True Love born from fake

[Seiryuu]

This has been played out a few times in different ways. A girl "falls" for a guy and starts going out with him, but it turns out that it's fake. Either the girl is acting, or she's under some sort of influence or "spell". Either way, it doesn't last, but the memory of being with him remains, and when she's finally free, the lie is no longer a lie.

One big thing is that at first her real opinion of the guy is very, very low. No reason to force a girl to date someone she wouldn't mind dating. He's the sort of guy she'd never date for any reason, and the idea of holding hands, kissing, doing anything with him makes her sick. But she's forced to play this role; either she's being forced to do this on her own, or somehow her body is moving on its own under the influence of some spell or suggestion, acting as if she was truly in love despite the fact that inside she wants to stop.

Eventually it ends, either with the secret being revealed or the spell broken, and the boy leaves her, humiliated and shamed by the deception, or afraid of her anger if he was somehow responsible for her being made to do this. But somewhere along the line, she started to think it wouldn't be so bad to be with him, even started to want to be the role she played. The spell is broken, the play is over, and suddenly she finds that the act she'd played had gradually changed her feelings, until the fake romance was hiding a very real love.

Might be interesting if the guy knows from the beginning that the girl is under a spell and will be like this for a certain period of time, like a few months, and then the spell will be broken and she'll be free to do whatever she wishes. In such a situation, the guy might even make an effort to win her heart, even though he can never tell what she really feels about anything.

[kco143]

Do you have any examples of anime that used this?

[Konakaga]

Originally Posted by kco143

Do you have any examples of anime that used this?

Not exactly like what he wants, but maybe B Gata H Kei, Katanagatari, or Working might would count as examples of this.

Also the non-spell one, sounds like how the old definition of tsundere was defined .

[Divini]

I know I've seen this more than I can think of right now....

Shiori from Mahou Sensei Negima
Villeta Nu in Code Geass
Mami from Sister Princess
Flay from Gundam SEED, sort of

[Seiryuu]

Not any that I can think of at the moment, though I know they exist.

One Japanese RPG that has a deliberate version of this is:

Spoiler:

Ar Tonelico II, Melody of Metafalica. In this one, one character admits partway through that she'd gone from a boy's childhood friend to "girlfriend" because she thought she'd be able to use him to get to a city where she may find information about her lost sister. She declares that she'd never felt any real affection of any sort to him, that she'd just played along until she could get to the city. Of course, this occurs when things are stressed and dangerous, and there's some implication that while she's telling the truth, her feelings have changed lately and she truly cares for him.

I've heard about an H anime called Saimin Gakuen that's got a bit of this.

Spoiler:

When the main character finds out that his girlfriend had been under the influence of brainwashing the entire time, he breaks the suggestion and forces her to admit how she really felt being with him. She replies that it was disgusting... at first, but later she started to like him. The shock, combined with things he'd done beforehand in anger, is too much and he runs away.

Not very developed, but H works tend to do that. They may try out plot ideas, especially since many of the writers hope to one day write mainstream and want to experiment, but they only take them as far as they have to to sell it.

[MeoTwister5]

This may actually be one of the more apt definitions of Tsukishima Aoba of Cross Game.

[monir]

Yo Seiryuu. Well, aren't you trying out Katanagatari already? I thought you were. It is playing out that very theme by vying on subtlety. Nothing else comes to mind though such theme is plenty enough on TV shows and movies.

[Qwey]

I can't think of any anime, but there's a fantasy trilogy that uses this as a major plot device. The first book is called Medalon. Its a decent series, with what you're asking for being especially prominent in the second book (I believe its called Treason Keep).

[risingstar3110]

How's about Durarara!?

[Haak]

I would second Durarara!! except it only applies to the one of the characters and only becomes part of the main storyline near the end. I think Summer Wars counts and maybe School Rumble, aswell.

[Seiryuu]

Originally Posted by monir

Yo Seiryuu. Well, aren't you trying out Katanagatari already? I thought you were. It is playing out that very theme by vying on subtlety. Nothing else comes to mind though such theme is plenty enough on TV shows and movies.

I've only seen a bit so far, but I'm not sure how much this fits. What I've seen so far has the girl openly wanting the boy to love her, and making it clear that she wants him to be in love with her for specific, non-romantic reasons, but she hasn't suggested anything about reciprocation. And the boy knows how painful and sickening it must be for her to come to him for help, much less to make him serve her for the sake of love. I haven't seen her putting on a front of being in love with him.

I'm looking for something where either the girl is forced to act as if she's in love with him, or brainwashed so that to some degree she actually believes she is in love with him. Or where the girl chooses to pretend for some reason. For instance, there've been a couple shorts I've read where a girl loses a bet and is forced to go out with the least popular guy at school. There's also plenty of stuff in America where the boy does this to a girl, usually as a bet or job, frequently with a makeover for the girl involved.

So the two things I'm looking for are a brainwashed girl who's eventually freed from her "spell" at some point after she's gotten to know the boy and really love him, or a girl who for some reason is playing the boy, putting on a girlfriend act for some personal objective, and then finds that she's falling in love with him.

One thing I thought of that surprisingly no one's mentioned yet but sort of fits is Ookami Kakushi. One major part of the character conflict comes from something that partially fits the first of the two scenarios I mentioned.

Spoiler:

Hiro doesn't know it, but he apparently naturally produces massive amounts of what to many of the villagers is a "love potion" or aphrodisiac. Isuzu clings to Hiro for a long time, and for much of that time it seems like she's mainly attracted to him on account of his special aphrodisiac scent. Difference here is that this isn't something that can be turned off, only suppressed, so no matter how long she struggles with it, there will always be some doubt as to how much of her feelings come from the attraction of his scent and how much comes from true love, though it's clear that that love is there.

[ByakuyaKuchiki]

The manhwa Goong fits this kind of, with a few differences.

Spoiler:

The main female hated the main male and vice versa, but they were forced into a marriage due to a promise their grandfather's made years before. They have to appear in love to the public because she married into the royal family so there is alot of press coverage, but behind closed doors they are distant and sometimes hostile.

They do realize they actually love each other eventually.

Lots and lots and lots of drama and waiting for new chapters is pretty painful.

Not exactly what you asked for but it was the first thing that came to mind.

[ID555]

Wow! Thank you for recommending Goong! It's been a while since I read a great manga. It never loses its sense of humor, and the romantic moments are totally worth going through the drama for.
Great, non-generic shojo art too (with the exception of wierd rabbit mouths)

[noktown]

Try lovely complex maybe,a short guy and a really tall girl hated each other at first,then slowly started falling in love,despite the weirdness ;o

[tyranuus]

for some reason is playing the boy, putting on a girlfriend act for some personal objective, and then finds that she's falling in love with him.

Pretty much sums up B Gata H Kei...the female protagonist originally wants to win over the male protagonist (who's just an average guy) as the first in a line of relationships because the guy's a virgin, and she can use him to gain experience. She treats and thinks of him as such, however gradually begins to realise she's actually falling for him, although in true Tsundere fashion she really doesnt want to admit it.

She's a bit egotistic, and she's obsessive in that regards, but it can be quite funny nonetheless. Definately counts as true love from a fake relationship though.

[Seiryuu]

Originally Posted by tyranuus

Pretty much sums up B Gata H Kei...the female protagonist originally wants to win over the male protagonist (who's just an average guy) as the first in a line of relationships because the guy's a virgin, and she can use him to gain experience. She treats and thinks of him as such, however gradually begins to realise she's actually falling for him, although in true Tsundere fashion she really doesnt want to admit it.

She's a bit egotistic, and she's obsessive in that regards, but it can be quite funny nonetheless. Definately counts as true love from a fake relationship though.

I agree that it fits somewhat, and it honestly was one of my absolute favorite shows. Is there anything where the girl's using a specific person, not just some guy she happened upon? Or where the girl's deliberate or coerced play has crueler intent?