1 / 20
Aug 2022

I’m talking about those comic couples that leave your heart fluttering every time they encounter or cause a strong desire within you to support them, seeing the romance go through.

As an active romance consumer, I wanted to pinpoint exactly what makes me feel this way with some comic couples and not others.

We all can easily point to what an iconic couple is but have we ever asked why? So I'm writing to ask you what type of chemistry do you seek in romance, what are some of your favorite comic couples and why?

(Manga, manhwa, and manhua included)

  • created

    Aug '22
  • last reply

    Sep '22
  • 19

    replies

  • 1.3k

    views

  • 7

    users

  • 20

    likes

  • 1

    link

Hmm there are certain couples that you just want to protect and support :coffee_love: this is more of an anime visual novel and anime ofc which would be Steins; Gate, the couple there is just so perfect QuQ they complement each other well and like one character makes the other be the best version of themselves.

First of all, I like paying close attention to their dynamic before they are an actual couple. I don't like the romance until after the story makes me care about them, when I know their motivations and their interests, also watching how their relationship as acquaintances or friends develops and see the 'chemistry' between them.

Sometimes I see the chemistry elsewhere and end up shipping BL or GL because of how the authors described their dynamic, I know this isn't what you asked about but it's important to mention since if the main couple is boring or just forced together, it will motivate people to ship them with any other character.

In my case, the couple in steins; gate is so perfect for each other that I don't dare pair them with another character :0

By the way, you said you wanted to pinpoint exactly what makes you feel that way about some couples but you didn't explain that xD I'm curious on what makes you feel that way so do elaborate!

Personally, I like it when I'm not expecting the couple to happen, when you just start reading something and you don't think anything about them but that when through seeing them interact with each other... The story motivates you to like them together. If the romance starts from the beginning it has a high chance of me not being that much interested, though, it can start as a crush and be okay anyway, but at least be one sided for the time being.

I like slow burn stories, so, I need reasons to pair someone with another! GL isn't my favorite, but I've happened to think two female characters make sense together because of how they were written, so yes, it depends a lot on how the story presents them.

One example of cute couples I support from comics is from 'Who made me a princess' with the main girl and Lucas, I simply liked the dynamic between them as it was way more natural than the other boy that likes her and you see, the main and Lucas weren't interested in each other at the beginning, so I think it is the slow burn and how they get to know each other.

Haha it's a bit hard to describe everything I feel from couples but I don't know it's this inner feeling of omg they care for each other even when act like they don't xD and I don't mean tsunderes necessarily, cause those are often exaggerated.

I just really like the progression and seeing characters care in their own ways, it's really cute xD Seeing the subtle signs is really satisfying, more than seeing clear romantic intentions from the beginning.

Lol sorry for the long text, but hope what I said made sense somehow xD

Thank you for the long post. It was really insightful.

You really seem to understand romance well and I can relate a lot to what you describe here. I originally wrote this post because I couldn’t put into words what I really like about the chemistry of couples so I sought out other people’s opinions so it could help me understand what I seek out too. You’ve given me a lot though and I think we got similar taste in romance.

To start off I agree “Steins; Gate” romance is really good! I love the dynamic between Okabe and Kurisu. I feel like for a non romance anime they did a really good job on growing of their relationship. Got me all emotional in the end which shows that they really did make us care about them as individuals and then together.

You also mention the aspect of BL and GL shipping and I totally get that. I find that happens the most with shonen anime and how they make the main couple have nothing in common. It just feels like boy here and girl here they end up together. I'm just like don't make a couple if you don't wanna put in the effort. It’s not even just BL and GL shipping either, sometimes people get 2nd male/female lead syndrome. Looking at you Re Zero.

The only thing I disagree with is slow burns. Well probably not disagree but mixed opinions. I like stories that heavily focus on the development of the psychology of the main characters, thus slow burns are the best for showing that but when it’s too slow it kinda hurts. I think slow burns for me could only work if the media’s main genre isn’t romance. They can focus on other stuff and the romance is just a side plot.

Bro, it is strange that I kinda like both of male leads in “Who made me a princess”.

I’m curious about your taste. Do you have any recommendations? ^^

I'm not sure if I'm a fan of romance or not. I say I wouldn't put it in my stories but I'm already putting one in my main comic and potentially in one of the comics I have planned soooooo... The best relationships imo are when two characters come to accept each other's flaws. We just see issues that the audience assumes can't work, but then the story just pulls the rug beneath you and is like "PSYCH. IT CAN!". Basically the two problem solving and figuring out where they stand. Just communication in general. How a specific character opens up to another in a way other characters don't usually see. Dynamics that shift basically.

Ah I do agree that the slow burn depends on how 'slow' it actually is! So we do agree in that aspect, sorry, I didn't specify since I've been going through some horrible experiences of stories going too fast lol but yes, if it's too slow and not handled well I wouldn't be able to stand it haha.

Hmmm... recommendations as in comics or anime? That by the way, you mentioning re zero, I love it actually, but the novel! Since the anime cut a lot of content haha

Tell me like what are you looking for, I may have read something like that though if you like the theme of girls reincarnating as villains I really recommend "Death is the only ending for the villainess" but I have read a lot of manwhas so, yeah, do tell me what would interest you :eyebrows:

Yess I agree with this as well :smiley: Though it also depends on how it's handled since I've read a few that open up too early and makes me go like 'you don't have much from knowing this person' but yes, if handled well it is a nice thing to see!

Np! and yeah god fast romance are jarring.

Oooh makes sense if the relationship is better in the Novel because the anime really messed it up.

Me too manwha is addicting. Oh I've read the novel to that but haven't finish the manhwa.
Hmm I pefer comics but I don't mind any comic type.
Give me your top 5 favorite romance and i'll read them. I'm looking to read anything I wanna try a lot of different stories. Thank you for taking the time to do this ^^.

AUGH, you are just like me. I don't read or watch a lot of romance, and yet it's in my comic... At least it isn't between main characters. I haven't read many romance comics, but in general, I like when two characters can stand on their own, but when they're together they're just 10x better. I also like when their romance doesn't overtake their relationships with other people (friends, family) and that they don't NEED to be near each other 100% of the time. However, scenes where they're away and miss each other I also love.

Wait what novel have you read? "Who made me a princess?" :shook_01:

Hmmm romance manga...

this is BL but if it's okay with you, I recommend it cause it's really fun and well handled, it's called "Semantic error"

Horimiya (anime)

The Reason Why Raelianna Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion (manwha)

Villains are destined to die/ Death is the only ending for the villainess (manwha)

I'll Be the Matriarch in This Life (manwha)

He can't be this dumb (manwha)

and I'm thinking of reading this one cause it looked cute "You at first sight" (manwha)

I've seen many but that's what I can remember right now xD

Ahhh love this, I agree 100% with you xD

Although in my case I avoid it as much as I can in my comic cause the fandom for my fancomic (like, the fandom for the series I'm basing my story from is what I mean) only expects that (couples, romance, shipping) and I really want to talk about other aspects I really need characters standing on their own, it drives me crazy when people only want romance without caring for the characters, like... since it's a girl and guy they need to be together kinda thing >_>

But yess I also like when they miss each other, it's cute :coffee_love:

I've ended up reading lots of romance mangas though because I had a thing for reading time traveling/reincarnation stories lol xD but personally, rather have the romance surprise me as in I didn't watch this anime expecting this and I liked it (like with steins; gate)

Nah Death is the only ending for the villainess.

Alright thank you so much for recommendation. Some of these I haven't read so I'm excited to check them out.

Even when some don't read romance I think romance overall is just fun to writing. Romance is just apart of life. Agree I think it needs to be rule in romance to create characters that stand on their own but also bring each other up.

Aw, I was excited thinking you found the novel for who made me a princess XD where are you reading the novel for the "death is the only ending for the villainess"?

And hope you like them!

True. To be honest, I don't even know how I thought of adding romance to my story, because it doesn't affect the main character much, if not at all. I guess I just thought it would improve two side characters and that was that.

I am not a romantic art expert (though I am technically writing a romantic comedy) but one of the best pieces of advice I got for drawing romance is that a lot of people forget about hands--but hands is where a lot of romantic tension is. So while it's hard to draw hands, that can turn a kissy scene into a really hot kissing scene.

I think it's a matter of whether the 'slowness' is a natural consequence of thoroughly exploring all the obstacles they have to face and untangling the barriers they need to get past. 'Bad' slowness is if the author clearly couldn't think of anything else to write about but wants their story to be 'slow' so they have the characters hanging around doing nothing, or have the characters forget lessons they've already learnt and relearn them a bunch of times just to kill time :stuck_out_tongue: There's a difference between 'slow' and 'meandering' or 'stalling' :]

Conversely; 'bad' fastness is when there should be more obstacles standing in the way of the characters getting together, but the story just rushes past them or brushes it under the carpet because it doesn't know how to deal with it, so the resolution feels cheap or 'too easy'. An example inspired by a recent thread would be an enemy-to-lovers situation where the 'enemies' did pretty bad things to each other and have very deep reasons to hate each other, but then they're all buddy-buddy without properly untangling that animosity in a believable way :stuck_out_tongue:

As a fellow romance consumer, I think what makes our hearts flutter over a couple in romance stories is when they did things we would like to have irl, haha. Or perhaps they show the romance fantasy you didn't realize you wished to have!
I think it depends on your love language too.
My favorite romance webcomics are Maybe Meant to Be, After School Lessons for Unripe Apples, My Reason to Die, etc.

I don't know if I'm describing/explaining things you want to read in this forum, but I hope I make sense. :persevere:

Yess I whole heartedly agree with this! My type of disliked slowness is more the meandering/stalling type, slow isn't bad for me but I guess some people read the word 'slow' and interpret it like really extreme, just like reading 'fast' and thinking it's going too fast, haha

Also for the enemy to lovers situation, yeah, it's like why do you even make them enemies in the first place if you're going to treat the relationship like this xD

1 month later

closed Sep 2, '22

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.