10 Harsh Realities In Dark Romance Anime

Dark romance anime like Future Diary and School Days are popular, but there are a lot of uncomfortable truths associated with the dark romance genre.

Dark romance anime combine the suspense of psychological anime with the simplicity of slice-of-life anime. Some episodes are comical while others are tragic, causing this anime genre to be popular among fans who enjoy tearful, emotional roller coasters. However, there are many drawbacks to watching dark romance anime.

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As expected, these shows have more twists and turns than typical romance anime which can make them as gruesome as horror anime. While these series often aren't as mainstream as typical shonen or shojo anime, their sometimes uniquely disturbing details can leave a lasting impact.

Many dark romance anime, similar to Future Diary, include darker elements like stalking and violence which can surprise viewers who got used to the anime's more slice-of-life vibe. Oftentimes, there is a stark contrast between a dark romance's lighter episodes and the more disturbing ones.

It can be easy to get caught up in the romance of these anime and get a rude awakening when the darker psychological analysis rears its head. Dark romance anime are loved for their duality, but sometimes the drastic contrast can be too much.

Like many typical shojo and josei anime, dark romances include the bad and ugly when it comes to love and relationships. Love triangles and one-sided crushes only scratch the surface of the complexities dark romance anime tend to include when portraying romantic couples.

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These third-party situations typically seem a lot more sinister when compared to those of standard shojo, which are simply unfortunate. Dark romance love triangles create tension that can easily lead to violence. These love triangles add drama to the plot but become dangerous when they threaten the safety of other characters.

Both dark romance anime and harem anime tend to over-sexualize their characters in the name of gathering more viewers. Many dark romance anime characters lack genuine character development and instead play the role of being the fought-over love interest or prize.

When an anime includes too many shallow characters, it cheapens the story. Sadly, dark romances are notorious for the emptiness behind some of their characters who are only really included because of their interactions with other characters and their ability to egg on the plot.

Dark romance anime can easily become very tense due to the stressful situations their characters are put in. This tension results in erratic and fickle characters who have drastic mood swings, and who have motivations that are hard to understand.

While it's understandable for the situations they're in, these characters' inconsistent behaviors can distract from the main storyline. Very few dark romance characters are fan favorites because many characters' emotional responses to their surroundings are overdramatic to the point of hurting others.

The anime NANA is infamous for the toxicity of its relationships and characters. Nana Komatsu, specifically, regularly enters toxic relationships where she is overly dependent on her partner. Even in her friendships, she constantly makes bad decisions without thinking about the future consequences of her actions.

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Many other dark romance anime include unbalanced relationships and unhealthy dynamics, making many dark romance couples hard to get invested in. No amount of suspension of disbelief is enough to ignore how many of these toxic couples should just break up.

From NANA, Takumi and Nana Komatsu's relationship is one of many that has a power dynamic unbalanced enough to make viewers uncomfortable. Even outside romantic relationships, many dark romance character dynamics are controlling and invasive.

From stalking to outright violence, many dark romance characters are willing to go to extremes in the name of getting closer to the person they have feelings for. The harm they bring to others in the name of love is easily one of the hardest things to watch in dark romance anime.

Considering the serious take on love represented by dark romance anime, it's not too surprising many dark romances prominently feature violence. However, the gore some of these include is overly graphic and largely useless to the plot.

School Days and Happy Sugar Life are both anime with characters that turn to violence to achieve their goals. So much of the gore in dark romance anime can seem unnecessary, which can make it hard to watch for viewers who aren't accustomed to horror and dark psychological anime.

So many dark romance anime are considered dark because of their controversial elements. Even in the cases of well-executed dark romance anime, it can be hard to join in fan discussions because some people are fans of the anime for the wrong reasons.

With all the heavy topics anime like these tend to cover, discussions about the series can easily turn into arguments. Fans who enjoy the community aspect of watching anime with friends might be turned away by the hot takes many dark romance anime include.

Dark romances are known for their tragedy, but there are many cases where the ending is just too sad. Vampire Knight, Happy Sugar Life, and many other dark romance anime have conclusions that are almost worse than a cliffhanger.

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Many dark romance anime also have sad or aggravating endings that can leave fans disappointed. Considering the serious issues these anime explore, it makes sense that many of them struggle to conclude with a satisfying ending. However, too many dark romance anime have endings that are outright upsetting.

One of the most upsetting things about dark romance anime can be the nature of the character dynamics. Some relationships between characters are so skewed many fans wouldn't even consider them romantic despite them being the main focus of the dark romance anime.

Coming to terms with the fact that these relationships are portrayed as romantic is something many dark romance fans have to grapple with. Despite how popular anime like this are, they still put off many viewers with the so-called romances they highlight.

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