Romance Evolved An Exploration of Romance in the

Romance Evolved: An Exploration of Romance in the Interactive Narratives of Final Fantasy and Lunar Johansen Quijano University of Texas at Arlington PCA / ACA National Conference 2011 April 19 th – April 23 rd

What is “Romance” Anyway? n A Love Story ¨ Tangential Elements ¨ Happy Ending ¨ Quest ¨ Superior Hero ¨ Magic Items ¨ Vast Landscape

Narrative Elements of a Romance n n n n Society Meeting Attraction Barrier Ritual Death Recognition Declaration Engagement

The Anti Hero Protagonist

The Heroine

Temporal Regression / Textual Progression

The Repetition of the Quest Cycle

Evolution Through Immersion The reader is actively participating n The reader is projected into the story n The reader does not consume, but creates n The reader interacts with the text n

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