As one of the highly anticipated school romance anime of spring 2024, A Condition Called Love has sparked debate among fans, as some feel that it depicts a toxic relationship between the main characters.
Why Do Viewers Say A Condition Called Love Is Problematic?
Upon viewing A Condition Called Love, many anime fans felt uncomfortable with the main couple's portrayal.
Hotaru is a girl who values her family and friends above all. She's never experienced romantic love and doesn't think she ever will, which leads some viewers to see her as aromantic.
When she shares her umbrella with Hananoi, a handsome boy whose bad breakup she accidentally witnesses, he immediately asks her out.
Hotaru declines, as she doesn't feel anything for him. Throughout episode 1, Hananoi tries to prove his interest in her with grand gestures.
Finally, Hotaru starts to believe that she could develop feelings for Hananoi and agrees to date him.
Some viewers understandably found this relationship dynamic a bit concerning, with implications for both main characters.
Exploring Hananoi and Hotaru's Dynamic
Hotaru and Hananoi's dynamic, at least in the first episode, isn't something viewers should aspire to.
Both characters are teenagers, so we can't draw definitive conclusions about their personalities, but we would have to see a lot of growth before comfortably calling this a healthy relationship.
From the moment they meet, Hananoi, who believes that Hotaru is his soulmate, tries everything to convince her to go out with him.
When she mentions she likes short hair, he cuts his hair and even removes his earrings, thinking she won't like them. Upon hearing she lost a hairpin, he stays out in the snow to look for it.
Thankfully, Hotaru doesn't take advantage of Hananoi, and Hananoi himself strikes as insecure rather than abusive.
However, if this wasn't the case, the relationship could have turned dark in two ways.
As some viewers have noted, grand declarations of love and excessive gestures too early in a relationship can be love bombing, a tool abusers use to manipulate their love interest.
With that in mind, it's a bit concerning that Hotaru agrees to go out with Hananoi, as it's hard to tell if she genuinely wants to give this a try after all his gestures.
On the other hand, Hananoi's willingness to change for someone he just met could lead him to be taken advantage of.
At least, the anime doesn't seem to endorse Hananoi's behavior.
Manga readers feel that his problematic characteristics are more of a hindrance that prevents genuine connection and that the story is about learning to form healthy connections.
In later manga chapters, Hananoi becomes less intense and learns from his mistakes.
This leads us to believe that A Condition Called Love wants to challenge negative shoujo tropes rather than endorse them.
What do you think about Hananoi and Hotaru's dynamic? Did you find it toxic? Let us know in the comments.
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