History Main / GenderBenderFriendship

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Now you're the same sex (this trope only seems to happen to heterosexual, cisgender people) as them. If you become their best friend, maybe you can learn enough about them to date them as your true self, and they'll never figure out that you are the same person! Of course like [[ASimplePlan all the best plans]] [[HilarityEnsues it can and will go awry]].

* ''Manga/FutabakunChange''. Although in the end, [[spoiler:Misaki finds out, accepts it, ''and'' finds a way to GenderBender ''herself'' in the same way to make herself a compatible mate to Futaba-kun/chan, similar to the ''Zerophilia'' example below.]]

* ''Manga/CuteXGuy''. One of the few cases of a girl-turned-guy becoming friends with her male crush.
* ''Manga/PrettyFace''. Except here only the person's face is changed, not his entire gender, and his love interest mistakes him for her twin sister. But otherwise it fits.
* ''Literature/{{Kampfer}}'' spends a lot more time having fun with this than it does with the ostensible premise of the show.

* ''{{Fudanshism}}'' runs off of this; the protagonist [[WholesomeCrossdresser disguises himself as a girl]] when his sister is too sick to go to a convention where he runs into his crush. To the protagonist's increasing bafflement his crush quickly becomes good friends with his female alter-ego while continuing to ignore the real him.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''.

** Initially inverted with Shampoo: She ''loved'' Ranma when he was a boy, because he beat her in a fight and she comes from an obscure Chinese Amazon-like tribe that marries men who beat them. When he's a girl, Shampoo wants to tear him to shreds, because he beat her as a girl too and that's another tribal custom. Once she found out that they were the same people, and that he was originally a boy, she is just plain affectionate to him in both forms.
* In ''Manga/KanaeteAizen'' (Grant My Wish, Aizen) what appears to be a "shy boy wishes for a hot girl and wakes up as one instead" BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor plot actually turns out to be a {{plan}} on the part of a (seemingly) LiteralGenie to get Aizen to confess his love for his Unlucky but soon to be VictoriousChildhoodFriend Yuzu.
* In ''Manga/AmeNochiHare'', Hazuki and his friends turn into girls whenever it rains. He gets gets more friendly with love interest Asumi as a girl than as a guy.
** Oddly enough, the trope is also played with here. Hazuki, in "Tsukiko" identity, manages to strike up a friendship with Asumi's brother, Takuma. They get along quite well and seem to enjoy each other's company. In guy-form, Hazuki finds Takuma's [[TheStoic stoic]] demeanor to everyone else unsettling and Takuma only knows Hazuki as "Tsukiko's cousin". Hazuki explicitly notes that they wouldn't ever be friends if it weren't for his gender swapping. Asumi and Hazuki's friend Touma ship them.
* Inverted in ''Manga/NozomuNozomi'': Nozomu concludes the physical genderbender he's been hiding for nearly a year has also become a [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody mental genderbender]] because his feelings for his unrequited crush Yuka and best friend Yasu have swapped targets.
* ''Boku no Shotaiken'', perhaps the Ur-example of Gender Bender Manga, uses this as the whole basis of the plot: the protagonist has his brain transplanted into the body of a young woman after a partially successful suicide attempt. He then goes back to school seeking vengeance on the girls who drove him to jump off a cliff only to befriend his old crush instead.
* Inverted in ''[[Manga/KanojoNiNaruHi Kanojo Ni Naru Hi Another]]'': isolated loner Rinichi Sagara's hidden {{Metamorphosis}} into a female allows him to develop a friendship with male classmate Narumi who learned about Sagara's GenderBender by accident and decides to help him hide it from the rest of their schoolmates. Played straighter with Kurokawa, who had a mutual BecauseYouWereNiceToMe relationship with Sagara going back to elementary school: Sagara's genderbender allowed their mutual sympathy to blossom into real friendship while his relationship with Narumi [[JumpingTheGenderBarrier eventually blossoms into something deeper.]] Opening up to Kurokawa and Narumi eventually convinces Sagara the risks of opening up to others are worth the rewards.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle''
** Matsuri and Suzu are a [[ZigZaggingTrope somewhat complicated example]] that inverts the usual dynamic: They had been friends [[ChildhoodFriends for years]] before Matsuri was turned female, but Matsuri's recent attempts to protect Suzu had driven a wedge between them. Suzu [[SecretKeeper knows full well of Matsuri's transformation]], and [[DiscussedTrope wonders if it could help repair their friendship]]. When Matsuri decides to join Suzu's group simply to be her bodyguard, Suzu puts her theory into action, taking the opportunity to advance their relationship as friends and romantically--[[SecretlyGayActivity and Suzu doesn't necessary need Matsuri to become male again for either]]. [[spoiler:A few volumes in, Matsuri has a LoveEpiphany where he specifically cites the time they spent together as girls as getting him to see her more familiarly. This, however, makes him ''more'' [[GenderBenderAngst frustrated]] at still being female, [[DramaticIrony as he assumes that keeps him from being anything but Suzu's "girl friend"]].]]
** Though Yayo and Lu are part of the same social circle with Matsuri (unlike Suzu, ignorant he used to be male), he initially avoids becoming any more than acquaintances. After Suzu learns [[FriendlessBackground Matsuri never had any friends besides her]], she pressures him into actually befriending the other two, and he ends up OneOfTheGirls in a rather literal sense. Eventually, Matsuri [[DeconstructedTrope worries their friendship will be ruined]] if they learned he used to be and still considers himself male. Despite Suzu insisting otherwise, it makes Matsuri wonder if he should stay a girl--which he phrases as a good thing, but is implied to be against his personal preference. [[spoiler:Once Yayo gains awareness of the supernatural, Matsuri tells her shortly after, and she's very understanding (not even holding that they've bathed together against him). Lu, meanwhile, [[CassandraTruth refuses to believe him]].]]
* In ''Manga/AsukaHybrid'', Asuka -- who was turned into a girl after being mistakenly assigned to an all-women's dorm [[ItMakesSenseInContext (long story there)]] -- discovers a former classmate, Shinobu, is a new neighbor. Their relationship beforehand was rather ambivalent, but they end up becoming friends from scratch. Shinobu at first almost makes out that Asuka was once the quiet boy she used to be classmates with, but a surreptitious [[CrotchGrabSexCheck groping of his real boob]] convinces her otherwise.

* One of the major plots of the Thor fanfic [[http://savu0211.deviantart.com/gallery/43010983?offset=24 (All) Father Loki]] by Creator/{{Savu0211}}. After Loki’s girlfriend, Sigyn, discovers that he had impregnated Angrboda, he transforms into a woman to eliminate the risk in future relationships. It’s Loki’s daughter, Hel, who suggests that he spend some time with Sigyn in his female form to patch up their broken relationship.

* In ''Film/{{White Chicks}}'', Marcus and Kevin start hanging out with the Wilson sisters' best friends while disguised as them. And when the truth came out, the girls found that they liked the Wilson twins a lot better when Marcus and Kevin were them.
* In ''Film/SororityBoys'', the three male leads are kicked out of their fraternity and dress up as women to seek refuge in what is deemed the "ugly" sorority house. In the process, one of the men ends up being friends with a girl he'd met earlier and hit on unsuccessfully, but now has a chance to get to truly know. Of course, HilarityEnsues.
** One of the other leads, a supposed DumbMuscle, also befriends a number of the unpopular girls in the house (particularly a girl suffering from giantism) after learning that they've been judged by their looks all their lives, just like he has.
* ''Film/SomeLikeItHot'': Two male musicians on the run are forced to to hide in an all-girls band. As girls. Naturally, they become quite chummy with the other musicians.
* In ''Film/JustOneOfTheGuys'', Terry is able to pass as a male well enough to make friends with Rick. She later falls in love with him, which complicates things.

* An intensely awkward example happens in Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatchSeries'' when Anton's had his mind swapped with Olga. He can't tell Svetlana what's happened until they reach her warded apartment... after she's had a very private conversation with "Olga" about Anton.

* This happened in ''Series/TheZackFiles'' once, except that the [[GenderBender Gender Bent]] character was trying to set the girl up with his friend, not with himself.
* In the 2004-2005 French series ''Series/ViceVersa'', the main character Thomas sometimes uses his double Emmanuelle/Julia in order to get information on his crush.
* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' did this deliberately with a spell to turn her into a boy so she could find out what her boyfriend talked about with his friends when girls weren't around.
* On ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' Prue accidentally turns herself into a man while casting a spell to find the FemmeFatale MonsterOfTheWeek. She's far from happy, but also gets a chance to talk to her current LoveInterest and find out what he thinks of her.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has a WhatCouldHaveBeen example: originally, Roy was going to use the [[ChekhovsGun Belt of Masculinity/Femininity]] to have some "girl talk" with [[KnightTemplar Miko]]. Burlew [[AvertedTrope decided against this]] when he realized Miko wasn't quite fit for "lighthearted romantic comedy" situations, so instead, Roy realized his physical attraction to Miko had been a: making him treat like her a sex object instead of a fellow warrior, and b: preventing him from realizing how [[PerpetualFrowner utterly]] [[LawfulStupid unlikable]] she is.
%%* ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'' is built around this trope.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode, "The Boy Who Would Be Queen," Timmy attempts to try and find out what [[RichBitch Trixie]] likes and a joke is made on being turned into a girl. Wanda, not finding it funny, turns him into a girl, allowing him to have girl (and boy) thoughts. After getting some payback on his godparents, he goes to the mall and befriends Trixie (while discovering she likes boy stuff, including dead frogs, which ironically Timmy finds gross). After becoming best friends with her under his assumed gender and learning what she wants, he turns back into a boy, goes to the party and attempts to act sensitive. [[ResetButton He's promptly thrown out by security]]. It should be noted that although Trixie had him thrown out, it looked as though she was genuinely touched by his attempt. She even remembered his name. Since he was only thrown out so she could maintain her reputation, one wonders how she would have responded if they had been alone... [[AxCrazy wait, nevermind.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' has a variant when Peggy befriends a woman named Caroline, who's actually a crossdresser who mistakenly thinks Peggy is one as well.
* On ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' [[ActionGirl Leela]] pulls a SweetPollyOliver to join the military with [[IdiotHero Fry]] and [[TokenEvilTeammate Bender]]. During a talk with Fry she finds out he has a crush on one of his female co-workers.

'''"Lee Lemons":''' ''(happily)'' Aww.

* Inverted in ''Film/{{Zerophilia}}''. Protagonist Luke, who has a rare genetic condition that gets him to [[GenderBender switch genders]], initially has a hostile relationship with his girlfriend Michelle's brother Max due to Max's [[MySisterIsOffLimits overprotectiveness]] regarding Luke dating Michelle. However, Max seems to have [[LovesMyAlterEgo taken a liking]] to Luke's female form Luca, so when Michelle asks Luke to get along better with her brother, Luke decides to approach Max as Luca since he knows Max actually likes her. Unfortunately, things go [[GoneHorriblyRight way too well]] when Luca's own InconvenientAttraction kicks in, getting her to violently cut Max off out of fear of cheating on her girlfriend [[AFamilyAffair with her own brother]]. [[spoiler:In fact, Michelle has the same genetic condition and had been attempting a straight execution of the trope by trying to befriend ''both'' of Luke's forms as Max; the issue had been more about whether Luke could still like her if he found out she was a SexShifter, and the supposed hostility was just a result of some [[PoorCommunicationKills bad communication]] taken the wrong way.]]

* ''Film/{{Zerophilia}}'' is about a genetic condition that switches people's genders after sex, in the end the hero/heroine [[spoiler: discovers his girlfriend/friend and boyfriend/rival are the same person.]]

** Ranma introduced himself to the Tendo household in female form, and initially let them assume he really was a girl. Akane was happy their houseguest would be a girl instead of boy, and quickly befriends "her" during a spar. Once she finds out Ranma is a SexShifter who's originally male, she feels betrayed, assumes he's a pervert because of his NakedFirstImpression, and their general relation becomes [[BelligerentSexualTension highly antagonistic]].

* ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'' spends a lot more time having fun with this than it does with the ostensible premise of the show.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode, "The Boy Who Would Be Queen," Timmy attempts to try and find out what [[RichBitch Trixie]] likes and a joke is made on being turn into a girl. Wanda, not finding it funny, turns him into a girl, allowing him to have girl (and boy) thoughts. After getting some payback on his godparents, he goes to the mall and befriends Trixie (while discovering she likes boy stuff, including dead frogs, which ironically Timmy finds gross). After becoming best friends with her under his assumed gender and learning what she wants, he turns back into a boy, goes to the party and attempts to act sensitive. [[ResetButton He's promptly thrown out by security]]. It should be noted that although Trixie had him thrown out, it looked as though she was genuinely touched by his attempt. She even remembered his name. Since he was only thrown out so she could maintain her reputation, one wonders how she would have responded if they had been alone... [[AxCrazy wait, nevermind.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has a WhatCouldHaveBeen example: originally, [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Roy]] was going to use the [[ChekhovsGun Belt of Masculinity/Femininity]] to have some "girl talk" with [[KnightTemplar Miko]]. Burlew [[AvertedTrope decided against this]] when he realized Miko wasn't quite fit for "lighthearted romantic comedy" situations, so instead, Roy realized his physical attraction to Miko had been a: making him treat like her a sex object instead of a fellow warrior, and b: preventing him from realizing how [[PerpetualFrowner utterly]] [[LawfulStupid unlikable]] she is.

** Though Yayo and Lu are part of the same social circle with Matsuri (unlike Suzu, ignorant he used to be male), he initially avoids becoming any more than acquaintances. After Suzu learns [[FriendlessBackground Matsuri never had any friends besides her]], she pressures him into actually befriending the other two, and he ends up OneOfTheGirls in a rather literal sense. Eventually, Matsuri [[DeconstructedTrope worries their friendship will be ruined]] if they learned he used to be and still considers himself male. Despite Suzu insisting otherwise, it makes Matsuri wonder if he should stay a girl--which he phrases as a good thing, but is implied to be against his personal preference.

** Though Yayo and Lu are part of the same social circle with Matsuri (unlike Suzu, ignorant he used to be male), he initially avoids becoming any more than acquaintances. After Suzu learns [[FriendlessBackground Matsuri never had any friends besides her]], she pressures him into actually befriending the other two, and he ends up OneOfTheGirls in a rather literal sense.

** One of the other leads, a supposed DumbMuscle, also befriends a number of the unpopular girls in the house (particularly a girl suffering from giantism) after learning that they've been judged by their looks all their lives, [[NotSoDifferent just like he has.]]

-->'''"Lee Lemons":''' What type is she? You know, blonde, or Chinese, [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers or Cyclops]]?
-->'''Fry:''' Cyclops.
-->'''"Lee Lemons":''' ''(happily)'' Aww.

** Matsuri and Suzu are a [[ZigZaggingTrope somewhat complicated example]] that inverts the usual dynamic: They had been friends [[ChildhoodFriends for years]] before Matsuri was turned female, but Matsuri's recent attempts to protect Suzu had driven a wedge between them. Suzu [[SecretKeeper knows full well of Matsuri's transformation]], and [[DiscussedTrope wonders if it could help repair their friendship]]. When Matsuri decides to join Suzu's group simply to be her bodyguard, Suzu puts her theory into action, taking the opportunity to advance their relationship as friends and romantically--[[SecretlyGayActivity and Suzu doesn't necessary need Matsuri to become male again for either]]. [[spoiler:A few volumes in, Matsuri has a LoveEpiphany where he specifically cites the time they spent together as girls as getting him to see her more familiarly.]]

* Inverted in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Shampoo ''loves'' Ranma when he's a boy, because he beat her in a fight and she comes from an obscure Chinese Amazon-like tribe that marries men who beat them. When he's a girl, Shampoo wants to tear him to shreds, because he beat her as a girl too and that's another tribal custom.
** Once she found out that they were the same people and that he was originally a boy, she is just plain affectionate to him/her in both forms, unless s/he pisses her off.
** Played straight with Akane befriending him before she found out that it was actually a boy who beat her in a spar.
* In ''Manga/KanaeteAizen'' (Grant My Wish, Aizen) what appears to be a "shy boy wishes for a hot girl and wakes up as one instead" BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor plot actually turns out to be a GenderBenderFriendship {{plan}} on the part of a (seemingly) LiteralGenie to get Aizen to confess his love for his Unlucky but soon to be VictoriousChildhoodFriend Yuzu.

** Matsuri and Suzu are a [[ZigZaggingTrope somewhat complicated example]] that inverts the usual dynamic: They had been friends [[ChildhoodFriends for years]] before Matsuri was turned female, but Matsuri's recent attempts to protect Suzu had driven a wedge between them. Suzu [[SecretKeeper knows full well of Matsuri's transformation]], and [[DiscussedTrope wonders if it could help repair their friendship]]. When Matsuri decides to join Suzu's group simply to be her bodyguard, Suzu puts her theory into action, taking the opportunity to advance their relationship as friends and romantically--[[SecretlyGayActivity and Suzu doesn't necessary need Matsuri to become male again for either]]. [[spoiler:It doesn't take long for being so close together to give Matsuri a LoveEpiphany.]]

** Matsuri and Suzu are a [[ZigZaggingTrope somewhat complicated example]] that inverts the usual dynamic: They had been friends [[ChildhoodFriends for years]] before Matsuri was turned female, but Matsuri's recent attempts to protect Suzu had driven a wedge between them. Suzu [[SecretKeeper knows full well of Matsuri's transformation]], and [[DiscussedTrope wonders if it could help repair their friendship]]. When Matsuri decides to join Suzu's group simply to be her bodyguard, Suzu puts her theory into action, taking the opportunity to advance their relationship as friends and romantically--[[SecretlyGayActivity and Suzu doesn't necessary need Matsuri to become male again for either]].

* One of the plots in ''Film/{{Tootsie}}''.

* ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'' is built around this trope.

** Matsuri and Suzu are a [[ZigZaggingTrope somewhat complicated example]] that inverts the usual dynamic: They had been friends [[ChildhoodFriends for years]] before Matsuri was turned female, but Matsuri's recent attempts to protect Suzu had driven a wedge between them. Suzu [[SecretKeeper knows full well of Matsuri's transformation]], and [[DiscussedTrope wonders if it could help repair their friendship]]. When Matsuri decides to join Suzu's group simply to be her bodyguard, Suzu puts her theory into action, taking the opportunity to advance their relationship as friends and romantically--[[SecretlyGayActivity and Suzu doesn't necessary need Matsuri to become male again for either]]].