Secret of Friendship

Eiko and her best friend Moe couldn't be more different. Eiko is a shy, average-looking girl, while Moe is beautiful and envied by everyone at their high school. Though their personalities are total opposites, their bond is powerful. When it comes to dating, Moe has an endless supply of suitors. The catch is that her boyfriend must value Eiko more than he values Moe. No one has yet been able to meet her condition until a boy named Tsuchida appears. What will Eiko do when her relationship with her best friend begins to change?

I am a huge fan of The Secret of Friendship—my favorite shojo manga of 2010. I've never seen a better portrayal of female friendship.

The book consists of 3 chapters (plus a bonus chapter featuring a different character unrelated to the first three). In the first chapter, Eiko describes her feelings around Moe, her best friend. We get to know the girls, how they feel about each other, and what happens when Moe gets a boyfriend.

The second chapter is from the perspective of the boyfriend's best friend from chapter 1. He is frustrated with girls and bullies Eiko to express his anger. The situation was quite sad, but I loved how Eiko responded. Instead of getting angry, pissed, or furious, she remained calm and told him what she thought.

In the last chapter, we see Moe's perspective. I loved this perspective because it gave more insight into this girl who connects all the characters. This chapter shows us that she is more than a pretty face, as we learned from the first chapters, but its focus on what made her angry makes it even more compelling.

Among all the POVs we got, I liked Narugami the most. Initially, he seemed like a dick, but we can see why he is that way. Despite the facade he is putting up, he is terrific.

Moe's character was interesting to me, and I liked her. Sometimes I found her too manipulative and bitchy, but at other times I enjoyed her. The way she protected Eiko, like a mother, was excellent.

The character of Eiko is friendly, but she is also terribly dull and follows a bit too much. I would have liked to see more development with her, to see her grow and learn more about herself. Ultimately, I liked Moe more because of her complexity and development.

For the bonus chapter, I expected a side story involving our main characters. Having to read about a new girl and her friend's and boy's problems was not what I wanted to read. While I liked Tomoya, and the ending was cute, I did not like the storyline.

The artwork and character design are gorgeous. Sure, there are times when the faces look strange, but that is only sometimes; most of the time, I love the art.

The main focus of this manga is the friendship between girls, and this time, it's the authentic kind, one where the girls aren't bickering when they're apart! These girls genuinely care for each other, and their friendship is filled with mutual respect and understanding. They support each other and are there for one another, no matter what. It's a beautiful story of true friendship.

This manga has a powerful message about the power of genuine female friendships and is a must-read for all.