Despite bringing joy to millions of fans across the globe, the anime industry is not exempt from toxic and questionable trends. Over the years, there have been many examples of problematic tropes that fans believe should no longer be included in series. Among the most common and unsettling is the prevalence of relationships between characters whose age gap is significantly wide.
While this trope can push away fans from a series, as it comes with serious implications about the power dynamics within the couple, there have been cases in which much more serious themes have also been included. This results not only in widely inappropriate relationships, but in couples who become synonymous with toxic and harmful attitudes that can forever ruin a show.
10
Sesshomaru and Rin’s Wholesome Parent-Child Dynamic Was Ruined by the Sequel
Known for being Inuyasha’s cold and emotionless brother, Sesshomaru impressed fans when he decided to rescue an orphan girl named Rin and take her under his care. Throughout the series, these characters grew a special bond, much like that of a father and his child. Sesshomaru would protect Rin from any danger, and the girl adored him and wished to remain by his side.
This wholesome relationship was nearly ruined when Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, the sequel series, was released. It was revealed that not only had Sesshomaru and Rin become a couple, but they were now parents of two kids. Many fans called this decision out, as it went completely against the original themes of Inuyasha, but also depicted a father-child duo in a romantic relationship, causing the show to lose a significant portion of its fanbase.
9
Kei and Mizuho’s Fake Relationship Is Hurt by Power Dynamics
After spending three years in what was basically a coma, Kei wakes up ready to return to his regular life. One day, he comes across Mizuho, an alien woman sent to Earth to study human behavior. To protect her identity, they are forced to pretend to be married, forcing them to act like a loving couple and live together.
Please Teacher is a series that could have easily avoided the age gap issue by having its main character act his age, as Kei is technically 18 years old. However, the sickness that kept him unable to move also made his brain stop developing, making him mentally 15. The fact that Mizuho is his teacher, meaning she has an unfair level of power over the boy, makes this even more troubling.
8
Ryo’s Insistence on Charming Itsuka is Beyond Weird
After falling in love with his sister’s best friend, a 17-year-old high school student named Ichika, Ryo becomes determined to date her. Not even the girl’s constant rejection deters him from his goal, as he is sure that he will one day earn her love. To accomplish this, he begins to try to impress Ichika in extravagant and ridiculous ways.
It’s Disgusting to Call This Love depicts Ryo as an accomplished and popular businessman who could begin a relationship with any woman he chooses. Instead of attempting to captivate someone his age, he decides to harass and bother a girl ten years younger than him. Worse of all, since Ichika is his sister’s best friend, it is much easier for him to be close to her, which ultimately leads to the girl succumbing to his manipulation and becoming his girlfriend.
7
Keiya Decided to Pursue a Girl He Saw Grow Up
Being raised by her Yakuza leader grandfather prevented Isaku from enjoying a normal childhood, as most of her classmates were too scared to ever approach her. When she moved away at 16 to begin a new life in a town where nobody knew her, she never expected to be followed by Keiya, one of her loyal bodyguards who helped raise her. Still, she soon realizes that the man has developed feelings for her, despite the 10-year age gap between them.
The relationship depicted in A Girl and Her Guard Dog might not be as toxic or manipulative as others, but it is still beyond creepy. Isaku’s desire was to live a normal life with people her age and fall in love with a regular boy. Instead, she is constantly accosted by a man much older than her who does not relent until she agrees to date him, even though the man saw her grow up.
6
Koshiro and Nanoka’s Relationship Includes an Age Gap and Incest
Separated when young because of their parents’ divorce, Koshiro and Nanoka are two siblings who grew up without ever fully knowing each other. After a chance meeting and an impulsive date to get back at the people who recently broke their hearts, the siblings end up falling in love, only to then learn that they are related by blood. This does not stop their desire to be with one another, culminating in them becoming a couple.
One of the reasons why the Koi Kaze series has become infamous among fans is because it decided to merge two of the most problematic tropes in the industry: an age gap and incest. Koshiro is depicted as an almost 30-year-old man who falls in love with a girl nearly half his age. The fact that he, as an adult, does not try to break up their relationship, even when knowing that Nanoka is his sister, becomes overwhelmingly awkward for fans.
5
Ren Is Forced to Endure Haru’s Advances To Keep Living in His House
When tasked by his mother to raise Ren, a boy who suffered greatly at the hands of others in the past and has been living among dogs for a significant time, Haru promises to do his best. A tragic accident causes him to lose his memories and his parents, leaving him alone to care for his siblings. When Ren suddenly appears in his home five years later, Haru begins to feel a powerful attraction for the boy, even though he is still a minor.
Super Lovers is a series that takes the age gap trope and makes it much darker due to the circumstances between the protagonists. Ren is a boy who has already been a victim of abuse as a child, and now depends monetarily on the man who has gained an interest in him. The show tries to depict Haru’s advances as romantic, but the fact that he is Ren’s guardian and the owner of the house they live in makes this feel quite unnerving for viewers.
4
Usagi Drop Ruined Rin and Daikichi’s Bond By Making Them Fall in Love
On the day of his grandfather’s death, Daikichi meets a small girl named Rin, who is revealed to be the late man’s illegitimate daughter. Seeing as no one else is willing to take her, he decides to adopt her, raising her as his own and giving her the happy life she was owed. The anime adaptation of Bunny Drop is by far one of the most wholesome and heartwarming slice-of-life anime.
The manga rapidly shatters this illusion by having Rin not only fall in love with her father, but by making Daikichi reciprocate her feelings. Not only did this decision completely change the overall message and tone of the series, but it pushed a large majority of the fandom away, as no one expected such a shift. The manga has lived in infamy ever since, for turning a wholesome couple into an unnerving depiction of incestuous age-gap relationships.
3
Usami and Misaki’s Love Story Begins With Assault
Due to a lack of preparation for his upcoming college exams, 17-year-old Misaki’s brother decides to hire a private tutor named Usami. This 28-year-old man, famous for being a novelist and one of Misaki’s brother’s best friends, quickly develops feelings for the boy, commencing an aggressive and insistent courtship.
Junjo Romantica is objectively one of the most popular Boy-Love anime about horrible couples, and while the series was outstandingly popular in the past, it has become an excellent example of how problematic the age gap trope can become. Usami is not only a man willing to date a minor 10 years younger, but he is also depicted committing assault against Misaki earlier in their relationship, making the situation much worse.
Rearrange the covers into the correct Japanese release order.
2
Sato Is One of Anime’s Worst Characters For What She Did to Shio
Sato might look like a regular, cheerful girl, whose kind heart leads her to give a young 8-year-old girl named Shio shelter in her home. Yet, her innocuous smile hides a dark secret, as she has fallen deeply in love with her new guard and is willing to do anything to protect their relationship, up to the point of killing and torturing those who threaten her life.
Although Happy Sugar Life clearly depicts Sato as a villainous and unhinged character, she is never condemned for her biggest crime: establishing a romantic relationship with a kid. Shio is neither mature enough to understand what is happening nor old enough to defend herself. Sato’s twisted love for her is never portrayed as something harmful, even though it perfectly fits the definition of grooming.
1
Daisuke Should Have Never Accepted Rin’s Advances as Normal
Daisuke is a 23-year-old man who has recently been hired as an elementary-grade teacher, where he meets Rin, a confident and mischievous 10-year-old girl. The girl instantly becomes infatuated with the man and decides to demonstrate her affection by continuously teasing him, which is never depicted as a negative trait, but as a humorous and innocent game.
While A Child’s Time initially depicts Daisuke as shocked and afraid of Rin’s actions, the longer the series goes on, it becomes clear that their implied relationship is seen as a positive. The show not only uses this as an excuse to make the girl act in ways no child her age should, such as attempting to seduce her teacher with her body, but also implies this is a hilarious and normal occurrence, which did not sit well with most audiences.
