AnimeSuki Forums

Gintokifan22 · 2016-03-25, 00:34

I've been searching through some really old Anime lately, I've been liking how they did the romance better compared to now. I just find it better developed is all. What about you Guy's?

Akito Kinomoto · 2016-03-25, 00:40

1. Define "old"
2. Define "new"
3. Are we talking about romance as a primary genre or romance as a secondary element? Or both?

Tempester · 2016-03-25, 01:01

Please give concrete examples of both "old" and "new" anime and elaborate on how exactly the romance was done better rather than just "better developed."

Gintokifan22 · 2016-03-25, 01:12

I define old as in 90s and or 80s, examples Hime - chan's Ribbon, in my opinion that was an excellent example of late hate relationship done right. Ask for new, well...I can't really think of one of the newer kind, the only newer ones I've seen of romance is harem Anime, the only one I can think of is Zero no Tsukamai is the only Anime that I know of that is developed ok ish. Compare the two hmm.

And we'll, any kinds of romance counts with what I'm talking about. Even some with romance in the background like Tobe! Isami. That had moments of romance.

Tempester · 2016-03-25, 02:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gintokifan22

Ask for new, well...I can't really think of one of the newer kind, the only newer ones I've seen of romance is harem Anime, the only one I can think of is Zero no Tsukamai is the only Anime that I know of that is developed ok ish. Compare the two hmm.

Well there's one problem. You're comparing old apples to new oranges.

I honestly haven't watched many romance anime, and I'm especially ignorant about romance in anime from the 90's and earlier. But now that you have brought up the subject with this thread you have made me curious. Please do tell more, I would greatly appreciate it if I could learn more about the changes in romance from the old era to the new from an experienced expert in anime romance such as you.

Dr. Casey · 2016-03-25, 06:40

The main difference between the two was probably just that pre-2000s anime had a much higher percentage of romances that were officialized and where the two characters involved actually became a couple, while endless shipteasing is something that's become much more common during the 2000s and 2010s (though there's still no small number of relationships that are realized in modern anime, of course). So, yeah, romance is probably one of the few areas where I prefer the way things were done in the old days.

judasmartel · 2016-03-25, 16:04

In the 80s and 90s, romance isn't the primary focus in anime stories, except for those that are, but good luck finding anything like that in the old days. Action anime back then can pretty much stand alone without the romance subplots, but these do give some depth to these action anime, and these are only a small part of why they are memorable.

Most people remember anime like Hokuto no Ken, Yu Yu Hakusho, Flame of Recca, Ranma 1/2, and InuYasha for the action scenes, but some do remember them for the interactions between the couples and love triangles in these stories.

HnK with Kenshiro/Yuria, YYH with Yusuke/Keiko; FoR with Recca/Yanagi, Kurei/Kurenai, and Domon/Fuuko; Ranma/Akane/Ryoga, and finally, InuYasha/Kagome.

At the turn of the millenium, romance in anime gets more and more focus as time goes on, to the point that it becomes a plot point and action anime nowadays are more remembered for the romance than the action.

ZnT is a good example of this. More people remember Saito and his harem of Louise, Siesta, Kirche, Tabitha, Henrietta, and Tiffania than the guy's exploits in a magical world, including walking into Mordor and facing 70,000 enemy soldiers all by himself.

Tempester · 2016-03-25, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

The main difference between the two was probably just that pre-2000s anime had a much higher percentage of romances that were officialized and where the two characters involved actually became a couple, while endless shipteasing is something that's become much more common during the 2000s and 2010s (though there's still no small number of relationships that are realized in modern anime, of course). So, yeah, romance is probably one of the few areas where I prefer the way things were done in the old days.

I see your point. A popular tactic in romance fiction nowadays, particular harems is the monetization of the viewers' frustration. I'm not sure how popular this was in the past compared to now but I can certainly see examples in the modern age.

Quote:

Originally Posted by judasmartel

Most people remember anime like Hokuto no Ken, Yu Yu Hakusho, Flame of Recca, Ranma 1/2, and InuYasha for the action scenes, but some do remember them for the interactions between the couples and love triangles in these stories.

Quote:

Originally Posted by judasmartel

ZnT is a good example of this. More people remember Saito and his harem of Louise, Siesta, Kirche, Tabitha, Henrietta, and Tiffania than the guy's exploits in a magical world, including walking into Mordor and facing 70,000 enemy soldiers all by himself.

Why would you directly compare Zero no Tsukaima with those? One is a romance fantasy light novel, and the rest are action/battle manga. Wouldn't picking titles such as Nanatsu no Taizai, JoJolion, and Ao no Exorcist for the present be a better comparison?

Gintokifan22 · 2016-03-25, 17:49

Hm That's odd, the older Anime I've been watching has a good mix of slice of life romance cross with magic. The main plots don't over shadow every thing. Than again, the ones I've been watching aren't well known as the ones that you named, He'll I wouldn't have known about them had I not searched around

Psyco Diver · 2016-03-25, 19:26

I would have to say animation is the biggest difference between them, and I'm not talking animation quality, many pure romance (lets not confuse Harem animes or animes with romantic undertones) but I notice most pure romance anime today use a very pastel color pallet and generally have a lack of detail especially to the background, almost using water color paint in the background. Maison Ikkoku is a wonderful romance anime but compare it to something modern like Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and the art and color is pretty obvious

To me the stories remain pretty similar (obviously being romance) but evolution in art is the difference, just compare older stuff to new and everything broken up by genre and its easy to see most genres today have a particular art style of their own

judasmartel · 2016-03-25, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempester

I see your point. A popular tactic in romance fiction nowadays, particular harems is the monetization of the viewers' frustration. I'm not sure how popular this was in the past compared to now but I can certainly see examples in the modern age.

Why would you directly compare Zero no Tsukaima with those? One is a romance fantasy light novel, and the rest are action/battle manga. Wouldn't picking titles such as Nanatsu no Taizai, JoJolion, and Ao no Exorcist for the present be a better comparison?

Because I haven't watched those shows you mentioned. Rarely been a fan of popular shows because I actually choose what I watch.

Sackett · 2016-03-25, 23:32

Maison Ikkoku, the grandmother of all romantic comedy today. Still did it better that all the ones that came after.

Even more slapstick shows like Ranma 1/2 had a deeper level to the characters. Sure it was all played for laughs, but Ranma 1/2 could have easily been a drama.

So yeah... old anime did better.

The few modern anime (like Cross Game) that handle romance well are throw backs, often written by an older author.

Spectacular_Insanity · 2016-03-26, 23:04

Are we talking Romantic Comedy? Drama? Harem? Romance secondary as accessory to action, like in... pretty much every shounen/seinen series ever?

My favorite romance for "older"/"classic" Romance is Kenshin x Kaoru from Rurouni Kenshin. A classic. The OVA series for that show is AMAZING and despite costing me $80 for the Bluray, I still bought it. Worth every penny.

Some "newer"/"modern" romances are handled well. I mean, c'mon Chihaya x Taichi from Chihayafuru? One of my all time favorite romances. Am I the only one who likes that series? Still waiting for the next sequel...

Let's not forget Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie in April. So good. I cried so hard. But so good.

I have some runners-up (a lot, actually) but I won't list them, because that would just be silly since there's so many I would mention that could qualify.

It's all subjective. And some newer anime are just older manga being adapted, and some are anime-only. So.... yeah.

Eliah1102 · 2016-03-30, 12:28

The older ones were consistently good and less cliche but the newer ones produced the best anime in romance genre like White Album 2. Clannad AS and Ef a tale of memories.

Magin · 2016-03-30, 18:58

It's basically been already pointed, but my take on it is the increase in the harem genre, which rather unfortunately has massively exploded, and not in a good way. After all, instead of trying to create one female character that embodies various traits that otaku guys want to see and have to compromise along the way... instead create multiple girls each embodying a trait. And of course, never have a clear resolution because then you're going to piss off the fans of the other girls. And if you piss them off, there goes your revenue from them.

And also unfortunately, in addition to the above flaws (let's not even get started on the 'first girl or childhood friend wins' plot), there's the fact that harems are starting to become the most associated with romance, no matter what else is going on in the show.

Kafriel · 2016-03-31, 03:53

Things haven't changed as much as you might think. There are good and bad romance stories in recent anime, as there have been in older ones; IMO it's just that the mass production of "commercial" romance has set the bar very, very low when it comes to writing a romantic story that is "okay" and as a result, there are fewer titles that would make you think they're better, or at least basically different from the mainstream trends.

Even though I say that, there are always exceptions to the rules; as Magin stated, harem stories are usually a cheap cop-out (and twofold, at that), but Rosario + Vampire was one of the most difficult harem stories to conclude, because most of the romantic interests were deeply connected to the protagonist.

...thinking again, chinese novels handle romance the best, even though they are battle-oriented (Coiling Dragon and Martial God Asura come to mind...hell, even Royal Road).

2016-03-25, 00:34	Link #1
Gintokifan22 Gintoki fan Join Date: Apr 2013	Old Anime V.S New: Which handled romance better? I've been searching through some really old Anime lately, I've been liking how they did the romance better compared to now. I just find it better developed is all. What about you Guy's? __________________ Fullmetal Alchemest - Ed fan. Inazuma Eleven - Endou fan. Marchen Awakens Romance - Ginta fan. KS Dadesico - Akito fan. Gintama - Gintoki. Yugioh Arc V - Yuya fan. Boruto fan. Lupin fan. Pairings I support : Ed x winry. Ash x Serena. Endou x Natsumi. Ginta x Dorothy fan. Luffy x Hancock. Akito x Yurika fan. Gintoki x Tysuki. Boruto X Sumire.

2016-03-25, 01:12	Link #4
Gintokifan22 Gintoki fan Join Date: Apr 2013	I define old as in 90s and or 80s, examples Hime - chan's Ribbon, in my opinion that was an excellent example of late hate relationship done right. Ask for new, well...I can't really think of one of the newer kind, the only newer ones I've seen of romance is harem Anime, the only one I can think of is Zero no Tsukamai is the only Anime that I know of that is developed ok ish. Compare the two hmm. And we'll, any kinds of romance counts with what I'm talking about. Even some with romance in the background like Tobe! Isami. That had moments of romance. __________________ Fullmetal Alchemest - Ed fan. Inazuma Eleven - Endou fan. Marchen Awakens Romance - Ginta fan. KS Dadesico - Akito fan. Gintama - Gintoki. Yugioh Arc V - Yuya fan. Boruto fan. Lupin fan. Pairings I support : Ed x winry. Ash x Serena. Endou x Natsumi. Ginta x Dorothy fan. Luffy x Hancock. Akito x Yurika fan. Gintoki x Tysuki. Boruto X Sumire.

2016-03-25, 06:40	Link #6
Dr. Casey Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tennessee Age: 36	The main difference between the two was probably just that pre-2000s anime had a much higher percentage of romances that were officialized and where the two characters involved actually became a couple, while endless shipteasing is something that's become much more common during the 2000s and 2010s (though there's still no small number of relationships that are realized in modern anime, of course). So, yeah, romance is probably one of the few areas where I prefer the way things were done in the old days. __________________

2016-03-25, 17:49	Link #9
Gintokifan22 Gintoki fan Join Date: Apr 2013	Hm That's odd, the older Anime I've been watching has a good mix of slice of life romance cross with magic. The main plots don't over shadow every thing. Than again, the ones I've been watching aren't well known as the ones that you named, He'll I wouldn't have known about them had I not searched around __________________ Fullmetal Alchemest - Ed fan. Inazuma Eleven - Endou fan. Marchen Awakens Romance - Ginta fan. KS Dadesico - Akito fan. Gintama - Gintoki. Yugioh Arc V - Yuya fan. Boruto fan. Lupin fan. Pairings I support : Ed x winry. Ash x Serena. Endou x Natsumi. Ginta x Dorothy fan. Luffy x Hancock. Akito x Yurika fan. Gintoki x Tysuki. Boruto X Sumire.

2016-03-25, 23:32	Link #12
Sackett Cross Game - I need more Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: I've moved around the American West. I've lived in Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Oklahoma Age: 44	*Maison Ikkoku, the grandmother of all romantic comedy today. Still did it better that all the ones that came after. Even more slapstick shows like Ranma 1/2* had a deeper level to the characters. Sure it was all played for laughs, but Ranma 1/2 could have easily been a drama. So yeah... old anime did better. The few modern anime (like *Cross Game) that handle romance well are throw backs, often written by an older author. __________________ Cross Game* - A Story of Love, Life, Death - and Baseball. What more could you want?

2016-03-25, 01:01	Link #3
Tempester Japanese Culture Fan Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Planet Earth Age: 33	Please give concrete examples of both "old" and "new" anime and elaborate on how exactly the romance was done better rather than just "better developed."

2016-03-25, 16:04	Link #7
judasmartel Senior Member Author Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Cainta, Rizal, Philippines	In the 80s and 90s, romance isn't the primary focus in anime stories, except for those that are, but good luck finding anything like that in the old days. Action anime back then can pretty much stand alone without the romance subplots, but these do give some depth to these action anime, and these are only a small part of why they are memorable. Most people remember anime like Hokuto no Ken, Yu Yu Hakusho, Flame of Recca, Ranma 1/2, and InuYasha for the action scenes, but some do remember them for the interactions between the couples and love triangles in these stories. HnK with Kenshiro/Yuria, YYH with Yusuke/Keiko; FoR with Recca/Yanagi, Kurei/Kurenai, and Domon/Fuuko; Ranma/Akane/Ryoga, and finally, InuYasha/Kagome. At the turn of the millenium, romance in anime gets more and more focus as time goes on, to the point that it becomes a plot point and action anime nowadays are more remembered for the romance than the action. ZnT is a good example of this. More people remember Saito and his harem of Louise, Siesta, Kirche, Tabitha, Henrietta, and Tiffania than the guy's exploits in a magical world, including walking into Mordor and facing 70,000 enemy soldiers all by himself.

2016-03-25, 19:26	Link #10
Psyco Diver Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014	I would have to say animation is the biggest difference between them, and I'm not talking animation quality, many pure romance (lets not confuse Harem animes or animes with romantic undertones) but I notice most pure romance anime today use a very pastel color pallet and generally have a lack of detail especially to the background, almost using water color paint in the background. Maison Ikkoku is a wonderful romance anime but compare it to something modern like Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and the art and color is pretty obvious To me the stories remain pretty similar (obviously being romance) but evolution in art is the difference, just compare older stuff to new and everything broken up by genre and its easy to see most genres today have a particular art style of their own

2016-03-26, 23:04	Link #13
Spectacular_Insanity Ha ha ha ha ha... Graphic Designer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Right behind you. Age: 35	Are we talking Romantic Comedy? Drama? Harem? Romance secondary as accessory to action, like in... pretty much every shounen/seinen series ever? My favorite romance for "older"/"classic" Romance is Kenshin x Kaoru from Rurouni Kenshin. A classic. The OVA series for that show is AMAZING and despite costing me $80 for the Bluray, I still bought it. Worth every penny. Some "newer"/"modern" romances are handled well. I mean, c'mon Chihaya x Taichi from Chihayafuru? One of my all time favorite romances. Am I the only one who likes that series? Still waiting for the next sequel... Let's not forget Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie in April. So good. I cried so hard. But so good. I have some runners-up (a lot, actually) but I won't list them, because that would just be silly since there's so many I would mention that could qualify. It's all subjective. And some newer anime are just older manga being adapted, and some are anime-only. So.... yeah. __________________

2016-03-30, 12:28	Link #14
Eliah1102 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2015	The older ones were consistently good and less cliche but the newer ones produced the best anime in romance genre like White Album 2. Clannad AS and Ef a tale of memories.

2016-03-30, 18:58	Link #15
Magin #1 Akashiya Moka Fan Author Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Where magic is real Age: 35	It's basically been already pointed, but my take on it is the increase in the harem genre, which rather unfortunately has massively exploded, and not in a good way. After all, instead of trying to create one female character that embodies various traits that otaku guys want to see and have to compromise along the way... instead create multiple girls each embodying a trait. And of course, never have a clear resolution because then you're going to piss off the fans of the other girls. And if you piss them off, there goes your revenue from them. And also unfortunately, in addition to the above flaws (let's not even get started on the 'first girl or childhood friend wins' plot), there's the fact that harems are starting to become the most associated with romance, no matter what else is going on in the show. __________________ Gifted...or Cursed? R+V fanfic- Chapter 4 of A Water Bride and a Vampire is now up at FF.net! All fans of Inner or Outer Moka, come join her fanclub!

2016-03-31, 03:53	Link #16
Kafriel Senior Guest Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Athens (GMT+2) Age: 35	Things haven't changed as much as you might think. There are good and bad romance stories in recent anime, as there have been in older ones; IMO it's just that the mass production of "commercial" romance has set the bar very, very low when it comes to writing a romantic story that is "okay" and as a result, there are fewer titles that would make you think they're better, or at least basically different from the mainstream trends. Even though I say that, there are always exceptions to the rules; as Magin stated, harem stories are usually a cheap cop-out (and twofold, at that), but Rosario + Vampire was one of the most difficult harem stories to conclude, because most of the romantic interests were deeply connected to the protagonist. ...thinking again, chinese novels handle romance the best, even though they are battle-oriented (Coiling Dragon and Martial God Asura come to mind...hell, even Royal Road).