[Archon_Wing]

I have to admit. I've never enjoyed a romance on account of it solely being a childhood romance. Personally, I always felt that anime needed to expand more on intragender (depending on the series, too) platonic relationships. But really, must any close nonfamilial relationship be like that?

Certainly, childhood friendship romance does have its place when the core of its story has its roots in childhood such as Chihayafuru or Kanon (though that show threw it around to the point of meaninglessness).

There are also certain angles where it just makes sense if you want to portray another as the sole love of one's life. A few series did it really well, but I have to admit, there's just not too much that interests me... though romance as a whole doesn't really do it for me most times.

I guess there is one use that turns me off, and that is some random revelation that "we used to be childhood friends" comes tossed up to cement something in. That just comes to me as awfully contrived. In the end, it comes down to whether the show actually shows them being friends in the past instead of just stating it, and thus taking it for granted.