Romance/Fantasy Clichés

[MermaWisdo]

I'm working on a comic that focuses on romance, found family and making your own way in the world. I'm a sucker for anything that involves such like that with a fantasy not to it but I'm trying to avoid too many clichés in it. So, I am curious what are some clichés that seem to be WAY over used in stories?

[Oto_Kouda]

Female McLead is at the Royal Kingdom's ball, standing alone in the corner. Female McLead is Sad™ and Alone™ because her family is double-plus not nice!

Prince Prince angrily walks by as Female McLead begins to cry. The crying face of Female McLead catches Prince Prince's eye...along with his heart. All of the anger he felt—we'll find out why in twenty chapters when the author remembers this scene for some drama!—melts away as the negative emotions he felt are replaced with Love At First Sight™.

"Miss, are you okay?" Prince Prince approaches Female McLead, but no!—She's too absorbed in her feelings and leaves the Royal Kingdom's ball!

That girl...she's different from all the others. Prince Prince grows obsessed with this girl...that he saw for like ten seconds or whatever~

In the next scene, Female McLead is out and about in the market. She's skipping, singing, and Being Quirky™ when suddenly, a Masked Man Who Is Definitely Not Prince Prince appears!

"We meet again!" Masked Man Who Is Definitely Not Prince Prince says. "Looks like you're not crying this time."

Female McLead blushes. This Masked Man Who Is Definitely Not Prince Prince is so handsome, but how does he know me!?

...Basically that.

[MermaWisdo]

That one is annoying. The whole "I'm not like any other girls that's why the main man is attracted to me" is silly. Also, dude you met the girl for a night and have 0 knowledge of her. She might be hot but, idk, might end up being really disgusting or just not that into you except "oooh i got to have a dance w/ mister rich guty just like like 7 other girls did"

[sorible]

The ordinary girl. She's boring, easily forgettable, and an introverted loser but for some reason she always gets a bunch of guys fighting over her. Not that I hate the trope, I just think it doesn't make a lot of sense realistically.

[MermaWisdo]

Yea, it's definitely not a real thing. In reality, that kind of girl will be overlooked by many guys - I also hate how the ordinary girl then has to completely change her looks and personality to get the guys to like her. Many of the times it's someone who has to wear glasses and without them then she's super hot.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

If you want to avoid the "Overused" ultimate romance-fantasy cliche, that would be

"I was transported/reincarnated as a (insert title or position here) in a fantasy world, but there is an asshole/cold/possessive (he can't be acting like normal guys) guy who is a(insert a title which is almost always something of higher position than FL, or him being another species like demon) and I need to (wed/bed/survive from/take care of) him. That would be a trouble, because he is so hot/into me! Anyway let's admire how gorgeous I look in my new body, of course being killed and/or transferred to another world so sudden doesn't have any psychological toll on me because I'm now hot."

I meant just go to the front page, you'll get the answer you need

Not that it's bad, but it would be better if you can add some twist to it. At this point it's getting stale.

[MermaWisdo]

I am starting to dislike that cliche with a lot of the webcomics on here. The more I read them the more they all seem to have the same plot line. Can't I get a popular story of a girl rising to her position with the love interest being nice and supportive? It all makes it seem like the main girl can't be in the same world, she has to be from the normal world and ends up in the fantasy world. If you're gonna do that, why not have it where the girl finds something that transports her and she has to find a way to get back home.

[Zin_Trollborn]

I'm quite picky for those kind of stories.

For main female character :
- submissive virgin with no confidence on an annoying way "oh nuh don't look at me I'm so ugly UWU "
- poor damsel in distress picked on by others
- pure meek and gentle to everybody (included abusive characters)
- perfect Mary-sue that knows no failure and admired and loved by everybody

For main male character :
- Over confident/manipulative/toxic asshole that is passed as a good and romantic character because he loves so much main girl character so it's normal he get jealous and hurts her mentally/physically.
- Perfect prince so hot and popular that is nice and gentle to everybody
- guy who isn't gonna step in when some girls are fighting in front of him because of him
- nonexistent male titties

For story :
- Isekai
- Love at first sight
- love triangle/rectangle/or more
- the evil rival that get between main characters for stupid reason
- prince/princess/noble thing, I'd like a random peasant to be the main character for once XD

Well I say this, but I could also like those kind of characters and stories if things get deeper and evolve in a unxpected way. I'd just hate those if they stay the same thing during all the story.

[MermaWisdo]

I'm with you on the main character being some rando whose a baker or carpenter in a town. Also, people love to draw men without nipples and it's weird because they have them too..? Love at first sight is silly; I like stories where it takes some time for one or both characters realize they have deeper feelings for each other.

[shfra13]

Oh, gosh, the way this cliche broke me-

I have never set a single foot on those isekai comics, but with the amount of those similar titles, I can't help feeling irritated to the point that I might hate them. I can't even differentiate between what is isekai and what is not and just..... don't give any of them a chance.