So we all love (Or eventually come to dislike) the main pair in a romance-centric series, of course...but who are the best beta/secondary couples that you have come across? I'm talking about those like Nina and Tsujiai in Ultra Maniac, Chizuru and Ryuu in Kimi ni Todoke, Takenaga and Noi in The Wallflower, Akira and Tsubaki in Rockin' Heaven, etc. etc. 1k6v2n

I personally prefer the story of the beta couple most of the time, since they are less in the spotlight and their relationship almost always seems more genuine. They also add extra dimensions to the main couples story most of the time (e.g. Main couple learn from their relationship). Have I missed some great pairings that you love? Do tell! I must've not read many series that have strong beta couples, and I don't want to overlook any 😀

Haha~ I totally agree with you! (Sometimes the main couple's relationship just becomes so draggy and boring. 😛 )

My personal favorites are Sasayan and Natsume (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun) and Shinobu and Chihiro (Suki desu Suzuki-kun) ^_^

Hihi, I was going to say Sasayan/Natsume too. Adore that pairing <3

Quote from sallyen

Hihi, I was going to say Sasayan/Natsume too. Adore that pairing <3

I second this! Lately, I am getting more into them than the main pairing! 😀

Others I like:

Kiyoshi/Rena from Dengeki Daisy
Eun Taek/Bora from Cheese in the Trap
Tadashi/Akira from Special A
Watanuki/Karuta from Youko x Boku SS
Ryu/Chizuru from Kimi Ni Todoke

"But if I see your eyes once more... I'll be able to feel that it is you..."

Don't forget Fukuda Sakaya and Kusano Kazuki from SHIMOTSUKI Kinusa's Tonari no Kashiwagi-san!
It's a Shounen but still worth mentioning. I soon found myself following the romantic development between the main couple's best friends because the protagonist tends to be extremely slow and quite idiotic at times. Yay for some tsundere action!

And another beta pairing you shouldn't miss:
Yoshii Rio and Miyagawa Takeru from Love So Life by KOUCHI Kaede! It's almost impossible not root for them, after

Rio showed such bravery and publicly kissed Takeru-kun on the lips in order to make him understand her feelings. Way to go, girl!

I also ship Kiki and Mitsuhide from AKIZUKI Sorata's Akagami no Shirayukihime although I'm not sure if it's going to happen at all.

EDIT:
How could I forget Hinohara Yuki-sensei and Nagai Tatsumi from 14-sai no Koi by MIZUTANI Fuka? Nagai-kun is too cute when he is teased.

[color=#8A795D]"Stories are what death thinks he puts an end to.
He can't understand that they end in him, but they don't end with him."

• Ursula K. Le Guin, Gifts[/color]

To be savoured:

• Blood Alone by TAKANO Masayuki
• Otoyomegatari by MORI Kaoru
• Gangsta. by Kohske
• Seishun Kouryakuhon by AKIZUKI Sorata

Everyone from TSUDA Masami's Kare Kano, especially Tsubasa/Kazuma. I greatly recommend this manga, it's slice of life and has amazing background stories for all their characters and really builds on their character development.

OH AND The cutest couple ever, Meroko/Izumi from Arina Tanemura's Full Moon wo Sagashite. They both face some sort of betrayal before reconciling.

I thought Nobu and her boyfriend in Lovely Complex was adorable, although they were more background characters.

"Everything is okay in the end. If it's not ok, then it's not the end."

"I'm tired of all the nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What else do you want; an adorable pancreas?" - Jean Kerr

When I said 'death' before 'dishonor', I meant alphabetically.

Imagine what would happen if there were no more hypothetical situations.

Any from Usotsuki Lily. It has lots of cute couples. 😁

Quote from yarn

Any from Usotsuki Lily. It has lots of cute couples. 😁

Haha yeah, somehow people around the main characters get a couple.

I second Eun Taek and Bo Ra from Cheese in the Trap. Don't know why, but they give off this childhood friend aura, including all it's strong and weak points. ^^

"It's like love is a bonus in your life. Even without it, I'm just fine. I don't feel like pointlessly searching for it. You don't have to make yourself unhappy." (Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji)

"Why does it rain?" - "To create drama." (Drops (Andou Yuki))

The Breaker......season 1 had the most amazing pair of... Chun-Woo Han (Yours truly... THE Goomoonryong) and the absolutely captivating Shi-Ho Lee...

And when Shi-ho died.... I.. for the first time in a decade.. felt tears welling up T___T

Oh woops... i just noticed that this was the SHOUJO/JOSEI section .. __
Well... this is rather embarrassing ___

But still... this couple will remain as the best beta couple... for me 😀

Agree with Ryu/Chizuru!

Yahiro and Megumi from Special A was the only thing that made me finish the series when the main couple started getting repetitive.

Namiki and Kaichou from Land of the Blindfolded were one of the first beta couples I ever rooted for.

FullMetal Alchemist isn't shoujo but really, for me the best beta couple in maybe all of manga is Roy and Riza.

Yay for beta couple appreciation 🤣 They keep shoujo/josei fresh when the drama of the mains get too annoying. But then you have mangas like Fruits Basket.....

I kinda like the couple Arthur and Momoe (?) sensei in 5 ji kara 9 ji made by Aihara Miki. I think the fact that she is a fujoshi and ignores him is funny. The romance is slow between them but it is alright. I also like the couple Eun Taek and Bora in Cheese in the trap. they are so funny 😀 !

I totally A.D.O.R.E Nobu and Nakao from Lovely Complex They just have that awesome vibe going. Hell, I think I like them more than the main couple.
Then there is Lady Aglaia and Delos from NG Life
That's about all I can come up with at first thought.. I might post more soon. 🙂

Defeat your foes with randomness and lightning fast typing speed.

Inukai and Tsurutani in Hirunaka no Ryuusei! While I do enjoy/agonize over the main love triangle... After I read this lovely lovely thing I just. I need MORE.

What else... SasaNatsu in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun hell yes. Ritsuka and Kou in Hiyokoi. Chizuru and Ryuu in Kimi ni Todoke.

Yuuri and Uchimiya in Ao Haru Ride is also adorable.

And I agree with dotsforeyes about Special A. Finishing that was painful. I only kept reading because I liked Yashiro/Megumi.