this is what comes from a hyper brain
One reason I got sucked into watching anime was because the narrative conventions are so different from Western ones. Today, I was watching Toshokan Sensou (which is begging for a post in and of itself) and reading Special A, and pondering relationship differences. Let me elaborate on some of them.
Use the following guide in case you're perplexed about who's going to end up with each other in anime or manga. Either that, or use it to figure out which pairings will immediately leap to a fangirl's mind when she sees an anime or manga.
1. Opposites repel
Ever heard of the saying, opposites attract? You have? Well, the writers here haven't. In fact, they seem to enjoy pairing up people who are almost exactly alike each other. Even their gender is sometimes the same.
2. Hate is just another word for Love
Once a character says "I hate you!" to another, the probability of the two ending up in a relationship jumps by a factor of 1 million. Occasionally, even "I dislike you" is enough.
3. Fighting is just another word for Love
Another unwritten law in anime or manga is that if two characters constantly fight or argue with each other, they will end up as a pairing. There is no deviation from this law. Every character must obey it.
4. The bad boy/girl gets the girl/boy
This is used to some extent in Western narratives, but it is used to an uncommon degree in anime and manga. If you're not sure who will be the main love interest in a story, try looking for characters that have a) a motorcycle, b) a leather coat, c) a leader of a yakuza clan, d) a former leader of a yakuza clan, e) wear a perpetual frown, or f) seem like nasty people but are just "misunderstood."
5. Rivalry is just another word for Love
This often, but not always, goes hand and hand with 2 and 3.
Pairings conforming to these rules: Kei and Hikari (Special A), Dojo and Kasahara (Toshokan Sensou), Gintoki and Hijikata/Okita and Kagura (Gintama), Kyo and Tohru (Fruits Basket), Ryuuji and Aisaka (Toradora), Yuji and Shana (Shakugan no Shana), Saito and Louise (Zero no Tsukaima), Kenshin and Kaoru (Rurouni Kenshin), Watanuki and Doumeki (xxxholic), Haruhi and Kyon (MoHS), Otani and Risa (Lovely Complex), Zero and Yuki (Vampire Knight), Irie and Kotoko (Itazura na Kiss), Hei and Misaki (Darker than Black), Light and L (L and Light?) (Death Note)...need I go on?
Use the following guide in case you're perplexed about who's going to end up with each other in anime or manga. Either that, or use it to figure out which pairings will immediately leap to a fangirl's mind when she sees an anime or manga.
1. Opposites repel
Ever heard of the saying, opposites attract? You have? Well, the writers here haven't. In fact, they seem to enjoy pairing up people who are almost exactly alike each other. Even their gender is sometimes the same.
2. Hate is just another word for Love
Once a character says "I hate you!" to another, the probability of the two ending up in a relationship jumps by a factor of 1 million. Occasionally, even "I dislike you" is enough.
3. Fighting is just another word for Love
Another unwritten law in anime or manga is that if two characters constantly fight or argue with each other, they will end up as a pairing. There is no deviation from this law. Every character must obey it.
4. The bad boy/girl gets the girl/boy
This is used to some extent in Western narratives, but it is used to an uncommon degree in anime and manga. If you're not sure who will be the main love interest in a story, try looking for characters that have a) a motorcycle, b) a leather coat, c) a leader of a yakuza clan, d) a former leader of a yakuza clan, e) wear a perpetual frown, or f) seem like nasty people but are just "misunderstood."
5. Rivalry is just another word for Love
This often, but not always, goes hand and hand with 2 and 3.
Pairings conforming to these rules: Kei and Hikari (Special A), Dojo and Kasahara (Toshokan Sensou), Gintoki and Hijikata/Okita and Kagura (Gintama), Kyo and Tohru (Fruits Basket), Ryuuji and Aisaka (Toradora), Yuji and Shana (Shakugan no Shana), Saito and Louise (Zero no Tsukaima), Kenshin and Kaoru (Rurouni Kenshin), Watanuki and Doumeki (xxxholic), Haruhi and Kyon (MoHS), Otani and Risa (Lovely Complex), Zero and Yuki (Vampire Knight), Irie and Kotoko (Itazura na Kiss), Hei and Misaki (Darker than Black), Light and L (L and Light?) (Death Note)...need I go on?