Finished Manga
Is It Tough Being "A Friend"?

“Ichirou Kobayashi plays the ultimate supportive best friend to anime-protagonist-like Ryuuga and his harem of beauties.”

Is It Tough Being "A Friend"?

7.01
9,430 rank · 5,487 readers · 38 favorites
School Comedy
36 chapters · 4 volumes · 2019 - 2022 · Manga
For you

Add Is It Tough Being "A Friend"? to your library

Add to library
Chapters · 36 0/36
CH 01 CH 36

Would You Love or Hate This?

AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste

Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...

However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...

Sign up to unlock
Personalized to you
Honest pros & cons
Based on your library
Get Your Personal Analysis

Synopsis

Ichirou Kobayashi plays the ultimate supportive best friend to anime-protagonist-like Ryuuga and his harem of beauties.

My first impression of Ryuuga was "This is the kind of protagonist you'd see in something like an anime." Then, that thought soon changed into conviction. First of all, this guy almost never talks about his past. Also, he frequently slips out of class. As soon as he comes back, he gets extremely tired, blood comes out from his lips, the sleeves and cuffs of his uniform get torn, and so forth. Furthermore, there's always beauties that are surrounding Ryuuga. The one who's like an idol within the school, Shiori Yukimiya. The cool expert of the sword, Rei Aogasaki. The mysterious transfer student, Elmira McCartney. It's very tiring for me when these people appear in front of Ryuuga. I have to frantically make a fuss by saying things like "H-hey Ryuga! How did you get acquainted with Yukimiya!" and "W-why did the beautiful swordswoman Aogasaki come to the classroom to specifically meet Ryuga?!" or "E-E-Elmira! What is it that you see in Ryuga?!" ...so why am I doing this? That's because I, Ichirou Kobayashi, am a pro at being a friend. My life's calling is to support Ryuuga Hinomori, the protagonist among protagonists, as a close friend character. Let the curtains open for the rom-com presented by co-starring best friend, Ichirou Kobayashi! (Source: Shogakukan, translated)

What people say

Community consensus

Derived from 3 sampled reviews

6.3 /10

What 3 readers settled on.

67% recommend
Score distribution
median 7 mode 4 σ 1.70
1510
Agreement

Mostly aligned

σ 1.70 · some divergence

mixed
The polarity gap

3.5 pts

Recommenders 7.5 · others 4.0

Yes
No
Score over time

↓ 0.67

Running avg · May 2022 → Feb 2023

Read Order & Related

Explore the Is It Tough Being "A Friend"? universe

If you stay for this, you'll stay for these

See all →

The community pairs this with

See all →

Publication slate

A Manga Publication

  • Format 36 × 4 ch × vol
  • Total read 4h 48m approx
  • Published Nov 2019 – Nov 2022
  • Source Manga media type
  • Ref. BS-M51969 catalog

In the news

See all →