What is the childhood friend trope in anime?

The Childhood friend trope is a popular narrative used in many romance anime where the protagonist has a childhood best friend who harbors romantic feelings towards him/her.

The childhood friend cliche builds suspense and drama, immersing viewers into the storyline.

Every cliché about childhood friends has a tragic conclusion in which the protagonist’s current romantic interest triumphs over the childhood.

But why does every trope about childhood friends finish in such a depressing way? That’s what we’ll discuss presently.

4 Reasons Why does the childhood friend never win?

1. They Realize their feelings way too late

The main reason a childhood friend never succeeds is that they discover their actual emotions far too late.

The main character has grown up with the childhood friend; they enjoy each other’s company and spend most of their time together.

Despite their shared history, it’s only when a new romantic interest is brought into the picture that the childhood friend recognizes her/his true feelings towards the protagonist.

The entry of the new romantic interest causes the the childhood friend to experience jealousy for the first time acting as a catalyst to to make her/him realize that they were in love with the protagonist all along.

When the childhood friend acknowledges her/his emotions, it’s too late because the protagonist has already developed an affection for the new romantic interest, leaving the childhood friend with a bitter ending.

2. Distance grows them apart

The largest plot hole in the childhood buddy cliche is that the protagonist and his childhood friend got separated when they were kids.

As the distance between them grows, their affections for each other begin to wane. Yuu and Hinashi from the anime Fuuka were childhood sweethearts.

Hinashi was madly in love with Yuu, the protagonist, and Yuu reciprocated her feelings. However, when Hinashi leaves town to pursue music, the growing distance between them begins to erode their affection for one another.

When they eventually reconnect, Hinashi is still in love with Yuu, but Yuu no longer feels the same way; he has fallen for Fuuka, his new romantic interest.

3. Someone better comes along the way

One of the reasons for the downfall of the romantic pursuits of the childhood friend is love triangles.

Because the protagonist and his childhood friend are oblivious to each other’s feelings, the introduction of a new romantic interest floods the protagonist’s heart with excitement.

Reasons why the protagonist falls for the new girl

• The new girl might be more beautiful than her childhood friend.
• The new girl might not be bossy like her childhood friend.
• The new girl might give him butterflies.
• The new girl may have romantic feelings for the protagonist, unlike her childhood best friend. 

4. Friends to lovers is no easy task

Indeed, transitioning from friends to lovers can be a complex and challenging journey. One person may dread rejection or misinterpret signals, resulting in awkwardness or shame.

There’s always a risk that pursuing a romantic relationship could jeopardize the existing friendship. If things do not work out romantically, both persons may struggle to return to their old dynamic, risking the loss of their valued friendship.

Trying to transition from friends to lovers can be difficult since it causes them to second-guess their actions because if things don’t work out, it may jeopardize their cherished friendship. This dilemma often stops childhood friend to courageous enough to ask out their best friend.

Also Read

Why Do You Need Friends In Romance Anime

Notable anime series to watch where the Childhood Friends Win

Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won’t Lose

O Maidens in Your Savage Season

Tamako Market

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Also Read

Disappointing Anime where the Childhood Friend Loses

7 Must-watch Romance Anime to Move on from Past Relationships

You won’t know if you’ll win or lose unless you try. So, whether you want to ask out your childhood crush, someone out of your league, or someone who truly cares about you, just go for it.

Unnecessary worrying is not going to help, always remember you get to write your story so why not write it with a positive mindset?

Just like always if you had a good time, then don’t forget to subscribe to my blog newsletter at the bottom of the page and for more anime related content follow me on,