I don't understand the meaning of 「友達 は 少し 抜けて

I don’t understand the meaning of 「友達 は 少し 抜けて いる ところ が ある」 I know the individual words, but what is the phrase supposed to mean? Thank you.

“抜けている” means unwise or stupid.
It is supposed in the essay that a wise woman with a stupid man makes a happy couple. I couldn’t possibly comment.

We often say
少し間が抜けているところがある sukoshi maganuketeiru tokorogaaru
抜けている = 間が抜けている = look a bit goofy

We also often say
間抜け = まぬけ
彼はちょっと間抜けなところがある He is a bit goofy.

However, in this content
Emma says that her friend has a personality of innocence ( a bit goofy).
She has no intention to make her friend a fool.

Hope this helps.

I agree. She did not intend to make a fool of her friend, although the expression “抜けている” is rarely used as a way to praise someone. I associate this expression with “henpecked husband,” not with “innocence.” I am sure that she was joking.

When I used Japanese learner textbooks, the parts that taught about Japanese customs said that Japanese people often make derogatory remarks about things inside their personal sphere… themselves, friends, spouses, or even gifts (tsumaranai mono desu ga…) … as a way of being polite to people outside their regular sphere. If translated to English directly, these words sound harsh, but the intent is actually not to be insulting, but to be polite… sort of like a verbal bow.