Romance manga were bad before the Reiwa era

[cibino1]

Now, before you crucify me for this take, at least hear me out. Obviously I have not read every romance manga this is just my opinion. I have been an avid manga reader for most of my life, from my teens into my adult life.

Romance manga have always been both my favorite and least favorite types to read, and the reason is because I always felt most authors had no real concept of people's emotions or at least a shallow one. Most of us know the trope of. Graduating? It must be the end of the series. OH! They kissed! Oh, the series is over.


Of course, there have been beloved Romance manga from before the Reiwa era.

Horimiya,

Komi-san wa Komyushou Desu,

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen,

Sweat and Soap.

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But the sheer number of fantastic romance series that have come out across all romance genres since the Reiwa era cannot be denied. In the last few years, we have had series like


Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru,

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All,

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku,

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu,

Tsumiki Ogami's Not-So-Ordinary Life,

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Just to name a few of the popular ones often talked about. At minimum, the sheer variety should be commended. I'd argue not even the peak of the Reiwa era, just the most talked about.

Maybe it was the way Japanese magazines maximised profit, but the tedium of slow-walked romances ending when the leads confess their feelings is awful, and I'm so glad it's dead for the most part.

Of course, the Reiwa era has its problems to but the sheer variety and the fact that the majority don't end after the confession is 100X better for the genre than the downsides.

 

[GipoScribantino]

The old shoujo and josei from the early 00s were wild, the ones you list don't hold a candle to them.

They were replaced by the slow burn type works at some point though, that's true.

 

[cibino1]

The old shoujo and josei from the early 00s were wild, the ones you list don't hold a candle to them.

They were replaced by the slow burn type works at some point though, that's true.

I actually thought about putting a section on Josei for that exact reason. For as long as I can remember, it's been the smutty genre where relationship progression was the point, even if they meandered, it was fine because it's not like we took 40 chapters to get to a confession.

 

[Manko-sensei]

If those examples are meant to be the representatives of Romance... then the genre must be damn terrible.

 

[Madologist]

I think this is the equivalent of stating "there were no good Godzilla movies before Reiwa".

 

[cibino1]

I think this is the equivalent of stating "there were no good Godzilla movies before Reiwa".

Oh, you poor bastard, you activated my autism trap card. I have watched every Godzilla film from the start to the latest.
Objectively, the Godzilla series was in decline at the end of the Showa Era. It pretty much killed the Godzilla franchise till a little-known movie called Shin Godzilla came out in 2016(which is when Id say we started seeing changes in romance manga as well) and reinvigorated the Godzilla franchise.

The first movie to come out(of Japan) in the Reiwa Era was Godzilla Minus One, which has won more awards than any other Godzilla movie and has gained global recognition, something that has not happened in the franchise since, for the most part, the start. So while I won't argue Godzilla was bad before the Reiwa Era some might try.

 

[Madologist]

Oh, you poor bastard, you activated my autism trap card. I have watched every Godzilla film from the start to the latest.
Objectively, the Godzilla series was in decline at the end of the Showa Era. It pretty much killed the Godzilla franchise till a little-known movie called Shin Godzilla came out in 2016(which is when Id say we started seeing changes in romance manga as well) and reinvigorated the Godzilla franchise.

The first movie to come out(of Japan) in the Reiwa Era was Godzilla Minus One, which has won more awards than any other Godzilla movie and has gained global recognition, something that has not happened in the franchise since, for the most part, the start. So while I won't argue Godzilla was bad before the Reiwa Era some might try.

Now harness that same autism and go read something that wasn't released in the last 10 years.
forgot the loli of sarcasm

 

[cibino1]

Now harness that same autism and go read something that wasn't released in the last 10 years.

I mean, I thought we were just memeing, but I'm starting to think you are the type of person that made me put the "Now, before you crucify me for this take," type of person.

Obviously, I've read tons of good hell even great, romance series made before the Reiwa era. But again, you have to do some crazy mental gymnastics to think the Reiwa Era isn't just straight better in most categories.