The strange Couple Training Program (or more accurately, social experiment) set up at Jirō Yakuin’s high school requires him to live with a member of the opposite sex while maintaining a healthy “romantic” relationship. This could work out great if he pairs up with the lovely Shiori Sakurazaka, but if the faux couples were voluntary, that wouldn’t be any fun.
As luck would have it, Jirō will be forced to reside with his polar opposite, a popular gyaru girl by the name of Akari Watanabe, who also has her eyes on someone else entirely. While these two don’t enjoy each other’s company at first, they must act the part if they wish to earn enough points to acquire a new partner.
As a sequel does not seem to be on the horizon, let’s take a look at someanime likeMore than a Married Couple.
Updated on Jun 28, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Yuuki Kanamaru’s More Than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers manga is still ongoing, and the anime only adapted the first 29 or so chapters of the source material (which is currently around the 80-chapter mark). While a sequel could happen eventually, that becomes less likely with each passing season. Consequently, here is aWinter 2025animefor fans who liked More than a Married Couple, but not Lovers.
WhileMore than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers' Akari and Jirou are brought together through an unusual school program,I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class' Saito and Akane are forced to live together and marry by their very selfish grandparents. Akari and Jirou’s relationship starts on shaky ground, but it is idealistic compared to Saito and Akane’s antagonistic dynamic. These two absolutely hate each other, with each one of their interactions seemingly erupting into arguments.
As a fairly prototypical tsundere, Akane tends to react to most situations by losing her cool, and she seems to particularly struggle to keep a lid on her emotions when Saito is around. Saito is somewhat more subdued than his wife, but he responds to aggression in kind. At school, they are enemies; at home, they begin as enemies but gradually soften. Once they spend more time with each other, they start to find things they appreciate in each other, allowing for a more positive relationship to develop.
UnlikeMore than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers,I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Classis first and foremost a comedy rather than a romance. Most scenes prioritize humor, and secondary characters like Shisei would be completely out of place inMore than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers.
AFall 2024 anime,365 Days to the Weddinguses a fake engagement to set the stage for a potential real romance. Faced with the threat of being relocated to Alaska by their employer, Rika and Takuya agree to pretend they are getting married in a year, which should take them out of the running. After their pending nuptials get a lot more attention than initially expected, they have to work tirelessly to present a convincing couple, all the while reconsidering their previous non-interest in romance and marriage.
365 Days to the Weddingtells a mature story that takes a unique look at marriage, through the lens of two characters who never imagined it would be part of their lives. Both Takuya and Rika are quite introverted and struggle socially, so their personalities are not all that similar to Jirou and especially Akari.
Narumi is a budding adult stepping into the role of an office worker. With her entire life ahead of her, she’s desperate to keep her dark secret hidden from her new coworkers. Narumi secretly enjoys anime and is a full Otaku.
With little hope that she will expand her social life or even find love, she is quickly taken aback when Hirotoka, her new coworker, not only likes anime as well but suggests that they date.Love is hard for Otakudives right into a match made in heaven and all the ups and downs that come with it.Narumi is a joy of a character, and her chemistry with her new beau echoes off the screen, even though it takes time.
Torodorais a classic rom-com that follows the wildlife of high school romance. Ryuuji is a mild-mannered loner who carries a bad reputation thanks to his mean look. Because of this, most of his classmates steer clear of him. His life becomes much more complicated when he runs headfirst into Taiga, the Palmtop Tiger.
What starts as a chaotic alliance slowly grows into more.Toradorais a staple among hardcore romance anime viewers and is a great watch with exciting storylines that subvert normal romance clichés. Fans will enjoy the chemistry of the two main characters along with the silly hijinks that follow them on their independent paths to love.
Jirō and Akari shouldtake a leaf out of Loid and Yor’sbook if they wish to succeed in the Couples Training Program because, as far as fictional marriages go, these two killers take the cake. Loid is a secret agent working to restore peace between the East and West, but needs access to the prestigious Eden Academy (and therefore a wife and kid) to accomplish his mission. Yor is attracting too much attention as a single “older” woman, which could cause trouble accomplishing her assassination passions. What better reason for an arranged marriage?
If this doesn’t sound exciting enough, the adorable Anya is brought into the equation and just happens to be telepathic, as well as a bit of a troublemaker. The Forgers attempt to play happy family while closely guarding their secrets, creating some comical complications as a result.
Rikka and Yuuta are an odd pairing, to say the least. Both have their eccentric behaviors, but only one of them is trying to leave childish delusions behind and start high school off right. In the past, Yuuta was a captain of cringe who suffered from middle-second syndrome, a condition that leads adolescents to think they are unique or more than human.
While trying to put his best foot forward and leave his embarrassing past behind him, he is suddenly hounded by Rikka, another first-year student suffering from the same delusion as him but showing no desire to step into reality. Hijinks ensue as the two awkward peas in a pod find more than friendship in their adventures. Fans of the character dynamics inMore than a Married Couple, but not Loverswill enjoy this series.
A beautiful story from strangers to soul mates,Horimiyais a must-watch for fans of romance and perfect matches. Izumi and Kyouko are on opposite sides of the planet until they meet by happenstance. Izumi shocks Kyouko with his streetwear attire, and she gets a good look at him for the first time.
One chance meeting turns into a journey filled with adventures that ultimately bring the two close together and, eventually, a couple. The struggles both overcome as they look toward the future past high school and possibly into marriage make for a beautiful story about love and commitment. The fleshed-out characters and scenarios ofHorimiyawill greatly appeal to fans ofMore than a Married Couple, but not Lovers.
My Dress-up Darlingshocked thousands of unsuspecting romance anime fanswith a light-hearted story about how opposites attract. Gojoun is a loner who hides within his shell because of his hobby and love for hina dolls. Marin Kitagawa, a popular second-year, breaks into Gojou’s life and yanks him into her own chaotic little world filled with anime and cosplay.
Gojou finds himself designing an entire costume for Marin and bonding with someone for the first time. The chemistry between Marin and Gojou will hit the right marks for fans ofMore than a Married Couple, but not Lovers.
If Jirō and Akari think their predetermined relationship is complicated, well, they should meet Nagi and Erika fromA Couple of Cuckoos.These two youngsters share a birthday and an uncannily similar surname, which caused them to be switched at birth and raised in the wrong household. When the truth was finally discovered years later, their parents wanted the best of both worlds and decided to arrange a marriage between Nagi and Erika to keep things in the family.
Much like in Jirō and Akari’s case, there is little love in this involuntary setup, as Nagi’s heart already belongs to another. This does nothing to quell the parents' wishes, and Nagi and Erika are forced to live in the same residence in preparation for married life.
Even though thisisekai romancehas more supernatural elements thanMore Than A Married Couple, But Not Lovers,the relationship dynamics between the characters share certain similarities with Jirō Yakuin’s situation. “Love” for convenience is a finicky thing.
Aileen Dautriche has been reincarnated into one of her favorite video games and is quickly booted out of the suitable arrangement she had set up with her then-fiance, Prince Cedric (who speedily proposes to another girl) Recovering with haste, Aileen latches on to the next best thing, his brother, the Demon Lord Claude, and the two competing couples begin a tumultuous tango (so to speak).
