How do you like your romance?

[kalmia]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and within the romance genre I tend to notice two(ish) different possibilities for how the romance plays out between the love interests a large percentage of the time-

A) The love interests tend to play a little game of back and forth. “Will-they-won’t-they” as a lot of people know it. The characters usually skip around the actual romance and the story seems to be more about the subtext and whether or not the characters will actually end up together in the end.

B) The love interests get together either fairly early on in the story or somewhere along the midpoint and the rest is them working through the remainder of the plot together or trying to find ways for the two of them to stay together as a couple. This is a lot more common when there’s a larger plot aside from or along with the romance.

I’m a sucker for a good romance story, but I really do NOT like when stories overuse option A. A little bit of a will-they-won’t-they is okay, but when 90% of the story is them getting together and breaking up or both of them refusing to confess their feelings, it’s a bit frustrating. I’m here for the fluff!! I want some cute romance eventually!! LOL I tend to like option B more, but I want to see them struggle as a couple and obstacles get in their way as well to see how they overcome it together.

So for those of you who like romance, what way do you prefer it? Do you like the back and forth, trying to figure out how these character will ever get together? Or option B, something a little more straightforward but less dramatic?

[BlairFujin]

I prefer the stories where the main couple is mostly actually a couple instead of stuck in a constant "when will they?" which "will they? won't they?" usually actually is

[morganicfoods]

I like it when a character's falling for another is a conflict of their interest. So basically Character A feels like they shouldn't like Character B cuz they're enemies/don't like each other, SUSciety tells them not to, "i dOnT dO roMaNcE anYmOrE", etc. And so the build up to them getting together is Character A dealing with their internal conflict. Bonus points if Character B is in a similar situation too.
I generally enjoy watching characters change and grow, so this type of romance plot (which can also be used in a platonic relationship) is exactly my thing. I love redemption-arcs or downfall-arcs. (and if anyone's got any of these as a main-ish focus in their story, plz send!)

But aside from that, I don't really care about the way/speed they get together, just so long as their relationship is explored well and they have actual chemistry. If the writer can write aggressively "will-they-won't-they"-ing well, I'm here for it.

[alexwells]

I would rather have option B because I hate it when the story ends the moment the two characters finally get together. But if it's a longer book, I don't mind waiting a bit for them to become a couple as long as the only thing stopping them isn't a series of stupid misunderstandings. If the two characters can't even properly talk to each other, I don't think they'll be fun to follow as a couple. Of course, there might be some well-written exceptions.

[SirCoockie]

I have always believed that option B is what should always be done. The problem with that is when there is no balance so that the story can't be focused properly. For example, a story is already about to end but the relationship that has already been formed has very little time to appear, which makes it irrelevant, or it also happens that they focus too much on the relationship for the main plot, leading to a rushed ending....

[thepenmonster]

I prefer that as well.

"S-senpai noticed me!" and "I-I don't like you, baka!" (the same formula is used in American rom-coms so relax weebs) are so absolutely overdone at this point they need to go into the cultural vault alongside westerns, Nu Metal, and mecha.

Honestly, the most realistic relationship writing I've ever seen happened in an episode of Doctor Who. A guy asks companion Bill Potts out and she tells him, "Sorry, I like girls," and his response was a mature, "Oh. Okay. Cool." Which was shocking to see come out of Steven Moffat since he's the master of unrealistic and cloyingly cutesy romance.

[GodbreakerComic]

Trashy and melodramatic

[2DLenzy]

Nonexistent...
Kidding, I actually enjoyed my first short story gl romance, Moving In, for those curious.

I suppose I'd like the classic they-don't-know-they-like-each-other trope, with a mix of conflict-whether from their relation or outside circumstances, cause I guess watching characters overcome something, together, feels the most cathartic, even though the pattern's seen alot. Some stories tell it better than others, but I'll have to read more of them to find out which ones, tbh.

[NickRowler]

After watching some of the Miraculous Ladybug, I sort of loath opinion A. If you keep telling me “won’t they” I am going to start believing that they shouldn’t get together.

I think for romance, I want something more casual. Like not making a huge deal or fuss about it. Maybe two people just grab coffee and see if things work out. Or maybe they are friends and somehow that eventually blends into them dating. That is the stuff I find cute.

[CandiChaos]

I hate when there's no build up to the romance and it just happens. Like I don't need 500 pages of slow burn but I don't need them getting together immedietaly. I like to see the chemistry and the way they get there.

[cherrystark]

What you're describing is a mix of Happily Ever After/Happy For Now and the fact that a lot of writers don't know how to write romances. They know the requirements for each trope, but they don't know how to properly incorporate them into a story.

A works because we get to see the characters struggle with their feelings and overcome their own personal demons before finding happiness with their partners. This is why a lot of romances usually fall into the "slice of life" category. The show "Friends" wouldn't have lasted as long as it did if we only had Ross and Rachel's plotline to follow. People get tired of the "will they/won't they" struggle is because they're just repeating the same old issues over and over again and no one really grows.

You have to play carefully with B because if it's not paired with a larger plot - it's boring. I am a sucker for fluffy stories, but if all we're seeing is fluff - it loses its cuteness. We love to see battle couples. But if that's the entire plot, you have to add a lot of A into it to be interesting.

[MelancholicOtaku]

I am more of fan of B one of my favorite couples is from the manga you and I are polar opposites where the main couple gets together in the first chapter and we get to see a healthy growth of a highly adorable couple.
But I also like the Will they won’t they romance,if done right. I guess for me it depends on how the romance is written.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Surprisingly, I have to say I prefer A. ^^; As a few people have said, when 'will-they-won't-they' is done right it can be AMAZING. A series-long exploration of the characters that actually develops them and has them interact and grow together, questioning their choices and ideas, until they finally overcome the insecurities, misconceptions, or societal pressures keeping them apart?? Probably one of the most satisfying types of stories out there.

Unfortunately, as more than a few people have said...it's only rarely done right. ^^; One misstep that I particularly dislike is when they only use the story to develop one side of the romance; usually the 'bad boy' or 'rough around the edges' partner who has deeper issues...and meanwhile, the other partner is reduced to a mere object of affection, whose moments of falling in love (if they even get any...) are made up of characterless gawking and blushing. =/ Or those generic compliments like "you're the strongest person I know" "you're not afraid to be yourself" blah blah blah...

Now, I really wanted to choose B...it sounds like an idea with more depth, and it's definitely more uncommon in the media landscape. But I just can't think of any examples of it that are still classified as 'romance'...it's probably more common in "adult" media (like rom-com films, for instance) that I'm not familiar with. ^^;
Like the OP said, young adult media that goes beyond the 'fairytale ending' of romance usually pairs it with an action-packed plot...because perfect romance is inherently dull. :T When you conceptualize a romantic partner as someone who only exists to entertain you and make you happy, rather than an individual who can still have individual goals outside of their relationship, then yeah, focusing solely on that would be boring. There's no story there, just fluff.

Basically, idealized romance as the norm makes people believe that only developing romances can be interesting...hence why stories like (A) tend to stop with the characters getting together, because at that point the fun part is over.
I don't think it's impossible to bring complex romance into the YA demographic, though...despite the fact that it probably still wouldn't be popular. ^^; For example, one thing I appreciate about the superhero genre is how often it makes romantic partners major participants in the story. The intersections of the 'damsel in distress' and 'secret identity' tropes create an environment where a hero making a romantic commitment actually leads to a MORE interesting story, with the expectation that the relationship will be explored, tested, and threatened all throughout. It ain't much, but it's something~

[ButterflyEmpress]

I like option B, but with the build up of option A. One thing I about in Kiss Him, Not Me, is that not only does Kae pick one of the guys mid way, there were subtle hints why he was the best option for her. And the rest of the series is them getting over relationship struggles.

[joannekwan]

I like option A but served in a way where it's like both sides have issues they have to overcome individually. And perhaps they find that the other helps them, but overall it's a personal change. Then ultimately, when the character growth happens, they get together.

[linZcomics]

I enjoy slow burn romances where the audience gets to watch them fall in love. I love witnessing the little moments where it's like "see that little smile? they totally felt something right there." The build up to inevitable fairy-tale ending is always worth it for me.

[TheLemmaLlama]

I guess I prefer B, but like, not as a story that's pure romantic fluff nor as a story that's mostly about something else rather than the romance, but as a story that focuses on problems with the relationship even after it's established. It's not happily ever after as soon as the love interests get together, and I'd like to see more stories explore that!

[Mallory]

Oh man, give me the slowest burn possible. I work hard in my own marriage and we're happily going on 14 years where everything works thanks to our effort, so I wanna see an absolute train wreck of opposites. People who have extremely compelling reasons for not getting together, and somehow being unable to avoid each other until they finally resolve every single one of those reasons. Draw it out over multiple seasons. Have them start and end other fulfilling relationships in between. I am SO THERE for it.