Love Manga

Inspired by this post listing the (highly controversial and debatable) 25 greatest superhero romances (via Kevin Melrose), I wondered: What are the greatest romances in manga? Here is my short, not-at-all-thoroughly-researched-or-considered list:

1. Hoshino & Negishi (Love Roma)
2. Ichigo & Rukia (Bleach)
3. Ichigo & Orihime (Bleach)
4. Haruo & Kingoro (Club 9)
5. Hanamichi & Haruko (Slam Dunk)
6. Giroro & Natsumi (Sgt. Frog)
7. Tamama & Keroro (Sgt. Frog)
8. Momoka & Fuyuki (Sgt. Frog)
9. Kaneda & Kei (Akira)
10. Emma & William (Emma)
11. Kelly & Doug Stowner (Emma)
12. L & Light (Death Note)
13. Ichigo & Uryu (Bleach)
14. Rukawa & Hanamichi (Slam Dunk)
15. Ranma & Akane (Ranma ½)
16. Yoshimori & Tokine (Kekkaishi)
17. Daigo & Ms. Ochiai (Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M)
18. Tomie & the male half of the human population (Tomie)
19. Keiichi & Belldandy (Oh My Goddess!)
20. Sachiko & Masato Azuma (With the Light)

Who am I leaving off? Who are the greatest lovers in all of manga? I don't read much shojo, so obviously my list is going to look a little lopsided to fans of more explicitly romantic manga. And I haven't read any yaoi, so that's a huge blind spot on my list. Feel free to correct that omission in the comments!

UPDATE: David Welsh corrects an oversight on my (and Tite Kubo's) part by giving quiet hunk Chad of Bleach fame the ultimate cross-series companion. Go check it out; I think you'll agree it's perfect and that we need to convince David to start writing the tale of their epic romance immediately.

UPDATE #2: Valéria Fernandes comes up with her own list (Google-translated version), and it's a nice balance to my shonen-heavy list as hers focuses more on shojo and josei series.

Labels: Character Couplings, I Like Numbered Lists, Lists, Manga, Romance

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