Romantic comedies are a popular genre that has been around for many years. However, there has been a lot of debate around whether these stories should end after the main couple confesses their love for each other. Even well-known authors like Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha) have expressed the idea that once the characters say “I love you,” the story is over.
Many romantic comedy authors, therefore, choose to leave the confession of love for the end of the story or start with it in the first episode. This decision is to avoid artificially extending the plot, which can make the story become long and uninteresting. Japanese fans have also suggested that the only way to continue the story after the confession is have intimate relations or end the relationship due to some problem. They have suggested that the story can continue for one or two chapters after the confession. However, extending the plot can result in a tedious experience.
Despite this idea, some exceptions exist to this rule. For instance, Tonikaku Kawaii has decided to make the characters a couple from the beginning, resulting in a story that is different from typical romantic comedies. Additionally, some fans have pointed out that shojo manga better develop romantic relationships, while shonen manga focus more on developing the comedy aspect.
So, let’s check out what Japanese fans had to say about it:
- «It seems that the only way to continue the story is to have them have sex or make them end the relationship because of a problem.».
- «The development after they become engaged usually becomes boring, the correct thing is to only dedicate one or two chapters to them after the confession».
- «Are there mangas that continue their serialization after the confession? After that, everything becomes monotonous.».
- «Well, even after the confession, since you’ve already read like 200 chapters, you’ll have to eat the whole shitty story to at least finish the manga.».
- «Tonikaku Kawaii opted to make them a couple from the beginning. It is very different, in the other stories it is assumed that the goal is to become boyfriends. So when they do, what’s the point of continuing to write the story?».
- «Kaguya-sama: Love is War was good until the moment of the confession, then it seems that Aka Akasaka didn’t know how to keep it interesting».
- «Normally, when the protagonist manages to confess his feelings to the girl, the story continues for about two or three chapters where it is shown that they got married or had children. So yes, when love is confessed, the story ends».
- «Well, I must admit that there are many more arguments in favor of this theory than against it, although I must say that shojo develop love relationships better, while shonen develop comedy better.».
- «I think that when the protagonist finally finds a partner, readers stop identifying with him and get bored.».
- «That’s why shojo rom-coms are so much better».
- «It seems that when the main couple is finally established, the authors start to develop the secondary couples that nobody cares about at this point.».
- «Stories like “Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai” or “Komi-san wa, Komyushou Desu” already had their confession, but I find the fact that the authors artificially extend the story so artificially just so that couples have their first kiss I find it incredibly boring.».
- «And meanwhile, there are authors who believe that readers will have enough patience to wait for more than 300 chapters to make the protagonists confess their love. Thanks to the free market, there are dozens of better rom-coms out there!».
Conclusion
In summary, although the theory that romantic comedies should end after the confession has several arguments in favor, there are exceptions to the rule. The key point is that authors should focus on the experience and avoid artificially extending the plot. Therefore, it is essential to find a balance between the confession of love and the development of the story.
Source: Yaraon!
