Sometimes there's nothing better than returning to the classic high school shoujo, filled with misunderstandings, love triangles and the inevitable confession of love. However, life doesn't stop after the big love confession and some of these young couples wouldn't cut it in the world after high school. While some of these couples have a solid future, others are simply destined to drift apart once the thrill of that first love roller coaster fades away, despite how hard we rooted for them. From couples in Kaguya-sama to Toradora to My Love Story, here are the high school anime couples destined for splitsville.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Kaguya & Miyuki Wouldn't Make It as a Couple
Kaguya-sama's Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane are doomed to fail. While their constant chase after each other's hearts is fun to watch, ultimately these two are just too different to make it work long-term. While both are driven and intelligent, their competitive spirit would get in the way of their relationship the same way it's prevented them from getting together in the first place. The differences in their upbringing, way of living and general sense of morality would lead to a lot of tension that would break things down in time until the best they could hope for is a passive-aggressive mess.
From Me t0 You's Sawako & Shouta are Built to Last
From Me to You's Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya are destined for a happy ending. From the very beginning, when Shouta is kind to Sawako despite how she's been ostracized, the two are a cycle of positive influence as they slowly come to understand and then love each other. Even after getting together, they are able to confront each other about problems in their relationship to fix things in a manner that shows these two are willing to put in the work to stay in each other's lives.
My Love Story's Takeo & Rinko Aren't a Realistic Couple - and That's OK
This love story is, unfortunately, too cute to be real. It's impossible to imagine characters like Takeo Goda and Rinko Yamato even existing, let alone as a couple out there in the world. However, it doesn't feel like the show was ever trying to be anything but a lighthearted take on young love as seen through the eyes of an outsider. It doesn't prevent My Love Story from being one of the cutest romances out there. If only love was always so pure.
Classmates' Hikaru & Rihito Can Handle Anything Together
Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou are absolutely heading for a happy ending. Even though there are times they are unsure about the relationship or even want to take a break, they end up coming back to each other, unwilling to sever their bond. They can also rest assured that someone always has their back since they almost always drop everything if the other needs them. Considering they help each other with everything from new realizations about their sexualities to panic attacks on public transportation, they can probably handle just about anything.
Toradora's Taiga & Ryuji Will Go Down in Drama-fueled Flames
Taiga Aisaka and Ryuji Takasu have the advantage of having been friends and confidantes first before developing any sort of romance. They can be completely themselves around the other and, therefore, be sure that they're being completely loved, warts and all. However, after Taiga returns from her year away, how long before the two fall into their old habit of bickering and concealing feelings? Taiga and Ryuji caused a lot of drama falling in love and might cause even more falling out of it. It's not a fun fate for one of shoujo's token couples, but it's likely.
Horimiya's Kyoko & Izumi Are a Cute Couple - But Also Surprisingly Toxic
As wholesome as Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura are from the outside, this couple have some big red flags. When they fight, Kyoko often gets physical and even during normal arguments, Izumi never stands his ground, even when completely in the right. Kyoko is never shown bonding with Izumi's family the way he is absorbed into hers and they also get wildly possessive of each other in a way that leads to acting out and even biting to mark the other as theirs. While this doesn't predict their relationship will end, it doesn't predict a necessarily healthy one.
Given's Ritsuka & Mafuyu Make a Pitch-Perfect Couple
Ritsuka Uenoyama and Mafuyu Satou show all the signs of being a happy couple for years to come. Though this is Ritsuka's first time being in love, he takes it very seriously, especially with them being part of the band. Mafuyu may be passive, but his feelings run deep -- as evidenced by his performances --and the fact he can fall in love but not immediately run to confess shows a maturity to his feelings that he's likely gained through the experience of losing his first love. These two should be as solid a relationship as ever going forward.
Kase-san and the Morning Glories - Yui & Tomoka Are Mature Enough to Last
Yui Yamada and Tomoka Kase nearly fall into the category of "too cute to be real," but details like negotiating physical boundaries and planning sensible futures that allow them to be together reveal that these two are simply happy to be in love and experiencing all the firsts of it with each other. The fact they put so much consideration into their relationship and such care with what they both want shows that they are not only mature about being in love, but that they understand what they have to do to make it work, things both big and small.
Orange
Naho Takamiya knows how to make a relationship last, as evidenced by her marriage to Hiroto Suwa in the alternate timeline. In the other timeline where Kakeru Naruse survives, Naho falls for him and Hiroto's feelings go unrequited, which suggests that Kakeru and Naho could be even happier together. Though Kakeru is dealing with a lot of personal strife, the fact that Naho's interventions in his life were able to dissuade him from ending it promises a deep relationship of care and healing. When Kakeru is in a place where he's ready for romance, there is no reason he and Naho shouldn't be a loving couple from then on.
Through all the trials and tears of young love, some couples grow stronger and some start to wear at the seams. Though high school may be the perfect environment for their love to flourish, the world outside may not be so kind. Though we all hope for our favorite couples to succeed, sometimes it's better to admit that they would be happier apart and hope that they at least hold fond memories of their high school sweetheart.