Romanticizing Relationships in Fiction

[Deviddo]

Not sure if this is the right section for this, but this has been something on my mind for a while now. In terms of media, especially media where you choose the path and/or relationships of the main character, people feel like the best romantic pairing is always that of the player controlled/main and the other most important character. I guess it's not necessarily an issue, and it may seem ridiculous to make a topic over this but it's just something I wanted to discuss.

My problem is that I just don't see why it always has to be this way, yes it adds an element of story for the main characters to be in a romantic relationship, but it doesn't HAVE to add an element of story. It's not necessary for the two to be in a relationship. To clarify, if it's explicitly stated that the two are in a relationship, or if it's not a choice thing and that's just how the story goes, I don't see an issue. I just think it's a shame that two main characters can't be best friends anymore without the fanbase shipping them, but I suppose that's just how fanbases are.

I should also add that I see this in supporting characters or really any two characters that are good friends, people like to ship them because they are good friends.

I'm pretty bad at getting my main point across, so to summarize I just don't see why it is necessary for good (specifically somewhere along the lines of best) friends in media to be shipped by fanbases, of course it's just my opinion.

Thoughts?

[NobodiePichu]

I honestly find most romance is just poorly made when the story is not focussing on romance, and even then a lot of romance stories themselves aren't very good. then again just my opinion.

as for main character's getting put in relationships by the creator (which is different from the fan base shipping them together) because its easy, and fan bases tend to squee to see people hook up even if it does come outta left field (sasuke and sakura for example, as though yes sakura shows obvious interest in sasuke, sasuke himself gives no indication aside from that one line in the ending that he actually likes her in the same way, that being wanting to jump the bone with her, and then living together), the reason its easy though is mostly cause they have the most on screen time together on average, and in the interpretation of most fans, and creators, that usually automatically means they are destined for each other, cause "they forge a deeper connection then most people" or some crap like that, even though they forget that its just as easy to end up hating, or just being indifferent to the people your working with.

granted this is more of a problem in video games, anime, and cartoons, then traditional books I tend to find, and that's mostly cause authors tend to play to the audience in those fields, or at least more so then in books (though really that's rather debatable nowadays).

honestly id prefer with there being no romancing in a story, then there being a romance for the sake of covering yer bases.

now excuse me im gonna go sob over ship fics for the rest of the day now.

[Deviddo]

I probably didn't make my point clear enough, but I really don't mind if the relationships within the story already have a path, I specifically mean situations where the player can choose a relationship for the main character. Obvious examples being the latest Fire Emblem games.

For example, players of Awakening will see probably play the game and immediately either pair up the Female Avatar and Chrom, or the Male Avatar and Lucina. Likewise in Fates, people will pair the Male Avatar with Azura.

There's nothing WRONG with liking these ships, but people will I suppose instantly treat it as proper ships STORY wise simply because these characters will have lots of screentime, my point is that I don't understand why they can't just be best friends. If individuals want to pair up their Avatar with Chrom, Lucina, or Azura because they LIKE those characters, and therefore the ship, that's another thing. I'm only using Fire Emblem as an example because everyone will understand immediately what I'm talking about, but there are examples of this in other fictional stories as well.

[Fly or Die]

Well, you could say it's an element of "pandering" or "fanservice," and that's at least part of it.

But it is true that exceptionally close friendships tend to lead to romantic involvement, and the game might be trying to capitalize on that.

Either way, I have nothing against this kind of thing in principle. I'm always for things that are well executed -- my problem with this kind of thing is that generally, the romance feels force/unnatural, unless it's actually a romance game.

[Magical CC]

In most nowadays Hollywood movies that have both male and female characters, they always end up making out, love each other no matter if they were just stranger from the start, just because.You have just killed the bad guy, french kiss! You have just survive the crash, french kiss! You thought it's over but the bad guy is still alive, french kiss first then kill him again! Bolivia ending, french kiss! Before the race, french kiss, have sex too! After the race, sex is certain, french kiss is just a bonus! They have just met each other for 2 hours, french kiss, have sex and then have a baby in the sequel! Yay!

It's stupid.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Magical CC

[Deviddo]

Yeah that's one of my common complaints with the first Metal Gear Solid game, for those who don't know, the relationship between the main character, Solid Snake, and the supporting character, Meryl is somewhat of a main focus.

After remeeting up with Meryl early in the game, Meryl informs Snake that she had psychotherapy and whatnot, more or less trained to not feel affection for men on the battlefield. It becomes disgustingly clear that she has fallen for him REALLY early in the story, I guess the point was to make it seem like despite the training she got, she still fell in love with the Snake, but to me it just felt incredibly forced, especially because of the fact that she apparently received therapy to make sure that doesn't happen.

But yeah I suppose people just take after hollywood movies nowadays and feel that's just how it has to happen.

[Shadowess]

I agree with this. Thing is, the first somewhat decent-looking person who the protagonist is not related to in anyway is introduced, you know that they're gonna get together. I assume maybe that's why Chrobin is everywhere, you're introduced fighting bad people with Chrom and even though Freddy is in the prologue shortly afterwards, you talk to Chrom first.

I could go on with more examples but I'll just keep this summary short and concise. I'm not sure if it makes sense, so sorry if it doesn't.

[Deviddo]

No you make perfect sense. It's the same vein of how anime adaptions of harem VN's always go with first girl. What this typically means is that it's always the first main girl on screen, or the first girl the main character met or whatever.

It's kinda bad that this idea exists, because I once saw that someone turned down playing Awakening for Kid Icarus: Uprising because "I'd rather see Pit and Palutena's banter than Male Avatar and Lissa's banter". Surely the problem here is obvious right?

And I get the feeling some individuals wouldn't outright hate Chrom if the FemAvatar and Chrom shippers weren't as...loud in their ship of the two characters. Likewise I wouldn't have such an aversion to Lucina if MaleAvatar/Lucina Shippers weren't so loud about that. That and I often see MaleAvatar/Lucina shippers constantly bash Chrom for more or less not being Lucina.