I'm just curious, can the romance "Toilers of the Sea" (1866) from Victor Hugo be considered "soft netorare"? You can read it at Gutenberg Project (I can't post links), it's public domain. Spoiler It has a MC that is friendzoned and sees his love being snatched away, and literally drowns in sorrow. It doesn't have infidelity, is that necessary for netorare? If not netorare, how would you classify it?
If it still he just courting and friendzoned then I think its not NTR but rejection... BTW you need at least 10 message to post link if I'm not mistaken
if you think about netorare in more broad scope , then , those side character in a xianxia or wuxia , that's looking for treasure , only somehow ended up being snatched away by the MC , is considered netorare as well. for those side character it is Netorare, but for the MC is Netori in this case. so basically every xianxia or wuxia has element of netorare if you see it in the viewpoint of side character. MINDBLOWN top kek.
that what you call almost netorare and if both of them will keep meet everyday friend will become slowly become sex buddy ............
I'm starting to agree with you, it's more to unrequited love (not even rejection, I think the MC never confesses). "Madame Bouvary"? "Anna Karenina"? Just curious.
Netorare is where MC got his gf/wife wear him "green hat" a.k.a betrayal. in clear sense to understand NTR go read Dungeon Seeker. That was betrayal + NTR
The whole idea behind NTR is to evoke a feeling of extreme jealousy and burning anger in the audience in lieu of the protagonist, so I imagine it could very easily be classified as NTR. Sure, the MC and his paramour weren't romantically involved, but the "villain" snatched away any chance he had of that happening and the audience got cuckolded out of a wholesome romance. Then again, NTR also depends on how much the audience identifies with the protagonist.
As far as know due to my "esteemed" mother, my lovely wives, and my scary sisters. All of victorian story that I know is full of betrayal, triangle love, infidelity, I dunno why woman in my family is fond of that kind of story. Like a noble daughter leave an Imperial crown prince for her childhood friend, Or a countess that married to a count that never pay attention to her and have lot of dogs(what with Britain nobleman and his dogs) only to became certain parliament faction spokesperson and runaway with her lover. Or the recent ones is Vanity Fair. Oh they drag me to watch "the other boleyn girl" seriously woman!! Why do you like that kind of story.. Common traits.. -Noble, Brittain noble is preferably. -Useless Husband usually count or baron, or Austrohunggary crown prince. -Cheating. -Victorian maids lot of them
It's only one time... that bitch got her well deserved karma (except she didnt die yet and planned to get revenge on those who make her betray MC)
I started reading the manga ("Dungeon Seeker") but it was soo similar to Arifureta that I thought "I don't wanna read the same thing twice in two different places." and give up DS. Eventually I give up Arifureta too, as they started translating not the chapter but a condensed version of them, if I remember correctly, then I would need to read back 100+ chapters, and that seemed too much work for a guy that keeps rejecting a bunny-eared girl - for no good reason at all.
why else would you read if not for the story? that's like not playing a game for the game. or not studying for the subject. this...really confuses me. especially since you've put in quotes, to make it sound sarcastic that people would read for the story. either i'm missing your point, or you've completely lost the plot.
I consider that NTR. Just like how I consider when the MC of a Childhood Friend heroine got taken away by random girl that appeared out of nowhere another case of NTR.