I have been lurking around here for quite some time and liked reading work that is quite heavy on romance or even romance centric. But secretly, deep down, I kinda want to have works revolving around toxic romance with kinda crazy ro (like in samurai of hyuga). Since having this kind of romance in rl is extremely scary. Am i the only one that don’t really want to read healthy relationship in fiction since, well, everything is only imagination lol.
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I edited the thread title to make it clearer what it’s about, but I was quietly entertained by the original title which was “Am I the only one?” In a short answer: no, you’re definitely not! I see people asking about these kinds of romances all the time so you are definitely not alone.
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Haha thank you for editing it.
Right ! I think so too, but healthy romance is on the rage now. I mean i understand that is the goal in life (if you pursue romance in life), but since this isn’t rl i want to kind of feel how it would be
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I want well-executed and interactive romances, both healthy and non-healthy.
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If the author can make it interesting then I’m more than willing to see it through. I have never played the samurai of Hyuga but the craziness of the Jun/Ko character I keep hearing about is kinda my jam. It’s sound hilariously insane but I’m not into any historical type games though. So I may not ever play it. But I respect the author for keeping them that way regardless ,that takes a lot of guts
There was a good WIP, the name I can’t remember for the life of me. That was really spooky as you had a mysterious spouse taking caring of your wounded MC, who’s also suffering from amnesia. I think they were suppose to become more erratic and crazy as the story went on.
Damn shame it was left unfinished, loved it
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I can certainly understand wanting to enjoy a good toxic relationship in a safe format such as writing (who doesnt love a touch of venom poured down their throat every now and then).
The problem I’d have with them is that choice script games are at their core immersive literature, and immersing yourself in a toxic romance can be near as unhealthy as experiencing one. A little reading obviously won’t do any harm, but fully consuming and immersing oneself in that (like I know many of us tend to do) isn’t very good for you. This could also be true for the writers making them, writing a piece of literature can be even more immersing than just reading it, you may very well end up living and breathing your characters. I hate to step on the toes of american drug propaganda, but it’s something of a slippery slope.
If you enjoy toxic relationships in your media make sure you also spend a fair amount of time immersed back into yourself. Read responsibly.
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I read that wip too!! But it just stop before it get to the creepy part, still sad and disappointed over that haha
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Thats really true. I usually read the gut wrenching and mentally exhausting one then binge on a ton of fluff to wash it down haha
But for the life of me, there are too many healthy ones here without the poisonous one!
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I think it is both healthy and normal to explore things in fiction that can be dangerous and detestable in the real world. While Samurai of Yuga isn’t for me, I can see the appeal for others because it is a game series that keeps pushing boundaries. Also, there’s a reason why yandere ROs tend to be popular in dating sims as they can make for some exciting material.
I tend to prefer angst and characters who are not simply “good” people and whose motivations can be complex and difficult. Tei from Nameless (dating sim), for example, I consider a good unhealthy RO because his actions and worldview made sense to me based on his personal history. (Most fans of unhealthy romances would probably find him a little tame compared to other extremes.)
That said, I do like healthy and unhealthy romances, and I probably wouldn’t enjoy a romance that is only that – toxic without any redeeming factors. In a perfect world, my MC and the RO would either be two happily crazy bastards together (including the morbid but also the fun), or the RO would realize the error of their ways and change because I’d find playing a 24/7 victim!MC triggering af.
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Yeah, i think yandere got popular bcs we need to steer clear of them in rl so a ‘life’ with them kinda become a romanticized fantasy. At least i rationalize it that way haha
Thats a good point, either character development arc or satisfying ending, but i dont want them to be a goody two shoes by the end of the arc that their initial personality disappear, you know? Haha
Anyway, sometimes i want to feel kind of ‘helpless’ in this choice making 
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You dont have to become ‘good’ to stop being toxic. There exists a middle ground I like to call ‘alternately moral’ as opposed to amoral. Having a clear set of morals that strongly deviate from the norm but still include things like being respecting your partner and their boundaries, but still thinking murder and mayhem are fun tuesday activities.
For example marvels Loki in fanfiction often takes on this trope. He’s become extremely protective and fond of his friends or partners, but still enjoys some murderous fuckery, he’s become quite like this in canon too.
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I can enjoy toxic romance but it depends largely on author’s ability to write it well. RO, the role of MC in this and the dynamics between them. Apart from that, I have certain preferences e.g. I hate playing MC who is the weaker side, dominated by RO, (also when the player has to put all the effort into building relationship and in return we only get hateful insults ugh).
So actually I prefer 
MC x “normal” RO although these are much rarer.
Because I follow a lot of blogs with IFs on Tumblr, I see that toxic ones are always popular but many of them are not very well written, imo… how to say it… they are similar (in terms of personality), as if based on one pattern “what RO must be like”. I have the impression that in some games such a character is added just because author decided that there always must be one crazy guy in the cast.
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Uu i like that pov haha. While i am more towards ro, i could also see why u like that.
Both of these are rare i guess, maybe i’d go to tumblr and see what you’re talking about i haven’t explore tumblr
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Kind of a no go for me honestly. I know different people value different things, but I’d like to Input why it doesn’t do it for me.
Some people can’t read through genderlocked games, for other’s stereotypes are a taboo. I tried those romances and kinda understood the deal behind but romanticizing abusive relationships is just not something I can’t get into especially if the game leaves you no choice. It makes me feel bad, it’s hurtful to read.
I’ve played through the entire Samurai of Hyuga series, Devon sure is an author who knows what he’s doing as well as his crowd because he manages to pull every seinen trope and crank it up.
Junko, Toshie, Masami really come across as selfish enough that just being around them is degrading. Thanks to that I can say it’s not something I enjoy. Especially in a series like SoH where every character is already either abusive, abrasive, manipulative or neglectful. It Just doesn’t do it for me.
It’s not something I get the hots for, especially since I’ve seen it happen in real life. Reading this kind of fiction comes off as a weird fantasy. Harmless fantasy, often convincingly done, but not for every one.
Vanilla stuff for me.
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I think part of the reason you might feel sort of alone in liking toxic ROs is that at least on this forum, most of the non series specific discussion regarding ROs comes from the “ROs You Hate” thread where people tend to be extremely vocal of their dislike of toxic ROs. A number of the more vocal and frequent posters in general threads (along with prominent members of the community, mods, etc) are also hard anti toxic ROs so it may give the impression that the general opinion of the community leans that way.
It wouldn’t be hard to come to the conclusion that everyone only likes wholesome ROs when a common sentiment in the thread is “I don’t know how ANYONE would like [toxic RO here]” and similar statements where the poster talks in general terms (although probably unintentionally) as though they speak for the entire community when they say they dislike that RO. Sometimes real life trauma is brought up in the context of “this happened to me or someone I know irl, so I don’t see how anyone can be into that”.
I’ve also noticed that when people try to explain why they like a toxic RO to provide context for why someone might enjoy reading about that dynamic, it is often dismissed as being weird, problematic, or even insensitive towards people who have similar real life trauma.
There are fans of toxic ROs, I just don’t think they’re particularly vocal on this forum. There’s a sort of vibe, at least in the general threads, where there is a certain amount of required “correctness” (there is probably a better term) expected since the forum is slightly more formal/professional context than tumblr or twitter.
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You’re not alone, @P.S_biyanti. I gobbled up Jun’s romance, I am a firm enjoyer of well-written enemies to lovers, fictional people trying to kill my stone-cold killahs is usually courtship rituals, and generally I don’t care if it’s fucked up or not, I want it to be interesting.
Being boring and bland? That’s a far worse crime in my eyes.
I didn’t shill Jun and Hawkins for a year to be simply brushed under the rug! I will scream as loud as I need to.
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I could respect that, and as far as what i read i also read a lot of fluff, wholesome and healthy stories
I just felt after tons of that, it get boring. To make those RO non toxic their involvement would ‘lessen’ i guess (?) so we could have ‘freedom’. Ah, i don’t really know what my point is haha, anyway i could understand your view 🫶🏽
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I see ! I guess thats why i kinda feel alone in really wanting to read another jun haha
I am not really a writer so i couldn’t do it and could only hope somebody would write it, but i also understand its hard in this kinda formal setting
Still sad tho hehe
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🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
A lot of hearts for uuu since it seems we are partner in crime haha
I love the angst it brought when its enemy to lovers (not the half baked one tho) as well as the thrill of not knowing what ‘crazy’ act toxic ro could get up to, its just a needed change of pace sometimes i guess
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So true.
I was going to second @TheNobleOne but then I remembered how me liking Ava from Wayhaven make me someone who like ‘Abuse’ apparently, because their route is ‘Angtsy’ and they are ‘Broody’ …etc.
However, I do insist that I will second TheNobleOne on the fact that ‘Abuse, sexual or otherwise’ isn’t something I would ever agree that it is ‘Sexy’ in any way form, or shape. There should be a fucking Limit.
I didn’t play the 3rd game of Samurai of Hyuuga because of that whole mess with Junko. Then the Author added portraits to said character…and that kinda ruined it totally for me. And it came off more like ‘Trash Novel’. I never though the story would go that way to be honest since the beginning was so good.
Maybe I’m using the term ‘Trash Novel’ wrong here, but what I mean is kinda like a story that starts good…all mysterious, and intriguing…then BAM! here comes Volume 3 and it becomes a feast of Gore and Shocks mostly.
I liked Kill Bill for the story, music, and such. But I didn’t care for the exaggerated Blood everywhere…that was gross 