Does adding 'romance' to an anime strengthen the storyline?
| Hey guys! So once again, there's something that I've been curious about (wow I feel like Chitanda from Hyouka). Not sure if this has been previously discussed (hopefully not) but forgive me if it has! So just like the title says, does adding romance to a series help create a better storyline, whether it'd be the main plot or even a subplot? This might sound bias since romance is my favorite genre, but still. I've noticed that for myself, every time I watch an anime, I ALWAYS end up shipping the MC with someone. There are times where I feel like the whole story of an anime would have been much better if there had been at least a touch of romance, and I feel this way about A LOT of anime. I love the concept of the MC being happy with someone else, rather than just being by themselves. And by the title, I mean IN GENERAL. I understand that there's many factors and variables to take in account, such as how the romance is developed, whether it's forced or natural, or depending on the type of series, etc etc, but IN GENERAL. Does adding romance create a better atmosphere? Things to keep in mind: > Are you a fan of romance? Do you mind it at all? > Does adding romance create a better storyline or does it worsen the storyline? > Would you rather that most series NOT have any romance, whatsoever? > Does adding romance make the anime stray away what's important (if romance is not the main focus)? > Does adding romance to an anime have an enormous impact, or none at all? |
GemMay 26, 2016 9:14 PM
 ♔ caught in the wonder ♔ |
| No, as sometimes it detracts from it, even. Yes. I'm a fan of romance. Then again. As always, it depends on the execution |
| In my honest opinion, romance makes an anime so much more interesting. The main reason why I like romance in an action series, whether it be a subplot or part of the main plot, is the fact that it often strengthens the characters. They end up fighting and living for love, alongside other things. I think the only times when I would hate romance in an anime series is when a badass character falls in love and they suddenly depend on their partner for absolutely everything. Said character now becomes useless most of the time and is only there for "moral support" even though we know that they're more than capable of defending and fighting for themselves. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoy romance in anime. |
| It depends on execution I guess. Like in FMAB the romance between Winry and Ed didn't feel needed and wasn't really that well developed because the story had already a lot of other things going for it. [Frankly I didn't care about Winry as she was a side character. If she was a main she would've gotten more screen time and things would've been different]. |
| “Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. But the world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete..." -Alphonse Elric "Then and now, what I protect has never changed!" -Sakata Gintoki I'll take anything like The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. Anything as good as that. |
| I'm a huge sucker for romance, but only when it's subtle. I also usually find myself shipping the MC with someone ! So, yes, in general I agree that romance helps to strengthen the storyline. However, when the romance becomes one of the main plot points, that's when I typically get disinterested (unless it's near the ending of the series). Romantic subplots are usually enjoyable for me. |
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| Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't (your vote) however, I do agree with option 1 that it can make me more interested in a boring show if there's a couple to follow. |
| As with many things in life, it all comes down to whether it's appropriate for the situation and whether it's handled well. I think we can all learn a thing or two from the fact that friggin' BERSERK had a touching romantic subplot (before everything went pear-shaped, of course). |
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| Romance shouldn't just be "added" like some ingredient in a soup. A good writer includes a romance (in a story not primarily focused on one) if the interaction between two characters would naturally lead to it based on how they get along. You can't just decide two chars should get together regardless of who they are or whether they have any chemistry. Most anime do not follow this advice. |
| Anyone who doesn't hate anime hasn't watched enough anime. - Anonymous |
| Yes, romance can make the storyline a lot more interesting for me. But only as a subplot. A slight touch of romance here and there makes the characters and the plot a lot more interesting. It can also make the character's motives interesting too. Alongside other things, they might do things for love, which is nice to see. But I would say I didn't like the romance of SAO, mainly because it felt too forced and just right in your face. They didn't get any development and Asuna just became a useless piece of meat after that. So, thats the kind of romance plot I dislike. I think the two character should at least get some development and have nice chemistry between them, either a subplot or main focus. I should also be able to feel for the said characters. If the anime fails at doing this, I wouldn't care for the romance nor the characters. And yes, I am a fan of romance. |
TinniMay 26, 2016 9:52 PM
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Things to keep in mind: > Are you a fan of romance? Do you mind it at all? > Does adding romance create a better storyline or does it worsen the storyline? > Would you rather that most series NOT have any romance, whatsoever? > Does adding romance make the anime stray away what's important (if romance is not the main focus)? > Does adding romance to an anime have an enormous impact, or none at all? > I'm not a fan per se but I do enjoy a good romance anime. > Depends on how they integrate it into the plat and how well they execute it given the context of it's main plot. I just don't want romance shoehorned in halfway through the plot. > No. Only if they can't handle it well enough. > Again, depends on how well they integrate it. If there is romance, I'd like to see some potential from the start along with gradual as opposed to abrupt development. > Yes, it can increase the emotional impact of the show.. |
BadSuns said: Right in your face is the best way to do romance. It wasn't forced at all. Also, if you don't like the hero rescuing his girl story, that's a lot of good anime and shows that you won't like. Asuna becomes more useful in season 2. Taking out a little development is a good thing to get what we got in the 25 episodes they fit in all into. That in your face romance was never good for me because it never really showed kirto and asuna interacting much. They did interact, but little. You might say thy did in the 2 year time skip, but I didn't get to see it. And honestly, they only ft it into 12 episodes. The other half was Kirito going to save Asuna as a knight in shining armor. And it was more focused or Kirito and his cousin's relationship. So, in the first half, they didn't get much development to make me sympathize with them in the second half. |
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| There are certain show's that is best left out with romance but there are those that if you add it makes the whole story even better. |
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| If it happens, it happens. As long as it's done right. |
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| IMO, 100% action adventure is boring. By adding some "good" spice, we can make the story better. It can be comedy, romance, friendship, etc2. |
| This salad is salty favored |
| Depends, romance can strengthen character development. However, there are those that just add the romance element for the sake of it and does not add any real substance to the show at all story-wise. |
| Ans #01 - I'm a sucker for romance-done-right romance lol So I don't really mind it, I actually enjoy it. Ans#02 - It all depends on the execution and the presentation. So far the only anime who's main focus isn't romance but does romance in an awesome way is, Hajime no Ippo. Others usually get ruined because of that romance. Ans#03 - Nah, I'm fine with romance as long as it's done right. Ans#04 - Again, depends on how it's handled. But probably yes, if it's not supposed to be the main focus. Ans#05 - That depends on what the romance does tbh, if a character is mentally unstable he falls in love with a grill and then they spend some time and he finally becomes normal, That's an enormous impact lol. So it probably depends |
| Thinking..... |
| I am a fan of romance however no, adding romance to a story-line does not "strengthen" the plot, in fact it can weaken it if not written well. If the story is a romance, then obviously having romance is required, however adding romance to certain series just detracts from the series since they only add it as a side-thought, not developing it at all. Then it just comes across as poor writing and could have been left out. |
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| Romance in romance anime MUST be well executed, otherwise the whole show goes down with it. Romance in non-romance anime is mostly a plot element, that gives motive to a character or trumps the level of despair when the tragedy element kicks in. Personally I don't mind putting in some love into the show but it should be kept:
Some examples where they executed the amounts of lovestory well:
PS: I didn't state about any sort of Hentai in here, cause obvious reasons. PS2: Harem animes are a little bit of everything so I can't state about them. |
Lanor-samaMay 27, 2016 12:44 AM
| I would say as an answer to the questions I'm usually pretty indifferent towards the specifically romance aspect of shows unless I like the way it played out for one reason or another. As for whether it can enhance or worsen a story line I would say it really depends. If the romance becomes such a focus that the prior concept is lost or buried there's a blatant issue and it comes off as just killing time or unnecessary. However if it works in combination with the main theme without overriding it that's a different story entirely and it can play really well into the story without clearing a path. I'd rather keep romance in at times for no other reason but variety as long as it follows the condition I set prior. Again it can cause it to stray from what's important, but it doesn't have to nor should it. How large of an impact could really depend, if it comes off as forced or shoved together just for the sake of shipping or possibly shock factor it comes off as a bit weak. But If it's a case of two characters gradually building something more than friendship over the course of the series, even if the romance is extremely subtle it can have a much larger more positive impact. |
| It's reasonable to add elements of romance to most stories. Human are sexual-social beings. We often think about this subject and try to form relationship. However, unless you want to explore the subject of romantic love, don't focus on it. Parasyte, while horrible, actually did it right. It had a romance element that rose naturally from the setting, but it never let it take over the anime since it knew it's not romance. |
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| I think it's human nature to find romance enjoyable so it's easy to use it as a device to strengthen the plot or furthur engage the viewer. Who doesn't want to be loved? Who doesn't want to feel connected in this world, not alone but have that special someone to bond with? Everyone wants to be loved doesn't matter who you are. Love has no boundaries as they say, other than legal ones... Romances tug at your emotions and getting the viewer emotionally invested is a key to success. With that being said, there is a time and place for everything so it can definitely go both ways. |
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| It can work, but when you do it like Campione did, it ruins the story and makes the anime a lot worse than it should've been. |
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Does adding 'romance' to an anime strengthen the storyline? For me mostly not. If for any writing (books, scripts, everything) I put an arbitrary personal rubbish threshold, then I feel the acceptable-or-better to rubbish quotient for romance-writing is much worse than for overall writing. It may have to do with there being such a high demand for romance that more bad writers get work in that field than in other fields. Or maybe with good portion of the audience being easily satisfied - "has romance" is enough, no need for it to make sense, or to have a point beyond "romance there". (voted "sometimes yes, sometimes no") |
BannoBunka_snorkMay 27, 2016 12:01 PM
| *darn, using my right hand is off-limits for a while. Typing with my left hand only is ... eww.* |
| romance is not one of my favorite genres but if it done well , it can make a story more enjoyable |
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| As long as it's well written and doesn't feel duct taped to the story: yes, gimmie the romance. But it's gotta be p much integral to at least the story arc, otherwise it feels like lazy writing to me. |
| yangires > yanderes > tsunderes > other deres |
| I wince when the word "added" is used here. Inocorporation of ROM should be carefully planned and written into the storyline/characters from the outset. It's a hard genre to do right; too many anime have been ruined by 'pasting' it into shows. |
| Are you a fan of romance? Do you mind it at all? I love romance :) Does adding romance create a better storyline or does it worsen the storyline? I guess it depends. Not everything should have romance. Would you rather that most series NOT have any romance, whatsoever? Not really... Does adding romance make the anime stray away what's important (if romance is not the main focus)? No, it's just a bonus. Never saw it interefered with the main plot. Does adding romance to an anime have an enormous impact, or none at all? Depends on the amount, but I don't remember even disliking having a romance. |
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| > Are you a fan of romance? Do you mind it at all? Yes, I love romance. Don't mind it at all. > Does adding romance create a better storyline or does it worsen the storyline? Yes, for me at least romance always creates a better storyline. I don't watch many shows or read many books that lack romance. > Would you rather that most series NOT have any romance, whatsoever? No! The exact opposite, I wish all series had some romance in them. > Does adding romance make the anime stray away what's important (if romance is not the main focus)? No, not at all. To me, if there isn't some romance then there is no real purpose. > Does adding romance to an anime have an enormous impact, or none at all? Yes, it has an enormous impact to me. Some might be surprised but I think of GUNNM and BTOOOM! mostly as romance stories, not as fight seinen anime/manga. I think they would be much weaker, much less interesting without the romance aspects. In truth I think there would be no purpose to them. Even a hint of romance like in sports anime such as Diamond no Ace and Haikyuu!! keeps me interested in watching. A pure let's go out and win show is one I'll drop for sure. Even a hint of romance will keep me watching in case it blossoms later on down the line. |
| Romance in a story is a tool. You can either use this tool to create something beautiful in front of viewers eyes, or You can bash viewers face with it. Honestly i think that romance genre takes a big part in anime industry comparing it to western cartoons, it maybe just me, but seeing this high number of anime created with romance genre in it means something, especially that there are a lot of anime that have romance elements but are not included. Problem is, that after watching many of them it's easy to say it's quantity over quality :P |
| I'm a fan of romance and like romantic sub-plots, if they're done well and between characters that make sense. If it's added just for the sake of it, then no. |
Something witty that makes you think I'm funny Defeating a sandwich only makes it tastier |
| Oh wow. Glad to see all the different opinions of different people. I guess for the most part, I do agree with most of you that yes, it does depend on how the creators incorporate it, but even so, speaking for myself, I feel that adding romance 'in any way' enhances the story. Even if the anime has nothing to do with romance. Take, for example, a sports anime. As much as I'm entertained by the sport, if there was any romance between the main character and another character, I would be intrigued MUCH more. To me, romance in general helps give the main character some sort of 'purpose' or 'drive' to keep on doing what they're doing, and excelling in it. That's why i feel that if you add romance to literally ANY story (literally any) I feel that it would be so much better. I understand that there are certain anime where romance doesn't make sense. Take for example an anime where they're trying to save the world and there's no time for romance, I still feel that even if there were any subtle romantic elements incorporated, it'd be like 10x greater. Once again, yes it does depend on how it's incorporated, but IN GENERAL, I feel that every anime would be sssooooo mmmuuuccchhhhh bbbeeettteeerrrr with even the slightest touch of romance. |
♔ caught in the wonder ♔ |
| let alone most anime.. romance anime itself oftenly ahve weak storytelling... |
 "If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on." |
| It probably depends on the concept of a certain anime. Like if the anime has a complicated plotline and most of the characters has bad past its probably best with no romance, the main character will solve problem every characters and some of the characters will fall inlove, the plotline will probably be focused to romance. An anime with simple plotline and realistical characters, its best spice will probably the genre "romance" |
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| It depends on whether or not you like romance/if it's done well. No perpetual love octagons allowed. Also, no tsunderes plz. |
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| Honestly, I'm so annoyed when I'm enjoying an anime and then there's pointless romance added. I really hate it! Don't get me wrong, I adore romance if it's the main point of the show! But if I'm watching an anime for a different reason, such as for the action, then it makes me want to stop watching it when there's stupid romance added x'D. |
"Wonder is always difficult until you forgive whoever destroyed your love of surprises" — Edmond Manning  |
| i don't really mind tbh. whether they put it or not. well, it depends at how they gonna make it. if it became a toxin to the actual plot and story, then say goodbye to the show, i guess. so yeah....depends at how they make it and put it into the story, combine it with the story and actual plot. whether are they gonna force the drama into the story and are they gonna slowly and carefully put the drama inside the story. angel beats episode 10 for example i guess ? ;_; |
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TiaDee said: I'm on the other side of the spectrum and say that (from the shows I've watched) most of the time it doesn't. I used to watch a lot of shounen and what I mostly noticed is that half-way through the story the author realises that the MC needs a romantic interest because he can't end up a lonely brat Luke Skywalker style (I don't know why that would be such a bad thing, but oh well) so they introduce a romantic subplot for the sake of it which is usually half-baked and generic. Of course not all shounen shows are like that, but the concept of 'let's add romance just so we ca have another tag on the genre list" turns me off. Half-baked romance is bad, but it's reasonable for a character to have romantic interests. Most people aren't asexual and are very interested in it. |
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| not necessarily "strngthen" the storyline, but I'm still waiting for the day gajevy becomes official. as much as i'd like a shonen anime with romance, I wouldn't want it to become the main plot. |
| Coming off of the back of watching Hibike! Euphonium I can confidently say that a romance sub-plot tends to be a poor idea. Further backed up by the likes of Akame ga Kill and SAO. If the main narrative is based around romance (Toradora, Sakurasou etc.) then of course it's fine, great even, but when it's on the side I find it tends to detract from the main narrative. There are exceptions to the rules (Angel Beats genuinely moved me, even with Romance being put onto the backfoot for a late exploration near the end of the series) but these are just that, exceptions. The rule as far as I'm concerned suggests that tagging romance on tends to be a poor choice. |
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| Most of the the time, I feel that it makes things more cliche, but if it is done well then that's when things get spicy. One of the reasons why I stopped watching television was because of the forced cliche romances being shoved down my throat. Then again, anime has a lot of cliches too... |
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