Connotation of 親密 (shinmitsu)


jisho.org translates shinmitsu as "intimacy; friendship​", and says it's a
common word. But I want to know its connotation. Is it heavily inclined to
romance? Or heavily inclined towards a platonic bond? Or completely neutral
between those two extremes? Can it be used to refer to a parent's bond with
their child? etc.

For context, I encountered it in the gotoubun no hanayome movie (a harem
anime). 「私とあなた達、どちらがより親密なのか？」 (It's a question of, between me and you guys,
who are more shinmitsu [with MC-kun]).




An especially close relationship that could be romantic, platonic, or
familial. I think it as a step up from 仲がいい.

One could argue that by avoiding saying 恋愛関係 and the like, it implies
something decidedly not romance, but I don't think that that interpretation is
so definitive.

