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Tsubaki

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I was watching a movie recently and the main character was this badass twelve-year-old girl whom I came to like, but then the plot took a sort of expected turn, and it was suddenly all about teenage boys and crushes. And that ruined it all.

That's not the first time something like that happened in a movie or a book. In fact, it happens quite often. I personally feel that focusing on someone's love life makes the character somewhat two dimensional. Their thoughts are occupied by trivial things and that takes away from the character development.

Is my opinion too elitist? Or do some of you feel the same way?

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LadyWallflower

I don't know if I find them two-dimensional, but I do feel like the plot becomes more contrived, especially if the romance comes about in a stereotypical way. One thing I could never stand about How to train your dragon was the romance in that. That is just one example out of many. But when a non-romance story plotline becomes romantic I feel really annoyed and like it less. If I enter the story knowing romance is a part, it is not that bad (although romance still needs to be a smaller part), but when I am reading a different genre I don't want it. Does it need to be in everything.

BTW, what movie are you talking about?

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I personally hate anything, book or movie, where everything turns to shit by way of the main character falling in love. Probably why the Alien quadrilogy is one of my all time favorite series :wub:

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It depends greatly on the character for me. If it is a character (like Sherlock Holmes, Spencer Reid, Sheldon Cooper, etc) who, to me, appears majorly Asexual to begin with, then it ruins it when he/she goes all mushy and sexual and romantic and shit. If it is a character that appears to be sexual or romantic to begin with, whom I like despite that trait, it makes no difference to me if they pursue a love life. Then it's kind of expected. I just think that character development doesn't have to be the way they made Sheldon Copper "develop". That ruins it for me.

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scarletlatitude

I agree that it depends on how it is done. If the writers are changing the character to force him/her into a stereotype, then yeah, that's annoying. But if the character is generally true to themselves through the whole story, or if there is a real reason WHY they change, I'm okay with it. If they take the time to explain why this character suddenly changed sexuality, and it's a legitimate reason that goes with the story, then that's cool with me. We all change our ideas of ourselves as we grow. But one day being asexual and three episodes later suddenly becoming sexual... totally not cool .

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Honey_Badger

My problem is usually with the pacing. Many authors seem to forget the main plotline when romances come up, so all of the sudden people are taking time out to sneak about having makeout sessions when they're supposed to be storming the castle...

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oneheartaway

I may be the oddball here, but I quite like romance stories (Jane Austen - I blame you for this!). Romance can be a lot of fun to read, even if it seems a little unrealistic. Really, romance makes me giggle and that's why I like it.

But I don't believe not liking romance makes you elitist somehow. And I can completely agree that when a romantic turn in the storyline comes out of the blue, it can turn you off the main character (especially when you expected something different).

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AnotherWeasley

I had the same problem with Hunger Games. I loved (and still love) the concept, but the minute it turned into "Mmmh, well, it looks like we're all going to get killed. So, who should I go out with? Peeta or Gale?" I got really annoyed and nearly stopped reading. For me, it did make Katniss a less rounded character.

I don't really mind romance in movies or books if it's a real and justifiable part of the plot. I don't watch/read many of those, but I loved both the book and the TV adaptation of "North and South". The characters have their differences and get to know each other over time, learning to accept the other person for who they are. And the book discusses some real issues of the day. However, I watched "The Wolverine" the other day and I loved it, but the one thing that annoyed me was that they found a way to bring romance/sex into it without there really being a reason.

I felt the same way long before I discovered that I was aro ace and I know several romantic and sexual people who feel the same way, so I don't think it's an elitist point of view.

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Dodecahedron314

I had the same problem with Hunger Games. I loved (and still love) the concept, but the minute it turned into "Mmmh, well, it looks like we're all going to get killed. So, who should I go out with? Peeta or Gale?" I got really annoyed and nearly stopped reading. For me, it did make Katniss a less rounded character.

THIS. THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. I was completely and utterly obsessed with these books in junior high school, up until the point where this exact thing happened. Then, it turned from everyone loving the book because Katniss is frickin' amazing to everyone going all "OMG Team Peeta or Team Gale???" on it like it was Twilight.

Meanwhile, I'm just sitting over here in the corner going "um, what are you doing?!? You've got a revolution to lead, jeez! Save the shippety-ship stuff for later!"

It served a purpose in the first book, I'll admit. But after that? There are far, far more important things going on here.

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Are you talking about Kickass 2?

I've felt like this many times, romance plots often seems to get in the way of any decent/original storyline and instead plays out the regular, cliche tropes we've seen time and again, turning otherwise cool and unique characters into same-old boring ones. I facepalm when people care more about whatever angsty relationship issue they have than on important stuff like saving the world. The Percy Jackson books were awful for this, especially towards the end.

Maybe it's just because whenever romantic problems roll round (and it always deals with the problems, people can't be in happy relationships) I can no longer relate to the character as much - to me, relationship angst is something I have zero interest in ever experiencing myself and I have no patience for it in others.

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I agree with PanFictosaurus, that too many films are ruined by a gratuitous sexy/relationship/smoochie scene. If I am watching some crash-bang-wallop escapism I don't want the lead two participants to break off the plot and jump into bed

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  • 3 weeks later...

Are you talking about Kickass 2?

Yeah, I'm talking about Kickass 2, and I mostly agree on what you guys said, it does largely depend on the movie, or book, it's alright as long as I've seen it coming, but sometimes it just ruins it for me

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I quite like abit of romance in my fiction considering the fact that its done right, If it interfeers with the plot that is being told you are doing something wrong as a writer, at least in my opinion...

One of my favorite manga for quite a while does it wonderfully. It is a shoujo/romance/supernatural manga where the romances are an intergral part of the plot.

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Out of the blue romance drives me nuts. What really drives me nuts is when the setup for the future romance is so obvious it's like a slap in the face (you know it when you see it, usually in YA fiction, and adult fiction is every bit as guilty of such things).

I do enjoy good romance, especially when I know I'm walking into it willingly, and I have a list of authors I follow on a regular basis. However, the best kind of romance is the type that flows out of the narrative without it taking over the plot. Elizabeth Peters is one author who writes like this. Her Amelia Peabody books are a mix of mystery, Romance[1], romance and adventure, and have elements of both Romantic and romantic secondary (and sometimes tertiary) plots that play out in the background but don't overwhelm the narrative. The relationship Amelia has with her husband Emerson is equal parts argument, equanimity, love, exasperation, enjoyment, etc., without being squicky or overly lovey-dovey. (Think of Rick & Evie's relationship in The Mummy/The Mummy Returns, or Indiana and Marion Ravenwood in the first and last Indiana Jones movies [its merits notwithstanding]).

[1] Romance in the old fashioned sense: adventure, heroes, quests, journeys to exotic locations, etc.

Little "r" romance refers to people getting gushy all over each other and making kissy faces, etc. :P ;)

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