I think we may be misunderstanding each other here. I know very well what the Hopeless Suitor trope means, and I (or someone else, can't remember) already added that to Odagiri's folder.
The way I understand the The Not-Love Interest trope is that we're supposed to see it from the main character's POV. From Yamada's POV, Odagiri is a girl (opposite sex, which is the typical thing for a love interest), he is close to her, she tends to provide emotional support to him whenever Shiraishi isn't around, and she has a Tsundere personality typical of many love interests (she often acts like Naru from Love Hina acted in front of Keitaro)... but Yamada only ever sees her as a platonic friend.
If Odagiri was the main character, and the whole story was shown from her POV, then I agree that Yamada wouldn't be a not-love interest because she is infatuated with him, but from Yamada's POV she is only a platonic friend and not a love interest even though she often fulfills a role similar to one (check the trope's laconic tab) whenever Shiraishi isn't around.
To sum up the entire laconic tab:
- "A partner" (I believe Odagiri can be defined as this as she and Yamada spend a lot of time alone together)
- "Who is not romantically involved with the main character" (we both agree that they never hook up)
- "Despite fulfilling the usual role of one" (I believe she does, check my arguments earlier in the post)
Nowhere does it say that the not-love interest cannot have a crush as long as there is no actual romantical chemistry between them. (Of course, if the main character was the one with the crush, then she would be a regular love interest, but she's not as long as the story is shown from his POV)
Does this long post explain my point better?
Edited by Hvedekorn
If you look at the examples you will clearly see that they are all platonic life partners at best. Ichigo and Rukia are a exact example, Marius and eponine are not. The term Platonic life partners is used is the discription of this trope, and they are by no mean platonic.
Nevermind I don’t believe Odagiri fills the role of love interest at all. She may be not prominent but Shiraishi is always is always the love interest.
I understand your point your point but is till not a proper use of the trope.
Edited by BlazingTrolls
It doesn't say anywhere in the description that they need to be Platonic Life-Partners. It just says that the trope can be compared to Platonic Life-Partners, and that a platonic life partner will frequently (frequently, not always) fulfill the role.
I think I know where you're getting at, and if I'm wrong, so be it, and I'll eat my words up, but until then I'll repeat my former point that you've not commented: The story is from Yamada's POV, and the trope is from the main character's POV. Yamada considers Odagiri to be a platonic friend, and for most of the story he is also convinced that she considers him to be a platonic friend.
One thing I should probably have mentioned in the description that may have caused this issue is that I believe Odagiri fulfills the role whenever Shiraishi is absent. For example when Shiraishi was put under the provocation power. Then Odagiri is the one Yamada turns to when it comes to emotional support (Miyamura is more like someone he goofs around with and does witch investigation with). Just because a trope doesn't apply to a character in every scene, doesn't mean it cannot apply to them sometimes (just like Yamada is a Nice Guy in some situations and a Jerk with a Heart of Gold in others).
Furthermore, the description does mention that the character with a non-love interest can still have an actual love interest.
Edited by Hvedekorn
It doesn’t matter who’s point of POV the story is from, there is a reason a Hopeless Suitor isn’t in the examples for Not love interest.
“This can also happen between an adult and a child, in a Parental Substitute or Older Sidekick / Kid Sidekick situation. The relationship is a mutually supportive one that forms the emotional center of the story, but for obvious reasons never becomes romantic.”
The fact that Odagiri is constantly pining for him goes against this. Also Platonic life partners isn’t a requirement it’s just the most commen example.
Edited by BlazingTrolls
Feel free to correct me in the definitions here:
We can both agree that The Not-Love Interest is not a Love Interest (obviously), but wouldn't a love interest be someone a character is in love with and/or starts dating sooner or later? So that Yamada is Odagiri's love interest because she pines for him, but Odagiri is not Yamada's love interest because he has no romantical feelings for her? As such, the way I understand it, Odagiri can be Yamada's not-love interest because she's not a love interest, while Yamada cannot be Odagiri's not-love interest (if she was the main character) because he is a love interest.
Being a love interest doesn't have to be two-way, does it? (In cases of unrequited love)
Edited by Hvedekorn
Yes a Love Interest is two-ways, however a person doesn’t always end up in a relationship with their love interest. Think of of cases where to people ave feelings for each other but one leaves in the end. In that senario they would still be the love interest.
A not love interest would mean no romantic tension from both parties, but still holding a prominent role.
Having checked a few discussions and other examples, I think I know where you're getting at.
My point was that In-Universe, from Yamada's point of view, Odagiri fulfills a not-love interest role whenever Shiraishi isn't around because she's a platonic friend to him and he thinks he's a platonic friend. I realize now that this was stretching it a bit since she officially doesn't have platonic feelings for him.
I'll take my words back and delete this. Thanks for the discussion anyway.
No prob this was cool. Normally conversations on this site are poisonous.
What you discribed is till no The Not Love Interest, it’s a hopeless suitor. The fact that one of them had romantic feelings invalidates your argument. For it to be the case there would have to be no romantic interest at any point (think Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach). However one sided is not the not love interest it doesn’t matter if they don’t hook up.
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