Whelp that’s the risk you take when you pick a story with a romance tag. It will always inevitably have a romance interest for the mc. It’s better to look for stories that don’t have the romance tag on it.
I really hope that wouldn’t be the main focus once she grows older though. If the male lead is all “ill do it for you so don’t lift a finger” Im crashing out.
I like your thoughts and your writing. I agree with you. After reading this, I searched for a while, hoping to find a dynamic like you described, but I couldn't find one. Do you know any? (●'◡'●)ﾉ
am i the only one who wishes for her to not end up w anyone? rn she's similar to the female protagonists of "death is the only ending for the villainess" and "i'll be the matriarch in this life." and like, i already seen a version where the fl protagonist ends up w someone, rn i want to see a different version where the fl protagonist doesn't. not only that, why is it that with this kind of genre, it's treated like a necessity for the fl protagonist to end up w a ml love interest?(╥﹏╥)
it’s like romance is forced to be the end goal, even when the story would be stronger or more meaningful w/o it. sometimes it feels like these characters fight so hard to survive, to reclaim their lives or power, but in the end, everything still circles back to who will she end up w? like that’s supposed to be the final reward or resolution. and i get that romance can add emotional depth or character growth, but it shouldn’t be the default—especially when the protagonist's journey is already powerful on its own. sometimes, choosing not to end up w anyone can be the most satisfying ending╮(＾▽＾)╭
and another thing—why can’t we see more genuine, platonic friendships between the fl protagonist and a male character? like, why can’t they be close without it turning into a will-they-won’t-they? take a character like carl hubss or someone similar—why can’t he acknowledge, yeah, maybe he had a crush on the fl when they were young, but he grew up, moved on, and now they have a decent, respectful dynamic? why can’t they be partners, allies, people who trust each other deeply and work side-by-side w/o romance getting in the way? lol and am not js talking about this manhwa/manhua(〜￣△￣)〜
not every meaningful relationship has to be romantic or familial. sometimes the most powerful connection is just two people who understand each other, who choose to stay in each other’s lives because they want to, not because they’re in love or related. but stories in this genre almost never explore that. it’s always romance or nothing—as if a girl and a guy can’t possibly stay close unless they’re headed toward a confession or a kiss. and honestly, that’s such a limited, outdated view of what connection can look like( ╹︵╹ )