There are many anime that have romantic subplots, even if the main plot is not romance-heavy. Though some of these romance subplots can be amazing and heartwarming for fans, many are also unnecessary.
Some of these unnecessary subplots revealed questionable surprise twists, such as Food Wars!, while other anime teased potential relationships but never had it culminate in anything fruitful, such as Joey and Mai's relationship in Yu-Gi-Oh! Some simply went nowhere despite the potential for more in their shared romances, and many fans found themselves either disappointed or outraged by the lack of proper resolutions.
10 Retsuko's First Relationship Went Nowhere (Aggretsuko)
The last few episodes of Aggretsuko's first season led to Retsuko having a relationship that eventually did not work out, and many fans felt that it was unnecessary. Though it did accurately depict how badly a relationship can go if one partner is inattentive to the other, it drew away from the rest of the first season's main story. Instead of focusing on Aggretsuko trying to find romance and failing, viewers wished to see more of her day-to-day career struggles and friendships with her co-workers.
9 The Potential Romance Between Mai And Joey Went Nowhere (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Mai Valentine and Joey Wheeler were hinted to potentially have a relationship with each other throughout Yu-Gi-Oh! This subplot intensified during the Waking The Dragons arc after Mai joined Dartz's forces and ended up in a love triangle situation involving Valon, herself, and Joey. However, this subplot never got a proper resolution since all three of them lost their souls late in the arc. After their souls were saved, Valon and Mai did not show up again except in a brief cameo and as a spectator in the KC Grand Championship arc respectively.
8 The Heroes Movie Had Fans Confused About Bianca And Latias (Pokémon)
The Pokémon Heroes movie involved Ash, Latias, and Bianca in a hinted romantic subplot. When Latias first met Ash, it disguised itself as Bianca. This led to further confusion when Ash met the real Bianca later in the movie. Fans were confused about whether Ash was kissed by either Latias or Bianca at the end of the movie thanks to this.
Though it was adorable to see Ash in a potential budding romance-related situation for older fans, many viewers felt that this subplot was unnecessary.
7 Rika's Attempts To Get Naoya's Love Did Not Sit Well With Fans (Girlfriend, Girlfriend)
Rika's extreme attempts to win Naoya's heart in Girlfriend, Girlfriend were completely unnecessary. One of her attempts resulted in her camping on the balcony outside Naoya's apartment. It was pointless for Rika, also known as internet personality Milika, to do so since Naoya was already dating Saki and Nagisa at the time. It also did not help that she virtually harassed and stalked Naoya early on. This subplot worsened when it was revealed that Naoya also had feelings for her along with Nagisa and Saki, and he only refrained from being romantic towards her for the sake of keeping Nagisa and Saki happy.
6 Azuma And Tsukino's Potential Romantic Ties Were Rarely Touched Upon (Yakitate!! Japan)
Though Yakitate!! Japan mainly focused on baking and all the chaotic reactions that ensued, there were also two romantic subplots. One of the subplots, involving swordsman Kai Suwabara and patissier Monica Adenauer, was adored by fans. However, the other subplot involving Tsukino and the protagonist Azuma barely had any traction.
It was hinted throughout the series that Tsukino had feelings for Azuma, but it was unknown whether Azuma felt the same. When he gave Tsukino a ring as a gift at the end of the Monaco Cup arc, he failed to realize that he put it on her engagement ring finger. Unfortunately for fans rooting for these two characters to get together, they never did so and it is unsure if they ever would.
5 Ruka And Kazuya's Potential Romance Was Squashed By Kazuya's Obvious Feelings For Chizuru (Rent-A-Girlfriend)
Though Ruka wanted to date Kazuya in Rent-A-Girlfriend, by that point that Kazuya already had fallen for Chizuru. Ruka was doomed for heartbreak, no matter how much she tried to earn the approval of Kazuya's family and friends around her.
This eventually culminated in Kazuya never actually asking Ruka to be his girlfriend, rejecting the opportunity to do so to listen in on Chizuru and Mami's conversations about him. Many wondered if Ruka would realize that Kazuya would likely never end up with her and move forward, or keep trying to earn his affections.
4 Sapphee And Glenn's Relationship Status Was Left Unknown In The Anime Adaptation (Monster Girl Doctor)
Glenn and Saphentite, also known as Sapphee, were hinted to have romantic feelings for each other. Sapphee adored Glenn since they were children, and she was easily jealous of any other ladies that Glenn had to work with. She was also protective of him initially when Arahnia tried to take him for herself.
Glenn never chose any of the potential love interests to be with during the anime adaptation, much to the ire of fans. This was rectified in the manga adaptation since Glenn would eventually marry not just Sapphee but also Arahnia and Tisalia. However, he could not marry them immediately because he had to fully pay off the clinic's debts first.
3 The Main Story Had Too Many Unneeded Love Interests (Mayo Chiki!)
Though Mayo Chiki! focused heavily on Subaru and Kinjirou's growing interest in and relationship with each other, since it was so focused on this particular pair of characters, many viewers felt that the rest of the supporting and potential love interests were unnecessary for the main story.
The anime adaptation itself focused on Subaru and Kinjirou's relationship more than Kinjirou's relationship with anyone else. This meant thatthe rest of the supporting characters were mainly present for the sake of varied personalities more than actual love interests who had a chance to be with Kinjirou at all.
2 Erima And Sōma Got Involved In A Pointless Romantic Subplot (Food Wars!)
Food Wars! fans enjoyed watching Sōma and Erima until a love triangle plot was introduced through having a new romantic rival for Erima's affections: Asahi. Not only did it squander Erima's individual character development during this time, but many fans were unhappy with how Erima turned her back on her friends temporarily to be with Asahi. This later resolved with a questionable twist reveal that Asahi was Erima's half-brother, and while it ended anything between the two, it just made the whole situation worse and calls into question why it ever happened in the first place.
1 Ishigami's Sideplot Took Away From The Main Story (Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War)
Kaguya-Sama already has its main romance in the anime adaptation. However, when Ishigami tried to get a girlfriend for himself, many fans felt that his plot took away precious time from the rest of the main story. It also did not help that Ishigami's side plot was significantly more dramatic and cynical than the main plot. Though some fans of Ishigami were happy to see some focus on him, others were upset that this side plot led to a noticeable shift in focus away from the series' actual main characters.