Young Love Versus Old Hate
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The story has characters of two generations. The younger characters are in love in a benevolent way, while the old characters are full of hate and destructiveness. The younger generation is the hope for the future - but does it stand a chance, or will it be destroyed in the cycles of hate fueled by their seniors?
The younger characters are reasonably innocent, and may be naive. If they are not a part of the older generation's destructive structure, then they at least risk getting sucked into it. They may be Star-Crossed Lovers, but they do not have to be. The older characters may have positive traits along with their hatred, but if they are in love then it is likely to be in one of the bad ways.
This narrative doesn't have to drag all important characters into it. While it can be about Feuding Families or some all-engulfing war, it can also be about a single older character plotting revenge or a few of them having their own little personal feuds.
Anime and Manga
- Naruto: Many of the old generation are bloodthirsty or bitter, having went through numerous ninja wars, and are the source of pretty much all the driving conflicts of the story. The new generation, who grew up in peace, are always pointed out as being the hope of the ninja world, especially Naruto.
- Gundam Seed. The Bloody Valentine War is started by the old men of two Human Subspecies hell-bent on exterminating each other, but put an end to (mainly) by young people who have transcended such racism.
Film
- In Sweeney Todd, the titular character and judge Turpin stand for the bulk of hatefulness, while Anthony Hope and Joanna are the only good characters in the story.
- In the Star Wars films, Emperor Palpatine, who is seen as a father figure by Anakin, personifies the dark side of the force, which is driven by hate. It's the love between Anakin and his son Luke that ultimately brings about Palpatine's downfall.
Literature
- In Astrid Lindgren's Ronja Rövardotter, the titular character and her boyfriend are daughter and son of two feuding bandit lords. Unlike Romeo and Juliet, they manage to turn their parents around - stop the feud, and start working towards stop being bandits.
- In The Count of Monte Cristo, the once young and benevolent protagonist has turned toa bitter and vengeful old man, threatening to destroy not only the old men who once wronged him, but also the next generation of people who are just as untainted as he himself once was.
- This was essential the hat of planet Melida/Daan in Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice. Because of this there is a literal war between the young and old—but even though the young win, the peace they forge doesn't last long.
Theater
- In Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers come from families that have been at war with each other for generations. The hatefulness of the older generation eventually led to the death of both characters (although the play ends on an otherwise optimistic note, with the two families finally realising their folly).
- Discussed and lampshaded but ultimately averted in West Side Story. The old Bigot With A Badge hate the immigrants in the Sharks gang, and want to make an alliance with the non-immigrant gang the Jets. However, the Jets despise him. They are not bigots. However, they still hate the Sharks, although for their own reasons. The driving force in the conflict is thus between the young characters, the bigotry of the older generation being merely a side note.
Web Comics
- In Drowtales, flashbacks show that Ash and Diva, now enemies, were once friends (spoiler alert!) centuries ago (the drowolath are a long-lived race). However, it's the next generation younger (Zala, Quain, etc.) that really drives the current interclan wars. The younger adult characters (Yamenia, Syphile, Kalki, etc.) are less hateful than just plain violent. It's the youngest generation (Ariel, Wafay, Kiel, etc.) that are the most sympathetic and who most of the wiser leaders tend to place their hopes for the long - term survival of the remaining clans.