It’s Valentine’s Day! Love is in the air! Restaurants are bustling with happy couples. Every Walgreens is teaming with cheap roses and cheesy stuffed animals. Love can be found everywhere, even in Shonen Jump manga! To celebrate, we’ve put together this list of couples in SJ manga that we'd just love to see get together!
The Line Between Love and Hate
Raku and Chitoge
Nisekoi
Hollywood figured out the romantic comedy formula back in the 40s and 50s—two strong personalities clash during a series of hilarious comedic situations, only to end up in love at the end. Nisekoi creates its own unique twist on that formula, pitting two high schoolers in a false relationship in order to keep the peace between warring gangs. Raku and Chitoge HATE each other when they first met. But over the course of their false relationship, they no longer despise each other as much. In fact, could that hate be turning into something akin to love? Somewhere under the earth in a land called England, Jane Austin is shedding a lonely and decrepit tear...
by John Bae
Lacrosse Love
Sakurai and Misora
Cross Manage
If only these two jocks would get a clue and confess their love for each other! He started helping her with practice in the first place because he felt something special about her. And she dragged him into managing the lacrosse team because she felt something special about him! But despite their quasi-date (to the lacrosse equipment store!) and near-weekly professions of how amazing the other one is, neither manager nor team captain knows that it’s love. Will things change this week? Could Misora be handing chocolates to the boy she likes in her life in the time honored Japanese Valentine’s Day tradition? Well…this is Misora we’re talking about, so let’s just say it’s something a bit less expected.
by Hope Donovan
Love Bites
Sasuke and Karin
Naruto
Sure he tried to kill her, but who hasn't he tried to kill? Karin was a key member of Sasuke’s team who acted as a living chakra battery! Just one bite could heal and replenish chakra. However, it took a heavy toll on her body, not that she seemed to mind if Sasuke was in trouble. While this crush is totally one-sided, I can’t help but wish Karin’s total devotion to Sasuke was reciprocated. At least a little bit! But who knows, maybe the whole reason she likes Sasuke is because he doesn’t like her. Well, not like-like, at least.
by Urian Brown
Oh, Naruto-kun!
Naruto and Hinata
Naruto
Oh, Naruto-kun indeed! Bashful Hinata has had a crush on Naruto since way back in the day when nobody seemed to like him. Not that he noticed her. But as he grew stronger, and the village faced more and more dangerous foes, her admiration for Naruto only grew, culminating in her bold proclamation of love on the battlefield with Pain. This is one couple I’m sure many fans wish would end in ninja matrimony. Also, their children would be super powerful!
by Urian Brown
She Does Not Reject
Orihime and Ichigo
Bleach
Orihime has been in love with Ichigo since before she really knew what romance meant, and her feelings have stayed strong through all kinds of complications—the sudden appearance of semi-rival Rukia, the blossoming of her own spirit powers, the battle of the Seireitei and even an unexpected trip to Hueco Mundo. But Ichigo holds his feelings close, so it’s not quite clear what’s going on in his heart. One thing’s for sure—they’d make the perfect couple—formidable on the battlefield and cute on a date.
by Pancha Diaz
Soul Mates
Kon and Rukia
Bleach
“Since the day she saved me. I dedicated my heart and soul to her then.”
When she plucked Kon from a dreadful fate, she also pulled the strings of his heart. While this love may be a bit one-sided, and abusive at that, there’s no denying the bond between Kon and Rukia. Sure, Kon’s button eyes tend to wander at the sight of busty ladies, and his first kiss was Ichigo (volume 3, anyone?), not to mention the fact that Rukia’s more of a bunny person… But! While Rukia’s love comes tough, and her affection is rare, at the end of the day, Kon and Rukia have each other’s backs.
by Cat Rechsteiner
Never Gonna Give You Up
Sanji and Nami
One Piece
To say Sanji “likes girls” is like saying fish “like” water. He eats, breaths, dreams and obsesses after the fairer sex. The problem is, he’s got no game! And no self-control, which is usually what scares the skirts away. But there’s one girl above all he seems to prefer, and unfortunately for her, she’s stuck on a boat with him! Nami is her name and she has been the cause of the bulk of Sanji’s nosebleeds! But they say when courting, persistence pays off, so there may be hope for everybody’s favorite cook after all!
by Urian Brown
She’s a Cold-Hearted Snake…
Boa Hancock and Luffy
One Piece
As far as I can tell, Luffy doesn’t care about women—at all! It seems food and fighting bad guys is infinitely more interesting to him. But that didn’t stop the Warlord of the Sea, Boa Hancock, from falling in love with him. During a battle with her snaky sisters, he risked his own neck to cover up her dark secret and in the process melted her icy heart. She’s been smitten ever since! If Luffy ever succeeds in becoming king of the pirates, she’d make a fitting queen!
by Urian Brown
Food Lovers
Rin and Toriko
Toriko
Toriko’s too busy stuffing his face with exotic foods and going on epic Gourmet Hunting adventures with his chef partner to notice, but Rin’s got a serious crush on him. A crush almost as big as Toriko’s appetite! Whenever she can slip away from her job controlling ferocious monsters at the Gourmet Coliseum, Rin joins Toriko in taking on some of the fiercest creatures on the planet. In fact, she’s taken on the Four Beasts, Gourmet Corp. and almost been killed inside the Regal Mammoth, and will always be there for Toriko. After all, he’s the only thing that powers up Rin’s Gourmet Cells! But he’s oblivious. Maybe she just needs to try a different approach… Like giving him a bouquet of Imitation Crabmeat Flowers, some Bubble Fruit bath soap, or a nice box of Choco Cicadas. The way to this man’s heart is through his stomach!
by Hope Donovan
No Woman No Cry
Gin and Rangiku
Bleach
Is there anything more heart-wrenching than romantic tragedies? Gin and Rangiku's unfulfilled love was one of the most poignant and tear-jerking relationships in manga history. Childhood friends ever since their struggles in Rukongai, Gin decides to become a Soul Reaper to change the world so that Rangiku will no longer have a reason to cry. And in order to do so, he has to betray the trust in the person he was most desperately trying to protect. A lot of characters talk a big game about sacrifice and loyalty, but Gin takes it one step further and offers the biggest sacrifice he can give—his own life.
by John Bae
Burning Love
Rin and Shiemi
Blue Exorcist
“I just thought about you… that really kept me going.”
What can stop the rampaging spawn of Satan from setting the world on fire with his demonic flame? True love… Despite Shiemi’s constant friend-zoning of Rin, these two trust each other, and push each other to be stronger in different ways. Shiemi admires Rin’s strength, and her belief in him is enough to lift the weight of hell off his shoulders. Their love is burning!
by Cat Rechsteiner
She Dropped A Bomb On Him
Torpedo Girl and Softon
Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo
She dropped a bomb on him…but he didn’t care! Torpedo Girl has an explosive personality to say the least! Sometimes she blows up the bad guys, sometimes she blows up her friends—you just never know! But there’s one guy detonates her heart—Softon! Sadly, he doesn’t seem to care at all. Will he ever return her affections? This is unrequited love at it’s silliest!
by Urian Brown
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of couples we’d love to see get together. No doubt we’ve missed some, or you have your own ideas. Feel free to leave them in the comments field below!
And Happy Valentine’s Day!
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