Summary
Adding a love triangle to a romance anime can be a double-edged sword. Some fans enjoy the heightened drama and tension because it allows them to form a deeper emotional connection with the characters. Plus, it gives them a character to passionately root for on internet forums.
Other fans, on the other hand, immediately roll their eyes at any sort of love polygon. They canfeel a little forced, and after a while, all the wacky hijinks and misunderstandings can get a little tiresome. Understandably, these fans may crave a simpler love story, one where two people just meet and fall in love, and the drama comes from something other than a romantic foil.
1Science Fell In Love, So I Tried To Prove It
MyAnimeList Score: 7.35
Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove Itfollows twoComputer Science students, Ayame Himuro and Shinya Yukimura, who use the scientific method to prove they’re in love with each other. All of this starts when Ayame confesses her feelings to Shinya, who, being a man of science and logic, cannot accept them without scientific proof.
The focus of the series is primarily on Himuro and Yukimura’s relationship, with the other characters either already being in relationships or cheering on the main duo to get together. Even the side characters' relationships have next to no romantic conflicts.
The story ofThe World is Still Beautifultakes place in a world with two kingdoms: the Sun Kingdom and the Rain Dukedom. Nike Remarcier, the fourth princess of the Rain Dukedom, travels to the Sun Kingdom to marry the Sun King Livius Orvinus Ifrikia as part of a political arrangement to bring peace and rain to the Kingdom.
SinceThe World is Still Beautifulis about a couple in an arranged marriage developing feelings for each other, there aren’t many characters vying for either Nike or Livius' affections. The series avoids love triangles for the most part, and any hints of a love rival are quickly resolved.
Plastic Memoriesis asci-fi animeabout a college dropout named Tsukasa Mizugaki. He manages to land a job at the SAI Corp, where he’s tasked with retrieving advanced androids known as Giftias who are nearing the end of their short lifespan. He’s partnered with a Giftia named Isla, and the two eventually develop feelings for each other.
Plastic Memoriesdoes not feature any love triangles and is entirely about the relationship between Isla and Tsukasa. The series' drama mainly comes from the two coming to terms with their feelings amid Isla’s fleeting lifespan, and not the presence of romantic rivals.
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kunfeatures three couples - Chiyo and Nozaki, Yuu and Masayuki, and Yuzuki and Hirotaka. And surprisingly enough, there aren’t any significant romantic rivalries between them. While there are plenty of misunderstandings to be found, they’re not treated as serious threats to characters' relationships.
The manga artist herself has stated that she does not like dealing with love triangles, which explainswhy the series is the way it is. Overall, the misunderstandings and one-sided crushes in the series are mostly played for comedy and don’t create any real competition for the main characters.
My Happy Marriageis set in aslightly fantastical version of the Taisho eraand revolves around a young woman named Miyo Saimori who hails from a noble family. After years of mistreatment by her adoptive family, she is arranged to marry Kiyoka Kudou, a man who’s rumored to be a callous and cold-hearted individual. To Miyo’s surprise, he actually treats her with kindness and compassion, in contrast to what his reputation would suggest.
LikeThe World is Still Beautiful,My Happy Marriagefocuses on the main couple’s transition from a contractual marriage to a romantic relationship. The series is mostly about healing from trauma and the primary threat to Miyo and Kiyoka’s relationship is their families.
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otakuis about theeveryday life of two otaku couples. Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji are childhood friends who start dating at the beginning of the series, while Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura have been in a relationship for a while.
The series focuses on these two couples navigating the challenges of dating an otaku. It’s a feel-good anime with next to no romantic drama, and that includes love rivals and love triangles.
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For Youfollows a newly married couple, so romantic entanglements with other characters are basically non-existent. It’s about a boy named Nasa Yazuki, who gets saved by a girl named Tsukasa Tsukuyomi from an oncoming truck. Nasa falls in love at first sight and asks Tsukasa to marry him.
The series is as straightforward with its romance as it can get, with Nasa and Tsukasa navigating the joys and challenges of married life.TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For Youavoids romantic melodrama for the most part,making it a relaxing watch.
Maid Sama!centers around an all-boys school that has recently started accepting female students. Misaki Ayuzawa, the first female student council president, works hard to create a safe environment for the female students, all while working at a maid cafe to support her family. Her world gets turned upside down when Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in school discovers her secret identity.
While both Misaki and Usui have several admirers in the series, they’re not played all that seriously.Maid Sama!puts the spotlight on the main characters' growing feelings for one another, with thepresence of romantic rivalsbeing extremely brief and not posing a significant threat.
Horimiyafollows two high school students who both live secret lives. Kyoko Hori is both popular and academically gifted, but she’s also a responsible homebody who takes care of her younger brother and keeps the house in order. Izumi Miyamura is a reserved and quiet nerd who is quite outgoing off-school, with numerous piercings.
For the most part,Horimiyaavoids major love triangles that drag on throughout the series. There are side characters who develop unrequited crushes on both Hori and Miyamura, but they are not treated as serious obstacles to their relationship.
Clannad: After Storypicks up where the firstClannadanime left off, with Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa after they start dating. And despite being based on a romance visual novel with multiple love interests, elements such as harems or romantic rivalries are significantly downplayed, with Tomoya and Nagisa being extremely committed to each other.
The anime isn’t just about the main couple’s relationship. In addition to the romance,Clannad: After Storyexplores themes of family, parenthood, loss, and grief, making it one of the most touching anime series of all time.
