Love in anime isn’t always about grand romances and fairy tale endings. Sometimes, it’s a train wreck you can’t look away from—twisted, toxic, and downright disturbing.
These couples challenge traditional notions of relationships, creating dynamics rooted in obsession, manipulation, and emotional or physical destruction.
If you thought love was all sunshine and roses, these pairings will rock your world.
Featuring from the “Romance Saga”
7 Disturbingly Messed-up Anime Couples that will make you question “What it means to Love”?
1. The Unforgettable Forbidden Trio of Natsuo, Hina and Rui from Domestic Girlfriend
Throw in a love triangle between two sisters and their stepbrother, age-gap romances, teacher-student love affairs, and main characters getting physical within the first 30 seconds of the anime—what could possibly go wrong?
Natsuo first falls for his teacher, Hina, only to later sleep with Rui, her younger sister. Soon after, fate plays its cruel joke: the three of them become a family. What follows is a whirlwind of secrecy, betrayal, and questionable decision-making.
Hina’s relationship with Natsuo teeters on the edge of predatory, while Rui’s presence keeps him emotionally torn. It’s a car crash of love, passion, and family dysfunction, and no one walks away unscathed.
2. Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya from Scum’s Wish are the Most Tragic Anime couple
If unrequited love had a horror story, this would be it. Hanabi and Mugi enter a relationship knowing they don’t love each other—they’re just using each other to fill the void of rejection. They pretend, they lie, and they seek comfort in one another while knowing full well that they will never be happy.
They seek physical intimacy as a distraction from their loneliness, but it only deepens their emotional wounds. Their love isn’t real—it’s self-destruction disguised as romance.
3. The Iconic Trio of Yukari, Misaki, and Ririna from Love and Lies redefine the lengths one goes for love
In a world where the government decides your spouse, love is meaningless. Yukari is trapped between his feelings for Misaki, the girl he truly loves, and Ririna, the girl chosen for him.
While Ririna appears understanding, she takes on the role of a twisted matchmaker, encouraging Yukari to pursue Misaki despite their arranged engagement. This leads to Yukari having the time of his life, indulging in physical intimacy with both Misaki and Ririna, as if love were just a game he’s allowed to play on both sides.
Misaki, meanwhile, is forced to suppress her emotions to avoid ruining Yukari’s future, even as she becomes entangled in his increasingly selfish desires.
4. Yuzu and Mei from Citrus: The Unnatural Step-sister duo who only care about Chanting the Slogan “Let’s Get Physical”
Taking things slow—allowing emotions to develop naturally, building genuine affection, and then sealing the deal—isn’t their style. Yuzu and Mei, who happen to be stepsisters, are thrown into a relationship that feels more like a power struggle than romance.
What begins as an uneasy family dynamic quickly spirals into forced intimacy and manipulation. Mei, emotionally distant and controlling, repeatedly pushes Yuzu into uncomfortable situations, blurring the line between affection and coercion.
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Yuzu, desperate for connection, is left confused and overwhelmed by Mei’s unpredictable, almost predatory behavior. With no real communication or mutual trust, their relationship feels less like love and more like a slow-burning tragedy.
5. Sora and Haruka from Yosuga no Sora are the Most Unhinged Anime Couple of our Time
Few relationships in anime can match the sheer taboo and psychological weight of Sora and Haruka’s. What begins as a tragic sibling bond, formed through the loss of their parents, mutates into something far more unsettling.
Their bond, forged through shared loss and a lack of external support, blurs the lines between familial and romantic love, creating a morally ambiguous dynamic that is both compelling and unsettling.
6. Keita, Ako, and Riko from Kiss x Sis Engage into a Siblings-Only Threesome
At what point does an anime stop being a rom-com and start being a full-blown moral crisis? Kiss x Sis is a fever dream of inappropriate relationships.
Keita’s stepsisters, Ako and Riko, don’t just flirt with him; they actively chase after him in ways that would have social services knocking if this were real life.
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There’s no sense of consequence, no self-awareness— just an unchecked descent into weird territory that somehow gets a free pass under the label of “entertainment.”
7. Kyosuke and Kirino from Oreimo aren’t your typical sibling duo but rather a Married Sibling Couple
If sibling relationships are supposed to be about support and care, Kyosuke and Kirino missed the memo. What starts as a typical brother-sister dynamic quickly spirals into something that makes you question why you even hit play.
Kirino treats Kyosuke like her personal errand boy, manipulating him at every turn, while Kyosuke— surprisingly despite all logic and self-respect—keeps bending over backward for her.
The show tries to brush it off as quirky humor, as if we’re supposed to laugh instead of sit there, uncomfortable, wondering how this ever got greenlit.
Romance in anime can be beautiful, but it can also be dark, disturbing, and dangerous. The couples on this list showcase love at its worst—where emotions are twisted, boundaries are ignored, and happiness is an illusion.
Some of these relationships are manipulative, others are built on obligation, and a few are simply wrong on every level. But one thing’s for sure: these are the love stories you wouldn’t wish on anyone.
What do you think is the most messed-up anime couple? Let me know in the comments.
NEXT on the “Romance Saga”
