Summary
Romance animeistypically wholesome and warmto watch, with viewers rooting for their favorite characters to fall in love and get together. There are several examples of heartwarming shows that capture the imaginations and hearts of audiences everywhere.
However, the nature of entertainment is that people want variety, and this is true even in romance. On the opposing side of heartwarming romance shows, there are mean-spirited ones. These are shows that either feature rather difficult characters, or treat their characters unkindly. This doesn’t necessarily make them unsuitable to watch, as there are a surprising number of good shows that feature some sort of mean-spiritedness.
Hanabi and Mugi are both in love with people they cannot be. The object of Hanabi’s affection is much older than she is, and a dear family friend as well. Meanwhile, Mugi has feelings for a teacher who has known Mugi since he was little.
Scum’s Wishtruly delves into the world of unrequited love, and it does get a little painful seeing a beloved character suffer at the hands of a duplicitous fellow. One could say that the show ended on a happy note, but there was alot of heartbreakalong the way and most of the cast were pretty flawed.
The Familiar Of Zero
Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a bratty girl who is cut down to size by her inability to use magic. She is able to summon a boy from Japan who becomes her familiar. This makesThe Familiar of Zeroone of the earlier isekai shows before the genre became the juggernaut it is today.
Louise can be quite insufferable most of the time, and she is quite mean to Saito.She is a tsunderethrough and through, even though she adds a bit more violence to her antics.
Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro
Many might argue that this is not a fun watch, and after the first episode, it is hard to argue. But as the story progresses, viewers are treated to some impressive character development without the show losing its main essence.
Nagatoro’s antics against Naoto can get a little mean, but those who persist with the story are rewarded with a blossoming relationship that does have a lot of wholesomeness. After the first episode where Naoto is relentlessly bullied by thevicious Nagatoro, the two start to understand each other. Naoto is a lot less snooty about Nagatoro’s ‘kind,’ and she is a lot more understanding about the fragility of her new friend.
Ranma 1/2
Ranma ½is a show thatran from 1989 to 1992with 161 episodes. It is one of the earlier harem shows, and was created by the mangaka that produced Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura. It follows Ranma, a martial artist who is cursed to turn into a girl whenever he comes in contact with cold water.
Ranma is engaged to Akane, but other girls also come along claiming to have a relationship with him. The antics and hijinks can sometimes be mean-spirited. The relationship between Ranma and Akane feels toxic a lot of the time, and the wild nature the characters might put some viewers off. But without a doubt,Ranma ½is one of the most influential anime of its time.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Sometimes calledOregairu,My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFUfollows Hachiman as he navigates growing relationships with Yui and Yukino, two wildly different girls. The show tackles co-dependency and the difficulty of forming true relationships.
Oregairucan get uncomfortable as fans watch Hachiman destroy potential relationships and friendships around him, constantly sacrificing himself and his feelings just to try and ‘fix’ things. Most watchers want nothing more than for Hachiman to be happy, but it isn’t going to be easy.
Toradorais a classicin every sense of the word. It has memorable characters, a fun story, and heartwarming romantic moments. Yet, part of its charm is the meanness of the main female love interest, Taiga.
Armed with a crush on the male protagonist’s best friend, Yuusaku, Taiga enlists the help of the male protagonist to make her dreams come true. Taiga has a destructive personality which might rub some people the wrong way. But, she does mature along the way, and the ending of the show is bittersweet.
There are a lot of people that will disagree withYour Lie In Aprilbeing a mean-spirited romance. However, such people are probably so impacted by the story’s end that they forget a lot of what happened in-between.
Your Lie In Aprilis a beautiful story, but Kaori, who is the heart of the show, is mean. Yes, she is dying, and yes,she is a very tragic character. However, she puts Arima through the wringer, especially in the romance departmen. The main character does suffer a lot as he grows as a person and slowly pulls himself away from the shackles of his mother. Kaori was a complex character who was battling demons of her own, and her means of dealing with them weren’t always the healthiest. Even with all that,Your Lie In Aprilis an amazing watch and is an easy recommendation for fans of romance anime.
