Personally speaking, I have never been in a romantic relationship with another person. I have liked women in that way, but it has yet to work out. Sometimes it's simply because they just don't like me back in that way and other times, other things get in the way.
One time, it was a girl I was really good friends with - I don't think I've ever been closer to anyone else. I confessed to her one night and bad luck would have it that the morning after, my Nana suddenly died. Out of a mixture of both my grieving and not wanting to feel like I was forcing her into an answer because of the situation, I kept my distance and sadly, the friendship just fell apart. Shortly after then, she entered a relationship with a guy and they have been together since (with this September marking 5 years since the incident). While it is still painful to this day (especially as my sister-in-law has the same first name as her), I can't be sad about it because during my time as her friend, I saw her go through some serious lows and now she's happy, which is all I ever wanted for her.
In fact, the main reason I got so choked up over Golden Time was because she actually looked a lot like Linda and to find out that Linda would have said "Yes" to Banri if not for his accident really brought it all back. Seeing Linda take the same approach as I did though, to just keep an eye on Banri from time to time and let him be happy with Koko, it did help convince me that I had made the right choice in the end though.
The way I see it is, all you should ever want in a relationship is for both yourself and the other person to be happy. It should never about "winning" someone because to repeat earlier sentiments in this thread, a romantic partner is not an object or a trophy to be won. The moment you start thinking of them that way, then can it really be called love? To link this back to anime, take a look at Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Rebellion. Homura's actions were motivated by her love for Madoka and her desire to be with her, to the point where she went against Madoka's wish. To contrast with Madoka's selfless wish, her transformation was entirely selfish resulting in her being branded a demon not only by herself, but by Sayaka as well. One of the most touching moments for in the whole movie was seeing Sayaka reacting to Hitomi and Kyosuke being in her presence. She really did mature in that movie.
Another example I would bring up with this whole discussion is Nisekoi. Personally speaking, I think anyone who expects Raku to end up with anyone but Chitoge is deluding themselves, considering how she is not only the catalyst for the beginning of the series, but said event is even referred to in the title ("False Love"). If we were to go with the "Whoever loves them the most" approach, then no doubt Marika would win, because she's loved Raku for over ten years and has even changed her entire image for him. Can you honestly look at the two of them and think that they would have a happy relationship together? As much as I like Marika as a character, I can't. She's incredibly obsessive, possessive and frankly, she loves stirring things up.
Personally, one of my favourite characters has to be Tsugumi, but I know she won't be chosen either. That's because of she's so devoted to Chitoge that she won't even acknowledge her feelings (and isn't a key holder anyway). I think her character is rather tragic in that regard. As fond as I am of her, I just can't see it working out with with Raku.
My hope is that Nisekoi ends with Raku finding out who the promised girl is, then getting together with someone else. To show that they were chosen because of how much they mean to Raku, as opposed to just being the remnant of some promise. I think the ending line of last week's manga really hit the nail on the head with that one ("Once you find out whom you made the promise to, will you really be able to fall in love with her?".
Speaking personally as an amateur writer and someone who has studied English Literature, I think the main thing a writer needs is not experience, but empathy. People can become clouded by what has happened in their own lives to the point that it bleeds through into their writing. That isn't to say that using your own experiences as a template is a bad thing, but one skill a writer really needs is the ability to take a step back and view a situation from the outside, as well as to be able to put themselves in another person's shoes. Personally, I've found that despite me never having a relationship, I'm the "Go-To Guy" for relationship advice among my friend and family because of it.
man talk about a awkward situation, .........the force is strong in this one........lol
