Interview with the Translator, Hills of Silver Ruins: Romance

Emperor/king and vassal: old-fashioned romance

Kate: The refocus on Taiki in Hills of Silver Ruins raises a question I had at the end of the prior book, after Taiki’s retrieval. On paper, in terms of romance, it would seem that Ono would put Taiki and Youko together—both newish arrivals from our world who are also contemporaries. But they barely see each other. They both have jobs to do!

The lack of romance in the series is somewhat unexpected. Is this lack specific to the author? Or does Japanese literature in general stay away from throwing romance into genres as western literature customarily does (mystery-romance, suspense-romance, action-romance, fantasy-romance).

That is, shojo and yaoi have definite mandates, but those mandates seem specific to the genres. Is the lack of romance typical of Japanese fantasy or specific to Ono? (In this case, I’m referring to a specific romantic/intimate relationship—the series is suffuse with “romance” in the older sense of the word and in the sense of ongoing, intense relationships.)

Eugene: I think that Fuyumi Ono decided from the start that the Twelve Kingdoms was going to be a romance only in the classical sense. If anything, the underlying message is that "romance goeth before a fall."

From the first couple of episodes, you might conclude that Fruits Basket is setting up a traditional love triangle with Tohru, Kyo and Yuki. Thankfully, it doesn't go there. Other characters fall in and out of relationships, and Kyo develops strong feelings for Tohru (especially after she saves his soul). But for Tohru, he-love-me-he-loves-me-not is the furthest thing from her mind.

Which is quite refreshing, especially after it becomes clear that Fruits Basket is as much psychological horror as romantic fantasy, sort of as if Stephen King wrote every other chapter in Anne of Green Gables.

The ginormous hit Demon Slayer also mostly eschews romance. Although Inosuke pines after Nezuko to an annoying degree, it's comic relief only. The only important relationship is between Nezuko and her brother Tanjiro, the aforementioned demon slayer. That relationship works so well that any attempt at romance would get in the way.

Nevertheless, romantic fantasy is its own genre in Japanese fiction, along with every other genre combination.

A few of my favorite pairings in contemporary fantasy are Akihito and Mirai in Beyond the Boundary, Yuzuru and Kanade in Angel Beats, Sakuta and Mai in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Along more traditional (medieval European) lines are Shirayuki and Zen in Snow White with the Red Hair.

And then straying from the traditional as far as possible (in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way), Legoshi (the wolf) and Haru (the rabbit) in Beastars make for a compelling pair even if you ignore all the obvious symbolism. Speaking of Beastars, Juno (also a wolf) quickly achieves Cordelia status, and then can't stand that Legoshi cares more about Haru than her.

Although not a romance in the conventional sense, the relationship between Reg and Riko in Made in Abyss is as deep and abiding as any in the genre. Reminiscent of Laura and Howie in The Goats, though Reg and Riko are on a dangerous journey to the middle of the Earth and Reg is an android.