The magical girl (i.e. mahou shoujo) anime is known for its female empowered cast of heroines, along with adorable sidekicks. Yet in many mahou shoujo stories, there's often a handsome romantic figure. And whether he be a typical teenage boy or a magical prince, there's no shortage of memorable male love interests.
But, that begs the question, is every romantic figure from the magical girl genre a flawless individual? The answer is no. Yet regardless how many handsome characters become part of magical girl history, fans will always have the romantic interests that they love and the ones they'd rather forget.
10 WORST: Daiki Asuka Jr. (Saint Tail)
Though academically smart, Saint Tail's Daiki Asuka Jr. is far from the perfect boy This fact is especially shown to be true when it comes to his dense understanding of his crush, Meimi Haneoka.
From continually getting into arguments with Meimi about Saint Tail (even though they're the same person) to Daiki never connecting the dots about Meimi's feelings, this future detective is the definition of dense. How he got into this career is anyone's guess. And even though he might be incredibly book smart, Daiki is far from good boyfriend material.
9 BEST: Syaoran Li (Cardcaptor Sakura)
Even though he has flaws, Cardcaptor Sakura's Syaoran is the perfect example of a well-developed love interest. He starts as a hotheaded rival but eventually becomes a character that fans (and Sakura herself) can fall in love with.
But what makes Syaoran one of the best individuals on this list is the respect he has for Sakura. From taking their relationship at a comfortable pace to naming a teddy bear after her, Syaoran is always a prime example of what all boyfriends of magical girls should be.
8 WORST: Mytho (Princess Tutu)
At first glance, Mytho and the title magical girl, Princess Tutu (aka Ahiru), seem like the perfect match. Yet as the narrative continues, Mytho's true purpose as a pawn within Drosselmeyer's story becomes even more apparent.
Though fans could argue that Mytho has his pros, he's a love interest that is ultimately not worth Ahiru's efforts. Not only are her romantic feelings towards Mytho part of Drosselmeyer's plans, but Mytho also would never authentically reciprocate those feelings back to Ahiru. In short, Ahiru deserves someone who will love her without question (like Fakir.)
7 BEST: Prince Kanata (Go! Princess PreCure)
With his regal aesthetic and purple locks, Prince Kanata appears as the most dreamy of princes. But unlike other love interests on this list, Kanata is a royal filled with genuine respect and admiration for the show's leading lady, Haruka (aka Cure Flora.)
From his initial encounter with Haruka as a child to his final scenes within Go! Princess PreCure, Kanata's loyal and warm personality shine through in the best of ways. Though he has his flaws like any character on this list (or anyone in the real world, for that matter), Kanata ultimately proves himself to be a stand-up romantic partner and ally.
6 WORST: Toshio Ōtomo (Creamy Mami)
Let's be real: teenage boys are the worst. They can be incredibly awful when their romantic focus goes towards an unattainable pop idol. Take, for example, Toshio from Creamy Mami.
Though he has his positives, Toshio exemplifies the worst qualities in a magical girl's love interest. He's oblivious to a fault, makes rude comments towards Yū Morisawa that could seriously count as bullying, and he handles challenging moments in the most immature of ways. To his credit, Toshio gradually grows into a better individual but his journey towards that point is ridiculously juvenile.
5 BEST: Ferio (Magic Knight Rayearth)
With his roguish good looks and memorable one-liners, Ferio from Magic Knight Rayearth may not seem like the conventional boyfriend to a magical girl. But in actuality, he's the perfect rebellious yin to magic knight Fuu's more grounded yang.
Romantic partners are supposed to help each other grow to their next stage in life, which is something Ferio accomplishes with Fuu easily. He pushes Fuu out of her comfort zone and gives her a new perspective. Plus, he's got a super fascinating backstory and a cool sword. What more could any magical girl want?
4 WORST: Shou Yuuki (Magical Emi)
Every anime fan knows what it's like to have their first crush and in the case of Magical Emi's Mai Kazuki, her affections just so happen to go towards Shou Yuuki. Athletic, confident, and a total '80s-era pretty boy, Shou is many a young girl's fantasy come to life. Problem is, Shou is the kind of crush that looks good on paper who, in hindsight, is far from the ideal boyfriend.
He's much older than Mai and is obsessed with boxing, along with being incredibly oblivious. Ultimately, Shou isn't worth Mai's attention and she should stick to focusing on just becoming a magician instead.
3 BEST: Mamoru Chiba (Sailor Moon)
With his signature mask and suit, no Mahou shoujo heartthrob from the '90s can outshine Sailor Moon's Mamoru, better known as Tuxedo Mask. He's dashing yet flawed, heroic yet vulnerable and, of course, undeniably romantic.
But even with all of his awkward moments, Mamoru's most outstanding quality is his belief and admiration towards Usagi. No matter what trials tested their romance, Mamoru proves that nothing can truly break the bonds of love -- not even the forces of evil or the sands of time!
2 WORST: Akio Ohtori (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
It's hard for fans to deny the beauty and initial charm of Revolutionary Girl Utena's Akio. He's got that bishonen look, the unique prince aesthetic, and an impressive looking car. But underneath that facade is one questionable individual.
From using Utena as a pawn to achieve his sinister goals to trying to change Utena into a less-than-authentic version of herself, Akio is really more of a toxic kind of love interest than a knight in shining armor. Then again, that may have been the final point of the deconstructive Revolutionary Girl Utena. Regardless of how pretty he might be, fans will never ignore Akio's obvious red flags.
1 BEST: Hayate (Pretear)
Like many of the romantic interests mentioned beforehand, Hayate follows a very similar formula. He initially can't stand the new Pretear, Himeno, due in large part to his troubled prior experiences. Yet as the series continues, Hayate shifts towards one of (if not the) best character in the entire series.
He lets down his guard, opens up his heart, and does anything to protect Himeno even if it means going outside of his comfort zone. If that sort of growth doesn't make him a magical boyfriend for the ages, we don't know what it is!