Shojo anime and manga have seen a drastic rise in popularity over the past few years, despite actual adaptations being few and far between. Fans love that the genre is so lighthearted and fluffy, but that doesn't mean it's immune to criticism. Many relationships in shojo anime reiterate harmful trends that could give younger viewers a skewed perception of how romance is supposed to work.

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Many of shojo's most controversial characters are the love interests themselves. In many cases, they're pushy and incapable of respecting the protagonist's boundaries. Others are plain old creepy, but they're portrayed as charming, princely types.

10 Tamaki Suoh Made Insensitive Remarks About Haruhi's Financial Situation (Ouran High School Host Club)

Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club holding out a rose.

Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club is the definition of a spoiled rich kid who never had to work a single day in his life. Though it isn't his fault that he's rich, Tamaki's insensitivity and general tone-deaf mentality when talking about Haruhi's financial situation struck several chords with some viewers.

Haruhi is just the average working-class girl, but Tamaki and a few other host club members treat her like she's never had nice things because she's not as wealthy as them. Tamaki was incredibly guilty of this because of how he turned basic things, like instant coffee, into a ridiculous spectacle.

9 Kou Tanaka Is Just Hard To Like (Ao Haru Ride)

Kou looks at Futaba Yoshioka in Blue Spring Ride anime

Ao Haru Ride's Kou Tanaka is one of shojo anime's most polarizing male leads. Some viewers feel like he's just a jerk who coldly rejected Futaba and hurt her feelings for no real reason. Others, however, can empathize with him because they've been in his shoes.

After all, the loss of a parent is enough to drastically change anybody's personality. It's unfair to expect someone to be the same person they were as a child after enduring a traumatic loss on top of life's obstacles.

8 Shigure Sohma's Creepy Comments & Manipulative Behavior Didn't Sit Right With Some Viewers (Fruits Basket)

Shigure Sohma from Fruits Basket.

Shigure Sohma from Fruits Basket is one of the series' most simultaneously loved and hated characters. Fans love him because he comes off like the ultimate cool guy. He shares personality traits and voice actors with fan-favorites like Jujutsu Kaisen's Satoru Gojo and Haikyuu!'s Tetsurou Kuroo.

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However, not every Fruits Basket viewer fell for Shigure's charms. They found Shigure's remarks about teenage girls creepy, and many were uncomfortable after hearing him utter the first one. Plus, he stirred the pot on the Sohma family's drama, dragged Tohru into it, and riled everybody up so he could date Akito.

Haibuki from Crimson Hero.

One of shojo anime's most common controversies is that the love interests seldom ask for their crush's consent before initiation affection. Many of them jump straight in to kiss them, hug them, or something more without even asking if it's okay.

Though it's well-written in some cases, many fans found Crimson Hero's kiss scene a bit jarring since Haibuki kissed Nobara without her consent. Fans have been quicker to call out and criticize surprise kisses recently, but the trope shows no sign of slowing down.

6 Mizuki Kidnapped Nanami & Kissed Her While She Was Unconcious (Kamisama Kiss)

Mizuki looking confused in Kamisama Kiss.

Though Mizuki wasn't the main love interest in Kamisama Kiss, his actions still didn't sit right with some viewers. Though he tried to redeem himself by explaining that he was just lonely since his god abandoned the shrine, many viewers aren't buying his sob story.

After all, Mizuki kidnapped Nanami right after his debut in Kamisama Kiss. Later on, he kissed Nanami without consent while she was unconscious, forcing her to accept him as a familiar as soon as she woke up. This especially didn't sit right with viewers since they were supposed to work together to save Tomoe from the Dragon King.

5 Kureno's Relationship With Arisa Has An Inappropriate Age Gap (Fruits Basket)

Kureno Sohma smiling in Fruits Basket.

Kureno Sohma is 27. Arisa Uotani was 16 or 17 when she met him in Fruits Basket. Many fans agree that their relationship was one of the most uncomfortable parts of the series because of this inappropriate age gap. Even if Arisa was 18 years old by the end of the series, fans still found it strange that he was eager to date someone who had just turned the legal age.

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Some argue that Akito isolated Kureno for his entire life, so it probably stunted his mental growth and he still has a teenager's mentality. Others argue that it's a classic case of love at first sight. Fruits Basket has included age gaps before, seeing as Tohru's mother started dating her father when she was 14, and it was an inappropriate student-teacher relationship.

4 Kyoya Sata Was Just A Terrible Boyfriend (Wolf Girl And Black Prince)

Kyoya Sata from Wolf Girl and the Black Prince.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is a fan favorite, but it has to be done right to ensure that nothing toxic or abusive is thrown into the mix. Fake dating is also a wildly popular trope. In fact, pairing them together is what many fans dream of.

Unfortunately, Wolf Girl And Black Prince failed to deliver. Instead of what they hoped for, fans received an abusive relationship that just wouldn't fly in real life. Kyoya was a terrible boyfriend who spent most of his time insulting Erika and didn't respect her boundaries during their fake relationship.

3 Kyoya Ootori Forced Himself Onto Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club)

Kyoya from Ouran High School Host Club.

Ouran High School Host Club is a beloved shojo series that sets the bar very high for whatever anime fans watched from the next genre. Still, it was very flawed. Since many fans watched it when they were younger, many look back with criticisms and questions about what it was trying to convey.

Ouran's most uncomfortable scene occurred during the beach episode. Haruhi tried to fight off a bunch of guys by herself when she saw them harassing other women. Each of the guys scolded her for it, which also didn't sit right with viewers since their entire argument was that she was a defenseless girl. Kyoya took it way too far when he isolated her and forced himself on her to make a point that a vulnerable girl who could easily get assaulted.

2 Takumi Usui Is A Creepy Stalker (Maid-Sama!)

Takumi Usui from Maid-Sama!.

Anime viewers either really love Maid-Sama! or entirely hate it. Neither side keeps quiet about their praises or criticisms. Maid-Sama!'s biggest controversy is the male lead, Takumi Usui. He's portrayed as an eccentric princely type, similar to Ouran's Tamaki, but much more aloof and stoic.

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However, not every viewer fell for his charms. Many just thought he was a stalker whose obsession with Misaki was just too bizarre and unhealthy to ignore. After all, he'd constantly show up at her place of employment bother her. Though he genuinely cares for Misaki, there's no denying that he's a walking red flag.

1 Kaname's Obsession With Yuki Was Toxic & Their Relationship Was Wildly Disturbing (Vampire Knight)

Kaname Kuran smiling (Vampire Knight).

Vampire Knight isn't a shojo series that aged particularly well. Fans universally agree that Zero is the series' best character, while the rest are either lackluster or deeply disturbing. Kaname Kuran falls on the latter half of the scale.

He was obsessed with Yuki for most of Vampire Knight. Kaname essentially tricked her into a relationship. Even more disgusting, Kaname knew all along that he and Yuki were brother and sister. Despite its flaws, Vampire Knight is still a guilty pleasure for many of the genre's veteran fans.

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