In a Romance, Do you prefer...?

[ButterflyEmpress]

Do you prefer ONLY the Main Couple or Side Couples as well?

• Just the Main Couple
• Main Couple + A Few Side Couples

Show results

Bonus Poll
Do You Prefer if everyone gets paired off or should some be left single?

• Everyone gets a Relationship!
• Some should stay Single
• Either option is fine

Show results

Not trying to say that one way is better than the other, just seeing what other people think.
I'm honestly on the fence when it comes to whether or not everyone should be in a relationship because it doesn't bother me either way. It's cute seeing everyone get their happy romance, but it's kinda cheesy and some people don't need or want it.

[BlairFujin]

not a fan of everyone getting paired up as it often feels really forced (especially in stories with bigger casts) and kinda implies like you need a romantic love to be happy

[ButterflyEmpress]

Oh yeah, definitely that too.

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

For the first poll, depending on how it's written I don't mind either option. But often times in stories that I've come across, when only the main characters are the romantic ones, it's as though romance exists nowhere else and it's all 100% about them and the world exists for them. Even in non-Romance. In that case, side couples help alleviate that feeling.

As for the second poll, I generally prefer if some stay single. I've never come across a story where I felt the chemistry for each pairing was correct. 80% of the time it feels forced. I don't like to make assumptions about a story and what it's saying, but I feel the implication is often there that 1) romantic love is necessary for happiness and 2) they all need to find it right now before the story ends, and love can't just come years later, and 3) a group people can't just stay friends, they inevitably become romantic.

This depends on the number of characters in question, though. If it's something like 2 pairings, I don't think of it. If it's 4 pairings and somehow all 4 of them end the story with romance...

[ButterflyEmpress]

For the 1st, I think that type of solo romance works best for a short story or a story where romance is secondary.
The 2nd probably works best for an anthology series, where the characters are unrelated.

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

The 2nd probably works best for an anthology series, where the characters are unrelated.

Like with a bunch of different short stories? A pairing for each short story?

[ButterflyEmpress]

Yeah, just like that

[NickRowler]

I like the idea that some people stay single. Be it them being asexual or maybe they were in a relationship and broke up or they were someone who never found anyone or they are just not in a dating mood. I like it because it parallels how things are IRL.

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

Yeah, just like that

Hmm... In that case, for me, if I saw all major/supporting characters getting together with someone by the end of each short story, I think it'd reinforce the implications as now it's not just 1 story, it's across several. If it's spread out, it's not as easy to notice. If it's all in one anthology, it's impossible not to. It'd make sense in some anthology about love, maybe. Even then, I think it'd be reasonable to expect to see some variety in themes and outcomes. ^^

[simonitropunk]

When the romance is right, it just feels so beautiful.

I've been watching an Anime series called: "Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside". The romance between the lead male and female is just too adorable especially when they getting along especially this scene:

Another one, "Fly Me To The Moon".

It is such a beautiful thing when the guy and girl getting along throughout and live their lives each episode than bickering and having forced misunderstandings.

Speaking of which, can anybody recommend me comics with cute couples like that when the guy and girl getting along throughout?

[Kaisei]

2-4 couples work. If you try to pair off every single minor character, you'll end up off course. I don't think you can pair everyone off successfully unless it's very closed cast with a set number of characters, all getting a good amount of "screen" time. Usually there are characters that are minor enough that we neither know nor care about their love lives.

As for whether or not main characters should stay single. I would go with what feels right for their personalities and situations. If the romance seems natural, run with it. If it's an uphill battle, maybe the characters you are trying to pair really aren't a good fit. It's also okay to have some less lovey-dovey couples.

What I don't like is when there is a group of friends, and they all end up dating each other at some point or other (like Grey's Anatomy). Who does that?! In reality you might have one or two friends that are potential partners, but most friends are more like siblings (ie you wouldn't sleep with them even if you were drunk).

[GingerLoge]

Me IRL: not everyone has to be in a relationship, staying single is fine!
Me reading comics: NOW KISS

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

Speaking of which, can anybody recommend me comics with cute couples like that when the guy and girl getting along throughout?

Kanata No Kara / Far From Home . I can't think of a single thing about that manga that isn't adorable. Actually, I think I feel like reading it again now, for the 6th time...

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What I don't like is when there is a group of friends, and they all end up dating each other at some point or other (like Grey's Anatomy). Who does that?! In reality you might have one or two friends that are potential partners, but most friends are more like siblings (ie you wouldn't sleep with them even if you were drunk).

This, surprisingly, is very common. Grey's Anatomy is set in an extremely high-stress environment, being a hospital. High-stress jobs can often leave employees feeling like doing nothing when they get home, they need to unwind, so it's not like they'll be going out with many opportunities to meet people. Their dating pool ends up being other employees at the same place. This can also happen in retail. Disneyland is very high-stress for employees, so it happens there. Work environments with extremely awful bosses, who stress out their employees? Same thing. Chasing dopamine and trying to do anything to be happy for a few moments because the stress is killing them.

Buuuut....when this happens in stories, they don't touch on that human element. It's more like everyone gets together "just because". In these high-stress situations, the majority of characters seem to handle stress astonishingly well.

[SheniraS]

people can be single in romance if they are happy that way. like even if it is the main couple that doesn't get together, as long as they are happy that is the important part. - this is an unpopular opinion.

[Kaisei]

I understand dating coworkers. Meeting new people is hard enough for adults, and if you are working all the time, then yeah, your dating pool is people at work. What I don't understand is sleeping with every coworker, even when you are already in an established relationship with another coworker.

And the same trope occurs in works with less stressful working environments and/or where the friend group does not work together.

[gempompadour]

I love slow burn romances and enemies-to-lovers trope so more than one couple is preferred. That way I get romantic fluff from the side characters while the main couple is slowly roasted to perfection​

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

I understand dating coworkers. Meeting new people is hard enough for adults, and if you are working all the time, then yeah, your dating pool is people at work. What I don't understand is sleeping with every coworker, even when you are already in an established relationship with another coworker.

I don't understand it either . At that point people are creating more stress and drama for themselves. But they do it anyway.

And the same trope occurs in works with less stressful working environments and/or where the friend group does not work together.

Very true. The trope tends to be more unrealistic in low-stress settings.

[Pony_wearing_a_hat]

Okay, let me just be a huge theater nut for a minute here.

I'm fully team multiple couples, mainly due to a trope in theater. In plays and musicals especially, there is the tropes of the two couples, the alpha couple, both main characters who are passionate and dramatic and kiss at the end and the Comedic beta couple, made of less plot-important characters, and they're fun and silly and not taken very seriously.

I love Beta Couples

They're always some fun twist, like it's usually not just two conventionally attractive young people who are relatively alike. They'll be dramatically different but still get each other, or they'll be both stupid and be stupid together, or they'll be a rekindling married couple, or (my favorite) an older woman who thinks she's "past her prime" and won't find anyone, and then a very silly person will show up and be like "Oh, hello I think you are the absolute bee's knees. Let's use a bunch of really weird gifts and metaphors to express our love"

It's my favorite.

[Kaisei]

Yes, side couples can often be the cutest!

[crimson_mystery_cake]

Where is the option for “no one ends up with anyone and everyone is disappointed.”