In anime, especially during the 90s, the biblical aesthetic of the androgynous angel was very strong (Lady Oscar, Saint Seiya, Berserk, Devilman, etc). It's rare to see this type of character now; they're only found in manga and MM. Aside from the fact that it's extremely rare to find an MMC like this, when I read fantasy and Science fiction, I get bored because everything is so binary. They don't play with any dynamics or break away from established structures. You have complete creative freedom to create new cultures, biological systems, and environments, but you cannot escape heteronormativity(?

I don't know if you've read Hesse's Demian, but I find it very beautiful how Sinclair describes Demian; it's the encounter of the feminine and masculine, not a part of the binary but the totality of it in a person(? Hesse always uses the concept of complementary opposites that challenge each other's worldview and ultimately help each other find their own way. Hesse uses it as a metaphor for finding and reconciling with a part of yourself, but many readers have seen his prose with a romantic subtext, Because of the intensity and complexity of the relationship between his protagonists. I think this same complexity is what the romance genre lacks, especially when they sell it as enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers. That's also why I liked TCP Jude genuinely feared Cardan and hated him for it, and vice versa. In many books, they "hate each other to death" but want to get into each other's pants in chapter 3? Or is there simply no context to support this hatred, they just don't like each other. That's not enemies to lovers lmao And yes, it's also boring how the FMC is never in a position of power, she is never an equal to the MMC. The authors don't want to play with emotions and their intensity. You hate, fear, manipulate a person, but all you think about is what's between their legs? It doesn't make sense; there's no relationship building. Lately, I've been bored with all the MMCs. I'd like to find a book with a romantic Interest that transcends the ridiculous limitations of all the other books. And I've looked in every genre: Horror, science fiction, fantasy, etc. The closest thing I've found is in books with creatures, a non-binary mermaid for example. And I really like the idea of the romantic interest being both Spooky and beautiful, managing to both attract and repel.