More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers

More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers (original title: Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman) is a romantic comedy anime (adapted from a manga) that aired in 2022.

The story follows high school student Jirō Yakuin, a somewhat introverted guy with unrequited feelings for his childhood friend Shiori Sakurazaka. In their school's mandatory "marriage training" or "couple practical" course, students are randomly paired with opposite-sex partners to live together like a married couple, complete household tasks, and act affectionate — all while being monitored and graded on compatibility and harmony.

Jirō gets paired with Akari Watanabe, a outgoing, fashionable gyaru (gal) type who's the complete opposite of him and initially finds him unappealing. Akari, meanwhile, has a crush on the popular Minami Tenjin.

Both secretly want to switch partners to be with their crushes, and the top-performing couples earn the right to swap. So, Jirō and Akari reluctantly team up: they fake being the perfect newlywed couple to rack up points — sharing a living space, going on "dates," handling intimacy points (like kisses or affection), and more.

As they spend time together and face various challenges, awkward and funny situations arise, and their pretend relationship starts feeling a lot more real, leading to emotional growth, jealousy, and the classic "will-they-won't-they" tension.

It's a fun, spicy rom-com with plenty of fanservice, heartfelt moments, and that slow-burn fake-dating-to-real-feelings vibe. The anime covers one cour (12 episodes) and leaves things open-ended, with the manga continuing beyond that.