# Happy, functional relationships, please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 14, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973 "2008-10-14T23:59:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973/61 "2008-10-17T13:52:31Z")

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Tarzan and Jane

Dick Tracy and Tess Truehart

The Phantom and Diana Palmer

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973/62 "2008-10-17T14:01:51Z")

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For an odd\* anime example…_Armitage III: Dual Matrix_.

(I love a Japanese cartoon that doesn’t make me feel like one of the “Lost Generation” when it’s over.)

\*Sci-fi, action, non-comedy, non-romance.

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**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973/63 "2008-10-19T21:06:21Z")

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Jean & Lionel from _As Time Goes By_

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**Author:** ![Little\_Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@Little\_Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Cloud)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-functional-relationships-please/467973/64 "2008-10-19T22:10:56Z")

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Check out Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series of detective novels. Spenser and Susan have a wonderfully healthy relationship. Their dialogue can’t be beat and their conflict resolution is always honest and refreshing. This relationship represents an ideal I try to emulate. When things are tough I try to think of how Spencer and Susan would handle it. They have the courage and faith in their relationship to be honest. Not an easy thing in the real world.

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