Do Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota Get Together? - Animevania (2024)

The appeal of rom-coms like Tomo-chan Is A Girl! is the questions it spawns, like if Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota get together or not. Which sounds weird. Like, yeah, of course, the main plotline would be a ‘Will-They-Won’t-They’ situation between the main love interests. That’s just how most high school anime work. But it makes you want to dive further into how the genre itself is starting to change as of late, with more shows focusing on a genuine connection rather than multiple options.

As for Tomo-chan Is A Girl!, well, yes. Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota do end up getting together by the end of the series and it’s glorious. It does take its sweet time getting to that point, however. Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota only get together when the latter finally notices that Tomo has had feelings for him for a while. After that, it was as expected, with him also developing affection for the cute tomboy. They start dating when, and I kid you not, Junichirou manages to beat Tomo’s father in a Karate duel. Talk about having to prove your love!

But it’s also kind of cute. Like, we were so used to high school anime using tropes like a harem set-up and Tsundere love interests, but we’ve been seeing a change for a couple of years now, with the Shojou genre having much more unique offerings than its predecessors. Like, just look at My Dress-Up Darling and Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War. Even BL (Boy’s Love) anime have seen a departure from the usual tired cliches, as proven by Sasaki To Miyano.

And we’ve enjoyed this change of pace thoroughly. Tomo-chan Is A Girl! is just one of the anime this Winter 2023 that has done things differently. And while it might feel a little slow-paced for now, we promise the payoff is very worth it. So, in today’s Lore Analysis, let’s take a look at if Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota get together. But also, let’s dive into why the era of conformity in Shojou is dying overall.

Tomo Aizawa And Junichirou Kubota: Besties In Love?

So, we already know the schtick here is that Tomo Aizawa is ‘one of the boys’ and how comfortable she is with her sporty personality. Of course, it does become a hindrance when she happens to be in love with her childhood best friend, Junichirou Kubota, who sees her as anything but a love interest. To Junichirou, Tomo is his ‘best bro’.

And after years of having this friendship, it’s easy for Junichirou to forget that Tomo isn’t a boy. So, he never sees her advances of clear affection for him, choosing to be ignorant instead. Which, yeah, that must be frustrating for a girl like Tomo, who has been pining away for him. Like, he’s very casual with her, and physically affectionate because he doesn’t acknowledge her as a love interest in the first place. But over time, things change.

Just because Tomo is outwardly tough and non-feminine, doesn’t mean she isn’t vulnerable and soft. And even if the two have grown up together, it doesn’t mean Junichirou can treat her so callously. And so, we see a progression where Tomo goes through high school not just trying to get Junichirou to understand her love, but also finding herself in the process. If anything, both of them are kind of clueless about this. Because Tomo isn’t exactly unwanted here, her personality is one of her appeals amongst her peers.

So, by the time Junichirou catches up (and catches feelings!), she already has enough admirers. But of course, that first love is special. And so, he fights for Tomo’s affection as well and ends up succeeding by the time we reach the climax of the manga. Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Kubota end up together, despite the obstacles in their past, and live happily ever after!

Shojou Anime Is Changing (For The Better)

So, Tomo-chan Is A Girl! isn’t an outlier in its genre anymore and it’s wondrous to see. We are seeing an advent of female protagonists in Shojou anime that aren’t like their predecessors. Nope, these female leads have big personalities and feel much, much more relatable.

But the best part is how these heroines have finally become central characters in their own stories. Instead of the trope that involved them changing themselves to fit a mold, their quirkiness is celebrated now. Like with Marin Kitagawa, we are never told that she needs to change her glamorous and scandalous personality to be liked by a quiet Wakana Gojo in My Dress-Up Darling. And then there is Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie, a story about a normal high school couple involving sweet Shikimori-san and her boyfriend, Izumi-kun. Except when Izumi-kun is about to come into harm’s way, and she suddenly goes from moe baby to cool heroine in the blink of an eye. Normally anime boys would feel intimidated by a female character being this bold, but Izumi-kun adores this side of his girlfriend.

We are already seeing a shift in anime where women are becoming much more fleshed-out characters, regardless of the genre or the plot. So, it was natural for Shojou to follow this trend considering how women are its primary demographic. And honestly, who doesn’t want to see healthier relationships and interesting characters in anime, in general?

It might feel unfamiliar, but it certainly isn’t unwelcome!

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