More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers
More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers
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More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers

7.9
Yr 2022
Rt 24m
Status Ended
Animation Comedy Drama
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Series Brief

Overview

The story centers on third-year high school student Jiro Yakuin, who gets saddled with his gyaru classmate Akari Watanabe for the class's "marriage training" project about practicing to be a married couple. Jiro is the complete opposite of Akari, but the two know that if they do well they will be able to switch partners to end up with their respective crushes, and so they force themselves to act like the perfect married couple.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 70 /100

Critics generally regard More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers as an enjoyable, lighthearted romantic comedy, though opinions are somewhat mixed regarding its reliance on standard genre tropes. Reviewers highlight its breezy pacing and fun blend of romance, humor, and angst, finding it to be an entertaining watch for fans looking for a quick romantic series.

While some outlets note that the show relies on forced clichés, two-dimensional characters, and familiar narrative beats, others argue that it lifts itself slightly above average through genuinely strong emotional scenes and relatable depictions of lovesickness.

The visual production earned significant praise from reviewers, with its high-quality, vibrant animation highlighted as a standout feature that ranks among the visually impressive anime releases of its season.

“light-hearted, loveable romantic comedy filled with mature content and realistic representation of lovesickness”

“a quick watch and a fun anime, one easy to recommend if you’re in the mood for some romance, comedy, and angst.”

“one of the most stunning anime to release in 2022”

“It held my interest, mostly, and I think on the net it lifted itself a little above bog standard with a few genuinely good scenes”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll
US • UK • CA
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
US • UK • CA
Why fans love it

This 2022 anime takes a classic romcom setup and dials up the drama through an unusual school curriculum. Centered on a mandatory "marriage training" project, the series pairs third-year high school student Jiro Yakuin with his gyaru classmate Akari Watanabe to live as a mock married couple. What drives the fun is the underlying incentive: both students actually want to switch partners to end up with their real crushes, requiring them to perform fake domestic bliss convincingly enough to earn high marks.

Based on a manga, the slice-of-life comedy blends ecchi elements with genuine teenage friction. Featuring voice actor Saori Onishi among its main cast, the animated seinen series thrives on the clash between two total opposites navigating forced cohabitation. The humor stems from their awkward attempts to act like newlyweds, creating an entertaining mix of school comedy and romantic tension as their pragmatic arrangement forces them closer together.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 31
Regulars 3
Longest run 6 eps
Seiichiro Yamashita
Seiichiro Yamashita
as Jiro Yakuin (voice)
Saori Onishi
Saori Onishi
as Akari Watanabe (voice)
Saki Miyashita
Saki Miyashita
as Shiori Sakurazaka (voice)
Toshiki Masuda
Toshiki Masuda
as Minami Tenjin (voice)
Sho Nogami
Sho Nogami
as Sadaharu Kamo (voice)
Minami Takahashi
Minami Takahashi
as Sachi Takamiya (voice)
Azumi Waki
Azumi Waki
as Natsumi Ohashi (voice)
Yui Ogura
Yui Ogura
as Mei Hamano (voice)
Show 23 more
Shuichi Uchida as Shu Terafune (voice) Hibiku Yamamura as Homeroom Teacher (voice) 3 episodes Momoko Taneichi as Linda (voice) 1 episode Junji Tachibana as Zombie (Steve) (voice) 1 episode Tetsuro Noda as Student (voice) 1 episode Akari Tadano as Female Student A (voice) 1 episode Hikaru Tanaka as Kazushiro (voice) 2 episodes Reiou Tsuchida as Takeshita (voice) 2 episodes Keisuke Hamaoka as PE Teacher (voice) 1 episode Kyouhei Natsume as Students (voice) 1 episode Takayuki Ishii as Students (voice) 1 episode Yūka Numa as Clerk (voice) 6 episodes Yuki Terui as Students (voice) 1 episode Misuzu Yamada as Manami (voice) 1 episode Satoshi Niwa as Male Student (voice) 1 episode Katsuyuki Konishi as Kamo's Brother (voice) 4 episodes Yuuki Nakajima as Male Student (voice) 1 episode Ko Bonkobara as Clerk (voice) 1 episode Yuji Murai as Pickup Man A (voice) 1 episode Yu Miyazaki as Pickup Man B (voice) 1 episode Kosuke Katayama as Old Couple (Husband) (voice) 1 episode Sae Hiratsuka as Girl (voice) 1 episode Natsuki Mori as Old Couple (Wife) (voice) 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Background Designer
Maho Miyazaki
Key Animation
Atsushi Ito Yenxin Fan
Executive Producer
Tsuneo Takechi Misako Nishi Takashi Fukushima Asuka Yamazaki Yuka Sakurai
Director
Hideki Hiroshima Masato Takeuchi Hiroaki Matsushima Natsumi Uchinuma
Theme Song Performance
Nowlu Liyuu
Color Designer
Akira Nagasaka
Animation Director
Seiji Kishimoto Kenji Hattori Maiko Okada Masaki Tanaka
Sound Effects
Yui Ando
Original Music Composer
Yuri Habuka
Storyboard Artist
Hiroaki Matsushima Natsumi Uchinuma Takao Kato
Producer
Noritomo Isogai Fumihiro Ozawa Toshiyuki Miichi Shigeto Takeyama
Character Designer
Chizuru Kobayashi
Series Director
Takao Kato
Signal Match

Similarity

Where More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

romcom slice of life school based on manga seinen ecchi anime
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 09, 2022
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
24 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
111