squeals of delight
the undeniable passion surging through
I have a history for liking main couple in stories (not really by choice but how their story appeals) and when I gave Junjou Romantica a try, I thought at first that I too, shall be giggling and squealing over the Akihiko x Misaki pairing. But of course, if it weren't obvious enough, Romantica isn't my favorite but the second couple introduced in the series - Egoist.
While I don't believe in falling in love at first sight - the case in which Nowaki fell for Hiroki, I do believe that the Egoist pairing is the most realistic out of all three.
For starters, their age gap is as wide compared to the others: 10 & 17 - Romantica and Terrorist respectively. If the four-year age gap between these two stubborn mules are already hard to work with, what more if the disparity in age was even wider? Wouldn't it be even more difficult to understand one another then?
I'm not quite fond of characters with previous associations then transitioning to other parties that are linked i.e. Romantica (with Akihiko's first love, then turned to Misaki) and Terrorist (Shinobu being Yoh's ex-brother-in-law). I suppose it's because I never liked having characters be compared to the other or at least them feeling so (knowing that they're related / connected).
On the other hand, one major reason that results my passion for these two is that they never dwelled upon gender. It was never really an issue or excuse that hindered them from pursuing a relationship - as how love should be, right? While Hiroki briefly acknowledged that both him and Nowaki are males, he soon cast it aside, as his first love was a guy.
To me, Egoist is the most definite and mature pairing of all three. It's the only one that showed relationship stages: strangers turn to acquaintances turn to lovers. Hiroki and Nowaki living together (and in the latest ch. I've read, act. 12), practically heading to the marriage stage. They are the only ones whose problems reside mostly within themselves with no disapproval of other party (i.e. family).
It is ultimately the nature of their relationship that ensnared me; Hiroki's baby steps to expressing his feelings and Nowaki's perseverance to stand equally with him. That both are giving their best for one another and hold each other in thoughts. That both are prepared to sacrifice just so the other could be happy. ❤ The most comical part? Both are aware of their strong feelings towards each other yet they can still be skeptical about it. *laughs*