Romantic plot dynamics: How to do create non-manga of them?

[Klaustasya]

Shitty title i know,
Basically i have this comic plot that i have to draw for my exam, and at first i was stucked because i couldn't find any good romantic dynamics to make the two characters fall in love with each other. In the end i managed, but someone said that these tropes are too manga-like and my (idiotic) teacher is against manga style in general. How can i write something that is not manga-like when i've been reading these comics for the past 6 years? Can you suggest me something i can take inspiration from?

Here's a little characters background:

This story is my personal re-writing of red riding hood.
Red riding hood is a young, beutiful, cold-hearted huntress who is obsessed with killinh beasts to purify the woods where she lives. She used to be a sweet child, living with her lovely grandma, until one day a big dark wolf came into their house and ate the grandma. The wolf was about to kill her too, when a powerful huntress rescue her and let her become her student. At some point of the story, the huntress tries to kill red riding hood but fails. After losing the people she loved, red riding hood becomes a true beast-killer, thinking that if she'll be able to kill all the monsters in the woods she will be able to see at least her master.
Meanwhile times passes by, and the huntress has become a demon, hidden the dark lands of the woods, plotting to kill red riding hood to get her magic red cloack. So she catches a young werewolf and tell him that if he wants to be free again he'll have to bring her red riding hood's head and the cloak. He agrees.
I'm not gonna explain everything in details now, but basically they will team up to beat something and Red riding hood and the werewolf will eventually fall in love with each other.

These are the tropes i thought for them:

1) The werewolf licks her injury and notices other scars on her body
2) The bath together in the waterfall, and they accidently join their bodies in the process (very manga-like)
3) They have a final romantic moment when she takes him to the brightest place in the woods and he starts rolling on the grass like a dog to play, she refuses at first but then he grab her from the arm and pull her in, and they laugh together untill they actually kiss

Is this.....very manga-like? How can i make this moments look more realistical?

[inkythoughts]

I believe that these scenes aren't inherently "manga-like" by their nature, it's basically how you convey romantic feelings. Is there a lot of blushing? The typical doki-doki and really long glazes into each other's eyes? Maybe watch some rom-coms of western origin and then maybe a J- or K-drama, then you'll see the (actually pretty obvious) differences on "manga-like," trope-heavy romance you see in East-Asian media and the more straight-forward western approach.

But truth be told, I probably would need to see at least one page of these scenes to actually help you on this, it's difficult if there's just a vague description.

[minerrale]

Not sure if manga-like or just very cliché...
Have you ever fallen in love, or seen someone around you develop a romantic relashionship? How did it happen? How did it go?
Try to take some of those events and twist them to fit your red line here, it would be more "realistic" and your teacher wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with it!

[Wumbl]

I think what you mean to ask is, how to make romances less cliche?

I think the most important way to make a romance less generic and more able to stand out is to draw from real life relationships.

Another key thing to think about is that the relationship should be like a growing and changing bond that's constant and adapting - not just a series of moments that portray basic attraction. A lot of romantic plots that read as more generic tend to be superficial and focused on making the two characters attracted to each other, culminating in their relationship starting. A more realistic portrayal would focus on how the protagonist actually feels about what's going on, and their mental journey in processing the fact they are attracted and eventually in love with someone. It's important that other things are going on in the characters' lives outside of the relationship and that those other facets are explored to make the characters more believable.

I'd make a list of things you don't like about the generic romances and then try working on the opposites of that. It's at least a start.

Your teacher isn't idiotic, and isn't against "manga-style" it's just that what you've currently got fits too many cliches. It's possible to draw and write in an east-asian style without annoying your teachers. They just want to see you make your own stuff rather than following tropes.

[A-weird-girler]

Where did it come from, cotton-eyed joe?

[sarrowsmith10]

It seems like you are focusing very heavily on physical attraction between the two. That's a common occurrence in shojo manga which is why it probably feels cliche. I suggest something else. Like they start to fall in love because they realize- they make a really great team fighting monsters together, they have a common enemy, Red is willing to help wolf guy because she is good like that and he is attracted to her empathy... Or she likes him, because despite wolf guy's curse he still isn't hurting anyone and has a great sense of humor.. yada yada...

I think about my favorite anime that has romance in it, Howl's Moving Castle. Sofie doesn't immediately fall head over heals for Howl. She is mostly irritated by him the whole movie. But as they learn to work together to reach a common goal, they find solace in each other, companionship and love.

[joe_galindez]

What does your teacher like? Can you adjust your work to suit their biases?

[SleepingPoppy]

1) The werewolf licks her injury and notices other scars on her body
2) The bath together in the waterfall, and they accidently join their bodies in the process (very manga-like)
3) They have a final romantic moment when she takes him to the brightest place in the woods and he starts rolling on the grass like a dog to play, she refuses at first but then he grab her from the arm and pull her in, and they laugh together untill they actually kiss

I think 3 is the best one here, but what if you broke it into piece with wolf-boy slowly drawing her playful side out? Maybe he makes her laugh by accident the first time. Then he starts doing to on purpose. Then he starts trying to draw that playful side out of her. It could be very meaningful considering she's probably had a life devoid of fun and play for a long time.

Maybe just don't try so hard to have big romantic moments? Show them go from uncomfortable allies to slowly becoming better partners. Have them open up around a campfire in the evening. Have them slowly start to smile more around each other. Show one or the other start caring more when an injury happens. Maybe toss in some little moments of touching.

Honestly, it would be a lot more romantic to see their fingers over lap while they talk by the fire, then them bumping nakedly into each other under a waterfall. (well, in my opinion, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the three things you listed if well executed)

Going to add that I'm not sure the nature or length of your assignment, but please keep in mind that this sounds like a HUGE amount of work to actually turn into a comic. Hopefully you've have a good sense of how many pages the story will be and how long it will take you to draw, but if not, be aware this sounds like a story that could take years to draw.

Good luck!

[Stardust-clearwater]

I remember reading something once that says if you have write or draw a kiss to show off a romantic relationship then you're doing it wrong.

I think romance shows up most in the little moments of connection between two characters. how they bond, how they meet, how they interact from day to day life. Small things that make for warm and fuzzy moments. The connection shown within those moments.

You can try and watch some short animations to help give ideas. Like Paperman,

it's short and has no words, but it still gives an overall romantic tone to the whole thing. There are moments of sadness, and joy and even humor.

Now I'm not saying you need to recreate it, but it might help get the ball rolling.

[Rosso]

if by "manga-like" they meant "shallow romance" and all the typical doki-doki, lot's of blushing and unnecessary clumsiness, tripping over the other, "it's not like i like you or anything BAKA" kind of stuff, then i think the premise of your story sounds fine as is? I'm also not sure what kind of a werewolf we're talking about here (full-on huge wolf? bipedal wolf? hairy human? pretty boy with wolf ears and tail?) i think that might contribute in the overall presentation of the story, and how "manga" the final product might be.
that being said, i love me more iterations of RRH : D

[mariusthered]

in my comic blunderland here on tapas, red riding hood is an outlaw and has "wolfy" tatooed on her boob. im not saying why because i havnet told that tale yet, but i thought i would mention it.

as for the question, if it were me i would go back to the classics and read shake spare, english teachers tend to get impressed by that stuff (at least they did when i went to school)