Weddingscan be sweet, as two lovers tie the knot and make things official. To have and hold each other in sickness and in health until death do them part. Well, until a divorce, annulment, or other circumstances pop up, anyway. Whether they work out or not though, weddings have provided some exciting moments in fiction.
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TV sitcoms have used them for climactic events. Soap operas and telenovelas practically live off of them. Evenanimehas produced weddings that are famous, infamous, and everywhere in between those points, but the best anime weddings have a way of setting themselves apart.
7Lady Clarisse and Count Cagliostro
This arranged marriage is pretty much the driving focus behindLupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. If the Count marries Clarisse, he’ll secure his place as the Duchy of Cagliostro’s regent, and he’ll uncover the country’s secret. It would’ve worked if his counterfeit cash didn’t get noticed by a certain thief. After multiple attempts to foil the marriage and save Clarisse, all hope seems lost when the ceremony takes place.
That is, until Lupin and his Interpol nemesis Zenigata work together for a change. Lupin manages to interrupt the proceedingsat the Count’s castle, swipe the rings and Clarisse, while Zenigata exposes the Count’s counterfeiting. After some daring action, the Count is finished off, Cagliostro’s secret is revealed, and Lady Clarisse gets to live freely. While Lupin goes on to more adventures, with Zenigata still hot on his heels.
6Jonathan and Erina
From a wedding foiled by a hero to one foiled by a villain. Jonathan Joestar finally finished his hatedvampire stepbrother Dio Brandooff for good. He finally married his old sweetheart Erina and would head off to America with her by ship. Unfortunately, their cruise-based reception would be ruined by some uninvited guests. Dio survived his encounter by lopping off his own head before his body burned up. Using his followers, he was smuggled onto the ship via coffin.
As they start attacking the guests, Dio strikes Jonathan through the throat with a blast from his eyes. With his remaining strength, Jonathan destroys the ship’s engine, taking Dio and his minions down with him. Only Erina and the infant daughter of a deceased guest would survive, floating in Dio’s coffin. Luckily for the Joestar lineage, Erina was already carrying Jonathan’s son at this point. It would take another century, but Jonathan and Erina would be avenged.
5Izumi and Ryoma
Why should one man and one woman get to have all the fun?Love Stagebrings two guys together, but not before some Shakespeare-esque gender shenanigans occur. His playTwelfth Nighthas a woman disguised as a man causing romcom-like mishaps. While Eiki Eiki’s original manga and anime adaptation had the same done by a boy dressed as a girl.
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Izumi was a humble student forced into the entertainment business. One of his roles involved dressing up as a girl, which caught the eye of top star Ryoma. He fell for Izumi, thinking he was female. However, he discovers the truth soon after the two work together on a wedding-themed commercial. Even then, Ryoma remains smitten, and Izumi starts returning those feelings back. Their wedding may have been performative, but it would cement their blossoming relationship.
4Utena and Anthy
Guys aren’t the only ones who can get together.Revolutionary Girl Utenaby Chiho Saito and the Be-Papas group spiced up the magical girl genre by doing things a little differently. Its equivalent of Sailor Moon is Utena Tenjō, an orphaned girl who wants to be like the princes in the stories she read as a kid. While her Tuxedo Mask is Anthy Himemiya, the ‘Rose Bride’ who has the power to ‘revolutionize the world’ under her emotionless visage.
Utena becomes involved in her school’s dueling tournament. Whoever wins becomes engaged to Anthy. Utena not only wins but stays in the tournament to protect Anthy from her other suitors. So, it’s not a typical wedding per se, but then it wasn’t exactly a typical show with its twisting of gender and sexuality norms either. It’s the quintessential lesbian anime for those who want somethingother than typical yuri thrills.
3Simon and Nia
A hero falling in love with a villain can be awkward. Not that it started off that way betweenTengen Toppa Gurren Lagann’s shy protagonist Simon and the artificial being Nia. They started off as friends but, as her father Lordgenome predicted, she became the messenger for the Antispiral. She works with the being to enact the Human Extinction System by driving the moon into the Earth.
Ultimately, she breaks free of its control, remembers her old relationship with Simon, and helps him to save the planet. After all they’ve been through, their wedding makes for a gentle, enjoyable conclusion, but also a heartbreaking one. Since she’s the Antispiral’s creation, she slowly disappears with them, but not before she says that her love for Simon will never end. From a wedding to a funeral, it’s a bittersweet conclusion.
2Yusaku and Kyoko
Just revealing these two had a wedding is spoilingMaison Ikkoku. Rumiko Takahashi’s series about the residents of a Japanese apartment block tantalized fans with its ups and downs. Particularly with the will-they-won’t-they relationship its new manager Kyoko had with humble student Yusaku. She found it hard to move on after her late husband’s death, while he’d either succumb to his anxieties or stick his foot in his mouth.
That’s not to mention the other tenants getting involved in one way or another with their wacky antics. Nonetheless, after 90+ episodes of mistakes, mishaps, and misunderstandings, Yusaku finally pops the question, and Kyoko makes progress in dealing with her trauma. There’s no surprise villain reappearance, nor do the bride or groom make a surprise disappearance. The two marry and live happily ever after. Simple, sweet, and straightforward.
1Naruto and Hinata
While the finale ofNaruto’s saga didn’t please everyone, it was satisfying to see the titular ninja and his shy girlfriend Hinata get together. They came a long way since he was a loud, orange-clad trainee, and she was so shy she’d glow red if he came within six feet of her. Not that it was a smooth ride. InThe Last: Naruto the Movie, the villain Toneri Otsutsuki aims to fulfill his twin brother’s promise to punish humanity for weaponizing chakra into ninjutsu.
He brainwashes Hinata right as she was about to confess her love to Naruto and takes her as his fiancée while trying to crash the moon into the Earth (a seemingly common method of destruction). Naruto frees Hinata from Toneri’s control, and the two use their chakra to put the moon back into its orbit. Realizing the error of his ways, Toneri goes to the moon to atone for his sins, while Naruto and Hinata finally confess their feelings for each other. They get married during the credits, and Naruto’s story finally concludes, leaving the future free forhis son Boruto.
