I will always go down on the “Zutara” ship.

Former 9-to-5 tech worker turned content writer with a passion for all things pop culture, TV, and film!

I know they get together in Teen Titans Go, but I’m referring to the original animated series that was, let’s be honest, 10 times better. The potential begrudging friends-to-lovers trope was so strong between these two. I wish the show had given us more Raven and Beast Boy moments. There were little hints here and there, but nothing concrete. This show ended way too soon, and if we were given another season, I believe they would have explored this potential couple further.

The romantic tension between these two was boiling. They even kissed! Still, the series ended with no confirmation that they ended up together. The least the show could’ve done was add a small scene showing Batman — aka Bruce Wayne — asking Diana out on a date at the end of the series. I guess they had to save the world, but come on, where’s the love for one of the hottest superhero pairings?

Aside from being different animal species, the chemistry between these two is very loud and clear. The second film really confirmed for me that these two could make something work. The hug from Tigress came out of nowhere, and later, when Po returned the favor, I screamed! I never thought I would push for an animated Tiger and a Panda together, but here we are. 

The amount of romantic moments between these two is genuinely wild. The flirty banter, the way Nick holds Judy sometimes, and the longing stares — these two are obviously in love with each other. I think the writers know what they’re doing because there are too many moments, especially in Zootopia 2, where Nick and Judy definitely come off as more than friends. There’s another movie in the works, so there’s still a chance for this bunny to get with her fox.

The number of 'what could have been' scenarios if there were ever a sequel to this film. Chihiro and Haku’s relationship was way more captivating than most of the other couples in the Studio Ghibli universe. I’m still so sad that they end up apart at the end of the movie. In my own fantasy, Chihiro and Haku — now human — reunite in the living world and finally get a happy ending. 

Was there anyone else on team "Vemily?" I'm still seriously upset that they didn't end up together. I get it: Victor is alive, and Emily is technically dead, but they were going to make it work! Also, they have so many lovely scenes together in the film, and in the final moments, it looks like Victor does want to marry Emily as promised. I feel like I was given a bittersweet ending. 

There are so many hints that these two were going down the “enemies-to-lovers” path. You can’t tell me those longing stares and flirtatious jabs are from “frenemies.” I understand not all Disney princesses need a love interest, but how could they not consider it when Raya and Namaari had so much heat between them? There’s even a moment where Namaari and Raya stare deeply at each other while holding hands! Is it really that hard to want some clear queer representation in a Disney film?

Melanie was only in two episodes of the entire series, and she still made a bigger impact on Terry than Dana. I was really rooting for these two considering the parallels they had with Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle. I thought maybe a “Batman” would finally get to be with his “Catwoman.” Sadly, their love story was reduced to only 1 episode, and in the end, Terry ultimately chose to be with Dana. I still wonder if Terry would’ve changed his mind if he actually read the note from Melanie. 

Did anyone else grow up shipping Ash and Misty together? From their dance to constantly being mistaken for a couple, there were so many signs that these two were eventually going to be together. There’s even a moment in the movie Pokémon: Jirachi, Wish Maker, where Ash talks about a “friend” he misses every day. It’s obvious that the person he's referring to is Misty, and even though he emphasizes the word “friend,” I have to believe there is something more there.  

I mean, Rukia literally gives Ichigo her soul-reaping powers to save him. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is. And then, later on in the series, Ichigo starts a full-on war against the Soul Society to save her! How could the creators of this series, which centers on these two and their connection, not have them become endgame?! Rukia and Ichigo deserve better, and I want them to get an alternate ending in a Shoujo anime one day. 

Even though the show does not focus on romance in any way, I always believed SpongeBob had a crush on Sandy. You’re telling me that SpongeBob, who was willing to dry out to death so he could spend time with Sandy in her world, didn’t have some sort of feelings for her? He also always brings her flowers and gets jealous when she hangs out with Larry, so one would think he'd eventually ask Sandy to be his girlfriend.  

This is a bit of a stretch, since they don’t have a lot of scenes together, but I always thought the Professor and Miss Bellum would make a cute couple. This is mostly because Miss Bellum seemed like a great mother figure and I wanted her to work with the Professor more when it came to the girls. I wish we got to see more of them together in the series, but I guess the only thing I can do is just hope that they go on a date somehow in the future of the show.

Almost every film about Peter Pan features Wendy and Peter as a couple, so it’s a surprise that the Disney animated film did not honor this in any shape or form. One could argue that Wendy’s feelings for Peter were more like a childhood crush, but Peter seemed to have feelings for Wendy too, so not giving some kind of hint that they might end up together was kind of shocking. It would have been kind of cool to see an alternate animated sequel where Peter did leave Neverland for Wendy.

Even as babies, I knew Tommy and Kimi had something going on. They were so perfect for each other. Both were adventurous, natural leaders, and filled with imagination! I’m also fond of the “I like my best friend’s sibling” trope, so I was really rooting for these two. They even admit having a crush on each other in All Grown Up! If only the series had a flash-forward episode showing these two married in the future. 

Gwen and Trent's love story in Total Drama Island is honestly my favorite part of the series. I absolutely adore unconventional pairings! Which is why I was so disappointed when the creators decided to split them up in Total Drama Action. Whose decision was it to turn Trent — this cool, laidback guy who supported Gwen no matter what — into a jealous, obsessive dud? They deserved to be the main couple of the series!

Look, I am very happy with who Marceline does end up with at the end of the series. However, I do want to share that Finn and Marceline would have also been a great couple. They had such a fun relationship. Finn went along with all of Marceline’s shenanigans and accepted her for who she was, a rude vampire with a dark sense of humor. I know they confirmed having no romantic feelings for each other, but I still think about what could have been. 

The main focus of the show is on a demented card game, but there were definitely some sprinkles of romance here and there. One potential couple that stood out to me was Joey and Mai. They would go to great lengths to protect one another, and I cannot express how bummed I was that it never manifested into anything more than just a friendship. What do I have to do around here to get this hothead from Brooklyn with his femme fatale?

The Jedi Code requires its members to be free from attachments, but I always wanted Ahsoka to be the exception to that rule. The connection between Ahsoka and Lux felt like a young love story that could've been the premise of the next Netflix romance movie. I mean, if Anakin was able to be in a relationship, why couldn't his Padawan be in one too? Ahsoka even leaves the Jedi Order, so she could've had her happy ending with Lux if she really wanted to!

There is no denying Rumi and Jinu had a romantic connection. They even have a romantic duet together! However, the creators decided not to give us a happy ending, and we unfortunately never got to see more of the potential romance between these two. I know the film has a sequel, so there’s still hope that Rujinu becomes a real thing.

So many people have told me to get over this, but I will never let this go. Katara and Zuko not being endgame is a crime worse than the Fire Nation attack. There were so many moments in the series that indicated something more between these two. The showrunners themselves even poked fun at it in an episode! Right now, people are shipping the live-action versions of Katara and Zuko, and I’m here for it.