Their relationship was not explicit, but it generated a ton of hate among anime fandoms that were not happy with the gay overtones bleeding over into a not-so-shounen-ai sci-fi series. The two were not over-the-top or used as plot devices, but rather, their relationship was central to their characters and was very relatable. Shion and Nezumi's relationship was a subtle and subversive but important moment in anime when it came to how gay romance was portrayed, especially in the science fiction genre. Shion knows Nezumi is a vigilante but shelters him from harm anyway. Shion is a well-off young man whose life is flipped around when he meets an outsider to the city named Nezumi. 6 is set in a supposedly perfect utopian city of the same name after a violent world war had destroyed most of the planet. Their relationship is interesting to say the least, and many involved in Neon Genesis Evangelion's production agree that the two were some semblance of a gay couple. Shinji is an innocent and damaged young man, while Kaworu is (spoiler alert) not even a real human being. (He is just a kid, after all.) Kaworu offers Shinji his undying love, but it is unclear whether or not this is a tactic to disarm Shinji. Kaworu's sexuality is fairly ambiguous but interesting, and it seems as though Shinji is fairly unsure of his own sexual identity. There's quite a bit of debate around their relationship. Kaworu's screen time is minimal in the series, but his presence was significant. He replaces her and quickly begins a friendship with Shinji. We are introduced to Kaworu Nagisa when Asuka is unable to continue piloting her Eva following a nervous breakdown.
#Gay anime couple big small series#
The series was a critique of the mecha genre, dealt in-depth in psychology, and criticized what the future politics of Japan would become. This legendary mecha anime is memorable for tons of factors. 9 Shinji & Kaworu - Neon Genesis Evangelion The two girls' relationship is mysterious but has sapphic overtones that are pretty hard to ignore. Anthy is currently in an abusive slave-like relationship with her current fiancee, Saionji, but Utena quickly beats him in a duel and "acquires" Anthy. She wears typical boy clothes and dedicates herself to protecting people from danger. Girls can only receive rings from princes, but Utena decides that she's going to be a prince instead. The school's Student Council also seems like some sort of luxuriously exclusive mafia group with rose rings that prove their membership. Enigmatic is a good way to describe this academy- it is never really explained why students have to do this. If so, take their presence as another opportunity to celebrate an awesome couple.This is a relationship that isn’t necessarily canon, but Revolutionary Girl Utena is definitely a series with a queer cult following.Ī junior high student named Utena attends the enigmatic Ohtori Academy, a school that has a curriculum based on duels between students in order to win the hand of Anthy Himemiya, also known as the "Rose Bride". Depending on your take on the issue, you might feel that some of these pairings don't belong on this list. Other people think it isn't yaoi because it doesn't adhere to certain yaoi tropes. Some people would call Yuri on ICE!!! a yaoi anime because the couple at its center, Victor and Yuri, are both men. From classics like Gravitation to new shows like Hitorijime My Hero, there are plenty of great yaoi anime with great couples that are worth rooting for.Ī few of these couples come from anime with contested designations. It's wonderful to have anime with LGBTQ+ relationships at the forefront, and some of those couples are truly fascinating.īut who are the best yaoi anime couples? That's up to you. While yaoi, boys love, and shonen ai aren't for everyone, they enjoy a huge following for a reason. It often has tropes that are unique to the medium - including things like massive age gaps and power differentials that may not appeal to all readers.
Yaoi is a niche anime genre that focuses on the romantic relationships between male characters.