| 1 | ->To fans of ''[=BoBoiBoy=]'', please stop speculating and suggesting for the characters to have romantic relationships. Thank you for your support but they are just best friends. Our vision is to create one of the best friendship stories. Don't speculate further. |
| 2 | -->-- [[https://www.facebook.com/share/wqMgqKmnEDEoGaUd/?mibextid=WC7FNe Facebook post]] by '''Nizam Abd Razak''', creator of ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | When the writers make it clear that there will be no romance between any of the lead characters. There are a few ways around this, such as giving the characters [[TheGhost offscreen]] significant others, or making the characters a [[TrueCompanions figurative]] or [[TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether literal family group]] and/or [[BrotherSisterTeam siblings]], but on-screen romance still remains non-existent. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Another trick is to [[AdultsAreUseless ratchet the age]] [[ThereAreNoAdults of the characters]] down so it's realistic for them to not be thinking about such things. Particularly common in children's entertainment. One may also make the characters rather mature such as late middle age or older, suggesting that they would be past that sort of thing by then. They could also just be HappilyMarried (to someone offscreen) or an established FamilyMan, even if said spouse and kids are never seen. Common with CoolOldLady or CoolOldGuy main characters. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | English dubbing of anime, especially those targeted at younger demographics, at times tends to remove or change overtly romantic-sounding dialog with something more [[ThePowerOfFriendship friendship related]]. [[{{Dubtext}} Or occasionally it goes in the opposite direction]] -- adding it in when such context is not in the original version. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | [[ShippingTropes Doesn't stop Shipping]] [[ToyShip in any]] [[GhostShipping way]], [[CargoShip shape]], [[CrossoverShip or form]]. In some occasions, the writers change their mind along the way and [[RelationshipUpgrade decide to reward fans with an intimate relationship]], even if only at the [[LastMinuteHookup very last second]]. Some writers use the rule as a way to ramp up {{UST}} between characters. If the couple talk explicitly about love but aren't interested in sex, that's ChastityCouple. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | One way to show romantic initiative from the characters without actually putting love in the story is if AllLoveIsUnrequited. Can lead to tons of {{Starboarding}}. Can be used to avoid any {{Romantic Plot Tumor}}s. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Compare and contrast ShipSinking. Also see HatesBeingTouched. If a work with this aspect has a ValentinesDayEpisode, expect at least one PlatonicValentine. |
| 15 | ---- |
| 16 | !!Examples: |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 21 | * ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'': Despite taking place in high school, it is devoid of romance and romance is mentioned very little, focusing instead on gags and friendship. The only character in a relationship is Mr. Kimura, who has a wife and daughter. |
| 22 | * ''[[Anime/{{Bakugan}} Bakugan Battle Brawlers]]'': In the Japanese dub, Runo repeatedly screams that she's in love with Dan and is finally comfortable with admitting it as part of a plot point, which was changed to a loud declaration of being best friends in the English dub. |
| 23 | * ''Manga/{{Barakamon}}'': Everyone is either older and married with children, or single, and the few times one of those single characters showed romantic interest in another, it wasn't returned. The only non-married characters shown to be in a relationship are two side characters from the later part of the manga, and they are forced to keep their relationship secret. |
| 24 | * Nelvana's ''[[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Cardcaptors]]'' dub managed to [[{{Macekre}} turn a romance-heavy anime into]] a No Hugging, No Kissing series. This isn't just about the controversial stuff (things like KissingCousins or huge age gaps between partners); even the most acceptable pairs (mainly Syaoran/Sakura) became devoid of romantic interest. This became particularly bad in the Sakura Cards arc, in which Syaoran's feelings towards Sakura sometimes got 50% of an episode. In the dub, all the romantic scenes are cut out and the dialogue is changed to some more generic subjects (fighting the forces of evil, etc). To fill in the minutes of lost footage, many flashbacks were added. For example, while ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' last episode is an intense, emotion-filled finale, ''Cardcaptors''' last episode is almost a ClipShow. |
| 25 | * According to WordOfGod, ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' isn't so much about romance than teenage boys (and some girls) doing things. In fact, the closest things to romance the series have are the Literature Girl and Emi's crushes towards Hidenori, and even then they are one-sided (and in the latter's case, it was even grounded by SurpriseIncest). |
| 26 | -->"[[OutOfFocus The main characters are almost never there]], [[TheFaceless the female characters don't even get faces]] and love [[EventFlag flags]] get destroyed all over the place...[[SelfDeprecation so why is this so popular]]?!" |
| 27 | * ''Manga/Eyeshield21'': While there are several instances of ShipTease (mostly between [[TheHero Sena]] and [[PomPomGirl Suzuna]] on one hand and [[TheCaptain Hiruma]] and [[CoolBigSis Mamori]] on the other), it is first and foremost a manga about ''American Football,'' so absolutely nothing to do with romance is ever addressed in a conclusive manner. |
| 28 | * Unlike the manga, ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' has basically no romance. Early on there are signs of attraction between Ed and Winry, but as the story split off from the manga, their relationship became more like siblings. And then there is Rose who is clearly crushing on Ed, but he either doesn't notice or pretends he doesn't notice. [[spoiler:And in the end, Ed ends up in an alternate world, ending any potential of him getting with either girl anyway.]] The finale ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'' was supposed to have a LoveTriangle between Alfons, Ed, and Noah but this was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen scrapped mid-development]], leading to a film devoid of any romance except ''possibly'' [[spoiler:Winry's hug and goodbye with Edward]] and the German Hughes'. As far as everyone else goes, Mustang and Hawkeye get ShipTease during the ending but little more, and Al's manga love interest doesn't even appear/exist in this version. |
| 29 | * ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'' was written with no romance in mind at all. In an interview, the director specifically stated that he considered the political and symbolic relationship between the show's two leads more important than any potential romance; he also said "I can't write boy-girl romance", putting him in the same boat as Creator/AkiraToriyama. Despite that, there are some rather obvious romantic overtones in the Duo/Hilde relationship, and [[spoiler:Heero and Relena even actually do share a kiss in the only canonical manga spin-off]]. The most seriously built up romantic connection, in the sense that it would be really cruel to take these two apart, and they build an emotional link and seem to fit together and all that, is Trowa and Quatre. It doesn't have to be sexual, but it's sure as hell romantic. As an aside, despite the director's statements, the same interview had him saying that just because he can't and didn't wrote romantic elements into the series doesn't mean they don't exist. He even said that he could easily see Heero and Relena becoming a couple somewhere down the line when their lives aren't quite so hectic. [[spoiler:Which is exactly what happens at the end of the sequel novel ''Frozen Teardrop''.]] |
| 30 | * ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' contains absolutely no romance. The only vague implications of romance comes from a minor character being pregnant. At first glance it seems like Reki had a romance with TheOneGuy {{Childhood Friend|Romance}} Hyouko, however Hyouko and Reki's relationship (and by extension, Midori and Hyouko's relationship) are platonic. It's unknown if Haibane are asexual or if the characters simply have no interest in each other. |
| 31 | * Creator/HayaoMiyazaki has only ever made two movies that heavily focus on romance, ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle '' and ''Anime/TheWindRises '' (the former of which was a project he inherited). He’s made a point to never have it in his movies aimed at kids because he sees romance in children’s fiction (especially works aimed at girls) as trite and overdone. He’d rather have kids learn about other things in life. |
| 32 | * ''Manga/HeavensDesignTeam'': Lampshaded by Venus, who complains that the office is lacking any sort of romance. None of the main characters ever show the slightest hint of romantic interest towards one another, and the one ShipTease moment between Mars and Mercury is immidiately subverted within about three panels. |
| 33 | * ''Manga/HowToKeepAMummy'', despite being a slice-of-life dramedy with both male and female protagonists, has zero hint of romance between them. Sora and Tazuki would love having Asa as a ''little sister'', and Asa shows no romantic attraction to any of the boys. The only vague elements of romance are Tazuki’s crush on Sora’s aunt Kaede (who’s 12 years older) and Tazuki’s little sister Tsukiyo being in love with Sora. The former is obviously unrequited and played more as an occasional RunningGag, and the latter is a minor character to begin with. |
| 34 | * ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': Probably the reason the series is a total sausagefest. Any women are minor characters who don't stick around long. The two main characters are also prepubescent. |
| 35 | * ''Anime/TheIdolmasterSideM'': Despite the [[Anime/TheIdolmaster previous]] [[Anime/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls two]] anime having a few of their characters with at least a crush on their opposite-sex Producer, this series decides to go with a male one to match the idols and decidedly plays his relationship with them as a professional one with no ShipTease at all. |
| 36 | * ''Manga/KeepYourHandsOffEizouken'' is a comedic although surprisingly deep series about one half-pinty CloudCuckooLander, one pragmatic [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] extortionist with a MoneyFetish and one WideEyedIdealist joining their forces to make anime. Naturally to be as faithful to its plot as possible and not contradict its characters' quirky personalities it deliberately avoids any romance whatsoever. |
| 37 | * ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia2017'': WordOfGod is that it won't have any ships become canon, with the original intention of having [[IneptMage Akko]] and [[BlueBlood Andrew]] ending up as a couple being scrapped in favor of them being JustFriends despite the subtext between them. Even the FanPreferredCouple of [[DefrostingIceQueen Diana]] and Akko was denied by the creators, despite the ship also having quite a bit of subtext in the show. In any case, they've encouraged fans to do as they please in fanficiton. |
| 38 | * WordOfGod: "There is no romance in ''Manga/LuckyStar''." One side character is briefly mentioned to have a boyfriend, but he never shows up. They go so far as to have a scene that sets up what looks like a love confession, [[spoiler:and then it turns out the guy wanted to talk to Kagami so he could beg her Yatsuhashi doll off of her.]] |
| 39 | * ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': The series has almost no romance onscreen, although [[ShipTease quite a lot is implied]]. Aside from Nanoha's brother and his girlfriend, the only confirmed relationship is between Amy and Chrono, and these characters mostly [[DemotedToExtra vanish after the second season]], and even when they were a part of the show nothing actually happens onscreen. There are several character pairs that have romantic overtones, but none of them are ever explicitly shown to be more than friendship. |
| 40 | * Creator/NaokiUrasawa's ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' is probably the only anime that can regularly feature a [[LoveChart relationship/connections chart]] between its characters without ''even one'' romantic relationship. Eva had a few minor ones (none of them ended well), there was an old man and woman in a town Tenma went through that were implied to have developed a relationship after he left, and [[spoiler:Johan disguised as Nina]] seduced intel out of a young detective with pure romance in volume 11. |
| 41 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has a downplayed case. The manga lacks any ShipTease between most characters, and even the situation between the protagonists Midoriya and Uraraka is kind of left in the backseat so much, most arcs can go on without that being mentioned, since that is the only canon love interest in the plot. In this case, SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome, as it's heavily implied that being a Hero is a job that consumes your life, as almost no heroes shown so far seem to have any sort of romantic relationship. |
| 42 | * ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'' has almost no romance between the characters at all and focuses much more on supernatural elements, which is rather unusual for a {{shoujo|Demographic}} series. In one of the [[WordOfGod author freetalk sections]] in the first volume of the manga, creator Yuki Midorikawa mentions that she wanted to "make a supernatural manga without much of a romantic element". |
| 43 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': Author Creator/EiichiroOda openly declared that there would not be any romance in the series, and instead focuses on the series theme of friendship, stating that [[RomanticPlotTumor romantic scenes would ruin the exciting, party-like mood in the story that appeals to boys or the boyish at heart.]] ''One Piece'' may have some characters who are in love, but Oda's never going to write romance into the story because it would ruin the mood it's established. According to Oda, if you want that kind of thing you should probably read a girl's manga. Parodied in one letter written to Mr. Oda. |
| 44 | -->"Are any of the characters in love?"\ |
| 45 | "Yes, they're in love...WITH ADVENTURE!" |
| 46 | ** Minor exceptions: Rayleigh and Shakky are referred to as a "cute married couple", and Oda [[WordOfGod confirmed later]] in a data book that they’re married. Usopp has a potential {{Love Interest|s}}, Kaya, waiting at home for him, but they hadn't yet reached the point of OfficialCouple when he left. Mr. 9 and Miss Monday were shown to have a kid in a cover page. A large part of Kyros' flashback is about Kyros' relationship to Scarlet, and how she falls in love with him. It's also a defining aspect of Boa Hancock's character that she's ''fanatically'' in love with Luffy, and after the TimeSkip he's no longer [[ObliviousToLove oblivious to her feelings]] either, although he is quite clear that he only likes her as a good friend. |
| 47 | ** Despite Oda's protests, the series is actually getting the closest it ever has to real romance involving major characters, with [[spoiler:[[ChivalrousPervert Sanji]] being on the cusp of going through with his ArrangedMarriage to the lovely Charlotte Pudding. Surprisingly, it ''would'' be a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage, as the two of them are [[LadykillerInLove almost perfect for each other]], but Sanji doesn't want to go through with it only because he doesn't want to leave the Straw Hats and is only doing so because he's being blackmailed by his [[AbusiveParents horrible father]], and while Pudding has completely fallen for him, [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy she'd be willing to free him if it were possible]]. No matter how events pan out,[[note]]and let's face it, [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt there's no way they're ACTUALLY going to get married]][[/note]] it's pretty hard to claim there isn't at least a ''spark'' of real romance there.]] |
| 48 | *** [[spoiler:Of course, this promptly got [[ShipSinking shot in the head]] with the reveal that Pudding is actually EvilAllAlong and intends to kill Sanji and his entire family. ''That'' is then shot again in the head when it turns out she might actually like him for real after he complimented her third eye...which is PlayedForLaughs...]] |
| 49 | *** And then totally PlayedStraight after [[spoiler: Pudding removes the memories of TheBigDamnKiss of her and Sanji in order to not inconvenience him further. The scene is quite a TearJerker.]] |
| 50 | ** The Wano arc: |
| 51 | *** Kozuki Hiyori is explicitly attracted to Zoro and even has a SleepCute moment with him. However unlike Sanji, Zoro is a ChasteHero so he doesn’t respond to her advances and given Oda’s track record, no RelationshipUpgrade is likely to come from it anyway. |
| 52 | *** Wano flashbacks show Kozuki Oden meeting his future wife Toki, but Oda notably skims over the falling in love part and naughty bits until their children are born. |
| 53 | * ''[[Franchise/{{Patlabor}} Patlabor: The Mobile Police]]'': While the exact nature of Noa and Asuma's relationship remains in question, they're very close and have been known to go out while they're off-duty. They think of it as 'hanging out', though it's ''{{implied|LoveInterest}}'' that it might be deeper than that. [[spoiler:Confirmed in ''[[Film/TheNextGenerationPatlabor The Next Generation]]'', which serves as the series' DistantFinale, by which time Noa and Asuma are said to be HappilyMarried.]] |
| 54 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 55 | ** In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': it seems like the only couples allowed consist of minor characters. None of the main characters are in a relationship, and the only ones who want one are Brock and later Serena. Ash is a ChickMagnet but is ObliviousToLove. Not even the Pokémon themselves get much romance, despite breeding being a thing in the games and being present in other adaptations like ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', although there are some exceptions to this, such as Ash's Butterfree and Jessie's Dustox (and even then, we barely get to see their romance). However, in the original soundtrack, "Music/Pokemon2BAMaster", there is a love song which implies that Misty has strong feelings for Ash; while it was added in by 4Kids, the original Japanese version of the anime had ShipTease between Satoshi and Kasumi too, though it's never been confirmed as anything concrete. Ash was kissed by two movie-only characters (Melody and Latias) and in-series [[spoiler:Serena]] kissed him as well in the final episode of ''XY&Z''. Even then, for the last one, the camera [[KissingDiscretionShot cuts away]] from their faces which suggests it's a mouth-to-mouth kiss.[[note]]Word of God stated that any ambiguity in the kissing scene so it can be on TV in the first place. In Japan, onscreen lip kisses are forbidden in children's media.[[/note]] Professors Kukui and Burnet also do get married onscreen in ''Sun and Moon'', though with no onscreen kissing between them. |
| 56 | ** As for ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' itself, an official relationship chart states that all the relationships between the current main characters are platonic apart from a single one-sided crush and ''the'' one couple whose romance was the major focus of their arc(s). ShipTease abounds but {{Official Couple}}s do not. |
| 57 | * ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWar'': The original novels keep romance off the radar. There's more of it in the anime adaptations, but other than Deedlit's crush on Parn, most of it is kept low-key. |
| 58 | * ''Anime/RuneSoldierLouie'' is [[ParodiedTrope a parody]] of the HaremGenre. So despite joining a travelling party of single women, [[StrictlyProfessionalRelationship none of them have any romantic feelings]] [[JustFriends towards Louie]]. Likewise, even though [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Ila]] is secretly in love with him, [[ObliviousToHints he fails to notice it]] and she never tells him. |
| 59 | * ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'': The author of the novels [[WordOfGod stated]] that there would be no romance (again, like Toriyama, because he felt like he'd be poor at writing it), and whatever comes about resembling romance is either PlayedForLaughs or [[AllLoveIsUnrequited unrequited]] (namely the relationsip between Luke and Millina). When the anime was made, however, Lina and Gourry were cemented as an OfficialCouple, [[spoiler:even sharing a ([[LaserGuidedAmnesia not remembered]]) kiss]], and there was plenty of ShipTease for Amelia and Zelgadis, who were strictly friends in the novels. A few more couples were thrown in for good measure. Later on, Kanzaka [[WordOfGod admitted]] that he didn't plan it, but realized that the characters all fell in love on their own. |
| 60 | * ''Manga/SoulEater'': Despite how deep most of the relationships tend to run -- with Soul and Maka being the most canon example -- [[WordOfGod according to Ohkubo]] in an interview he doesn't plan on taking any of them to a romantic level. Though he also tends to troll his fans so whether or not he's being honest is unsure, and the ShipTease isn't helping. |
| 61 | * Downplayed in ''Manga/SuperwomenInLove''; while mention is made of romance and hugging, nobody ever says a word about sex or kissing. |
| 62 | * ''Anime/VariableGeo'': As hot as the VG waitresses are, you'd think they'd have guys lining up around the block for the chance to be with them. Yet, aside from Reimi's [[SleepingWithTheBoss secret relationship]] with Washio and Yuuki's [[IncompatibleOrientation unrequited lust]] for Satomi, none of them have boyfriends, nor do they seem to have any interest in dating. The subject never even comes up. |
| 63 | * ''Manga/WorldTrigger'': Downplayed. Crushes exist, but otherwise, romance is close to nonexistent. It's telling that the closest thing to an OfficialCouple is [[PuppyLove Chika and Yuzuru]] (a so far one-sided crush), the latter of whom isn't even a main character and wasn't introduced until over a 100 chapters in. |
| 64 | * ''Manga/ZatchBell'': Despite there being some ShipTease between Kiyo and Megumi and some ShipTease between Zatch and Tia, nothing really happens between neither of them in neither the anime nor the manga. Kiyo and Megumi never get together. And despite Tia obviously having a crush on Zatch, he however never finds out about her crush on him and he never develops a crush on her. Wonrei and Li-en, Ted and Cherish, and Sunbeam and Elle were the only "canon" couples in the whole series, but their relationships never got that much focus. |
| 65 | [[/folder]] |
| 66 | |
| 67 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 68 | * ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'': WordOfGod said that there would be no romance between the {{True Companion|s}} main characters, and indeed, no ShipTease of note seems to exist between them. |
| 69 | [[/folder]] |
| 70 | |
| 71 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 72 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': |
| 73 | ** This was averted for years by ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', which freely featured romance between the cast, despite the games and other adaptations avoiding romance.[[note]]Bar Amy's one-sided crush on Sonic and the occasional ShipTease.[[/note]] However, after the comic received a SoftReboot and Sega got more involved, this would be {{enforced|trope}} by Sega via [[ExecutiveMeddling mandate]], causing any romantic relationships from the pre-reboot era (most notably Sonic and Sally) to be {{Retool}}ed into platonic friendships instead. |
| 74 | ** The no romance mandate from the Archie comics would later be carried over to ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'', with Ian Flynn openly admitting on the Podcast/{{Bumblekast}} that this is why Tangle and Whisper are not getting together despite their {{homoerotic subtext}} and the idea of them as a couple being supported by the staff. That said, writer Evan Stanley would find a [[LoopholeAbuse loophole]] in the mandate, in that, while characters aren't allowed to get together, it's perfectly fine if the characters were pitched as a pre-established couple from the offset, which allowed the inclusion of gay couple Nite and Don. |
| 75 | * ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' has this in spades, no major characters have shown any interest in romance whatsoever. The only exception is Professor Calculus, who has an innocent crush on Bianca Castafiore. According to the book ''Tintin: Hergé & His Creation'', Snowy would have been a female human and love interest for Tintin, but that idea was discarded. |
| 76 | * ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' sway in this direction, as head writer Simon Furman didn't see why robots should or could think about such things. Cybertronians are typically portrayed as not having any relationships beyond friendships, and other works for ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' that Simon is behind the pen on tend to follow suit. |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 80 | * To quote the summary of ''Fanfic/AdventCrossoverCrisis'' directly; "Rated T for swearing and violence, but relax, there's no kissing!" Indeed, romance is effectively non-existent in the story -- a single ship between two featured characters is alluded to in the vaguest possible terms, and the two members of same never actually meet. |
| 81 | * ''Fanfic/ImperfectMetamorphosis'' spreads around oodles of ShipTease, especially between Marisa and Alice, Kaguya and Mokou in a side story, and whatever is going on between Rumia and [[spoiler:Rin Satsuki]], but never makes any relationships or attractions explicit. Even Yuuka's [[DepravedBisexual depravations]] are only implied. |
| 82 | [[/folder]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | [[folder:Films — Animation]] |
| 85 | * The ''WesternAnimation/RatchetAndClank2016'' movie has two females whose personalities complement the main characters: one takes action and shoots anything that gets in her way, like Ratchet, and the other prefers to create clever strategies, like Clank. [[CompressedAdaptation In the interest of time]], however, the movie skips any sort of romantic entanglements and instead chooses to focus on the newly-formed friendship between the two male leads, detailing how they became HeterosexualLifePartners. |
| 86 | * ''Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon'': This has become a trend in the 2010s, often featuring two characters of different genders who become LikeBrotherAndSister by the movie's end: |
| 87 | ** ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' does not feature any form of romance forming between the hero squad, despite a few nods to Hiro's crush on Honey Lemon in the comics. |
| 88 | ** ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' does not end in a romance between the two leads, who happen to be both male and female and end up working together. ([[OneTruePairing Try telling this to fans, though]].) They also happen to be members of different species of animals. The director has openly stated that he doesn't mind if fans choose to see their relationship as romantic, though. |
| 89 | ** ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', despite being a Disney Princess movie, does not end with or even imply a romance between the male and female leads. Maui and Moana only grow closer as friends and have a purely platonic hug at the end. |
| 90 | [[/folder]] |
| 91 | |
| 92 | [[folder:Films — Live-Action]] |
| 93 | * In the film adaptations of both ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode'' and ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons'', the romantic subplots between Langdon and Sophie and between Langdon and Victoria are scrapped altogether (it was stated that this would make the film less realistic). Langdon does give Sophie a friendly peck on the forehead, but that's about it. |
| 94 | * ''The Mothman Prophecies'', [[http://www.cosmoetica.com/B38-DES17.htm apparently to its detriment]]: |
| 95 | --> This is a film too bad to be good & too good to be so bad it’s good. DULL is the watchword, unless watching Richard Gere’s Shatnerian reactions to a phone ringing is your idea of edge-of-the-seat horror. That Mothman never makes an appearance would be fine if the film gave us something else, or kept a mystery worth keeping- but nada. & this is perhaps the only ‘action’ film I can recall where a [[RomanticPlotTumor gratuitous love story]] would have improved the tale. Laura Linney’s Connie is the only character developed to any emotional or deep extent, or which induces any concern. She radiates a down-home sensuality, yet John never makes a move, even after saving her. Not even a peck on the cheek. Loser! |
| 96 | * Despite the two main characters being young singles, ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' has no trace of a romantic subplot. The closest it comes is when Caffey and Galloway go out for drinks together, but they never discuss anything apart from law. |
| 97 | * Played straight--actually is an essential part of the plot--in ''Film/TheRemainsOfTheDay''. |
| 98 | * In contrast to ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', there's almost zero romance in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''. The closest it gets is some slight ShipTease between Flint and Lady Jaye. |
| 99 | * Creator/GuillermoDelToro says that this trope, coupled with the DownerEnding, is what is making studios hesitant to back his proposed adaptation of "Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness". |
| 100 | * In ''Film/TheNumbersStation'', there is no romance between the male and female leads, who are a radio operator and a spook who have only recently met. The two operators on the other shift, however, are hugging and kissing at the very least, but this isn't their story. |
| 101 | * In ''Film/TheLastWitchHunter'', while two leads are man and woman, there's no romantic chemistry and no romance between the two. Explainable by Kaulder having TheLostLenore and, more importantly, being eight hundred years old while Chloe seems to have not yet hit her thirties. |
| 102 | * In spite of coming to respect each other and battling across the Wasteland together, Max and Furiosa in ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' never express any romantic interest towards each other. Joe has his "wives", but his relationship with them is [[SexSlave anything but romantic]]. |
| 103 | * A famous example in ''Film/ThePelicanBrief''. There was supposed to be a romance between leads Creator/DenzelWashington and Creator/JuliaRoberts, because that's what happens in the book. But because of [[UnfortunateImplications backlash when the rumors of a lovemaking scene got out]], the scene was cut from the final film, as well as any romantic overtones. Instead, the film ends with them being friends. |
| 104 | * Many Creator/ClintEastwood movies lack overt romance: ''Film/DirtyHarry'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'', etc. |
| 105 | * ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', but mostly because most of the cast is male. |
| 106 | * ''Film/MollysGame:'' Molly deliberately avoids any romance with her customers at the poker games she runs, and the film is silent on the question of whether or not she has any romantic or sexual partners off-stage. |
| 107 | [[/folder]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 110 | * Creator/HPLovecraft's stories do not focus on even the slightest bits of romance or affection. Even when the protagonist mentions a wife, it is usually in a rather offhand manner. The story ''Literature/TheThingOnTheDoorstep'' involved a marriage as a plot point but it wasn't the marriage of the protagonist, but that of a friend. Even then, no acts of romantic affection between said friend and his love interest are ever described, and, said marriage was actually just a way for an EldritchAbomination inhabiting the woman to keep the husband close at hand since said EldritchAbomination wants to eventually take control of said husband's body. Even friendships are subject to this since Lovecraftian protagonists often describe friendships in a detached manner. ''Any'' mention of sexual activity in Lovecraft is not only off-screen, but depicted as grotesque and produces abominable things that should not be. (''Literature/TheDunwichHorror,'' ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'') |
| 111 | * R.L. Stine's ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' books often assign the protagonist a best friend of the opposite sex. No one ever seems to address the topic of romance between the two; in fact, [[PurelyAestheticGender there's virtually no difference between male and female characters at all]]. Differences between the sexes are only important when the characters are teenagers, just as said differences tend to be [[TruthInTelevision in real life]]. This is most likely because the books are aimed at prepubescent kids, and he wants both genders to be able to relate to it. There is ''one'' aversion, "How I Learned To Fly," in which the male protagonist actively wants his relationship with his female friend to be romantic. |
| 112 | * ''Literature/DaisyMiller'': The 19th century European aristocracy strongly adhered to this rule. Americans did not so much, however, and Daisy refuses to change her ways and (literally) do as the Romans do when in Rome. She finally becomes an outcast among her fellow American tourists when she commits the unforgiveable crime of strolling down the street on the arms of two men! Deliciously inverted in [[spoiler: The Ambassadors.]] |
| 113 | * Several novels by Creator/IsaacAsimov. Asimov himself openly acknowledged his (at least perceived) inability to write interpersonal relationships, let alone romance, and on several occasions lampooned himself for it. There ''are'' married couples in his books, but their relationship seldom plays a large role in the narrative. With the ironic [[AvertedTrope exception]] of ''Literature/TheGodsThemselves'', written in part as a response to criticism that his books didn't have enough aliens or sex, which featured alien energy beings having the least titillating (to a human audience) threesomes in history. Which are ''absolutely essential'' to the plot. |
| 114 | * The first three ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' books, aside from Arthur's brief crush on Trillian. Then came ''Literature/SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish'', which devoted a ''majority'' of the book to Arthur and Fenchurch's relationship. Creator/DouglasAdams, being himself, took the opportunity to mock those who kept asking him about Arthur's sex life ''and'' those who prefer this trope. |
| 115 | * There is no romance in ''Literature/TheMysteriousBenedictSociety''. There's no ShipTease between Reynie, Katie, and Sticky despite being of similar age. The adults similarly have no love interests. There's just a lot of [[TrueCompanions friendship]] and familial affection. |
| 116 | * ''Literature/TheSpiritThief'', despite featuring at least three married couples, has no romance whatsoever - and of those three, Nibel and Slorn can't interact due to her nature as a demonseed, [[spoiler:Banage and Sara]] are in separation and Josef got married to Adela ''in absentia'', with neither interested in consummating the marriage, much less falling in love. |
| 117 | * Unusually, breeding instincts and heat aren't alluded to in the {{xenofiction}} book ''Literature/ADogsLife''. This is likely because it's aimed at children. |
| 118 | * ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'': |
| 119 | ** The Davison-era creators felt so strongly about "no hanky-panky in the TARDIS" that a short story by the script editor written for the 20th anniversary retroactively declared that Susan wasn't really the Doctor's granddaughter, because that would imply the First Doctor had children, and therefore that at some point in his life he did the thing you have to do to have children. |
| 120 | ** The Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures featured a ''lot'' of hanky-panky, all over the place, but in keeping with his traditional portrayal, the Doctor was kept out of it, with an early reveal that Time Lords use {{Uterine Replicator}}s and sex simply isn't part of their culture. |
| 121 | * The protagonist of ''Literature/TrashOfTheCountsFamily'' never expresses any romantic or sexual interest in anyone, coming off as asexual. There's barely any mention of romance at all in the story, and it doesn't play an important part to any character. |
| 122 | * ''Literature/TheNorthernCaves'' is about the fandom of the {{fictional|Document}} Chesscourt series. Chesscourt is said to be staunchly devoid of any romance. This is part of the tremendous ''weightiness'' of the series. Fandom [[invoked]]{{shipping}}, then, it's a sort of defiance against the themes of canon. |
| 123 | -->'''Paul's narration:''' It isn't just that no romance occurs, which would not be too unusual in a series of this kind. It's that it feels like it never could have occurred. The characters, by virtue of being the heirs of the Manor, are afflicted with a kind of terrible ''noblesse oblige'' whose full weight emerges steadily across the course of nine whole books. There is no time to stop and enjoy what are, for the rest of us, the ordinary pleasures of life [=--=] everywhere, Weightier Things beckon, and they only beckon louder and louder with time. |
| 124 | * Arabic translations of the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series [[{{Bowdlerise}} removed every mention of characters kissing]], even on the cheek, to appease religiously conservative readers. |
| 125 | [[/folder]] |
| 126 | |
| 127 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 128 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' had three on-screen kisses in seventeen years (all done by the same couple, Kimberly and Tommy), often taking WillTheyOrWontThey to painful levels. According to ''[[Series/PowerRangersSPD SPD]]'' executive producer Greg Aranowitz, higher ups demanded as-low-as-possible levels of romance in the series, since it's targeted at little boys (he only said that about ''SPD'', naturally, but who knows what goes through the minds of Disney). This presumably explains why Trent and Kira's romance arc in ''[[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Dino Thunder]]'' was left unresolved. |
| 129 | ** Christopher Khayman Lee has said that a kiss between his character (Andros) and Tracy Lynn Cruz's (Ashley) was filmed in one of the last episodes of ''[[Series/PowerRangersInSpace In Space]]'', but it wasn’t included in the final cut. |
| 130 | ** According to [[http://heropower.livejournal.com/90113.html Dan Ewing]], a kiss between [[Series/PowerRangersRPM Dillon and Summer]] was scripted for "Belly of the Beast", but was vetoed (we got [[AlmostKiss the closest thing to it]] instead). |
| 131 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersMegaForce'' has two - first, Emma kisses Orion on the cheek in "The Wrath" and [[spoiler:Gia gives one to Jake]] at the end of "Legendary Battle". Both are included in the Extended Edition. This is the first time there's been a kiss of any kind since ''MMPR'' season 3. |
| 132 | ** ''[[Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel Ninja Steel]]'' establishes Calvin and Hayley as dating in the first episode. They hold hands frequently, but it takes until the 16th regular episode for them to share a peck on the cheek. |
| 133 | * Its parent show ''Franchise/SuperSentai'', and ''its'' sister show, ''Franchise/KamenRider'', tend to only sparingly feature relationships. |
| 134 | * While ''Series/CornerGas'' isn't ''completely'' devoid of romance, the level is incredibly low for a show about six single, middle aged characters (and Oscar and Emma), and the few episodes do deal with romance [[ShipSinking bring up pairings just to dismiss them]]. Except for the reunion movie where [[spoiler: Brent and Lacey kiss, much to the stunned amazement of their friends, only to reveal that they've been a couple for more than a year!]] |
| 135 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 136 | ** The original series ''did'' have some romance here and there, but it was so rare, almost never involved main characters, when it did it rarely affected the plot, and was more often than not [[StrangledByTheRedString two characters arbitrarily smushed together]]. The Doctor himself didn't have ''any'' interest in romance and often mocked it altogether if it did come up, largely written as asexual (except for a clearly romantic subplot with a guest character in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E6TheAztecs The Aztecs]]", in a prime example of the series' EarlyInstallmentWeirdness). This is one of the main complaints that older fans have with the new series, which focuses ''very heavily'' on romance and turned the Doctor into an outright ChickMagnet. |
| 137 | ** During the Troughton era, the BBC censor at the time forbade the Doctor from touching female companions of any degree. This led to a lot more touching with Jamie, particularly in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen The Tomb of the Cybermen]]", where the Doctor and Jamie hold hands on several occasions. |
| 138 | ** At one point (particularly in the Davison era), there was a No Hugging, No Kissing, No ''Touching'' (for example, a comforting hand on the shoulder was a no-no) rule between the Doctor and his female companions, to dispel the notion of "hanky-panky" going on in the TARDIS. This was an EnforcedTrope by Creator/JohnNathanTurner, since at one point in the Davison era the young-looking Doctor was travelling alone with two gorgeous female companions, one of whom was about the same age as the actor playing the Doctor. There were a few exceptions, like when [[spoiler:Nyssa leaves.]] [[TearJerker/DoctorWho She gives the Doctor a]] [[Heartwarming/DoctorWho kiss on the cheek.]] Davison once quipped in the commentary for "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E3MawdrynUndead Mawdryn Undead]]" that this trope was the reason the Doctor trusted [[TokenEvilTeammate Turlough]] so easily: just to have a companion he could actually touch. |
| 139 | ** This became a bit of a ChekhovsGun in Moffat's run of the revival, since the Doctor still firmly believed that "no hanky-panky in the TARDIS" was still effective. He gave his companions bunk beds and everything. Amy and Rory (who by this point were married, it should be noted) didn't listen ''at all'', and discovered that hanky-panky in the TARDIS while it's in the Time Vortex can result in [[HalfHumanHybrid some very unexpected side effects]]. The Doctor's face when he realises that ''they shagged in his TARDIS'' is absolutely priceless. |
| 140 | ** The Twelfth Doctor tried to enforce the NoHuggingNoKissing rule in Series 8 — in part due to the instigation of an AnchoredShip — but kept being hugged regardless by CuddleBug Clara. By Series 9, by which time a subtle form of ship rescue was under way, not only was he enjoying the hugs, he was instigating them on occasion. WordOfGod (actors and producer) is that the Doctor and Clara don't display affection openly for each other, so the no kissing rule remains in effect, with a notable exception being [[Recap/DoctorWho2014CSLastChristmas "Last Christmas"]], where Clara kisses the Doctor on the cheek before agreeing to run away with him in his TARDIS, and in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E10FaceTheRaven "Face the Raven"]] the Doctor [[IKissYourHand kisses Clara's hand]] when he says good bye to her (after sharing one final hug). |
| 141 | * ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' had a variation which was referred to internally as "No Hugging, No Learning." Basically the characters are committed to each other about as far as [[AnthropicPrinciple what is needed for the plot to happen]], but beyond that entertain a mild indifference to the emotional well-being of the others in the group. Only a handful of episodes have them show any sort of excitement to be with each other, and beyond [[BetterAsFriends Jerry and Elaine]] having romantic history they avoided exploring anything of the internal cast past the third season. The show was otherwise rife with romantic juggling among all the characters with people outside the main group, solely to have it fall apart in spectacular fashion. |
| 142 | [[/folder]] |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 145 | * ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' has fun with this. There's no longer any radar to slip things by and they can get away with things the old series never could, but the cast are still aware there's some kind of ''rule'' preventing classic Doctors from getting too close to people. Five's awkwardness makes Turlough wonder how he managed to have grandchildren, Six convinces someone he's not the Doctor by passionately kissing a woman, and Seven showing interest in a woman is a warning sign [[spoiler:he's been drugged.]] Eight, the first Doctor to break the trend, is a ChickMagnet with a lot of painful consequences. |
| 146 | [[/folder]] |
| 147 | |
| 148 | [[folder:Podcasts]] |
| 149 | * There is not the slightest hint of romance between the characters of ''Podcast/Wolf359'', who spend the first couple of episodes driving each other insane through various quirky hijinks and the rest of the series trying to stave off the many ways a person can be killed aboard a space station operated by an [[spoiler: immortal megalomaniac]]. |
| 150 | * Other than [[spoiler: Martin's unrequited crush on Head Archivist, Jon, and references to the fact that Jon and Georgie used to date well prior to the start of the series]] there is almost no romance seen either amongst the main characters of ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'' or in the statements Jon reads from. |
| 151 | [[/folder]] |
| 152 | |
| 153 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 154 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' and all of its spinoffs, including the role-playing games, tend to gloss over or completely avoid the subject of romance and love, bar that love and desire feed one of the [[EldritchAbomination Gods of Chaos]]. It's understandable, given the settings' all-encompassing emphasis on war and mayhem, but even in the books, offhand references at best are the rule, with exceptions few and far between. Said exceptions are either mild (''Literature/CiaphasCain'', where it's mostly implied) or to show why this trope is a good idea (''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'', where it all ends horribly). |
| 155 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', likewise, gives virtually no attention to romance or romantic/sexual relationships, thanks to being focused almost entirely on warfare and battles. Such things are touched on briefly in a couple of the novels, but always in passing and never as a major plot device or focus. The game materials themselves leave the romantic status of most characters almost entirely unmentioned. Exceptions include the vampires Vlad and Isabella von Carstein (who are married and deeply devoted to each other), the High Elf Prince Tyrion (who is the consort of Alarielle the Everqueen, though the precise nature of their feelings are not mentioned), the Wood Elf King and Queen Orion and Ariel (likewise a couple, but left at that) and perhaps Malekith the Witch King (who is rumoured to be disturbingly and unnaturally close to his mother Morathi...). |
| 156 | [[/folder]] |
| 157 | |
| 158 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 159 | * The Theatre/MrsHawking series: None of the three main characters have any romantic interest in each other, and though there are some relationships with supporting cast, romance is not a big part of the series. |
| 160 | * ''Theatre/PokemonLive'' is weird about this. Giovanni and Delia have a past, and Giovanni still loves Delia, but they're never explicitly mentioned to have dated. They're described as "friends" in the dialogue despite the clear-as-day implications that they were a couple (Delia is also described as "hanging out" with bad kids, instead of being a Team Rocket member, so the play is intentionally vague with her backstory). Yet at the same time, Misty ''explictly'' likes Ash. |
| 161 | [[/folder]] |
| 162 | |
| 163 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 164 | * ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': |
| 165 | ** An example of ExecutiveMeddling. There were hints of romance in the early flash animations, online games and DirectToVideo movies, but these were [[CanonDisContinuity decanonized]] when the Lego Company decided to eliminate romance on the grounds that the core demographic (5-12 year olds) would find it "icky." To paraphrase lead story writer Greg Farshtey: |
| 166 | -->"If I say no, I open one can of worms. If I say yes, I then get dozens of questions about the [[{{Squick}} sex lives of plastic toys]]." |
| 167 | ** Several years after he said this, Greg cleared up any remaining questions by declaring that most sentient ''Bionicle'' characters are built and wildlife are hand-created by mixing viruses in potions. |
| 168 | ** One of the movies went ahead and had an UnholyMatrimony plot. Farshtey had to handwave that one as merely a kind of political alliance, the same way kings would have their children married to strengthen bonds between royal houses (which to be fair is very much TruthInTelevision). |
| 169 | ** The rule officially only existed within the Matoran Universe (story years 2001-2008) where NoBiologicalSex strictly applied. Outside that, romance does exist, but is only touched upon twice: In the final novel, Kiina confesses her feelings toward Mata Nui by hugging him, and riding away in tears... and she was a feisty ActionGirl who barely displayed any [[HiddenDepths deep emotions]] like this up to that point. The only other example was the marriage between Sahmad and his deceased wife, as part of Sahmad's backstory. |
| 170 | * ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' has hundreds of characters but relatively little romance. In G1 there were a few "family" sets that consisted of mares, stallions, and their foals, however that was more-or-less it besides a Moondancer/Glory figurine. The adaptations had some romance but not by much. By G3 there weren't even any stallions or colts. The G4 [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic cartoon]] has romance pop up frequently but none of the main characters have anything concrete besides Spike's PrecociousCrush on Rarity, Twilight's crush on Flash in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', sci!Twi's crush in an ''Equestria Girls'' sequel, and Rarity having a few crushes that never go anywhere. |
| 171 | [[/folder]] |
| 172 | |
| 173 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'': Applies to both Ryo's tentative attraction to King and the mutual attraction between Robert and Yuri. According to Creator/{{SNK}}, ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'' is canonically the latest point in the AOF/KOF timeline, by which point, Ryo and Robert are in their mid-40s[[note]]setting ''Buriki One'' [[DistantFinale over 20 years]] later[[/note]]. Ryo states that Robert and Yuri are both ''[[StatusQuoIsGod "still single"]]'' and that they still haven't had a date. Ryo doesn't fare any better with King, because they're still JustFriends. |
| 175 | * ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' has the opposite gender villagers crush on you if you talk to them enough. (Especially [[TookALevelInKindness Snooty]], [[ItsAllAboutMe Peppy]], and [[CasanovaWannabe Smug]] for the males, and [[AmbiguouslyBi Smug]] for the females) But being that you're a human and they are... well, cartoon animals it doesn't go past flirting from the females to the male Player. If you're into [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom that]] you're welcome to flirt with them, and they in turn will send you romantic letters with "My dear Player", or end their letter with Love, Player. Or heck, even put hearts for the Peppy villagers. Regardless of how you feel, you can't reciprocate those feelings due to the player being a HeroicMime. Villagers mention dating one another, however they're never shown doing anything romantic, like going on dates, on-screen. |
| 176 | * ''VideoGame/BetrayalAtKrondor'' has no romance, Disregarding Owyn's crush on Gamina or references to James's one-night-stands. This is facilitated by all six of the main characters being male. |
| 177 | * Unlike its sequels (except its own [[VideoGame/DisgaeaD2ABrighterDarkness direct sequel]]), there is very little romance in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', and any feelings between the trio of Laharl, Flonne, and Etna are left ambiguous. Even as they make appearances in later games they retain their status quo, and the subject of who likes who is a ''very'' touchy subject among the fandom. |
| 178 | * ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' has no onscreen romance, despite Ken, Guile, Dhalsim and Hakan being married with children. The most that happens are characters expressing a desire for romance, with Sakura's secret one-sided crush on Ryu (which likely won't go anywhere) and Ibuki's interest in getting a boyfriend (which she never seems to actually find). |
| 179 | * The relationships in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games seem entirely platonic, with Mario and Luigi only receiving kisses on the cheek for the reward to each rescue. Surprisingly, Luigi is asked about Mario and Peach's relationship in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', and he admits that it is confusing but they seem to be just friends. Additionally, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' employed joke kisses (where Bowser and Booster could accidentally wind up kissing Mario on the cheek or each other on the lips while trying to steal a kiss from Peach). Aside from that, the series just [[ShipTease teases]] potential pairings such as Luigi/Daisy and Yoshi/Birdo. |
| 180 | * ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' makes it very clear that Trent and Juni start out as brothers at arms to end up as close friends, but nothing more. |
| 181 | * ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' has no romance whatsoever between any of the characters. Interestingly, this managed to ''help'' the massive shipping fanbase, as they can pair anyone with anyone else without any ShipToShipCombat or conflict with canon. |
| 182 | * As mentioned in the anime, there's little romance in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' other than implications and subtext. |
| 183 | * ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' clearly has no time for romance between all the HackAndSlash action; WordOfGod stated the relationship between Dante and Trish and Lady are purely [[JustFriends platonic]] (it does help that Trish resembles Dante's mother Eva). The real subversion is Nero and his childhood sweetheart Kyrie from the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 fourth game]] who are explicitly a couple, though their only kiss is [[KissingDiscretionShot off-screened]]. |
| 184 | * ''VideoGame/WildArms3'' has ''no romance subplot'' at all whatsoever. |
| 185 | * Love and sex are never mentioned in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. The only marriage ever mentioned is off screen and neither character involved is personally encountered. However, it's heavily implied through Ciaran's dialogue that she was in a relationship with the Knight Artorias, [[spoiler:even going so far as to say this as she dies, should the player kill her:]] |
| 186 | -->'''Ciaran''': [[spoiler:[[DyingDeclarationOfLove "My... dear... Artorias..."]]]] |
| 187 | ** Played with in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls3''. Technically, there is one character who has something of a romance plot, however it involves [[spoiler:a cult you can work with kidnapping him/her (his/her gender changes depending on yours), possibly killing him/her, then you stabbing his/her face with a ceremonial sword in some sort of ritual. Though you do see him/her alive in the ending you get from doing this,]] it's clearly not your standard romance plot. |
| 188 | ** While love and sex are referenced in ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' none of it really approaches the physical level. The closest thing is the resident HookerWithAHeartOfGold who gives you her blood, and even then it's only because blood transfusion is comparable to sex in the culture of Yharnam. [[spoiler:The Doll does eventually confess her love for the Hunter, but it's intentionally vague if it's maternal, romantic, platonic, or even ''real'', the last of which she is aware of as a possibility.]] |
| 189 | * ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' is a very odd example. In the original game, the SilentProtagonist could pick from one of several girls from optional [[RomanceSidequest Romance Sidequests.]] Since Arena is a direct sequel, story wise, whether or not the hero (now named Yu Narukami and is [[SuddenlySpeaking speaking]]) entered into a relationship with a girl, or who the girl would be is never discussed in order to [[CuttingOffTheBranches keep it open]] and prevent ShipToShipCombat. It's merely hinted at by some characters that he is a ChickMagnet. |
| 190 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' |
| 191 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV''. Apart from a very light Bartz/Lenna ShipTease and a [[StupidSexyFlanders Stupid Sexy Faris]] moment early in the game, there's absolutely no romance in the main party. Instead, the focus is on familial love (for both birth family and their TrueCompanions bond). Quite a contrast to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' having an OfficialCouple from the start and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s multiple LoveHurts backstories. |
| 192 | ** ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasyOperaOmnia'' generally has a touching reunion occur when the two halves of a game's OfficialCouple find each other, but there are no new pairings among the cast from across the series who make up the main party. The closest it comes is having the flirtatious characters universally being turned down. |
| 193 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' zig zags with this. Many characters are shown giving each other affection, but the player character is never given the same treatment beyond the occasional flirting and teasing. Sure, some [=NPCs=] may flirt or tease a bit with the player, but the players is never given a chance to reciprocate those feelings. The most a player's relationship with an NPC will go is friends. WordOfGod says that the player's relationship with the major characters was intentionally designed this way so that nothing is forced upon the player and thus the player can envision whatever relationship they want. |
| 194 | ** The ''Franchise/IvaliceAlliance'' games generally avoids using love tropes in favor of having the story more focused on the politics and background elements. Whatever signs of romance that are shown are very brief and are either quickly put to the wayside or doesn't go beyond some teasing. |
| 195 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'' has no romantic paired endings for anyone besides [[PlayerCharacter Alear]], and even then many of their paired endings are platonic (moreso in the localization). The main story and supports also feature very little romance: only a single parent of each set of royal siblings is shown, one party member [[TheLostLenore has a deceased wife]], and that's about it. The only implicit discussions of sex involve Sombron, the BigBad who [[AbusiveParents only views mating as a means to an end to produce more obedient pawns.]] |
| 196 | * The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' games usually avert it with at least one OfficialCouple, but a few play this trope straight: |
| 197 | ** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', for the most part. No romance seems to develop between any of the characters. However, it's not without its DirtyOldMan trope, wherein Raven often hits on the female characters. Estelle seems clueless, Judith doesn't care, and Rita gets ''violent''. |
| 198 | ** ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'' has the ChasteHero Sorey, who is shown to be incredibly oblivious to women in general. It doesn't help that his [[NotBloodSiblings foster brother Mikleo]] is the one who carries most of the standard Tales heroine traits, including appearing in [[HoYay certain scenes that have been used to help cement]] the OfficialCouple in other games. Much like ''Vesperia'', there is a resident DirtyOldMan in Zaveid, but he doesn't get anywhere with anyone. |
| 199 | ** ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' has the malak Laphicet's eventual one-sided crush on Velvet, and some subtext that has a lot of fans thinking Velvet is bisexual, but there is no open romance in sight. Everything is in the backstory or [[AllLoveIsUnrequited unrequited]], usually because the target is ObliviousToLove. |
| 200 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' has about a half-dozen [[BattleCouple battle couples]], but since every every game is about narrowly averting a ZombieApocalypse, they're always a little too busy for romance, barring the occasional flirty character and intimate moment between characters. The closest exception is [[DatingCatwoman Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong]], who have a ton of {{UST}} between them. They're the only ones to share an onscreen kiss. The true exception is definitely Ethan and Mia from [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil7 RE7]] who are married albeit estranged, though they reunite in the GoldenEnding. |
| 201 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 202 | ** Link and Zelda never have anything past friends/close acquaintances with each other, although some games will tease with Zelda showing some sort of feelings for Link (but never anything beyond it). The ending of ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' has Link and Zelda holding hands with Zelda [[KissingDiscretionShot possibly giving Link a kiss behind the curtains as it drops down]], but it's never confirmed for sure. In most of the 3D installments, there'll always be a few female [=NPCs=] that will fawn over Link while Link himself doesn't show any interest in the girls. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' Ilia and Link are implied to have feelings but it doesn't go anywhere explict. Similarly, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' ship teases Link and Zelda terribly, but depending on how you approach one of the sidequests, your Link will end up dating another character (with Fi saying that he should hold off on telling Zelda about this). |
| 203 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' comes close to bucking the trend: |
| 204 | *** [[spoiler: Mipha]] who was not only Link's childhood friend, but she also loved him so deeply that she crafted a special armor made for his size and planned to give it to him as a marriage proposal. It is not shown whether or not Link was also in love and the answer can never be explored due to [[spoiler: Mipha being killed by Waterblight Ganon]]. |
| 205 | *** This was the first game to confirm in words that the series titular princess, Princess Zelda, had some romantic feelings for Link. She's revealed to have rejected the advances of [[spoiler: Kass's unnamed teacher]] on account of "only having eyes for her appointed knight", and it's stated that her sealing power was awakened [[spoiler: through her love and need to protect Link]]. It's even implied that she was going to ask the Great Deku Tree to pass on her LoveConfession to Link once he returned for the Master Sword--though the Great Deku Tree [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove cut her off]] to tell her it would sound better coming from her instead. However, much like with Mipha, his feelings are never confirmed and it's left open-ended whether or not the two of them ever become a couple after the end, meaning the trope is still very much in effect... at least in the Western translations. The original Japanese makes it clear that Link is aware of both girls crushing on him, and that he reciprocates Zelda's affections. |
| 206 | * The ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' series has been devoid of romance since its inception. This is usually because Samus Aran's missions tend to only have her encountering the evil SpacePirates and various alien wildlife, but even the later games and supplementary manga and comics that ''do'' portray friendly, intelligent characters don't feature any romance. The only exception among the games is ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', where a BattleCouple are among the deceased Luminoth Keybearers. |
| 207 | * Unlike the rest of ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' trilogy, ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'' has no on-screen romance whatsoever. There are mentions of Sigma's girlfriend who broke up with him just before he was kidnapped for the [[DeadlyGame Nonary Game]] and Tenmyouji's first love, but they're just mentioned, and the two hugs that happen in story are played non-romantically. |
| 208 | * {{ZigZagged|Trope}} in ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. |
| 209 | ** The games have mostly avoided serious romance plots, with Sonic later explicitly portrayed as a CelibateHero starting in the 2010s, the closest coming in the form of the occasional focus on Amy's crush on Sonic. The [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 one game]] to directly avert this with [[InterspeciesRomance a human crushing on Sonic]] was [[NoYay roundly rejected]] for it and offered one of the most infamous moments in the series with its [[spoiler:[[TrueLovesKiss kiss scene]]]]. |
| 210 | ** Until the 2010s, this varied with spinoff media. It was notably Averted in ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' and its spiritual successor in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie comics]], the latter having its fair share of {{Romantic Plot Tumor}}s. Other adaptations to avert it include the [[Manga/SonicTheHedgehog1992 1992 manga adaptation]] that introduced Amy and ''Anime/SonicX'', introducing Vector crushing on Cream’s mom Vanilla and the Tails/Cosmo relationship in Season 3. |
| 211 | ** For whatever reason, in the 2010s Sega started to [[ExecutiveMeddling crack down]] on romance being present in the franchise. The longstanding [[OfficialCouple Sonic/Sally]] relationship was mandated down to JustFriends in the rebooted continuity of the Archie comics. ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' would massively downplay Amy’s crush on Sonic, a change that would follow into the games. Since then, romance has been strictly off-limits within the franchise and its spinoff materials such as the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comics]], which has notably stymied the [[LesYay Whisper/Tangle]] ship from becoming confirmed. |
| 212 | * ''VideoGame/TheAllianceAlive'' confirms in one scene that Galil's feelings for Azura are romantic, and then never mentions it again. The other [[ImpliedLoveInterest implicitly paired characters]] fare no better. (Then again, Galil and Azura are only fifteen, so it's a JustifiedTrope.) |
| 213 | * In ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'', not only is there a rare lack of romantic tension between the cast and the PlayerCharacter, none of the characters are shown or said to have any romantic interests onscreen or otherwise, despite a few characters showing an interest in the opposite sex ([[AmbiguouslyBi or same sex in Cater]] and more [[AmbiguouslyGay ambiguously Rook's case]]). It comes off as quite odd considering the cast consists entirely of attractive guys. This is humorously lampshaded in ''Ghost Marriage'' when Deuce says that the reason they have such a tough time talking to girls is because they're attending an [[OneGenderSchool all boys school]]. Ace's SSR Groom-For-A-Day personal story also sheds a light on the lack of romance for a few characters when they talk about the experiences they've had with romance in the past, or the lack of it: |
| 214 | ** Ace explains that he had a girlfriend in middle school but eventually grew bored of their lack of shared interests which lead to him ghosting her. Since then he had adopted a BrosBeforeHoes mentality and wants to focus on getting better at magic rather than love, though the other character believe he's being dishonest and tease him in reference to the TheReasonYouSuck speech he'd delivered to Eliza about love just minutes earlier. |
| 215 | ** Jack's reason for not having a girlfriend is because Wolf Beastmen in general all chose to only cherish one person for the rest of their lives. When the time comes for him to fall in love, he also wants to spend the rest of his life with that person. |
| 216 | ** Deuce explains he's never had a girlfriend due to everyone, boys included (If they're not among Deuce's old delinquent friends), being too afraid to approach him during his delinquent days. The only woman he could talk to without hesitation is his mother. |
| 217 | ** As for Epel and Sebek, [[FriendlessBackground Epel's hometown lacked people his age]], and he only finally met people his age when he is enrolled to Night Raven College. Sebek claims that he would rather focus on protecting Malleus than think about romance. |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 221 | * ''Webcomic/FreeSpirit2014'' cartoonist Peter Paltridge has no plans to make Winnie Goodwin and Thomas Harper a couple. While [[Series/FreeSpirit1989 the show]] that inspired the comic created romantic tension between them, Peter fears that hooking them up would require Winnie to out herself as a witch to Thomas. The pilots of both the show and the comic had Winnie clearly state that the terms of her staying with mortals forbid Thomas from finding out about her magical abilities. |
| 222 | [[/folder]] |
| 223 | |
| 224 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 225 | * UsefulNotes/MikuMikuDance community has a strict no-romance, no-shipping policy, but showing characters dancing to romantic/explicit music is fine. |
| 226 | * An InvokedTrope in WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic reboot, as in ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'' Rachel and Malcolm (their [[AsHimself As Themselves]] characters, not the people) try to get together for Christmas sex, but Critic instantly separates them and tells them to watch the movie with him. |
| 227 | * ''WebVideo/WeirdSchoolRulesInHongKong'' plays with this, but it applies in most of the skits throughout the series: |
| 228 | ** {{Invoked|Trope}} by various secondary schools in Hong Kong, with rules explicitly banning dating and romantic relationships among students. The host says that this was an understandable rule, but would be very strange in [[OneGenderSchool certain types of schools]]. |
| 229 | --->'''Unnamed student:''' So the school rules explicitly state we're not allowed to date or talk about romance.\ |
| 230 | '''Fat Tom:''' How is this a strange rule?\ |
| 231 | '''Unnamed student:''' But… we're a [[OneGenderSchool boys' school]].\ |
| 232 | ''([[QueerPeopleAreFunny The two boys sitting in front of them caress each other's faces dramatically]])''\ |
| 233 | '''Unnamed student:''' Are you kidding me?! |
| 234 | ** Later {{subverted|Trope}} in Episode 5 in the skit on banning food from [=McDonald's=], where the ClassPrincess is seen going out with a boy from another school after class. However, even then, they are just seen holding each other by the arm/hand and nothing more intimate than that. |
| 235 | ** In actuality, romance and attraction is implied in various skits but it rarely actually goes anywhere: in the second half of the boys' school skit mentioned above in Episode 3, the unnamed student and Fat Tom find the female NewTransferStudent "awesome" but are reprimanded by the teacher; and in Episode 15, when one of the girls reveals she got a tattoo in a place covered by her summer uniform, her male classmate [[CovertPervert asks to see it]], but that's where the skit ends. |
| 236 | [[/folder]] |
| 237 | |
| 238 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 239 | * In ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'', none of the main characters have any onscreen romantic relationships. |
| 240 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingChanAndTheChanClan'': Despite the many love songs and possible IncestSubtext, the lives of Mr. Chan and his children were decidedly romance-free (on camera, anyway). The only romantic subplot ever was between the family dog and a one-episode canine character. |
| 241 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' has this mostly PlayedStraight, but surprisingly {{Averted|Trope}} on a few specific occasions. |
| 242 | ** [[HappilyMarried Mr. and Mrs. Read]] kiss in "[[Recap/ArthurS1E9ArthurBabysitsArthursCousinCatastrophe Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe]]," "[[Recap/ArthurS8E9FleaToBeYouAndMeKissAndTell Kiss and Tell]]," and "Happy Anniversary." |
| 243 | ** In "[[Recap/ArthurS2E3DWThePickyEaterBusterAndTheDaredevils Buster and the Daredevils]]," the titular daredevils dare Buster to kiss Francine straight on the lips, which he does. [[RageBreakingPoint Francine does not take it well]]. |
| 244 | ** In "Muffy Gets Mature," Muffy has an ImagineSpot of kissing Buster on the lips after a teenage girl tells her she was kissed by her boyfriend. [[AffectionHatingKid She finds it gross]] (and also [[BewitchedAmphibians turns into a toad]] in her imagination as a result). |
| 245 | ** In "[[Recap/ArthurS8E9FleaToBeYouAndMeKissAndTell Kiss and Tell]]," Emily brags to D.W. about being kissed on the hand by a boy, leading D.W. to seek out a kiss from a boy as well out of jealousy. [[spoiler:She gets one on the cheek in the end, but decides it wasn't all it was cracked up to be]]. |
| 246 | ** PlayedWith in "[[Recap/ArthurS14E2TheAgentOfChangeDWUntiesTheKnot D.W. Unties the Knot]]", where D.W. is inspired to plan her dream wedding after watching a reality show about fancy wedding parties. However, being four years old, she fails to realize that a wedding is not just a fancy party, but also an occasion where you actually marry someone. Once she finds out the truth, she's no longer willing to go through with it. |
| 247 | * ''Franchise/CareBears'': Similar to the ''My Little Pony'' examples below, none of the animated series inspired by the franchise seem to have any kind of on-screen romantic couple, or any shipping element in general. |
| 248 | * Creator/CraigMcCracken tends to follow this rule for all his series, with any romance involving main characters being one-sided (e.g. [[{{Yandere}} Berry]] in ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' and [[spoiler:Lord Hater]] in ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'') or ending badly (e.g. [[StrangledByTheRedString The Professor and Ms Keane]] in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998''), and mostly PlayedForLaughs. [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 The 2016 PPG reboot]], which didn't have [=McCracken=]'s involvement, gives Blossom a SatelliteLoveInterest. |
| 249 | * ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': |
| 250 | ** Series co-developer Francisco Angones has said that Webby will not get into a relationship with any of Donald's nephews or vice versa. They're just really good friends who treat her like the fourth triplet on their adventures. [[spoiler:Given that the finale revealed that they are biologically related, it would have been really creepy if there was any romance between them.]] |
| 251 | ** This is averted with the adult characters, several of which have their own romantic arcs. This is especially true for Scrooge and Goldie, who have a very strong sexual tension between them and are very comfortable with touching each other. |
| 252 | * ''WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor'': According to show creator Craig Gerber, Elena will not get into a relationship with any of her friends, focusing instead on strengthening their relationships as really good friends. This also applies to his other show, ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'', with the little romance that's shown being either for side characters or parents, or played for quick gags if involving main characters. |
| 253 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Fillmore}}'' features very little romance. It's most noticeable with the main duo, as most series would have ShipTease between opposite gender leads but Fillmore's partnership with Ingrid is strictly professional and platonic. |
| 254 | * ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': The closest thing to romance is background character [[MauveShirt Gretchen's]] ''possible'' crush on [[HeroAntagonist Dib]]. WordOfGod clearly established that "liking each other is not the point" and that [[VillainProtagonist Zim]] does not love anyone. The Valentine's Day episode seems to parody the very idea: Zim "dates" the new girl, Tak, because he mistakes her violent abuse for how humans show affection and wants to study how it works. Once he cruelly "breaks up" with her, he's surprised when she not only doesn't cry, but [[TheReveal reveals herself to be another Irken trying to steal his job]]. |
| 255 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'': The first two ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' films had romance in them, and in fact the [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride second film]] was influenced by ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''. On the other hand, this show is aimed at a younger demographic than the films (despite the films being aimed at a young demographic themselves) and stars {{Kid Hero}}es. There's much more of a lean towards family and friends than romance. |
| 256 | * ''WesternAnimation/MarvelsSpiderMan'' takes cues from ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'' in not having Peter getting into a relationship or even implying one with either Anya Corazon or Gwen Stacy, though there are hints that his Aunt and her friend Anna Watson are trying to set him up with Anna's niece, a certain iconic red head... |
| 257 | * ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' in general tends to not have any on-screen romance outside ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales''. |
| 258 | ** [[WordOfGod Lauren Faust specifically noted]] that ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' was not a show which would contain romance of any kind for the main six ponies, which was a rule followed even after she left the production in season two. That said, in season one, Rarity is initially attracted to [[PrinceCharmless Prince Blueblood]] (she got over ''that'' quickly though) and Spike has a PrecociousCrush on Rarity herself that lasts up until the final season. All other romantic scenarios happen to minor or less recurring characters, most notably between Princess Cadance and Twilight's older brother Shining Armor. |
| 259 | *** Averted and subverted in the episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E13SimpleWays Simple Ways]]", wherein Rarity and Applejack end up in a LoveTriangle with a visiting fashion writer. |
| 260 | *** It's very telling that both ValentinesDayEpisodes, "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E17HeartsAndHoovesDay Hearts and Hooves Day]]" and "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E10TheBreakUpBreakDown The Break Up Break Down]]", focus almost entirely on side characters rather than the Mane 6. |
| 261 | *** While the DistantFinale shows that [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich]] eventually got married, we don't see any romance between them play out on the actual show. |
| 262 | * ''WesternAnimation/PawPatrol'': The closest thing to romance is the wedding of Farmers Al and Yumi and their pet pigs Cornelius and Emma, alongside Wally and Walinda Walrus, as well as Katie's ''possible'' crush on Ryder. WordOfGod clearly established that there is little to no chance of romantic ships being confirmed, at least for now and the near future. |
| 263 | * ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': The first two seasons, strangled mercilessly by ExecutiveMeddling, made sure to ruthlessly stifle any impression that Bob and Dot were romantically linked, or were at all interested in each other in ''that way''. Needless to say, once cut free, the creators quite happily rectified that. |
| 264 | * ''WesternAnimation/ReturnToThePlanetOfTheApes'' was a first in the original Apes series in that it featured a female astronaut character who was, [[DisposableWomen for a change]], allowed to survive and participate in the ongoing plot. Judy Franklin, was regarded by both Bill and Jeff in a completely professional manner. There was no intimacy between her and either of them even suggested. |
| 265 | * ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': Unlike its [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 predecessor series]], this show features nothing in the way of on-screen romance, with none of the main characters expressing any interest in the opposite gender beyond friendship. Indeed, the sole explicitly romantic relationship is long over by the time the series starts, and while there's romantic ''subtext'' between certain characters, there's never anything concrete. |
| 266 | * The original ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' was about a group of friends travelling together. Despite it featuring two boys and two girls, there's no ShipTease anywhere. Future ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' installments stray from this precisely because of {{Urban Legend}}s of something between Fred and Daphne in the 1969 series. |
| 267 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' despite the two Jedi pointedly not being {{Celibate Hero}}es and centering around two teenagers, has no romantic plots or subplots. The creators have said that the characters have no time for romance due to the war, so [[OfficialCouple Kanan and Hera]]'s relationship is only implied. The most important relationship in the show is [[TrueCompanions the family bonds the crew share]]. [[spoiler:This is eventually subverted in the final season, as Kanan and Hera finally get to kiss after a RunningGag of them getting interrupted. Mirroring the audience's reaction, the rest of the crew lets them enjoy the moment.]] |
| 268 | * ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'': Aside from [[OfficialCouple Casey and April]], [[DeathByOriginStory the Hamato Yoshi-Tang Shen-Yukio Mashimi]] LoveTriangle, and [[MaybeEverAfter Dr. Chaplin and Karai]], the only romance in the show was between [[PuppyLove Cody and Starlee]] in the ''[[ReTool Fast Forward]]'' season. None of the main characters, The Turtles, Splinter, the bad guys like the Shredder, Baxter Stockman, Hun, the Justice Force superheroes show any interest in romance. Bishop seems to find Karai attractive in one episode but never again in their subsequent appearances. Part of this comes from series co-creator [[SelfAdaptation Peter Laird being heavily involved in the show's production]] and forbidding any human-Turtle romance, no matter how much the writers wanted (although, a few instances of ShipTease still slipped through the cracks but they come across as {{Big Lipped Alligator Moment}}s). Unlike the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 very next series]], while April and Don as well as Leo and Karai do get real close, April and Don have a more [[LikeBrotherAndSister sibling like chemistry]] and Karai is very explicitly a NotLoveInterest to Leo and their bond of honor is strictly platonic. Another episode had Don getting close with an alien warrior named Jhanna, but Laird insisted they keep the nature of their friendship [[AmbiguousSituation ambiguous and up to the viewers to decide]]. |
| 269 | * ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'' completely avoids every form of teen romance, which is ironic given how complicated Peter's love life has been in almost every other version. WordOfGod Loeb established "Our show lives in a world that is pre-romance" even though the characters are all old enough for it. |
| 270 | [[/folder]] |
| 271 | |
| 272 | ---- |
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