I have to be honest that my first memory of actually being involved in tie up games is pretty hazy... But I do recall clearly the first instance of the moment that had opened me to my interest in Damsel in Distress and tie up games in general:
When I was 10 years old, the school where I was studying at where I lived - Malaysia - had morning sessions and afternoon session. I don't remember if I had questioned why our school had this arrangement, and it ended up not really being a big issue for me... until one day, when I came across a brief advertisement for one of our local drama series.
Being that it was an advertisement, the scens must have flashed past only for a few seconds... Yet I somehow remember one scene of a woman being handgagged and grabbed by someone else, with other scenes showing some sort of urgency, with people being angry, and shouting, and rushing. And in another scene, the same woman was tied up in a dim room, lying on a mattress on the floor, with a piece of cloth being tied over a mouth and another piece of cloth blindfolding her, struggling as she rolled to her sides in an effort to break free.
i remember being filled with excitement, even if I couldn't really tell what was it about the ad that got me feeling such. I do recall seeing the ads a few more time in upcoming days, and each time I would find myself paying more attention to the woman... Thinking to myself, that I would very much like to know how did she came to the situation, and if it was possible if I could see her tied up, and her struggling afterwards? Was she going to be rescued?
Sad to say due to my school schedule, I never had any chance to catch the aforementioned drama. I remember it was airing from 4-5 PM... and I would only be returning from school by 6. Years after the event passed, even when I eventually came across didcaps that were shared on the early infancy of the internet, there was no way that someone over here have happened to have a vidcap of the scene from the drama AND would put it up online. With no evidence to speak of save my fuzzy recollection, sometimes I do find myself asking if such a drama really was aired, and if I had mixed up my memories to create that narrative of being fascinated with preview of a Damsel in Distress scene yet tragically unable to watch the scene in full... But I do remember it leaving me with the interest in tie up games, of which I would eventually learn could be something that I could to to myself.
I'm not sure if I could get around to write about my actual experience with tie up games, since I really don't remember what the first one was, and most of the ones I explored eventually ended up being pretty unexciting to recollect. But I might get to share about another instance of me coming across another Damsel in Distress scenario, this time in the form of a short novel!
Website Migration Update
I moved the website to a new host, which I think will be more tolerant of the content this website hosts. Nevertheless, I do want to take a moment to remind everyone that the stories and content posted here MUST follow website rules, as it it not only my policy, but it is the policy of the hosts that permit our website to run on their servers. We WILL continue to enforce the rules, especially critical rules that, if broken, put this sites livelihood in jeapordy.
First memory I recalled of seeing a Damsel in Distress scene
That's a nice first memory. I have no idea what my first exposure to a DiD scene was in any medium, but I do remember getting excited back in third grade (age 8) when I thought one was about to happen!
Tell us your other stories sometime! I'd like to see them. Like your first encounter with a DiD scene in a novel.
Tell us your other stories sometime! I'd like to see them. Like your first encounter with a DiD scene in a novel.
I'll definitely get to writing about that novel encounter! It could be an interesting case of telling a story within a story hehe.
The first time I saw a "Damsel in Distress" scene, it felt both intense and predictable—danger looming, the hero rushing in, the tension thick. While classic, it reinforced outdated tropes. Still, the drama was captivating, making me root for a thrilling rescue.
What was your experience like?