I will post this on your site.
I don't know what you mean by transcendent friendship. How do you define a transcendent friendship in order to class it as such? I don't have a set of parameters so the usage seems a bit contrived to say the least. Unfortunately it's aiming for the poetic without meaning.
I'll target a few limiting aspects as well to your post. You say,
I don't think that's the case. I don't think that Sumire realized her feelings for Kitamura. She always had said feelings and everything she did, as she admitted was to protect him (Kitamura) from her feelings and the decisions he would make in regards to her decision. She felt that his devotion and love for her is so strong he would deny himself. As though he would lose himself in her and unfortunately, on some level she was right. It was when she made a marked and movement of separation by not declaring her feelings but letting him know that she would be leaving the country that we saw a violent reaction on his part. Imagine what could have happened if she accepted his feelings and then she told him. Everything she feared would most likely would have happened. So it's not realization. It's forced public admission which Taiga did. This was why Taiga, Ryuuji, and Kitamura was so moved by her statement and what she did to herself. Kitamura also realized that...she denied even her own needs, her self and her love and sacrificed all that to protect him. I just think the usage of realization is limiting her character and the miniscule peek into the depth of her character.
Then comes this:
I don't know if I'd claim it's a transcendent story of camaraderie. The entire show from the first episode was one of camaraderie. A poster on another forum I'm on said there has been nothing "done" in regards to romance. And s/he's right. The focus has been on relationship building if nothing else and the slight romantic quandaries that arise from close relationships and neglected people. If you mean by transcendent that the story's primary focus is on friendship...then I would say yes but this is not something blind or currently happening. It's always been the focus. If you're meaning it as an exceptional story that surpasses other stories of friendship ---- I'd have to say, as I've not seen much but I think you might be right. It's strength is in it's storytelling and relationship building. It has created a strong friendship base if nothing else. So I guess my main fix is the usage of transcendent.
Question, is your usage of bold terms to signify all the elements of this "transcendent" friendship?
In other words...The relationship transcends the normal bounds of friendship and closer resembles blank....You're not defining what type of friendship that their relationships is transcending to. What parameters does it meet if not friendship or what aspect of friendship if it does....I think in order for me to give you a proper analysis I need a tighter definition, although I tried my best above.
As for a wild theory I can't say. I figured the aspect of friendship was fundamental in the entire show.
Let's look at this through characters.
1. Ryuuji: A guy with a limited number of friends because people made prejudgements about his face so they never bothered to get to know him. He had no friends except for Kitamura
2. Taiga: A girl made out to have a severe Napoleonic syndrome and had to force herself to appear stronger and tougher than most because people didn't understand her and probably would see her as weak. She keeps up a front, ie Tsundere character, when in reality she's a softy who is loyal to her friends and is sensitive to people with a neglectful family. She also had no friends except Minorin.
3. Ami: Another character judged solely on her appearance like the first two and also who unfortunately has to put up a two-faced role in order to match what people want of her when she's nothing like that. She had no friends but Kitamura.
4. Kitamura: A guy who devoted his life to the school council or school activities in order to heal a broken heart. He had no real friends besides Ryuuji and maybe Ami and the President who was older than him. So for most of his life his close friend was really Ryuuji. Remember Ami had moved away.
5. Minorin who seems to have good relationships but only a real friendship with one person, Taiga.
Basically they bonded it seemed because there were binding ties and they were seeking something from everyone else. Ami was introduced through Kitamura and was using him to escape her world. Added to that Ryuuji gave her the reasons to say, inadvertently. Taiga found someone she was close with and provided that close and UNDERSTANDING family and friendship unit she was lacking. This was the same for Ryuuji. Between all of them it is Ryuuji who understands Taiga the best and vice versa. Kitamura joined in because it was his friends that lessened his own burdens in life or his need to refocus his energies---because they were his outlet. This was seen at the beach house episode when Ami specifically asked him why he dumped his school activities to go with them. Minorin<---unfortunately is the least developed character for me to really see why she needs them. I know from episode 4 (the ep where she and Ryuuji were stuck in the shed) or so she does hide herself behind a mask in order to protect herself. Maybe it's through them she can put the mask away and Ami has the same response as well.
So is their bonding fundamental and goes beyond the normal frame of friendship? Define for me the normal framework of a strong friendship and maybe I'll be sure.
