The Secret of Friendship

“The secret of friendship” is a shoujo romance manga with a school life setting, but that’s only what the genres tell you. The art and plot execution is far more josei than shoujo, and friendship easily trumps romance as the central theme of the story. But these dichotomies make this title all the more engaging and memorable, one you’d like to revisit every time your friend cancels on your dinner plans to hang out with their significant other instead! We have our two leading ladies, Eiko and Moe who meet in those initial turbulent days of high school when classmates are forming cliques, forging friendships andassigning ruthless stereotypes to each other based on those tiny insignificant details and interactions that adults have difficulty comprehending but high school kids find most absorbing. The circumstances under which they befriend each other, while not groundbreaking, are definitely relatable and realistic enough to cement their status in the readers’ minds as true blue friends. What follows is their journey in this cruel circus we so innocuously label high school and how they help each other through the trying times which accompany dating, relationships, break-ups, bullying and so on. Characters are marvelously unique in this story. Never have I read a shoujo story where a girl is willing to give any guy a chance, solely on the premise that he include her best friend in their relationship and not patronise her like a third wheel. While this may seem a childish request from Moe’s side, three long chapters delve into these characters and their motivations and reveal why Moe feels so strongly about not abandoning Eiko and why Eiko guiltily admires rather than envies her best friend for her gentle affection. Now this story may seem the female equivalent of a sausage-fest (a donut-fest?) so far but fear not, there are male characters aplenty in this refreshing tale and all of them are solid, sincere fellows who may not be immediately likeable but work their way to winning your approval over the course of their interactions with the ladies. We have Tsuchida with his bedroom eyes and rolled up pants who sweetly declares himself upto the task of respecting the unique dynamic Eiko and Moe share and giving Eiko equal significance while going out with Moe. Sounds ideal right? Tsk, If only shoujo romances were ideal! Secondary characters, who may or may not step up to become major players in the remainder of the storyline include Tsuchida’s best friend Narugami (a black swan of an anti hero if there ever was one!) who can’t help but be suspicious of the sincerity of Eiko and Moe’s friendship and Eiko’s younger brother who is very contentiously trying to disguise his whale of a crush on his sister’s best friend. They both contribute in different measures to the drama and further fortification of... you got it, the two protagonist’s friendship! Art style is interesting and unique; it’s a little soft and fluid, uses a lot of tonal greys rather than the stark black and whites we’re accustomed to with most mangas. Personalities are not just stated upfront and then shoved down your throat through repetition. If Eiko is timid and indecisive, it comes across in her facial features, her body language, her gestures and even her hairstyle. Ditto with the actions and expressions on Tsuchida, Narugami and Moe, they serve to reveal more about the characters and their intentions than their dialogues or internal monologues can express. It’s not an instant stunner, but you get accustomed to the art soon enough and start to enjoy the slight edgy factor of the school uniforms, the styling in character wardrobes and the overall feel to the backgrounds and ambiance. Overall, this is a story which will divide dedicated shoujo readers. You’ll either be deeply touched by the strength and sincerity beneath Moe and Eiko’s friendship or rubbish Moe’s bold claims as naive and overly demanding. You’ll either detest Narugami for foolishly labeling all women vapid and shallow and his subsequent actions or applaud him for standing up to the intimidating juggernaut that is Moe’s possessiveness of her best friend. But that in itself is a tremendous feat of achievement. I fondly recollect this story whenever I see two friends walking arm in arm in front of me, I still look up to Moe and Eiko as the benchmark for all future friendships I want to form and begrudgingly admire Narugami and his loyalty towards his best friend, the kind of pal you can always count on to ‘have your back’! Gripes? I have a couple. NOT long enough! I want to see more heated interactions between the best friend and the boyfriend, the best friend and other boys she turns down and just teenagers in general from this mangaka's point of view, because she makes teen angst palatable! Another takeaway that I find a tad difficult to digest is how Tsuchida kun's status is left at the end of the story. It's not unresolved exactly, but you're left feeling sorry for the chap and devoted readers wouldn't think twice before campaigning for an additional chapter to give him his own ending, happy or otherwise! I would highly recommend this story for its refreshing perspective on young love and balancing friendship with romance, the healthy resolution that Moe comes to realise towards the end of the story and the endearing interactions between both sets of best friends which leaves a pang in all our hearts when we realise we may be guilty of the very indiscretions and prejudices Moe and Narugami were cautious to avoid.