I once went to a drag show where one of the performances was a early 1900s-style older butch teaching a younger butch how to be butch to “I’ll make a man out of you”; truly one of my favorite drag performances ever (also the two people were dating at the time, which made it even more fun)
All the 300k+ slow burns I swallowed down as a teenager had me on the floor over a “Darcy hand flex” level of contact. Now I’m trying to transition to romance books and keep getting jumpscared like “They kissed? ALREADY?”
I recently discovered (as a fic writer myself) that there are fic writers that LIE about having unfortunate lives for the bit (or bc they're teens and trying to find "adult" ways to explain a missed update)
18:18 using zuko for the redemption arc photo and placing the trope up in the pantheon is absolutely FANTASTIC, your brain is incredible thank you for your service
@@newlynova my gf and i are watching avatar for the first time and my brain exploded when i heard that song for the first time. finding a tik tok audio out in the wild is bewildering sometimes
I thought I was with you with the “brothers best friend” trope but then I thought of any of my friends dating my (admittedly close in age) younger brother and I was filled with an incandescent and immediate rage so I guess im the problem
the way Lexi has managed to stamp “the best to ever do it” onto my lexicon. I don’t think I ever used that phrase once before watching her videos and now I’m dropping it on a regular basis
HARD SAME, I even said it on stream once 😂 I was playing Dead Cells and chatting with another player who said they didn’t like the Twitch Integration feature because it takes away a lot of agency, and I was like “yeah it does, but I know I’m never gonna be The Best To Ever Do It, so I don’t take it so seriously” lol.
I will stand up for "hero loses powers" in the instance of learning their worth beyond their powers or having a little challenge towards the final battle and then GETTING THE POWERS BACK that's the important part-- that's a lil treat for me
@@newlynova i hated when it happened at the end of kingdom of ash by sarah j maas. they've been talking whole book that someone has to sacrifice themselves (to close wyrd gate i think, i dont remember correctly, because i read it long time ago). it killed whole book for me
@@newlynova yea the only example of losing powers that immediately comes to mind for me is **spoilers** legend of korra and i liked it there because a) the avatar/rebirth component adds extra spice and b) it played into her self worth issues and into the conflict with the city
Yes! I loved the examples you put up in this video and mentions but I eat up all of your recommendations so this would be really nice to see, if you were up for that 🥺
For real, I used to read, margin notate, and archive fanfiction like it was a full time job. I think I still have the three binders, although most of their contents is gone. Green for top shelf, most excellent degeneracy; black for good shit; white/silver for anything that's clearly flawed but has enough unique interest to be worth printing and storing.
I LOVE the length of your videos. It's so hard finding videos over 15 minutes, so when I want to get comfortable and watch something, it's hard. It's like a blessing whenever you post lol
i LOVE forced proximity where two competitive people have to work together to win. like The Summer of Broken Rules by KL Walther where they have to work together to defeat everyone in a game of assassin. it’s my favorite niche category of that trope
Seeing you put both slow burn and mutual pining in the pantheon was so satisfying. Those two paired together are really the recipe for the best romances 😌❤
Hero loses powers book she was talking about MUST have been from the shadow and bone series. That ending pissed me off so bad and I'm glad to be seen in this way lol
What you said about the bully romance was real, literally i don't care if he had a tragic backstory which is why he doesn't know how to express his feelings and is just mean to her because he likes her like that doesn't even make sense. Bully romances are only good when they both are equally mean to eachother. I would say the cruel prince would be a good example for this
the speed with which she whips through everything is so good for my adhd brain. organized chaos at it's finest and the roasting is so personal. i love it
omg lexi, to challenge your stance on the friends to lovers trope, i can't recommend "twenty five twenty one" on netflix enough. it singlehandedly convinced me that when done right and not boringly it can be pantheon worthy. this series has found family, coming of age, intense nostalgia of youth and the beauties/tragedies that comes with it, nuanced grumpy x sunshine ish, central female friendship and rivalry, mother-daughter dynamics, training montages, underdog you can't help but root for, etc which are elements that really could be up your alley! i grew up with kdramas but like a lot of poorly written fanfics they can be a bit too tropey/cliche and hollow (i say this lovingly lol), however 2521 might come off unassuming and comical one moment but will find you crying the next and later will have your soul slowly mended back with poetically wholesome vibes in the mere span of an episode or two. i love how subversive it is and how it has one of the best executions of 'show don't tell' when convincing the audience of the affection/care shared between characters uggghhh from the production, writing to acting it is soooo gooodd and i clearly cannot sing enough praises about it (in case you look into it pls be careful of spoilers everywhere)
2521 is a great start to kdrama, it’s sooo good !! but if you really can’t invest in friends to lovers, “Start Up” is another favourite of mine and it has the childhood friends to lovers but with a really sweet twist (:
I agree with almost all of these, but I am a sucker for all friends to lovers. I just LOVE that tension of not wanting to ruin a friendship! The childhood friends one is also good because it's usually a combo with it's always been you or second chance? I do eat that up every single time.
Friends to lovers is just so good 😆 Just something about the fact that they already know each other deeply and slowly develop feelings/tension is... ughh I love slow burns
I need some recommendations on this trope. I tried to find it some time ago and thought it would be easy since it must be a very popular trope. Turned out it isn't. Please without spice 🙏 I would really appreciate your suggestions 💛
@@tea_mariidk if it would be *exactly* what ur looking for but the percy jackson series does the childhood friends to lovers thing pretty well imo! its not the main focus of the series but the narrator/mc is one half of the relationship and u see how his feelings grow/change over the series and it takes them years to actually get together; its really cute and theyre my favorite book couple :)
@@kelseyfrank5524this is a spoiler for the book series, but i have a feeling it’s shadow and bone by leigh bardugo. at the end alina loses her powers and they get like sent out to others to become sun summoners, and then alina opens up an orphanage. hope this helps!
@@Rollypollyroryomg I can discuss grishaverse forever. Her little comeback was ok, but was I excited? No. However, the appearance of SOC charachters made me scream. I guess that's because I never liked Alina so deeply. Who needs her anyways when there is Zoya 😅
Zuko as the redemption arc image and Kate/Anthony as the enemies to lovers image, THOSE ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES, i feel so seen. Anyway adore you hope youre well
i love chosen one stories with a twist. they always, always SLAP. some examples include: - i was raised to be the chosen one but its actually someone else and now my life is imploding - i'm the chosen one, meaning that my life has dozen of rules and traditions that i must follow! this is completely normal and not insidious :) - i'm the chosen one but i'm desperately looking for a way to be unchosen - i'm not the chosen one, its my sibling/partner/best friend so of course i'm going with them - being the chosen one came out of nowhere for me! guess i have to do it anyways. awfully convenient that my parents raised me to have the exact skills and abilities i need for this journey and so on, and so forth. always a certified banger
the way i gasped when you put "hero loses powers" in the bottom tier, i was not expecting that! i had the exact opposite experience when i was a kid where the protagonist of a very popular anime from the 2000s had to give up his power to fulfill the original goal of the show during the darkest hour (i feel like that's enough without being too much) and it felt so satisfying for some reason. It sort of reads to me like a signal that things have changed and the character doesn't need all that power anymore to be happy, that they have changed enough as a person that their inner world can be peaceful now. But if i had to read a version where a woman gave up her power and ended up weaker than an insecure man i would rage, so.
Wait omfg are you talking about FMA03? Because I ADORE that ending. I feel like it can be done so well and create such bittersweet and genuinely heart wrenching scenes. But imo in romance it is harder to pull off since it can feel like it plays into gender stereotypes if done wrong. But oh gosh. It can hurt so good...
if you're looking for a good reverse grumpy-sunshine (grumpy girl, sunshiney boy), I recommend "a far wilder magic" by Allison Saft! a beautiful character study with some light fantasy elements (and has some of your pantheon tropes in it!!)
"Carry On' is my all time favourite chosen one trope book because the whole premise is the MC being "the worst chosen one to ever be chose". its low key a harry potter parody where Harry and Draco fall in love and also dracos a vampire, and it is also imo a solid enemies to lovers book.
Absolutely resonate with everything in "Highly Variable" lmao. Those are the tropes that make me perk up when I hear them, but have such a poor history of good execution that I'm always hesitant. Add Enemies to Lovers in there too bc I feel like the contemporary world has me dying of laughter and the fantasy worlds be speedrunning the progression from enemy to lover. Also I need more corruption arcs in my life.
You know what always eat? Lexi's videos. Lexi, you NEVER MISS. Literally every word you said, I was nodding my head and giggling and snapping my fingers
IT IS LITERALLY SO HARD TO FIND A GOOD ENEMIES TO LOVERS!! like give me some good stakes! give me moral differences! give me good reason for them finding each other attractive apart from sexual tension! so hard i cry
IMO The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakey does the Brother’s Best Friend trope actually okay? I say this because when the brother finds out his best friend is in love with his sister he’s just like “so, when are you gonna tell Juliet you love her? Cause you’re kinda obvious about it.” He doesn’t go all over protective or say they can’t date, he actively gives his blessing which was a really nice change. It also helps that all the characters are in their 30s, so the brother very much trusts his sister’s judgement.
Omg so early, just want to say love you Lexi! Your videos bring me so much joy and you’ve quickly become one of my favorite creators. I know you’ve had a tough go lately but just know so many internet strangers care about you and are so grateful for the laughs you provide! Hope you’re on the upswing and keep doing you 🤍
Your channel has singlehandedly made me read again. And by that, I mean I've become a reading god and blazed through like 3 books in a week when I haven't touched a book in months. (Besides the one off book I did finish).
Forced proximity is such a treat when it's about family! Like whaaaaat, you are actually able to love and work with your family member after *THAT* event, trust them even (with your life maybe, maybe not). It always eats when written with lots and lots of angst.
so glad you make videos like this bc I agree with you on almost every ranking and now I feel like I can trust that your book recs will be ones that I’ll actually like, which is so exciting! thanks lexi!! xoxoxo
Not books, but Catra from She-ra for redemption, Anakin from star wars for corruption arc. Also Amity kind of has a redemption arc in the owl house, but its a bit fast, not because it is badly done, but because she was never really bad, more manipulated by her mother. Loki also has a redemption arc in the marvel show. Sorry i couldnt think of any books😅 i like to read draco redemption fanfics sometimes, even tho i hate him in the actual books, because i think that would have been really cool.
The "I hate everyone but you"-trope... If it is done right, it is pantheon material. I am thinking of Astarion from BG3 here. Doesn't matter If you go for a friendship or a romance with him. Just don't ever hurt him any more, please 😭 Show him that the world still has some good things. It's also always paired with a slow burn If done eight, because you have to build the trust first. So it's a win-win!
the "hero loses powers" reminded me of one of Wyll's endings from bg3 as well! and its done delightfully there imo. i think having the person continue to find ways to be heroic and kick ass after their powers are taken away is a much better way to write that trope!
25:59 The way I immediately guessed shadow and bone 😭 tho I actually like it a lot in this case bc I feel like it’s the type of ending Alina would’ve wanted lol idk
Lexi you don’t know this but they yanked two of my teeth out today and I am layed up in bed and in pain and now I’ve been blessed with content from you!! thank you for your service!!
I have to say that I’ve always respected all your opinions even when I don’t fully agree with you and therefore I really respect you as a content creator. That being said, a whole new level of respect has arisen the moment you said that you love Starstruck the movie and that now I bow to you and your opinions because you have impecable taste
When i first saw u rank friends to lovers so low i gasped in like. Actual shock. And then i saw childhood friends to lovers as a seperate tier and everything was fine. That is my ultimate favorite right there. Thank god
okay so part 2 of this maybe pick best and worst books for each trope??? Will the video be like three hours long yes...will I still devotedly watch the whole thing yes...also yes. But also no pressure, we know you're busy! 😊 Thanks for another banger of a vid, Lexi.
A trope I need to see more of is ‘adopted by the enemy’ bc it’s fcking beautiful (good example is Jinx in Arcane) anyways this is the first ranking where I agree with EVERYTHING
The fact that you're living and uploading, you ate. I agree with all the sentiments, I want to start reading books I've refused to read solely because of the tropes and just see if I missed out.
Miscommunication is the trope i love to see subverted the most. I basically only see this done in fanfiction and it makes me glow. Reader sees the place this trope would crop up and the sure steady hand of the author just steers right past it and shows two people who can speak and listen? Yes god. I feel like it makes my mother proud
Percabeth being the picture for friends to lovers is so accurate and iconic Possible favourite arc is Connor from DBH because in order to get the redemption arc his programming is slowly becoming corrupted. BAM double whammy.
The way you posted again the morning of a hellish day of exams, thats one after the other ❤thank you so much for always giving me another reason to get through the day and get back home to watch your videos (new and older ones)
The way I set my alarm 40 minutes earlier when I saw this notification in the night and then got up earlier to watch this before uni. It really says something about how good Lexi's videos are because sleep is sacred to me, normally. oooooooooh you truly get academic rivals to lovers, I am obsessed with that too
I love your earing's! I really appreciate how well you explain each book you are reviewing. You give your honest opinion, you've helped add to my tbr so many times with how well you dive into each book.
Hurt/comfort pretty much gets me every time. Especially if it’s combined with something like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn etc
Omg I was an extra in the big high school dance scene in Starstruck 😂😂 I haven’t seen it since it first came out but I think there’s like a prom or something near the end? I was on set for two or three days for that scene. Totally forgot about that movie 🤣
Cheating, Student/teacher, and large age gaps are pretty much an instant "no thanks" from me. I cannot stand them so much, I have been known to throw away the media that they're on instead of finishing them.
I was an accidental pregnancy trope HATER before a friend convinced me to read Out on a Limb Hannah Bonam Young. That book changed my whole perception on the trope (It also discusses limb differences and the author writes from experience as she has a limb difference). If it’s done right, it’s PERFECT. A somewhat new release that is also very similar to Out on a Limb is Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (this one is childhood friends to lovers/best friends brother too). Both fmcs in these get pregnant at the VERY beginning of the books, so it’s a totally different vibe than accidental pregnancy at the middle or end of books and a lot of it is reckoning with how to support their new child while also falling in love with the mmc (which ISN’T THE FATHER IN ONE OF THEM!). So it’s majorrrrr friends to lovers vibes and sooo good. I’d love to see you read one of these!
I’m not sure if the bully romance trope applies to books where the guy and the girl just have some kind of beef, and they just do this banter thing. But if it does, then I’d put bully romance in “highly variable” but if the guy just straight up walks to her in school and does… bullying, then no.
I need to do this for myself now, fanfiction has infused the knowledge of every trope ever into my brain. this was so entertaining to watch, ty Lexi we are fr so back
this isn't related to the actual video at hand, but have you ever considered crossposting any of your tiktoks onto here? I don't use tiktok-it's just not the right app for me personally-but I'd be interested in seeing the fabled divorce tier list you've mentioned before, as well as whatever else you may be cooking up over there
they're too long 😭 time limit on youtube is 60 seconds, if that ever changes i will probably crosspost but until then i am unfortunately too wordy lol!!
@@newlynova ah that makes sense; I get it-but let it be known I am no coward & would watch the raw non-short vertical video if presented with it either way, thanks for answering! keep up the good work 🫡
Miscommunication tropes can vary because, in my opinion, there needs to be a good reason for lapse in communication. It's so frustrating when characters do not have any good reason behind the miscommunication. Such as when a character just decides not to tell someone something for no reason or for a really wimpy reason. But there are great examples of miscommunications that can happen organically for solid reasons. A good miscommunication conflict is usually blameless and natural and fascinating in the way it can give us a peak into a character's psyche. So if the characters are flat or weak, their miscommunications are usually due to stupidity or laziness and it's a pain to get through.
I like grumpy sunshine but specifically when the grumpy one has a strong moral code (it can be morally grey but they follow the code, like they'll kill, but only in certain scenarios) and the sunshine character is absolutely off the rails insane. Idk I just love it.
If you like the “genius character” trope well done, you’d LOVE “the lies of Locke Lamora”. It’s a fantasy series but the first book can honestly be read as a stand alone (and tbh it may even be better this way). Highly highly recommend if you want a dark fantasy, found family centered but TRAGIC book. It’s so good
i shall now be stalking all your recs because "my investment in a lot of books has been ended as soon as they kiss the first time" is INCREDIBLY relatable
accidental pregnancy is the strongest form of birth control, imo
The twilight monster fetus made me so horrified I never wanted to have kids 😂
The amount of tv and books where a woman has sex once and her life immediately implodes is insane
I think it’s partially why I decided to get a bisalp 😂😅
The best training montage hands down is "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan, it legit has me wanting to climb a massive pole and run with weights
no this is so real 😭
ABSOLUTELY!!
Without fail every time i watch it i feel a sudden rush of inspiration, that i can do that too.
This is my go to hype karaoke song - guaranteed to end in a mob of girls shouting the lyrics while air punching
I once went to a drag show where one of the performances was a early 1900s-style older butch teaching a younger butch how to be butch to “I’ll make a man out of you”; truly one of my favorite drag performances ever (also the two people were dating at the time, which made it even more fun)
You remind me of that one cool art teacher that says “to be cringe is to be free”
this is such a funny compliment HAHAHA
My brain went "KOOLEEN!!"
All the 300k+ slow burns I swallowed down as a teenager had me on the floor over a “Darcy hand flex” level of contact. Now I’m trying to transition to romance books and keep getting jumpscared like “They kissed? ALREADY?”
Ah I feel so SEEN. Same problem. These slow burns just aren’t slow burns to me!
Thissss
Those bitches have NOT suffered in pining enough!
A 43 minute video of my fave?? A little treat ? FOR ME?? ?
for YOU
Bully romances are the bane of my existence. I can handle banter but literally being so toxic cause he likes her makes my skin boil.
it is so kindergarten core i hate it lol
it def gives "he only bullies you because he likes you" and it's icky
it’s giving boys will be boys 🤮🤮
Enter penelope douglas
It's a struggle because my favorite manga is Hana Yori Dango. But booktok bully romances are always just.... So concerning
ao3 authors should be a trope of their own bc why are their lives always so unfortunate 😭 we respect the dedication tho
As an ao3 author, don’t worry, I’m alive and well (for the most part)
I recently discovered (as a fic writer myself) that there are fic writers that LIE about having unfortunate lives for the bit (or bc they're teens and trying to find "adult" ways to explain a missed update)
@@bailliepuckett ain’t no way 😭😭😭
@@larissababes I felt the same 😭😭 like what do you mean that the writer didn't break all their bones?
@@bailliepuckett this is a betrayal of all those poor ao3 writers that actually did get locked up but were still thinking of ideas for the fic 😔
found family makes me go feral like full on monkey stimming mode
I’m reading the Curse of Ophelia & that’s in there. Definitely interesting!
"even if they're psychotic and they're like mafia men who bought us like at least they're kind at least they say nice things" 😭
I exploded laughing at this part
18:18 using zuko for the redemption arc photo and placing the trope up in the pantheon is absolutely FANTASTIC, your brain is incredible thank you for your service
secret tunnellllllll secret tunelllllllllll 🤠
fr the chokehold zuko has on us is insane
@@newlynova my gf and i are watching avatar for the first time and my brain exploded when i heard that song for the first time. finding a tik tok audio out in the wild is bewildering sometimes
The way that I had just crumbled to my knees as I had finished all of Lexi’s videos only to get the notification for this one
dude i absolutely FELT your comment.
we are SO back
ME TOO
Are we all in our So Fucking Back era?? Because good for us.
Nah, the miscommunication trope should be in jail lol.
You’re in my pantheon tier of booktubers
Further confirmed as I didn’t disagree with a single opinion in this video you cooked!!!!!!
Completely agree.
I thought I was with you with the “brothers best friend” trope but then I thought of any of my friends dating my (admittedly close in age) younger brother and I was filled with an incandescent and immediate rage so I guess im the problem
my best friend started dating my younger brother and i would never relive that experience for anything
@@angelmoritz1405I feel your pain...friends should not get involved romantically with your family... its such a horrible experience
Hands down best application of "Who did this to you" is the Pizza Delivery episode in SpongeBob SquarePants.
God damnit, you are so right 😂😂
You know what makes me feel the feelings? Grumpy x Sunshine but not as a romance. Friends or found families... perfection
Agreed!!
i LOVE found family but some -strai- i mean certain kinds of people seem to think it means marrying a single father and becoming a mother to his kids
Incredibly real
As a straight person I apologize on the behalf of the rest of us, some actually harbor critical thinking skills I promise😭
they're nuclearing our found family trope 😭
THATS JUST STUPID PEOPLE
the whole “childhood friends to lovers” mock-up scenario was so perfectly realized and delivered, top-tier bit 🙏
the way Lexi has managed to stamp “the best to ever do it” onto my lexicon. I don’t think I ever used that phrase once before watching her videos and now I’m dropping it on a regular basis
exact same here, these videos have permanently altered my vocabulary with that
Right 😂😂😂
ikr! I also keep saying "the worst to ever do it" sarcastically whenever my brother does a dumb goof
"Does woods" is mine.
HARD SAME, I even said it on stream once 😂 I was playing Dead Cells and chatting with another player who said they didn’t like the Twitch Integration feature because it takes away a lot of agency, and I was like “yeah it does, but I know I’m never gonna be The Best To Ever Do It, so I don’t take it so seriously” lol.
I will stand up for "hero loses powers" in the instance of learning their worth beyond their powers or having a little challenge towards the final battle and then GETTING THE POWERS BACK that's the important part-- that's a lil treat for me
return of powers makes it deserve more rights, my beef is when they dont come back
@@newlynova i hated when it happened at the end of kingdom of ash by sarah j maas. they've been talking whole book that someone has to sacrifice themselves (to close wyrd gate i think, i dont remember correctly, because i read it long time ago). it killed whole book for me
@@newlynova I'm with you on that one girlypop 🤝
@@newlynova yea the only example of losing powers that immediately comes to mind for me is **spoilers** legend of korra and i liked it there because a) the avatar/rebirth component adds extra spice and b) it played into her self worth issues and into the conflict with the city
korra 🙏
Necessary follow-up video - your top 1-2 recs for each trope in the top 2 or 3 tiers
Yes plz 🙏
Yes! I loved the examples you put up in this video and mentions but I eat up all of your recommendations so this would be really nice to see, if you were up for that 🥺
Pleeeeeease i would kill for that 😂
I love the callbacks you make to fanfiction because I too would read fanfic like it was a full time job
I still read fanfic like it’s a full time job lol
For real, I used to read, margin notate, and archive fanfiction like it was a full time job. I think I still have the three binders, although most of their contents is gone. Green for top shelf, most excellent degeneracy; black for good shit; white/silver for anything that's clearly flawed but has enough unique interest to be worth printing and storing.
i still read it like it’s a full time job. my goodreads would be sky high if ff was counted
@@threecatsinacoat LMAO SAME
"never have I ever" on Netflix has some good "academic rivals to lovers" energy. It's a teen comedy show but very enjoyable!
Please tell me you got the name of the fanfic that was mentioned by the Queen herself Im dying to read it
I LOVE the length of your videos. It's so hard finding videos over 15 minutes, so when I want to get comfortable and watch something, it's hard. It's like a blessing whenever you post lol
yes i do not know how to shut up clearly LMAO first time in my life it has ever been a positive ✨
@@newlynovai also love this length
Even longer!
@@newlynova I genuinely think I would eat up any video you make regardless of length😂 Like you could ramble for 4 hours and I would be sat
i LOVE forced proximity where two competitive people have to work together to win. like The Summer of Broken Rules by KL Walther where they have to work together to defeat everyone in a game of assassin. it’s my favorite niche category of that trope
Also today tonight tomorrow has this vibe
@@talikup i love that one too omg
whats the summer of broken rules ab? i think its on my tbr but i forgot the summary tbh
Seeing you put both slow burn and mutual pining in the pantheon was so satisfying. Those two paired together are really the recipe for the best romances 😌❤
Sighhh, I didn't want to like Buddie as much as I do 🫣
Hero loses powers book she was talking about MUST have been from the shadow and bone series. That ending pissed me off so bad and I'm glad to be seen in this way lol
this video showed up at the EXACT moment I was looking for a book video omg
What you said about the bully romance was real, literally i don't care if he had a tragic backstory which is why he doesn't know how to express his feelings and is just mean to her because he likes her like that doesn't even make sense. Bully romances are only good when they both are equally mean to eachother. I would say the cruel prince would be a good example for this
the speed with which she whips through everything is so good for my adhd brain. organized chaos at it's finest and the roasting is so personal. i love it
"dead character saves the day" i immediately thought of Leo in The Blood of Olympus! 💗
omg lexi, to challenge your stance on the friends to lovers trope, i can't recommend "twenty five twenty one" on netflix enough. it singlehandedly convinced me that when done right and not boringly it can be pantheon worthy. this series has found family, coming of age, intense nostalgia of youth and the beauties/tragedies that comes with it, nuanced grumpy x sunshine ish, central female friendship and rivalry, mother-daughter dynamics, training montages, underdog you can't help but root for, etc which are elements that really could be up your alley! i grew up with kdramas but like a lot of poorly written fanfics they can be a bit too tropey/cliche and hollow (i say this lovingly lol), however 2521 might come off unassuming and comical one moment but will find you crying the next and later will have your soul slowly mended back with poetically wholesome vibes in the mere span of an episode or two. i love how subversive it is and how it has one of the best executions of 'show don't tell' when convincing the audience of the affection/care shared between characters uggghhh from the production, writing to acting it is soooo gooodd and i clearly cannot sing enough praises about it (in case you look into it pls be careful of spoilers everywhere)
i have been meaning to get into kdrama 💀 honestly i love the trashy vibes as well esp. in tv, i watch like a TON of reality tv to scratch that itch
2521 is a great start to kdrama, it’s sooo good !! but if you really can’t invest in friends to lovers, “Start Up” is another favourite of mine and it has the childhood friends to lovers but with a really sweet twist (:
I agree with almost all of these, but I am a sucker for all friends to lovers. I just LOVE that tension of not wanting to ruin a friendship! The childhood friends one is also good because it's usually a combo with it's always been you or second chance? I do eat that up every single time.
Friends to lovers is just so good 😆 Just something about the fact that they already know each other deeply and slowly develop feelings/tension is... ughh I love slow burns
I need some recommendations on this trope. I tried to find it some time ago and thought it would be easy since it must be a very popular trope. Turned out it isn't. Please without spice 🙏 I would really appreciate your suggestions 💛
@@tea_mari Childhood friends to lovers is a popular trope and you'll find many books on it. So maybe look into that?
@@felixtownn thanks, I'll try)
@@tea_mariidk if it would be *exactly* what ur looking for but the percy jackson series does the childhood friends to lovers thing pretty well imo! its not the main focus of the series but the narrator/mc is one half of the relationship and u see how his feelings grow/change over the series and it takes them years to actually get together; its really cute and theyre my favorite book couple :)
The ending of the 'if you know you know' she loses her powers book that we all know made me viscerally angry lol.
If I was someone who didn't know, what book series would that be?
@@kelseyfrank5524this is a spoiler for the book series, but i have a feeling it’s shadow and bone by leigh bardugo. at the end alina loses her powers and they get like sent out to others to become sun summoners, and then alina opens up an orphanage. hope this helps!
I feel like Matilda did this well? But also, she’s probably the exception.
What'd y'all think of when she came back in King of scars book for a sec ?
@@Rollypollyroryomg I can discuss grishaverse forever. Her little comeback was ok, but was I excited? No. However, the appearance of SOC charachters made me scream. I guess that's because I never liked Alina so deeply. Who needs her anyways when there is Zoya 😅
just started the video but i wanna point out how much lexi is absolutely slaying in this video like the hair the earrings the shirt... beautiful!!
Zuko as the redemption arc image and Kate/Anthony as the enemies to lovers image, THOSE ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES, i feel so seen. Anyway adore you hope youre well
I would LOVE a video with recs from the pantheon and always eats!
i love chosen one stories with a twist. they always, always SLAP. some examples include:
- i was raised to be the chosen one but its actually someone else and now my life is imploding
- i'm the chosen one, meaning that my life has dozen of rules and traditions that i must follow! this is completely normal and not insidious :)
- i'm the chosen one but i'm desperately looking for a way to be unchosen
- i'm not the chosen one, its my sibling/partner/best friend so of course i'm going with them
- being the chosen one came out of nowhere for me! guess i have to do it anyways. awfully convenient that my parents raised me to have the exact skills and abilities i need for this journey
and so on, and so forth. always a certified banger
the way i gasped when you put "hero loses powers" in the bottom tier, i was not expecting that! i had the exact opposite experience when i was a kid where the protagonist of a very popular anime from the 2000s had to give up his power to fulfill the original goal of the show during the darkest hour (i feel like that's enough without being too much) and it felt so satisfying for some reason. It sort of reads to me like a signal that things have changed and the character doesn't need all that power anymore to be happy, that they have changed enough as a person that their inner world can be peaceful now. But if i had to read a version where a woman gave up her power and ended up weaker than an insecure man i would rage, so.
Wait omfg are you talking about FMA03? Because I ADORE that ending. I feel like it can be done so well and create such bittersweet and genuinely heart wrenching scenes. But imo in romance it is harder to pull off since it can feel like it plays into gender stereotypes if done wrong. But oh gosh. It can hurt so good...
if this is about FMA hell yeah!! i love that moment, it makes perfect sense for ed to make that decision and it's so satisfying thematically
Just got done watching your summer tbr vid for the SECOND time and the way I RAN nothing is better than a lexi tier vid
"It's pathetic in a way that's hot" - girl. I feel so understood by this whole video 😂 also, hurt/comfort is the therapy we didn't know we needed ❤
if you're looking for a good reverse grumpy-sunshine (grumpy girl, sunshiney boy), I recommend "a far wilder magic" by Allison Saft! a beautiful character study with some light fantasy elements (and has some of your pantheon tropes in it!!)
YES I love this book so much
Yes! That is such a nice book and I genuinely think about it quite often
You did it. You somehow made me not entirely despise the miscommunication trope.😂
"Carry On' is my all time favourite chosen one trope book because the whole premise is the MC being "the worst chosen one to ever be chose". its low key a harry potter parody where Harry and Draco fall in love and also dracos a vampire, and it is also imo a solid enemies to lovers book.
Literally my fav book, I had to think about how well it executes the "hero looses power" trope (and found family and enemies to lovers )
@@Vivi-hh5ob literalllyyyy
Absolutely resonate with everything in "Highly Variable" lmao. Those are the tropes that make me perk up when I hear them, but have such a poor history of good execution that I'm always hesitant. Add Enemies to Lovers in there too bc I feel like the contemporary world has me dying of laughter and the fantasy worlds be speedrunning the progression from enemy to lover.
Also I need more corruption arcs in my life.
You know what always eat? Lexi's videos. Lexi, you NEVER MISS. Literally every word you said, I was nodding my head and giggling and snapping my fingers
IT IS LITERALLY SO HARD TO FIND A GOOD ENEMIES TO LOVERS!! like give me some good stakes! give me moral differences! give me good reason for them finding each other attractive apart from sexual tension! so hard i cry
Yess
IMO The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakey does the Brother’s Best Friend trope actually okay? I say this because when the brother finds out his best friend is in love with his sister he’s just like “so, when are you gonna tell Juliet you love her? Cause you’re kinda obvious about it.” He doesn’t go all over protective or say they can’t date, he actively gives his blessing which was a really nice change. It also helps that all the characters are in their 30s, so the brother very much trusts his sister’s judgement.
this is refreshing
@@newlynova to quote you, I hope you’re taking care if yourself. Your content gives me life, enjoy your vacation!
love ur videos!! they bring out the teenage book nerd in me that got very lost in the tax-paying adult world at some point. ty these are so fun hehe 🎉
🫶🫶🫶 i just did my Q2 payment today hahaha so i am not immune ... truly taxes come for us all 😭
Omg so early, just want to say love you Lexi! Your videos bring me so much joy and you’ve quickly become one of my favorite creators. I know you’ve had a tough go lately but just know so many internet strangers care about you and are so grateful for the laughs you provide! Hope you’re on the upswing and keep doing you 🤍
🫶🫶🫶
Your channel has singlehandedly made me read again. And by that, I mean I've become a reading god and blazed through like 3 books in a week when I haven't touched a book in months. (Besides the one off book I did finish).
Wake up, Lexi posted again!!!!
Oh man it's just past midnight in Europe, I'm afraid it''ll have to wait until tomorrow for me ):
Forced proximity is such a treat when it's about family! Like whaaaaat, you are actually able to love and work with your family member after *THAT* event, trust them even (with your life maybe, maybe not). It always eats when written with lots and lots of angst.
The redemption and corruption arcs in the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson are SECOND TO NONE!!! CHANGED MY LIFE!!!
I didn’t think anyone else had seen The Candy Jar! Every time I see the “academic rivals to lovers” trope I think of that movie
so glad you make videos like this bc I agree with you on almost every ranking and now I feel like I can trust that your book recs will be ones that I’ll actually like, which is so exciting! thanks lexi!! xoxoxo
PLEASE I BEG YOU, give me some recs of books with the redemption/corruption arc
This isn’t a book rec but I loved the Arcane series!
the poppy war is a good example
also the Dark Rise (which is kind of a spoiler, but heyy it's amazing!)
Macbeth?
Not books, but Catra from She-ra for redemption, Anakin from star wars for corruption arc.
Also Amity kind of has a redemption arc in the owl house, but its a bit fast, not because it is badly done, but because she was never really bad, more manipulated by her mother. Loki also has a redemption arc in the marvel show. Sorry i couldnt think of any books😅 i like to read draco redemption fanfics sometimes, even tho i hate him in the actual books, because i think that would have been really cool.
I was waiting for found family and you did not disappoint with the placement of it ahhhh! My favourite trope along with Redemption/Corruption arcs
the way you talk is the perfect speed for my brain, I agree with everything, I adore your videos.
I would love book recommendation for all of these tropes!!
listening to you speak is so satisfying, it scratches the right itch in my brain
The "I hate everyone but you"-trope... If it is done right, it is pantheon material.
I am thinking of Astarion from BG3 here. Doesn't matter If you go for a friendship or a romance with him. Just don't ever hurt him any more, please 😭 Show him that the world still has some good things.
It's also always paired with a slow burn If done eight, because you have to build the trust first. So it's a win-win!
the "hero loses powers" reminded me of one of Wyll's endings from bg3 as well! and its done delightfully there imo. i think having the person continue to find ways to be heroic and kick ass after their powers are taken away is a much better way to write that trope!
25:59 The way I immediately guessed shadow and bone 😭 tho I actually like it a lot in this case bc I feel like it’s the type of ending Alina would’ve wanted lol idk
OUR QUEEN HAS ARRIVED ONCE AGAIN, ALL HAIL QUEEN LEXI🙌🏻🙌🏻
I’m so relieved you put hurt/comfort as high as you did, that trope is my #1
Lexi you don’t know this but they yanked two of my teeth out today and I am layed up in bed and in pain and now I’ve been blessed with content from you!! thank you for your service!!
🫶 get well soon
I have to say that I’ve always respected all your opinions even when I don’t fully agree with you and therefore I really respect you as a content creator. That being said, a whole new level of respect has arisen the moment you said that you love Starstruck the movie and that now I bow to you and your opinions because you have impecable taste
26:00 - Shadow and bone???
When i first saw u rank friends to lovers so low i gasped in like. Actual shock. And then i saw childhood friends to lovers as a seperate tier and everything was fine. That is my ultimate favorite right there. Thank god
okay so part 2 of this maybe pick best and worst books for each trope??? Will the video be like three hours long yes...will I still devotedly watch the whole thing yes...also yes.
But also no pressure, we know you're busy! 😊 Thanks for another banger of a vid, Lexi.
The grumpy sunshine trope I feel like was super strong in parks & rec in a subversive way with April & Andy and for that reason I love it
A trope I need to see more of is ‘adopted by the enemy’ bc it’s fcking beautiful (good example is Jinx in Arcane) anyways this is the first ranking where I agree with EVERYTHING
arcane cooks so hard 😭
The fact that you're living and uploading, you ate. I agree with all the sentiments, I want to start reading books I've refused to read solely because of the tropes and just see if I missed out.
2 videos in one week??🎉🎉🎉
We’re eating good this week.
Miscommunication is the trope i love to see subverted the most. I basically only see this done in fanfiction and it makes me glow. Reader sees the place this trope would crop up and the sure steady hand of the author just steers right past it and shows two people who can speak and listen? Yes god. I feel like it makes my mother proud
Percabeth being the picture for friends to lovers is so accurate and iconic
Possible favourite arc is Connor from DBH because in order to get the redemption arc his programming is slowly becoming corrupted. BAM double whammy.
The way you posted again the morning of a hellish day of exams, thats one after the other ❤thank you so much for always giving me another reason to get through the day and get back home to watch your videos (new and older ones)
🫶
it's that time once again where we all come together by the fire, united in the hi hello hope that we are taking care of ourselves.
The way I set my alarm 40 minutes earlier when I saw this notification in the night and then got up earlier to watch this before uni. It really says something about how good Lexi's videos are because sleep is sacred to me, normally.
oooooooooh you truly get academic rivals to lovers, I am obsessed with that too
Two lexi videos in less then a week, we're eating GOOD
I love your earing's! I really appreciate how well you explain each book you are reviewing. You give your honest opinion, you've helped add to my tbr so many times with how well you dive into each book.
Perfect timing for my daily dishwashing!
14:05 Percabeth is the blueprint
Hurt/comfort pretty much gets me every time. Especially if it’s combined with something like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn etc
Omg I was an extra in the big high school dance scene in Starstruck 😂😂 I haven’t seen it since it first came out but I think there’s like a prom or something near the end? I was on set for two or three days for that scene. Totally forgot about that movie 🤣
stoppppp 😭 this is so neat!! you were so close to the loml when i was 11 congratulations
you are SO correct about mutual pining and slow burn.
25:40 i AM SO CURIOUS WHICH SERIES IS THIS SO I CAN AVOID IT
Cheating, Student/teacher, and large age gaps are pretty much an instant "no thanks" from me. I cannot stand them so much, I have been known to throw away the media that they're on instead of finishing them.
I was an accidental pregnancy trope HATER before a friend convinced me to read Out on a Limb Hannah Bonam Young. That book changed my whole perception on the trope (It also discusses limb differences and the author writes from experience as she has a limb difference). If it’s done right, it’s PERFECT. A somewhat new release that is also very similar to Out on a Limb is Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (this one is childhood friends to lovers/best friends brother too). Both fmcs in these get pregnant at the VERY beginning of the books, so it’s a totally different vibe than accidental pregnancy at the middle or end of books and a lot of it is reckoning with how to support their new child while also falling in love with the mmc (which ISN’T THE FATHER IN ONE OF THEM!). So it’s majorrrrr friends to lovers vibes and sooo good. I’d love to see you read one of these!
📝 noted with skepticism
I agree! "Out On A Limb" was one of my few 5-stars of last year! One of my favorite romances!🥰
I’m not sure if the bully romance trope applies to books where the guy and the girl just have some kind of beef, and they just do this banter thing. But if it does, then I’d put bully romance in “highly variable” but if the guy just straight up walks to her in school and does… bullying, then no.
0:40 who didn't?
Right??
I need to do this for myself now, fanfiction has infused the knowledge of every trope ever into my brain. this was so entertaining to watch, ty Lexi we are fr so back
this isn't related to the actual video at hand, but have you ever considered crossposting any of your tiktoks onto here? I don't use tiktok-it's just not the right app for me personally-but I'd be interested in seeing the fabled divorce tier list you've mentioned before, as well as whatever else you may be cooking up over there
they're too long 😭 time limit on youtube is 60 seconds, if that ever changes i will probably crosspost but until then i am unfortunately too wordy lol!!
@@newlynova ah that makes sense; I get it-but let it be known I am no coward & would watch the raw non-short vertical video if presented with it
either way, thanks for answering! keep up the good work 🫡
Miscommunication tropes can vary because, in my opinion, there needs to be a good reason for lapse in communication. It's so frustrating when characters do not have any good reason behind the miscommunication. Such as when a character just decides not to tell someone something for no reason or for a really wimpy reason. But there are great examples of miscommunications that can happen organically for solid reasons. A good miscommunication conflict is usually blameless and natural and fascinating in the way it can give us a peak into a character's psyche. So if the characters are flat or weak, their miscommunications are usually due to stupidity or laziness and it's a pain to get through.
i clicked so fast
At this point I like the videos before they’re even over because you truly do not miss
The vague mention of shadow and bone had me cackling at work! It's so true!
I love that you used Zuko as the pic for redemption arc, his arc is peak for that trope.
I like grumpy sunshine but specifically when the grumpy one has a strong moral code (it can be morally grey but they follow the code, like they'll kill, but only in certain scenarios) and the sunshine character is absolutely off the rails insane. Idk I just love it.
If you like the “genius character” trope well done, you’d LOVE “the lies of Locke Lamora”. It’s a fantasy series but the first book can honestly be read as a stand alone (and tbh it may even be better this way). Highly highly recommend if you want a dark fantasy, found family centered but TRAGIC book. It’s so good
i shall now be stalking all your recs because "my investment in a lot of books has been ended as soon as they kiss the first time" is INCREDIBLY relatable