Interest Stacks

Main Couple doesn't end up together (anime)

AnimeSpoiler
byisahbellah
Mar 22 2023, 10:04 AM | Updated Mar 22, 2023 11:05 AM
Not all of these anime have the romance tag, but at some point the main characters have shown romantic interest in each other and for whatever reason they didn't end up together.

This list is a cautionary tale of sorts.

manga version: myanimelist DOT net/stacks/25165
TV, 2020Finished 12 eps, 24 min

The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. But in the dark alleys around the brightly-lit buildings, an unforgiving criminal underbelly still exists in the form of fugitives known as "Akudama." No stranger to these individuals, Kansai police begin the countdown to the public execution of an infamous Akudama "Cutthroat," guilty of killing 999 people. However, a mysterious message is sent to several elite Akudama, enlisting them to free Cutthroat for a substantial amount of money. An invisible hand seeks to gather these dangerous personas in one place, ensuring that the execution is well underway to becoming a full-blown bloodbath. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioPierrot
SourceOriginal
7.58
437K
TV, 2016Finished 25 eps, 23 min

Returning from their summer vacation, the students of Class 3-E at the prestigious Kunugigaoka Middle School find themselves up against unbeatable odds. Faced with the possibility of world annihilation, the students must come up with increasingly elaborate and creative ways to kill their teacher, the cunning yet optimistic and helpful Koro-sensei. However, eliminating Koro-sensei is not the only objective the students need to worry about. Gakuhou Asano, the academy's merciless and cruel principal, seeks to prevent Class 3-E's success by brainwashing his other hard-working pupils into ruthlessly competitive studying machines. Hostility begins to linger in the air as traitors and killers alike attempt to claim the bounty on Koro-sensei's head for themselves. Nagisa Shiota, one of Class 3-E's most skilled assassins, finds himself in the middle of the conflict. While he works to maintain his academic standing and prevent the end of the world, domestic affairs jeopardize his place in Class 3-E. Together with his dedicated classmates, he must now face the threats head-on. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioLerche
SourceManga
ThemeSchool
DemographicShounen
8.48
1.4M
TV, 2018Finished 24 eps, 22 min

Aslan Jade Callenreese, known as Ash Lynx, was a runaway picked off the streets of New York City and raised by the infamous godfather of the mafia, Dino Golzine. Now 17 years old and the boss of his own gang, Ash begins investigating the mysterious "Banana Fish"—the same two words his older brother, Griffin, has muttered since his return from the Iraq War. However, his inquiries are hindered when Dino sends his men after Ash at an underground bar he uses as a hideout. At the bar, Skip, Ash's friend, introduces him to Shunichi Ibe and his assistant, Eiji Okumura, who are Japanese photographers reporting on American street gangs. However, their conversation is interrupted when Shorter Wong, one of Ash's allies, calls to warn him about Dino. Soon, Dino's men storm the bar, and in the ensuing chaos kidnap Skip and Eiji. Now, Ash must find a way to rescue them and continue his investigation into Banana Fish, but will his history with the mafia prevent him from succeeding? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioMAPPA
SourceManga
DemographicShoujo
8.47
870K
TV, 2016Finished 12 eps, 23 min

When tragedy is about to strike, Satoru Fujinuma finds himself sent back several minutes before the accident occurs. The detached, 29-year-old manga artist has taken advantage of this powerful yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls "Revival," to save many lives. However, when he is wrongfully accused of murdering someone close to him, Satoru is sent back to the past once again, but this time to 1988, 18 years in the past. Soon, he realizes that the murder may be connected to the abduction and killing of one of his classmates, the solitary and mysterious Kayo Hinazuki, that took place when he was a child. This is his chance to make things right. Boku dake ga Inai Machi follows Satoru in his mission to uncover what truly transpired 18 years ago and prevent the death of his classmate while protecting those he cares about in the present. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceManga
DemographicSeinen
8.30
2.1M

Hope's Peak Academy's unconventional class 77-B is about to have an even more eccentric addition: Chisa Yukizome, an alumna with the title of Super High School-Level Housekeeper—and their new homeroom teacher. Cheerful, passionate, and capable, Chisa immediately sets about correcting the students' problematic behavior and strengthening their relationships. It may not be easy dealing with diverse pupils ranging from princesses and nurses to yakuza and impossibly lucky students, but anything is possible with the power of hope. Meanwhile, Hajime Hinata, an unremarkable boy from the school's Reserve Course, longs for a talent. One day, he has an unexpected meeting with class 77-B's Super High School-Level Gamer Chiaki Nanami, who presents to him a new, hope-filled outlook on life. However, unbeknownst to him, the school's upper echelon is about to execute a sinister project centered around Hajime that will bring Hope's Peak—and the rest of the world—to its knees. Zetsubou-hen chronicles the daily lives carried out at the talent-cultivating academy, and the darkness that lurks beneath. As despair slowly infects hope, plans are put into motion to start the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, and the end begins. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioLerche
SourceVisual novel
7.36
326K
TV, 2006Finished 37 eps, 23 min

Brutal murders, petty thefts, and senseless violence pollute the human world. In contrast, the realm of death gods is a humdrum, unchanging gambling den. The ingenious 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and sadistic god of death Ryuk share one belief: their worlds are rotten. For his own amusement, Ryuk drops his Death Note into the human world. Light stumbles upon it, deeming the first of its rules ridiculous: the human whose name is written in this note shall die. However, the temptation is too great, and Light experiments by writing a felon's name, which disturbingly enacts his first murder. Aware of the terrifying godlike power that has fallen into his hands, Light—under the alias Kira—follows his wicked sense of justice with the ultimate goal of cleansing the world of all evil-doers. The meticulous mastermind detective L is already on his trail, but as Light's brilliance rivals L's, the grand chase for Kira turns into an intense battle of wits that can only end when one of them is dead. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioMadhouse
SourceManga
DemographicShounen
8.62
3.9M
TV, 2015Finished 12 eps, 23 min

After death, either Heaven or Hell awaits most humans. But for a select few, death brings them to Quindecim—a bar where only pairs of people who die at the same time can enter. Attending the bar is an enigmatic figure known as Decim, who also acts as the arbiter. He passes judgment on those who wind up at Quindecim by challenging them to a life-threatening game. These games determine if the patron's soul will reincarnate into a new life, or be sent into the void, never to be seen again. From darts and bowling to fighting games, the true nature of each patron slowly comes to light as they wager their souls. Though his methods remain unchanged, the sudden appearance of a black-haired amnesiac causes Decim to reevaluate his own rulings. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

8.14
1.8M
TV, 2000Finished 50 eps, 25 min

Taichi Yagami and his friends have moved on to junior high, but by that time, they have lost contact with their Digimon partners. Taichi is therefore surprised to suddenly receive a distress call summoning him to the Digital World. Once there, he learns that Digimon are living in fear of the mysterious Digimon Emperor, who is somehow suppressing their ability to Digivolve! In the real world, Hikari Yagami and Takeru Takaishi reunite in the same fifth grade class. They share three schoolmates: Daisuke Motomiya, who reminds them both of Taichi; Miyako Inoue, a technical wizard; and Iori Hida, Miyako's neighbor. When these three children receive "D-3" Digivices, they—along with Hikari and Takeru, who still possess their own original Digivices—comprise the new generation of "Chosen Children" who must save the world once again. With the power of the Armored Digi-Eggs, they must thwart the Digimon Emperor's plans to spread his influence over the entire Digital World. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceOriginal
ThemeIsekai
DemographicKids
7.23
224K
TV, 2018Finished 12 eps, 22 min

Akira Tachibana, a reserved high school student and former track runner, has not been able to race the same as she used to since she experienced a severe foot injury. And although she is regarded as attractive by her classmates, she is not interested in the boys around school. While working part-time at the Garden Cafe, Akira begins to develop feelings for the manager—a 45-year-old man named Masami Kondou—despite the large age gap. Kondou shows genuine concern and kindness toward the customers of his restaurant, which, while viewed by others as soft or weak, draws Akira to him. Spending time together at the restaurant, they grow closer, which only strengthens her feelings. Weighed down by these uncertain emotions, Akira finally resolves to confess, but what will be the result? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioWit Studio
SourceManga
ThemeWorkplace
DemographicSeinen
7.48
305K
TV, 2017Finished 12 eps, 22 min

To the outside world, Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya are the perfect couple. But in reality, they just share the same secret pain: they are both in love with other people they cannot be with. Hanabi has loved her childhood friend and neighbor Narumi Kanai for as long as she can remember, so she is elated to discover that he is her new homeroom teacher. However, Narumi is soon noticed by the music teacher, Akane Minagawa, and a relationship begins to blossom between them, much to Hanabi's dismay. Mugi was tutored by Akane in middle school, and has been in love with her since then. Through a chance meeting in the hallway, he encounters Hanabi. As these two lonely souls spend more time together, they decide to use each other as a substitute for the one they truly love, sharing physical intimacy with one another in order to stave off their loneliness. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioLerche
SourceManga
DemographicSeinen
7.11
691K

For the Takakura family, destiny is an ever-spinning wheel, pointing passionately in their direction with equal tides of joy and sorrow before ticking on to the next wishmaker. With their parents gone, twin brothers Kanba and Shouma live alone with their beloved little sister Himari, whose poor health cannot decline any further. On the day Himari is given permission to temporarily leave the hospital, her brothers take her out to the aquarium to celebrate, where the family's supposed fate is brought forth with her sudden collapse. However, when Himari is inexplicably revived by a penguin hat from the aquarium's souvenir shop, the hand of fate continues to tick faithfully forward. With her miraculous recovery, though, comes a cost: there is a new entity within her body, whose condition for keeping her fate at bay sends the boys on a wild goose chase for the mysterious "Penguin Drum." In their search, the boys will have to follow the threads of fate leading from their own shocking past and into the lives of other wishmakers vying for the Penguin Drum, all hoping to land upon their chosen destiny. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceOriginal
7.93
302K
TV, 2011Finished 11 eps, 23 min

Many years ago, after the end of a bloody world war, mankind took shelter in six city-states that were peaceful and perfect... at least on the surface. However, Shion—an elite resident of the city-state No. 6—gained a new perspective on the world he lives in, thanks to a chance encounter with a mysterious boy, Nezumi. Nezumi turned out to be just one of many who lived in the desolate wasteland beyond the walls of the supposed utopia. But despite knowing that the other boy was a fugitive, Shion decided to take him in for the night and protect him, which resulted in drastic consequences: because of his actions, Shion and his mother lost their status as elites and were relocated elsewhere, and the darker side of the city began to make itself known. Now, a long time after their life-altering first meeting, Shion and Nezumi are finally brought together once again—the former elite and the boy on the run are about to embark on an adventure that will, in time, reveal the shattering secrets of No. 6. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioBones
SourceNovel
7.56
438K

The "Anarchy Sisters," Panty and Stocking, have been kicked out of Heaven for, to put it mildly, misbehaving. Led by a priest named Garterbelt, these angels must buy their way back by exterminating ghosts in Daten City. But this task requires unconventional weapons for these unorthodox angels—they transform their lingerie into weapons to dispatch the spirits. Unfortunately, neither of them take their duties seriously, as they rather spend their time in pursuit of other "hobbies": Panty prefers to sleep with anything that walks, and Stocking favors stuffing her face with sweets than hunting ghosts. Follow these two unruly angels as they battle ghosts, an overflow of bodily fluids, and their own tendency to get side-tracked in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioGainax
SourceOriginal
7.73
398K
TV, 2002Finished 38 eps, 16 min

In a fairy tale come to life, the clumsy, sweet, and gentle Ahiru seems like an unlikely protagonist. In reality, Ahiru is just as magical as the talking cats and crocodiles that inhabit her town—for Ahiru really is a duck! Transformed by the mysterious Drosselmeyer into a human girl, Ahiru soon learns the reason for her existence. Using her magical egg-shaped pendant, Ahiru can transform into Princess Tutu—a beautiful and talented ballet dancer whose dances relieve people of the turmoil in their hearts. With her newfound ability, Ahiru accepts the challenge of collecting the lost shards of her prince's heart, for long ago he had shattered it in order to seal an evil raven away for all eternity. Princess Tutu is a tale of heroes and their struggle against fate. Their beliefs, their feelings, and ultimately their actions will determine whether this fairy tale can reach its "happily ever after." [Written by MAL Rewrite]

8.13
171K
Movie, 2011Finished 1 ep, 45 min

During a summer vacation at her grandfather’s house, six-year-old Hotaru Takegawa gets lost in a forest rumored to be inhabited by spirits. While crying out in desperation, Hotaru is approached by Gin—a mysterious boy wearing a mask—who offers to help her. Overjoyed at the sight of another person, Hotaru runs to Gin with open arms only to be rudely fended off. However, she quickly learns the grave reason behind his behavior: a dreadful curse has been cast upon Gin. Should he ever be touched by a human being, he will disappear forever. Though Gin urges her to never return, Hotaru does the exact opposite, and before too long, the two become close friends despite his delicate situation. Nonetheless, as years pass and their mutual feelings grow stronger, Hotaru and Gin start struggling with the boundaries that destiny has set between them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceManga
DemographicShoujo
8.28
827K
Movie, 2018Finished 1 ep, 108 min

The aloof protagonist: a bookworm who is deeply detached from the world he resides in. He has no interest in others and is firmly convinced that nobody has any interest in him either. His story begins when he stumbles across a handwritten book, titled Living with Dying. He soon identifies it as a secret diary belonging to his popular, bubbly classmate Sakura Yamauchi. She then confides in him about the pancreatic disease she is suffering from and that her time left is finite. Only her family knows about her terminal illness; not even her best friends are aware. Despite this revelation, he shows zero sympathy for her plight, but caught in the waves of Sakura's persistent buoyancy, he eventually concedes to accompanying her for her remaining days. As the pair of polar opposites interact, their connection strengthens, interweaving through their choices made with each passing day. Her apparent nonchalance and unpredictability disrupts the protagonist's impassive flow of life, gradually opening his heart as he discovers and embraces the true meaning of living. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceNovel
ThemeSchool
8.55
975K
TV, 1997Finished 276 eps, 24 min

Pokémon are peculiar creatures with a vast array of different abilities and appearances; many people, known as Pokémon trainers, capture and train them, often with the intent of battling others. Young Satoshi has not only dreamed of becoming a Pokémon trainer but also a "Pokémon Master," and on the arrival of his 10th birthday, he finally has a chance to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately for him, all three Pokémon available to beginning trainers have already been claimed and only Pikachu, a rebellious Electric-type Pokémon, remains. However, this chance encounter would mark the start of a lifelong friendship and an epic adventure! Setting off on a journey to become the very best, Satoshi and Pikachu travel across beautiful, sprawling regions with their friends Kasumi, a Water-type trainer, and Takeshi, a Rock-type trainer. But danger lurks around every corner. The infamous Team Rocket is always nearby, seeking to steal powerful Pokémon through nefarious schemes. It'll be up to Satoshi and his friends to thwart their efforts as he also strives to earn the eight Pokémon Gym Badges he'll need to challenge the Pokémon League, and eventually claim the title of Pokémon Master. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioOLM
SourceGame
DemographicKids
7.39
635K
TV, 2015Finished 47 eps, 23 min

The journey of Satoshi and his friends through the Kalos region continues! After Satoshi obtains his seventh gym badge, the group is moving toward the next town when Eureka discovers a mysterious Pokémon resting in her pochette. Soon given the name Puni-chan, it is one that even Satoshi and Serena's new Pokémon Zukan cannot identify. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Puni-chan is the target of a mysterious group clad in bright red suits known as Team Flare, aiming to capture the new Pokémon to further their agenda. But when Satoshi and the gang realize that the enigmatic organization has no intention of treating Puni-chan with any decency, they take a stand in opposition to Team Flare's plans, daring to fight back. With Gojika's predictions looming above them, Satoshi aims for his final gym badge while Serena contests for her last Princess Key in order to be able to compete at the TriPokalon Master Class. But as Team Flare begins to move in search of the mysterious Z, the stories of Pokemon XY and Pokemon XY: Mega Evolution cross paths as Satoshi and his friends, along with Team Rocket, get caught up in a scheme that could put Kalos in great danger. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

StudioOLM
SourceGame
DemographicKids
7.75
145K
Movie, 2021Finished 1 ep, 121 min

"U" is a popular social media platform where people can create a virtual persona and start a new life. Among its five billion users, one newcomer is quickly gaining attention: Belle, a beautiful singer whose alluring melodies slowly capture the hearts of the masses. But in this space where everyone hides behind an avatar, curiosity arises over who the mysterious girl truly is. Suzu Naito—a shy girl from the countryside—can no longer sing following past trauma, all her efforts resulting in breakdowns and illness. However, when Suzu joins U, she is once again able to project her voice. Under the alias "Belle," her vocals soon go viral, receiving both love and hatred. Meanwhile, rumors spread of a chaotic beast within U, known only as "The Dragon." After a chance meeting during her concert, Belle finds he is not as evil as the stories suggest. Now, both online and in the real world, Suzu has to face the struggles of identity, fame, and opening one's heart. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceOriginal
ThemeMusic
7.49
165K
ONA, 2018Finished 10 eps, 25 min

Devils cannot take form without a living host. However, if the will of an individual is strong enough, they can overcome the demon and make its power their own, becoming a Devilman. Weak and unassuming, Akira Fudou has always had a bleeding heart. So when his childhood friend Ryou Asuka asks for his help in uncovering devils, Akira accepts without hesitation. However, to Akira's surprise, the place they go to is Sabbath: an immoral party of debauchery and degeneracy. Amidst bloodshed and death, demons possess the partiers, turning their bodies into grotesque monsters, and begin wreaking havoc. In a reckless attempt to save his best friend, Akira unwittingly merges with the devil Amon and becomes a Devilman, gaining the power to defeat the remaining demons. Though it grants him great power, this new partnership awakens an insatiable and primeval part of Akira. Having the body of a devil but the same crybaby heart, Akira works alongside Ryou, destroying those that harm humanity and his loved ones. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

SourceManga
DemographicShounen
7.75
1.2M

More Like This

43 Entries · 68 Restacks by buchyy
47 Entries · 166 Restacks by SleepySteamBun
50 Entries · 597 Restacks by RokkanShojo
50 Entries · 108 Restacks by Enivlens
48 Entries · 259 Restacks by HelenaHills
36 Entries · 4 Restacks by old_geezer
More

Challenge Interest Stacks

More

MyAnimeList Interest Stacks

47 Entries · 303 Restacks by MyAnimeList
48 Entries · 226 Restacks by MyAnimeList
54 Entries · 142 Restacks by MyAnimeList
184 Entries · 151 Restacks by MyAnimeList
75 Entries · 10046 Restacks by MyAnimeList
12 Entries · 143 Restacks by MyAnimeList