EDIT: Thanks to Mitsuki for moving the thread

Romance is not an uncommon theme in RPGs, however there are just some pairings that the game developers create that I can’t forgive.

I'm not saying that I hate the idea of there being romance in video games, but I've just seen really crappy pairings that come together for no apparent reason except by popular demand.

So here are a couple of pairings I don’t like:

FFVIII: Squall and Rinoa



Okay, I honestly tried to give this pairing a shot. I really did. But I can’t accept Squall and Rinoa getting together, and it pisses me off even more that Square claims FFVIII to be the game based around a romantic story.

Well, it was a really crappy romantic story I’m afraid to say.

At first, I could see it happening. Rinoa was a lively, passionate leader of a small rebel faction, and Squall was the stoic, reluctant leader. Opposites attract, right?

But then we find out that Rinoa was already involved with Seifer, Squall's rival. She even says she loves him after everyone thinks the blond is dead.

So here's a young woman who was already in a serious relationship before meeting up with Squall. And with the way things turned out, it seems that Rinoa decided to ditch Seifer after he became evil due to Ultimecia's influence and go for the next best thing: Mr. Pretty-in-Leather

And Squall showed no romantic feelings towards Rinoa for half the game! She was his client that he had to obey for an indeterminate amount of time. That was it.

With all the other issue of the Sorceress, Garden, becoming SeeD Commander, and other stuff that happened, it wouldn't have been impossible for Squall to even FORGET about Rinoa had she just stayed out of harms way.

And here's a popular theory among anti-Squall/Rinoa fans: Isn't it a little strange that only AFTER Rinoa got knocked out and got her sorceress powers did Squall become the love-sick puppy, eh? Going as far as to walk to Esthar while carrying Rinoa on his back, jumping into space for her, that dramatic CGI where he cuts her out of containment, and everything thereafter? It's not hard to think that maybe Rinoa forced her emotions on Squall and made him her ideal knight. Just something to think about it...

.hack//G.U.: Haseo and Atoli



No, no, no. I will not negotiate my position. This pairing was so horribly cliché and unnecessary.

Here we have Haseo, someone who is trying to find a way to bring back Shino, a female player that he really cares for. Already here's someone in his heart.

Then we get shy, naive Atoli who wants Haseo to change his some-what ruthless ways and lack of appreciation of the game. Hey, I'm a chick, but if someone wants me to changed to such extremes, even I'm gonna get pissed.

Then Atoli gets all pissy 'cause Haseo doesn't "look at her". Why should he?!

I admit, she incurred my pity in vol 2 when the gamers find out more about her in real life, but that was still no reason she and Haseo should get together. Other characters had some pretty shitty real lives too, you know.

Eventually, the two end up having to spend time with each other (being epitaph users and such) fighting against AIDA and Cubia. But there still isn't enough between them to jump to romance.

And here's my main issue with this pairing: Why does it have to be Haseo that has to be there for Atoli and such, eh? He already has a bunch of other problems to deal with, AND has feelings for Shino all through the three games (and other people *grins* Tell me the scene after beating Cubia in vol 3 wasn't yaoi fan service, I dare you).

And at the end of vol 3, I was a little mad at Shino when she basically tosses Haseo aside and tells him to go after another girl. All the more reason he finds himself a dude *firm*

Legend of Dragoon: Dart and Shana



No r-e-a-s-o-n for them to get together. Dart left the village when he was 18 and Shana was 13. He had no feelings for the girl at all. Then he comes back, Shana is a legal adult, and even then he feels nothing much for her, but Shana is all head over heels for him.

And guess what? Everyone thinks they should be together!

So Dart is pretty much forced to be with her 'cause everyone says so. Oh yeah, very romantic *rolls eyes*

Chrono Cross: Serge and Kid



Okay, how did romance even come into the picture here between the two? I understand that the idea of two people from different universe coming together is all nice and such, but hey, how come people forgot that Serge ALREADY had a girlfriend?! Pretty lil' thing that beat the crap out of monsters with a spatula ^^

And out of no where gamers found out about Kid's painful past and whatever; that isn't a good enough reason that she and Serge get together.

Now, I’ll end with the few pairings that I did like in video games (aka, just a reason to show more pics )

FFIX: Zidane and Garnet



FFX: Tidus and Yuna



FFX-2: Shuyin and Lenne



Grandia III: Yuki and Alfina



Well, I guess to end I'll just say this: It's a good thing there's such thing as fans to create the pairings we all want, as you can tell from my avatar ^^