The balance of a slow burn romance.

 

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After watching My ID is Gangnam Beauty, I understood how important it was to build an effective slow-burn romance. It’s a challenging task because on one end, the romance can feel too quick to be classified as a slow burn, and on the slower end, it can feel dragged out, adding tension and unwanted drama to avoid boredom. Today, I’ll discuss the balance needed between these two extremes. There is a craft involved, like writing any romance, but an audience needs to feel connected to these characters and be interested in the story before any romance trope can be considered successful.

Setting up the romance is the most important part of a slow burn because if people aren’t invested in the romance, they won’t be invested in the slow burn. There needs to be a portrayal of what these two characters are like separately before building upon the romance and slow burn elements. If the characters have nothing to build upon, there is nothing to make people want to watch the development. If there is no chemistry, it can become unrealistic and make people not want to keep watching for the slow burn aspect. For example, Fruits Basket shows the life of Tohru in a way that makes the audience empathise with her, and with the setup in the first episode, the audience can see what they are getting into.

Having a balance between not making the romance too quick and not dragging it out is the challenge of writing a slow burn. Many stories opt for dragging out the romance, causing people to lose interest in the couple. It’s hard to keep an audience invested in this trope. A drawn-out slow burn can mean that the audience doesn’t have enough time to see the couple together. For example, in My ID is Gangnam Beauty, there are only a few episodes where they are seen as a couple. However, if done too quickly, it can feel less like a slow burn romance.

Keep the dramatic elements separate from the romance. For example, if the focus is on the couple getting together, avoid introducing another plot involving a side character getting into hospital or getting hit by a car. This shifts the focus off balance and disrupts the pacing. It’s not that you can’t have these plots, but keep them separate. This maintains the balance of the romance and having moments besides the romance makes the pacing feel more natural. Pacing is crucial to making the story not only realistic but also enjoyable for the audience. A good sideplot can contribute to this balance.

A romance can progress too quickly, so it’s important to plan out how the romance will develop. Otherwise, it can seem messy. Incorporating small moments and avoiding misunderstandings is crucial because too many misunderstandings can distract from the main romance elements and add unnecessary distractions. It’s important to involve other story elements that don’t detract from the romance but also add depth to the story. One issue I had with My ID Gangnam Beauty was that the side plots sometimes detracted from the main romance, making the focus feel disjointed.

Sprinkling little moments of romance in between, like perhaps small internal reflections or minor interactions that could later lead to a romantic moment, can make the buildup feel more natural. Involving other characters in these moments could also help establish character friendships with the audience, offering insights into what the characters are feeling and making the story and romance more believable. This fosters a sense of connection between the romance and how the eventual buildup may unfold. These moments can be crafted to steer away from misunderstandings or excessive drama.

The anime “Frieren” serves as a prime example of how to execute a slow-burn romance effectively. While the focus remains on Frieren, the romance between Fern and Stark is introduced gradually across episodes. Though slow-paced, there are subtle moments, like Fern and Stark exchanging bracelets and the ballroom dance scene, that depict the gradual development of their relationship. In terms of balance and pacing, the narrative doesn’t solely revolve around the romance. Instead, there are sideplots that keep the story dynamic, bringing anticipation each time the romance is brought back into focus.

To break up the pacing of the slow burn and avoid stagnation, it’s important to incorporate small moments. Perhaps characters lightly touch hands or express their feelings internally? This not only establishes the current status of the romance but also provides sweet moments for the audience to appreciate. “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” succeeded in including such romantic moments, yet the transition from romance to relationship was brief. It’s preferable to allow the audience ample time to witness the love interests as a couple, ensuring that the buildup leads to a satisfying payoff.

In conclusion, crafting a proper slow burn requires significant effort; however, when executed effectively, it can result in a satisfying payoff and impactful character development for both individuals and the couple itself. Conversely, when done poorly, it can drag on and, at worst, deter the audience from continuing with the story. I plan to conduct a review of “My ID is Gangnam Beauty,” exploring how the slow burn and other elements have influenced the story, both positively and negatively, and its parallels with the drama “True Beauty.” Numerous shows, particularly K-dramas like “Hotel Del Luna” and anime such as “Frieren,” exemplify well-executed slow burn narratives.