Hanleia vs Anidala-which romance did you prefer?

I know most of you would probably say Hanleia but I thought it would be nice to have a thread to compare previous romances in the movies and what that could mean in terms of Reylo being the central romance in the ST.
If I had to pick I would most deffinatly choose Hanleia but to be honest I don't think they were invested as much in their relationship as theyw ere in the Vader/Luke one.Don't get me wrong they had amazing and iconic moments in ESB and the movie probably wouldn't have been what it was without their relationship but they were meant to be the comedic couple that constantly fights but obviously love each other and was meant to lighten up the mood.They never really showed them falling in love and in RTJ they were majrily sidelined and the Luke/Vader relationship took central role.Nevertheless they depsite that the chemistry between Harrison and Carie was great and you could see and feel the genuine love Han and Leia felt for each other depsite the constant bickering.I think the main thing in which their superior to Anidala is that we watch Han's love for Leia becoming selfless begginign with ESB when he's about to be frozen and culminating in RTJ where he's ready to let go of Leia so she could be happy when he belived she was in love with Luke.That was something Anakin could never do and that's why his love wasn't unconditional.
Andiala on the other hand was menat to be this star crossed tragic love but it ended up being more about idolization and unhealthy obsession on Anakin's part that turned abusiv because GL just didn't know how to write a convincing romance and that's one of the major reasosn why I think the PT failed so miserably.Anidala was menat to be a central romance and what pushes Anakin to become vader but since the audinece was unable to feel the chemistry and love between the couple it ended up being a disaster.I wonder whether people would have been more accpeting towards a central romance in the ST if Anidala had been done in a sucessful manner.I think part of the reason why some of them don't want Reylo to fall in love is because they're afraid they'll get another Anidala.
I don't know I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

As a kid watching the OT, I wasn't interested in their romance at all I only cared about Luke's force plot. (That's still true today)

I grew up as the PT came out, and the Anidala relationship didn't have any impact on me either, mostly because I was just staring at Hayden's face the whole time.
The only movie romances that have ever moved me were from "Ever After" and "Gone With the Wind". I don't like it when pairings happen too easily, I like the chase with obstacles and conflicted feelings more. That's why Reylo has captivated me because it can be so incredibly well done. For a romance to work for me, I have to be heavily invested in at least one of the characters and in this case, it's both. In addition, their romance has to mean something significant and because the writers have positioned Rey and Ren to be complete counterparts to each other, both filling in the empty spaces of their lives with each other; I can see that happening.

Just a warning to Hanleia fans: Ben's love story, if done well, has the potential to completely overshadow that of his parents'.  

I would have prefered Anidala, if it had been done well.

I like Han, but he's the stereotypical masculine "bad guy". Leia is super cool and takes no crap, so they balance each other well, but the story of the bad guy getting the girl has been done millions of times.

Anakin, otoh is different. He's sentimental, he cries, he's obsessed with Padme. It's different. I even like his creepy obsession. I just wish I could have gotten more from Parme. I didn't really understand what she saw in the creepy weirdo. They are ok in TCW, but it doesn't show them falling in love (the show does a wonderful job of showing them drifting apart, though).

So yes, Reylo could be Anidala done right. And I like the potential of Anidala, I just don't like the execution.

Romance is so important in Star Wars but it has never been dealt with properly....first we the confusion in the OT.... Leia initially being paired with Luke and later with Han....the romance of Hanleia is nice but we hardly get to see it develop...fortunately they've begun rectifying it by showing us their romance in the new Star Wars and Han Solo comic series- Leia is definitely the leader, Han is the caring and protective one (still a rugged character but they've added a little more sensitivity)..... and I love how Han and she love each other so much but pretend there is nothing.

In the PT where Anakin's tragic romance is central but it came out as a creepy stalker love story.....poor Hayden Christensen made the best of some terrible lines........and having a charmer like Obi-wan didn't help matters either...funnily, a lot of the shortcomings of Anidala were rectified in the Clone Wars cartoon series...I really liked their relationship there and could even understand why they fell in love.... even Jar Jar is tolerable there.....

I'm not a fan of either of the movie romances.... I like the cartoon and comic book renditions a lot better..... hopefully the ST will show us an epic and unforgettable romance....

I am as well OT addict.
As @Xylo Ren as a kid - I was totally in Luke s force plot and did not pay attention at Han and Leia at all.

However after years of hiatus I rewatched ESB again and I finally pickuped hotness and everything between them.
Having in mind ESB as a whole their scenes only added more excitement to the overall atmosphere of the movie.
They are side plot to the main I am your father bussines - but somehow it falls in the right place and makes that movie a beacon of SW.

Anidala on the other hand - had a great potential and should have been the biggest romance of the saga.
But then Lucas failed.

So, yes, I am completely Han and Leia - mostly for the execution in the movie.

The Anidala dialogue of hating sand, I have been dying since the the day you came back to my life, CGI pears, romantic background, superbe love theme by John Williams - feels totally flat in the opposite of the most simple and not romantic line at all from Han s side, but full of tension, emotions: I love you - I know.
At least it worked great for me.

Quality over Quantity.

Han and Leia by far.

Anakin and Padme made me cringe.

@Panki The Clone Wars was like a huge "I'm Sorry for the PT, here, we'll make it a little better." And it did

Force22 wrote:I would have prefered Anidala, if it had been done well.

I like Han, but he's the stereotypical masculine "bad guy". Leia is super cool and takes no crap, so they balance each other well, but the story of the bad guy getting the girl has been done millions of times.

Anakin, otoh is different. He's sentimental, he cries, he's obsessed with Padme. It's different. I even like his creepy obsession. I just wish I could have gotten more from Parme. I didn't really understand what she saw in the creepy weirdo. They are ok in TCW, but it doesn't show them falling in love (the show does a wonderful job of showing them drifting apart, though).

So yes, Reylo could be Anidala done right. And I like the potential of Anidala, I just don't like the execution.

@Force22

I get the feeling Reylo will be Anidala done right. In the grand scheme of things getting the girl Ben loves without blowing it like his Granddad, will be "finishing what Vader started." Even though Ben doesn't realize it yet.

Darth Dementor wrote:

Force22 wrote:I would have prefered Anidala, if it had been done well.

I like Han, but he's the stereotypical masculine "bad guy". Leia is super cool and takes no crap, so they balance each other well, but the story of the bad guy getting the girl has been done millions of times.

Anakin, otoh is different. He's sentimental, he cries, he's obsessed with Padme. It's different. I even like his creepy obsession. I just wish I could have gotten more from Parme. I didn't really understand what she saw in the creepy weirdo. They are ok in TCW, but it doesn't show them falling in love (the show does a wonderful job of showing them drifting apart, though).

So yes, Reylo could be Anidala done right. And I like the potential of Anidala, I just don't like the execution.

@Force22

I get the feeling Reylo will be Anidala done right. In the grand scheme of things getting the girl Ben loves without blowing it like his Granddad, will be "finishing what Vader started." Even though Ben doesn't realize it yet.

@Darth Dementor

I actually never thought about it like that...interesting.

Hanleia, all day long. Anidala could have been something for the ages, but it was completely messed up IMO. But like others said, Hanleia is a pretty simple formula and really succeeds in large part due to Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, as I don't think they got a ton of attention, particularly in ROTJ. It was cool to see them get serious attention in TFA, even if it was bittersweet.

If we are even half right about Reylo, it is going to blow the other two away! :-)

SoloSideCousin wrote:Hanleia, all day long.  Anidala could have been something for the ages, but it was completely messed up IMO.  But like others said, Hanleia is a pretty simple formula and really succeeds in large part due to Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, as I don't think they got a ton of attention, particularly in ROTJ.  It was cool to see them get serious attention in TFA, even if it was bittersweet.

If we are even half right about Reylo, it is going to blow the other two away! :-)

@SoloSideCousin

I agree.I have to say that while I like Hanleia I can't say that the romance in the SW has touched me in a way that usually happens whit other couples I love.
I don't know maybe it's because I didn't grew up with SW like lots of other people here have(the PT aired while I was still a child and back then I simply enjoyed the movies and wasn't a hardcore fan) but while Hanleia were funny and had some great moments they weren't the focus and it was clear they were used as more of a comedy since most of the time they bickered and never really seem to have a conversation about their dreams,their future as a couple,etc.They could have had their romance florish during the course of the trilogy but like I think GL was more intersted in the father-son relationship so when we finally had Han/Leia as a couple in RTJ they got pushed away.
@panki, was right when she said that while romance has aways been a big part of SW it was never done right.We've had two FS-non FS couples who loved each other but weren't that suited to be together because of the difference in thier beliefs and personalities  which led to them clashing.
I was just wondering does anyone here think Obidala would have been better suited for each other?
And I don't want to bring RL here but do you think Hanleia would have lasted together if they were a RL couple?I'm just curious because they remind me a lot of Ron/Hermione from Harry Potter and we Rolling saying that she regretted putting them together and I think it was Emma Watson who said that they would need to go to a marriage councillor.
I don't know sometimes I think if we talk about RL Luke might have been better suited for Leia(if they weren't related) since he was more calm and level heated and could keep her temper in check(meaning he wouldn't go into big fights with her like Han is since Han himself is also  tends to be pretty impatient).

Well both romances have failed....it's the question of what do you prefer...slow death by unsurmountable differences...or quick death by...unsurmountable differences....
I like both Han and Ani....but hated Vader...thought he was weak....And liked Leia better than Padme....
I liked Anidala in Atack of the Clones but I'd say I prefer Han and Leia...because all the forplay that was playfull and teasing and flirty....and they had more chemistry than Christensen and Portman.....but in OT only....all after that sucks....

I'm in the HanLeia camp but this is a very detailed article for why Anakin's and Padme's relationship was the Polar opposite of the aforementioned ship. I dug how it was modeled after classic mythological couples and specifically how a knight would court his maiden.

http://www.thegeekblock.com/455/

Darth Dementor wrote:I'm in the HanLeia camp but this is a very detailed article for why Anakin's and Padme's relationship was the Polar opposite of the aforementioned ship. I dug how it was modeled after classic mythological couples and specifically how a knight would court his maiden.

http://www.thegeekblock.com/455/

@Darth Dementor

While I agree that GL's intent was to be like the courtly love convention from medieval literature, it's funny how in reading it I was reminded of a different type of tortured young lover character, Goethe's Young Werther. The Sorrows of Young Werther/Der Leidungs des Junge Werther is a forerunner of the Romantic movement and never has a character irritated me so much (he's so very melodramatic, lovesick, and extra over an older and unattainable woman) that I was rooting for his death at the end of the book. Even if it's considered a classic and was one of the first books to establish Goethe as a significant writer (it also provoked a trend of readers emulating his death at the end). Anyways, Anikin's story is way more like Young Werther from what I remember reading that versus what I remember having to read in school about courtley love. At least in those stories, the unattainable object of love doesn't end up murdered.

Funny thing though, the breakdown list does fit Ben/Kylo's behavior towards Rey to a T. At least it fits their scenes together from his "I'm entitled to do what I want because I'm right" point of view, including how he becomes more unhinged and emotional the more he pursues Rey.

@Snufkin

That's because Reylo will be Anidala done right. And with a happier ending, hopefully?

Darth Dementor wrote:@Snufkin

That's because Reylo will be Anidala done right.  And with a happier ending, hopefully?

@Darth Dementor

Fingers crossed! Especially that Rey ultimately has zero patience with being treated like the unattainable lady fair in his at present warped mindset and is actually the person who saves the day. Regardless of her eventual DNA reveal, the comments on here about her probably being a merger of both Padme and Obi-Wan's relationship to Anakin is how it'll work out. Both as LI and as Force equal/partner.

Honestly, I find Anakin and Padme's story line more fascinating in theory, but the execution of it in the PT was a disappointment. And I don't blame the actors for that at all. There was chemistry between them and they're both good actors (Hayden was brilliant in Life as a House) but the script and directing was a let down. Carrie and Harrison had a lot of feisty interactions that I did enjoy.

SheLitAFire wrote:Honestly, I find Anakin and Padme's story line more fascinating in theory, but the execution of it in the PT was a disappointment. And I don't blame the actors for that at all. There was chemistry between them and they're both good actors (Hayden was brilliant in Life as a House) but the script and directing was a let down. Carrie and Harrison had a lot of feisty interactions that I did enjoy.

@SheLitAFire

I agree,I think what made Han and Leia's relationship so great was the chemistry between Carrie and Harrison .As couple Han/Leia were intended to be more funny and their banter more of a comedy in contrast to the more serious and central relationship that was Vader and Luke but they weren't really the main relationship in the OT so there wasn't a lot of time spend on them learning more about each other and falling in love.Padme and Anakin on the other hand I believe had the potential to have a much more substantial relationship than Han/Leia but the execution wasn't done well at all and I feel for teh actors since they get the blame  for something which was entirely GL's fault and in the hands of better writers could hae been great.

Anakin was my crush when I was 14 and I totally bought the Anidala thing. Now, as an adult, I consider that love story cringeworthy and soooo corny. I love Natalie and Hayden and it was clearly not their fault, but daaaamn. Some terrible lines there.

Also had major crush on Hayden, like *obsessive* lol. And therefore loved Anidala as well. I still find it so tragic though- too bad it wasn't written well. Had so much potential. Hanleia I didn't appreciate until really recently when I was rewatching OT. I was like holyy these two are HOT!!

Piper Maru wrote:Anakin was my crush when I was 14 and I totally bought the Anidala thing. Now, as an adult, I consider that love story cringeworthy and soooo corny. I love Natalie and Hayden and it was clearly not their fault, but daaaamn. Some terrible lines there.

@Piper Maru

omg, yes!! I was 11 when Attack of the Clones came out and I didn't even hear any cringy dialogue about sand. I thought Anakin is so handsome and I wanted to be as beautiful as Padme. And then Anakin returned even hotter in ROTS. Didn't even think about the storyline, lol.

Piper Maru wrote:Anakin was my crush when I was 14 and I totally bought the Anidala thing. Now, as an adult, I consider that love story cringeworthy and soooo corny. I love Natalie and Hayden and it was clearly not their fault, but daaaamn. Some terrible lines there.

@Piper Maru

Agreed. Poor Hayden. Still hot though. I mean even Natalie said afterward that no one in Hollywood wanted to work with her and she had to fight so hard to prove herself. Damn.

With all the recent tributes to both Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, one of the coolest stories to come out was from Todd Fisher about how Debbie made sure both her kids had a very solid education in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Including how she negotiated a deal for one of her movies where the studio built a screening room in her house and provided a twice weekly projectionist and access to the studio archives. So they watched a classic movie 2x a week together and after Debbie would drill Carrie and Todd on it. So by the age of 19, Carrie was already well versed on the type of male-female banter and relationships from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Because George Lucas was a huge fan of Howard Hawks and hired Leigh Brackett (who wrote for Hawks) to do the first draft of ESB, a lot of people have compared Han and Leia dynamic to His Girl Friday




And then there's this additional bit of dialogue that got cut from ESB, when Han offers to teach Leia how to be a woman. Kinda like how he son offers his services as a teacher to Rey (both bits written by Lawrence Kasdan, coincidence?)

SkyStar wrote:

Piper Maru wrote:Anakin was my crush when I was 14 and I totally bought the Anidala thing. Now, as an adult, I consider that love story cringeworthy and soooo corny. I love Natalie and Hayden and it was clearly not their fault, but daaaamn. Some terrible lines there.

@Piper Maru

omg, yes!! I was 11 when Attack of the Clones came out and I didn't even hear any cringy dialogue about sand. I thought Anakin is so handsome and I wanted to be as beautiful as Padme. And then Anakin returned even hotter in ROTS. Didn't even think about the storyline, lol.

@SkyStar

Anakin literally looked like my little brother in AoTC, so I couldn't see past that.

But then, when he showed up in RoTS, looking decidedly NOT, like my little brother, I was all "Hello...what have we here...?"

Then again, those padawan haircuts didn't do anyone any favors. I mean, if they managed to make Ewan Mcgregor look dorky in TPM, that's quite a feat.

I had the BIGGEST crush on ROTS!Anakin when I was around 13-14. Even if he's a bit of an a**hole in that movie, so to say...

I prefer Hanleia. I expected the Anidala romance to be epic and it just ....wasn't.