Throughout the years, anime fans have witnessed some of the mostinspiring, heartwarming, and wholesome love storiesin entertainment. However, they have also been subjected to heart-wrenching and devastating romances.
Related:Best Romance Anime
We have seen everything from star-crossed lovers to soul-mates that can never be together for a plethora of reasons. Below, we will talk about ten couples whose stories made anime worldwide fans cry for hours.
Spoiler Warning: Beware of main plot spoilers for the anime below!
10Asuma And Kurenai - Naruto
Since they were first introduced to the show, Kurenai and Asuma gave hints about them being more than just friends. After years of teasing the audience with small romantic moments, their relationship was confirmed when Kurenai began showing signs of pregnancy.
Many fans were ecstatic once this was revealed, only to be heartbroken a few episodes later when Asuma died at the hands ofthe terrifying bounty hunter, Hidan. Kurenai was left alone, mourning the death of her lover and with a small baby girl to take care of.
9Jintan And Menma - Ano Hana
Menma always saw Jintan, as much more than a friend. She liked Jintan, the kind of way you like someone you wish to marry. Sadly, this relationship could never be, as Menma died during her childhood, leaving Jintan to mourn her death from a young age.
Related:Best Anime Shows With Meaningful Lessons & Inspiration
Ten years later, Menma came back as a ghost, asking Jintan to help her cross the light and reincarnate. During this time, Jintan finally confessed his feeling for his late friend, feeling that were reciprocated even for a few moments. This sweet moment turned sour when Menma crossed to the other side, once again preventing her relationship with Jintan from blooming.
8Kaori And Kousei - Your Lie In April
This inspiring and amazingly animated show tells the story of Kaori, a girl who became enamored with the child prodigy Kousei and his way of playing piano as a little child. She spent years watching her idol and crush from afar, scared of saying “hi.” As a teenager, Kaori was diagnosed with a terminal illness, one that would end her life in a matter of months.
Armed with a new desire to live, Kaori approached Kosei, beginning a beautiful friendship with the boy. The young girl helped the former pianist surpass his trauma and start playing his favorite instrument again. Unfortunately, Kaori passed away during one of Kosei’s performances, but not before her spirit played a last song alongside her love.
7Jiro And Naoko - The Wind Rises
In this film from theamazing Studio Ghibli, Jiro and Naoko met at a young age when the former saved Naoko’s maid from dying in an earthquake. They each went their way, only to be reunited in their adulthood when Naoko’s umbrella was blown away by the wind, and Jiro rescued it.
From that moment on, the couple had a wholesome, healthy, and heartwarming relationship based on love and trust. Sadly, this beautiful couple would not last long, as Naoko was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Despite this, Jiro stayed by her side, loving her and supporting her through her sickness. Naoko died during one of Jiro’s business trips, unable to say goodbye to her husband.
6Takaki And Akari - Five Centimeters Per Second
Childhood sweethearts from elementary school, Takaki and Akari, made a promise to enjoy watching the cherry blossom trees together forever. Tragically, this promise was broken when Akari had to move away from their hometown. A few months later, Takaki moved away even further, but not before spending one last night with Akari, cuddled inside a small room.
They lost contact once they entered middle school. Takaki would constantly write emails to Akari, only to erase them once he was done. The couple kept growing, reaching adulthood and moving back to Tokyo, unaware that they were so close to each other. One day, Takaki saw Akari walking down the street but decided to let her go instead of clinging to his old feelings.
5Nana And Nana “Hachi” - Nana
Two young women with the same name meet one day on a train headed to Tokyo. One of them, nicknamed Hachi, has no place to stay, so the other woman offers her to stay in her apartment for the night. This decision sent the two women on a journey of discovery as they battle against the feelings they have for each other.
While it is clear that they feel something greater than friendship, both Nanas decide never to act on their feelings, pursuing other relationships. For a while, it seems as if they have truly moved on, but their feelings are never truly gone. The original Nana manga is still unfinished to this day, leaving this couple without a proper ending yet.
4Sanji And Pudding - One Piece
One Pieceis a show where romance is rarely ever brought up. Nonetheless, the few love stories we have seen in the series have been as heartwarming as they are bitter. Case in point, the arranged marriage turned to impossible love between Big Mom’s daughter and Sanji.
The Straw Hat cookhad no desire to marry Pudding at first, knowing that the marriage was just a ploy from his father to bring him back home. Yet, over time, Sanji and Pudding began truly caring for one another, leading the latter to betray her mother to save her soulmate. In the end, Pudding had to erase Sanji’s memories to prevent him from staying by her side.
3Mitsuha And Taki - Your Name
Not everyone can find their soulmate during their time on Earth. Sometimes they live too far, others, they pass away before you can meet them. This is a lesson that Taki had to learn the hard way. One day, Taki began interchanging bodies with Mitsuha, a girl who lived in a small village far from Tokyo, where he lived.
Related:Best Anime Movies Of All Time
At random, Taki would go to sleep, only to wake up on Mitsuha’s body the next day. This went on for a few months until it suddenly stopped. Taki did his research and found out that Mitsuha died years before he started experiencing this phenomenon and was traveling to the past when he entered Mitsuha’s body. Despite this tragic news, the couple found a way to find each other again after preventing Mitsuha from dying.
2Ash And Eiji - Banana Fish
Ash grew up as the personal slave of Dino Golzine, the mob boss of one of America’s most dangerous mafias. After getting hold of a strange new drug, Ash becomes Dino’s new target, being chased by his men to take the substance from him. During this time, Ash meets Eiji, a Japanese journalist whom he falls in love with.
Related:Best Games With LGBTQIA+ Representation
With the help of Eiji, Ash learns more about the man who kept him prisoner for decades, as well as the mysterious drug, which we learn is named Banana Fish. Ash struggles for months to be freed from Dino’s influence and be able to live happily with his boyfriend. Sorrowfully, Ash does not get this chance, as he is killed by a mobster moments before he can escape to Japan with Eiji.
During Tomoya’s childhood, his mother was a victim of a horrible accident that took her life. This traumatic experience scared his father for life, turning him into a distant person and leaving Tomoya to fend for himself. The boy became a delinquent to deal with the wounds his mother’s death and father’s negligence caused. This, fortunately, changed when he met Nagisa, a shy and kind girl who showed him the world was still a good place.
As adults, Nagisa and Tomoya got married, ready to start a family. Woefully, Nagisa died during childbirth due to a debilitating illness she had since childhood. Tomoya was left alone to take care of his daughter, who lamentably had the same illness as her mother and died very young. After losing his daughter, Tomoya was granted a wish and got a new chance at life in a universe where his wife and daughter were still alive.
