Like it or not, love is everywhere in media. Sometimes it's just platonic or familial, but it's romantic love that catches people's imaginations. It's inspired the most songs, poems, and stories across a multitude of media, including anime.
Whether it’s shonen, shojo, mecha, comedy, or more, there are many anime couples out there who have stolen viewers' hearts just as effectively. But out of all the pairings out there, these are the best examples of romance in anime.
8 Simon & Nia
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann isn’t known for its restraint. Usually, it’s quite the opposite, as the mechs get bigger and the stakes get higher. Nonetheless, it managed a bittersweet romance between its humble lead Simon and Nia.
Her bubbly, naive nature contrasted well with Simon’s shy, low-fi personality, often bringing out the more daring side hidden within him. Like when he stopped the Anti-Spiral and saved the world just to get her back. While the two didn’t have a fairy tale ending together, their relationship capped the series off beautifully.
7 Edward & Winry
Full Metal Alchemist is best known as the series that can break fans’ hearts with one word (“Ed…ward…”). But its Brotherhood follow-up pieced them back together again by building on the relationship between the titular Alchemist and his childhood friend Winry Rockbell.
She’s helped both the Elric brothers out on multiple occasions, building Edward’s automail in record time, playing peacemaker when the two fell out and taking to the field herself to rescue Edward from Scar. In turn, he reciprocated her feelings, promising to make her cry tears of joy, which he would go on to fulfill for the series’ feelgood ending.
6 Mafuyu & Ritsuka
Most of the entries on this list are hetero, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for an LGBTQ pairing. Given found room for two as its central plot focused on the members of its indie rock band getting together. Some may prefer bassist Haruki and drummer Akihiko getting together in the anime’s latter half as they deal with their growing fame.
But like with most bands, it’s the frontman and guitarist that get the most attention. Mafuyu and Ritsuka have the sweetest build-up as they bond over the latter’s guitar, which once belonged to Mafuyu’s late friend Yūki. It makes the two otherwise stoic and repressed characters open up about their feelings to each other in a natural and touching way.
5 Kōsei & Kaori
Naoshi Arakawa’s acclaimed manga Your Lie in April has had many adaptations, from its anime to a live-action movie and multiple theatrical productions. While the art wasn’t always on point, the star-crossed romance between its leads Kōsei and Kaori hit the mark with its readers. The story of their brief time together really tugged at viewers' heartstrings.
Kōsei is a pianist prodigy whose left unable to play after the death of his mother, and Kaori’s an excitable violinist who plays by her own rules. Through her charm and skill, she helps Kōsei get back in touch with his talents and enjoy life once more. While she got to play with her favorite musician, having secretly been a fan of Kōsei’s music since she was a kid.
4 Kaguya & Miyuki
Your Lie in April is rather bittersweet, so how about something more upbeat? Kaguya-Sama: Love is War takes shonen battle tropes and tweaks them to fit into a romcom. The titular Kaguya is the daughter of a wealthy conglomerate owner, while the object of her desire is Miyuki, the smartest student in their prefecture.
However, they’re both too proud to ‘show weakness’ by revealing their feelings. So, they challenge each other by trying to put the other in a situation where they have to show affection to save face. Whoever opens their heart first ‘loses.’ As funny and tense as the show gets, it’s ultimately a story of a couple learning love wins over pride that really caught on with viewers.
3 Tomoya & Nagisa
Based on the visual novel game of the same name, Clannad is a tale of opposites attracting. Tomoya is a bitter delinquent who’s not afraid to speak his mind, and Nagisa’s a quiet, sickly girl who has trouble making friends. She hoped to join the drama club at school, but it disbanded after its members graduated.
Luckily for her, Tomoya has some spare time and a bunch of friends he’s loyal to. He helps her reform the club and join his group of friends. Tomoya’s firm exterior gradually opens up as he helps Nagisa realize her dream. Even if they needed some helping hands from their friends along the way. Things get much more complicated after that point, but the love between the two endures above all.
2 Yusaku & Kyoko
When it comes to Rumiko Takahashi, many would cite Inuyasha and Kagome from Inuyasha as her top romance. That or the tsundere pairing Ranma and Akane in Ranma ½, or human-alien relations with Ataru and Lum in Urusei Yatsura. Yet it’s this relatively obscure, more grounded pairing from her 1980s anime adaptation Maison Ikkoku that feels the most touching, natural, and has aged the best over the years.
Yusaku is a college student that was going to move out of his apartment complex until he met its new owner in Kyoko. For him, it was love at first sight, but she’s reluctant to enter another relationship after the death of her husband. He has to prove himself above other suitors and handle Kyoko delicately as she processes her feelings and learns to love again.
1 Naruto & Hinata
This one was bound to turn up. Nearly any anime fan from the past 20 years is aware of the shouty, orange-clad ninja and his shy, gray-eyed girlfriend. Hinata’s crush on Naruto became an early running gag in the first anime, as she’d glow bright red if he got closer than 10 feet away from her.
Their growing feelings built up across both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, with many trials, tribulations, and diversions along the way. So, it was only fitting that The Last: Naruto the Movie would close off the saga by finally having the two seal the deal by getting married. Naruto achieves his dream of becoming Hokage and has a family with Hinata that leads to a new generation with Boruto.