'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABdAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABRAAAgICAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAYRAAUHEhMxAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAxEAAwEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBBEAEv/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AgYpkHa5Dl6Wu4Wlfq9jQowmjNCzwx/ZXlLAFyNj11yJe8lY9VvWYFwbrNRTOg1btKNKdfiuAOOOMd+2aTommyuUIJDkHgPr6s+dKUmsZhFYcX5HB0e//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
There are plenty of anime series where childhood friends fall in love. Some, like Yu Yu Hakusho and Fullmetal Alchemist, are famous for their pairings, while others like Cross Game aren't so famous but stick to that endgame. Whether fans like it or not, it is a romantic trope that many anime follow.
The reasons are different each time: sometimes they always liked each other but never said anything. However, other times the romance is one-sided until the dense one realizes what's going on, and sometimes they're already a couple. Regardless of all the romantic tropes and types, a lot of anime series do show childhood friends falling in love.
Disclaimer: This list contains plenty of spoilers for all the anime listed and the romantic endgames found therein.
Trending
Disclaimer: The opinions reflected therein belong only to the author.
10 anime where the childhood friend wins in love
1) Yu Yu Hakusho (Yusuke Urameshi and Keiko Yukimura)
A delinquent and a class representative getting together is arguably one of the least likely things to happen in real life, but in anime, it's practically a cliche. Case in point is Yu Yu Hakusho. Yusuke Urameshi and Keiko Yukimura were childhood friends ever since they were toddlers and she helped him up after other kids left him on a playground.
To be fair, this unlikely couple has some basis in the manga and specifically a flashback scene. During the Spirit Detective arc in the manga, his mother Atsuko Urameshi reminisced about a winter when a younger Yusuke caught a fever after falling into a pond while playing around with Keiko's dress.
Keiko stayed with him until his fever subsided. The next day, Yusuke was still sick but still went out to meet Keiko. He stated that he never wanted to see Keiko with that sad expression again, since she was nearly reduced to tears. This particular incident never left either person, as Yusuke never liked seeing Keiko sad at all.
The two would get closer, even though Yusuke had problems like being dead for a while. As a testament to their relationship, Keiko ended up being the one to kiss Yusuke to bring him back to life. They ended up engaged and later married. An unlikely pairing for sure, but one that lasted and developed throughout the anime.
2) Fullmetal Alchemist (Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell)
The alchemist and the mechanic who helped repair him are both sweethearts in Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood. Sure, they rag on each other from time to time. Sure, they might have problems when they both meet up after a while apart.
However, most people probably don't remember that the Elric brothers were both supported by Winry and her grandmother when they were younger. Additionally, Winry and her grandmother performed life-saving surgery on Ed when he lost one of his arms and legs in a botched human transmutation attempt to revive their mother.
From there, the relationship between Ed and Winry blossomed. The two eventually went on to marry and have two children, but that wasn't until after the anime. In the meantime, the two have a very sweet and friendly relationship given that Winry is usually Ed's support, in terms of the automail repair since his constant breaks. Additionally, Winry also offers Ed the emotional support he needs on occasion.
Ed was there for Winry as well, especially when the two encountered Scar he helped Winry through her emotional breakdown. They've likewise saved each other on more than one occasion on multiple fronts.
The two ending up together in Brotherhood's ending was considered a good ending by the majority of the fandom that the two ended up together.
3) Love Hina (Naru Narusegawa and Keitaro Urashima)
Naru and Keitaro's story is probably the most famous example of this trope. It's probably infamous too, given the sheer amount of abuse that poor Keitaro ends up going through when they reunite. The two didn't quite start off with the most romantic of relationships, but there's evidence that they were childhood friends.
When Keitaro was a little boy, he promised to attend Tokyo University with a female friend that was later revealed to be Naru. As he grew older, he forgot everything about his childhood but kept that promise in his heart. His attempts to attend Tokyo University failed, so he moved into his grandmother's hotel which was unexpectedly transformed into an all-girls inn.
Suffice to say, having to manage the inn in Love Hina was a lot of hard work. Even harder still given that poor Keitaro didn't realize it was girls only. He often wound up getting punched, slapped, and just multiple forms of abuse thrown at him on the first day. Things improved when he started getting to know all of the residents including Naru.
Eventually, the two realize they're each other's childhood friends and finally, get together at the end of the anime. This particular couple is not without its ups and downs, as Naru is extremely petty about any number of things. Things do cool down between them, but it takes a while.
4) Dragon Ball (Chi Chi and Goku)
Childhood marriage promises are a very common trope in these sorts of romantic situations. In the original Dragon Ball, Goku had no idea what marriage was in the first place. However, once the concept is explained to him, he’s happy to marry Chi-Chi. The two are genuine sweethearts as kids, even if Goku is rather dense even as an adult.
The two started off with Goku helping to save Chi Chi's village from a raging inferno on Fire Mountain. Their first date was, well, forced from him, and then when the two were set to be married as kids the Red Ribbon Army showed up.
It wouldn't be until three years later when they met up at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament that Goku would remember and keep his promise. He would then propose in front of the whole crowd.
If there's one thing Goku and Chi Chi have over many of the couples on this list, it's longevity as a couple. They stay married for decades, despite any and all issues or hang-ups they both have with each other. The problems and hang-ups include Chi-Chi’s controlling tendencies and temper, Goku's lack of a job, driver's license, and repeatedly dying and leaving his family alone.
Despite all the issues, however, the two clearly care about each other in both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. They always do the best they can for their family, even if it may not seem like it in Goku's case. At the very least, Chi-Chi has never seen any reason to leave Goku or Goku to leave her since they've been married so long. Fans believe that it is a dedicated couple.
5) Naruto (Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga)
If anyone ever thinks of an iconic couple in Naruto, it's Naruto and Hintata. Sasuke and Sakura could be on the list if Sasuke was ever truly "friendly" with Sakura and didn't just shove her coldly aside whenever he got the chance. Minato and Kushina could've clinched this spot too, if fans got more of them throughout the anime.
Naruto may not be a romantic anime, but that doesn't mean it doesn't count as an anime where childhood friends fall in love. Naruto and Hinata have technically been friends since childhood, given that not only did Hinata try to help Naruto as a kid but also rooted for him from afar and vice versa.
It would take years before the two ever confessed to each other, though Hinata did technically try when she was fighting Pain on Naruto's behalf. It wasn't until Naruto: The Last that the two officially got together and tied the knot sometime later. They'd go on missions together and have two kids who star in their own spinoff.
Even in Boruto, Naruto and Hinata are about as good a couple to each other as they can be. They were there for each other and their kids, even if Naruto himself was entirely too overworked as Hokage. That's another story entirely, however, the point being is the two were good for each other.
6) Bleach (Renji and Rukia)
One of Bleach's two main couples, and a surprise fwhohose that thought Rukia and Ichigo would end up together, is Renji and Rukia. The two were already friends going back at least 100 years when they were new souls and thus kids. They both attended Shin'ō Academy, at Rukia's insistence and drifted apart thanks to Byakuya.
Ironically, Renji and Byakuya would be the ones to hunt down Rukia at the end of the Agent of the Shinigami arc and would kickstart the Soul Society arc. During said arc, Renji would drop the act and beg Ichigo to save Rukia because he couldn't. Though he failed to defeat Byakuya, Renji becomes one of Ichigo's first and best friends throughout the series after Ichigo defeated him.
As for Rukia, well, there's a lot to her. She was technically kept away from Renji due to Byakuya. The other part is that she did like Renji or at least have feelings for him, but everything else like escaping the bad life they had and her guilt over killing one of her friends named Kaien Shiba completely stopped her from acting on them.
The two would eventually get together following the Thousand Year Blood War arc. In a time skip, the two are shown as proud parents and both are still enjoying their careers as Shinigami. Their kid, Ichika, is named after Ichigo and Orihime and they're still good friends all around. Not bad for two people that grew up in hardship.
7) Yona of the Dawn (Yona and Son Hak)
Yona used to be the crown princess of the Kouka Kingdom in the anime Yona of the Dawn. This anime counts as an anime where childhood friends fall in love considering that she falls in love with her childhood friend Son Hak. The problem came when their shared acquaintance Soo-Won who kills Yona's father on her 16th birthday. Hak came in and saved her, and then she had to save him as they both escaped.
Yona and Hak have always been playfully bickering ever since they were children. He's the only one that she wants to call her Princess. As Hak is the only person she had left, she fears for his safety when he is guarding her. The desire to protect him motivates her to become stronger and more self-reliant.
At first, Yona didn't entertain the idea of romance between the two. Then she began rethinking this as they traveled together, she also k**sed him halfway through the anime's Xing arc. The two would have a problem communicating as they both either suffer from unrequited love or being oblivious.
The two finally shared an actual kiss during chapter 175. They were finally starting a relationship even with the chaos of trying to continue to battle various threats aside from Soo-Won. In other words, as the series is still ongoing, the relationship started late due to their communication problems.
8) Cardcaptor Sakura (Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li)
Magical girl anime meets romance story isn't new, but Cardcaptor Sakura has the edge in terms of being an anime where childhood friends fall in love. Basically, Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li met in middle school and didn't start off too well. In fact, they were rivals at that point.
Syaoran wanted to take the position of Cardcaptor of the Clow Cards from Sakura, and was rather mean and arrogant about it too. He's never officially given that rating from Kerberos either, which Sakura notes and is usually extremely intimidated by him whenever they were together or happened to encounter each other.
Slowly, however, Syaoran's attitude began shifting around to respecting Sakura and eventually falling in love with her. The trouble was, of course, that monster attacks and tons of other incidents would befall them before he could get his confession out. She eventually recognized and reciprocated these feelings.
The two began dating post-anime and in the sequel are confirmed to be a couple. While they get flustered around each other, they do at least acknowledge their feelings. The sequel even showed they were so destined for each other, that they're married in alternate timelines.
9) Tamako Market/Tamako Love Story (Mochizou Ouji & Tamako Kitashirakawa)
This anime and its sequel movie, both focus on the titular Tamako Kitashirakawa. She is the daughter of a mochi shop owner who helps manage the shop located in Kyoto's Kamigyo ward whose life was turned upside down when a weird talking bird settles into her home.
The story generally focuses on the characters but has a specific focus on the lead and her childhood friend Mochizou Ouji's crush on her. The two are far too shy to ever say anything, leading to more than a few comical situations as Tamako is rather slow and oblivious to romance.
The show itself at least starts that going, but the movie is really where things start to come to a boil. Every single time Mochizou tries to get something out, something always interrupted him and once Tamako finally heard of this she was shell-shocked for an entire week.
She does finally confess her feelings for him, however. The film does end rather suddenly, but it's considered the end of one chapter of their lives and another one beginning. It's always fun when childhood friends can't spit out their feelings, especially when they are both rather comical at doing so.
10) Cross Game (Ko Kitamura and Aoba Tsukishima)
Love can bloom even in sports anime, and Cross Game has a very interesting type of love between childhood friends. The story revolves around Ko Kitamura and the four neighboring Tsukishima sisters, Ichiyo, Wakaba, Aoba, and Momiji. Long story short, Wakaba treated Ko like he was her boyfriend and destined to be together.
Then Wakaba tragically died at a swimming accident at a summer camp during fifth grade. Auba and Ko decided that they'd both try to achieve Wakaba's dream for them which was to play baseball professionally. This is a dream for them both, even if it's in secret for Ko, and the two go on paths that put them on there.
The problem is the fact that both of them kept running into each other, despite their obvious distaste for each other. They help each other succeed during practices and even in professional tournaments. The two even finally got a love confession, with Ko having to do it more so than Aoba.
While the manga and anime end slightly ambiguously as to whether or not they win the major leagues, this sports anime shows the development of this couple in real time. From when they started as kids, with Aoba being jealous Ko "stole" Wakaba's attention, to Ko's confession during the final tournament, it is wonderful to see love blossom in real time.
Thus ends the list of anime where childhood friends fall in love. All of these anime are highly recommended even if some aren't entirely romantic in nature. It also proves sometimes the childhood friend does win in love, even if the main character has multiple options.
If any readers have any other anime romance recommendations that didn't make the list, feel free to list them in the comments.
