A thread as to why Ash and Eiji are twin flames and NOT soulmates

#BANANAFISH好きさんと繋がりたい
#BANANAFISH #asheiji #バナナフィッシュ

First, let's start with the definition of a twin flame

Twin flames are two souls that were split into different bodies.

They are something more akin the Greek legend of human creation

Although it may seem like twin flames and soulmates are an interchangeable phrase, I'm here to explain why they are not

A person can have multiple soulmates within a lifetime, but only one twin flame

Soulmates, traditionally, only had romantic connotations. Twin flames do not

Twin flames have the ability to blur the lines between romantic and platonic love.

Ash and Eiji's relationship also blurs this line. Their relationship does not resemble a typical romantic relationship, nor does it resemble a strictly platonic one either

Twin flames help each other grow by teaching one another.

From the first moment they met Ash and Eiji were helping one another.

Ash helped Eiji grow more confident and even pole vault again

And of course Eiji helped Ash learn to trust people. He allowed for him to be vulnerable and deal with his bottled up emotions and trauma in a more healthy manner

Since the very nature of a twin flame relationship is to help each other grow they are often very intense emotionally and tense. They complete each other but not the same way soulmates do. There is also an immediate connection between the two -

As shown in episode one of Banana Fish, Ash let's Eiji hold his gun, which was stated that he never lets anyone touch his gun.

There is an undeniable immediate connection where they put trust in one another

Because of this connection the twin flames will often feel like they've known the person forever. They are each other's homes.

For Ash, eiji is the first person he feels completely comfortable with, he is his home.

Since twin flames are mirrored energies of each other their love is unconditional if they learn to love themselves. Throughout the entirety of Banana Fish we see Ash and Eiji's relationship grow and although Ash still may not love himself you can see that he begins to

They are both putting each other at rusk to save one another. Probably two of the most notable scenes being when Ash went back to Dino to save Eiji. And when Eiji refused to go back to safety in Japan, yet again and went to get Ash from Dino

Now one of the main discrepancies between asheiji's relationship and the definition of a twin flame is the similar past. Since we don't know much about Eiji's past (at least in the anime, I have yet to finish the manga). -

Although there may not be a lot of past shared experiences between the two, they each faced their own trial and tribulations which both had great impacts on their lives

I'm wrapping this up soon so for my final point I'd like to say
Ash and Eiji's relationship is not textbook. It is more than romance and more than friendship. I'd like to think their relationship goes without labels.
There are 6 types of love, and yet some forms go unlabeled

No matter what you decide to lable them as I think it's fair to say they are twin flames and are really good for each other.

I could honestly go on about them for hours but I wanted to keep this short and simple, so thank you all for reading