The List
7 Anime Kisses Heard 'Round the World
by Lynzee Loveridge,
February 14 is a lot of different things to people, whether it's a celebration of romance or day to spend Netflix-binging while eating fistfuls of chocolate. Let's live vicariously through our anime counterparts who eventually managed to plant a kiss on their beloved. The kisses are passionate, or cute, or inspiring or...sticky?
7. Akira Tsubaki & Mikoto Urabe (Mysterious Girlfriend X) Whether we want to admit it or not, there isn't a passionate kiss that doesn't include some swapping of saliva. There's no getting around the fact that if Person A's tongue goes into Person B's mouth, there's some spit going with it. How visible that exchange is when it's animated depends heavily on the anime's genre. Nonetheless, viewers got a little squeamish the first time Akira & Mikoto kissed because of how unconventional it was. Akira finds himself oddly attracted to Mikoto's drool, and once she discovers it, they start their romance of indirect kissing with Mikoto sticking her wet finger in Akira's mouth.
6. Sion x Nezumi (No. 6) In the world of yaoi kisses, Sion and Nezumi's goodnight smooch is pretty low-key but it leaves viewers with a big case of warm-fuzzies. Sion and Nezumi are living underground and in hiding from a dystopian government. The two butt heads constantly about the right way to go about dismantling the system, but gradually grow to trust each other. They share a dance, and later it's the more timid Sion that kisses Nezumi. The latter then reveals a rare smile.
5. Utena x Anthy (The Adolescence of Utena) The Adolescence of Utena takes all the head-trip aspects of the original series, condenses it, and adds cars. When Utena and Anthy share a nude kiss at the end of the film, the two are in the midst of their escape from Ohtori Academy. Utena transforms into a literal pink car as a means to deliver Anthy from her oppression, but it begins breaking down as they try to make their getaway. In the end, the two exit into the unknown world away from their roles as princesses with only each other.
4. Revy x Rock (Black Lagoon) One of the coolest indirect kisses was between Rock and Revy after a fight. The two moody protagonists could hardly stand each other when Rock first joined the crew but Revy warms up to him after he continually proves that he's not a useless square. Both are sitting in the back of a police car after an exceptionally crappy day when Rock lights Revy's cigarette with his own. They commiserate over their shared circumstances and the whole thing manages to pull off romance and coolness in one.
3. Shinji x Asuka (Evangelion) At this point in the series, Shinji had already fall-groped Rei, put up with Misato's inappropriate behavior, and suffered continual verbal put-downs from Asuka. The guy really couldn't catch a break from his own awkwardness. Asuka moves in with Shinji after coming over from Germany, and switches between teasing and humiliating him. Despite her all her claims of maturity, Asuka is still 14. And she's living in a cramped apartment with another hormonal teenager. The kiss plays out humorously (Asuka plugs Shinji's nose the whole time) but it also reminded viewers that these were still two inexperienced kids given an impossible task and severely neglected from affection by the adults in their lives.
2. Ryuji x Taiga (Toradora!) I don't know if a more passionate kiss was ever animated. First, Taiga is a classic tsundere, so when she locks lips with Ryuji it would be natural for her character to blush, freak out, and hit him with pillow. Instead, the two are having a "pretend" wedding and seal the deal with a quick peck. Taiga describes the kiss as "rough" but then continues to insist on "one more" as the kisses last longer and become more passionate.
1. Risa Koizumi x Atsushi Otani (Lovely Complex) Risa has spent her entire high school career pining after Atsushi but to no avail. Drama, missed opportunities, and fixation on their height difference has kept the two from formally hooking up. Then, on Risa's birthday, they're sitting on a rooftop watching fireworks. Atsushi is going through a bag of snacks when he says Risa's name and finally, finally kisses the girl. Talk about playing the long con.
The new poll: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or none at all?
The old poll: Last week asked you to pick your perfect bro-friend. I'm happy to announce that either the female readers stuffed the ballot box, or the male readers are totally down for some ambiguously gay friendships! The top choice was the very toned Makoto Tachibana from Free! Eternal Summer! Here's the top 20:
- Makoto Tachibana (Free!) 9.8%
- Kamina (Gurren Lagann) 8.1%
- Iskander (Fate/Zero) 7.4%
- Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist) 6.5%
- Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) 5.2%
- Kotetsu (Tiger & Bunny) 4.3%
- Rintaro Okabe (Steins;Gate) 3.6%
- Dandy (Space Dandy) 3.4%
- Fai D. Flowright (Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE) 3.2%
- Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist) 3.2%
- Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club) 3.2%
- Youhei Sunohara (Clannad) 2.8%
- Kyoya (Ouran High School Host Club) 2.4%
- Shū Maiko (Nisekoi) 2.4%
- Train Hartnet (Black Cat) 2.4%
- Kircheis (Legend of the Galactic Heroes) 2.3%
- Archer (Fate/stay night) 1.9%
- Simon (Gurren Lagann) 1.9%
- Lupin (Lupin the 3rd) 1.9%
- Kyo (Fruits Basket) 1.8%
When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as Associate Editor for Anime News Network and posts pictures of her son on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.
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