Love takes time and work. A lot of romance anime know this fact, and so they often build up the romance between main characters that leads to the payoff of them getting together at the end. While this long game can keep fans invested in seeing the lead characters finally confess their feelings, some anime make their characters take that plunge much earlier.

Though this does not mean the characters become a couple by episode one, they do end up dating earlier than other couples in anime that have the two getting into a relationship as the end goal. As such, viewers get to see not only the build-up but also a glimpse at what the couple is like when they start dating.

Updated by Alexandra Locke on January 12, 2024: Romances are prolific in the anime genre, yet most couples only come together just as their shows end. Thankfully, anime where couples date early are becoming more prevalent. Since fans are getting into Winter 2024 Season, even more couples from 2023 and earlier have been added to this growing list.

20 Sword Art Online Focuses On Its Core Romance

Sword Art Online is a video game isekai on the surface, but the show mainly focuses on the romance between Kirito and Asuna. Though they originally meet under dire circumstances, Kirito and Asuna come together once they join a guild and become an unstoppable fighting duo.

From there, the two decide to break from clearing dungeons for a while to play house in a tranquil level of Aincrad. Fans are treated to endearing episodes of Kirito and Asuna being a couple and doing all manner of cute, romantic things together.

19 Girlfriend, Girlfriend Continues to Add Love Interests

Girlfriend, Girlfriend sees Naoya Mukai's dream finally coming to fruition. After multiple attempts, his childhood friend, Saki Saki, finally agrees to go out with him at the beginning of the show. However, their bliss is somewhat short-lived, as Naoya finds himself attracted to another girl named Nagisa Minase.

Not wanting to give up Saki, but also wanting to explore a relationship with Nagisa, Naoya decides to date both girls, who are fully aware of each other's relationship with Naoya. The following story revolves around their increasingly complicated relationship, as Naoya accepts more and more girls into his life.

18 Beastars Speeds Things Along

The relationship between Legoshi and Haru in Beastars is a little complicated since Haru doesn't want to be particularly attached to anyone. However, by the middle of Season One, Haru and Legoshi have had multiple romantic encounters, and their mutual feelings for each other are apparent.

There is some confusion about whether they're together in the second season, but that is chalked up to Legoshi's supreme social awkwardness rather than them actually being apart. Legoshi even proposes marriage to Haru while they're in the school library. Although she rejects him, fans can see that Haru would love to be by Legoshi's side forever.

17 Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie Shows A Cool Girlfriend & Her Clumsy Boyfriend

Yu Izumi is head-over-heels for his cool girlfriend, Shikimori. The two begin Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie as an already established couple, letting the show focus on their dynamic in a relationship for all twelve episodes.

Though they are already dating, Izumi harbors many insecurities about being a good boyfriend. He worries that his clumsiness will put Shikimori off, but the opposite is true. Shikimori finds Izumi completely endearing and relishes protecting him. Shikimori and Izumi make a great couple since they complement each other so well throughout their time together.

16 Gamers! Puts The Couple Together After Hilarious Misunderstandings

Admittedly, Karen Tendou and Keita Amano get off to a rocky start. Between Keita's incredibly low self-esteem and Karen's maddening obsession with Keita, after he rejects her offer to join the gaming club (as well as a truckload of hilarious misunderstandings), it seemed like these two would never get together.

Surprisingly though, Keita manages to muster up the courage to jump past "friend territory" and go straight to dating in episode six of Gamers!. Despite both of them being socially awkward and the other little entanglements that get between them, they manage to date and stay a couple for the rest of the season.

15 And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online? Focuses On An Online Couple Turned Real

At the start of And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online? Hideki Nishimura, aka Rusian, and Ako are married in the game "Legendary Age," and while it is not real to Rusian, it is very real to Ako due to her rejection of the real world. Eventually, the two meet up in real life and, along with their fellow guildmates, try to get Ako to give the outside world another chance.

This quickly strengthens the bond between Ako and Rusian, and their in-game love starts to become the real deal by episode six. While Ako's mentality is a little skewed towards her in-game counterpart, the fact still stands that her love for him is genuine. Plus, they were together even before Rusian started to reciprocate those feelings.

14 Rent-A-Girlfriend Gives New Meaning To Internet Relationships

Kazuya Kinoshita gets hit hard with heartbreak from the very start of Rent-A-Girlfriend and eventually tries to drown his sorrows by using the Diamond App to rent Chizuru Mizuhara to go out with him. Unfortunately, he complicates things when he ends up introducing her to his family, putting them both into an awkward and tangled web of lies.

Despite not being an actual couple, the two are technically dating, but just not in the traditional sense. Yet, through the constant mistakes and misunderstandings, the two start to develop genuine feelings for each other throughout the series.

13 Tsuki ga Kirei Shows The Power Of Young Love

Tsuki ga Kirei centers around the romance between middle schoolers Kotarou Azumi and Akane Mizuno. They only begin to crush on each other at the beginning of the show, but they quickly confess their feelings to one another and begin dating. Though it takes a while for them to kiss, the two young people enjoy each other’s company as they go on dates and hang out on school trips.

The love that Kotarou and Akane share is so strong that it even survives Akane’s move to a far-off town at the end of the show. Though fans do not get to see it for themselves, the credits show a happily married Kotarou and Akane starting a family. Tsuki ga Kirei is a sweet tale that shows all the stages of young love.

12 Arakawa Under the Bridge Has A Bizarre Romance

After falling into the Arakawa River, Kou Ichinomiya is rescued by a girl named Nino, who claims to be from Venus. Kou feels like he has to pay back the debt of saving his life and, without any other idea of how to do that, decides to start a relationship with Nino in Arakawa Under The Bridge.

While unfamiliar with the concept of romance at first, Nino accepts, and they start dating by episode four. Kou's relationship with Nino leads him to discover the many strange people who live in Arakawa with Nino and all the bizarre things that come with them.

11 Nisekoi Begins With A Fake Relationship

Not all couples start out liking each other, something Chitoge Kirisaki and Raku Ichijo know quite well. After giving off the worst first impressions possible, the two end up having to be in a false relationship for their families to call a truce to their feud. For the majority of the series, they fake being a couple.

Initially, Chitoge and Raku are like cats and dogs and cannot stand the fact they have to pretend to date each other, but as their false love continues, the two do grow closer. Eventually, those harsh feelings start becoming romantic and prove that sometimes opposites do attract.

10 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku Features Otaku In Love

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is a poignantly relevant story for any adult anime fan. The story focuses on the relationship between two coworkers, Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji. The two are childhood friends who agree to start dating so Narumi does not have to feel like she needs to hide the Otaku part of herself. The idea is Hirotaka’s, as he has been in love with Narumi since they were young.

This show is a look into the lives of adults who are tired of hiding and ready to be themselves. Full of anime and gaming references, this story is a rare look at the dating lives of adults in anime. Though the ending left fans wanting, it is still a great watch for older fans looking for a refreshing romance.

9 Scott Pilgrim Sparks a Love Story Across Time

The entire story of every Scott Pilgrim property hinges on the blossoming relationship between Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers. The new Netflix animated series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, is no different. Ramona and Scott happen upon each other as Ramona skates through Scott's mind and sparks fly when they kiss in the first episode.

Although Scott goes missing and is gone for most of the season, Ramona never falters in her dedication to him. Likewise, Scott can't bring himself to heed his future self's warning about how Ramona will break his heart in the future. For Ramona and Scott, being together - even if it's not forever - is worth it for all the love they have to share.

8 Spy x Family's Couple Gets Married to Evade the Government

The fate of the world rests on the relationship between Special Agent Twilight and a deadly assassin named Yor Briar in Spy x Family. Now known as Loid and Yor Forger, the two agree to get married so that Loid's (fake) daughter, Anya, can get into the prestigious school where his enemy's children also go. Yor needs the marriage too, so that she doesn't fall under suspicion from the government since she is "aging" and unmarried (which would potentially mean she's a spy).

Loid and Yor take to their new roles as husband and wife seriously and eventually come to realize that they enjoy being part of a family. Though they've had many setbacks, Loid and Yor remain dedicated to each other. Fans can only hope that the two of them eventually realize their mutual feelings for one another.

7 Horimiya Has a Confession By Episode Four

Horimiya quickly became a popular anime in this genre thanks to the raw emotion of its characters and its more realistic take on teenage romance. Part of that stems from the theme of falling for someone after getting to know them which title characters Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura do pretty quickly after seeing past initial appearances.

By the end of the fourth episode, Miyamura ends up confessing his feelings to Hori, believing she is asleep at the time, and this lights the spark to Hori confirming their couple status in the next episode. The two end up dating from then on out while riding through all the ups and downs that come with relationships.

6 Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Shows Love Overcoming Insecurities

Sakuta and Mai end up having a unique first encounter, to say the least, in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Sakuta sees Mai walking around the public library while dressed as a bunny girl, and that begins their entanglement, which ultimately leads to them becoming a couple. Surprisingly though, the two move pretty fast on that front, even if neither put a label on it at first.

To experiment with the strange happenings around the bunny girl senpai's existence, Sakuta and Mai go out on a date (though Mai denies it being one) as early as episode two. In the very next episode, Sakuta confesses that he loves Mai and the one after that is when she accepts his feelings, becoming an official couple for the rest of the season.

5 Snow White With The Red Hair Is Not A Typical Fantasy Romance

Snow White with the Red Hair seems like it would be a typical shojo romance, but it is anything but boring. Shirayuki is a self-sufficient woman on the run from her stalker when she bumps into the handsome Prince Zen of Clariness. The two form an instant bond – especially on Zen’s side – and they fall in love. Though each episode presents another antagonist of the week, the main focus is on Shirayuki and Zen’s relationship as they learn to balance work and each other.

This anime is different from its contemporaries as not only does the couple get together early in the show, but they both respect each other’s positions and encourage one another to work toward their career goals. Though they face many tribulations and much skepticism from their peers, Zen and Shirayuki prove that status and rank do not matter much when love is involved.

4 My Love Story!! Shows Opposites Attract

Takeo Gouda has had some rough luck when it comes to romance. Not only are his crushes turned off by his large and intimidating appearance, but they always end up being interested in his best friend Makoto Sunakawa. That all changes when he meets the sweet and kind Rinko Yamato who quickly takes an interest in him in My Love Story!!.

Because Takeo is so used to things not going his way, he assumes Rinko's just interested in Makoto at first. This misunderstanding gets put to rest soon enough, and they officially become a couple by episode three. That begins their true love story, one where beauty is more than just skin deep.

3 Tsuredure Children Has Tons Of Love Confessions

Tsuredure Children is an anthology of love stories centered around various students from the same high school. Since the struggles of confessing are an ongoing theme of the series, some of these romances end up being slow and steady. Others, however, are not.

As early as the first episode, a few of these characters end up becoming a couple and start dating, and more end up following not too far behind in the episodes after. While not every character gets together on the spot, it is amazing how many of them do so early on in the anime.

2 My Happy Marriage Turns Out Better Than Expected

My Happy Marriage gives away what will happen to its main couple in the title. Although Miyo Saimori and Kiyoka Kudo's relationship has a rocky start, the two quickly find mutual respect and adoration for one another.

Miyo and Kiyoka are initially arranged to be married as a sort of sick farewell from Miyo's family. They hate her and Kiyoka is known for being a tyrant. Fortunately, Kiyoka's temperament doesn't align with the rumors. As Miyo and Kiyoka begin to learn about each other, the two fall hard for one another and begin the rest of their lives together.

1 Tonikawa Has A Marriage In Episode One

Some relationships in anime are a slow burn, others move fast. Nasa Yuzaki and Tsukasa Tsukuyomi of Tonikawa: Over the Moon For You might just be one of the fastest. After surviving an encounter with a truck and meeting the girl of his dreams, Nasa gets another chance to ask Tsukasa out. Tsukasa accepts, on the condition that they get married.

Despite their quick decision and the little ceremony that comes with it, Nasa enthusiastically accepts and his very wholesome marriage to Tsukasa begins to take form. Nasa and Tsukasa not only get together by the end of the first episode, but they jump past several other lines and land straight on marriage after barely just meeting.