I Think I Am In Friend-Love With You

by Yumi Sakugawa

YALSA Quick Pick Award Winner Express your love for your friends with this sweet, loving book that celebrates the joy of true friendship.I have a confession to make. I think I am in friend-love with you. What’s friend-love? It’s that super-awesome bond you share with someone who makes you happy every time you text each other, or meet up for an epic outing. It’s not love-love. You don’t want to swap saliva; you want to swap favorite books. But it’s just as intense and just as amazing. And it’s this search for that connection that comic-book artist Yumi Sakugawa captures in I Think I Am in Friend-Love with You. It’s perfect if you've ever fallen in friend-love and want to show that person how much you love them...in a platonic way, of course.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Friendship, Art

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2013

About the author

California-based comic artist and illustrator Yumi Sakugawa's work has featured everything from lonely one-eyed monsters to an ode to The Baby-Sitters Club character Claudia Kishi. Her off-beat comics that explore the trials and tribulations of human interaction have been featured in Sadie Magazine and The Rumpus and her comic zine Mundane Fortunes for the Next Ten Billion Years And Other Stories was chosen as a Notable Comic of 2012 by the Best American Comics anthology.

- excerpt from http://www.papermag.com/2013/01/yumi_...

You can find her on: Facebook and Instagram and contributing to The Rumpus and Wonder How To.

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is as perfect as it sounds!!♥️✨

[Shaghayegh · Rating 1 out of 5]

عزیز من، ناجور داری اشتباه می‌زنی. میگی رمانتیک نیست و حرکاتت این رو نشون نمیده. از عشق افلاطونی دم می‌زنی ولی واکنشت برخلافش هست. من که فکر می‌کنم دوستانه در مورد تو کشکی بیش نیست. هی هم اصرار داری بگی که اینطوری فکر نمی‌کنی و درست همونطوری فکر می‌کنی. خواننده رو مسخره‌ی خودت گیر نیار. عشق افلاطونی هم به گند نکش چون حرمت داره. با تشکر که بدترین انتخاب ولنتاینم و امسالم به شمار رفتی. یادآوری خوبی شدی که هنوز هم گند می‌زنم و نباید خارج از برنامه چیزی بخونم. آیا وقتم هدر رفت؟ نه. موجبات خنده رو پدید آوردی و همین هم یه امتیاز مثبت در نظر گرفته میشه! رو نقاشیت هم لطفا کار کن.

[Το Άθχημο γατί του θενιόρ Γκουαναμίρου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τι μπορεί να θέλει κάποιος από τους φίλους του; Τίποτα. Τίποτα πέρα από όσα εκείνοι/ες/α επιθυμούν ελεύθερα να μοιραστούν. Υπάρχει μια συναισθηματική και ψυχική ζώνη μέσα στην οποία αναπτύσσονται όλα αυτά τα αισθήματα βαθιάς εκτίμησης, σεβασμού, τρυφερότητας, θαυμασμού που απαρτίζουν το είδος της φιλίας που δεν έχει καμία σεξουαλική διάσταση. Γιατί υπάρχουν πολλές φιλίες και πολλές αγάπες και όλες είναι όμορφες, όταν υπάρχει ελευθερία, κατανόηση, ωριμότητα και συναίνεση. Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι σύντομο, με σχέδια απλοϊκά και για να είμαι ειλικρινής δεν θα το πρότεινα σε κανέναν από τους φίλους μου. Γιατί δεν το χρειάζονται.

Αλλά για εμένα είναι εξαίσιο γιατί προσδιορίζει με μεγάλη ευαισθησία το συναισθηματικό φάσμα μέσα στο οποίο κινούμαι. Κάθε άνθρωπος έχει την ανάγκη αλλά και το δικαίωμα να ζήσει με ένα τρόπο που να ανταποκρίνεται στον αληθινό εαυτό του, υπό την προϋπόθεση να μην βλάπτει τον εαυτό του και τους άλλους. Και μερικές φορές βιώνουμε πράγματα με έναν συγκεκριμένο τρόπο αλλά δυσκολευόμαστε να βρούμε τα κατάλληλα λόγια για εκφραστούμε. Εκεί είναι που μέσα από τα βιβλία, τα κατάλληλα βιβλία, τα βιβλία που γίνονται ο καθρέφτης μας, βρίσκουμε τελικά τη φωνή μας. Κι όταν αυτό συμβαίνει είναι υπέροχο.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adorable little volume is basically an ode to platonic love. It incorporates basic wording and a sparse art style, which really complemented the central message. Whilst this was certainly very sweet, it did feel a little dated, such as when it mentioned Facebook 'pokes', and I found it isn't a volume whose contents will stay with for a very long time. It would make a wonderful gift for those you are in friend-love with yourself, however.

[Shoa Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tiny little webcomic is an ode to one-sided platonic love (unrequited mostly).
It's all about that one friend-crush that you want to chat/text/hang out with all the time. The one you share inside jokes with.

Though there's nothing said abt the gender of the protagonist (who simply looks like a one-eyed monster :| ), I'm sure guys would identify more with this story!
On that note, a minute of silence for all the guys in the friend zone! xD

[scar · Rating 4 out of 5]

aww, it was adorable :') the simplicity of the art and the words made it even more impactful.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CRIED A THOUSAND TEARS

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the title a lot--it's what it attracted me to the whole thing--and the concept of a letter to a potential "friend-love" quite a lot. It's sappy-sweet, in a way, and funny, in another way. The text is a letter (maybe never sent!) written to someone the writer likes "as a friend" and not as a lover. Platonic only! No kissing or anything uncomfortable like that! The writer and wannabe friend are depicted as little androgynous cute fluffy animals.

Maybe the underlying frustration/desperation, coupled with some timidity or shyness, makes it a bit sad, in a way, because I have the idea it will never get sent at all. But the reason I liked this most is not because I thought it was just simply adorable as most readers seem to, but because of the weirdness of it; it amused me. It sort of made me smile throughout, but I didn't take it too seriously. The art is sort of webcomic fast and simple, which makes the writer/artist seem even more vulnerable and likeable.

[Lisen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay um... let's discuss if it's acceptable to just send this, without comment, to all the people I want to be friends with but am too much of an anxious mess to actually talk to?

Seriously, this is just do sweet and heartwarming and idk why I teared up reading about a one-eyed blob talking about friendship but here we are...

[Fiderly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute ode to platonic friendships but man have I had difficult time with those. My 3 star rating is partially because I expected a bit more at the end and well I couldn't really picture everything that went on in the book with my own friendships but besides that it was just cute.

[Nourhan Khaled · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stole my heart! ♥️
Because it was the cutest and most beautiful book I have read this year!
It was heartwarming, short, funny, and just perfect.
I loved the drawing expressions so much, it was so sweet, hilarious, and somehow honest too. ^^"
Every time I finish this book, I go back to re-read it again and discover something new.

I just love this book so much.
And I am so happy it's crossed my reading path. 🤍

[Sarah Al Qassimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all my friend-loves,

I hope you are well.

[Enne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was the most adorable graphic novel I've read in a while and I loved every second of it. It was also very quick to get through and it's one that I can see myself coming back to again and again!! In fact, it's only been a couple of days since I first read it, but I'm already itching for a reread. It's a book that talks about wanting to be friends with someone, and it captured all of my feelings about friendship in a really succinct and clear way. I loved and related to every second of it and I loved how this emphasized the importance of friendships in people's lives!! It was just,,, so precious and I want to recommend it to everyone ever because it's just!! such a joy to read!!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm...This book is about telling someone close to you how much you mean to them, and that's great. BUT...it kind of does it wrong.
This book can come off as kind of desperate and creepy!

If you want to tell someone how you feel in a friendship, this does it...sort of well...but for the most part, you may want to think it over. Like saying "I desperatly want you to think i am a super awesome person", that's trying too hard! Just say "I want you to know that we are both super awesome together, huh? You're super awesome, and so am I!" or instead of saying "I don't want to swap spit, but swap books!" say "I'm not interested in any romantic desires with you. I just want to be good friends, that's all." Or telling the other person, "I'll do THIS and THAT for you"...err...NO.
Just say something like "I love having a good time with you, because you know how to have a good time like that club we went to, etc. etc."

Seriously.
If you want to tell someone how you really feel, this may be a good stepping stone of what to say, but keep in mind many of the things the book says comes of as desperate, and stalker like.
If you want to write your friend a note about how you feel, do it. But..
..don't slip it under your friend's door. This isn't a hollywood romantic comedy when that is seen as sweet! MAIL IT TO THEM LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!!!

[Sasha Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

i understand this feeling. i understand this longing. i understand this weight on your chest. i understand wanting unconditional friendship with someone. i also understand that this book is very adorable and the narrator is so very brave in their honesty, vulnerability, and love.

[lottareadsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luin tän ihan randomilla kun tuli Storytelissa vastaan (en ollut aiemmin edes törmännyt sarjakuviin siellä). Ihan söpö!
3,5⭐️

[Victoria Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I brought I Think I Am In Friend Love With You to my regular café and finished it in the time it took for me to finish my macchiato (the real kind, not the long tall S*Bucks kind, so a two-gulper). It's that short. "ohhh!" I said. Then my friend who happened to be sitting next to me picked it up and read it. He smiled. Then one of those cafe regulars who's not really a friend but you talk to all the time grabbed it from the bar, flipped thought it, and yelled out, "Friend Zone!" What's great about this little story of platonic love is that it is universally understood. Kind of. Cafe-guy took it to be about the dreaded "Friend Zone". My friend took it to be about that vulnerable fugue time in a relationship before you can admit to yourself that you are falling in love. And I read it differently. Sakugawa's drawings and text are sparse yet diamond-sharp nuggets of truth about love – after two pages, I was enveloped in an almost visceral memory of my platonic soul mate who now lives in far-away France. So the longing which is present in the book can mean unrequited love or absent love or even potential love but those difference are about us as readers – Sakugawa's story remains universal. ITIAIFLWY beautifully captures that non-romantic love that all of us have or have had or have imagined with at least one other being and it keeps it real by not shying away from the insecurity and loneliness that comes with living and loving. Pick this book up - it's lovely and sometimes a little lonely and a sweet reminder of all those wonderful people who we have loved and those who have loved us back.

[Kamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a confession of friend-love from a gray, one-eyed being to a faceless white being. It's a very quick read, more the kind of thing you might give as a gift to someone than something you'd read for its story or characters.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, yes, it's great to see something that recognizes friendship as a relationship that can be as deep and affecting as a romantic relationship. On the other hand, it gets kind of weird at a few points and ends on a note that doesn't entirely feel healthy. Although I said this feels like the kind of thing you might give someone as a gift, the recipient might feel more than a little creeped out after reading it.

The gray being takes great pains to explain that their love is friendship-love, and inadvertently comes across as weird in an effort to not make it weird. A few examples:

"I don't want to date you or even make out with you because that would be weird."

"And when we do hang out, I don't want to swap saliva, I just want to swap favorite books."

I think it's the specificity that makes it weird. Like, I wasn't thinking about any of those things until you brought them up, and now they're stuck in my brain as options and weirding me out.

Near the end, the gray being assures the white being (this entire text is presented as a letter the gray being wrote and delivered to the white being's house) that it wouldn't be sad if the white being were in a romantic relationship - it would, in fact, be happy for it. But right after that, the grey being witnesses the white being swap books with another being and starts crying, because this is apparently evidence that the white being sees someone else as a closer friend than the gray being.

...Your friends will have other friends. Even your best, closest friend. This doesn't necessarily mean that they no longer view you as a close friend. Not being obsessively focused on one person is a good thing, whether the relationship is friendship or romantic. But I'm not sure the book's author recognizes that.

Anyway, I appreciate what the book was trying to do, but it missed the mark. The more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I get. It's a shame, because, with several pages torn out, this might have been decent, in a "Hallmark card in book form" kind of way.

Rating NoteL

My "mixed feelings" started off as 3 stars and morphed into one by the time I was finished writing this review.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Stef · Rating 3 out of 5]

" And when we do hangout, I don't want to swap saliva, I just want to swap favorite books."

iseng-iseng lagi nyari graphic novel singkat di scribd ketemu buku ini. Illustrasi nya lucu sekali dan suka story telling nya yang mengambil tema Platonic Love with your friend. Could I agree with some the text since I've same experience like the MC illustrated here. A good book to read when you need light reading.

" After all, we only have so much time in this world, To only have so many friends."

[Nerea · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Leído furtivamente en Abacus esperando encontrar una historieta gráfica normalita*
—Mierda, me encanta. A ver cuánto cuesta... Mierda, no me llega.
*Se lo enseño a mi novio entusiasmada, a ver si cuela*
*No cuela*
—Mierda.
*Pienso en robarlo alegando amor al arte*
*Recuerdo que en la cárcel la gente tiene que releer los mismos libros porque nunca hay de nuevos*
—Mierda.
*Dejo el libro de mala gana y me voy del Abacus cabreada por no ser rica*

[Annida · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't want to date you or even make out with you. Because that would be weird"


This book feels very sad yet so beautiful. You know almost everyone experiences this kind of friend-love with someone. When you found someone that you can feel cozy with, and just wanna do all things with them, that's called friend-love.

[Alyaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I relate to this more than I’d like to admit.

[Safara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hateeee the sad ending but I can relate that friendship nowadays can be hard due to our juggling between work and family

[J Kuria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Platonic love for the win!

[Bina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made my aro heart beat faster! <3

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to practice my Spanish and because it had pictures which made it easy for me to understand. I probably read and at fifth grade level in Spanish, so pictures help a lot.

This was kind of a sad little story about a creature (none of the characters are depicted as human, although they obviously represent humans) who has a friend crush on someone else. Most of their relationship seems to occur online and the protagonist feels ambivalent about his/her feelings. Probably a her because of the sort of feelings and relationship described.

When she sees that her friend has other friends it makes her feel jealous and depressed, but she knows it's not fair to feel that way, even though she does.

That's about all I can say about this book. It's either your cup of tea or it's not.

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

queer platonic soulmates for the win! no, seriously. there's a certain level of intimacy i have or want with some friends that's deeper than friendship but not like a romantic partner. this book explains it close to perfectly

[Brianna Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was adorable.

[michelle (travelingbooknerds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute, so wholesome, so relatable, but i disagree—i think platonic friends can cuddle and hold hands and put their heads on each others shoulders <333

would make such a cute gift for a friend 🥰