I want to talk about the difference between Romance and a confession in a series. Because IMO both are totally two different things but yet are normally considered the same in manga standards.

For example, I have read a few series in my time where the whole series was leading up to the main protagonist confessing to their loved one before the series ended. Now I don't consider confessing your feeling as the grand finale to be a romance series.


Is it based off just that the whole plot has some romantic idea of a relationship starting and that's why the series would be considered romance?

Does it have to do with the demographic of the series? I could see why they make some series targeted to a younger audience for less deep meaning.

Or do they consider relationships and confessing their feelings both categorized by the tag Romance.

So please discuss what you think of the subject: Is romance and confessing the same or different?

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Needs Attention: Nemureru Hoshi

Totally agreed. It's extremely hard to find a good romance if thats what you're looking for. Mostly you end up reading something that has almost no romance in it but ends up with a confession.
So when I'm looking for that, I have to rely on other people's recommendations instead of the tags, =/
that sucks

Yea, sometimes I find Romantic Subplots have better relationships then when the Romance tag is actually tagged on the series. IMO I rather see a couple do things that couples do together then read about a couple forming, especially if its a supernatural manga.

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Needs Attention: Nemureru Hoshi

yeah that's true.

but isn't the confession thing just one of the prejudices teenagers have about love?keeping your feelings to yourself and gazing from afar is something younger people do.not all maybe but many.it's mostly found in shounen or shoujo series(or entirely?).I always think the way of thinking in those is a bit messed up when s.o is interested in s.o. else but doesn't actually know him/her.so to say having a crush on s.o. isn't the same as loving him/her.
what always irritates me in that respect is when the word suki is used.it's often used in the sense of "I love you",but as I understand it means "I like you" like it's mostly translated.I can't seem to understand why it is so big a deal to tell s.o. you like him or her.It just means you get along or like hanging out.is it because of the japanese culture that you usually don't say things like that and are more reserved so saying it becomes more special than in a western country?
so I think real romance is found mostly in seinen and josei and maybe sometimes in the mentioned subplots for example two people fighting alongside and looking out for each other without the time to worry about petty things like the best way to confess.

truth be told I don't have that much experience with romance-shounen and especially shoujo since they tend to tick me off when the characters act stupid and immature.so if I'm wrong please correct me.

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i enjoy reading suzuka from strangers to husband and wife though it deal with the more immature side, i wish the protagonist would grow up faster. Rather then the teen wife pregnant shit though i agree its hard to find a good romance. Though pastel remind me of the days they spend together but nothing intimate. I honestly can only consider the manwha with the crazy girlfriend with split personality, THAT WAS A GOOD ROMANCE

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The "Happily Ever After" ending has been prevalent ever since the beginning of folklore, and it's basically about leaving the magic of the romance and relationship unbroken.

they intermingle a little bit- but for the most part, yeah they are technically different things.

there are plenty of romances that have nothing even close to a confession, because the way the relationship progressed their feelings were obvious and the confession wasnt necessary-

though as a preferance, i like it when the relationship is kind of ambiguous and they both secretly like each other. and then one of them finally comes out and just says it.

I don't think the matter of how far the relationships develops is necessarily an indicator or not of romance.

When a series is categorize as romance, i expect that the central plot revolves around one or two individuals romantic interest, feelings of love, etc.

To have a series culminate in a confession and then end...i think that is the authors choice in wanting to tell a story about some aspect of being in love and the resulting character growth. Depending on how the authors tells it, the conflict that arises from discovering romantic feelings and gathering the determination to act on them is the basis for the story.

I think another point is to look at the cultural context for the romance. It has been my observation that the Japanese are considered a very reserved people, and that carries into the characters behavior. hugging, kissing, and confessions are considered as very strong displays of affection.
By comparison, many people regard westerners as being very non-chalant and abundant with displays of affection. So it's all just a matter of perspective.