One of the most popular habits of anime fans is the pairing of two characters romantically, who may or may not be shown to do so in the canonical series, which are popularly called anime ships. These anime ships can vary in reception from case to case, with some certainly being more reasonable and widely supported than others.
For many, making anime ships is some of their favorite part of enjoying a series, irrespective of these ships' reception of widespread support or universal criticism. Meanwhile, others prefer to sit back and comment on anime ships that others make instead of making their own, usually being the first ones to participate in such discourses over said ships.
So, we present you with a list of 5 anime ships that offend people the most, and 5 more that everybody rolls with.
Naruto’s Sakura and Itachi, and 4 other incredibly offensive anime ships
1) Kite and Neferpitou (Hunter x Hunter)
First up on the list is the interesting anime ship of Kite and Neferpitou from Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter. The most offensive thing about this relationship is that the former is responsible for killing the latter, who gave his life to protect Gon and Killua.
For many, this makes the ship incredibly repulsive, as it shows (to a certain degree) a complete disregard for each of their roles in the source material, as well as their dynamic. Many fans consider this one of the worst ships of all time, for a good reason.
2) Naofumi and Malty S. Melromarc (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Shockingly, Naofumi Iwatani and Malty S. Melromarc from The Rising of the Shield Hero are together considered to be one of the most famous ships from the series. The shocking factor about this anime ship is that the latter actually accused the former of sexual assault at the beginning of the series, which essentially ruined his life in a new world before it had even begun.
While Naofumi does eventually recover, it does not change how wrong Malty was to do such a thing, the latter even making baseless claims about Naofumi’s actions. Unfortunately, some fans view this as even more of a reason to appropriately pair the two.
3) Sakura and Itachi (Naruto)
One of the most well-known and universally disliked anime ships from the Naruto series is that of Sakura Haruno and Itachi Uchiha. There is something incredibly wrong with this ship yet some fans still ship it, the chief concern of which being Itachi is the brother of Sasuke, who is Sakura’s one and only love throughout the entire series.
Even beyond this, Itachi is a rogue ninja who has directly opposed himself to the Hidden Leaf Village, at least in public. Considering Sakura’s devotion to her village and friends, this ship already has enough reason to be disliked.
4) Levi and Sasha (Attack on Titan)
A rather bizarre ship on Attack on Titan is the pair of Levi Ackerman and Sasha Blouse. Much of the hype from this ship came when the latter was seen treating the former’s wounds after an expedition, which had almost no sexual or romantic connotations in the source material.
Nevertheless, some shippers saw their opportunity and ran with it, leading to a plethora of fanart between the two flooding on social media. Despite its initial popularity, the ship has slowly but surely become one of the most universally hated ships among fans of the series.
5) Light and Misa (Death Note)
Finally, Light Yagami and Misa Amane’s relationship in the Death Note source material is one in which the former viewed the latter's worth for the benefits she offered.
While Misa did have romantic feelings, these remained unreciprocated for the entirety of the series. Author Tsugumi Ohba even confirmed in his interviews that Light could never love a woman.
While this is somewhat open to interpretation in the general sense, it proves how ridiculous the pairing has been in this context. As a result, it’s undoubtedly one of the most generally hated and offensive ships in all of anime.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Yuta and Maki, 4 other ships generally approved of by fans
1) Midoriya and Uraraka (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, has canonically been shown to have a love interest in Ochako Uraraka throughout the series. The two are constantly shown to support each other emotionally, while also saving each other from harm in several instances.
As a result, this is the one anime ship that fans tend to agree with on a reasonable level. While the series’ fandom is known for taking their ships too far, the core concept of Midoriya and Uraraka as an item is one which is generally agreed upon.
2) Zoro and Hiyori (One Piece)
While not being teased anywhere to the point of other ships on this list, Zoro and Hiyori from One Piece are still incredibly popular anime ships among the series’ fans. This is made even more unique because the One Piece fandom rarely goes out of its way to create anime ships, showing just how agreeable this pairing is.
The two first met when Zoro saved her from Killer, who was seemingly on a violent spree as the maniac Kozaburo. After saving her, he passes out from injuries and is nursed back to health by her before waking up in her arms. Since then, their interactions have only bolstered the pairing’s popularity, both among the series' fans and in the general community.
3) Yuta and Maki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Yuta and Maki are often shown to be incredibly close. Despite the initial rough patch they faced during the events of Jujutsu Kaisen 0, they grew to be very trusting of each other. As a result, this remains one of the most popular ships from the series, which fans generally feel to be a fair pairing based on the canonical source material.
The two have also had similar life experiences despite having very different backgrounds, being able to relate to their feelings of being isolated and hated due to the circumstances of their existence. Furthermore, the two’s bonding over their years at Tokyo Jujutsu High further fuels the fire of their pairing among fans.
4) Mustang and Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Similar to the previous two entries, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang rarely show outwardly romantic feelings towards one another. However, this hasn’t stopped fans from taking the various interpretable moments they have with one another and turning them into one of the most popular anime ships of all time.
There’s not a single anime fan, let alone a Fullmetal Alchemist fan, who can disapprove of this ship. The two are constantly shown to support each other physically and emotionally, as well as clearly caring for one another’s safety and happiness. As a result, it is not only a pairing that fans roll with but also actively and outwardly support.
5) Naraku and Kikyo (Inuyasha)
Despite appearing strange on a surface level, Inuyasha’s Naraku and Kikyo is a fairly well-supported anime ship among the fans. Naraku was the demon form of the human Onigumo, whom Kikyo nursed back to health after being thrown off a cliff.
He fell in love with the shrine priestess, eventually giving his body to demons in exchange for a body with which he could love Kikyo.
While his love was somewhat obsessive, many fans often believe that Kikyo eventually reciprocated those feelings as the two grew closer. Despite their occasional conflicts, they continued their interactions even after Onigumo became Naraku, resulting in the two being paired with one another.
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This article was modified on Sunday, June 24 at 17:39 PM.