Though anime fans might associate relationships with classic shojo and romance titles, the best anime couples come from a wide range of demographics, including classic shonen. In fact, it's pretty common for shonen series to feature a romantic interest for their lead characters, as well as side characters. Including relationships not only helps the anime to draw in other demographics, but also makes the story feel more real, as these characters grow closer to one another throughout the hardships, trials, and tribulations that they face.

Often, it's this willingness to stick together through thick and thin that makes many anime couples so cute in the first place. Anime couples also tend to be young and new to love, adding a cute layer of shyness or insecurity that they must work through in order to get together.

These couples aren't always models for great relationships, but they do look awfully cute together and have more than their fair share of adorable moments worth calling out.

25 Yuta Okkotsu & Maki Zenin

Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)

Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zenin are two major characters from MAPPA's Jujutsu Kaisen, first introduced chronologically in the prequel film Jujutsu Kaisen 0. When Yuta s Jujutsu High to get a handle on Rika's curse, Maki is the person who plays the biggest part in helping Yuta break out of his shell and grow as a person, and the kindness Yuta shows Maki in turn causes a lot of development for their relationship.

Yuta and Maki's relationship never goes further than being teased, but even then, the great chemistry Yuta and Maki have with each other always does wonders to sell them as a couple, especially with romance being largely nonexistent in Jujutsu Kaisen beyond that. Jujutsu Kaisen's epilogue heavily implies that Yuta and Maki started a family together, and that's a fitting conclusion to the relationship that started the story so many years ago.

24 Izuku Midoriya & Ochako Uraraka

My Hero Academia (2016)

While Midoriya and Uraraka haven't quite gotten together yet in the anime, the hints of attraction and their strong friendship have already set Deku and Uraraka up to be a great couple. Uraraka is a caring young girl who worries over Midoriya, who constantly injures himself due to his body being poorly adjusted to his Quirk.

In season 6, Uraraka took their relationship forward in a big way by publicly defending Midoriya when the assembled crowds of refugees wanted to chase him off, fearing he might attract villains to their location. By being willing to put herself on the line to give Midoriya a much-needed break, Uraraka proved the depths of her love, even if she hasn't said it out loud yet.

23 Ranma Saotome & Akane Tendo

Ranma 1/2 (1989)

Ranma 1/2 revolves primarily around the relationship between Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, a pair of martial artists who are expected to marry to preserve their families' dojos. Unfortunately, between Ranma being cursed to turn into a girl whenever he's hit with water, the various suitors they each have to fight off, and their general abrasive and stubborn personalities, they're often hard-pressed to express anything other than annoyance for each other.

While Ranma 1/2 is one of the prime examples of an anime harem rom-com, Ranma and Akane's relationship is always shown to be engaging and all-around fun to watch, even when they spend most of their time fighting. Ranma and Akane were one of the quintessential anime couples of the 90s, and with Ranma 1/2's anime being rebooted for Netflix, even more people are bound to see what makes their dynamic so good.

22 Kagome Higurashi & Inuyasha

Inuyasha (2000)

Inuyasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a modern-day fifteen-year-old girl that finds herself transported to the Sengoku period of Japan. There, she meets Inuyasha, who is half-dog demon, half-human. Their fates are bound together by the Shikon Jewel, and the pair are sent off on a quest to recover the shattered pieces of it.

Inuyasha and Kagome often face difficulties communicating, as both are strong-willed individuals who tend to hide their true feelings. Still, when danger rears its head, the true weight of this couple's love will rapidly become apparent, and may the gods have mercy on anyone who threatens one of them. In the sequel series Yashahime, Inuyasha and Kagome are married and have a daughter, Moroha.

21 Miroku & Sango

Inuyasha (2000)

Kagome and Inuyasha aren't the only cute couple in Inuyasha. After Kagome shatters Shikon Jewel, Kagome and Inuyasha meet up with the demon slayer Sango and the cursed monk Miroku, who their band with the intention of defeating the evil Naraku, who has ruined both their lives.

While Miroku starts off as a womanizer, which annoys Sango to no end, the two develop a strong bond over their travels, and eventually fall in love. Miroku and Sango also end up married in the Yashahime sequel series, and have several children of their own, including a young demon slayer named Hisui.

20 Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)

Riza Hawkeye is Roy Mustang's loyal follower, a fact that has greatly complicated their relationship. Both are of the military and as such there are certain restrictions on the kind of relationship they're allowed to have.

Despite that, though, it's clear that they care about each other very much, and there's a smoldering attraction between them present for much of the series. Roy is even willing to do the unthinkable when Riza's life is threatened, even knowing the consequences for himself.

19 Ritsuka Uenomiya & Mafuyu Sato

Given (2019)

One of the most iconic couples from the boys' love genre, Ritsuka and Mafuyu's relationship is one that, like many real-life relationships, wasn't easy in the beginning. Mafuyu was still struggling after the loss of his previous partner, and in his struggle with dealing with his grief, turned to learning the guitar that was left behind. In this endeavor, he meets Ritsuka, a young musician who plays in a small band. Ritsuka begins to bring him along to rehearsals, and the pair's bond begins to grow.

Over the course of their relationship, Mafuyu slowly begins to open up more to Ritsuka about his struggles with grief, and in this, the two's bittersweet beginnings turn into something that is truly irable, and has completely shifted many of the preconceived notions regarding the genre.

18 Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba

Sailor Moon (1992)

Sailor Moon's Usagi and her masked boyfriend Mamoru Chiba are a couple whose destiny is written in the stars. Usagi and Mamoru are reincarnations of the Neo-Queen Serenity and Prince Endymion, rulers from the distant future who were once ed in marriage.

While Usagi and Mamoru aren't exactly the same people as their former selves, they still have some incredible chemistry. No matter what happens to them, their souls will always find each other again, a romantic idea if ever there was one.

17 Yuki Itose & Itsuomi Nagi

A Sign Of Affection (2024)

Marking itself as an instant smash-hit shojo series from the Winter 2024 season, A Sign of Affection's main couple, Yuki and Itsuomi, have stolen the hearts of anime fans around the world. The couple is also incredibly unique, as Yuki is a young deaf woman navigating university, and Itsuomi is a world-traveler who speaks multiple languages already. While their relationship begins with Itsuomi simply expressing an interest in learning sign language, it quickly grows into something much deeper.

Yuki experiences many firsts with Itsuomi, and he proves himself time and time again over the course of the anime to be the perfect partner for her. His keen interest in learning sign language not only helps the pair communicate, but, within the story, it also works as a beautiful metaphor for their devotion and love for one another.

16 Lucy Heartfilia & Natsu Dragneel

Fairy Tail (2009)

Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel are a fan-favorite relationship in the Fairy Tail fanbase. Natsu helps Lucy to the guild, and they form a strong and endearing bond throughout the series. Lucy and Natsu shippers are elated to know that the couple are married in the parallel "Edolas" universe.

While Fairy Tail leaves Lucy and Natsu's relationship open-ended, the series features many other couples that do fortunately end up together such as Gajeel and Levy.

While the series proper ended without any kind of confirmed relationship between the two of them, rumors of a sequel have fans hoping that the couple could at least be confirmed after the fact. Regardless of their official status, the two clearly have great affection for one another, and after all that they've been through together, a romance seems inevitable.