Ok, I'm going to present my exact simplified view. Romance the genre means the exclusive purpose behind the story is to hook up two characters. Whatever else happens, that is the plot. If they don't end up hooking up, in a case of failed romance, the plot focuses on their reactions to this. That is my view of the romance genre regardless of what genders are involved. I see the term "love story" as it is currently being used as a synonym for this. If a story has a larger purpose for existence, even if it includes a definite romance, I do not see it as a love story.
Short version of my view of BBM, it cares more about how fucked up the characters are than their feelings for each other, hence the scenes with Ennis and his wife and other girls he interacts badly with. The general theme seems to be the inability of Ennis to cope with how he feels in our society. That's more than just the story of two people who love each other. For example wishes her general hatred of romance movies wasn't killing her ability to come up with an example...The Princess Bride. The whole focus of that was the eventual unity of Wesley and Buttercup. I really hate it that it's too late for me to come up with a better example than that. -_-
As for Loveless, I am not saying that it does not have shonen ai. Because it does. But Soubi, aside from his own confused feelings of affection toward Ritsuka, is acting largely out of obedience to Seimei. He's also been slightly warped from his training. Ritsuka, himself, is not emotionally mature enough to fully understand the concept of love. Not to mention, he is also screwed up. I'm saying that I would prefer to view it as a one-sided, screwed up relationship for now. Not that it necessarily is to everyone. It is clearly sexual, but whether that sexual equates with love/romance, is up to interpretation. I find the whole thing very non-con at times. Not my usual take on romantic love. But then again, Soubi's perspective on love is quite skewed as well.
Essentially, the main focus of Loveless does not seem to be the eventual unity or failed unity of Ritsuka and Soubi since Ritsuka is obviously intended for another partner. Their names do not match. Not to say they can't still have a relationship. That's highly possible. I just do not see it as the focal point of the story. Hence, why I do not see Loveless as a gay romance/love story, even though the potential for its main characters of being gay is there.
As I brought up Fake, I'll mention it quickly here. The point of Fake is to hook up Ryo and Dee. There is also all that cop plot in the background but the reason the series develops is to bring Ryo and Dee closer. Fake is what I would deem a gay love story. It is a romance. A violent and complex one. But at its heart, a romance.
But even as I go on and on about this, I acknowledge my slippery ground since even Harper Lee did refer to her book "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a love story, and I've always viewed that as so much more.
To clear up something, I did not mean to suggest being a love story is any less worthy than any other genre. But when people hear love story, they go into the story for romance. I think people should be aware when they go into Loveless, actual consensual romance might be a long time coming.
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Short version of my view of BBM, it cares more about how fucked up the characters are than their feelings for each other, hence the scenes with Ennis and his wife and other girls he interacts badly with. The general theme seems to be the inability of Ennis to cope with how he feels in our society. That's more than just the story of two people who love each other. For example
wishes her general hatred of romance movies wasn't killing her ability to come up with an example...The Princess Bride. The whole focus of that was the eventual unity of Wesley and Buttercup. I really hate it that it's too late for me to come up with a better example than that. -_-As for Loveless, I am not saying that it does not have shonen ai. Because it does. But Soubi, aside from his own confused feelings of affection toward Ritsuka, is acting largely out of obedience to Seimei. He's also been slightly warped from his training. Ritsuka, himself, is not emotionally mature enough to fully understand the concept of love. Not to mention, he is also screwed up. I'm saying that I would prefer to view it as a one-sided, screwed up relationship for now. Not that it necessarily is to everyone. It is clearly sexual, but whether that sexual equates with love/romance, is up to interpretation. I find the whole thing very non-con at times. Not my usual take on romantic love. But then again, Soubi's perspective on love is quite skewed as well.
Essentially, the main focus of Loveless does not seem to be the eventual unity or failed unity of Ritsuka and Soubi since Ritsuka is obviously intended for another partner. Their names do not match. Not to say they can't still have a relationship. That's highly possible. I just do not see it as the focal point of the story. Hence, why I do not see Loveless as a gay romance/love story, even though the potential for its main characters of being gay is there.
As I brought up Fake, I'll mention it quickly here. The point of Fake is to hook up Ryo and Dee. There is also all that cop plot in the background but the reason the series develops is to bring Ryo and Dee closer. Fake is what I would deem a gay love story. It is a romance. A violent and complex one. But at its heart, a romance.
But even as I go on and on about this, I acknowledge my slippery ground since even Harper Lee did refer to her book "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a love story, and I've always viewed that as so much more.
To clear up something, I did not mean to suggest being a love story is any less worthy than any other genre. But when people hear love story, they go into the story for romance. I think people should be aware when they go into Loveless, actual consensual romance might be a long time coming.
*breaths* I think I'm done now.