There’s no shortage of ships in anyanime, especially when both the protagonists and the series’ respective side characters show the potential of romantic relationships to the viewers. As such, whenever ananimeends, it’s always a shocking reveal for fans whether their ships are followed or entirely new ones are created, often resulting in other ships being broken and fans being generally disappointed.
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However, there are actually certain anime with anime couples that definitely sparked tension towards viewers and fans. These may be due to how their relationships affect the plot, how their relationships don’t make sense, or how their relationships aren’t just healthy, to begin with. In the realm of anime, just which controversial anime couples rocked their respective fanbases?
9Goku And Chichi (Dragon Ball)
Despite the nostalgia factor for an anime couple likeGokuandChichiof theDragon Ballseries, even fans couldn’t deny their relationship is far from perfect. Fans may remember that their relationship began simply when Chichi haphazardly decided to marry Goku, with Goku accepting without having no idea what the concept was. And even when Goku had two children with her, he’s still just as carefree as a person as he was when he was a child.
This spells quite a lot of trouble in their daily interactions, especially considering howGoku has a penchant for putting his own kids in dangerand prioritizing training or fighting baddies instead of spending time with family. Meanwhile, Chichi spends a lot of her time stressed at home with Goku and her kids not being around, especially when Goku barely listens to her.
8Sakura Haruno And Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)
WhenNarutoended, perhaps one of the most surprising twists in its romantic pursuits was whenSasuke Uchihasomehow ended withSakura Haruno. While a lot of fans would argue that Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke weren’t properly articulated in the anime compared to the manga, others would still insist that the pairing didn’t just necessarily work.
For instance, at the start of Part II, it could be recalled that Sasuke almost outright killed Sakura during their reunion. Not only that but it was implied that Sakura’s affection towards Sasuke throughout the series was a result of unrequited love. Considering that Sasuke was largely an absentee fatherto their daughter Saradathroughout a huge part of her childhood, and with Sasuke still not as vocal to his feelings towards Sakura, some outliers may still think them ending up together is more for the sake of the ship than the story.
7Naruto Uzumaki And Hinata Hyuga (Naruto)
Another controversial ship from theNarutoseries would probably beNaruto UzumakiandHinata Hyuga, although their relationship was already hinted at the very beginning of the series. Hinata, being shy herself, found herself admiring Naruto from afar, even as children and throughoutbeing in different teams. A pivotal moment in their relationship was when Hinata threw herself between Naruto and Pain during their climactic battle, prompting Naruto to awaken his Nine-Tails chakra.
And while Naruto and Hinata ended up together, some fans still think their development wasn’t as solidified compared to how Naruto interacted with other characters. Some still believe Naruto and Sakura had more potential as a couple, considering how Sakura and Naruto grew their friendship throughout the latter part of the series.
6Ichigo Kurosaki And Orihime Inoue (Bleach)
WhileIchigo KurosakiofBleachwas busy saving both the mortal world and Soul Society from various threats, fans were eagerly waiting as to which would become Ichigo’s eventual love interest. WithOrihime Inoueand Ichigo practically professing their affection for one another, it’s expected for the two of them to end up. However, some fans are still expecting Ichigo to choose Rukia Kuchiki, who served as one of Ichigo’s closest confidants throughout the entire series.
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As such, Ichigo ending up with Inoue, although expected, came as a bit of a surprise for fans. Others argue thatOrihime is simply too passive of a characterto fit the likes of a more proactive Ichigo. Some fans also argue that the pair’s relationship isn’t as fleshed out compared to the trials that Ichigo and Rukia faced that strengthened their bond altogether.
5Lelouch Vi Britannia And Shirley Fenette (Code Geass)
A shonen anime isn’t perhaps a true shonen anime if there wasn’t a character doting for the lead protagonist, andCode Geasshad this exact trend in the form ofLelouch Vi BritanniaandShirley Fenette. At the start of the series, it’s already implied that the meek Shirley has a huge crush on the quiet Lelouch, with Lelouch ignoring a lot of her efforts due to his clandestinemissions leading a rebellionagainst the Britannian Empire.
It doesn’t help that the relationship remains one-sided at best, with Shirley never seemingly making a move until it was too late. It’s even more surprising when Shirley learns of Lelouch’s true self as Zero and still seemingly accepts him when Zero has already committed atrocities during his goal of liberating the world from the Britannian Empire.
4Ken Kaneki And Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul)
It’s not uncommon for an anime protagonist to have a female counterpart that is equally or more badass, and this is whatTouka Kirishimawas to protagonistKen KanekiofTokyo Ghoul. When Kaneki was transformed into a half-ghoul, it’s Touka that helped him get acquainted with the life of being a ghoul and how they still have dreams and aspirations, despite their nature as man-eating creatures. As a core character, fans loved Touka for her independence, wit, and overall aspirations as a character.
However, it waswhen Touka and Kaneki were confirmed for a shipthat things went downhill. Despite their potential, their ship wasn’t entirely written well. In the latter part of the series, the independent Touka is instead seen pining for a Kaneki that may or may not be dead. Not only that, but her submitting herself to Kaneki in bed and becoming extremely submissive to the point of being a side character afterward left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.
3Heero Yuy And Relena Darlian (Gundam Wing)
WhenGundam Wingarrived in the early 2000s, it felt awesome seeing five pilots using five different andequally-awesome Gundam in the heat of battle. However, while the pilots begin their missions separately, it’s the protagonistHeero Yuythat had some of the most interesting encounters, particularly withRelena Darlian, the last heir to the Sanc Kingdom.
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While it’s implied that their relationship was going to be romantic, the both of them seem to be in incredible denial of their feelings. Heero was popularly known for pointing a gun at Relena, who just stood her ground. Meanwhile, despite Heero’s annoyance towards her, he does shield her from explosions or call out her name in times of stress.
2Light Yagami And Misa Amane (Death Note)
At first glance, having someone totally head over heels in love with a person could feel extremely good - but perhaps not when it’s two mass murderers involved in the process. InDeath Note,Misa Amanemanages to identify the person behind the mass murderer Kira,Light Yagami. And much to Light’s surprise, Misa practically throws herself at him to the point of obsession.
Unfortunately, their relationship was extremely problematic, to begin with. While Misa sees Light as a messianic figure worthy of worship,Light simply sees her as an objecthe can use to his ends and discard when needed. While they do have some “romantic” moments as a couple, Light and Misa never had a genuine romance, making their ship extremely questionable at any angle.
1Enji And Rei Todoroki (My Hero Academia)
As though a relationship made out of nightmares,EnjiandRei TodorokiofMy Hero Academiadidn’t necessarily marry each other out of affection, but rather out of Enji’s obsession of having a child powerful enough tobe better than All Might, his rival. Unfortunately, when Enji begins to abuse his children, the patriarch takes it out on Rei who tries to defend them.
To make things worse, the abuse took a toll on Rei’s mental stability that it forced her to pour boiling water on her son’s face as he looked too much like Enji. Instead of working on their issues together, Enji instead decides that locking Rei in a mental institution was a better thing to do. And with Rei no longer there to protect the children, Enji has subjected the kids to a childhood of resentment towards him.
