Fans of Japanese anime always get a thrill from imagining their favoritre characters in never-before-seen romantic relationships, or “ships” for short. Fans might ship two characters who have strong on-screen chemistry, for example, or give a character a love interest out of curiosity to see what would happen. Such ships often appear in fan media, too, and some have a serious following. Still, for every healthy or fun ship, there’s a weird one.
Anime fans happed shipped practically everyone with everyone else within each fandom. Some ships even span across two anime, and the results can be downright bizarre. While some off-beat pairings make a certain kind of sense for creativity’s sake, some ships are impossible to rationalize aside from creating a gag ship for the sake of it. The strangest anime ships may lack compatability between the two would-be lovers, or they involve pairing two feuding characters who have no chance to reconcile their differences, among other issues.
10 Anime Ships That Might As Well Be Canon
Many ships in anime don’t have much potential to be canon. However, popular ships like FMA’s Roy/Riza teeter the edge between canon and fanon.
10 Naofumi Iwatani and Princess Malty Are Sworn Enemies, Not Lovers
More about Naofumi and Princess Malty:
- Naofumi built a new hero team after he was demonized, and he started using the Wrath Shield.
- Princess Malty was joined by her father in the conspiracy and doesn’t get along with her younger sister, Melty.
The Rising of the Shield Hero has not given anime fans any hint after three seasons that protagonist Naofumi Iwatani is looking for a romantic partner during his isekai adventure. He does get along with women such as Raphtalia and Queen Mirellia Melromarc, but the former is more like a foster daughter and the latter is a middle-aged married woman and a monarch. Naofumi’s shipping options are limited, so fans have turned to Princess Malty.
Not many fans support this ship, but those who do are trying to mix oil and water. Princess Malty/Myne conspired to have Naofumi demonized, and she only faked an interest in Naofumi to make him lower his guard. Naofumi responded with hostility, only sparing Malty’s eventual execution so she could live on in humility, complete with a crude new name.
The Rising of The Shield Hero
A gamer is magically summoned into a parallel universe, where he is chosen as one of four heroes destined to save the world from its prophesied doom.
- Release Date
- January 9, 2019
- Cast
- Kaito Ishikawa , Asami Seto , Rina Hidaka
- Seasons
- 3 Seasons
- Creator
- Aneko Yusagi
- Production Company
- DR Movie, Kinema Citrus
- Number of Episodes
- 50 Episodes
9 Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake Are Merely Student and Teacher
Naruto: In Defense of Sakura Haruno
Sakura Haruno’s reputation for being the weakest character in the Naruto franchise isn’t at all deserved. Here’s why she deserves better from fans.
More about Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake:
- Sakura learned more from Tsunade than she did from Kakashi. Sakura also had a poor first impression of Kakashi.
- Kakashi get along with Sakura, but focused most of his training efforts on Sasuke Uchiha.
The massive Naruto franchise is packed with wonderful canon ships and some delightful fanon ships, from Naruto’s romance with Hinata Hyuga to Ino and Sai’s marriage, but some ships simply don’t add up. One example is the attempt to pair up Sakura Haruno with the jonin leader of Team 7, Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi and Sakura got along as fellow ninjas, but little more than that. Instead, Sakura is known for her intense infatuation with Sasuke, while there is no sign Kakashi ever took a romantic interest in anyone whatsoever. There’s also the age gap, with Kakashi being roughly twice Sakura’s age during the Naruto anime and its Naruto Shippuden successor.
Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja.
- Release Date
- September 10, 2002
- Cast
- Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Production Company
- Pierrot, Staralis Film Company
- Number of Episodes
- 220
8 Ash Ketchum Isn’t About to Fall For Pokémon Like Pikachu
More About Ash Ketchum and Pikachu:
- Ash loves all Pokémon and wishes to capture them all.
- Pikachu disliked Ash at first, then became his loyal friend and #1 fighter.
In the world of Pokémon, trainers are expected to love their Pokémon, but only the way a pet lover or a rancher loves the animals in their charge. Even the most humanoid Pokémon are animals with magical powers, not love interests. In particular, protagonist Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu only have “a boy and his dog” vibes, not romantic ones.
In addition, anime fans know that Ash is a 10 year old boy, too young for a serious romance even with human girls, let alone Pokémon like Pikachu. Granted, the character Serena came close to being a love interest for Ash, but even after all these years, Ash has never had an official girlfriend, and he certainly won’t change that by falling in love with Pikachu.
Pokemon
Ash Ketchum, his yellow pet Pikachu, and his human friends explore a world of powerful creatures.
- Release Date
- September 8, 1998
- Cast
- Veronica Taylor , Eric Stuart , Rachael Lillis , Sarah Natochenny , Bill Rogers , Rica Matsumoto , Ikue Ootani
- Seasons
- 25
- Studio
- OLM Inc.
- Creator
- Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori, Satoshi Tajiri
7 Reigen Arataka and Mob Are Wacky Co-Workers and Nothing More
More About Reigen Arataka and Mob:
- Reigen is the brains and face of the duo.
- Mob is the one with bonafide talent, but limited enthusiasm for Reigen’s work.
The wacky comedy anime Mob Psycho 100 stars the dandere Shigeo Kageyama, better known as simply Mob. Mob is gifted with psychic powers beyond compare, but funnily enough, he would rather just live a peaceful, ordinary life as a Japanese junior high student. He is a kind boy who can get along with others, but he didn’t get into a real relationship in the anime, no matter his infatuation with Tsubomi.
So, some Mob Psycho 100 fans decided to give Mob another chance at true love, this time with his boss, Reigen Arataka. There’s no sign that either of them is interested in the other that way, and most importantly, Reigen is in his late 20s while Mob is only 14, an age gap that is impossible to rationalize for any reason. The two of them are spirit-hunting buddies and nothing more.
Mob Psycho 100
A psychic middle school boy tries to live a normal life and keep his growing powers under control, even though he constantly gets into trouble.
- Release Date
- July 12, 2016
- Cast
- Takahiro Sakurai , Akio Otsuka
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- Bones
- Creator
- One
- Number of Episodes
- 37 + 2 OVAs
6 Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado Are Brother and Sister
10 Times Nezuko Was Tanjiro’s Best Ally In Demon Slayer
Nezuko and Tanjiro are inseparable as siblings and partners. Though Tanjiro has gained many friends, Nezuko is still his best teammate.
More About Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado:
- Tanjiro’s entire quest is centered around finding a cure for Nezuko.
- Nezuko bravely volunteered to support her brother in battle.
There are plenty of potential ships in the Demon Slayer anime, with some of them becoming canon by the manga’s end. However, fans cannot count Tanjiro/Nezuko among the best Demon Slayer ships for a simple and obvious reason: they are brother and sister. Tanjiro did flatter Nezuko by calling her the beauty of their hometown, but he said so platonically.
Tanjiro and Nezuko are incredibly close as brother and sister, but it’s unthinkable that either of them will see the other romantically. Instead, their love lives involve the likes of Kanao Tsuyuri and Zenitsu, with the former being a love interest of Tanjiro’s and the latter being Nezuko’s enthusiastic suitor.
Demon Slayer
When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Cast
- Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- ufotable
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotouge
5 Denji and Power Are More Like Foster Family Than Lovers
More About Denji and Power:
- Denji doesn’t like how messy and irresponsible Power is.
- Power looks down on Denji for being merely human.
The Chainsaw Man anime series is a highly subversive one, where each character is deeply flawed. This means that even the best girls have serious baggage or problems, from Himeno vomiting n Denji’s mouth to Kobeni’s attempt to sell Denji out to the eternity devil. Then there’s Power, the horned fiend who became Denji’s co-worker.
Denji and Power learned to get along as a found family with Aki Hayakawa, but little more. Denji and Power are both immature outcasts who only see each other as friends and co-conspirators for pranks, not potential lovers. Denji may have stated his dream of getting a real girlfriend, but Power is the last woman on his mind when he pictures his soulmate. Instead, Denji will be more interested in Makima, which is actually an even worse option.
Chainsaw Man
Following a betrayal, a young man left for dead is reborn as a powerful devil-human hybrid after merging with his pet devil and is soon enlisted into an organization dedicated to hunting devils. When his father died, Denji was stuck with a huge debt and no way to pay it back.
- Release Date
- October 11, 2022
- Cast
- Kikunosuke Toya , Ryan Colt Levy , Tomori Kusunoki , Suzie Yeung
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Main Characters
- Denji, Makima, Pochita, Power, Himeno, Kishibe
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Network
- Crunchyroll
4 Light Yagami and Ryuk Aren’t Even the Same Species
More About Light Yagami and Ryuk:
- Light is good at swaying his lovers, but he never loves them back.
- Ryuk, as a Shinigami, is probably incapable of romantic love.
Throughout the story of Death Note, Light Yagami got himself involved with a few young women his age, but they were not his soulmates by any means. Light could outwardly get along with anyone, but he didn’t make any genuine friends in Death Note, nor did he seek true love. Instead, he exploited Misa Amane’s and Kiyomi Takada’s affection for him.
Some fans want to pair Light with his Shinigami companion Ryuk, but that makes even less sense. Shinigami and humans are worlds apart in every sense, and there’s no sign that Shinigami are even capable of love, aside from strong, protective feelings for certain humans. Ryuk made it clear that he was only a spectator for Light’s mission, not his friend or ally, and that stance never changed, not for the sake of love or anything else.
Death Note
Original title: Death Note: Desu nôto.
An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.
- Release Date
- October 21, 2007
- Cast
- Mamoru Miyano , Brad Swaile , Vincent Tong , Ryō Naitō , Trevor Devall
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Production Company
- D.N. Dream Partners, Madhouse, Nippon Television Network (NTV), Shueisha, Video Audio Project (VAP)
- Number of Episodes
- 37
3 Izuku Midoriya and All Might Are Student and Coach
My Hero Academia: 8 Things Deku Learned From All Might
Deku has had many teachers in his time as a student, but having inherited his power from All Might, All Might is undoubtedly his most influential one.
More About Deku and All Might:
- Deku always looked up to All Might as a role model.
- All Might was inspired by Deku’s heroic heart, but regrets pushing the boy so hard.
My Hero Academia is known for countless potential ships between protagonist Izuku Midoriya and many of the characters around him, from the lovable Ochaco Uraraka and the genki girl Mina Ashido to the cool Shoto Todoroki. Fans might even stretch their imaginations and pair Deku with Himiko Toga, but Deku/All Might is simply inconceivable.
To begin with, All Might is easly old enough to be Deku’s father, creating a massive age gap. Also, there’s no sign that either is the other’s type, and neither spends much time in My Hero Academia looking for romance. Instead, All Might is well-shipped with Deku’s mother Inko, a single mother who’s close to All Might’s age.
My Hero Academia
Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.
- Release Date
- May 5, 2018
- Cast
- Daiki Yamashita , Justin Briner , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Ayane Sakura
- Seasons
- 6
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 145
2 Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric Are Brothers
More About Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric:
- Edward always felt guilty about Al’s predicament following their failed transmutation of their mother.
- Alphonse looks up to his brother but isn’t afraid to stand up to him, either.
At times, anime fans totally ignore the fact that two characters are related when shipping them, including outright siblings. Edward and Alphonse are blood brothers in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and it’s obvious at a glance during flashbacks or after Al gets his body back. Both of them have gold eyes and blond hair, which they inherited from their father, Van Hohenheim.
There’s no real reason to imagine Ed and Al being anything more than a tag team of alchemist brothers who are trying to make amends for their mistake while searching for the Philosopher’s Stone. The only time their love lives overlapped was when they had a mutual crush on Winy Rockbell in their younger days. In the end, Ed married Winry, and a single Al went off to explore Xing.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Two brothers search for a Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.
- Release Date
- April 5, 2009
- Cast
- Romi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead
- Seasons
- 1
1 Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha Are Rivals, Not Potential Lovers
More About Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha:
- Sasuke’s rivalry with Naruto turned sour when he believed Naruto had surpassed him.
-
Naruto’s broken bond with Sasuke dictated most of his actions in
Naruto Shippuden
.
Naruto vs Sasuke is a classic example of a shonen rivalry that drives both characters to new heights. At first, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had fun pushing each other to get stronger, but it took a turn for the worse when Sasuke realized he was falling behind and would never be strong enough to defeat Itachi. So, Sasuke fled the Hidden Leaf Village, and their bond was broken.
Naruto’s and Sasuke’s turbulent friendship is one of shonen’s best, but that’s not the basis for a love story. Naruto and Sasuke simply aren’t into each other that way, and as lovers, they wouldn’t get much out of each other, either. What Naruto needed from a romantic partner was acceptance, healing, and kindnes, and he wouldn’t get it from a troubled, selfish person like Sasuke.
