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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|'''[[Girl Next Door|Carly]]:''' ''I thought we talked about this. We can be buds, but you gotta get over this crush thing.''
'''[[Dogged Nice Guy|Freddie]]:''' ''I am over it! Seriously! I'm in love with you, you just want to be friends, and I'm totally cool living with that constant pain!''
|''[[iCarly]]'', "i[[Pilot]]"}}
[[Ship Tease|Teasing]] at a [[Unresolved Sexual Tension|romantic relationship]] between two platonic friends. The central driving force of many whole series, or an undercurrent to a main plot. The force with which the two deny any feelings is always inversely proportional to the truth.
▲{{quote|'''[[Girl Next Door|Carly]]:''' ''I thought we talked about this. We can be buds, but you gotta get over this crush thing.''<br />
▲'''[[Dogged Nice Guy|Freddie]]:''' ''I am over it! Seriously! I'm in love with you, you just want to be friends, and I'm totally cool living with that constant pain!''|''[[ICarly]]'', "i[[Pilot]]"}}
▲[[Ship Tease|Teasing]] at a [[Unresolved Sexual Tension|romantic relationship]] between two platonic friends. The central driving force of many whole series, or an undercurrent to a main plot. The force with which the two deny any feelings is always inversely proportional to the truth. [[Just Friends]] is in essence, a relationship, a potential relationship or teased relationship between people who are simply [[Just Friends]], in a normal, and regular manner. When a character uses the line "We're [[Just Friends]]" but no-one seems to believe them, this is likely to be the trope involved.
Alice's characterisations often include: [[All Girls Want Bad Boys]], [[First Girl Wins]], [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man]]. Often suffers from [[Oblivious to Love]].
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Bob's characterisations often include: [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]], [[Ridiculously Average Guy]], [[Dogged Nice Guy]], a [[Celibate Hero]], a [[Knight in Shining Armor]] for his friend-girl.
A tease used commonly in [[Sitcom|SitComs]], dramas with single characters as principals. ''[[Friends]]'' drove this one into the ground repeatedly. Quite popular in teen-centric series that involve a main cast of friends of both sexes split 1:2 or 2:3. A show with this ratio given enough seasons will often produce a
The [[Relationship Upgrade]] is used as a major plot point for a season [[Cliff Hanger]] or [[Grand Finale|series finale]]. An easy way to generate tension.
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See also:
* [[Official Couple]]:
* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Rarely used by a
* [[Better as Friends]] or [[I Don't Want to Ruin Our Friendship]]: Used to [[Ship Sinking|sink]] one of these ships, or used as the starting state of the romantic pairing before they develop romantic feelings.
* [[Like Brother and Sister]]: The characters literally think of each other as siblings despite lacking a blood relationship.
* [[Friends with Benefits]]: How some writers deal with their UST or sexual frustration, whilst not dealing with the relationship's emotional core (read: enabling them to continue drawing it out).
* [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]], [[Will They or Won't They?]], [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man]], [[She Is Not My Girlfriend]], [[Everyone Can See It]], [[Last-Minute Hookup]] and [[Green-Eyed Monster]]: All potential aspects of the relationship as it is ongoing, but are not limited to the
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Which is often given this type of relationship in slash [[Fan Fiction]].
* [[Platonic Life Partners]]: When a man and a woman are the equivalent of [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]. They tend to be the closest relationship either of them has with anyone, but there is no sexual or romantic component to their relationship. In short, they really ''are'' just friends.
* [[Stupid Sexy Friend]]: Even when they agree they ''should'' just be friends, one (or each) can't get rid of his/her sexual thoughts about the other.
* [[Last Het Romance]]: In the event Alice or Bob discover they're gay once they start dating, they usually end up
It is also the title of a 2005 comedy film based pretty much entirely on the trope. It is now located at ''[[Just Friends (film)|Just Friends]]''.
'''This is a [[Love Tropes]] and entries may spoil the [[Ending Tropes|endings]] of relationships and works as a whole. You have been warned.'''
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime & Manga ==
* In the first episode of the anime [[D.N.Angel]], Daisuki is looking forward to finally confessing his feelings to his longtime crush Risa. Only for just right before he can say anything, she thanks Daisuke for being such a good '''friend''' to her, heavily emphasizing the word friend. The look on Daisuke's face made it look like it would of hurt less if he was just kicked between the legs.
* ''[[Helios Eclipse]]'': Helios and Mineko.
* ''[[Kämpfer]]'': Natsuru (in male form) and his childhood friend Kaede Sakura. He doesn't want to outright ask her out and potentially get shot down so he decides to stay friends with her. However, when he changes into a girl, Natsuru quickly gets a [[Relationship Upgrade]] with her even though she doesn't seem to realize that the two Natsurus are the same person.
* ''[[Kaichou wa Maid-sama]]'': Poor Hinata. He tries so hard to be more than Just Friends with Misaki, but she's already deep in the throes of [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] with Usui before Hinata even makes the scene.
* ''[[Sugar Sugar Rune]]'': Chocolat and her male school friend, Mimura.
* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'': Yuusuke actively denies that his relationship with Keiko is nothing more than friendship. However, it's assumed by everyone that the two are dating (including the mentioned pair,
** That's at the end of the series, when she already did for the very good reason that he's planning to leave for three years and fight demons in another dimension while she goes to high school. She winds up waiting for him, though.
** He stops protesting that after he comes back to life the first time, really, but it's a pretty strictly fighting manga, so they never discuss their relationship or interact much. It was established quite early on that neither has to even stop and think about dying for the other, though.
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** [[Running Gag|Bossanova or Vossanova or Kossonova or Casanova or whatever his name]] is, with Haruhi. Haruhi being [[Sweet on Polly Oliver|a trap]] complicates things by causing them to project an image that brings flocks of [[Yaoi Fangirl|yaoi fangirls]] to them. Haruhi being utterly, completely [[Oblivious to Love]] doesn't help either.
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]: Kazuki Takahashi claims that this is what Joey/Jonouchi and Mai are. [[Relationship Writing Fumble|Yeah, sure.]]
* For most of ''[[Ranma
{{quote|
'''Ryoga:''' Please don't try to comfort me!
'''Akane:''' But, Ryoga, it wasn't right! Because I actually... I like you, Ryoga!
'''Ryoga:''' You do? Really?
'''Akane:''' I really do, Ryoga. You're a good friend. Let's be friends forever! }}
** In the same vein, Ranma considers Akane a good friend.
*** Well, in the [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] sense. Their closeness is a tool for providing more backbone for the [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]] status their relationship has.
** In the manga, Akane says this when Ranma's mirror clone tells Akane that Ranma likes her.
{{quote|
* ''[[5 Centimeters Per Second]]'': Takaki and Akari start as friends at a younger age, share their [[First Kiss]] at age 13, and go back to
** The 2nd part has Kanae end up with this by default, due to [[Cannot Spit It Out]] by her to Takaki as well as {{spoiler|Takaki's ongoing feelings for Akari closing his heart to anyone but Akari.}}
* ''[[Detective Conan]]'': Heiji and Kazuha believe they are
* In ''[[Nodame Cantabile]]'', [[Dirty Old Man|Stresemann]] and [[Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!|the Academy's director]] decided to stay this, after the director received an illness that stopped her from playing the piano again when she was younger, though they had the potential to become lovers if the illness hadn't struck, as noted by Stresemann's assistant.
* ''[[Madlax]]'' Madlax and Vanessa. Vanessa and Elenore in earlier episodes.
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== Comics ==
* ''[[X-Force]]'': Cable and Domino have a long history, during which they've been everything from genuinely just friends to teammates to [[Friends with Benefits]] to lovers.
* ''[[Yoko Tsuno]]'': Yoko and Vic, after being
* The ''[[Static (comics)|Static]]'' series has the title character, Virgil Hawkins, and Frieda having this type of relationship throughout the run. Although admittedly, Virgil was initially attracted to Frieda, but she wanted to keep their relationship at this level.
* An issue of the ''[[Gargoyles]]'' comics produced by SLG had Lexington ask a pair of gargoyles named Coco and Staghart if they're a mated pair. They both laughingly deny it, but assure him they're very good friends. This has been taken as a hint that Staghart might be "like a nine bob note" as they say in London. Many fans speculate that if the comic had shown more of Lexington's adventures in London, Staghart would've at least been his [[Closet Key]], perhaps someday a permanent mate.
* Played as a [[Running Gag]] in ''[[Quantum and Woody]]'', as Woody regularly informs everyone within earshot that he and Quantum are "not a couple."
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== Fan Fiction ==
* The unnamed protagonist of [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]] fanfic ''Twi and Me'' discusses this in the narration.
{{quote|
'''Narrator:''' A friend! }}
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* ''[[Not Another Teen Movie]]'': The trope as a whole is mercilessly lampshaded. Ricky is madly in love with Janey, who completely ignores every word he says. She falls for Jake, the [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]. Ricky ends up having a [[Race For Your Love]], but he gets hit by cars. Whilst the drivers call out things like "You'll never be more than a friend", "She's not attracted to you" and "She'll never love you."
* ''[[Just Friends (film)|Just Friends]]'': [[Ryan Reynolds]] as the fat, nerdy teenager in love with his best friend, Amy Smart, who loves him "as a brother". He runs away and 10 years later is rich, cool, and good-looking. He comes back into town where she immediately is struck by his new appearance.
* ''[[Kal Ho Naa Ho]]'': Rohit and Naina, until the Relationship Upgrade.
* ''[[13 Going on 30|Thirteen Going On Thirty]]'': Matt appeared to be like this towards Jenna at the start of the movie when they are both 13.
* ''[[Zack and Miri Make a Porno]]'': Zack and Miri start the movie as [[Platonic Life Partners]]. And then the titular porno comes along...
* ''[[500 Days of Summer|Five Hundred Days of Summer]]'' has Tom falling for Summer, as she starts a [[Friends with Benefits]] relationship but continues to lead him on with the potential of them becoming more. It culminates in Summer calling him 'her best friend' as he walks away when she breaks their relationship, and his heart.
* Very narrowly averted in ''Are We There Yet?'' when [[Ice Cube]]'s character is about to get stuck permanently in the "Friends Zone". he can practically hear the warning:
{{quote|
* ''[[Clerks II]]'' has Dante trying to tell himself that Becky and him and this. So not.
* In ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'', Tad Pringle (played by [[Jack Nicholson]]) is utterly in love with Daisy Gamble (played by [[Barbra Streisand]]) and even declares outright that he'd be better for her than any of the men she's been seeing; unfortunately for him, she considers him her best friend, and only her best friend. The fact that he's ''technically'' also her step-brother (their parents married after both Tad and Daisy were adults) doesn't help his case much, despite his pointing out that "We're only related through marriage."
* Isabel told Donald Morton that she wants to be this in ''Mozart and the Whale''. Soon after Donald in his social clumsiness does something that provokes such trauma in Isabel that she attempts suicide. He asks her to marry him. When she has recovered from this she [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man|actually does marry Donald]].
* In ''[[Friends with Benefits (film)|Friends With Benefits]]'', Dylan and Jamie veer between this and [[Friends with Benefits]].
* In the Finnish film ''Lights in the Dusk'' (''Laitakaupungin Valot''), the only person Koistinen can depend on is the local hot-dog stand owner Aila ("Grillija"), who clearly wants them to be more than just friends. Koistinen blows her off the first chance he can get a lady, but persists in returning to poor heartsick Grillija whenever he needs help.
== Literature ==
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** At the end of "Changes", the possibility at becoming more is hinted at rather strongly {{spoiler|until Harry's apparent death}}
* ''My Most Excellent Year'' by Steve Kluger plays with this. The protagonist, TC, spends most of the book in a mutually flirtatious not-quite-relationship with his classmate Alé. At one point, he tries suggesting that they just remain friends... as a gambit to trigger a [[Relationship Upgrade]]. It doesn't work.
* In the early books of the [[Anne of Green Gables]] series, Anne is constantly telling people that she and her childhood-enemy-turned-friend Gilbert Blythe, are just friends. She's not in love with him, does not harbor any type of feelings for him other than friendship, etc. etc. etc. Anne really does have feelings for him, she is just unaware of them. This question is never posed to Gilbert, since the entire town already knows he's madly in love with Anne.
* Tre and Allie of ''[[Stuck]]''. The two of them are best friends, yes, but they both agree that they're better off that way.
* Lampshaded and averted in ''[[The War Against the Chtorr]]'' when the protagonist Jim McCarthy and his [[Colonel Badass]] girlfriend Liz Tirelli have a very loud breakup. When things quiet down, Liz half-heartedly suggests that maybe they could just be...whereupon Jim interrupts
== Live Action TV ==
* As written in the intro, this type of pairing often [[Ship Sinking|'loses']] to [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] pairings. [[Nickelodeon/Analysis]] discusses why this is so especially in [[Kid Com]] shows.
* ''[[
** Same show, different pairing: [[Shotacon|Paisley and Fletcher]]. Paisley likes him in a "Adorable kid" way. Neither is returning the feelings.
* ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'': Leonard and Penny. They eventually got a [[Relationship Upgrade]] that lasted almost a full season before they broke up.
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* The ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Let's Kill Hitler" shows that Rory and Amy had known each other since primary school, and that Amy was the only girl Rory had ever shown an interest for the entire 10 years they knew each other. Amy has an extreme case of [[Oblivious to Love]] because she thought [[Mistaken for Gay|he was gay]] due to the fact he hadn't shown any interest in girls the entire time they'd known each other.
** A DVD exclusive scene set after "Flesh & Stone" has the Doctor describing his previous companions this way. Unfortunately Amy tricks him into making the TARDIS computer display their images, and notes how many are young sexually-attractive females.
{{quote|
** And in "The Impossible Astronaut"
{{quote|
'''River:''' Don't worry, I'm [[The Immodest Orgasm|quite the screamer]]. Now ''there's'' a spoiler for you.
'''Canton:''' OK what's going on here?
'''Doctor:''' Errr nothing...she's just a friend.
''(Awkward pause)''
'''Rory:''' I think he's talking about the possible alien incursion. }}
* ''[[Eureka]]'': In the later seasons, Jack and Allison's has had their friendship as the core of their romantic interaction. {{spoiler|After being sent to and back from 1947, they get in a [[Love Triangle]], that is eventually resolved when they [[Discussed Trope|discuss being]]
* ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'': Marty towards Rory in the later college seasons. These seasons were characterised by a heap of [[Relationship Writing Fumble]], the pairing got sunk, he got written out in exchange for the rich, bad boy Logan, and he came back a season later as a huge [[Jerkass]].
* ''[[Gossip Girl]]'': Vanessa and Dan. A strange version where they both apparently had some feelings for each other when they were younger, but it became [[Platonic Life Partners]] until they had a drunken threesome with Dan's current girlfriend. That threesome revealed previously hidden (even to the audience) feelings for Dan towards Vanessa. They got together shortly afterward, but being a drama/soapy show, it hasn't been straightforward.
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* ''[[Hannah Montana]]'': Lily and Oliver. Quite a weird example as they'd been friends since pre-school, but their friendship had evolved into a [[Platonic Life Partners]] type deal, then something of a bickering [[Slap Slap Kiss]] thing, until it had a very sudden, off-screen [[Relationship Upgrade]] and turned into a [[The Masochism Tango|Masochism Tango]].
* ''[[The Hour]]'': Freddie and Bel. It is implied that Freddie had feelings for Bel when they first met, but she did not reciprocate and now they're just friends with [[UST]].
* ''[[
** In Season 4 this ship gets frozen, not given any closure and the focus of the romance on the show shifts to the [[Slap Slap Kiss]] styled Sam/Freddie pairing. But since that arc's over, this has yet to return...
* ''[[JAG]]'': Harm and Mac, get forced into [[UST]] through
* ''[[Lizzie McGuire]]'': Gordo developing feelings for Lizzie, as Lizzie remains oblivious. Eventually, the [[Alpha Bitch]] points out that Gordo isn't trying to show off because he thinks he's better than Lizzie, but that he's trying to impress Lizzie because he likes her.
** Just as the series as a whole was something of a watershed and lead to multiple new shows that even if they were comedic, were also more serialized, dramatic and included developing romance arcs, it also paved the way for more
*** In a way ''Lizzie McGuire'' is the [[Trope Codifier]] to the
* ''[[Life with Derek]]'': This trope is the actual title of an episode which is devoted entirely to playing straight, subverting, deconstructing, and generally having fun with the trope.
* ''[[Numb3rs]]'': Charlie and Amita had to remain
* ''[[Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide]]'': Ned and Moze. Complete with [[Last-Minute Hookup]].
* ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'': According to [[Word of God]] (as if it wasn't already clear enough) this is what's going on with Howard and Vince. There's an obvious attraction between the two that's sometimes [[Lampshaded]], but the show is on Hiatus and they still aren't together
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* ''[[Reaper]]'': Andi wants to remain just friends with Sam, even when he wants more. Until she decides to be his girlfriend.
* ''[[Scrubs]]'': J.D. and Elliot went down this road for 7 seasons. They covered pretty much every variation of these tropes, the [[Will They or Won't They?]] getting [[Lampshaded]] on multiple occasions, becoming [[Friends with Benefits]], [[Everyone Can See It]], [[Near Kiss]], [[Better as Friends]]. It was torture. In the final season, the writers finally decided not to play games with the pairing anymore, hooked them up, and gave them only minor drama. [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]].
* ''[[Spaced]]'': Tim and Daisy became
* ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' did this with both Sheppard/Weir and Sheppard/Teyla, neither of which ever went anywhere, but both ships were definitely teased.
* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' had this with Carter and O'Neill, going so far as to have the characters admit that they do have feelings for each other, but never letting them get together ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evV0kDWa5E well...])
* ''[[Stargate Universe]]'': Eli and Chloe. Poor Eli...
** Kinda sucks for him considering the guy on other side of the triangle is pretty much his best friend on the ship (they have something of a [[Stargate Atlantis|Shep and McKay]] vibe at times). And the three of them got marooned together after missing the ship.
{{quote|
** As of the season finale ''Incursion'', it's made perfectly clear that she isn't [[Oblivious to Love]] at all. She also drops some major friend zone bombs on Eli, and in a way tells him off for acting like her friendship is "second prize".
*** And poor Volker. It's like the scientists on the ship can't catch a break, with all the hot soldiers taking the chicks.
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* ''[[The X-Files]]'': Mulder and Scully are constantly trying to explain to people that they're [[Just Partners]]. Including two ghosts in a haunted house. And the series [[Big Bad]]. And random people off the street. [[Everyone Can See It|It never works]].
* ''[[Zoey 101]]'': Zoey and Chase.
{{quote|
'''Ginny:''' What's up?
'''Lola:''' 'Blank' is in love with Zoey. Fill in the blank.
'''Ginny:''' ''(as though it were the most obvious answer in the world)'' Chase.
'''Lola:''' Thanks for playing. }}
* Depending on who you listen to, [[Law and Order Special Victims Unit|Benson and Stabler]] may count.
** Let the fun begin. They are portrayed as [[Platonic Life Partners]], but that subtlety is often lost, by the writers as much as by the fans. In the early and late seasons, when Elliot is married, it is upheld well, but there are some fairly [[Ship Tease]] moments in the middle, and it's understandable - they are, after all, very close. It doesn't help that Olivia often acts as if she were hopelessly in love with Elliot, which is obviously problematic and only adds to her [[Iron Woobie]] status, or that she has no family but him. On the whole, the fandom are split between thinking that they are an intense barrel of [[UST]] waiting to explode, or that they really ''are'' just friends, but of such an unusual sort that it is often mistaken for sexual tension. [[Your Mileage May Vary|Your Mileage Is Guaranteed To Vary]].
* [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Xander and Willow]] flirted with this, starting the show as [[Platonic Life Partners]]; however Willow was very much the [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]] who was secretly in love with Xander. Then they started developing feelings for each other [[Your Cheating Heart|while they were involved with other people]], before they finally decided they were [[Better as Friends]]. Then Willow {{spoiler|[[Suddenly Sexuality|realized she was gay]] }}, which [[Ship Sinking|slammed the door]] on the question of her relationship with Xander for good.
** Also, Buffy pulls this with Angel (and later {{spoiler|Spike}}) after their respective breakups. Nobody buys it.
** Spike sums up this trope most famously in "Lover's Walk", when referring to the Bangel relationship.
{{quote|
* [[Inspector Lynley]] and [[The Not Love Interest|his partner]] Sergeant Havers are this. Really. Even though they've both called each other their reason to get up in the morning. And even though he turned up at her flat at midnight to tell her that he wasn't sure {{spoiler|he had ''ever really loved his wife''}}, something he'd never talked to ''anyone'' about before. Swear to God, [[Blatant Lies|they're just friends]]!
* [[Noah and Saskia]] have this going on big time. Saskia decides she's in love with Max (aka Noah), but Noah's getting hassled at school about his [[She Is Not My Girlfriend|internet girlfriend]], so to prove to himself he's not ''that'' much of a geek, he has a chat with Indy (aka Saskia) about how he's just figured out the point of the comic-in-progress, that is, that guys and girls can just be friends. Like they are. You know, 'buddies'. As the tie-in novel puts it: "what's about to happen is that two people who are friends are going to decide they're friends and that's kind of going to ruin their friendship".
* Barney and Robin's slow-building romantic relationship starts as this during season 3 of ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''.
{{quote|
'''Robin:''' Oh no! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No! [[He Is Not My Boyfriend|Barney and I are not together.]]
'''Barney:''' Really? Sixteen 'no's? }}
* ''Mysterious Ways'' has a
** In one episode, the idea of "not being able to shake" your soul mate is posited. After Peggy and Miranda have called Declan's girlfriend's cell phone for the umpteenth time trying to reach him, said girlfriend says "Seems like you can't shake either one of them." That's about the strongest ship tease you get, though.
== Music ==
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* "Friends" by Marshmello & Anne-Marie.
== Radio ==
* ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again|I'm Sorry Ill Read That Again]]'' once made a pantomime special edition called ''Black Cinderella 2 Goes East'', which subverted this trope with Cinderella and Buttons. At first, it seemed like Cinderella didn't know that Buttons was in love with her, but thought they were just friends...and then it turns out she knows, but just doesn't like him. It could have stopped there, fairly graciously, but then she gets a ''song'' about it.
{{quote|
I'm sorry, but that's how it goes
Partly because I'm in love with another
But mainly because you get right up my nose'' }}
== Video Games ==
* ''[[Mass Effect]]'': The romances between Male Shepard and Tali, and the romance between a Female Shepard and Garrus are much like this, as they were not romance options in the first game. Tali herself says she wants to be "more than just friends", whilst the romance arc with Garrus is about overcoming his initial doubts, and hoping to make their strong friendship into something more.
** In ''[[Mass Effect 2|ME 2]]'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_9ZjTltAHE&feature=related there is] a turian male that the fandom has [[Fan Nickname|nicknamed]] the "[[Memetic Mutation|Friend-Zoned Turian]]". A quarian female (herself [[Fan Nickname|called]] "[[Valley Girl|Quarian Valley Girl]]") and the turian male are talking to one another at a bar. If you listen in to their conversations, the quarian is complaining about breaking up with her human boyfriend. It becomes clear over the series of conversations that the turian is clearly infatuated with her. At one point, he asks if she wants to watch a movie which "won awards for portraying turian and quarian relationships". The quarian is [[Oblivious to Love|completely oblivious to his advances]].
** In [[Mass Effect 3]] a female Shepard can hit on Joker, who declines, saying he never really thought of it. He then declines because of the 'chain of command' and because of his crush on EDI.
* Averted by [[Crusader Kings]]. The game assumes that any two characters of the opposite sex who are friends are actually lovers.
* This apparently cheeses off a [[Mad Scientist]] in the intro to ''[[Sam and Max Hit The Road]]'':
{{quote|
* [[Resident Evil|Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield.]]
* In the backstory of ''[[Xenogears]]'', Sophia only ever saw Krelian as a friend. Krelian accepted this state of affairs and managed to be friendly with her true love Lacan despite his hidden jealousy.
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** Marigold and Angus. They get drunk. She puts his hands on her boobs. He shoots her down.
** Elliot towards Padma.
** During the [[In Space]] arc Marten's relationship with Hannelore is seen this way by Hannelore's father and Lt Potter. Marten responds to Potter's remark about them being together with the exact words ''We're
* This appears to be at the heart of Jack and Sam's relationship in ''[[The Space Between]]''.
* ''[[VG Cats]]'': This trope [[Applied Mathematics|plus]] the ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' {{spoiler|"Friendship" [[Finishing Move]]}} equals [http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=295 funny!]
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* ''[[Kim Possible]]'': Kim and Ron. Quite an unusual example, as their relationship is only really explored in Season 3, although they are hints and [[Ship Tease]] taking place in earlier seasons. They get a [[Last-Minute Hookup]]. The results of the [[Relationship Upgrade]] are then explored, as the show was brought back for a 4th season.
** [[Relationship Upgrade]] as a [[Grand Finale]] is ridiculed by ''[[Kim Possible]]'' and her platonic pal Ron in the show's third season, in a bit of [[Lampshade Hanging]] that foreshadows the end to the then series-capping TV movie. The two watch a weepy teen drama called ''[[Soap Within a Show|Agony County]]'':
{{quote|
'''Kim:''' Like that's ever gonna happen! It would end the series. }}
* In ''[[Justice League]]'', [[Batman]] insists that he and [[Wonder Woman]] are just friends. No one really buys it, including Wonder Woman herself, since she wants a [[Relationship Upgrade]].
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*** Of course, nothing is seen or heard of Wonder Woman in the entire Batman Beyond series.
* Speaking of ''[[Batman Beyond]]'', Howard has the nerve to say this to a super-strong gynoid girlfriend he bought when said gynoid has been actively trying to kill people for most of the episode. It does not end well. Terry even lampshades it:
{{quote|
'''Batman:''' Is it EVER the right thing to say?! }}
** Terry and Max are poster children for this trope. They're best friends, she's his only confidant (other than Bruce), they spend more time together than Terry and his ''actual'' girlfriend, they're both pretty attractive...and there is never any indication that either of them wants anything but friendship.
* [[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]: There's indications of this with Jack and Sally before their [[Relationship Upgrade]].
* After kissing in ''[[Total Drama Island]]'', LeShawna basically cancels her relationship with Harold, saying their just friends. Harold still pines for her though, {{spoiler|The feelings are mutual}}.
* ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' towards Sandy.
* ''[[The Simpsons]]'': Towards the end of "Lisa's Date with Density", after finding out that he lied to her, Lisa and Nelson eventually broke up and simply became friends. The friendship is sustained later in the end of "Loan-a-Lisa" in which Lisa and Nelson skate with each other.
* This is how [[
* In an episode of ''[[
* [[Futurama]] with Fry and Leela. It's implied they will eventually end up together.
* In the ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'' episode "The Spirit of Competition," the [[Sibling Triangle]] of Bolin, Mako and Korra articulate their feelings towards each other in various ways. After resulting interpersonal tensions nearly cost them their place in the finals, the three settle back into a mutually friendly dynamic, with the larger underlying [[Love Dodecahedron]] unresolved.
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[[Category:Unrequited Love Tropes]]
[[Category:Just Friends]]
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