Aro Spec Week 2026

Celebrating and spreading awareness on the aromantic spectrum for #ASAW

[arospecweek]

The 2026 week

Here's a list to the links to all the projects we did for this year's ASAW!

Intro post

Day 1 - Essay "Always a lover, never a villager"

Day 2 - Manga recommendations

Day 3 - Movies/series/anime recommendations

Day 4 - Aro fan pet peeves bingo

Day 5 - Community recommendations form

Day 6 - Interviews with the community part 1, part 2 and part 3

Day 7 - Message board

[detailspecialist]

i heart women

[zzzsvtz]

How it feels watching the pitt every time a woman has the slightest screen time

[arospecweek]

To all of you,

This is the last day of this year's Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week. How was it for everyone? Did you learn something new? Did you have fun?

For us, it was an insightful and fun experience! There is real value in witnessing different people's perspectives and experiences, and having a space to express our own was a pleasant, empowering experience. Heck, admin R said it was healing!

While the finale of this week has arrived, the real work hasn't, and it doesn't quite end. Creating a supportive and safe space is not something that only takes a week, it takes time and effort from multiple people.

Continue to nurture the fire you have inside of you! It's a great source of warmth for yourself and the people around you, aromantic or not.

Keep making your arospec works. Keep talking about the things you love. Keep speaking and listening. Last but not the least, keep being who you are. The world is much more colorful because you're here. What makes you different is enough.

'til the next one! Thank you for being a part of this project. 💚

[arospecweek]

For this aromantic spectrum awareness week, we don't only want to share our inputs, but also ask for yours! Is there anything you would like the people you love to know about how it is to be aromantic? Anything you'd like to tell society about their views?

Beyond media, we are real people with real wants and needs, and so by the end of this week we'd like to share all of your thoughts into a single message board.

Let's gather our voices, we are not alone.

What would you like people or loved ones to know?

[arospecweek]

Happy! Day 7 of #ASAW!!

Today is the last day of this amazing week. To end this series of projects with another bang, we welcome you to the big reveal of the AroBox! A message board full of everyone's thoughts and feelings they'd like to say to the world or loved ones.

The words of everyone are what brought this project to life. This was possible because of all of you. 💚

Arospec Message Board 2026

Arospec Message Board 2026

[arospecweek]

Interviews with the community Pt.3

We asked three people in the aromantic spectrum about their thoughts on media.

What is a character without depth? What is a story without its characters? As the world moves in a faster pace, so does the media around us. Short, limited series have become a norm, and the long format that allows for more exploration thanks to its length slowly has been disappearing.

Our last interview was a true delight, as focusing on the depth, characteristics and personalities of characters is a joy we share with Miles, our last interviewee, who gave us quite exciting insights and hopes for the future of media.

Ei: Hello! Thank you so much for finding the time to work with us! Before starting, we have a set of specific questions regarding romance in media, but we want this to be like a fun conversation, so we’ll most probably reply to your comments and ask more about what you think.

Our first question is to get a general idea of your thoughts on the topic, so as an arospec person, how satisfied do you feel with the current media landscape?

Haha, so it’s kind of an interesting question to me to begin with because honestly, I do not stay plugged into current media. I think for a number of reasons, I’ve grown really used to feeling that most things are not going to appeal to my sensibilities, so I more often get pulled to a few specific things that hold my interest for a long time rather than flitting from one thing to the next. I guess in that sense I would say that I find the current media landscape dissatisfying and often turn away from it.

E: I get what you mean, it’s like there’s not really much to choose from even when there’s so much getting put out on the regular.

Yeah, that’s exactly it. There’s lots and lots of stuff I could watch or play, but a lot of the time it feels like the priorities of the creators just don’t align with what I find really captivating in media.

Runrun: I understand the feeling. It’s hard. Has that ever made you feel out of place? And any other negative feelings?

Oh god, it is so damn awkward, to be honest. When people want to talk to you about media and you’re like... Yeah, so I usually don’t play or watch anything that’s less than a decade old. I do feel negatively about that disconnect often, and that loneliness is actually a big motivation for a lot of my creativity, I think. I write things that feel important to me, especially within fandoms, because I want to at least speak to myself if I can’t always have the conversations I want with others.

E: That last line really does hit hard. Considering what you said about your creativity and writing, do you think the way current media gives focus to the idea of romance could be limiting storytelling and character arcs?

I mean, it’s funny. I think even allo people can get fed up sometimes, feeling like a romance arc is dragging on with no real movement for the characters just for the sake of it. And it also chafes a lot too when people talk about how much a show “sucks” when it’s not leading to the kind of romance they expect. But I think this is not just due to allonormativity and amatonormativity, but also due to the way that media often does reinforce those expectations. You’re supposed to expect that two close characters, especially a man and a woman, should be interested in each other that way. And treating relationships as just a box to be ticked off flattens media in such frustrating ways.

Oh, one more thought, even as someone who “loves romance,” right, I wish they would just let characters relate to other characters, as themselves, naturally, because that is way more satisfying either way than pushing this idea that “romance” has to “happen” and be an “event” just for the sake of having it in a piece of media.

E: I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN. I am a romance enjoyer, but it feels like the characters are unidimensional and it’s hard to see them as these complex beings that try to imitate humans.

LITERALLY. For example, I cannot sympathize with people who complained that “romance wasn’t explicit enough” in Yuri on Ice because I honestly do not care. The characters felt authentic and genuinely close to one another and that is what compels me, regardless of whatever the hell they label it as or don’t label it as.

E: I get you, the story wasn’t written like your regular romance, but it felt quite natural in the way they created their bond and got help from others to figure out themselves too.

Talking about relationships, what are some relationships in media that frustrated you and why?

Hahaha okay. So this is a show I like, but there was one romance plotline that confused the hell out of me and just felt forced. It’s Farscape, basically there is a character who is a widower and a loyal warrior type guy, and he gets involved with another character who has serious attachment issues and doesn’t like the idea of being forced to fit in with anyone or be controlled. And you know, in my eyes, it’d be one thing for there to just be something casual, but I guess... You’re supposed to buy that he “falls in love” hard and decides he wants to marry this woman and start a farm with her and stuff. And there’s ensuing interpersonal drama as she freaks out and makes bad choices to shake him off in response.

I watched all of this happening and I’m just like... It feels like you made this out of whole cloth just for drama. I don’t mind messy relationships, but I don’t actually believe in this as natural extensions of their characters. I felt frustrated and just wanted it to be over with and I was relieved when they weren’t together anymore because it kind of felt like being betrayed as a viewer to watch these characters I liked behave unlike themselves in ways that felt very difficult to justify. There are other much worse examples of relationships but I forget about anything I truly don’t care about at all.

E: The part about feeling betrayed as a viewer, that’s so relatable. I totally feel like that with so many series, even though I’ve somewhat given up right when I begin a new series.

R: I definitely can relate a lot. That also makes it hard for me to check out new media because I’m afraid of getting hurt. It’s hard when you find something you really like when you already struggle finding things you like, just for it to change so soon.

And it makes me even more upset from an autism standpoint as well as an arospec standpoint. If something betrays me hard enough with stupid senseless romance plots, then I have to change my routine and drop a hyperfixation. It can be so cruel.

R: We’ve talked about the frustrations that comes with engaging with media especially as an arospec person, let’s talk about the opposite now: what’s something you would like to see more in media?

I’m laughing right now because honestly the best way I can explain it is to point at Ace Attorney. Or The World Ends with You, both really. The kind of things that captivate me so much are the ones that barely speak of romance, that don’t concern themselves with trying to define characters’ relationships so much, that just put them in situations where they need to compete and cooperate and show you what kind of people they are. In particular, what is so compelling is how MUCH effort is put into making the characters really look, act, and talk like distinct people with unique and often very quirky personalities haha. I like works of art that are made up of a tapestry of colorful people in situations that force them to show all those colors.

E: I totally get you! It makes you feel like you’re seeing so many interesting parts of a same character! A multidimensional treat. In a way, you could say that it’d be nice to have characters have more interactions not only with other characters but also with the circumstances that surround them, right? I feel that would be a great way to get to know them more, and maybe even explore humanity through them too.

Yeah! Like honestly, I really appreciate it when media takes some time to just slow down a little and really zoom in on how the characters are reacting to their situations.

A lot of times, especially more and more with TV, it feels like things either get compressed so that the plot just keeps happening-happening-happening, or the opposite where it’s not much happening but what they talk about IS just like, romance. That whole concept of it. And missing the opportunity to explore deeper emotions and motivations. I’m such a huge sucker for characters discussing their whole philosophies on life with each other haha. Especially as a vehicle for watching how their growth as people progresses, indirectly, through the beliefs they espouse. Like Joshua discussing what people are like with Neku, and watching as he changes his mind about them, starts to believe more in them. THAT’S the kind of stuff that makes me SO happy when I see it.

E: I 100% RELATE.

R: Last question! How do you think aromantic representation could revolutionize media?

Ohhhh man. What a great question. Aromantic representation could be so good in so many ways, and I love the idea of the exploration of an aro person’s inner world, of course. But I really, REALLY love the idea of seeing aro people challenge allo people’s view of the world in media. A conflict of ideals, a clash that forces people to confront things they’ve never had to confront and dig deeper down to understand themselves rather than taking what they’ve always fallen back on as a default. I think there could be such a power in not only seeing aro people in media, but seeing them defiant - not just someone picked on and forced to defend themselves against others, but people who can stand up proudly and unabashedly throw every inch of themselves into the situations of their stories too. And, really, I think the way aro representation could revolutionize media is the same way it can revolutionize lives - by dismantling assumptions and pushing people to each find their own unique way of seeing the world.

E: That was honestly touching.

R: You’re gonna make me cry.

E: There’s a lot we people need to unlearn just because of being alive in society, having representation work as a catalyst of change and better understanding of the self is just amazing.

Learning that I was aro has been such a powerful and enriching experience, just as important to me as finding that I’m transgender honestly. We have such a valuable perspective to offer the world if people will be willing to look.

E: Personally I feel like being different is an express lane to realising that there’s so much we’re asked to conform to.

R: Definitely. That’s why it’s important to be yourself.

The ghost of aromanticism present LOL.

E: That was all from us, but if you have any other thought you may wanna add, feel free to tell us!

Ahhhh I just feel really relieved now, having said all of that. I honestly kind of shocked myself with everything that came out of my mouth but I just have so much passion for the topic.

E: Great! Then this would be the end of the interview, honestly thank you very much for participating with us.

R: I’m so glad you’ve had such a positive experience with this interview! Thank you so much for participating!

[arospecweek]

Interviews with the community Pt.2

We asked three people in the aromantic spectrum about their thoughts on media.

Different kinds of media have been affected by amatonormativity. Plots revolving around romance, characters losing sight of themselves or their goals, those are common storylines that we see every time, even in the game industry.

Following the first interview, we had a refreshing conversation with Var, who shared their experiences and thoughts regarding video games. Their insight as they shared their frustrations gave words to those pesky, unnamed annoyances we had, while at the same time extending a ray of hope, as more games are opening up their repertoire focusing on more than romance.

Runrun: Hello!! Thank you for participating! We want this to go as a conversation, but we do have a set of questions! And we’ll try to ask you more questions to develop some thoughts a bit more. Okay so, as an arospec person, how satisfied do you feel with the current media landscape?

Overall, not super satisfied, but satisfied enough I think? To clarify, I dislike how romance is a major aspect of many pieces of media today (like AAA games - Baldur’s Gate 3 character development being locked behind romance, and books - most have at least a romantic subplot). But at the same time, I am able to find things that either are light enough in romance that I’m ok with it, or has no romance at all.

My main source of media is video games so I’ll be talking mostly about that. I’ve noticed, especially with indie games, they’re starting to NOT lock character development behind romance, which is a nice change! But yeah, most games still don’t do that.

Ei: That’s actually quite interesting, I’ve seen during the years how indie games that become popular focus on the self and friendships, or add other queer subtext or just focus more on the journey, so I can totally see what you mean.

Yeah! I’ve been picking up more indie games because of this! (recently, “My Time at Sandrock”)

R: It’s interesting how small groups are making a difference. Do you also personally feel any of that kind of effort from big companies?

Not really... To be fair, I haven’t really been playing a lot of Big Name Games, but the ones I have (such as Baldur’s Gate 3, or even Xenoblade Chronicles 3) had romance as a really important aspect.

R: I understand what you mean... Moving on to the next question, do you think the way current media gives focus to the idea of romance could be limiting storytelling and character arcs?

Yes, definitely! Like, for example, in Baldur’s Gate 3 a lot of character development was locked behind romancing the characters, which also leans into amatonormativity, because why should a romantic relationship be the only thing that allows them to open up?

E: It feels like, especially with RPGs, the limitations could be greater in that case, with the content only getting unlocked after romancing another character.

R: I feel so too. I’ve find it difficult myself sometimes to stick to a game I’m playing because it feels like I’m getting lead to romance the characters, and sometimes it even makes me not want to check out a new game.

YEAH!!!!!!! Like when playing Baldur’s Gate 3, I was really nice to Wyll because I thought he was cool, and then I accidentally romanced him, which like, I love Wyll, but not like that. It really feels like romance is the default in many of these games.

R: You’ve mentioned your struggle with Wyll, and this connects to our next question, do you have any relationships in media that frustrated you, and if you do, why?

YES. When I played Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I was really frustrated with the main couple of the game. They were like a “doomed” couple, and the game wanted you to feel bad for them but honestly I could not get myself to care at all.

They kept pining for each other and being all like “omgggg I wish we could just run off together instead of having to save the world!!!!!!” And I was just sitting there like “bitch, too bad, find someone else!!!!!!!” The game framed it in a way that was like, yes, it was selfish of them, but also romance is just soooooo amazing !!!!!!!!!!!

E: Sounds kinda like that trending trope of villain versus superhero, where people preferred the villain who would let the world burn for their partner, but trying to make it more palatable. Do you usually see similar things in other videogames, where it feels like the story puts the character’s romance above the story’s main objective?

I see it from time to time! And whenever I do it frustrates me immensely. Because I feel like for many of them, they aren’t being critical of how romantic love (or even love in general) can harm others. Fortunately, in the video game world it has been easier for me to avoid such plotlines, all my favorite games are basically devoid of romance or even make fun of it at times.

E: Ahhh, I get what you mean, it’s as if the characters become narrow minded and can’t see anything else, right?

Exactly! And it’s to the point where, when I see this trope done but with relationship types other than romantic, I feel relieved! Like for example, someone wanting revenge because their brother was killed.

R: It’s great that you at least get options for games without romance, but, what would be something you would like to see more in games and maybe media in general?

I think it would be awesome if, RPG games in particular, had a “close platonic bond” option in addition to romance options!

As for media in general, I think I’d like to see more of people tearing down the relationship hierarchy. Just putting less focus on romance in general, and also show how it has its flaws just like any other type of relationship.

E: I get you with the close platonic bond, it would be great to get characters that can really open up to you when choosing the correct options, but you can rarely see that. About the relationship hierarchy you mentioned, of course the idea that a romantic partner is the most important one is quite prevalent in society, is there any way you’d like to see the idea fall?

Yeah! Maybe something like someone choosing a family member or friend over a romantic partner. Not like a sacrifice, but because they prefer that person.

E: Oh! That feels like a good idea, it seems also like a good opportunity to interact more with characters and their emotions.

Yeah, exactly!

R: Speaking of characters and their own stories, how do you think aromantic representation could revolutionize media?

I think it could really change some people’s worldview!!!!!! I really feel like the world would be a better place if more people adopted that worldview. To be clear, I’m referring to how aros are more aware of amatonormativity, and how the world is constantly pressuring us to participate in romance (whether it’s on a personal level, or by bombarding us with it in media). I think even non-aros would benefit from seeing an aro’s perspective!

R: I totally agree. I think that’s all for the interview!

Thank you so much for having me! It was fun chatting with y’all!

R: Thank you for participating!!! It was also fun for me! Happy ASAW!!

[arospecweek]

Interviews with the community Pt.1

We asked three people in the aromantic spectrum about their thoughts on media.

Sharing our own thoughts it’s one thing, but what about the rest of the community? We wanted to know how different people felt about these issues, what their thoughts were on the matter, and what expectations they had for the future. When the world is saturated with romance, what are people in our community wishing to see?

That’s why we decided to go for some interviews, to ask people directly about it. Our first participant is Matías, a 33 year old aroace person who told us about his thoughts in such a direct and engaging way, it was easy to feel understood. He had really interesting insights, and quite a few jokes, so hopefully you find it engaging too.

Ei: Hello! Thank you very much for participating! We want this to go as a conversation, but we do have set questions and will probably ask you more through the interview. So, first question, as an arospec person, how satisfied do you feel with the current media landscape?

Not really satisfied. It feels like no matter where I look there’s an over emphasis on romance/sex I don’t really appreciate and I don’t see why. I get it’s part of the human experience I guess, but there’s far more aspects of the human experience I rather watch/read/listen about, far more interesting things, and far more complex relationships and dynamics.

E: Our next question kinda leads to that, specially considering what you said about wanting more aspects of the human experiences; do you think the way current media gives focus to the idea of romance could be limiting storytelling and character arcs?

Yes, of course it does, to develop a truly well written and credible relationship you need to spend a lot of time on it, the majority of the time that’s not the case, so we end up with a bunch of poorly written romances, half cooked, with little to no flavor, no one likes it (that’s me, me is no one) because there seems to be a need to just give them a partner, right now, so the character is complete.

First of all, I hate the idea that someone needs a partner to be complete. Second of all, if having a partner is so crucial for the developement of this character I would think you would want to spend more time developing that story line. But third of all, and most importantly, romance is but a tiny aspect of the human experience, and it’s important for some sure, but there’s so much more, and giving so much space to this single aspect gives us waaaaay less space for other things. I want to know a character’s morals, and the whys, I want to know their trauma, their beliefs. That’s way more telling than a crush. Why is the crush so important? It isn’t giving me anything new.

Like, there are well written romances, and sometimes it does add to the better understanding of a story or a character, but it needs to be intentional and well written. the majority of the time it’s not, it takes precious minutes of my life for nothing.

E: There’s a lack of exploration of the characters themselves for sure, it’s like you can rarely see that, and then the story truly gets built on nothing but a wish.

Runrun: A wish made out of stupid expectations and standards that I can’t relate to.

There’s also the romantization of the idea of romance itself. I very rarely see people in real life with romances like the ones on media. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, I guess it does, but it makes it seem like it’s the norm. And it’s just not, it creates fake expectations of what a romance should look or feel like. But who am I to talk, I don’t experience romance at all lmao.

E: To an extent, it’s just like action movies and some guys thinking they could land a plane if needed kinda thing.

Omg true, do allo people know the difference between real romance expectations and fictional romance expectations? Because I surely don’t. I was lied to by the media. I feel betrayed.

E: Completely understandable. Now, considering the focus on the characters and the lack of depth we talked about, what are some relationships in media that frustrated you and why?

That’s a great question and I’m not sure I have a good answer. I consume a LOT of media, and there are MANY relationships that frustrate me, but I just forget about them. I see them, get mad, rant, and go on to the next piece of media. A specific thing that makes me mad is when in straight relationships the female character just lets the male character do whatever they want even if it hurts her and then he just says “sorry uwu” and she just forgives and forgets and they live happily ever after. Ma’am, imma need you to slap that guy.

I try not to read too much into romantic relationships in general, because the topic bores me or makes me mad, but that specific trope makes me want to bite someone’s head.

E: For sure, like it’s okay to do all that in the name of love? And when it happens to strong willed characters it’s so confusing, like, what?

R: I especially don’t like it when it’s a girl who knows better before that entire thing happened, but suddenly acts really... dumb.

YES. THAT GIRL WAS SO STRONG AND POWERFUL. And then a man entered her life and she became an abnegated trad wife, which, if you’re that kind of girl it’s cool, to each their own. I just don’t like the implication that a man can change a woman like that, it’s very “you just need to find the right man” coded.

The right man would love her power, just saying.

R: I don’t like how romantic love is portrayed like the solution for everything. That everything is okay once it comes knocking on your door when your building is on fire.

YES the idea that your life is falling apart but HEY you found love, everything’s good now. For sure a partner can help you and make your life better, but your life is still falling apart, you just have support now. And you can have the same support from family and friends, why would a person who barely knows me be able to help me better than people who know me better than myself?

E: True, this is something that has always bothered me. Now, leaving the frustrations behind, what’s something you would like to see more on media?

I would like to see more platonic relationships. But real, intentional platonic relationships. Not queerbait. Not “We wanted to make them gay but they wouldn’t let us so we made them very very good friends instead” (we know, it shows). It’s just frustrating for me that every character that’s not apparently interested in romance or sex is labeled by the public as secretly gay until further notice. I have really deep intense friendships that make my life better. I want to see that on media, I want that kind of relationship to gain the acknowledgment it deserves, no sexual tension, no romantic tension. Just two pals who care a lot for each other, have each other’s backs, and go through life together through thick and thin.

That kind of relationship not only helps build strong emotional bonds on the story, it also leaves space for other kinds of developments because WE DON’T WASTE TIME CONFESSING, KISSING, AND DOING THE FORBIDDEN CONGA.

E: And beyond friendships, how do you think aro representation could revolutionise media?

A couple of years ago the a television channel on Chile made an interview to some members on the acearo community, the interviewer asked a girl to explain the different sub-labels and their flags. After the girl finished the interviewer said, quite ironically, “So the time you don’t spend having sex, you spend it making flags”. It felt horribly wrong and humiliating, but it also made me think “how much time do people spend thinking about romance and sex for this to be a real thing we’re told?”

A character that’s not interested in romance or sex is noticeable, you can see it on Luffy for example, Luffy’s non attraction is a point of conversation but the way I see it, he has far more important things to think about. He’s driven, he has a dream and all the time spent is spent fighting for his dream, and it’s even more evident when you compare it with characters that do show attraction. An aromantic character, intentionally or unintentionally, shows a focus and a drive other types of characters simply don’t show.

You can see it as “this guy is so driven by his passion he doesn’t see anything else” or you can see it as “this guy doesn’t think about sex so he makes a lot of flags on his free time”.

E: First, that was so rude of the interviewer.

When I tell you that’s a thing we where told a lot. Like, that one was specially rude because it was on national television, but it was definitely not a first.

E: But also, teaching people about passions unrelated to romance IS indeed a great point, since usually that’s a thing mostly seen in specific types of media. And not a very common trope that stays the same way for a while, since it’s always them finding the one that makes the change, which makes Luffy specially great, as he doesn’t change but still has incredibly high empathy.

That’s a reason I’m really drawn towards shounen as a genre, it has little to no romance (except on the final chapters but we don’t talk about that) and it explores friendship, characters overcoming obstacles, world saving, that’s an interesting read.

Finding the one? Not so much.

*R: That’s a real problem that I also find. I would look at stories related to hobbies for example, and there isn’t much. Sometimes when we do get them, there is a romantic or sexual subplot that feels like it isn’t just a small part of the story? And sometimes it even feels like the audience lost the point of it, which I can sort of understand if you just wanna vibe the way you want, but I feel like there’s like a certain point when that reflects the way people see the world. The world can offer so much but people want to stay or unintentionally keep themselves in boxes and I feel like that’s so sad because it leads us to this real and important question of are you living your best life?*

E: There’s a lot that gets lost in media because of romance taking its space after all.

Why does everything become about romance I swear to god. I get that you want to have emotional bonds to show some side of the character. IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE ROMANTIC.

In today’s society romance is overly overrated, it doesn’t matter how good your script/book/thing is, if you put a glimpse of romance there SURPRISE, THIS IS A ROMANCE NOW. Because that’s what the public sees, “oh, she likes him? this is a love story I don’t make the rules.”

Romance became such a big part of our lives, or society’s expectations of what life should be. I just want a romance free space.

We are led to see romance as this huge thing that WILL happen to you and when it does it WILL change your life for ever, it will define you as a person, and that’s not healthy. I’m a complete person on my own, I don’t need someone to complete me. And giving every character an “other half” only reinforces this idea.

R: That truly says so much about what they think of aromantic people. We’re a bunch of incomplete and miserable people.

Oh it does. I’m 33 and I still hear the “you just have to meet the one.” Ma’am, I already met the one, his name is Naruto Uzumaki and he’s happily married what do I do now.

E: Thank you very much for participating, that’s all for the interview, but is there anything else you’d like to say?

I’m not against romance in media. It can be entertaining, and romance is clearly a crucial part of many many people around the world, it’s something that’s bound to be displayed. But there are other aspects of life, other kinds of experiences and ways of relating to one another, to the world. There are different lenses, and it’s time we get to see those on media too. Seeing different perspectives won’t diminish romance, it can only widen the perspective in which we look at it.

How can we know how unique our experience with something is if we don’t try to see it with someone else’s eyes? People take love for granted and they idolize it at the same time. Love is a beautiful thing, but the love we are fed on media is limited.

R: It was truly a pleasure! Thank you so much for participating. I also learned a lot from your words. Happy ASAW!!!

It was a pleasure to rant with you, thank you for inviting me! Happy ASAW!

[arospecweek]

Happy fifth day of ASAW!

Yesterday we talked about frustrations, today we want everyone who wants to share what they love! Anything you enjoy with little to no romance in it? Something focusing on other relationships? Your own work?

Feel free to share any type of media you prefer, be it fanart, fanfics, books, series, etc. And if you are a creator, you can share your own works too! Of course, we ask you that the works shared are non-romantic or not focused on romance.

AroSpec Week 2026

Please click the link to complete this form.

We will keep this up indefinitely, so you can all keep adding and checking recommendations even after this week ends! This is a space made for and by the community!

And if you want to go straight to the table with recommendations, go to the following link, but please remember that this can only be filled with your support!

AroSpec Week 2026

[arospecweek]

Happy fourth day of #ASAW! 💚

Today we wanna know about the frustrations that come from being an aro fan, here's just some of them, but feel free to add your own!

[arospecweek]

For today's special, we bring you some movies and series! They all focus on so much more than just romance and are great when you're feeling tired of watching romance take center stage!

Uptown Girls (2003) Highlighted relationships: friendship

Lahn Mah - How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) Highlighted relationships: family

Trash (2014) Highlighted relationships: friendship

Barbie (2023) Highlighted relationships: self, friendship, family

Hotaru no Haka - Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Highlighted relationships: family

Treasure Planet (2002) Highlighted relationships: found family, friendship, self

Pride (2014) Highlighted relationships: community, friendship, found family, self

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Highlighted relationships: family

Honorable mention goes to the following movies! These are already incredibly popular but also have bittersweet stories, so please advance with caution.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Flow (2024)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

The Hobbit and LOTR trilogies (2012-2014, 2001-2003)

Frances Ha (2012)

[arospecweek]

And of couse we got series for you too!

Konya Sukiyaki da yo (Tonight Is the Sukiyaki Night) 2023 1 season Highlighted relationships: platonic, community

Koisenu Futari (Two People Who Can’t Fall in Love) 2022 1 season Highlighted relationships: friendship, found family

Gokusen 2002-2009 3 seasons, 3 specials, 1 film Highlighted relationships: teacher-student, friendship, family, community

Grace and Frankie 2015-2022 7 seasons Highlighted relationships: friendship, family, self

Ragnarok 2020-2023 3 seasons Highlighted relationships: family

Anime will make an appearance on the list too!

Mushishi 2005-2014 3 seasons, 2 specials, 1 movie

MC travels meeting different people each episode, never staying in the same place for too long.

Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen (My New Boss Is Goofy) 2023 1 season Highlighted relationships: friendship, coworkers

Little Witch Academia 2017 1 season, 2 films Highlighted relationships: friendship, rivalry

Bartender: Kami no Glass 2024 1 season Highlighted relationships: platonic, coworkers, friendship

Carole and Tuesday 2019 1 season Highlighted relationships: friendship, self

Honorable mention goes to the following series! They are already popular, short, or some show romance in a more prominent way without taking away from the all the rich relationships the characters have.

Cool Doji Danshi (Play It Cool, Guys) 2022-2023, 1 season, 1 ONA

Buddy Daddies 2023, 1 season

Uma Musume Pretty Derby 2018-2024, 3 seasons, 1 special, 2 movies

Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2013-2021, 8 seasons

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 2010-2019, 9 seasons

[arospecweek]

For today's special, we bring you some movies and series! They all focus on so much more than just romance and are great when you're feeling tired of watching romance take center stage!

Uptown Girls (2003) Highlighted relationships: friendship

Lahn Mah - How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) Highlighted relationships: family

Trash (2014) Highlighted relationships: friendship

Barbie (2023) Highlighted relationships: self, friendship, family

Hotaru no Haka - Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Highlighted relationships: family

Treasure Planet (2002) Highlighted relationships: found family, friendship, self

Pride (2014) Highlighted relationships: community, friendship, found family, self

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Highlighted relationships: family

Honorable mention goes to the following movies! These are already incredibly popular but also have bittersweet stories, so please advance with caution.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Flow (2024)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

The Hobbit and LOTR trilogies (2012-2014, 2001-2003)

Frances Ha (2012)

[arospecweek]

Happy second day of ASAW! 💚

Today, we're sharing and bringing spotlight on some manga which portray different relationships outside of romantic or explored the realm of romance in their own way.

1. Nani Sore Ai Ka yo - Roji Completed, 1 volume, not licensed in English, 2024, Canna Comics. Slice of life

Iida and Yoshida, two straight guys, meet through a mutual friend who nicknames them the “most fearsome duo” as they’re both quick witted and snarky. Without being able to stop thinking about the other, they start a project together for Yoshida’s flower shop.

Their confusion about their feelings as they get to know each other better gets center stage in the story, because they truly understand each other and feel that, finally, they found the fun they were looking to end their dull, boring days.

2. Kemutai Hanashi - Hayashi Fumiya Ongoing, 43 chapters released, not licensed in English, 2021, Comic Nettai Slice of life, drama

Takeda and Arita are ex classmates who met again as adults, eventually growing their relationship. Both understand that they’re not lovers, but they’re also not friends nor family. And yet, they love each other and want to stay and live together.

The story shows how hard it can be to confront others who don’t understand that kind of relationship, others who get uncomfortable by not being able to determine the type of relationship they have nor add labels to it.

3. Ikoku Nikki - Yamashita Tomoko Completed, 11 volumes, not licensed in English, 2017-2023, Feel Young Josei - slice of life, drama, family life

Makio, a reclusive 35-year-old novelist, took her friendlier 15-year-old niece Asa in after her parents, including Makio's own sister, suddenly passed away. She suggests Asa to write on a journal about the things she feels and doesn't, and what people say to her and don't.

Their story explores grief, the challenges and warmth that come with connecting with others, clashing personalities, becoming comfortable in your personhood and the meaning of family.

4. Pandora Hearts - Mochizuki Jun Completed, 24 volumes, licensed in English, 2006-2015, GFantasy Shounen - action, supernatural, psychological

This is a story of many mysteries that slowly get discovered as the plot thickens, and yet the bonds the characters have take a very important role, specially when it comes to the main trio; Oz, Alice and Gilbert.

Love and devotion aren’t romantic, and these characters prove it time and time again as they fight while trying to protect each other.

The trope of found family that didn’t get a forced romance between the boy and girl in the end.

5. Makai Ouji, Devils and Realists - Takadono Madoka, Yukihiro Utako Completed, 15 volumes, licensed in English, 2009-2018, Comic Zero-Sum Jousei - fantasy, comedy, drama

Bonds and love that transcends time is possible in a fantasy filled with angels and demons, but what’s truly special about this manga is the way we see those bonds that start from loyalty born from a pact slowly become natural, unbound, real.

Complex relationships that go from friendship to family to something that can’t be explained through those words as well as devotion are a constant in this manga, and that is the focus of this story. Going from what is supposed to be to what everyone actually wants.

6. Seshuusei Triangle (Hereditary Triangle) - Hayashi Fumiya Completed, 2 volumes, licensed in English, 2021, Comic Beam Seinen - drama, slice of life

What happens when two friends fall in love with the same girl after she picks one of them? The author knew that usually one ends up heartbroken and resentful, but what if nobody in this triangle hates each other no matter what and, in fact, they all love and treasure each other deeply?

Complex emotions that nobody teaches how to deal with appear, and while there is romance, the focus on the love the main characters had for their friend is the true focus of this story.

7. Hitori de Ikiru wa Mamanaranu (You can't live on your own!) - Tsuno Mizoko Completed, 3 volumes, licensed in English, 2021-2023, Comic Qurie Josei - slice of life, drama, romance

The series focuses on four 28 year old friends that met in middle school that are living together. Since they’re near their 30s, they start to feel the pressure society puts on people when it comes to marriage and settling down.

All of them want different things in life, and some of them aren’t completely sure of what is it they want, just what they don’t want.

By the end of the series, each of them find their own paths, the ones that feel true to who they are.

8. Metamorphose no Engawa (BL Metamorphosis) - Tsurutani Kaori Completed, 5 volumes, licensed in English, 2017-2020, Comic Newtype Slice of life, coming of age

Sometimes, no matter the age difference we may have with someone, something we both love can be the thing that brings us together. That’s what happens with Ichinoi, a 75 year old woman, and Urara, a 17 year old high school girl.

The story focuses on their relationship together and their relationship with BL manga. While they’re constantly conscious of the problems the other phase, and how different their personalities are, they still manage to push the other to learn and grow.

9. Kimi to Uchuu o Aruku Tame ni (Spacewalking With You) - Doronoda Inuhiko Ongoing, 24 chapters released, licensed in English, 2023, & Sofa Josei - slice of life

A manga that focuses on the relationship of two unlikely friends for the people around them. Kobayashi, a yankee struggling with his life who finds everything annoying, meets the transfer student Uno and his life starts to change.

Uno is seen as a weird kid, but Kobayashi doesn’t feel like that’s something bad, and actually truly respects him and learns from him. Without really trying, they impulse the other to try new stuff, meet new people, and grow together.

The following manga series are part of our honorable mention as they're quite popular but have compelling stories with interesting characters that explore different types of relationships. Some also explore romance and romantic feelings, or not having those feelings, in a different way that feels particular to each of them, developing at the same time the relationship the main character has with themselves.

1. Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai (Is love the answer?) - Isaki Uta Completed, 1 volume Josei - Coming of age, drama

2. Watashi wa kabe ni naritai (I want to be a wall) Completed, 3 volumes Slice of life

3. Barakamon (licenced as Barakamon) Completed, 18 volumes Shounen - Comedy, slice of life

4. Yagatte Kimi ni Naru (Bloom into You) Completed, 8 volumes Shounen - GL, romance

5. Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (The Summer Hikaru Died) Ongoing, 8 volumes released Seinen - Horror, slice of life

6. Housekisho Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei (The case files of Jeweler Richard) Ongoing, 5 volumes released Josei - Mystery, drama, slice of life

7. Tongari Boushi no Atelier (Witch Hat Atelier) Ongoing, 15 volumes released Seinen - Fantasy, adventure, drama

8. Natsume Yuujincho (Natsume's Book of Friends) Ongoing, 32 volumes released Shoujo - Supernatural, drama

We hope you enjoy and to see your recommendations too!

[arospecweek]

Always a lover, never a villager

Why asking for more media that focuses on non-romantic relationships benefits us all

I have always loved characters that are well written and keep growing during the story they come from. And I have also always hated how a lot of their development suddenly gets wiped by the ending, when they start a romantic relationship with a character in a way that feels it's done simply because they are there, and they're the opposite gender, and it's the ending so of course they all need a happy ending.

Even if the story drops hints, which feel lacking, it's always been like that old Avril Lavigne song; "She was a girl, he was a boy, can I make it any more obvious?" Yes! Yes you absolutely can! Those types of stories make me feel like we as fans are expected to fill in so many blanks while they build those relationships on twigs rather than on a strong foundation. And, personally, they make me feel like I'm forced to see relationships in the way society expects me to, even if that's far from the truth. But I'm tired, why can't I ask for more depth in the relationships my favourite character has? Why do we, as spectators, have to conform to what's being fed to us?

When art doesn't imitate life

All these kinds of choices that we see in media are asking us the same thing; to be satisfied with this old idea of romance and what an ideal life looks like. We're being asked by media to follow these ideas while at the same time we see how stories get rid of the emotional complexity in their characters, forcing them into becoming unidimensional by losing the focus on the many bonds and feelings they have.

It's not really hard to find characters that, by the end of a story, are more or less reduced to their relationship with their love interest. And then we're left to mourn their lost potential, of course, but we also mourn the lost bonds of that character as they lose what makes them feel like they're more than just a pretty pile of tropes.

And not only that, we grow up seeing this everywhere, all the time, keeping the message that we should find "our one true love", that the only thing we need is the "right partner", and that our lives will completely change and we will finally become complete by finding them. Because as we all know, when we're single we are not whole, and no matter how many people love us, if we don't have that specific relationship then we are alone, miserably waiting for that moment we can finally find the one.

We eat those messages up, and we keep ourselves happy with the mediocre romance and the mediocre ending. Because that's all that we're supposed to ask for. Who needs more anyway? We should all be satisfied by the one.

The romantic lens

The belief that "love" is everything creeps into our lives since our early childhood through media, teaching us how that "ideal love" looks, and yet we are not taught to question those ideals. Why when we see "love" we assume it's "romantic love"? Why "relationship" is always a "romantic relationship"? Why are we alone and sad when single even if we have loving family and friends?

And before we even manage to understand we have a question, much less find answers for them, our actions are already scrutinised by others. Because we are taught that romantic love has this specific look, it takes a specific shape, and all those actions are meant only to be done to the person we "love". We don't touch our friends lovingly nor look at them with fondness. No, what we're doing is obviously romantic and we're leading on this poor soul. Yes, even if we were only showing affection because we enjoy being around that person.

Because that's what movies and books and songs teach us, that everything we do is romantic. Rarely it tells us that everything we do can also be not romantic and that, in fact, it all depends on the perspective we see things.

But of course, when something depends on perspective, we're always gonna be supposed to follow the dominating one, the perspective we see being used the most, and everything we do will be dyed a pretty pink before we even manage to learn what true intimacy is. This makes everything in our relationships be harder for some of us, as our main guide are the influences of the stories that marked society deep enough to create the current idea of romance, relationships and intimacy.

The lack of intimacy

None of us are really taught how intimacy looks, what it means, or how it feels. We're supposed to pick it up, and because of the focus society gives to romantic love we immediately assume it's all about romance and sex.

This is not a coincidence, it's normal to see big emotional scenes given to the main character and their love interest. Maybe we're lucky and we get one of those with a family member. But we rarely see those big moments reserved to other kinds of relationships, as if the other characters of the story are just there, on stand-by, waiting for the right moment to help the main character get the love interest and find their happy ending.

And yet, intimacy is about closeness with others, about belonging and vulnerability, no matter what name we put to that relationship. We need the hug from a close friend, the warm smile of a stranger in the same situation as us, the trust to tell mom we're hurt. We cannot get that only from romantic relationships.

In times when people feel increasingly lonelier, we need more than ever to see those experiences reflected in media. Not only because it makes the story feel more real or compelling, but also because we need to normalise the idea that intimacy and showing affection isn't something that is exclusive to romantic relationships, giving us the freedom to express ourselves with those we love. Because love is love, be it romantic or not.

When character A meets character B

While having stories telling us that "love" is most often than not romantic, and that we can act and touch a certain way only the people we are romantically attracted to, another problem appeared; relationships are organised as a pyramid, with romantic relationships being the most important and the rest falling behind.

Phrases like "I want to be more" immediately tell us that the character wants a romantic relationship, and not just friendship. As if wanting more meant wanting that relationship to be more important than others, more complete, more intimate, deeper. As if all our other relationships are less important, incomplete or even shallow.

And so, most media that focuses on important relationships fall into the romance trap; the same formula is repeated over and over again, falling into the current marketable tropes, asking us to accept that love is not love, but a hierarchy in which romantic love is its king, and all the other loves humans can experience are submitted to it, never able to reach the same important place romantic love has.

Relationships then always get the same look, and it's not only the romantic ones that have a defined limit. Friendships, parents and children, siblings, work besties, slowly everything start to have a specific look or name. Suddenly everything turns into a box in which we can neatly put characters on, organising them under different categories with clear cut limits that media rarely tries to defy.

Of course it's easier to have a story just like all the others, having character A meet character B in a way that we can all say "ah, they're gonna end up together", focusing on the struggles they have to get together, being supported by friends and hindered by rivals. But that lack of exploration ends up giving us relationships that feel shallow, as if we had to go through the story seeing only the bare bones of what it means to create and keep bonds with others.

As always, it's capitalism

When the creation of stories that are meant to reach the masses follow these patterns, we rarely see true emotionality. The main focus is profit, and when society keeps telling people romantic love is the king, why should they focus on anything else if they already have their golden egg? Big companies can just churn out one story after the other, and let's not forget the sequels.

But beyond profit, there is something else that is important when it comes to keeping the same formulaic romances and stories. Just like we ask to normalise media about the many other types of relationships a person can have, it's important to understand that mass media will have influence in society, and the messages we see are not necessarily a coincidence, but a way to exert power.

We keep seeing the same story over and over again, with big enough budgets and production times that make us believe they could break expectations. But it never happens, because romance is a tool of the powerful, and the powerful already know which order to promote, always answering the needs of capitalism instead of the needs of the people.

What about us?

Even if we as humans need community to survive and thrive, we don't really see that reflected in media. "Us" is always reserved for lovers, detaching the people in romantic relationships from the rest as their own tiny, independent unit. Interdependence is often forgotten, both in real life and media, yet it's something we need not only to have better stories but to live better lives.

After all, a character giving constant priority to their romantic partner is a dangerous story to tell, creating a positive lens on the image, on the reality, of leaving behind the rest of our relationships that are also built on trust and love.

Beyond that, attraction is messy and not clearly defined. Liking how a person looks doesn't automatically mean we like their personality, feeling sexual attraction doesn't mean we love the person. Whenever this happens and our feelings seem contradicting we can find ourselves not knowing what to do about them nor what they mean, or even questioning if they're enough, driving ourselves into a panic for not conforming to the status quo supported by media. We don't know if there are other options, we fear the backlash of trying something different and we worry about how our relationships may look to others, even though we're just being human.

At the same time, not having words, much less examples of how we feel or what we want, is hard. How do we explain it? How do we make others understand what is going through our minds?

Having these very real anxieties be explored in media is the path to better stories with well fleshed characters that feel more human, and broader acceptance of our differences and uniqueness as human beings. It's a helping hand to those of us who are not lucky enough to find information about complex topics like amatonormativity, to those of us who feel alone and broken because we don't relate to those feelings most stories talk about, or those of us who want something else but don't know what.

I want more stories about strong friendships that leave no space for doubt that they aren't romantic, I want stories where the characters love each other deeply but can't put their relationship into a box, I want love stories brimming with life. I want people to feel less alone, I want people to see themselves in their favourite characters and I want people to show a piece of media and say "hey, this is what I want!"

What about you? What do you want?

[arospecweek]

For this aromantic spectrum awareness week, we don't only want to share our inputs, but also ask for yours! Is there anything you would like the people you love to know about how it is to be aromantic? Anything you'd like to tell society about their views?

Beyond media, we are real people with real wants and needs, and so by the end of this week we'd like to share all of your thoughts into a single message board.

Let's gather our voices, we are not alone.

What would you like people or loved ones to know?

[arospecweek]

There's a constant in the media we often consume; songs, books, series, movies, they always have romantic love at the center of them or saving the day. And it's all the same old idea of what that kind of love means.

During aromantic spectrum awareness week, we decided to question those standards. Why can't we have something different? Why when we hear "love" it has to be romantic?

There's no one correct way to love, to date or to live, and we all need way more than just a partner. But when we don't get to see what the other options may be, is easy to feel lost. That's why we decided to start this small project, a way to show the world that we're here, we matter, and we have something to teach.

We hope that aromantic people can find stories that make them feel seen or characters they can relate to, but also really want to show others that they can benefit from having media centered on other types of relationships and ways to see the world.