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As luck would have it, Jirō will be forced to reside with his polar opposite, a popular gyaru girl by the name of Akari Watanabe, who also has her eyes on someone else entirely. While these two evidently don’t enjoy each other’s company, they must act the part if they wish to earn enough points to acquire a new partner; however, a simple kiss may topple their scheme completely.
7 A Couple of Cuckoos
If Jirō and Akari think their predetermined relationship is complicated, well, they should meet Nagi and Erika from A Couple of Cuckoos! These two youngsters share a birthday and an uncannily similar surname, which caused them to be switched at birth and raised in the wrong household. When the truth was finally discovered years later, their parents wanted the best of both worlds and decided to arrange a marriage between Nagi and Erika, to keep things in the family.
Much like in Jirō and Akari’s case, there is little love in this involuntary setup, as Nagi’s heart already belongs to another. This does nothing to quell the parents’ wishes, and Nagi and Erika are forced to live in the same residence, in preparation for married life.
6 I’m The Villainess, So I’m Taming The Final Boss
This Isekai Romance has also recently kicked off, and while it has more supernatural elements than More Than A Married Couple, But Not Lovers, the relationship dynamics between the characters share certain similarities with Jirō Yakuin’s situation. “Love” for convenience is a finicky thing!
Aileen Dautriche has been reincarnated into one of her favorite video games and is quickly booted out of the suitable arrangement she had set up with her then-fiance, Prince Cedric (who speedily proposes to another girl!) Recovering with haste, Aileen latches on to the next best thing, his brother, the Demon Lord Claude, and the two competing couples begin a tumultuous tango (so to speak.)
5 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Playing “the love game” may just be part of a school program for Jirō and Akari, however, Miyuki and Kaguya take it to the next level in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. Although the former pair is initially disgusted by their coupling, it doesn’t take long for the constant, close proximity to take effect.
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Neither of them wished to admit they may be developing feelings, and Miyuki and Kaguya are stuck in the same predicament. Each possessing a genius-level intellect, the Student Council’s President and Vice-President try to trip each other up, and whoever confesses their love first is officially the loser. Manipulation and affection are a dangerous combination, but produce hilarious results!
4 My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex
Mizuto and Yume suddenly find themselves living under the same roof, but unlike in Jirō and Akari’s case, they are trying very hard not to look like a pair of lovebirds. Their romantic partnership recently ended (and not on the best of terms) however, thanks to their parents’ unexpected union, they are now officially step-siblings (and have subsequently stepped into forbidden love territory.)
The old flames try to play the roles of brother and sister but often find themselves getting caught up in each others’ sexual provocations. Mizuto’s goal is to coerce a reaction out of Yume to prove she still wants him (and vice versa); all while somehow maintaining the “happy family” guise for their parents’ sake.
3 Classroom Of The Elite
While More Than A Married Couple, But Not Lovers is essentially a romantic comedy, there is a great deal of manipulation involved in the narrative, as each team is essentially trying to fool the system into believing they are a happy, healthy couple. Classroom of the Elite is all about trickery and deceit, but with a much more sinister tone about it.
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Kiyotaka Ayanokouji has also found himself in a mutually beneficial “loveless” relationship with the beautiful, popular Kei Karuizawa, which slowly develops into something deeper. Ayanokouji has an assortment of stunning young girls to choose from, but, much like Jirō, he would much rather just be left alone.
2 Rent-A-Girlfriend
The comedic factors that accompany the pretend-relationship trope are fully exploited by Rent-A-Girlfriend because, as the title suggests, these relationships are purely superficial (at least, they are supposed to be!) Kazuya Kinoshita finds himself desperate for companionship and would have loved to be in Jirō’s shoes, but his school followed a traditional curriculum and so he had to opt for a rental service instead.
Kazuya is so smitten with the beautiful Chizuru Mizuhara that he introduces her to his family, and the business-only relationship suddenly becomes serious. Other gorgeous gals start to take interest in Kazuya, who struggles to gain control of the whole situation and finds himself juggling a few faux love affairs with some very real feelings.
1 Spy X Family
Jirō and Akari should take a leaf out of Loid and Yor’s book if they wish to succeed in the Couples Training Program, because, as far as fictional marriages go, these two killers take the cake! Loid is a secret agent working to restore peace between the East and West; but needs access to the prestigious Eden Academy (and therefore a wife and kid) to accomplish his mission. Yor is attracting too much attention as a single “older” woman, which could cause trouble accomplishing her assassination passions. What better reason for an arranged marriage?
If this doesn’t sound exciting enough, the adorable Anya is brought into the equation and just happens to be telepathic, as well as a bit of a troublemaker too! The Forgers attempt to play happy family while closely guarding their secrets, creating some comical complications as a result.
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