Macross. Misa(Lisa) and Hikaru (Rick) and Max and Miriya. Also (Claudia) and (Roy). Miriya is an enemy pilot who at first becomes obsessed with Max because he outmaneuvers her in every battle, she sees him as a rival who has humiliated her, the tension runs very high when they finally meet face to face, Mirya fights him in hand to hand combat and loses. Totally humiliated she asks Max to kill her, a shocked Max kisses her instead. Mirya is suprised at the feelings this gives her- in her culture the sexes are kept completely separated, replacement soldiers are bred in labs. A whirlwind courtship ensues and they are soon married and have a child by the end of the first series- we find out in the recent sequel series, Macross 7, they eventually have 7 children. ;)Misa and Hikaru don't like each other much at first and Misa is his commanding officer. Hikaru likes a kind of airheadish singer named Minmei. But gradually Hikaru and Misa realize they have deep feelings for each other. Claudia and Roy are the tragic lovers of this series. We first see them as a already established couple, with a beginning to their relationship somewhat like Misa's and Hikaru's. Roy dies from a battle injury that he didn't realize was far more serious than he thought. Claudia dies in the final battle of the first series.
Ah Megumisama.(Ah My Goddess.) Keichi and Belldandy. A story of two good people falling in love. Lonely but goodhearted Keichi who doesn't have a girlfriend because he is short and a bit shy, and good and purehearted Belldandy a literal goddess. It's also the story of Belldandy's two sisters, Naughty, but well intending Urd, and childish and slightly selfish Sculd. Sculd cares about her sisters quite a bit though, especially Belldandy. She is quite jealous of Keichi for stealing her sister away at first but eventually comes to like him. The manga is many volumes long but only a small portion of the story has been animated, and even less is availible in the United States.
Magic Knights Rayearth. Manga only. The video ending was a let down and totally different from the manga. Fuu and Ferio in particular were the best written of the couples in the series.
Yes Sailor Moon. Despite the silliness, some serious character development-especially in romantic relationships played a strong role in this series. Both in Usagi and Mamaru's and Haruka and Michiru's, the later especially was handled with naturaliness and dignity, without the abusiviness and excessive angst so common in manga relationships between homosexual couples. Usagi and Mamoru have a fairly typical boy and girl manga romance.
Marmalade Boy. Does this series ever have twists and turns! Miki and Yuu go through a lot before they finally get together. But it all serves to develop the characters more.
Fushigi Yuugi. Does this series have romantic couples! Of all types too! Here are all the major positive ones. :) Miaka and Tamahome/Taka, Hotohori and Houka, Tokaki and Subaru, Susano and Tatara, Shoka and Mitsukake. There is also Yui and Tetsuya- their relationship is more hinted than shown. Then you also get some disfunctional relationships- the Soi and Nagako and Tomo triangle, and the triangle from the past that caused such trauma for Chichiri between himself and best friend Hikou over Chirichi's fiancee Kouran.
Ayashi no Ceres. Darker than Fushigi in overall feel, but Aya and Tooya's love is the light in the darkness. This current manga series by Yuu Watase is rumored to have a anime TV series in production. Something I'll be extremely happy if it's true considering the quality production done on Fushigi Yuugi.
City Hunter. Now here's one that suprised me. I knew that Tsukasa had gradually been having Kaori and Ryo admitting their mutual feelings. But I didn't expect in a series of City Hunter's type that it would become the central theme. But that's my western comics expectations speaking. It wouldn't have in a western comic. This is why western comics are in a severe decline. Western readers likes aren't that different from Japanese, which is why the popularity of manga and anime is growing here too. In Japan the writer is expected to take the readers responses into consideration- fans have power in Japan. It makes for better stories too.
Yamato. (Starblazers) Susumu Kodai and Yuki Mori. A Classic story in the field, the first series dating from 1974. Boys manga and anime, but romance plays a large role in the story. Again quite different from western comics. Actually romance played a role in manga even before Osamu Tezuka, and anime from it's beginnings basically under Teruka. It played a more minor role at the beginning. After the first signifigant numbers of women writers/artists began to publish in the late 1960's and emphasized romance in their stories male writers began to follow suit in the mid 1970's.
Two different Rumiko Takahashi serieses. Maison Ikkoku first. It's a story Yusuku Godai a student who failed his college entrance exams the first time and has to take them again, and Kyoko Ononashi, the new manager of the apartment house he lives at. It's also about the weird other tenents of the aparentment house and how they make poor Godai's life a nightmare. Ranma 1/2 is so well known I don't think I have to go into details. ;) But what makes it a decent series is the last few volumes of the manga where Takahashi picks up the kind of neglected for the slapstick humor, neglected character development.
Rurouni Kenshin. Here's another story I was extremely surprised ended happily. Considering the time period and the subject I expected a tragic end. But hey I love the ending. :)Can't wait to actually get that manga volume. :)
Rose of Versailles. Classic shojo (girls) manga tale. Tragic lovers Lady Oscar and Andre. Lady Oscar is from a high ranking miliary family in 18th century France, she is born as the 6th daughter and her father decides that she will be raised as a boy. So he names her Oscar. Andre is the son of a family servant and he grows up being Lady Oscar's closest friend and sparring partner. Lady Oscar eventually becomes personal guard to the young Marie Antionette when she comes as a bride to the French court. Eventually Oscar is disillusioned by the decadance of the court and joins the revolutionaries with the man she loves, none other than her childhood friend Andre. They both die at the Storming of the Bastille.
There are a few examples in western comics too. The best by far Wendi and Richard Pini's ELFQUEST series. It's continued for over 20 years and has numerous well written long lasting couples, who got together had children and some of those now grown children made partnerships and had children. It's so different from the comic book norm and has been a favorite of mine since I started reading it in the early 1980's.
Also breaking the norm a bit is Coleen Doran's A Distant Soil. With the wonderful backup stories of Jessica and Aeren especially.
Now in the superhero comics of Marvel and DC there are a couple of exceptions to the tired old typical trash over well liked couples. With Marvel you have or had the couple of Mystique and Destiny, and Sean and Moira.
In DC you have Elongated Man and his wife Sue.
But in superhero comics these are rare exceptions. It's sad too. It's no wonder comics are dying out in the west. Manga however continues at high popularity in Japan and continues to increase in popularity here. Perhaps east and west aren't so different. The next page will be about great comic couples not allowed to grow to their potential. Potentials destroyed
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