#anti hero romance

[kittenfangirl20]

I want to see more male villains who are a monster to his enemies, but very loving and devoted to his wife and children. This is basically how I will write Eren, he is a demon to his enemies, but is very devoted and loving to both Historia and their children. Also while Vegeta is no longer a villain, I see him have that dynamic with Bulma and their children too.

[massiveladycat]

leo shouldve learned how to cope with his trauma and his need for validation instead of rick slapping a girlfriend on him and calling it a day. in this essay i will-

[stars-obsession-pit]

A random paranormal romance fan (who lives nowhere near Amity Park), while doing some research on ghosts for their next project, comes across the Anti-Ecto Control Acts.

And as they dig deeper, they start to realize this is a way bigger deal than they were ever imagining.

One thing leads to another, and they end up publishing a whole exposé on the matter.

…they just have to make sure no one ever learns just how they got started down this rabbit hole in the first place.

[erenfox]

Ok, hot take, but I genuinely don't ship Nico with anyone. Like, seriously, no one. Neither Percy, nor Will, nor Jason, not Leo. And if you think I ship him with some girl, I DON'T. What girl not related to Nico by family was actually close to him other than Reyna? And Reynico shippers just scare me lmao.

Idk maybe it's just because I personally never saw any awkward-teenage-romance type of conversations or internal monologue of Nico in any of the books regarding any of the boys whatsoever. I kid you not, I seriously thought (and still think) that Rick had never intended for Nico to like Percy during PJO and the first half of HoO. I feel like it's just something he made up while writing the Cupid scene to make it more, well, dramatic. As an author myself, I know exactly how it feels when ur writing ur manuscript and a brilliant idea related to that particular scene pops up, which leaves u wondering how to make it make sense with the rest of the story. And since there are speculations that Rick has ghostwriters, it seems a lot more suspicious about how we had not a single hint of Nico liking Percy anywhere before the Cupid scene.

I'm not gonna go into Solangelo, but I must say, Will is a pretty bland character. Solangelo has potential, I still think so, but Rick wasted basically all of it by trying to make Solangelo a cheap copy of Percabeth. He knows Solangelo is the second most popular ship among his fandom, so why not make it exactly like his all-time most popular ship? Because, come on, what good would it be to have a, idk, unique ship?

[moongothic]

WAIT WAIT WAIT HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE

So normally we only get fullblown, extended and dedicated flashbacks for heroic characters in One Piece, the characters who we're meant to root for. The literal only TRUE exception we've had to this rule was Big Mom's flashback. Even fucking Doflamingo's flashback was tied to Law and Rosinante's

So the fact that we haven't gotten a single fucking GLIMPSE at Crocodile's backstory is?!?

Like sure, we haven't gotten like a Moria flashback, but you know, he literally told us all we needed to know himself, AND we got to see glimpses of him in the Wano flashbacks. Arlong didn't get a flashback of his own, but he did get to cameo in Fisher Tiger's flashback. And Rob Fucking Lucci got a flashback that was 6 whooping panels long

BUT CROCODILE?? Not only do we know almost Fuck All about his story, but also have never gotten as much as a glimpse at it? But his backstory has been HINTED and TEASED at multiple times??

GUYS. FELLAS

Like. I am SURE the "Full Backstories for Heroes Only" rule is going to get broken again, but with Imu and Blackbeard already there just BEGGING to have their beans spilled, can we even be sure Sir Fucking Crocodile is somehow going to become A Villain So Dangerous To The Narrative that he ALSO should also recieve a Full Fucking Backstory?? For his Nefarious Schemes?? AT THIS POINT??

Y'all

I think it's more likely Oda's been saving up Croc's backstory because it might just completely recontextualize his entire character

[guiltipanda]

I've already made a post about Chapter 431 not being character assassination for Izuku, but I wanted to say more. Even Izuku having a sudden realization that he's in love is not out of character for him. In fact, to me, that feels the most Izuku. (He's emotionally stupid and prone to big but obvious realizations.) But it feels wrong because it's about Uraraka.

Chapter 431 sets up that Uraraka is special to him. More special than anyone else. And for 431 chapters, that has never been shown to be the case.

Izuku does not have any significant thoughts about her throughout the course of the series. He never reflects on her as a person. The significant narrative moments they have together are, like, a handful of moments, concentrated at the beginning and end of the series, and the only time Izuku tells us how he feels about her is when she's grieving Toga's death. And that is not a well-written scene. The things Izuku says about her make no sense, given what we've seen of her throughout most of the series (Probably because Uraraka's character arc came late in the series and was not handled very well). He tells her she's his hero, but like....everyone's his hero, or has been up to that point. This is the very first moment when he treats her like she's special, and it comes at the very end of the series.

And then they don't see each other much for several years. And then all of a sudden he's in love with her.

When did this happen? We don't know. How did this happen? We weren't shown. We weren't even told in a way that makes any sense.

You can say it was obvious that they were going to end up together, but that's only because we've been conditioned to expect this result when boy x girl are teased romantically. That doesn't mean it's well written or makes sense.

"Well, that's to be expected of shounen." Yeah, well, expect better.

[the-badger-mole]

But FWIENDSHIP!!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Okay, so you all know how I get when something gets stuck in my head, but yesterday I saw a post talking about how Katara and Zuko's potential romance messes with their friendship, and I don't understand how, but that's beside the point. This is an anti-Kataang post.

I will once again admit that I don't spend a ton of time in Kataang/anti-Zutara spaces (cause I'm respectful like that), but every so often, I see one of those takes pop up in my safe area (because respect isn't always a two way street, unfortunately). It's interesting to see how many times this take seems to crop up. Katara and Zuko falling in love would ruin their friendship, yet those same people fail to acknowledge that Bryke went ahead and ruined their friendship anyway out of jealousy. These same people also tend to hold Kataang as a prime example of Friends to Lovers, the only problem is, Aang isn't Katara's friend at any point.

Throughout the series, it's made very clear that Aang likes Katara, but for most of the series (until literally the last few seconds, in fact) it's also clear that Katara only sees him as a friend. This should have been an object lesson that sometimes crushes don't work out, but friendship can be stronger than temporarily disappointed feelings. However, that's not what we get. Aang doesn't care about Katara's friendship. He doesn't want Katara in his life unless it's in a romantic capacity. We see it in how he reacts when he feels romantically rejected (lava fissure, EIP). The narrative doesn't give Katara any space to say no to Aang without it permanently damaging their relationship, because they never had the relationship Katara thought they did. Katara thought she was Aang's friend, but for Aang, their 'friendship' was just a precursor to romance. In this, the year 2023, I know we all understand why this is a problem.

Aang can't even conceive of a world where Katara does turn him down. He dreams about her enthusiastic response to his declaration of love; he assumes that since they kissed he kissed her and staked his claim, they should be together, despite there never being any sort of conversation, and the fact that the one time he did try to talk about it, she changed the subject very quickly. Katara's feelings are an afterthought for Aang, which is terrible for any relationship, but particularly in a romantic one. There is never a moment where Aang puts Katara's emotional needs ahead of his own. He never puts a value on her platonic friendship. There's never a moment where he decides that despite his feelings for her, having Katara in his life as a friend is better than not having her at all. That moment should have happened regardless of whether they ended up together or not, because friendship is the most important component of the Friends to Lovers trope.

By comparison, the friendship Katara eventually forms with Zuko is much deeper, and based on a mutual respect, understanding and emotional support for each other. This is a fantastic foundation for a romance, although bafflingly, people who laud Katara and Zuko's deep friendship don't seem to agree. Them potentially falling in love doesn't cheapen their friendship because they actually were friends first. On top of that, their Enemies to Friends journey ending romantically would not only not cheapen their friendship, it would tie into the themes of the show beautifully (the illusion of separation; love being stronger than hate; learning to respect other people's differences etc).

Let's be real, what Kataang actually represents is The Hero Gets the Girl, and I think deep down we all know that, even the ones calling it Friends to Lovers. In the Hero Gets the Girl trope, the Girl in question doesn't really matter. She's less of a romantic partner and more a prize for the Hero saving the day. Her emotional journey to falling for the Hero mostly plays out off screen, even though she may not have even liked the Hero like that initially, and the hero doesn't ever show that he respects her as a person. For the most part it works (arguably) because the Girl isn't a character in her own right, she's just part of the Hero's story. The reason it doesn't work with Kataang is that Katara is a character. She does have her own journey, and as passionate and outspoken as she is in pretty much every other aspect of her life, it doesn't make sense for her journey to falling for Aang takes place largely off screen. Not unless you understand how little Katara's feelings matter to their relationship. Had Katara actually rejected Aang, their friendship would have ended because Aang was never interested in her friendship.

It's interesting to me to see people who claim to value friendship over romance spend more time complaining about a romance that isn't canon over the actual canon ship that really does cheapen the friendship. But then again, I guess that was never the problem in the first place.

[sarafangirlart]

Every time I hear "A hero would sacrifice you for the world. A villain would sacrifice the world for you." I think of this:

[succubus-interactivefiction]

Big day!

Its back!

Yes, Symbiosis is back up. Please keep in mind that at this point in time it is simply in it's new format and has no new content, though some content has been changed or removed.

As with ALL my other projects Symbiosis is now a wlw game.

[fussystreetlight]

Imo, I think part of the problem with antis is that, since most of them are young, they haven't experienced a lot of things so they have a limited pool to draw comparisons from.

We like comparing what we're currently experiencing or about to experience to past experiences.

Is this game similar to other games we enjoyed? Does this show have the same tropes as a show we disliked? Does this moment in this book remind us of something that happened to us?

We like comparisons. They help us quickly find things we like or help us not waste our time by trying things we're probably not going to like or they help us get more invested into a show.

But antis, because they haven't been alive long, haven't seen many shows so they're very limited in their comparisons.

For example, someone I know irl who sadly leans anti-ish plays a certain new and popular farming sim. Farming sims don't have specific "ages" for their characters, but when they have romance systems, all the potential marriage partners are adults, that's a implicit given that really shouldn't need to be said. But when she saw one of the characters she told me that she wasn't going to go for him because he reminded her of a teenager and she didn't want that teenage drama. Because he reminded her of a Fruits Basket character. I haven't played this game yet, but when I looked at his profile, I couldn't see what she saw. I haven't seen FB but I have played and read a lot of farming sims and romances, including some set in high school. This character is just the typical grumpy blacksmith(/animal rancher) that's common in these types of games. Being grumpy isn't inherently a "teen" thing. And he's competitive, but that's typical in a lot romantic comedies where the two leads work at opposing companies or the, usually male lead, is in a high position at the company the female just got a job at, or when the two leads are exes. He's also apparently bad with his feelings. But that's any brooding male lead or male leads in general in older romance novels, like Mr. Darcy. None of his traits scream teenager to me. But that's where her mind went to because she needed to compare him to another character but she doesn't have that many to choose from. And a "teen" character was the closest fit she could get.

Another similar game has a character that antis love to scream is a child. She had a debilitating illness for most of her life until the player character cures her. As a result of not being able to go outside much, she's a little naive (though I hate how anties think naivety is a trait only kids can have) and still gets tutored by another character even after she's cured. She's also the only child of wealthy parents, so you could see how she could be a little sheltered. None of this makes her not an adult. Even in the official artwork she looks like a young adult, a college student, at the youngest. She looks older than the actual "kids" in the game, and is definitely more emotionally mature than them. She just hasn't been able to experience much because of her chronic illness. But just because she's not a super mature business woman who knows everything there is and because she doesn't act the same as this other character her "age" (he's an older brother who works on a farm and has to do a lot of the work himself because his father has a disability, his sister is too young to be able to help much, and his mother has to attend to a shop. People who've had different lives have different personalities also shouldn't be surprising) she's a child to antis. If anything, she reminds me of the female love interest in those old adventure novels for men. The young and "pure" women who have been "trapped" in their stuffy homes who need the manly men protagonists to "free" them and show them the world you know?

Again, we all like making comparisons. It's just that, for antis, they don't have many things to compare to. They haven't had the time or opportunity to do much so their world view is kinda limited. So when they see these characters, they compare them to real people instead of understanding that they're an amalgamation of tropes and character archetypes that have been done again and again no matter how realistic they might look.

I just feel like it's beneficial for people to try a variety of genres. Not that you can't have a preference that you stick with, but just occasionally find something outside of your circle you think looks interesting. Even if you don't like it at least you'll learn what doesn't work for you. And when you encounter something new you'll have a bigger variety to compare it to and won't need to go for the thought that makes other people look like terrible people. Cause speaking from personal experience, that gets draining after a while, and has led to a few health problems. Honestly imo being an anti sounds so unhealthy for your mental and physical health.

[darkcrowprincess]

one of the many reasons why I don't like the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series:

How I see them: Hades would no way ever cheat on Persephone(yes I ship them and ONLY follow the myths and versions where they are in love and devoted to each other, ONLY EACH OTHER. Meaning I don't like or read any other myths that says otherwise) Not for anything. Hell NO! I love Nico and Bianca Di Angelo as characters, but I hate what their existence means to Hades and Persephone's relationship. I would love Nico and Bianca if they immortals who were kidnapped and turned into mortals/demigods. But yeah this is one of the many reasons why i never finished the series and don't like the books.

(Don't like don't read. Post hate and I'll block you)

[aquarii-if]

Ngl, i thought the mystery RO would be the creepy emperor because that would've been messed up. But an inventer that's incredibly full of themselves? You surprised me.

I'll take it!!

Lmao most important person in the universe.

please, not Izar. 😭😭 ??? is the farthest I'll go for red-flag ro's. I swear, no matter how many red flags ??? has, Izar has them tenfold. There's no way I could write a romance with him without it being incredibly abusive or out-of-character. At least ??? is willing to self-reflect and work on themself for the greater good.

??? is such a complex character, lol. The invention they made is actually really helpful and important to both Chronoian and Aquariian societies and the reason behind making it is very noble, it's just the way they use said technology during the story that makes them dangerous.

Izar, on the other hand, has no justification for how he acts, he's just power-hungry. 💀

[fated-mates]

ANTIHEROINES!

If she’s a criminal, a grifter, a villain or a generally bad dude, we’re here for her, we support her, and we’re rooting for her to fall in love!

In this one, we talk about the way ANTIHEROINES play in romance, about how we hold them to different standards than antiheroes (it’s the patriarchy, that’s why!), and about why they seem to be more prevalent in historicals and paranormals than they are in contemporaries.

[emmy-hunterson-schofield]

Hear me out…

Seb as a young Count Dracula?? He has the Romanian heritage/language, the good looks, has played sinister and sensual villains/antiheroes (Bodecker, Steve Kemp, Bucky/WS, etc)… 🌹🌹🧛🥀🥀

[howifeltabouthim]

He was the opposite of the sublime, the antithesis of everything she had ever dreamed of.

Anna Biller, from Bluebeard's Castle

[miodiodavinci]

have you ever... Zola magical girls/people?

(grabs your shoulders)

did you mean one of my many oneshots / AUs from 2015-2019