There’s only one thing better than a great character and that is a great duo. A pair of characters where the chemistry just works, the timing in their dialogue and reactions are spot on, and seeing the two interacting is enough to carry any scene they are in. This is my list of top 5 anime duos from 2018 and there are some incredibly great pairings here. My only real limitation was the characters in the top 5 couldn’t be part of my favourite couples from the year.
As always though, I’d love to know your picks so please share in the comments below who some of your favourite duos were.
Who were my favourite anime duos of 2018?
Honourable Mentions:
Honourable mention for Ash and Eiji from Banana Fish. After taking out best couple I couldn’t have them on this list as well, but let’s be honest, they really deserve a spot. The only question would be whether I think they could have beaten the number one on this list and that’s a tough question. Also, an honourable mention to Keika and Tanmoku from Spiritpact who were fantastic together, however the introduction of a third character into the mix in season two kind of disrupted the duo for a bit so they ultimately didn’t get a spot in the top 5.
Number 5: Ryuichi and Kotaro from School Babysitters
It is a slightly unusual choice for a duo list but these brothers are fantastic together. Kotaro is awesome as the toddler younger brother and Ryuichi is a delight as a concerned older brother. Neither of these characters comes off as too clingy but their scenes together are always sweet and heart warming and they are just adorable.
Number 4: Kirito and Eugeo from Sword Art Online Alicization
While Asuna may be left fairly high and dry this season, Kirito isn’t flying solo. No, he’s working side by side with Eugeo who has turned into a surprisingly fun character and the interactions with Eugeo and Kirito remain my favourite part of this new instalment of SAO. This is kind of what I think they should have done with Klein way back in the Aincrad arc but I can kind of understand why they didn’t. Looking forward to more Kirito and Eugeo moments in the new year.
Number 3: Banba and Lin from Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens
Your typical odd couple, these two work beautifully and are an absolute delight in a show about hitmen and murder. Individually, both characters are fun enough and fine, but when you put them together with their opposing views and contrasting skills you get something really special. Banba brings out the best in Lin and Lin certainly helps to keep Banba fairly level. I know this anime flew a little under the radar for some viewers so if you haven’t checked it out, and you don’t mind a bit of violence, then this one might end up being great fun. It is certainly worth checking out for these two characters.
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Number 2: Red and White Blood Cell from Cells at Work
Alright, you knew these two were going to make an appearance. They are adorable and every moment when they are together is delightful. Whether White Blood Cell is rescuing Red from a germ, Red is telling White about her day while they drink tea, or even seeing the young versions of them in training, these two characters are just pure bliss and they work perfectly together.
Number 1: Sakuta and Mai from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
They had to be the number one. From their very first episode together, the interactions between Sakuta and Mai charmed their audience and in an anime full of strong writing and interesting characters, nothing beats scenes with these two together. The back and forth dialogue, the give and take nature of their conversations and barbs, and just their general awareness of one another make these two an unbeatable duo from 2018.
That’s my list of best duos from the year and I’d love to know who some of your favourites were.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
Yep, my #1 too. I was actually thinking about this earlier today, and Mai and Sakuta had so much chemistry together that it’s an easy pick for me. I enjoyed every second of screen time they shared together. Haruo and Ono (Hi Score Girl) would be my runners-up – watching their relationship grow as they alternately bond and butt heads over their video games was a real treat.
I still haven’t watched that (Hi Score Girl) and I really should. I’m not entirely convinced I’ll like it but I am curious enough that I want to check it out.
#5 was surprise! I really need to go back and finish that series. #1, however, was no surprise at all. Very nice!
No, number one was definitely no surprise. Number 5 surprised me as well, but I’d listed early in the year how much I liked the pair and when I went back and checked out a couple of key episodes I realised just how perfect they were as a duo. The anime may not have been great but those two earned a lot of love from me by the end.