History Main / PlatonicBoyGirlHeroes

* The two lead heroes of ''Animation/TheDreamstone'' are Rufus and his female best friend Amberley. They start off a straight case in the pilot, though many later episodes downplay them into {{Hero Antagonist}}s to the all-male [[VillainProtagonist Urpneys]].

* The two lead heroes of ''Literature/TheDreamstone'' are Rufus and his female best friend Amberley. They start off a straight case in the pilot, though many later episodes downplay them into {{Hero Antagonist}}s to the all-male [[VillainProtagonist Urpneys]].

* Most protagonists of Creator/StudioGhibli films are like this, such as Pazu and Sheeta in ''Anime/CastleInTheSky''.

* ''Series/CloakAndDagger'' stars Tandy and Tyrone, who despite being teenagers growing close due to their WonderTwinPowers, never really have any sexual tension and tend to be romantically involved with other people most of the time. Despite what [[TrailersAlwaysLie the show's marketing]] would have you believe.

* ''Series/OddSquad'' as an organization often features one boy and one girl as a partner duo, with the main ones being Agents Olive and Otto (who provide the trope image), Olympia and Otis, and Opal and Omar, among numerous others.

* The titular characters of ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'' are even more unlikely than usual, given that one's a genetic mutant alien.

!!Examples

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

!Examples

* ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'', nearly the TropeNamer, has kids of opposite sexes as the main characters all the time. Sometimes it's opposite sex kids who are friends, and sometimes it's [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]: "Some people think it's weird for a boy and a girl to be friends." Sometimes a kid meets someone of the opposite sex and they get caught up in something big together, and sometimes the kid even dislikes the opposite sex, but they still get caught up in the adventure together.

* Most protagonists of Creator/StudioGhibli films are like this, such as the boy and girl in ''Anime/CastleInTheSky''.

[[AC:Anime]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:[[FilmAnimated Film - Animated]]]]

[[AC:[[FilmLiveAction Film - Live Action]]]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''Film/DinosaurIsland'', Lucas is 12, and Kate is 15, but there's no hint of romance between them.

* The lead protagonists of ''BigFatLiar'' played by Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes. WordOfGod says this was deliberately invoked in the film as very seldom do you see this trope in live-action.

It's common for children's authors and the creators of kids' shows to make the main characters of a story a girl and a boy. They could either already be friends at the start of the story, or they could meet as the plot unfolds. Sometimes [[FireForgedFriends they don't even like each other, but are forced to work together]]. Sometimes the differences between boys and girls create [[{{Conflict}} friction]]. Either way, it's ''very'' common in fiction. So much so that, like all tropes, it's probably done for a reason, especially since in real life, most kids have primarily same sex friends.

While groups of friends may be a mixture of three boys and a girl or vice versa, or an equal mix of members of both sexes, that isn't this trope, despite often being done for the same reason. This trope only refers to when a single boy and single girl are the main characters of the story. Why? Because that's far less likely (unless they're siblings) than a group of mixed gender friends, and therefore more starkly obvious, more clearly done for the sake of the story.

It's common for children's authors and the creators of kids' shows to make the main characters of a story a girl and a boy. They could either already be friends at the start of the story, or they could meet as the plot unfolds. Sometimes they don't even like each other, but are forced to work together. Sometimes the differences between boys and girls create friction. Either way, it's ''very'' common in fiction. So much so that, like all tropes, it's probably done for a reason, especially since in real life, most kids have primarily same sex friends.

One reason is to expand the potential audience. While some types of stories appeal primarily to one sex or the other, there are many types of stories, such as horror or adventure, that have appeal to both sexes. To try to rein in kids who might not want to read a story about a member of the opposite sex, a character of their own gender is included. Sometimes a story that appeals primarily to one sex will include a character of the opposite sex to expand an otherwise limited audience.

Another reason is because many authors simply like seeing the way kids react when paired up with the opposite sex. It can be fun to see the interactions of two people who at times see the opposite sex as being like space aliens.

While groups of friends may be a mixture of 3 boys and a girl or vice versa, or an equal mix of members of both sexes, that isn't this trope, despite often being done for the same reason. This trope only refers to when a single boy and single girl are the main characters of the story. Why? Because that's far less likely (unless they're siblings) than a group of mixed gender friends, and therefore more starkly obvious, more clearly done for the sake of the story.

Note that the relationship must be platonic. Romantic relationships don't count, since those involve a more believable reason for two opposite sex kids to get together. Siblings don't count either, since that's far more common in real life and less likely to feel "forced" for the sake of getting a girl and a boy together.

Named after ''Blog/BloggerBeware'''s tally of the "platonic boy/girl relationship" in every single ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' novel ever.

It's common for children's authors and the creators of kids' shows to make the main characters of a story a girl and a boy. They could be siblings. They could be friends who just happen to be of the opposite sex. They could be opposite sex kids who happen to meet and end up going on an adventure or caught up in a situation together. Sometimes they don't even like each other, but are forced to work together. Sometimes the differences between boys and girls create friction. Either way, it's ''very'' common in fiction. So much so that, like all tropes, it's probably done for a reason, especially since in real life, most kids have primarily same sex friends.

----

* The titular characters of ''[[Disney/LiloAndStitch]]'' are even more unlikely than usual, given that one's a genetic mutant alien.

* The titular characters of [[Disney/LiloAndStitch]] are even more unlikely than usual, given that one's a genetic mutant alien.

* WesternAnimation/BenAndHollysLittleKingdom stars boy elf Ben and girl fairy Holly.

Named after BloggerBeware's tally of the "platonic boy/girl relationship" in every single ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' novel ever.

* The two lead heroes of ''TheDreamstone'' are Rufus and his female best friend Amberley. They start off a straight case in the pilot, though many later episodes downplay them into {{Hero Antagonist}}s to the all-male [[VillainProtagonist Urpneys]].

* Most protagonists of Creator/StudioGhibli films are like this, such as the boy and girl in ''LaputaCastleInTheSky''.

This sometimes leads to a ToyShip from the fandom.