Canon Asexual & Aromantic Characters
this includes any and all dramas that I've watched or heard about that have asexual and/or aromantic characters
Comments will include:
- character type & their name
- where they fall on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums
- how the representation was presented (word used, definition, word of god*)
*word of god means it was said outside of the drama itself usually by the writer or the actor but isn't shown really within the drama outside of maybe the character not being interested in relationships
if you know of any dramas that have an asexual and/or aromantic character that i haven't seen yet please feel free to let me know!
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1. 17,3 Sobre o amor
Japanese Drama - 2020, 9 episodes
- main character: hara tsumugi
— asexual
— mdl tagged "asexual character" (will be more specific once i watch the drama)
NOTE: i haven't seen this drama
- main character: hara tsumugi
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2. 18/40: Futari Nara Yume mo Koi mo
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- support character: nemoto rui
— aromantic
— on screen rep
in episode 8 she says ""not everyone has to fall in love. there are some people who don't. i... have never had such feelings for anyone. unti now, i have never had such feelings for anyone. perhaps i never will."
(translation by irozoksubs)
- in episode 7 there were hints towards her being aro when her friend sena started talking about romantic love and rui is seen confused & responds in a way that implies she's aromantic
- support character: nemoto rui
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3. Around 1/4
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- main character: nitta kosuke
- asexual
- on screen rep
in ep 6 he says "if the goal of romance is sex... i can't do it" and in ep 10 he says "so basically, i'm not interested in sex" (translation by paprikart)
NOTE: i was hesitant to add this into the list because i think this rep is more up for interpretation, before kosuke said what he did above i was getting asexual vibes from him but because of the scene in episode 10 where he says the reason he's not interested in sex is because he's never felt satified during it you could interpret that more as sex repulsion/indifference but personally to me he came across as asexual/acespec throughout the whole series & even during the end credits they mention it's impossible for him
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4. Cherry Magic!
Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
- support character: fujisaki nozomi
— aromantic asexual
— definition used
NOTE: adachi, tsuge, & kurosawa also read as aspec to me as well but that's a headcanon based on a few things each of them have said
- support character: fujisaki nozomi
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5. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie
Japanese Movie - 2022
- support character: fujisaki nozomi
— aromantic asexual
— on screen rep (rokkaku mentions he's not looking for marriage at the moment & fujisaki responds with how she's happy with her life as it is right now & seeing her friends is enough for her)
- support character: fujisaki nozomi
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6. Duas Pessoas Que Não Podem se Apaixonar
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
- main character: kodama sakuko
— aromantic asexual
— words used - main character: takahashi satoru
— aromantic asexual
— words used
NOTE: this drama focuses on two aroace characters navigating their lives as aroaces, takahashi also writes a blog about his aroace identity, which leads kodama into discovering hers
- main character: kodama sakuko
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7. Encarnação da Inveja
Korean Drama - 2016, 24 episodes
i'm hesitant to put this one in this list because the storyline had potential and then it turned into a big acephobic mess
- support character: kim rak
— asexual
— definition & word used
NOTE: don't go into this drama for this representation, they use the definition for asexual and then have the character use the medical illness term for it, then later use the word asexual (three times), and then it's the stereotypical nonsense of "falls in love and is suddenly cured" storyline so yeah like they literally say "does it mean she cured his asexuality" & "she must be quite the woman to have fixed your asexuality" like ?!?!?! i loved this drama a lot but this storyline hurt but because it was such a minor side storyline i will pretend it didn't exist because overall i loved this drama
- support character: kim rak
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8. Erro Semântico
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
- main character: sangwoo
— demisexual/demiromantic
— on screen rep
(his "semantic error" is experiencing romantic attraction for the first time with jaeyoung, and because he doesn't understand those feelings are he ends up googling them in ep 5)
NOTE: i don't know if you can exactly class this as canon but many people who have read the manhwa as well as watched the drama read sangwoo as demi
- main character: sangwoo
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9. Freckles
Japanese Movie - 2022
- main character: sobata kasumi
— aromantic asexual
— on screen rep
she mentions in the trailer that she's never fallen in & doesn't want to & that she doesn't feel the attraction neither, it's also shown in the trailer that her mum is trying to arrange dates or marriage, which she doesn't like - support character: i believe there may be a male character who is also aroace as someone i know who has seen the movie mentioned a male character who is aroace in it
NOTE: i'm going by the trailer & the MDL description, i have yet to see this movie so i will update it once i get to see it if it gets subbed
- main character: sobata kasumi
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10. Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area
Thai Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
- main character: amm
— asexual lesbian
— on screen rep
"I don't like to have sex. For me, a hug or a gentle touch is enough."
NOTE: i personally haven't seen the drama yet so i can't give opinions on how good the rep is or not and even so i'm not an ace lesbian so i can't speak for ace lesbians either. Quote was provided via screenshot thanks to thelastoftheredhotswamis2 on tumblr.
- main character: amm
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11. Kimi no Hana ni Naru
Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
- support character: onodera takara
— aromantic
— on screen rep
"I'm honestly not interested in love at all. I've never liked a girl or went on a date. I don't want to. I'm happiest when I'm dancing." — episode 4 | blitzfansub translation
"I've never really been interested in love or dating. I've never liked someone or been on a date. Nor do I want to. I'm the happiest when I'm dancing." — episode 4 | netflix translation
"As I've said before, I'm not really into love or relationships." — episode 8 | netflix translation
NOTE: in response to what is said in episode 4 naruse says "You shouldn't force yourself to fall in love. Some people do and some don't. Everyone's different." (blitzfansub translation) / "You can't force love. Everyone's different when it comes to love." (netflix translation) which implies that they're not erasing aromantics from the conversation.
- support character: onodera takara
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12. Kimi no Tsugu Kaori wa
Japanese Drama - 2024, 8 episodes
- support character: onda ryosuke
— asexual
— on screen rep
in episode 4 he says: "You know, even if I got into a relationship, I don’t have the desire to touch them. I do fall in love, but I can’t be physically intimate." (translation cr: isaksbestpillow)
- support character: onda ryosuke
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13. Konya Sukiyaki Dayo
Japanese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- main character: asano tomoko
— aromantic
— word & definition used
- main character: asano tomoko
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14. Love in the Big City
Korean Drama - 2024, 8 episodes
- guest character (episode 3): OMG (nickname)
— panromantic asexual
— word used
- guest character (episode 3): OMG (nickname)
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15. Na Direção do Amor
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
- support character: park maeyi / may
— asexual
— word used (ep.6 & later in ep. 15 she describes herself as a romantic asexual)
NOTE: you can tell the writers tried with this one & did some research behind it, obviously it's not perfect but they did more than i've seen in any show ever ngl.
NOTE 2: Also to me seongyeom also reads as demisexual/demiromantic because of a scene in ep. 14, i had thought it before this scene but this really did confirm it for me but that's my interpretation.
- support character: park maeyi / may
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16. Oportunidade Colorida
Thai Drama - 2024, 12 episodes
- support character: plakao
— asexual
— word used (in episode 1)
- support character: plakao
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17. Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu
Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
- main character: takasugi ume
— aromantic asexual
— on screen rep
"In other words, regardless of gender, love itself is impossible for me." + when asked if she wants a romantic relationship she responds with "not if I can help it", she also says "just thinking about it makes my skin crawl!" about the idea of someone finding her (sexually/romantically) attractive
NOTE: quotes were provided via screenshots from fyeahjdrama & crayonflop on tumblr. i also haven't seen this drama yet
- main character: takasugi ume
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18. Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu 2
Japanese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
- main character: takasugi ume
— aromantic asexual
— on screen rep in season 1
NOTE: i haven't seen this drama yet
- main character: takasugi ume
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19. Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu 3
Japanese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
- main character: takasugi ume
— aromantic asexual
— on screen rep in season 1
NOTE: i haven't seen this drama yet
- main character: takasugi ume
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20. S.O.S
Korean Movie - 2015
- main character: yeon hee
— asexual
— on screen rep (flag colours used to represent her asexuality)
CW: vivid sexual imagery & nudity
- main character: yeon hee
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21. Saneha Stories 4: Saneha Kap Cheewit
Thai Drama - 2022, 2 episodes
- support character: nine
— asexual
— word used (in the trailer)
NOTE: i haven't yet been able to watch this drama due to the lack of avaliability for international fans so i'm going by the original trailer
- support character: nine
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22. Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna Season 2
Japanese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes
- support character: yako kaname
— asexual lesbian
— word used & definition used (ep 6)
(yuki also says the word asexual out loud when she's reading the twitter profile)
NOTE: yako is first introduced as someone yuki connects with on twitter when she's introduced to a lesbian film that yako tweets about, they quickly become online friends and often watch lesbian films in a watchparty together
- support character: yako kaname
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23. Um Olhar Para se Apaixonar
Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
- support character: onoda gaku
— aspec
— on screen rep
throughout the series he's often shown not understanding romantic attraction & even panics at the idea of someone being attracted to him & in episode 10 he says "basically, what's important here... the thing that attracts me... is you alone, on this entire planet" & he only comes to this realisation after getting to know mahiro
- support character: onoda gaku