Bsrgvty

I can't seem to figure out how this is supposed to be parsed. For context, two characters broke up and went back to being friends, and when they get back together again, one of them says this. (This is from a manga, so I put spaces where there were column breaks and new lines in between the bubbles.)

なんかさ…　別れてから　友だちに戻って

実はちょっと　嬉しいとき　あったんだ

…なんか　そーゆーの

友だちとか　恋人より

もっとずっと　仲良しって　感じしない？

My first interpretation was that it was something like 友だちの方が恋人より仲良し, but I'm not sure that that makes any sense. It seems like the opposite that 友だち would be more 仲良し than 恋人.

Another interpretation was that it's そのときの方が友だちとか恋人とかより仲良し, but again I don't think this makes much sense.

(S)he is indeed claiming that "友だち would be more 仲良し than 恋人".

Here's my attempt at translation:

なんかさ…　別れてから　友だちに戻って 実はちょっと　嬉しいとき　あったんだ

How would I put it... After we broke up and went back to just friends...
I Actually was a little happy.

…なんか　そーゆーの 友だちとか　恋人より もっとずっと　仲良しって　感じしない？

Like, you know... being friends... has this feeling of being much more close than lovers, you see?

Unfortunately 仲良し does not have an exact equivalent in English and may be somewhat difficult to distinguish from 友だち/friendship.

The root of it is 仲なか (relation; [close] relationship) which is also used in the following words among many others:

• 仲間なかま - friend/partner/colleague/comrade


• 仲なか直なおり - reconciliation; making up (e.g. after a fight/break up)


• 仲間なかま入いり - getting accepted into/joining a group (e.g. of friends)


• 仲人なこうど - matchmaker


• 仲間なかまはずれ - being left out; being ostracized

As another example, 仲なかがいい is also used when describing siblings or cousins who help and respect each other, don't fight etc.

EDIT

By popular demand, let me try to clarify the terms a little more.

While 仲良し can be used as a type of relationship on its own (probably somewhat analogous to "best buddies"), in this case it's used as a qualifier on the closeness/intimacy of the relationship and is not a stage by itself.

Both 友だち (friends) and 恋人 (lovers) can be 仲がいい (on good terms) or 仲が悪い (bad terms/falling out/cats and dogs). E.g. in the latter case the friends may have had a quarrel over something or "lovers" could be in an abusive relationship and only stay together due to some external factor.

Now, assuming you were on good terms (仲がいい/仲良し) in both cases, how would being friends be a closer relationship (もっとずっと仲良し) than lovers?

This is a little difficult to answer without reading the work, but going by the common tropes I've seen in manga, during the 恋人 stage there could be a more heightened awareness of the other party or the opinion of the people around (緊張 - tension/nervousness), or the implied pressure of having to be considerate (気遣い), while 友だち is usually a more relaxed environment where each can be closer to their true self and more open, which could make it feel more close or intimate.

How to parse 「友だちとか　恋人より　もっとずっと　仲良し」

The fundamental structure of the phrase is as follows:

AとかBより　C

It is more C than A and/or B

Here とか is used to enumerate a list of things (A and/or B). Based on the structure, we can infer the meaning of the phrase as follows:

友だちとか恋人より もっとずっと仲良し

We are in a relationship that is way more intimate than a friend and/or lover.

Relationship among 友だち, 恋人, and 仲良し

Even though 友だち and 恋人 are different types of interpersonal relationship, they are both classified into 仲良し (an intimate relationship). Keeping this in mind, review how the relationship of the two characters has been changed (arrow ↓ denotes the flow of time):

恋人

↓ 「別れてから　友だちに戻って」

友だち

↓ 「実はちょっと　嬉しいとき　あった」

恋人

↓ 「友だちとか　恋人より　もっとずっと　仲良しって　感じ」

Despite the change of their relationship type, they have kept their intimate relationship (仲良し) going, all the time. This implies a strong intimacy/bond that goes way beyond the types of their relationship (友だちとか　恋人より　もっとずっと 仲良し). This is also why one of the characters said, "To be honest, I was a bit happy (実はちょっと　嬉しいとき　あった)."

All in all, the key is that they have kept 仲良し, no matter the type of their relationship (友だち or 恋人).

The relationship between her and her boyfriend has three types.

One is just a friend. Second is a pair of lovers. Third is back to being friends with her boyfriend after they broke up.

She says she feels that the third relationship is closer to him than the other two relationships. 仲良し means "the relationship is close".

It is like 私達は別れてから友達に戻ったから、私達は今、ただの友達よりも恋人よりも、仲良しだと感じる.

そーゆーの here means the two who broke up but now are friends.

She feels more friendship now.