The Japanese believe that young girls are expected to have friendships with each other that emulate boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. This is considered "safer" and temporary, and is known as "
class S
" (
pronounced exactly that way). This is similar to the Western concept of bi-curious teenagers, though the latter is rather played to demonstrate open-mindedness.
The given cultural explanation is that they can then graduate from these friendships to "real" relationships with boys, now that they have the confidence and experience. To remain in a "Class S" relationship is seen as a sign of immaturity. If especially overdone, the implication is that the girls should stop being close period, romantically or no.
When this is shown in anime, the Western response is usually bafflement, since they're pegged as
Schoolgirl Lesbians because of
Sitch Sexuality, as well as this conflicting with the Western concept of heterosexual and homosexual identity. (Granted, something that's under spirited debate in the West as well.) When the bafflement wears off, most Western viewers' attitudes
start taking a very different turn.
Some viewers have to ask...is this
really an accurate depiction of a
Romantic Two Girl Friendship; or did writers use
Schoolgirl Lesbians to draw in readers; and then
take the easy way out?
It remains to be seen how this attitude will develop in the modern age, as series get more and more daring. It's noticeable that characters who have actually had
sex, or even
kissed, are treated much differently than those with chaste relationships.
Examples:
Anime and Manga
- Despite being perceived in the West as the "flagship" Schoolgirl Lesbians series, Maria-sama Ga Miteru only has one couple that actually crossed the line into a full Schoolgirl Lesbians relationship -- at which point, one of them promptly left the school to become a nun, probably in an attempt to show how dangerous it is to "go too far". Most of the rest of the cast participated in (much safer) Romantic Two Girl Friendships with other Lillian students.
- In Ultra Maniac one of the two main girls finds out the other has a crush on her. She scoffs it away, saying that it proves the other girl is just a child.
- In Tenshi na Konamaiki, when Megumi insists that she likes Miki "that way", the other girls comment that she really is a kid. Of course it's a bit more complex than that.
- Much of Futari Wa Pretty Cure is based around this precise sort of relationship.
- Hyatt and Ropponmatsu #1 seem to develop a platonic romance for the short time they are together in Excel Saga. Also, Ropponmatsu #2 has feelings for Excel, as seen in her made-up flashback.
- In Love Hina, Motoko has three female groupies, classmates of hers; at least one seems to have a genuine crush on the swordswoman. Also, Suu appears to have designs on Motoko; while the anime only hints at this, Suu announces in the manga that she wants to take Motoko as a lover. Suu is also responsible for giving Shinobu her First Kiss.
- Gokujou Seitokai has a large chunk of the student body in... admiration of the student council president, Kanade Jinguuji.
- On Keroro Gunsou, all the girls at Natsumi's school seem to idolize her obsessively, and Koyuki actually has a crush on Natsumi (though this is far less blatant than in the manga, where it dives headfirst into the realms of Schoolgirl Lesbians).
- Nana and Nana's relationship in Nana.
- Shinobu's feelings for Kaede in Ninin Ga Shinobuden.
- Fate's relationship with Nanoha in the first two seasons Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Whether or not this has become something else in the third season is a subject of intense debate.
- Alisa and Suzuka from the same series are also shown to be very fond of each other.
- At the beginning of Episode 7 of Lucky Star, Konata starts abruptly acting out this trope towards Tsukasa and Kagami. Kagami is visibly disturbed by this, and her response to this behavior and the explanation that Konata has become hooked on Marimite is "Are you a kid?!"
- Which is a tad strange, since they are actually in the acceptable age for this behavior. Though, given Kagami's attitude to life, it's not surprising, coming from her...
- In ROD the TV Series Hisami's relationship to Anita was such that she even turned down the boy who was interested in her because of it. She regularly compares the two of them to Anne and Diana from the book "Anne of Green Gables" (in Japan it's called "Red Haired Anne"). Both sets of girls refer to themselves as "Soulmates." It should be noted, however, that Anne and Diana eventually marry guys in the books.
- Kaorin and Chihiro in Azumanga Daioh, though it's obvious that Kaorin's growing out of it...into a genuine Schoolgirl Lesbian with a crush on Sakaki.
- It seems likely from various hints that Yukari and Nyamo were probably like this when they were young. It could easily explain some of the couple-ish mannerisms they still exhibit, and Yukari's taunting of Nyamo over an unexplained love letter (implying that Nyamo may have gotten a bit too caught up in it, leading to the teasing).
- Then again, writing each other love letters is not out of the ordinary for girls in a Romantic Two Girl Friendship. It will likely forever be a mystery what happened and why those two are still friends. It may just be straight and simple Les Yay, really.
- Nadie and Ellis from El Cazador De La Bruja clearly develop romantic feelings for each other during the course of the series, with Ellis being most vocal about them.
- In ARIA, Alicia and her apprentice Akari appear to be very enamored with each other. Alicia postpones Akari's promotion to Prima since she doesn't want to leave her alone before retiring...to get married, of course.
- Aika also has a totally obvious crush on Alicia for most of the series.
- Pacifica and Winia from Scrapped Princess like each other a lot when they first meet. Alas, their relationship gets cut short since Pacifica has to keep on running.
- Hiro and Sae in Hidamari Sketch are very close, especially since Hiro helps out Sae with her writing. Sae is clearly a little more than just close friends, although it is hinted that Hiro might return the sentiment, since she loves to tease Sae a bit too much for comfort.
- Yuno and Miyako also seem to be a bit closer than average sometimes, which usually gets excused by Miyako's bubbly and innocent demeanor. Still, Miyako was very eager to hop into the bath with Yuno when she didn't have any water. Hmmm...
- The most innocent interpretations of the relationship between Alpha and Kokone in Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou falls into this. As for the other interpretations...yeah....
- The relationship between Ichika and Manatsu from Uta Kata borders on this trope, even though both girls are manifestations of the same person.
- Akira and Machina in Dragonaut The Resonance have this kind of relationship, and also fit nicely into Tomboy And Girly Girl.
Live Action TV
- Act 30 of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (broadcast in Japan on 5/8/2004) includes a moment where one of Usagi's female classmates declares in front of a witness that she is in love with Usagi. There is no hint in the reactions of either Usagi or the witness that this is in any way strange or perverted. This suggests (as noted above) that the behavior may not be strictly an Anime Trope.
Film
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
- The film Heavenly Creatures (based on a true story) has what appears to be a lesbian relationship between the two mid-teen girls, but one of them claimed in interviews that as obsessive as it was, it was a chaste relationship.
Literature
- Ozma and Dorothy have this in Baum's Oz books. Completely innocent, it included good morning kisses. Betsy later gets included. Baum implied this relationship would last indefinitely because nobody in Oz ages if they don't want to.
- Very prevalent in the works of Nobuko Yoshiya, an openly lesbian Japanese writer and feminist who wrote young adult novels between the 1910s and 1970s.
