Why do we keep falling for love stories? These days, anything that relates to love stories seems to be the biggest form of consumerism, especially for our generation (maybe?). It’s not surprising that romance is one of the most popular genres—whether in songs, books, or movies. Not to neglect other genres, but romance holds a special place, with a fandom that’s undeniably massive.

    Talking about how big its audience is, remember the play in the first week of December? I know you do. It tells the story of two actors who fall in love, only to face a not-so-happy ending. I mean, most people love to have happy endings so when the main characters do not get together at the end, it is just mixed feelings. 

    Despite its bittersweet nature, the romance became the driving force of the narrative. It makes you wonder—could a story like that captivate audiences without the romance? Would people still care to follow the plot without the emotional pull of love and heartbreak?

    Since its rise in popularity a few years ago, we’ve seen countless movies adapted from online books (I mean Wattpad here), many of which revolve around love. These adaptations often draw in massive audiences, especially young adults who find comfort in familiar tropes and heart-fluttering moments. From enemies-to-lovers bickers to love triangles, these stories tap into a deep, universal longing for connection, understanding, and perhaps even a fairytale ending.

    But why are we so drawn to them? Is it because they provide an escape from the monotony of daily life? Or maybe they reflect our unspoken desires for something larger than life?

    It is said that romance provides a deep emotional connection that pulls readers to empathize with the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and desires. Those love stories give us a sense of hope, joy, and sometimes heartbreak that feels so real it becomes personal. There is this satisfaction of not having it in real life–well, some people might think that way.

    It’s easy to dismiss this as mere consumerism, but maybe it’s more than that. Maybe it’s about our innate need to believe in something meaningful, something bigger than ourselves. After all, we don’t just consume love stories; we connect with them.

    So, are we hopeless romantics? Or are we simply human, yearning for the kind of love that reminds us why we keep going, even in the face of life’s tragedies?