The male mc should always have the best friend/bro

[RepresentingWrath]

It’s a newer phenomenon, right? I remember seeing the comedy-yet-reliable best friend in harem anime more than a decade ago. I feel so old ;-;

Now it’s like male MC can only establish deeper relationships with the opposite gender. A pure friendship dynamic is truly lacking nowadays in all genres.

People like to joke about jade beauties, mount tai, and junior, do you dare? But there was another joke, fatty. MC in chinese novels always had this fat friend. Nowadays, I can't think of any chinese novels or manhua with friends. It's all trope reversals upon trope reversals, so we don't have MCs with friends. Maybe I am reading wrong stuff? Maybe I'm not.

If it's not me, it is most certainly a newer phenomenon, and I am not against it. Typically those type of friends from old romcoms or shounens are irritating as hell. I am all for friendship the same way it was shown in Rainbow, but Rainbow was an exception even back then.

 

[ZukoMee]

reverse harem is better.

Sounds disgusting. But okay.

Interesting question. And valid. There was a period not too long ago when most cop movies were buddy films. Two guys argue all the time but eventually appreciate each other. Now? Not so sure.

Let me extend the question. I have been reading what agents are looking for (and after another 40 rejections I know I am not providing it). Two agents specifically asked to see novels where women had friends. Something I hadn't thought about. But it may be the same problem we have with male MCs. People want action (we think), so we don't spend much time developing relationships. Too boring. Are agents asking for the right thing, or do they not know that books need to be fast paced now?

One of my favorite sayings, and it has proven true in my daily life more often than not is this:

Men don't need to understand women. Women understand women, and they hate each other.

What about a male MC with a woman best friend, would that be an exception or does it not qualify? Fair enough, my current book doesn't have any male best friends present until the third act.

It's possible, but highly unlikely. Even in real life, its rare.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

I almost entirely write female MCs, but the one harem story I wrote still had four female besties for the MC. Many of my readers were super excited and fangirled about the friendships. I got Patreon subscribers who were subscribing in hopes of seeing more of their favorite side characters and tons of comments on the free versions about how much they loved them. There was never any shipping, as far as I am aware, of the girls together and most people felt it added rather than subtracted from the story.

Obviously, male authors and readers are a bit different, but even my dungeon stories that are primarily a male audience seem to enjoy seeing friendships. I can't speak on the male author side of things or male MCs, though.

 

[tiaf]

a single potential love interest that is never fully acted on

My understanding of never fully acting on is being completely clean of any romantic interaction. He showed intent to her, but with his almost apathetic character setting it turned into poorly written romance.

Your comment emphasizes that solo leveling shows many non-romantic relationships between same gender, but imo those dynamics are not quite the same as best bro relationships. They have a clear hierarchy, not the equal standing that best friends have.