Tsundere this, Kuudere that. When are we going to admit that the superior waifu type in anime is the possessive girlfriend? No, really. Possessive girlfriends are as rare as they get, with barely a handful throughout all the anime I’ve seen. And I do want to emphasize the ‘girlfriend’ part here. Because Yandere characters in anime are dime a dozen, but not actual committed partners. 

And you know what? As a clingy partner myself, I need that representation! Show me the pathetic lover girls that are enamoured by their significant other, and have their love returned by the guy becoming their actual boyfriend. Yes, sometimes that might veer into Yandere territory, like with Yuno Gasai from Future Diary. But she did get Yukiteru Amano to love her back, and that’s a win in my books. 

The thing is, I’ve genuinely only seen this character archetype be stuck in unrequited love scenarios, where their intense affection goes unheard or seen as something toxic/funny. When really, aren’t we all a little clingy around those we love? Like, give us the kind of crazy girlfriends we deserve! So, in today’s Get Ranked, let’s rank some of the best anime out there with possessive girlfriends!  

5. Itazura Na Kiss – Kotoko Aihara 

Listen, I grew up on K-dramas and Playful Kiss was my gateway drug. So, when I learned that it was actually based on the very popular manga, Itazura Na Kiss, which also had an anime adaptation? You best believe I binged that series immediately.

There’s just something so pure about the simple Kotoko Aihara, and how her crush on the cool ice prince, Naoki Irie, went unrequited. Until, of course, they were forced to live together and a spark kindled between the two. Later on, Kotoko becomes the obsessive one in their relationship, but Naoki isn’t far behind.

4. Future Diary – Yuno Gasai 

I mean, baby girl here is the poster child of possessive and deranged. You can’t mention ‘Yandere girlfriend’ without someone bringing Yuno Gasai up. And the thing is, while I wanted this list to be about anime with possessive girlfriends exclusively and not Yanderes because they rarely end up with the object of their affection, Yuno is the exception.

And like, who doesn’t want a girlfriend that will literally go against time and space, killing multiple people including herself, and doom the entire world, just to be with you? I fear she’s too iconic to not be on this list. And she might also kill me.

3. Death Note – Misa Amane 

Misa Amane gets a lot of flack, being deemed the least interesting character in the main Death Note trio. But that’s how I know some of you don’t have taste. Misa Amane is a lot more than the ‘possessive girlfriend’ here, but boy does she play that role up well.

The great thing about Death Note is that it’s also just a really good anime, in general, but it gets intense. And that’s why Misa ends up being the perfect foil to L and Light Yagami’s dramatic acts. Though, how Light fumbled the bag with a hot blonde Gothic Lolita? That I’ll never understand.

2. Nodame Cantabile – Megumi Noda 

I know, I know. The whole ‘love can save you’ trope is cliche, but I’m a sucker for it. And even more so when the girl is the one doing the saving. Nodame Cantabile isn’t quite so high stakes, but there’s something about Noda Megumi and how quickly she falls in love with Shinichi Chiaki, a musical prodigy.

Shinichi’s strict personality leaves no room for Noda’s playful nature, but she inserts herself into his life anyway. Together, they balance each other, with Shinichi taking more risks with his career and Noda becoming more mature. The two end up being perfect for each other, and that’s what makes the anime so good. 

1. Golden Time – Kuoko Kaga 

What can I say? I love a woman who takes charge of the narrative, and Kuoko Kaga is a prime example of that. Golden Time is an underrated slice–of–life anime, in my opinion, with actual adults for love interests. Here, Kuoko is our ‘possessive girlfriend’, with emphasis on the possessive part.

When she learns her crush, Mitsuo, decided to distance himself by going to university, naturally, she enrolls in the same university. But that’s where she meets Banri Tada, an amnesiac who is in the same program. She ends up spending more time with him and learns that maybe, she doesn’t have to be with someone who can’t love her for who she is, crazy clinginess and all.

Anime with possessive girlfriends sounds like something that should be more common, but it actually isn’t. Hell, it took me a while to find the right anime that fit here, with girls that were clingy while being in a relationship. Still, did we miss out on a fave? Sound off below!