Koisenu Futari
Sex content: none (there's one flashback that references a past experience, but nothing explicit. It's also not in a positive light.)
Romance content: none
Rep: the two protagonists are explicitly aroace. They're adults: the focus isn't on discovering their identity (Sakuko does that in episode one), but on how they live life defeating the norms and on their developing qpr (which they call "Family (subject to change)").
Konya Sukiyaki Dayo
Sex content: none
Romance content: some (one of the two protagonists is allo and has romantic interests and a relationship)
Rep: one protagonist is explicitly aro. She never comments on her sexuality, but she never seems interested in sex either. The two protagonists live together and develop a qpr (they don't call it that, but it's clear they don't consider their bond a "normal" friendship).
18/40: Futari Nara Yume mo Koi mo
Sex content: none (implied in the past since there's a pregnancy)
Romance content: present
Rep: the two protagonists have a considerable age-gap (18 and 40) and they refer to their bond as something that "has no name but definitely exists". It's pretty much a qpr, but they're both allo and they both develop separate romantic interests. There's also a secondary aspec character (I love her); there are no explicit terms used, she only says she's never been in love (and probably never will). I noticed hints of this character's identity since episode 1 and I think all of them fit the aroace profile, but she doesn't comment on sexual attraction or lack thereof (she is surprised to know her friends have had sex, though, and that screams asexual to me).
All in all, platonic relationships of every kind are very important in this drama. Be warned for the pregnancy and motherhood though if that's not your thing. (And for romance.)
Japanese shows have been coming through recently with that aro and ace rep! Thought I would put together a list for anyone interested in seeing more aro, ace and aroace characters. Feel free to add on if I've missed any!
Koisenu Futari (TV series) - Takahashi Satoru and Kodama Sakuko
You've probably heard of this show. It has not one but two explicitly aroace characters with very different personalities. The entire show revolves around them figuring out life after identifying as aroace. Takahashi is also canonically touch-averse.
Kimi no Hana ni Naru (TV series) - Onodera Takara
I have not watched the show personally and so am not sure whether he's aro or aroace. Every time I see the translations, they are different, so will update as and when I watch the show for myself. But he does explicitly say he does not experience romantic attraction. This show is also written by the screenwriter of Koisenu Futari.
Cherry Magic (TV series and Movie) - Fujisaki Nozomi
Another gem from the creator of Koisenu Futari. Fujisaki is canonically aroace.
Konya Sukiyaki Dayo (TV Series) - Asano Tomoko
Again, I'm not sure whether Tomoko is aro or aroace but she explicitly says she is aromantic in the show and that she doesn't understand romantic attraction.
Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu (TV Series) - Takasugi Ume
The main character's best friend is explicitly aroace. She says she "isn't capable" of experiencing romantic attraction, admits to never having had sex, and is uncomfortable with people being attracted to her.
I bought the books, and they came in just in time for Arospec Awareness Week!!!
Konya Sukiyaki Jyanaikedo is actually the sequel to Konya Sukiyaki Dayo but I couldn't find the OG :( unfortunately I don't think the aro mc is in the sequel
But still!! Very happy 😊 my aspec book collection only grows!
The third and final volume of this manga just came out - or, I guess it probably did in Japanese a while ago, lol, idk, but I just got my English translation of it as an eBook today. And I just finished reading it and I loved it <3
I'm going to cross post this to the Koisenu Futari and Konya Sukiyaki Dayo tags (sorry but-) because I would STRONGLY recommend this story to people who enjoyed those shows. It's about an asexual (also aro but they just say asexual) woman and a gay man in a platonic marriage.
I would say that when I started reading the first one I thought I wouldn't like it because of some of the jokes about the woman, Yuriko, being a fangirl in a way that made it seem like she was going to like be really weird about irl shipping her husband and his unrequited crush? But as the characters are filled in more it goes back to being funny. She does know the difference between fiction and reality and I actually really did enjoy reading about her fandom obsession. So if you start reading and you're also put off by that, push through. It's not very long anyway, I think the third volume took me about an hour.
Japan just blessed us with another aromantic! Asano Tomoko, 1 of the 2 leads in Konya Sukiyaki Dayo. I love that it wasn’t just a one and done mention either, she’s brought it up multiple times in just the first 2 eps alone!
watching episodes 4, 5, and 6 of konya sukiyaki dayo.
in these three episodes we have covered everything from the fleeting nature of youth, mentorship, toxic masculinity and gender roles, the salaryman archetype, class, exploitation of the working class, economic turmoil, and the plight of undervalued and underpaid artists. what a fucking show
also, i'm claiming "isokuma" as the new "family (subject to change)"
More Konya Sukiyaki Dayo thoughts
Yuki and Aiko stopping to think about what kind of relationship they actually want and how to compromise on their values is SO GOOD. Like I didn't think I'd love the het couple part of this show (and tbf, I've been less interested in it till now), but I love this. I feel like it would benefit more couples to approach their relationship this way instead of assuming that they need to do everything a stereotypical couple does just because of societal expectations.