Split?: Vitriolic Best Buds

Type 1 and Type 2 seem very different to me, to the point where I don't see much merit in keeping them stuck together. The article itself notes how different they are, and how any confusion over which one is being referred to completely changes the nature of the relationship it's meant to describe.

Type 2, which is the one I think of first upon seeing the trope name, is about friends who don't need to act friendly to know that they're friends. I think this is the core of the trope. People who don't know them might think they hate each other, but it's clear to the audience and themselves that their vitriol is derived from their implicit trust. Nothing they say could alienate them because the friendship isn't built on anything so weak as politeness.

Type 1, on the other hand, repeatedly emphasizes obliviousness and and misunderstanding. What it describes is close to an abusive relationship, where one side just takes everything in until they snap. It mentions it being an open question if the "aggressor" actually cares about the "victim", which is basically the opposite of the point of Type 2.

Honestly, I can't see much of anything in common with them. If there is a split, I'd prefer the title to go to Type 2, but I'm not picky.

edited 10th Oct '10 10:15:26 PM by Clarste

Yep. Could very much use a split.

Type 1 doesn't appear to qualify for the title, the "best buds" part.

While we're at it, what's the difference between this and With Friends Like These...?

The main difference is intent of the relationship

Vitriolic Best Buds show their love by bickering and sniping at each others, they don't have many 'deredere' (phrase used as its the best I can think to describe at the time) as their 'tsuntsun' antics are accepted by both as how they show they care. The usual way to show their friendship (to others and the audience) is their Berserk Button if someone else acts that way to their friend.

With Friends Like These... is two friends who spend an inordinate amount of time destroying each other (verbally or physically), just causing a question to the audience of why they are friends. They show friendship with Aww They Really Do Love Each Other moments. Also from my quick scan a lot of these friendships have a third friend who keeps them together.

Edit: After glancing through examples and reading both tropes. Type 1 (of VBB) seems more like a kind of With Friends Like These.... Since that trope has a lot more malice in the interactions than Vitriolic Best Buds does. A lot of the examples on both pages seem to suffer from Trope Decay...

edited 23rd Oct '10 12:01:28 PM by Rakath

Yep. But the thing is, it's sort of a sliding scale.

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