When watching certain movies or series you may noticed two guys... one is trying to comfort the other, who’s crying... the guy slowly puts his arm around the other... lays him on this chest and says: “You know, I’ll be always there for you. Because I care about you” What sound like the beginning of a gay romance isn’t what it seems to appear, it’s something deeper than a friendship, something that has been around since centurys: Bromance.
Dr. Higa will demonstrate it to you.
Thank you very much, Dr. Higa.
The Asian Bromance in Drama
There are different types of Bromances: First there’s the Bromance between brothers (for example: HikaruxKaoru, not the best example I know, but deal with it), then there’s the Bromance between friends (for example: WataruxYuuta, but when I think about it...actually the whole Tumbling-Cast), the Yakuza-Bromance (which you could also count as brotherly love but is really just an employerxemployee; for example: SerizawaxTokyo) and the Bromance between teacher and student(for example: Kawatoxany-student-from-the-Rookies-Team).
In a brotherly bromance it’s mostly that you can’t separate them, the brother is the most important thing in the world and is meant to be protected from it. Hikaru and Kaoru are really a more comedic version of that. OHSHC is mostly a comedy of everything that is Shojo and with the raising amount of Yaoi-fangirls you had to do something like that. You see them always hugging and holding hands and it soon becomes very clear that Kaoru is a little afraid of Haruhi stepping into their world and kind of breaking their bond, but at the same time he wants his brother, Hikaru, to be happy.
Bromance between friends is mostly is the equal to a girls BFF: they tell each other everything, they scrub each others back at the public bath and he’ll be always there when his friend’s crying to give him a warm embrace or a shoulder grabbing just so he knows his friend’s there and give him a Martin Luther King Speech.
The best pairing to show this relationship in my eyes are Wataru and Yuuta. Wataru and Yuuta have lots of difficulties at the beginning but when he realises what tumbling means to Yuuta, he tries to help him accomplish and defend that dream by making it his dream as well. Yuuta was there for Wataru when his father died and Wataru was there when Yuuta was afraid to jump and he trained with him every night so he could finally jump again, until the point where Yuuta actually attacks Akabane when he wanted to deliver the finishing blow to Wataru. (‘That’s what friends are for.’ If I could cry a manly tear I would, but that would mean I should grow myself a penis and I’m not a snail.)
Yakuza-Bromance or Business-Bromance is mostly based on the fact that you have an Aniki or Sempai who teaches you the thing you need to do in this business. In the Yakuza-Bromance they share a very close bond and it goes as far as devoting their lives for each other including getting beaten up or even die (sounds very gay I know).
The best example I could find were Serizawa and Tokyo from Crows Zero. Tokyo would beat up Genji, his former best friend, for Serizawa. Serizawa wants his safety and is angry when Tokyo lies to him about his condition, even though he did it to not worry him so much. Tokyo is also the only one who calms Serizawa down. They’re deeply devoted to each other and they hope that their friendship will never change.
Teacher-Student-Bromance really only exists in school drama with nice teachers. Teachers, who devote their lives for their (delinquent) students and want to be their best friend.
Kawato...where do we start with this happy-go-lucky-teacher... He’s the one who told Mikoshiba to chase his dreams, Aniya to not hide his feelings and Shinjo to finally make real friends. Which teacher would take a hit from their students? Which teacher would stay up late night to help his students? Which teacher would cover for their student and resign for them, when they did something stupid? Kawato would. ‘nuff said. (All Hail Thee Almighty Kawato!!)
And also there’s my favourite pairing, which fits nowhere in the list but deserves a mentioning: Ba EulxHyun Woo. They’re not really friends, but they’re like an old married couple. Hyun Woo knits a scarf for Ba Eul and tells him he shouldn’t sleep naked. They’re mostly quarrelling, but still are seen together most of the time and you just enjoy seeing them that way.
The Asian Bromance in Asian Boybands
Bromance seems to have kind of a tradition in asian boybands. It’s mostly...kind of...sort of (yes, I’m very insecure on that topic. Don’t wanna make anyone angry...) It’s actually teasing... But in a very weird way, that really makes you wonder if... they... are...
Super Junior's Heechul |
The topic is mostly kissing: they steal the first kiss of unkissed members (for example Jaejoong from TVXQ who kissed Changmin while he was sleeping and Jaejoong thought he was cute, or Doojoon from BEAST who kissed Yoseob suddenly during a fan meeting) or it’s just fanservice (for example Heechul from Super Junior who kisses or embraces his members always).
What’s also remarkable, this happens only between the OTPs (One True Pairings), which are built by the fangirls. Does this mean the Idols do read fanfics...? o.Ô
The Western Bromance
Bromance has kind of a “long” tradition with in our realms too. Think of Sherlock Holmes and his dear Dr. Watson or if you want to go even more back in time Greek mythologies.
A newer series to feature Bromance is ‘Supernatural’. Peopla who know the series, know what I’m talking about. You can really pair everyone: SamxDean, DeanxCastiel, GabrielxCastiel or SamxCastiel (to name a few).
Sam and Dean have a brotherly Bromance (They’re actually a better example for the brotherly Bromance). Dean and Castiel are kind of a Friendship-Bromance. Gabriel and Castiel have again a brotherly Bromance.
Final words
Honestly, Bromance is funny, if you know how to handle it. And, well, there are a lot ways to handle it and you, Miss fangirl, know probably more than I do.
Our favourites are the Yakuza- and the Friendship-Bromance. They’re the most common bromances as far as we know.
It is actually remarkable how Bromance became a world phenomenon, I mean it was suddenly known all over the planet, and also how it is more acceptable than a gay relationship.
AND NOW: LET’S ALL HAVE A BROMANCE-PARTY! WEEEEHEEEEEEEEE! (the manliest sound in the world)
And don’t forget men. Never let that hand of yours go too deep down. It’s basically the same as with the girls: Touching the butt without permission is a no-no!
“Are they or aren’t they?” - Anonymous