Love andanimeare old friends. Whether the series is horror, sci-fi, martial arts, slice-of-life, or anything else, romance almost inevitably rears its head at one point or another, even if it isn’t the show’s sole focus. Yet the relationships most often shown are young and new, with protagonists in school or on some great adventure. Rarely is a happy anime couple a married one.
Yetmarried couples in romance animedo exist, and their relationships are sometimes all the more profound for having made such a commitment. That’s not to say that these relationships are drama-free; often the best part of these romances is watching two people committed to one another struggle to love their partner’s quirks. In these anime, love might truly be eternal.
Asanime about married couplesare not that common, shows will be considered even if their leads are only pretending to be married. Also,My Happy Marriageis not included since Kiyoka and Miyo are not married yet.
Updated May 29, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Winter 2025 has plenty of romance shows, and quite a few of them are almost candidates for this discussion. My Happy Marriage season 2 has been fantastic so far, and Kiyoka and Miyo’s relationship has come far. That said, they are only engaged. Sakamoto Days' protagonist is married, and while that relationship is important and a central part of the story, the anime is not a romance. I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons revolves around another betrothed couple, although their relationship is hardly uplifting.
While none of the above are, technically,romance anime with married couples, Winter 2025 has one show that qualifies. However, it is a weird one.
Akane and Saito do not get along, to the point that nearly every interaction results in insults and screaming matches. Consequently, they do not react well to the news that they will be getting married, a proposal thrown upon them by their grandparents. Manipulated into agreeing, they find themselves hitched and living together, while also trying to keep their situation a secret at school.
I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Classis kind of a weird one. Akane and Saito are technically married, but they openly dislike each other (at first). As with most of these types of stories, they gradually begin to grow fond of each other; however, Akane’s tsundere nature is so strong that she cannot help but lose her cool and push Saito away. They are married without feeling like a married couple.
ASummer 2024 series,My Wife Has No Emotionkind of qualifies as ananime about a married couple, although that statement comes with plenty of asterisks. For one, Takuma and Mina are not officially married but rather agree to act like they are. More importantly, Mina is a housekeeper AI owned by Takuma, and she has little agency in the situation. While drunk, the male protagonist confesses that he would love to have someone like Mina as his partner, which the latter internalizes and sets out to fulfill the role.
My Wife Has No Emotionis weird. Most of the scenes are wholesome, with the main characters having a fun dynamic. Naturally, as the story progresses, Mina gradually picks up more human traits, although she continues to be presented as an android throughout. Despite being the best part of the show, she does not have the emotional range to carry a romance. Takuma goes through a few cute gestures that try to paint him in a somewhat OK light, but he can be really creepy at times.
While worth watching since there are very few romance anime with married couples (even pretend ones),My Wife Has No Emotioncan be pretty off-putting at times. That said, the show improves as it goes along.
Isekai stories are no strangers to romance and, especially, harems, but they tend to hold off on tying any knots in the early chapters. As they tend to only adapt a handful of volumes from the manga or light novel, most anime usually end before they reach that point in the story. That said, exceptions exist.Mushoku Tensei’s Rudy eventually gets married, a fine plot point that is somewhat undermined by his bride almost instantly becoming less important in the story.
Farming Life in Another Worldis a better pick for an isekai about married couples, especially since Hiraku picks up his first wife, Ru, in just a handful of episodes. Now, despite marriage being a plot point, romance is not the focus; in fact, the show depicts the characters as supportive friends rather than lovers. Still,Farming Life in Another Worldworks well as a relaxing slow-life about a guy who starts fresh, picks up OP agriculture skills, and accidentally creates a haven for people who have nowhere else to go.
The World is Still Beautifulis a great choice for those who love romance and fantasy anime and want to watch a unique show with a powerful married anime couple who weren’t exactly madly in love when they got married. Nike and Livius are a young couple who had an arranged marriage, so their two kingdoms can form a strong alliance.
While Nike is one of thefriendliest anime characters, it took her a long time to get used to and appreciate Livius' behavior and decisions. The story follows their life and relationship as it changes and grows while the young couple has to overcome various difficulties together including personal and political issues. While the show is a fun fantasy romance anime, their relationship, and growing love for each other feels realistic because it develops in a bit slower but organic way.
OK, thisFall 2024 animeis a bit of a weird one. A decade before the events of the show, Takae passed away, leaving behind her husband, Keisuke, and her daughter, Mai. Unable to move past this tragedy, the latter two surrender to their grief, all the while growing very distant. Now, 10 years later, a young girl named Marika appears at their doorstep proclaiming to be the reincarnated Takae. Incredibly, she speaks the truth.
Thankfully,TsumaShodoes not feature a romance between an adult man and a woman trapped in a 10-year-old girl’s body. The story focuses specifically on Takae trying to help Keisuke and Mai reconnect with each other and (hopefully) move on from her tragic passing. While their current dynamic is strange, Keisuke and Takae/Marika’s relationship is wholesome and frequently showcases their history. The show is pretty powerful, especially during its second half.
More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers
OK, this one is a special case asMore Than A Married Couple, But Not Loversdoes not feature legitimate married couples. At a particularly strange high school, students engage in a practical where guys and girls are paired up and forced to pretend to be a married couple. Naturally, the ordinary Jirou is married off to Akari, a popular girl with agyaru fashion sense. The two students' crushes are also paired together, which adds some tension right out of the gate.
At first,More Than A Married Couple, But Not Loversappears to be a fairly uninteresting fanservice-driven series, but the anime has more depth than is initially apparent. Akari and Jirou’s relationship blossoms nicely as their preconceptions of each other are challenged, and they begin to gradually become quite close. As this is just a practical, their “marriage” largely boils down to them sitting on the living room sofa together, but they have some genuine heart-to-heart conversations.
Outside the house, particularly when at her job as an assistant manager, Chisato is calm and collected, the face of professionalism. At home with her husband Sora, however, a different side of Chisato is revealed: one that loves to drink and unwind.
Both lead characters are quirky and interesting in their own right, but the chemistry between the two is what leads to all the anime’s best and funniest moments. The affection Chisato and Sora have for one another is clear, and watching the husband and wife attempt to make each other happy is a genuine pleasure.
When it comes to exploring what love looks like when the decades have flown by and old age has arrived, no anime beatsKomatta Jii-san.The one-minute episodes are gone in a flash, but the memories of them will linger long after the series is done.
Komatta Jii-sanis about an old man flirting with his wife to make her happy. The abbreviated episode length gives the show a minimalist feel, each episode building like a comedy set before delivering the punchline. Seeing a husband and wife interact from a place of such love and comfort makes it easy for viewers to imagine the characters' relationship when they were younger, which only makes the affection they retain more adorable.
Good comedy is often built on contrasts, which is why, in so many sitcoms, the best friend of the tall skinny character is often short and round. Anime exploits this trend as much as any other genre, asI Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Sayingdemonstrates. Hajime is an otaku who works from home on his blog, and his wife Kaoru is an office assistant and rowdy drunk.
Most of the show’s comedy comes from each partner’s inability to understand or relate to the otherdespite their loyalty, particularly Kaoru’s struggle to grasp Hajime’s otaku interests. It’s simple, solid, and effective.
Dragon is an impressive nickname. Immortal Dragon even more so. Legendary Immortal Dragon is a nickname so grandiose that even in anime, a medium where flowery character names are commonplace, a character with such a name would have to be something special.
Tatsu, aka Legendary Immortal Dragon, is a former yakuza member turned househusband. All he wants is to make his wife’s life easier, whether that means cooking, cleaning, giving her gifts, or otherwise doting upon and helping her. This “bad boy turns good for love” scenario is perfectly executed, andThe Way of the Househusbandflourishes as a result.
Once again,The Way of the Househusbandis primarily a comedy, albeit one driven by Tatsu’s love for his bride.
