The Best Forbidden Love Romances In Anime

Key Takeaways

• Forbidden romances in anime add depth and drama, with couples like Romeo and Juliet facing societal and family pressures.
• Complicated and bittersweet relationships, such as Simon and Nia from Gurren Lagann, can lead to both emotional joy and pain.
• Cursed and tragic romances, like Mavis and Zeref from Fairy Tail, showcase the struggle of couples against fate, curses, and past mistakes.

Whether it’s the main meat of the plot or part of its sides, romance has played a part in a lot of anime. There are always ups and downs when it comes to building a relationship, so it’s rich ground for adding some extra drama to the story and turning it into an emotional rollercoaster. Like when a potential romance is forbidden. Whether it’s because of society, a curse, or other reasons, anime’s wanting lovebirds have a lot going against them.

However, their plight makes things more interesting and keeps the viewers engaged. Will they overcome these obstacles and live happily ever after? Or are they doomed from the start? People would have to watch them to find out, with these couples offering some of the strongest, most fraught forbidden romances in the medium.

Update on December 3, 2024, by David Heath:Tales of forbidden love have been tantalizing people around the world since ancient times. It’s produced poems like Layla & Majnun, formed part of folklore like Guinevere and Lancelot, and drove musicals like West Side Story. So, it’s no surprise it’s turned up in anime too, and in a variety of ways. Simon and Nia gave Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, an OTT mecha series, a very bittersweet conclusion, while Snow White with the Red Hair and Beastars had their lovers kept apart by social class and customs. But forbidden romances in anime can get more complicated and painful than that, before ending in disaster or working out for the best. This is why this list has been updated with more of anime’s best forbidden romances, and why they’re so taboo.

19 Romeo Montague And Juliet Capulet

Romeo x Juliet

• Studio: Gonzo.
• Episodes: 24.
• Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll

Considering that Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are based on the characters from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, it’s no surprise that these two have a forbidden relationship. But Romeo X Juliet uses the feuding families to tell a different story, as Juliet, the last surviving member of the Capulets, aids the oppressed people of Neo Verona against the Montagues, the tyrannical family that killed Juliet’s family. But things get complicated when she comes face to face with Romeo, the Montague prince.

The two of them should be natural enemies because of their mutual past, but it was love at first sight. At least on Romeo’s part. Juliet is more hesitant because of their families’ mutual past, but Romeo also doesn’t care for the tyranny of his father and is a much kinder, gentler person than Juliet thought. But with their families’ blood feud and a hidden secret that lies at the heart of Neo Verona, their romance is as star-crossed as their namesakes.

18 Simon And Nia Teppelin

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Simon and Nia Teppelin have been through so much that fans were rooting for them to have a happy ending. They started off as teens who met and slowly fell in love as the series went on. They made for a happy couple, as Nia helped Simon with his depression over Kamina’s death. She even helped defeat her father, Lordgenome, when Simon almost lost the battle. Even after the time skip, it was clear that the two of them loved each other, leading to Simon proposing to her.

At first, Nia didn’t accept because she didn’t know what it meant, but accepted once she was told what being married was all about. Sadly, Nia would turn out to be the Anti-Spiral messenger, who’d herald the arrival of the Anti-Spirals and become an enemy of humanity. She’d eventually recover and help Simon in the final battle, leading to the two finally getting married. But with the Anti-Spirals destroyed, Nia was doomed to fade away with them. As a result, their wedding became the sweetest and most painful part of the show, as she disappeared soon after their vows.

17 Naho Takamiya And Hiroto Suwa

Orange

Knowing the future can be a scary thing, and can provide a heavy burden. In Orange, Naho receives a letter from her future self that tells her of a tragedy that will befall her school’s new transfer student, Kakeru, if Naho doesn’t follow the letter’s advice. By contrast, her friend Hiroto also receives letters from his future self telling him he’ll marry Naho, and the two will build a happy family together.

However, if Naho and Hiroto want Kakeru to live, they’ll end up changing their futures too. If they let things play out as ordained, Kakeru will die, but Hiroto will get his happy ending with Naho. If they change things and help Kakeru live on, Naho will end up falling for him instead, leaving Hiroto alone and preventing their future children from being born. No matter what path they take, their fate will end up bittersweet at best.

16 Shirayuki And Zen Wisteria

Snow White with the Red Hair

The relationship between Shirayuki and Zen Wisteria is a classic case of a couple torn by social castes. Shirayuki fled her home nation of Tanbarun because she didn’t want to become a concubine for its ruler, Prince Raj. She was helped by Zen, the prince of the neighboring country of Clarines, who was soon poisoned by an apple meant for Shirayuki. She manages to get an antidote for him and, in return for saving his life, gets the chance to train in Clarines’ royal court in order to become their official herbalist.

But that only proves to be the start of Shirayuki and Zen’s story, as the two gradually fall for each other. However, as Prince of Clarines, he isn’t allowed to marry anyone from the lower classes. His family insists he find another princess to marry. In turn, Prince Raj changes his tone and tries to better himself as a person to win Shirayuki over. But despite all the opposition to their union, Shirayuki and Zen only have eyes for each other.

15 Saber And Shirou Emiya

Fate/Stay Night

Saber and Shirou’s relationship definitely has its complications, as the two are servant and master respectively. Shirou is a teenager who fights in the Fifth Holy Grail War, while Saber is a Servant, a familiar spirit bound to Shirou that’s considered the strongest in her class. She’s meant to protect Shirou with her power, as he’s meant to be her Master, but he does his best to return the favor and protect her in turn, even if it puts him in danger.

Saber might be a Servant, but she doesn’t hesitate to voice her disagreements with him, as she doesn’t like him jeopardizing himself for her sake at first. But they soon develop mutual feelings, as their relationship goes beyond their titles. Nonetheless, the two have a war to fight, and the two agree to separate once it’s won. They have roles to play, and they can’t deviate from them, or so they think. The only thing more complicated than their relationship is the overall plot of Fate/Stay Night itself.

14 Legoshi & Haru

Beastars

It’s easy to see why Legoshi and Haru’s relationship in Beastars is odd. He’s a tall gray wolf, and she’s a tiny dwarf rabbit. Usually, on the show, carnivores and herbivores avoid each other, but Legoshi and Haru want to make their unusual relationship work despite their complications. For example, Legoshi trains with Gohin, a psychiatrist panda, to help fight his natural instincts to turn Haru into prey rather than into a partner.

In turn, many look down on Haru because of her promiscuous reputation, but Legoshi accepts her as she is, instead of treating her like some dainty creature in need of protection. Haru found Legoshi a little strange because of his mannerisms (like most people who talk to him do), which eventually only added to his charm. It’s not a perfect relationship and many around them believe they shouldn’t be together, but they are determined to make it work.

13 Duke Viktor & Alice Lendrott

The Duke Of Death And His Maid

In The Duke of Death and His Maid, the titular couple aren’t forced apart by social customs like other noble/servant stories. Nor are they torn apart by race, war, or feuds. Instead, their fates are tested by a curse. Duke Viktor was cursed by a witch as a child, causing him to kill every living thing he touched. Disowned by his family, he was sent off to live in isolation, with just his butler Rob and maid Alice Lendrott for company.

Even though Alice knows she can be killed with a single touch, she shows no fear when she’s around him. She openly flirts with the Duke and loves to tease him by getting uncomfortably close without touching him. They do their best to act normal, pretending to high-five, dance, and give each other a pat on the back, but it’s a painful reminder they can’t actually do these little things, let alone hug, kiss, or hold hands. Not until they can break the curse if such a thing is possible.

12 Spike Spiegel & Julia

Cowboy Bebop

Spike Spiegel and Julia‘s romance in Cowboy Bebop didn’t have much time to blossom, but it was clear the two of them loved each other very much. Spike and Julia were part of the Red Dragon Syndicate, where she was in a relationship with Vicious at the time. After she helped nurse Spike back to health, he and Julia began an affair where the two planned to leave the Syndicate together. But Vicious learned of their plans and told Julia either she would kill Spike herself or he’d kill them both.

Instead, she opted to go into hiding, while Spike willingly went into an ambush set up for him as a means to fake his death. He’d go on to become a lackadaisical bounty hunter, drifting through the present because he felt he had no future without Julia. Fate would soon prove him right when both Julia and Vicious come back into his life and remind him of his sordid past.

11 Gennosuke Kouga & Oboro Iga

Basilisk

• Studio: Gonzo.
• Episodes: 24.
• Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll

Before making Romeo X Juliet, Gonzo adapted another ill-fated romance reminiscent of Shakespeare, albeit with warring ninja clans.Basilisk shows how the Kouga and Iga clans reached a tense peace with each other after decades of waging a bloody war against each other. Gennosuke of the Kouga Clan and the Iga Clan’s Oboro hoped their engagement would help soothe tensions between their families. While it was an arranged marriage, the two actually fell in love with each other.

But tensions rise once more when Ieyasu Tokugawa has the clans act in a proxy war to determine who he chooses to succeed him as shogun. The side with the most survivors left determines the winner. Oboro refuses to take part in the carnage, while Gennosuke is conflicted over whether to honor his family or his love. Either way, if the two can’t find a way to make their love work, their families will be torn apart by their hatred,

10 Almost All Relationships For The Sohma Clan

Fruits Basket

Like The Duke of Death and His Maid, the Sohma clan in Fruits Basket suffer a curse that complicates their relationships, be they familial, platonic, or romantic. Only instead of death, they get turned into animals representing the Chinese Zodiac if someone of the opposite sex hugs them. Orphaned schoolgirl Toru finds this out the hard way when she’s adopted by the clan and gets caught between the feuding cousins Yuki and Kyo.

That’s not the only thing affecting them. The curse also means they’re dominated by Akito Sohma, the head of the household and “god of the zodiac”. They control what they can and can’t do, and who they can and can’t hang out with, through physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. In one case, Akito pushed Rin Sohma out of a window for having a relationship with Hatsuharu, which forced Rin to break up with him during her hospital stay to protect him. Until they can break the curse, the Sohma clan will never get to choose who they love for themselves.

9 Hanabi Yasuraoka & Mugi Awaya

Scum’s Wish

Some relationships can be cursed without being subject to literal magic or the occult. In Scum’s Wish, Hanabi and Mugi seem like the perfect couple, but their relationship is built on a lie. Hanabi fell in love with her childhood friend-turned-homeroom teacher Narumi and hoped to catch his eye until she discovered he was pursuing Akane, the music teacher. In turn, she learned her classmate Mugi had a thing for Akane. As they spent time together, they decided to form a temporary relationship.

They’ll help each other stave off their loneliness until they manage to be with their crushes. The only condition is that they don’t actually fall in love with each other. This proves to be much harder than either of them thought, as their feelings grow more complicated, and their emotional cravings see them use and abuse others in the process. In other words, the couple in Scum’s Wish end up cursing everyone else alongside themselves over their bad decisions.

8 Meliodas & Elizabeth

The Seven Deadly Sins

With Meliodas being a son of the Demon King and Elizabeth being a Goddess in her first life, their union was bound to run into trouble. As a punishment, Elizabeth was cursed to be reincarnated as a human over and over, losing her memories each time she dies. If she regains her memories, she’ll be doomed to die in 3 days.

In turn, Meliodas was cursed with immortality, and his emotions would be gradually consumed until he turned back into a bloodthirsty demon. Over 3,000 years, Meliodas would always find Elizabeth’s different reincarnations, and she would usually regain her memories, forcing him to watch her die over and over again. The only way to break the curse is for Meliodias to take down his father and become the new Demon King, which is easier said than done.

7 The Ena & The Humans

Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea

• Studio: P.A Works.
• Episodes: 26.
• Streaming Platforms: Tubi, Amazon Prime via Crunchyroll.

Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea is like if Disney’s The Little Mermaid followed a group of teens instead of one princess. In the show’s past, there used to be a civilization that lived under the sea. They were called the Ena and came complete with scales that helped them survive in the ocean. But some of them wanted to live on the surface and left the Ena behind to become Humans. From then on, the two became separated by culture, customs, and their physiology.

Four teenage Ena learn just how divided they are when they’re forced to attend a junior high school on the surface. They also learn how hard matters of the heart can be, as Chisaki loves her childhood friend Hikari, while the human Tsumugu has feelings for her. In turn, the Ena Manaka initially has feelings for Tsumugu, which upsets Hikari as he’s in love with her. It’s a complicated net connected by unrequited feelings, cultural taboos, and prejudice that gradually gets undone as the two sides discover their true feelings and make peace with each other.

6 Shiro Amada & Aina Sahalin

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

Many Gundam series have at least one romance that plays an important part in it, but Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is one of the stronger examples, as it does it without sacrificing a great story and action scenes. Like Basilisk and Romeo X Juliet, it follows two people from opposing sides finding love on the battlefield. In this case, it’s Shiro Amada of the Earth Federation and Aina Sahalin of the Principality of Zeon.

They’re both the best pilots on their respective sides and play important roles in the war. Aina is Zeon’s best hope for victory in a guerilla war taking place in Southeast Asia, while Shiro is the commander of the Federation’s reinforcements in the area. When Shiro recognizes Aina from a mutual rescue mission, he’s arrested for treason and forced to lead the 08th MS Team against the Zeon bases if he wants to redeem himself. In other words, he has to choose between loyalty to his planet and his love for Aina.

5 Toshihiko Momota & Yuka Kamitsuki

Kemonozume

• Studio: Madhouse.
• Episodes: 13.
• Streaming Platforms: None.

Kemonozume sees another union between opposing sides, as Toshihiko and Yuka should be enemies. Toshihiko is the heir of the Kifuuken, a martial arts school dedicated to eliminating shokujinki, man-eating ogres who take can human form in order to live among their prey. One of them, Yuka, made a living as a skydiving instructor, where she met Toshihiko, and the two developed strong feelings for each other. She thought she could escape her past and live out her days as a human.

Instead, she was exposed as a shokujinki. But instead of killing her, Toshihiko chooses to run away with her too, accepting her for who she is. However, they can only run away from their past for so long before it catches up to them. The Kifuuken’s members want Toshihiko back and Yuka dead, while Yuka’s shokujinki exes want her back and to kill Toshihiko. Still, they’re dedicated enough to each other to try and survive together.

4 Desumi Magahara & Fudou Aikawa

Love After World Domination

• Studio: Project No.9
• Episodes: 12.
• Streaming Platforms: Amazon Prime via Crunchyroll.

Kemonozume plays its premise straight, but if viewers want a similar show with a lighter approach, they can check out Love After World Domination. In it, the world is kept safe by the Gelato 5, a team of Power Ranger-esque heroes led by Fudo Aikawa, aka ‘Red Gelato’. They hold back the forces of ‘Gekko’, a secret society dedicated to taking over the world. However, they gain a deadly new member in the “Death Princess”, Desumi Magahara.

On the surface, she’s an evil sadist dedicated to Gekko’s cause, but underneath she wants to fall in love and be loved back, even though she has no experience of relationships. Her wish gets granted as she falls for Fudo, and he falls for her back, but they have to do their best to keep their relationship secret, or they could be seen as traitors to their own sides. In other words, it’s like if Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had Scorpina and Jason the Red Ranger try and have a relationship in between fighting each other.

3 Mavis Vermillion & Zeref Dragneel

Fairy Tail

Much like The Seven Deadly Sins‘ hexed couple, Fairy Tail‘s Mavis Vermilion and Zeref Dragneel are also forced to be apart due to a curse. Except they’re not the leads in its story. Zeref is actually the series’ main antagonist, the ‘Black Wizard’ cursed by Ankhselam for trying to resurrect his dead sister, Natsu. He’s made immortal and cannot age, but if he begins to cherish life, everyone and everything around him will die. As such, when he befriended Mavis, he kept her at arm’s length because he was afraid of his curse killing her.

But Mavis ended up with the same curse from using Fairy Law. It took Zeref’s own curse to kill her, which activated the moment they kissed. Her body still had Fairy Heart magic in it, so it was sealed in a crystal to provide energy for the guild hall. Mavis would continue to appear as a Thought Projection and watch over Fairy Tail. She’d be revived by being broken out of the crystal, and she and Zeref would be freed from their curse, but it would come at a high price for both of them.

2 Tsukasa Mizugaki & Isla

Plastic Memories

Plastic Memories is basically if Blade Runner was predominantly about Deckard and Rachael’s relationship instead of hunting down replicants. Through some string-pulling, Tsukasa Mizugaki lands a job at Sion Artificial Intelligence (SAI) Corp, responsible for making realistic androids called Giftias. They look almost exactly the same as humans, except they have a maximum lifespan of roughly 9 & a half years. Once they go past this point, they’ll suffer a kind of digital dementia that makes them prone to violence.

Tsukasa’s job is to help neutralize Giftias nearing the end of their lifespan with his Giftia partner, Isla. The two slowly grow closer as they work together. But what Tsukasa doesn’t know is that Isla is near the end of her own lifespan. Eventually, he’ll have to choose between shutting her down before she succumbs to digital degradation or staying with her and risking meeting a violent end at her hands once her mind starts failing. Love is strong, but nothing lasts forever.

1 Gin & Hotaru Takegawa

Hotarubi No Mori E

• Studio: Brain’s Base.
• Runtime: 45 Minutes.
• Streaming Platforms: None.

Gin is a forest spirit who meets a six-year-old girl named Hotaru when she gets lost in the woods. After Gin shows her the way back to her grandfather’s home, Hotaru continues to come to the forest every summer to visit Gin. The two form a close friendship, which becomes romantic when she grows up. However, it’s impossible for them to be together. If Gin is physically touched by a human, he’ll disappear forever.

Even though they’re doomed from the start, Gin can’t deny his growing feelings for Hotaru, and Hotaru yearns for Gin’s touch, despite knowing she’ll never get it. The other spirits try to help by holding a spirit festival where the two can have their first date, but it ends in tragedy when Hotaru saves a child from a fall and finds out the hard way the child was a human sneaking in for a closer look. Hotarubi No Mori E shows how, no matter how devoted couples are to each other, they can’t avoid their fate forever.