Confessions in anime are always a big deal. The protagonist spends too long overthinking the situation, works up the nerve, and then makes a dramatic show of asking out their love interest. It’s a trope as old as the genre itself, and any anime fan has seen it dozens of times before. However, things do not always go as planned, especially in romantic comedies.
Despite its prevalence within the genre, many shows have come up with unique takes on the confession scene. Some start with confessions right off the bat, some save it for later. As for the result, there can only be one of two answers: an acceptance or a rejection.
10 Ryuji & Taiga Strike A Deal (Toradora)
In Toradora, Ryuji and Taiga make an agreement to help each other get with their respective crushes, since Ryuji likes Taiga’s friend, Minori, and Taiga likes Ryuji’s friend, Yusaku. Eventually, they each get their own opportunities to confess.
Unfortunately for them, both Minori and Yusaku sense feelings between Ryuji and Taiga, and reject their confessions. In the end, things do work out well for the pair, but these rejections certainly set them both back.
9 Hachiman Tries To Make A Friend (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU)
At the start of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Hachiman has a very cynical outlook on life, with no interest in girls or even friends. Upon meeting Yukino Yukinoshita, he briefly wonders if maybe they could become friends.
Yukino very quickly shuts him down and lets him know that they will never be friends. Of course, that changes over the course of the series with them both becoming much closer, along with their other friend, Yui Yuigahama.
8 Tsubaki Works Up The Courage (Your Lie In April)
Your Lie in April follows the lives of two child prodigy musicians, Kousei and the girl he’s in love with, Kaori. Kousei’s childhood friend, Tsubaki, soon realizes that she has feelings for him.
Eventually, Tsubaki works up the courage to tell Kousei how she feels. However, she immediately runs away, fearing his rejection. Of course, at the time, Kousei is head over heels in love with Kaori despite her being in a relationship with his best friend. Tsubaki does not give up though, and she is determined to get what she wants.
7 Ed Is Short On Patience (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
As children, the Elric brothers got into an argument about which of the two might marry their friend, Winry, when they got older. In the present, Edward decides to bring up the topic once more.
Winry explains that she’s just not into guys who are shorter than her. As any Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fan knows, Ed takes any comment regarding height very seriously. While it’s not a direct rejection, this one stings coming from Winry, since she is Ed’s love interest.
6 Mai & Sakuta Almost Kiss (Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai)
Before they began dating, Mai and Sakuta of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Senpai worked closely together to try and figure out why it seemed as though people were forgetting who she was. During this process, they spent the night together in a hotel, as friends.
As they are getting ready to go to sleep, Mai offers to kiss Sakuta, but he politely turns her down and instead asks her about her feelings. When he tries to bring it up again, she rejects him right back and tells him he missed his chance.
5 Masamune Wants His Revenge (Masamune-kun’s Revenge)
The inciting incident that kicks off Masamune-kun’s Revenge occurs during the titular character’s childhood. He confesses his feelings to the beautiful Aki Adagaki. She retaliates by rejecting him and calling him “Pig’s foot.”
As a result of this event, Masamune resolves to get in shape and take better care of himself so that when he’s older, he’ll be more attractive. In high school, the two are reunited and he wastes no time plotting his revenge.
4 Tendo Discovers Love Through Rejection (Gamers!)
The protagonist of Gamers!, Keita, is a loner. He loves playing games in his spare time, and his classmate, Karen Tendo, invites him to join her games club after school. After checking it out, he decides it’s not for him, since he’s not a competitive gamer.
Tendo takes the rejection pretty hard and soon becomes obsessed with getting Keita to join the club. As she continues to learn more about him, she also develops a crush on him.
3 Nino & Ichika Take The Initiative (The Quintessential Quintuplets)
The Quintessential Quintuplets is a harem romantic comedy, where Futaro Uesugi tutors five identical sisters who are at risk of failing in school. The sisters all take a liking to him, especially Nino and Ichika. The former confesses to him first but does not allow him to answer because deep down she already knows he does not feel the same way at the time.
Ichika also confesses her feelings later but goes about it in the wrong way. This upsets Futaro and he rejects her rather harshly, leaving her in the rain.
2 Sueharu & Kuroha Are Both Rejected (Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won’t Lose)
In Osamake: Romcom Where the Childhood Friend Won’t Lose, the main character, Sueharu is confessed to by his childhood friend, Kuroha, but he rejects her as he already has feelings for a classmate, Shirokusa. When he confesses to Shirokusa, he finds out she already has a boyfriend.
From there, Sueharu and Kuroha work together to formulate a plan of revenge on Shirokusa. As they become closer, Sueharu realizes his own feelings for Kuroha, so at the climax of their plan, he confesses to her in front of the whole school. In the end, Kuroha rejects Sueharu.
1 Sakura Accidentally Finds A New Job Through A Failed Love Confession (Monthly Girls Nozaki-Kun)
The whole premise of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun revolves around rejection and a big misunderstanding. As the series begins, Sakura, the protagonist, works up the courage to confess her feelings to her classmate, Nozaki.
However, Nozaki is not the brightest and thinks she is a fan asking for his autograph, to which he obliges. Sakura, confused, decides to try again and tell him she wants to be with him. This time, Nozaki thinks she wants to work as his assistant, as he is secretly a popular manga artist.
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