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List of queerplatonic relationships in shows/books/celebrities


Star Bit

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I'll start. Though, if you would list queerplatonic squishes [QPS] as such if they're one-sided. As well as non-ideal examples, and perhaps why (abusive, codependent, have romantic/sexual attraction) would be good to specify too.

[Note; i consider the first two of mine to be expectation spoilers. If you think your listing is a spoiler please list it as such. You can put the show first with the pair after it so an accidental reading won't spoil things, and it helps advertise for the show too lol; being the first thing they read vs unknown names]

  • Kids on the Slopes with Kaoru Nishimi and Sentaro Kawabuchi (though this could be written off as queerbaiting)
  • Nabari No Ou with Miharu Rokujo and Yoite (not so much in the anime as in the manga, but both have queerbaiting) (e.g. vid; fan comic to avoid spoilers)
  • Scrubs with JD and Turk (e.g. vid)
  • Little Queen (a manhwa) with June Narcieq and Sejuru Ney

Just so people will post accurate examples of queerplatonic relationships, i will include my definition of it.

A queerplatonic relationship (or one sided, a 'queerplatonic squish' aka 'queerplatonic crush') is a platonic relationship that has (or is desired to have) an importance/closeness stronger than the best friend norm and/or displaying platonic physical contact above the norm (so no sex or making out, but chaste kissing can be platonic depending on how it’s done). Some describe it as "super best friends." It’s also known as romantic/passionate friendship, life partner, Boston Marriage, and (same gender wise) bromance/womance (latter aka shemance, sismance, and less popular hermance), as well as less commonly known; heteromance (between opposing genders). They may or may not have monogamy, live together, sleep in the same room, have kids, or be mistaken for a couple. Romantics and Aromantics can have QPRs.

 

If you want, add a video link so people who haven't seen the content can understand (and spoiler warnings please). Maybe include if you agree/disagree with anyone's QP suggestions. On this first page things that're on topic are rather scattered, so comments #2, 3, (end of #6),7-9, 14-16, 18, and 20 till end of page are on topic.

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I think Pete and Myka from Warehouse 13 totally are! It's wonderful. They become very close friends, and Pete even suggests to Myka that he would be happy raising kids together, but there's no real romantic interest or attraction shown. Buuut in the very last episode the writers force them into an amatonormative relationship which is bullshit and was totally awkward since they have no romantic interest for each other throughout the rest of the 5 seasons. :mad: Sorry, end rant. xD

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Are male and female best friends normally viewed queerplatonically? Are they actually not and we just view it heteronormatively??

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  • Scrubs with JD and Terk

I know nothing about the other examples (because I'm clueless about anime/manga), but as far as I can tell, JD and Turk are quite heterosexual/heteroromantic. Whatever is wrong with the concept of friendship?

Or do you simply regard every close friendship as "queerplatonic"? If so, I personally don't see a need for the terminology.

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  • Scrubs with JD and Terk

I know nothing about the other examples (because I'm clueless about anime/manga), but as far as I can tell, JD and Turk are quite heterosexual/heteroromantic. Whatever is wrong with the concept of friendship?

Or do you simply regard every close friendship as "queerplatonic"? If so, I personally don't see a need for the terminology.

Huh? Do you not know the definition of Queerplatonic? Queerplatonic doesn't mean gay, it's using queer's original definition of odd; as people are trying to reclaim its positive meaning. And while i agree that close friends have the right to be called close friends without the assumption that "they're too close to just be friends", but these guys are way past just friends (not implying romantic; just queerplatonic).

A queerplatonic relationship (or one sided, a 'queerplatonic squish' aka 'queerplatonic crush') is a platonic relationship that has (or is desired to have) the characteristic(s) associated with a romantic relationship (excluding sex and making out). It can be an importance/closeness stronger than the best friend norm, and or displaying platonic sensual attraction above the norm (only differing from romantic sensual attraction with chaste kissing, although preferring chaste kissing or no kissing does not make one’s feelings unromantic). They may or may not have monogamy, live together, have kids, or look like a couple to the public. Romantics and Aromantics can have QPRs.

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Oh no, I mention JD‘s and Turk‘s hetero status simply because they both have their separate sexual and romantic relationships and keep them mostly monogamous, from what I remember. Now, if during all that time they are also in a “queerplatonic relationship” with each other, wouldn’t that make them kinda polyamorous also? Which would be perfectly fine and all, them being heterosexual/heteroromantic/queerplatonic/polyamorous, etc, but… ah – I’m just not following anymore at a certain point.

And yeah, that definition, especially in its sheer scope, doesn’t make any sense to me. But then again, after reading around a bit I believe there are quite a few problematic aspects about “queerplatonic (or quasiplatonic) relationships,” so much so that I personally don’t feel comfortable adopting the term at all. But I guess that means that it just isn’t for me, and I probably shouldn’t be part of the conversation, then. Apologies, I didn’t mean to offend.

As to the topic, I reckon most any “weirdly” close relationship would qualify – and fiction is just jock-full of them, right? The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, Calvin and Hobbes, Thelma and Louise, Daria and Jane, Chandler and Joey, Kirk and Spock, Frodo and Samwise, ad infinitum. No?

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Sutaomiiru

Reinhard and Kirches in Ginga Eneiyuu Denetsu perhaps.

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Are male and female best friends normally viewed queerplatonically? Are they actually not and we just view it heteronormatively?

I... don't know...? I mean, desiring to live together and raise children without romance sounds pretty queerplatonic to me.

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I was going to suggest that the Watson and Holmes dynamic often take on queerplatonic traits. Not every movie/book/show rendition, but in several there are.

In the original books: Watson moves back in with Holmes and the two spend the rest of their days basically having a sexless, non-romantic marriage.

In Elementary: the Watson and Sherlock relationship takes on several queerplatonic qualities. Or at the very least feels like it is moving towards that direction. There is quite a bit of talk about living outside of the heteronormative stereotype. Granted, it's mainly been from Sherlock about his own relationships or too Watson about how she doesn't have to follow to societies rules on what her relationships should be (advice she's decided to follow). Sherlock has several "aquantices with benefits," and he and Watson have admited to being each other's "most important person" and seem to be moving towards the "we live together and love each other, it's not sexual/romantic, but we're still each other's life partner" sort of area. Sherlock also seems to be aromantic, and Watson shows signs of being polyamorous gray-romantic. I don't know, that's just the first people I think of when I think of queerplatonic relationships.

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@Humdinger

The word polyamorous is actually defined by having many romantic relationships. QP is platonic. But i suppose if someone wants to identify as it because they are in two committed relationships; one romantic and the other QP, or anyone in multiple QPRs, then that's up to them. But under its definition it isn't supported as such. The word literally means many-loves, so if you want to go to a literal degree then anyone who platonically loves their friends is polymorous; whether they're in a QPR or a normal friendship.

As to the topic, I reckon most any “weirdly” close relationship would qualify – and fiction is just jock-full of them, right? The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, Calvin and Hobbes, Thelma and Louise, Daria and Jane, Chandler and Joey, Kirk and Spock, Frodo and Samwise, ad infinitum. No?

I'm not sure if a Platonic Life Partner (which i will refer to as PLP) is any different from a Queerplatonic Relationship; as I've seen ppl on here and TVtropes.org describe PLP the same way QP is defined. But according to some definitions they can be different; PLP can just be a best friend that's not beyond the norm but will "last forever". I don't know anything about Spock and Kirk's relationship past the Star Trek movies, but i would consider them and the rest of your examples as PLPs and not QP (although the way Spock reacted at the end of the second movie was questionably queerplatonic since i never felt like they were ever that close of friends). I also don't know anything about Sherlock Holmes past the two movies and BBC series, but in those they're platonic/PLP (past the first episode of the series; there it's rather QP). You actually had one that was rather queerplatonic, or at least from one side, so let's use that as an example. Samwise has a fixation and not just a friendly concern for Frodo. Yes, he can rightfully be concerned for his friend but it's to a bit of an extreme/obsession/people question if he has a crush on him. With Kids on the Slope, the two guys are too physical, especially for Japan and it being set in the mid 60s, as well as the show trying to imply he has a crush on him or just a queerplatonic fixation. With Nabari No Ou the two actually need each other to validate themselves. Much like a childhood schizophrenic needs to be friends with another schizophrenic; people can give all the support they want but it means the world to actually be around someone like you. Little Queen is questionable because i question if i would still feel that they're too close if they weren't the opposite sex. With Ouran High School Host Club the first pair literally sleep together (naked i might add lol), but they're twin brothers, and probably unhealthily codependent on each other. And I'm actually going to remove the remaining ones under that show because they are more of queerplatonic behavior/queerplatonic friends and not in a mutual QPR nor a QPS. JD and Terk's Guy Love song pretty much explains why they're in a QPR, and because they're too sensually comfortable. Queerplatonic is also more publically known as a Romantic Friendship.

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Alright then, interesting! Although, to be honest, to me it sounds like we might be drifting a bit into fanfic territory. But as I said, it isn't really my kind of discussion.

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Fanfic territory? As in fan-girls will immediately take it as romantic and write those? I agree. And fan-girls will do so with far less <_<. Which is fine and all to me, but when they use characters that seem aromantic it bugs me because i can't imagine them acting so in the least. Outside universe couples are fine. I also hate it when they insist QPRs are a canon couple; drives me up the wall. --Unless you mean we're misinterpreting the relationship as queerplatonic/that interpretation is all in our heads. But I've been talking about the ones that have legit evidence, not assumptions of what happens off-screen.

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Fanfic territory, as in fans who are/wish to be in a “QPR” looking to fiction for some representation of what they are experiencing, not finding exactly that, but some things that could well be seen as that looking at it a certain way, and proceeding to (re-)interpret these fictional relationships as precisely that – queerplatonic.

Turk and JD are singing about “Guy Love,” not about “zucchinis” or “QPRs.” Samwise seems to display strong characteristics of a “gesith,” or “thegn,” towards Frodo (the concept of the “commitatus” being of course well familiar to Tolkien as the prominent philologist the author was), but these characteristics might as well be seen as “legit evidence” of “queerplatonic” leanings. And that’s perfectly alright. There’s nothing wrong with fanfiction. But I do believe that is what you’re doing when you read “QPR” where it doesn’t explicitly say “QPR.”

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, I’m coming at this as an outsider, so I hope I’m not being offensive. But “QPR” as a label seems to me only ever valid when applied by the people in the relationship themselves, to themselves. I see a whole lot of problems with the term as it is, without it being hoisted onto any unwitting parties. Now, of course with fictional people – no harm, no foul. So fanfictionalize(?) away, if you wish! It’s just that for the above stated reason, among others, personally it does squick me out a bit, maybe similarly to your hangups with romantic fanfic (which I share, actually ;) ). But when all’s said and done, it’s really none of my beeswax, eh. ^_^

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Rising Sun

The Doctor and many of his companions of course ! Especially Donna.

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Dodecahedron314

[i tried to correct Star Bit on something here and just now realized upon rereading this that I most likely interpreted it wrong, oops :redface: edited to get rid of that, move along, nothing to see here]

From what I've read of the Sherlock Holmes books (I haven't seen any of the screen adaptations), the original relationship between the original Sherlock and the original Watson seemed pretty close to my own "more than best friends but not in a romantic or sexual way" definition of a QP relationship, especially with the cohabiting and unusual level of general in-tune-ness there is between them. Keep in mind that that's the definition that I am of the opinion personally makes the most sense to me, up to and including being the most applicable to my own relationship with the person whom I call my QPP, and maybe it's not exactly the classical textbook definition, but it's the one I use for lack of a better term. I do agree with Humdinger about Samwise's devotion to Frodo being something very similar to the medieval servant archetype--you'll see a lot of the same thing in Arthurian mythology, if I recall correctly. I can't speak for any of the other examples given because my knowledge of anime encompasses nothing more than Ranma 1/2, Death Note, a smattering of Hetalia picked up from one of my friends, and a bunch of random older movies like Green Legend Ran that we happen to have lying around the house.

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On the "this is going into fanfic territory" note, I think that's because there isn't a whole lot of "the is a QPR" in shows. It's not something widely recognized.

I ship Joan and Sherlock (Elementary) in a QPR, so I might just be seeing them through my shipper glasses. But overall, I truly feel the writers are leading us towards them having a QPR and that their relationship has already taken on some QP quailties. Most of the Watson/Holmes relationships (the movies mentioned and the BBC series) seems to be more PLP with some ship-teasing for the fans, although I could see Sherlock (in BBC) having a one-sided queerplatonic crush (is there a term for that?) on John. His "that's what I was suggesting" comment to John over the date definition supports that, as does behavior towards John's girlfriends.

As for Turk and JD, most of that was played for laughs, but they do have a closer than average friendship. I remember one episode where Turk and JD insisted that Turk's child belonged to both of them, going on about how they decided a long time ago who would be in charge of which parts of the parenting. Again, played for laughs, but still technically further than most friends. Most friendships stop at "Uncle JD" and don't include the other person as another parent.

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I don't see it used or even talked about often, but since the other crushes are called a [romantic] crush and a platonic crush, queerplatonic crush seems perfectly valid. There is no other word that i know of.

Edit: Correction, i now prefer the phrase queerplatonic squish.

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Vince/Stuart or

Michael/Brian (depends on if you see the british or amarican version)

from queer as folk

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On the topic of fanfic-ing things, I would like to clear up a few things about Elementary. Warning, contains spoilers.
Joan Watson; polyamorous in canon. Not just me filtering through shipper glasses or anything. It's not been outright said, but when her boyfriend went out of the country for work, she became unsatisified in their relationship and her and Sherlock spent quite a bit discussing her options. It came down to two things, she could either break up with her boyfriend, which she didn't want to do, and begin a relationship with another man she was interested in, or she could talk to her boyfriend about expanding their relationship so she could see this other guy as well. It was tastefully done, taking into consideration that maybe her boyfriend and this other man wouldn't be OK with it, and Sherlock pointing out multiple times that Watson needed to figure out what she wanted and what worked for her and that it was OK that she wasn't naturally inclined to monogamy.

The grayromantic was more just something I picked up on, but could be completely off. She has said that she didn't feel as strong of a romantic attraction as her boyfriend, but I don't know if this was a regular thing or just with him. She still had feelings for him, but they weren't as intense as his was for her.

Sherlock being aromantic is all but confirmed as Sherlock is still questioning his romantic orientation. He's been in love once (but that was a whole messed up case where she wasn't real and was designed specifically to intice him emotionally) but didn't believe in romantic attraction before that and has yet to experience romantic attraction again. (He has also says he loves Watson, the only other person besides the woman he loved romantically he claims to have ever loved. Interesting and totally fits my "they are developing a queerplatonic" relationship theory since it's confirmed non-romantic love and Sherlock has several close friends he feels affection for, but it's only Joan he loves, meaning her loves her on a deeper level/differently than his other friends. But again, I want to see it, so I fully accept that I might be making a moutain out of mole hill.)

Anywho, not meaning to bore ya'll with my Elementary rambling. They are just who I always think of when I think of queerplatonic relationships. And I just saw an episode, so they are on my mind.

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The Doctor and many of his companions of course ! Especially Donna.

The Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon too. In fact, Frazer Hines, who played Jamie, has said that they deliberately played up the relationship just for the fun of doing so.

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fish of hearts

The relationship between self-described "flamingos" Alan Shore (James Spader) and Denny Crane (William Shatner) in Boston Legal is probably QPR, avoiding heavy "queer baiting" and even having the leads explicitly and honestly express their love for each other by the end of the series. (Warning: The show has serious issues with misogyny and mental illness representation, though it lampshades some.)

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  • 3 months later...

The Doctor and The Master from Doctor Who (most notably from the last episode of season 8 and the first of season 9)

Spoiler from Blue Drop (anime):

Mari Wakatake and Hagino Senkouji from Blue Drop

I know they end up "being a couple" (while never actually being asked out or doing anything romantic other than holding hands near the end), but the relationship never even felt romantic, yet alone queerplatonic. The show and side characters were shipping them rather than the two characters themselves actually having such feelings for each other. Prior to the ending i wouldn't have said so, but with that bit added, i feel like they could be a QPR.

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  • 5 months later...

QPS: Henry on Richard from Requiem of the Rose King (though it later ends up being a crush for Richard).

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Now that I'm re-watching Sliders (I haven't done it for a long time, last time was long before I discovered AVEN), I'm realizing that the global relationship between the 4 sliders can be qualified as QP. They're more than "just friends", circumstances made them a family, they have quite affectionate feelings for each other even though they sometimes are too shy to express them. It becomes quite explicit in season 3 :

In the episode Dragonslide, Wade uses a love potion on Rembrandt to make another woman fall in love with him, but the potion makes Rembrandt confess his love for Wade (he actually always loved her, the potion only revealed feelings he's already had). She thinks that he's in love with her (and he really seems to be), but he reveals later in the episode that he isn't in love with her but he simply loves her soul.

In The guardian, Quinn violently expresses his fear to lose Pr Arturo, and in State of the A.R.T., Wade also tells Arturo how she never wanted to upset him because they're a family and they must stick together whatever happens.

Maybe I should also add The bicentennial man to the list too. The relationship between Andrew and "Little Miss" is definitely beyond the ordinary, even compared to close family relationships.

- When "Little Miss" decides to never move far from Andrew, and when he's the first person that she visits when she's back from her trips ;

- when she defends Andrew against her own son (how many mothers would do that ?) ;

- when Andrew is the last person staying with her when she dies while her husband and son stay in the background ;

- when Andrew's last thoughts are for "Little Miss" when he dies.

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I think it could be said that Ragnar felt queerplatonicly for Athelstan from Vikings. But it also could just be genuine fondness/close friends which is displayed in a similar way with Ragrar and Floki later in the series/currently. What do you think? Or maybe it was just a squish?

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​Lili and Gerda from "man to woman" (not speaking of the Danish girl which came later and where they had a romantic relationship at least from Gerdas side.)

I think it could be said that Ragnar felt queerplatonicly for Athelstan from Vikings. But it also could just be genuine fondness/close friends which is displayed in a similar way with Ragrar and Floki later in the series/currently, what do you think? Or maybe it was just a squish?

Defintly squish from the serie, but I want to read the saga before making a final conclusion.

Floki is difficult as a character because his so obviously based on Loki and also say so himself that he reflect himself as Loki. Loki was clearly a very "queer" joutun. His often potrayed abit strange, whicked, flamboyant, and aro-ish, the actor who plays Floki (dont remember his name) also mentioned in an interviuw that he thinks Ragner may see himself like Thor, and Thor and Loki were pretty close.

I feel the relationship between Ragner and Floki may be that they try to show simularity between Thor and Loki so why it could still be a squish I feel its more that they try to potray some "loki" traits in floki.

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(Sorry, wrong thread)

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<_< But you know the yaoi fans squealed when they said they love eachother (Ragnar to Athalstan and Floki to Ragnar).

I'm just really happy to see the word love being used platonically. So far I've only seen that in one other show (which is polar opposite in comparison); Clarence (cartoon), whom is fine with telling his male friends that he loves them and giving them kisses on the cheek.

Omg, i just looked it up; if people think Ragnar is bi, and some are saying it's cannon. *heavy face palm* Most saying he's at least ambiguously bisexual, and their basis for that seems to always be the threesome offer scene. Some complaining that it wan't "official" because they had to cater to their "bro" predominant viewers (i.e. no gay) and if it was on another network it would've been canon. *face palm* And once again they're saying if you deny the subtext then you're homophobic/ "drowning in heteronormativity". (i mean, I'm Fing bi/pan, and like shonen-ai and shojo-ai to boot, so wtf) *long sigh*

Edit: The fangirls are actually right; they gay censor the american broadcast of it. (more in comments #37 and #42)

Well, there's another pairing to the list of couples that fandoms insists are cannon but are completely platonic to me (starting with Miharu + Yoite, Korra + Assami, Holmes + Watson, and Max + Chloe). According to some people there's a deleted scene that conclusively proves Ragnar's in love with Athelstan; which i can't find, yet i can find other deleted scenes on youtube and i tried several different search wordings. You'd think that clip would be popular and I'd be able to find it or at least find it with a typical season 3 deleted scene search but no. They said it was supposed to be placed around the time his new wife asks him if he loves her. But even if that clip is conclusive it still didn't make it into the show, and that alone is the only thing that is canon.

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I feel like Fiona and Will from the show About a Boy have a queerplatonic relationship. Actually watching the show I couldn't help but think that's the type of bond I want to have with someone.

Fiona has a son, Marcus. And they move in next door to Will. Will and Fiona fall into this groove where both of them share everything with each other and they are both basically raising Marcus together. They both deeply care about each other, but there isn't actually anything romantic or sexual about their relationship. Even other characters on the show point out that they seem like a couple, and that they do so much for each other. And even though they do have great chemistry together, it's just a very very strong friendship.

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I'm on the 5th episode, when exactly does their relationship change/ start to get closer? Also, how does he not have a job yet live the way he does?

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