(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix gave us a lot of couples that looked gorgeous on-screen this year, but let’s be real, half of them felt built for moodboards and nothing else. Pretty people, pretty lighting, pretty lines. Fun? Yes. Useful for real life? Not a chance.

But at the same time, you also had the couples who fought over the same things we fight over, sat through the same awkward silences we’ve survived after a squabble or a quarrel, and still found room to care for each other. That’s the love that actually sticks. These couples weren’t there to show us what the “perfect” relationship looks like. They were there to show us what a “real” relationship looks like. And that’s what made them more comforting than any glamorous slow dance in a rom-com.

Because real love isn’t all roses. It’s someone who gets under your skin, then sits next to you two hours later when you’re too exhausted to pretend you’re fine. It is mismatched timing, clumsy (but heartfelt) apologies, and that mix of comfort and fear when you realise the person you chose actually matters to you.

So for this list, we skipped the fantasy pairs and picked the ones who felt human. The ones who reminded us that love isn’t perfect, but it can still be something you hold on to.

The five best Netflix couples this year

Danny & Claude – The Four Seasons

Danny and Claude felt like that couple everyone of us knows. It’s the pair who get on each other’s nerves but still check in during the moments of silence when it matters. They moved through their days with a mingling of comfort and irritation that you only develop when you have shared enough years to know how someone thinks without asking. Danny kept ducking tough talks because he didn’t want to worry anyone, and Claude kept hovering because, we all know, fussing is his love language. Together, they slipped into habits that made communication harder than it needed to be.

The moment from The Four Seasons that touched us was the one after Danny’s health scare, when Claude kept circling around him with nonstop questions until Danny snapped from the pressure. The second he realised why he reacted like that, everything softened between them. Watching them sit through that awkward conversation later felt honest because it showed how two people who feel worn out by life can still slow down long enough to understand each other again.

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The Creature & Elizabeth – Frankenstein

The Creature and Elizabeth gave off this strange yet gentle connection that didn’t look like a typical romance but still felt strong enough to stay with you long after Frankenstein ended. They didn’t exchange big speeches or dramatic promises in the movie. Instead, they just had this understanding that built itself through tiny little moments. Elizabeth didn’t flinch from him, not even when his presence made everyone else uncomfortable. And he repaid her by treating her with the care that looked new to him.

Nothing showed that better than the scene with the fallen leaf. It was such a small moment, but the softness between them was what made it magical. You could feel how much comfort he found in her attention and how much patience she offered in return. It wasn’t about romance in the regular sense. It was about two people recognising something familiar and refusing to look away.

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Sasha & Esther – Nobody Wants This

When you hear Nobody Wants This, it is natural to assume it was all about Joanne and Noah. But the real ones know that the OG couple in the show was Sasha and Esther, who felt like the couple that sits across from you at dinner, and you can instantly tell they’ve lived through years of shared mistakes and tiny victories. Sure, Joanne and Noah’s relationship seemed too perfect, but Sadha and Esther weren’t struggling with passion or jealousy. It is true that they were struggling with the weight of routine and the fear of growing apart after building an entire life together. And sure, they loved each other, but they were tired, and that exhaustion showed up in the smallest moments. But at the end of the day, they were the ones for each other.

The scene that captured them perfectly involved Morgan. Esther tried to keep her cool while watching Sasha get a little too comfortable during that conversation, and even though she smiled, you could see her worry hiding under it. Later, when Sasha reached for her hand without saying much, the moment felt simple but important. That small gesture showed that even when things feel uneven, they still want to choose each other.

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Maggie & Cal – Sullivan’s Crossing

Maggie and Cal are, for sure, that couple who kept walking around with the same answer, and watching them finally settle into their connection felt like a long breath after weeks of tension. They’d spent so much time dancing around their feelings in the show that once they stepped toward each other, the shift felt… natural. Maggie carried a lot of fear from her past, and Cal understood that without needing long explanations, which is what most of us expect from our relationships.

Their dock moment explained them better than any big confession could. Maggie finally admitted she was scared of messing up her life again, and Cal didn’t jump in with advice or promises. He listened. That’s it. Listening is one of the magical keys to the door of a healthy relationship, people. Cal gave her space to talk without pushing her into anything. That small bit of patience showed why they worked: their connection wasn’t built on drama; it was built on peace.

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Ae-sun & Gwan-sik – When Life Gives You Tangerines

And now the last one, but probably the best one on the list. Ae-sun and Gwan-sik are the kind of couple your elders would talk about with soft smiles. It’s the pair who didn’t need big declarations because their actions said everything. Their love stretched across years, shaped by loss, responsibility and moments that tested them more than they expected. They didn’t chase passion or perfection; they focused on staying there for each other even when life kept pulling them in difficult directions. Watching them grow up together while falling apart a little and again finding their way back through simple acts of care felt like a warm bowl of soup in winter.

The moment that showed their bond best happened when Ae-sun broke down under all the pressure she’d been carrying alone. She thought her dreams were out of reach, and the weight of her family’s needs sat heavily on her. Gwan-sik didn’t try to cheer her up or fix anything. He stood beside her, letting her feel everything without rushing her through it. That kind of support is rare, and it made their story one of the most talked-about on Netflix.

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