My Ultimate Favorite Anime Manga Couple List

 

I've been reading manga since 2005. Man, I grew up with anime and manga! I read a lot, through many genres, but a great romance story will always appreciated. I collect my memories to dedicate a post about my favorite anime/manga couples, some are not really a canon couple (only have the chemistry)but why not?

I shed tears for some of the couples here, better love story than most romance movies. As you can see, it's a list created by me based on my reading experience, so it is of course, a subjective list.

This is in a random order, because it's hard to decide who's in what rank, it tortures me mentally to put rank. This is an evergrowing list, has 100% probability to add some more in the future, because I will read more mangas until I bite the dust.

Caution: Major spoiler alerts

There are some fanon a.k.a ship couples (please author-san make it come true). Cover manga, manhua, and manhwa characters (read about the difference here, here, and here). May include doujinshi, I dunno (⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~

Guts and Casca (Berserk)
Type: manga | seinen, dark fantasy

Guts and Casca. I was screaming in joy when this scene appear.

I said before that I can't put rank on my list, but this one has probability to be the number one. It has to. Berserk is one of my favorite manga, and this couple make it better. If you read the manga, I'm sure you will agree with me. I don't know if there will exist a couple that can "beat" them in my heart (lol). The story goes: there's a charismatic mercenary band leader named Griffith. Guts was his best friend, and Casca was the right hand and secret admirer. Jealousy got Casca hate Guts, who turned out to be Griffith's trusted friend and partner, even more the fact Guts is stronger than her. There are series of events when Guts end up saving her life, which then bring them closer.
There was an epic disaster that then pulled them apart, causing both of them living with curse of the dead, and Casca's amnesia. For the rest of his life, while fighting demons and the curse, Guts is trying to revive her memories, which probably not something she wanted to have back. This manga had an anime adaptation.

Ryutarou Asada and Akira Katou (Team Medical Dragon)
Type: manga | seinen

Ryutarou and Akira

WHY AREN'T YOU BOTH DATING???!!! *screaming internally* *cries in amaterasu*  

That sums it up. It's like a feeling when you see your male best friend started to spark lovely atmosphere with your female best friend, they are really close, doesn't deny it when people tease them, but doesn't end up together anyway. It drives me crazy.

Team Medical Dragon is a manga about freak-genius surgeon, Ryutarou who got scouted by assistant professor Akira to help her change Japan's corrupt hospital management, starting revolution in her heart surgery sector. Both of them are rational person, cool, manipulative, extremely attractive, genius, and actually pure-hearted. And they are definitely showing affection to each other.

Akira said he wasn't her type, but admit his bravery (I won't mind a kiss there, hey). In the end of the manga, Ryu said that he have to go (leaving the hospital) before he get caught (which I selfishly implied as falling for her). I thought I could scratched blackboard with my nails when it ends leaving it hanging, without them being officially together. This manga had a live action adaptation, but no anime. Perhaps because it's complexity in surgery scenes.

Kagehisa Anotsu and Makie Tachibana (Blade of the Immortal)
Type: manga | seinen, historical

I like the setting of a girl extremely good at swordfighting, protecting her childhood love, her cousin, and her master, which actually doesn't need any protection as he is also unbeatable swordsman. I also like it because Kagehisa is an introvert, less talks, but only open his feelings to Makie. Absolutely awesome artworks. Got anime and live action adaptation.

Van Hohenheim and Trisha Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Type: manga | shounen

Why them instead the main canon couple? I love the concept where Trisha wholeheartedly accepted her husband for being immortal and technically, a serial killer (?). And then, she apologized for leaving the world (she died) first. And for a person like Hohenheim to be able to fall in love. That was just, sweet.

Nanato Mukaido and Aya Mukaido (Platinum End)
Type: manga | shounen 

Why Nanato Mukaido and not the protagonist, Mirai-kun? There is really huge chance you will not found them in other couple list, because they are not the main character, especially the wife, she's just a tertiary one. What did they do so they managed to get included in my list? Simple, this scene:

Nanato Mukaido, dying with cancer, asking Aya, his pregnant wife. Get married you two!!!—oh wait you're already married. Good.

I am weak. I am so very weak. *insert mha heart mha sole meme*

Sumire Hanayashiki and Yuri Makurano (For the Rose/Bara no Tame ni)
Type: manga | josei

Yuri and Sumire. It's hard to find picture with both of them in one scene.

They are so beautiful together. Yuri Makurano, the main character, is not a popular girl. She had freckles and chubby, at some point that she even considered as ugly. When her grandma passed away, she found out the fact that she had an actress mother and three beautiful siblings. Pretty much Cinderella here, except the fact that Yuri fell in love with her step-brother, Sumire. It's not easy because Aoi, her other sibling, loves him too. And Sumire still crazy over his deceased fiancee. When Sumire and Yuri finally got together, their mother is extremely against it. It's heartwarming how Yuri patiently waiting for Sumire's change of heart, and Sumire's love is trying to build her confidence, as she has extreme inferior complex.

I'm a big fan of the author, Akemi Yoshimura. She's among the mangaka whose works I will read without thinking twice. If you are a guy and looking for some josei manga you can try at ease, I recommend all her works. Bara no Tame ni is the manga that brought me to Akemi Yoshimura. It is straightforward, beautiful and powerful dialouges, valuable life lessons, and humor.

Soichiro Arima and Yukino Miyazawa (Karekano)
Type: manga | shoujo

This couple came first in my mind when I plan to make this list. Also the first shoujo manga that I acknowledged (why do they need my acknowledgement anyway). Arima and Yukino are top model students, treat each other as rival in both academic and popularity. Arima is natural, while Yukino actually putting lots of hardwork to maintain her rank. As the story goes by (I can't remember much), they became lovers and encouraging each other, as they discovered the partners' deepest secrets and desires. Near the end, they did something model students shouldn't do. This manga covers friendship and family here, and got anime adaptation.

Hirotaka Nifuji and Momose Narumi (Wotakoi)
Type: manga | shoujo

Nifuji is handsome and skillful at work, but his otaku and unsociable behaviors stopped girl to come at him. His girlfriend is an otaku in disguise. They were high school classmates, and she can be open about her hobbies only to him and her best friends. It is simply fun to watch these two types that usually considered to have no love life get together.

A relaxing, humorous, romantic comedy shoujo manga. Note this: relaxing. This is important because not much shoujo manga have this. No overdramatic plot, no suddenly appearance of love rival, but still have its way to present cute couples which also appear mature at the same time.

Kaneki Ken and Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re)
Type: manga | seinen, dark fantasy

Touka is aggressive.

Ever heard of this manga? Do you read it? If yes, then no need of long description. Human is not the top of food chain, they have their own predator called ghoul. Since a long time, ghoul and human failed to live in harmony and always trying to get control of each other.

As for this couple, I genuinely happy for them I can cry. Finally got to see a piece of love in this manga, and I like how their feelings grow throughout the series. They were like enemies at their first meeting: one ghoul and one half-ghoul. They got separated without being able to realize the feelings. But gradually, gradually with so much things happened, they can be together. I was so touched when they met again.

If you haven't read this manga: give it a try. Or watch the anime. Please. The original soundtrack is addicting. P.S.: Kaneki doesn't do anything wrong.

Amon Koutarou and Akira Mado (Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re)
Type: manga | seinen, dark fantasy

This scene is false alarm.

Amon and Akira are both ghoul investigators. They are rival with different approach in dealing with ghouls. They observe each others' action. Their passive-aggressive demeanor got in my nerves. Akira is a cold-headed woman, but when Amon disappeared after fighting ghouls, she admitted secretly that she actually had feelings for him. They meet again in Tokyo Ghoul:re, it was awkward but cute, because they are not officially a couple but Akira is sulking as Amon never tried to contact her. Well, I guess they became official afterwards. I like it.

Tony Goodman and Diane Goodman (Billy Bat)
Type: manga | seinen

Diane Goodman

This is a married, mixed-race American couple. Tony is the caucasian heir to the Golden Cola Company, and Diane is a black worker at the facility Tony supervised. Diane is tough and brave, which admired by Tony who is timid and indecisive. They fell in love, but the objections of both of their families forced Diane to run away from the wedding since it was the time of black race oppression. During her flight, Diane rode a taxi, and their subsequent conversation convinced Diane not to give up on her marriage. Their meeting was epic. It's one of my favorite scene in the manga. 

Billy Bat is a fictional character in a comic drawn by Kevin Yamagata. Tony is a major fan of Kevin's version of the Billy Bat comics, and the couple named their first son Kevin as a result. This manga is one of the most thought-provoking, amazing, yet bizzare and confusing plot I ever read, as expected of my suspense master mangaka, Naoki Urasawa.

Soko Ezaki and Chiyomi Otaka (Gunjou)
Type: manga | yuri, josei

Ezaki-san (black hair) and rich girl Chiyomi-san (blond)

I'm not a casual yuri  reader because most of the time it's just cutesy here and there. But this manga is pretty messed up. I can't stop myself from reading it. I don't have better synopsis than this one from Baka-Updates: the story of a woman who asks the lesbian who's in love with her to kill her husband and their life on the run after the crime has been committed. I think both of them are mentally ill. The main protagonist surely have personality disorder for not being able to accept someone who can love her unconditionally, she doesn't have a good mental image of herself. On the other hands, the girl who loved her would do literally anything for her. It caused problems with both characters' families since actually they are in love-hate-admiration-loathe relationship.

I would recommend this to everyone who want to read some mature yuri manga. No other form of adaptation is known.

Han Woojin and Do Gayoung (Our Relationship is...)
Type: manhwa, Webtoon | shoujo

This one is way less dark than the previous couple. They have been best friend for so long in high school, sharing every weakness and stories. Things got different in college. They are close but feels distant to each other. Their togetherness caused gossips and negative issues, and got worse when each of them are dating different person. I had warm feelings in every chapters of this webtoon, and probably will curse the author if they are not together in the end (I haven't finished reading).

Sometimes we hate shoujo because the heroine MC is dense (borderline dumb), selfish, dramatic, and indecisive. This time, it doesn't. Since lots of Korean drama adapted from novel/manhwa/webtoon, if this get adapted to drama, I want to watch it.

Masumi Hayami and Maya Kitajima (Glass Mask)
Type: manga | shoujo

A classic.

This is an example of age gap couple, in case the guy was extremely patient to wait her until she is adult enough. 11 years difference. Maya Kitajima is a good-for-nothing girl, who loves drama. She fell in love with acting and her career brought her to meet a young CEO, Masumi Hayami. Masumi want to take over her teacher's Crimson Goddess drama patent, but her acting enchanted him. He is Maya's biggest fan, disguised as the Purple Rose, secretly support her life while being mean and a jerk in front of her. Without knowing this, Maya fell in love with Purple Rose who always help her, torturing Masumi with guilt and desire.

Maya was 14 in this scene. It's a good thing that Masumi didn't end up grooming her.

My all-time favorite legendary shoujo manga. One of the shojoest that ever shojo.
 

Yusuke Urameshi and Keiko Yukimura (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Type: manga | shounen, supranatural

Smooth af. Yusuke Urameshi and Keiko Yukimura I considered to be that relationship goals. They are childhood friends, classmates, and partners. Despite never having proper confession, they naturally developed and know about each others' feelings without ever saying anything. Before going to the demon world, Yusuke said after three years he will come back and went,"Let's get married." And I was like, wait, you're not even dating!

Shuri and Sarasa (BASARA)
Type: manga | josei

I seriously worried about them since the first volume. During their first meeting, both are in disguise, and they gradually fell in love. Totally not knowing that in their other personas, they are at each other's throat. When they finally meet up with their real identity, I closed the manga and stared blank to the wall for half an hour, before continued reading half-heartedly. The shock was so real as if it happened in front of my eyes. I mean, I was following their love life when they're still in disguise, and turned up your sworn enemy you only know by name is your lover? Rough.

Keiji Kiriya and Rita Vrataski (All You Need is Kill)
Type: manga (novel adaptation) | seinen

TEARS. ABSOLUTE TEARS. I CRIED LIKE A NEWBORN BABY.

Keiji Kiriya is a new recruit for United Defense Force, in a continuous war against alien species. After his death, he woke up repeating the day before the war. The day kept repeating each time he died, so it will only move forward if he stays alive. He was caught in a time-loop. He used this loop to train himself. Turns out that the human race's strongest fighter, Rita Vrataski, is also experiencing the same thing. Then they work together to beat the enemy and escape the loop.

Keiji and Rita's relationship was inevitable, because after getting through so many deaths and repeating days, it was only those two that could understand each other's feelings. I was fascinated by the manga, I read it nonstop. After reading it, you will get the reason why Rita's suit is red, and Keiji's blue. *sobs* This had movie adaptation as well, The Edge of Tomorrow.

Update: 11 December 2023

I will add explanations (no promises of when) - new couples joining the list:

• Hiruma Youichi and Mamori Anezaki (Eyeshield 21)
  
• Shiro Fujimoto and Yuri Egin (Blue Exorcist)
• Konno and Hayakawa (Depth of Field)
• Akamine and Utsumi (Cry of Despair)
• Saiki Souma and Tagami Masataka (Sakura Gari)
• Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki (Naruto)
• Ichiro Miyauchi and Yuuto Kudou (Kashikomarimashita, Destiny)
• Kie Hirano and Mitsumasa Koudai (Koudaike no Hitobito)
• Adam Canning and Joel Littler (Barbarities)
• Okita Sougo and Kagura (Gintama)
• Eishi Karasuma and Takayama Sou (Birdmen)
  
• Xin "Shin" and Qiang Lei "Kyou Kai" (Kingdom) — THEY'RE CANON NOW AYYYYYYYY
  
• Bajio and Yotanwa (Kingdom)
• Man Qian and Tan Xiao (Unable to Confess to Chang Le)
• Nan Hao and Shang Feng (Nan Hao Shang Feng)