my mind is in a mood for action and plot so when I see romance it ruins it. I don't need to see the MC hook up with a plain chick that's just randomly pushed there when I'm expecting to see purely revenge, friendship, and that kind of stuff. Not saying romance kills all of the action novels but sometimes it's just poorly written and pushed too much. ಠ︵ಠ
     
  2. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    I don't know if this sounds particularly bad. Good revenge novels tend to be about learning the costs of undergoing revenge and how this cost may be too expensive to be worth it. Finding romance is a really common way to learn this lesson so this story doesn't seem unusual.
     
  3. God slayer

    God slayer Retired God Slayer

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    I agree. Romance is inserted as a way to make protagonist realize that there's more to life than blind hatred and taking revenge. But it was so awfully done and so forced that it ruined my mood.
     
  4. whitespade

    whitespade Well-Known Member

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    Hey hey don't be cruel I love harem, but only the focus is the HAREM itself. So basically bland MC with colourful girls - jp harem. I don't like incidental harem in Chinese novels where the girls are just plot points.
     
  5. Deleted member 456425

    Deleted member 456425 Guest

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    The conclusions leave me wanting. :blob_teary:
     
  6. amilhs

    amilhs Moon Walker

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    When I girl just show and mc is head over heels to that girl then that's it then that girl will be forgotten...tsk!
    :blobhero::blobdevil::blobhero::blobhero::blobhero:
     
  7. Asf

    Asf 《《The aria of souls》》

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    When the world is on a train to destruction and the MC have time to be gay and woo other dudes with half of his time. I question his sanity
     
  8. whimsandfantasies

    whimsandfantasies Well-Known Member

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    Forced romance because of system transmigration is the worst. The MC creates a complete mess of the entire thing which can be understood as he has to do tasks to survive. But, seriously, what about the other person? Toyed left, right and center in a romantic relationship where the other person does not the slightest intention towards them. Whether they actually start liking each other later on is another story, but when the start of a relationship itself is based on duplicity and treachery, it definitely does leave a bad taste in my mouth.
     
  9. dokja789

    dokja789 Member

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    romance is never unnecessary, that's just me. but I can't read novels withouta bit of romance
     
  10. DustySpiral

    DustySpiral Well-Known Member

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    In most cases I'd say the better JP harem series manage to be good in spite of the many-to-one relationship chart. You have a bunch of likable female characters but none of them get to have interesting romantic plot developments because they're all compelled to share the same bland MC. "Bland" doesn't even cover it - the bigger issue is that MC is *compelled* to prevent any of the relationships from progressing past the initial stage, to the extent that their own characterization often suffers from it! The MC of such series are usually not allowed to experience any personal growth that might threaten their purpose as the pin holding the whole chart together.

    So what is harem - not the characters involved, but the relationship structure ITSELF - adding to the JP harem series? If the target audience is one of the demographics seeking self-insert wish-fullfilment, then it may help satisfy the readers' desires. However, if the target audience is, like, any other demographic the harem structure usually either makes the story worse or is getting sufficiently ignored (the JP "harem" where there isn't any actual romance going on) to be having little-to-no effect at all.
     
  11. Raebit

    Raebit Well-Known Member

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    I agree, some novel ruined because of romance, some have better experience if the romance part deleted.:blobsob:

    The way author match making MC and Love Interest feels so forced, it is better as NOCP:notlikeblob:

    The sudden personality change ; OOC when falling in love.
    Especially survival mode, like dude even if you fall in love in first sight you have a cautious personality, why don't you ever worry if this girl will backstab you?? Why are you becoming not cautious at all?? You just met her like 2 times??

    If you have cautious personality at least give her 10-20% trust, not 80-100% trust??

    This, I mean, survival first reproduction later bro?

    Why woo people :notlikeblob::notlikeblob:

    It ruined the urgency, tense, survival feeling
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2022
  12. Kelsealoufromkalamazoo

    Kelsealoufromkalamazoo [The Luckiest Sunfish]

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    Yeah I’m totally a hopeless romantic. I also really like action novels. So I’m really happy when I get a novel with both in it. Likewise, I become disappointed when romance is introduced awkwardly into action stories. It’s like puttin a square cube in a round hole, it doesn’t fit
     
  13. whitespade

    whitespade Well-Known Member

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    JP harem is supposed to be where you enjoy looking at lots of cute girls without having to open up a GL. It's similar to the 'cute girls doing cute things' genre ( like K-on!) but with one male in there. It doesn't have to 'go anywhere' at all!

    My favourites are Ai Kora, Mahou Sensei Negima, and The World God only Knows. In the end all these MC choose one girl so they do 'go somewhere' but that is just incidental. These MCs are not actually bland though so maybe that's why I like them too.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2022
  14. aqouze

    aqouze Well-Known Member

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    If it’s part of the main story, for character’s growth or it only happen at the end as MC life need to continue then i am good with it

    but usually it’s not the case… so i avoid novel with romance tag from beginning.

    i only be open mind on romance tag for my favorite author.