Anime confessions are generally teeming with tension. No matter what’s revealed, it’s been a secret up until that moment, often for good reason. These scenes are often emotional and even further the plots of some tearjerker anime series. Sometimes, however, they’re just plain embarrassing.
This is especially true when it comes to declarations of love. A character may be awkwardly trying to explain what they want, like Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood rambling about alchemy before successfully proposing to Winry Rockbell, and she gets too distracted by his odd percentages to answer. Or maybe the character is called an idiot for revealing their feelings and is utterly devastated, which happens to Mitsuo Yanagisawa in Golden Time.
9. Haru Yoshida Can’t Stay On Topic In ‘My Little Monster’
Haru Yoshida and Shizuku Mizutani spend My Little Monster in a variety of awkward romantic situations. They never seem to want to be together at the same time, which means both of them have to confess their love more than once.
In one case, Haru approaches Shizuku as she dozes by an open window. While he’s very warm and affectionate in declaring his love for her, he sprinkles in his thoughts about dead people and his sexual desires, all while carrying a chicken. Luckily, this couple’s relationship thrives on awkward interactions.
8. Ryouma Ichijou Thinks He’s Asking Out The Girl Of His Dreams In ‘Love Stage!!’
The whole premise of Love Stage!! is awkward, so of course the initial love confession follows suit. Actor Ryouma Ichijou has spent 10 years pining for his co-star in a wedding commercial. When he’s asked to film a sequel, he insists the same actress reprise her role.
Here’s the problem: the actress is, in fact, a man named Izumi Sena, who dressed up as a women in the initial shoot to fill in for the original actress. He does finally reveal his identity, but after Ryouma confesses his love.
Horrified to discover he’s been pining over a man for a decade, Ryouma reacts with undisguised disgust. The misunderstanding between the two characters is uncomfortable, but it’s disturbing to see a character freak out at the idea he could have feelings that aren’t wholly heterosexual.
7. Mitsuo Yanagisawa Gets Called An Idiot In ‘Golden Time’
Law student Mitsuo Yanagisawa doesn’t get the reaction he’d hoped for when he admits his love for Chinami Oka. Though he does have genuine feelings for her, he asks only asks her out because Koko practically dares him to, leading Chinami to assume he isn’t serious. When he tells her he loves her and asks her out, she replies, “Don’t be stupid.”
Mitsuo’s utter humiliation is exacerbated when everyone in the film club laughs at him. After his failed romantic move, it’s a long time before he can even look at Chinami again.
6. Reiner Braun Randomly Admits To Being A Titan Shifter In ‘Attack On Titan’
This confession isn’t romantic, but it’s undeniably awkward and misjudged. Reiner Braun has been keeping a secret from the rest of the Survey Corps. When he reveals he’s actually the Armored Titan (who worked with Bertolt Hoover, the Colossal Titan, to break through a wall protecting a city from man-eating monsters), it sparks some controversy.
In the middle of an unrelated conversation, Reiner tells Eren Yeager, whose mother died in the attack, that he’s the Armored Titan. There’s no fanfare, no lead-up, just an utterly unexpected admission. His bluntness, coupled with Eren’s stunned reaction and Bertolt’s penchant for privacy, makes this acknowledgment truly uncomfortable.
5. Tsunayoshi Sawada Confesses To His Crush While Naked And On Fire In ‘Katekyo Hitman Reborn!’
Magic can either make or break a sincere moment. Tsunayoshi Sawada, also known as Tsuna, doesn’t really intend to confess to his longtime crush, Kyoko, at least not until he builds up his confidence. But when Reborn, a miniature hitman, gives Tsuna a power boost, he inadvertently prompts an unbelievably embarrassing declaration.
Tsuna dashes over to Kyoko and screams that she should date him. To make matters worse, he’s in his underwear and his head is on fire. Kyoko runs away, and a classmate knocks Tsuna out, calling him a pervert.
4. Rem Is Brutally Rejected In ‘Re:Zero’
You have to feel some sympathy for Rem. She loves Subaru Natsuki so much she’s willing to sacrifice her life for him, but when she finally confesses her feelings, he immediately shoots her down. Subaru respects and cares for Rem, but he’s already in love with somebody else, a half-elf named Emilia.
Rem accepts her rejection gracefully enough, but afterward she decides she’s willing to do anything Subaru wants, as long as she can be in his life. Does he want a mistress? A servant? She’ll do anything, and that desperation is only makes her more pitiable.
3. Edward Elric’s Proposal Gets Interrupted By Math In ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’
Edward Elric’s confession to Winry Rockbell is as clumsy as it is adorable. Like a giant nerd, Edward brings alchemy into his declaration of love for his childhood friend. To make his feelings known, Edward says, “Equivalent exchange! I’ll give half of my life to you if you give half of yours to me!”
Sputtering, blushing, and haggling over the exact percentages of their lives to give to each other ensues, but the two do end up getting married by the end of the series. A little awkwardness is part of their charm, and it means they’re being their authentic selves.
2. Chiyo Sakura Gets An Autograph Instead Of An Answer In ‘Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun’
It’s hard not to feel bad for Chiyo Sakura. She just wants to ask out the boy she likes, but Nozaki is so dense, he doesn’t understand what she’s asking for at all. Chiyo’s vagueness doesn’t help much. She calls herself his “fan,” and because he’s a manga artist, he thinks she’s a fan of his work and gives her an autograph.
When she says she wants to “be with him forever,” he concludes she’s insisting on helping out with his artwork. Thus begins Chiyo’s life as a manga artist’s assistant, a decidedly different role than the more romantic one she had in mind.
1. Sakura Haruno Pretends She’s In Love With Naruto In ‘Naruto’
Few things are more awkward than a love confession that’s a total facade. Sakura Haruno has never reciprocated Naruto’s feelings for her; instead, she’s been nursing a huge crush on Sasuke. When Sasuke defects and becomes an enemy of their village, Sakura believes Naruto is so insistent on finding him is because he promised her he’d bring Sasuke back.
Whether she wants to stop Naruto from putting himself in danger, or protect Sasuke from the possible legal consequences of returning to Konoha, she tries to stop Naruto from pursuing him. She “confesses” that she’s fallen in love with Naruto, not Sasuke.
Naruto sees right through her lie. Unfortunately, he also misinterprets her intentions, believing she’s lying to herself, not to him. He tells her he’s pursuing Sasuke for his own reasons, and she leaves in a huff as onlookers stare in open-mouthed shock.