{
    "source": "https://readark.app/state-of-dark-romance-2026/",
    "license": "Free to use with attribution and a link to the source page.",
    "n": 5857,
    "spice_dist": {
        "4": 3631,
        "3": 1609,
        "2": 146,
        "5": 412,
        "1": 9
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    "dark_dist": {
        "4": 3239,
        "3": 1497,
        "5": 741,
        "2": 263,
        "1": 67
    },
    "subgenres": [
        {
            "name": "Mafia / Mob Romance",
            "slug": "mafia-mob-romance",
            "n": 941,
            "spice": 3.79,
            "dark": 3.73,
            "top100": 72,
            "series_pct": 69
        },
        {
            "name": "Dark Paranormal (Vampire / Demon / Monster)",
            "slug": "dark-paranormal",
            "n": 895,
            "spice": 3.5,
            "dark": 3.3,
            "top100": 117,
            "series_pct": 75
        },
        {
            "name": "Dark Romantasy / Dark Fantasy",
            "slug": "dark-romantasy",
            "n": 669,
            "spice": 3.36,
            "dark": 3.68,
            "top100": 141,
            "series_pct": 67
        },
        {
            "name": "Captive / Kidnapping Romance",
            "slug": "captive-kidnapping-romance",
            "n": 486,
            "spice": 3.78,
            "dark": 4.09,
            "top100": 86,
            "series_pct": 58
        },
        {
            "name": "Bully Romance",
            "slug": "bully-romance",
            "n": 431,
            "spice": 4.11,
            "dark": 4.1,
            "top100": 45,
            "series_pct": 74
        },
        {
            "name": "Stalker Romance",
            "slug": "stalker-romance",
            "n": 406,
            "spice": 3.88,
            "dark": 4.38,
            "top100": 46,
            "series_pct": 50
        },
        {
            "name": "Sci-Fi / Alien Dark Romance",
            "slug": "sci-fi-alien-romance",
            "n": 405,
            "spice": 3.79,
            "dark": 3.47,
            "top100": 39,
            "series_pct": 64
        },
        {
            "name": "Revenge / Enemies (Dark)",
            "slug": "revenge-enemies",
            "n": 361,
            "spice": 3.67,
            "dark": 3.84,
            "top100": 34,
            "series_pct": 66
        },
        {
            "name": "Forced / Arranged Marriage (Dark)",
            "slug": "forced-arranged-marriage",
            "n": 358,
            "spice": 3.96,
            "dark": 3.9,
            "top100": 39,
            "series_pct": 76
        },
        {
            "name": "MC (Motorcycle Club) Romance",
            "slug": "mc-romance",
            "n": 318,
            "spice": 3.75,
            "dark": 3.23,
            "top100": 20,
            "series_pct": 81
        },
        {
            "name": "Why Choose / Reverse Harem (Dark)",
            "slug": "why-choose-reverse-harem",
            "n": 309,
            "spice": 4.34,
            "dark": 3.85,
            "top100": 33,
            "series_pct": 55
        },
        {
            "name": "Dark Academia",
            "slug": "dark-academia",
            "n": 241,
            "spice": 3.34,
            "dark": 3.8,
            "top100": 39,
            "series_pct": 51
        }
    ],
    "tropes": [
        {
            "name": "Possessive-Obsessive MC",
            "slug": "possessive-obsessive-mc",
            "n": 3746
        },
        {
            "name": "Morally Grey MC",
            "slug": "morally-grey-mc",
            "n": 2742
        },
        {
            "name": "Forbidden Romance",
            "slug": "forbidden-romance",
            "n": 2258
        },
        {
            "name": "Alpha Hero",
            "slug": "alpha-hero",
            "n": 1442
        },
        {
            "name": "Enemies to Lovers",
            "slug": "enemies-to-lovers",
            "n": 1313
        },
        {
            "name": "Slow Burn",
            "slug": "slow-burn",
            "n": 1187
        },
        {
            "name": "Forced Proximity",
            "slug": "forced-proximity",
            "n": 1082
        },
        {
            "name": "Captive / Captor",
            "slug": "captive-captor",
            "n": 778
        },
        {
            "name": "Dark Protector",
            "slug": "dark-protector",
            "n": 689
        },
        {
            "name": "Revenge",
            "slug": "revenge",
            "n": 568
        },
        {
            "name": "Forced Marriage",
            "slug": "forced-marriage",
            "n": 501
        },
        {
            "name": "Found Family",
            "slug": "found-family",
            "n": 483
        }
    ],
    "cws": [
        {
            "name": "Graphic Violence",
            "slug": "graphic-violence",
            "n": 2729
        },
        {
            "name": "Emotional Abuse / Gaslighting",
            "slug": "emotional-abuse-gaslighting",
            "n": 1861
        },
        {
            "name": "Kidnapping / Captivity",
            "slug": "kidnapping-captivity",
            "n": 768
        },
        {
            "name": "Dubious Consent",
            "slug": "dubious-consent",
            "n": 758
        },
        {
            "name": "Blood / Knife Play",
            "slug": "blood-knife-play",
            "n": 229
        },
        {
            "name": "Physical Abuse",
            "slug": "physical-abuse",
            "n": 143
        },
        {
            "name": "Death of a Loved One",
            "slug": "death-of-a-loved-one",
            "n": 137
        },
        {
            "name": "Torture",
            "slug": "torture",
            "n": 69
        },
        {
            "name": "Sexual Assault / Non-Con",
            "slug": "sexual-assault-non-con",
            "n": 54
        },
        {
            "name": "Substance Abuse",
            "slug": "substance-abuse",
            "n": 37
        }
    ],
    "with_cw": 3703,
    "in_series": 3908,
    "ranked": 4649,
    "top100": 726,
    "trope_dark": [
        {
            "name": "Antihero / Villain MC",
            "slug": "antihero-villain-mc",
            "n": 399,
            "dark": 4.51,
            "spice": 4.04
        },
        {
            "name": "Stalker",
            "slug": "stalker",
            "n": 379,
            "dark": 4.4,
            "spice": 3.9
        },
        {
            "name": "Kidnapping",
            "slug": "kidnapping",
            "n": 93,
            "dark": 4.37,
            "spice": 4.14
        },
        {
            "name": "Bully",
            "slug": "bully",
            "n": 448,
            "dark": 4.17,
            "spice": 4.11
        },
        {
            "name": "Revenge",
            "slug": "revenge",
            "n": 568,
            "dark": 4.13,
            "spice": 3.83
        },
        {
            "name": "Captive / Captor",
            "slug": "captive-captor",
            "n": 778,
            "dark": 4.1,
            "spice": 3.95
        },
        {
            "name": "Touch Her and You Die",
            "slug": "touch-her-and-you-die",
            "n": 140,
            "dark": 4.06,
            "spice": 4.16
        },
        {
            "name": "Morally Grey MC",
            "slug": "morally-grey-mc",
            "n": 2742,
            "dark": 3.95,
            "spice": 3.71
        },
        {
            "name": "Possessive-Obsessive MC",
            "slug": "possessive-obsessive-mc",
            "n": 3746,
            "dark": 3.83,
            "spice": 3.93
        },
        {
            "name": "Breeding",
            "slug": "breeding",
            "n": 111,
            "dark": 3.81,
            "spice": 4.34
        },
        {
            "name": "Forced Marriage",
            "slug": "forced-marriage",
            "n": 501,
            "dark": 3.79,
            "spice": 3.82
        },
        {
            "name": "Enemies to Lovers",
            "slug": "enemies-to-lovers",
            "n": 1313,
            "dark": 3.78,
            "spice": 3.7
        },
        {
            "name": "Redemption Arc",
            "slug": "redemption-arc",
            "n": 84,
            "dark": 3.75,
            "spice": 3.54
        },
        {
            "name": "Forbidden Romance",
            "slug": "forbidden-romance",
            "n": 2258,
            "dark": 3.72,
            "spice": 3.62
        },
        {
            "name": "Alpha Hero",
            "slug": "alpha-hero",
            "n": 1442,
            "dark": 3.66,
            "spice": 3.93
        },
        {
            "name": "Age Gap",
            "slug": "age-gap",
            "n": 177,
            "dark": 3.63,
            "spice": 3.99
        },
        {
            "name": "Marriage of Convenience",
            "slug": "marriage-of-convenience",
            "n": 87,
            "dark": 3.6,
            "spice": 3.82
        },
        {
            "name": "Standalone-in-Series",
            "slug": "standalone-in-series",
            "n": 166,
            "dark": 3.58,
            "spice": 3.87
        },
        {
            "name": "Forced Proximity",
            "slug": "forced-proximity",
            "n": 1082,
            "dark": 3.54,
            "spice": 3.85
        },
        {
            "name": "Secret Baby",
            "slug": "secret-baby",
            "n": 72,
            "dark": 3.53,
            "spice": 3.93
        },
        {
            "name": "Dark Protector",
            "slug": "dark-protector",
            "n": 689,
            "dark": 3.44,
            "spice": 3.64
        },
        {
            "name": "Found Family",
            "slug": "found-family",
            "n": 483,
            "dark": 3.36,
            "spice": 3.7
        },
        {
            "name": "Slow Burn",
            "slug": "slow-burn",
            "n": 1187,
            "dark": 3.36,
            "spice": 3.19
        },
        {
            "name": "Second Chance",
            "slug": "second-chance",
            "n": 187,
            "dark": 3.21,
            "spice": 3.15
        },
        {
            "name": "Boss / Employee",
            "slug": "boss-employee",
            "n": 55,
            "dark": 3.16,
            "spice": 3.98
        },
        {
            "name": "Primal Play",
            "slug": "primal-play",
            "n": 331,
            "dark": 2.95,
            "spice": 4.01
        },
        {
            "name": "Instalove",
            "slug": "instalove",
            "n": 242,
            "dark": 2.31,
            "spice": 3.6
        },
        {
            "name": "Grumpy / Sunshine",
            "slug": "grumpy-sunshine",
            "n": 126,
            "dark": 2.29,
            "spice": 3.31
        }
    ],
    "series_terms": 679,
    "series_avg_len": 2.9,
    "years": {
        "1977": 1,
        "1979": 1,
        "1980": 1,
        "1983": 1,
        "1987": 1,
        "1988": 1,
        "1989": 2,
        "1990": 1,
        "1991": 1,
        "1992": 2,
        "1994": 1,
        "1995": 3,
        "1996": 2,
        "1997": 2,
        "1998": 2,
        "1999": 1,
        "2000": 3,
        "2001": 2,
        "2002": 11,
        "2003": 4,
        "2004": 4,
        "2005": 9,
        "2006": 15,
        "2007": 17,
        "2008": 16,
        "2009": 11,
        "2010": 22,
        "2011": 21,
        "2012": 22,
        "2013": 53,
        "2014": 82,
        "2015": 79,
        "2016": 86,
        "2017": 76,
        "2018": 108,
        "2019": 209,
        "2020": 283,
        "2021": 342,
        "2022": 388,
        "2023": 489,
        "2024": 587,
        "2025": 1162,
        "2026": 1426,
        "2027": 17
    },
    "generated": "2026-09-28",
    "quadrants": {
        "n": 5807,
        "hot_light": 111,
        "both_hi": 3202,
        "both5": 149,
        "r": 0.37
    },
    "darkest_sub": {
        "name": "Stalker Romance",
        "slug": "stalker-romance",
        "n": 406,
        "spice": 3.88,
        "dark": 4.38,
        "top100": 46,
        "series_pct": 50
    },
    "spiciest_sub": {
        "name": "Why Choose / Reverse Harem (Dark)",
        "slug": "why-choose-reverse-harem",
        "n": 309,
        "spice": 4.34,
        "dark": 3.85,
        "top100": 33,
        "series_pct": 55
    },
    "most_series_sub": {
        "name": "MC (Motorcycle Club) Romance",
        "slug": "mc-romance",
        "n": 318,
        "spice": 3.75,
        "dark": 3.23,
        "top100": 20,
        "series_pct": 81
    },
    "romantasy": {
        "name": "Dark Romantasy / Dark Fantasy",
        "slug": "dark-romantasy",
        "n": 669,
        "spice": 3.36,
        "dark": 3.68,
        "top100": 141,
        "series_pct": 67
    },
    "mafia": {
        "name": "Mafia / Mob Romance",
        "slug": "mafia-mob-romance",
        "n": 941,
        "spice": 3.79,
        "dark": 3.73,
        "top100": 72,
        "series_pct": 69
    }
}