Nothing is ever easy in anime. Whether a character is dealing with newfound powers, fighting villains for their lives, or simply studying for an exam, the odds always seemed to be stacked against them. The same is often true for their love lives, which are usually plagued with more barriers that normal.
Yet despite any number of setbacks, there are still plenty of characters who manage to overcome their circumstances long enough to find meaningful, romantic relationships. It just proves that a good relationship is worth fighting for, which is exactly what these characters did.
Here are 9 anime couples who found love even when the odds were stacked against them.
Miyo and Lord Kudo from My Happy Marriage
With elements of intense drama and even supernatural powers, My Happy Marriage is an unexpected series that still manages to put romance at the forefront. Despite her oppressive family turning her into a literal house slave, the main characters, Miyo and Lord Kudo, develop a genuine relationship based on love and trust when she is engaged to be married off to him.
Tohru and Kyo from Fruits Basket
As one of the most popular romance series of the early 2000s, it was no surprise when this series got a reboot. It tackles heavy themes of family and isolation while still being fun and captivating.
In this series, members of the Soma family suffer from a curse that prohibits them from embracing the opposite sex. As Tohru Honda attempts to help the family, she forms a deep relationship with Kyo Soma, who has the worst curse of all.
Zero Two and Hiro from Darling in the Franxx
In a near-distant future where monsters roam the earth, boys and girls are paired up in mechs to try and protect the remaining adults. Things like love and intimacy are entirely foreign concepts, yet Hiro and Zero Two form a connection that quickly negates everything they've ever known or been taught, saying these types of relationships don't exist, let alone matter.
While this anime is filled with cool robots and fun character designs, underneath is a story about how love can prevail in situations where it has purposely been snuffed out.
Legoshi and Haru from Beastars
Beastars has a bit of a reputation for being unconventional. However, If you can get past the idea of anthropomorphic animals engaging in intimacy, you'll find a compelling anime that deals with the concept of the weak versus the strong.
As one of the strong, things become very complicated for Legoshi, a grey wolf, who develops feelings for a small rabbit named Haru. While he tries to subvert society's expectations for him as a carnivore, Legoshi must also fight back against the instincts that tell him Haru is more fit for prey than partnership.
Mafuyu Sato and Ritsuka Uenoyama from Given
Easily one of the most heart-wrenching series on this list, Given follows Mafuyu Sato and Ritsuka Uenoyama, two high school boys attempting to form a band. What Ritsuka doesn't know is that Mafuyu has recently experienced the horrors of tragically losing a loved one, which is holding him back from acting on the romantic feelings they're both experiencing.
Coupled with the struggles of being the same sex, this series shows how putting the healing of others above you despite your feelings can also lead to something beautiful.
Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane from Love is War
As one of the more lighthearted entries on the list, Love is War proves that not all relationship struggles have to be tragic. For Kaguya and Miyuki, what's mainly holding them back is their pride. With neither wanting to cave due to their opposing class status’ and intense sense of pride, they spend each episode hilariously trying to force the other to cave into admitting their feelings first.
Naho Takamiya and Kakeru Nanase from Orange
While many relationships are held back by things like family or status, in Orange, the main thing keeping Naho and Kakeru apart is Kakeru's impending premature death. In hopes of trying to prevent her past self from experiencing the same heartbreak, future Naho sends a series of letters to her past self detailing how she and her friends may be able to save Kakeru from ever dying in the first place.
Anna Yamada and Kyotaro Ichikawa from The Dangers in my Heart
Yamada and Ichikawa are two very different people. She’s a tall, charismatic, but airheaded model, and he's a short loner with a secret; he sometimes fantasizes about murdering her. However, as she slowly begins to charm him with her genuine personality, Ichikawa not only warms up to her but begins to develop genuine feelings.
To preserve Yamada's reputation, Ichikawa attempts to keep his distance, but in trying to spare her, he ends up creating the distance Yamada is actively going out of her way to avoid. As absurd as it sounds, this is probably the most endearing relationship on this list.
Tomo Aizawa and Junichiro Kubota in Tomo-Chan is a Girl
Tomo Aizawa is the toughest girl in school and everyone knows it, especially her best friend, Jun. The problem is she has no desire to be seen that way.
Where Jun only sees her as his tough best friend he can't beat in a fight, Tomo wants him to see her as a potential romantic interest. The more she tries to change herself to win him over, the more obvious it becomes that Jun just doesn't see her that way; at least, it doesn't seem like he does.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
In this science fiction romance, both Sakuta and Mai suffer from different versions of Adolescence Syndrom - a condition where teenagers' mental and emotional stresses manifest with strange physics results.
For Sakuta, painful scars appear on his body, and for Mai, it's slowly disappearing from existence. Still, they manage to develop an enviable connection that not only transcends their conditions but cures them as well. Despite its unconventional name, this romance anime often exceeds expectations and cannot be recommended enough.
Anyone who's ever been in love knows, relationships aren't easy. There's no shortage of romance series or Valentine's specials in animation. While some of these characters have to go through more obstacles than others, they all have to face some animosity at some point. Still, it's nice to see that despite the odds, there's always a chance for true love to prevail, and these 9 anime couples show that.