1) "Usually it's never explained why this person looks exactly the same"
2) "Note that this trope only applies when the new love interest appears by devices not possible in the world as we know it, such as magic, parallel universes, time travel, or cloning. If there's a mundane explanation (or none) for the Suspiciously Similar Substitute, that's plain old Replacement Love Interest"
Which is it; if there's no explanation as to why the person looks the same, is that the usual case for this trope, or does it disqualify this from being this trope at all?
I am inclined to say that #1 is more sensible. (Note the difference between the original love interest being gone for fantastic reasons, and the new one being a lookalike for fantastic reasons. Often the original is gone for fantastic reasons, but the lookalike is just a coincidence.)
Description says
1) "Usually it's never explained why this person looks exactly the same"
2) "Note that this trope only applies when the new love interest appears by devices not possible in the world as we know it, such as magic, parallel universes, time travel, or cloning. If there's a mundane explanation (or none) for the Suspiciously Similar Substitute, that's plain old Replacement Love Interest"
Which is it; if there's no explanation as to why the person looks the same, is that the usual case for this trope, or does it disqualify this from being this trope at all?
I am inclined to say that #1 is more sensible. (Note the difference between the original love interest being gone for fantastic reasons, and the new one being a lookalike for fantastic reasons. Often the original is gone for fantastic reasons, but the lookalike is just a coincidence.)
edited 19th May '14 3:15:12 PM by arromdee