Why Frenchie and Kimiko's Romance Fails in The Boys Season 5
Matthew Miller
Published May 15, 2026
By Published Apr 25, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
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After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Kimiko and Frenchie's on-screen dynamic might still be one of the best things about , but it is hard not to see that their romance story was a bad idea. Prime Video's The Boys is perhaps the anti-thesis of feel-good romance movies. Even its portrayal of romantic developments between characters like Hughie and Starlight has never been portrayed through a conventional, idealized lens.
Despite experiencing a fair share of ups and downs, though, Hughie and Starlight have always found a way to return to one another. Kimiko and Frenchie, in contrast, have been kept apart for quite some time. They have had some undeniable chemistry since The Boys season 1, but the always found new ways to keep them away from each other.
In , however, Kimiko and Frenchie have finally overcome their differences and issues, allowing them to take their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately, even though their romantic relationship is one story development many viewers have been waiting for, it does not seem right in The Boys season 5.
Frenchie & Kimiko's Relationship Was More Special Without Romance
In The Boys' earlier arcs, Frenchie and Kimiko's relationship was built on everything from shared trauma to a unique language of communication. While the show kept getting darker with each new chapter, Frenchie and Kimiko's unconditional and platonic relationship gave the series a more grounded core.
All other relationships in The Boys have been incredibly chaotic since the very beginning. While MM has always struggled to keep his familial ties together, many male characters in the series, including Homelander, Butcher, and Soldier Boy, remain traumatized by their toxic relationships with their fathers.
The Deep's romantic endeavors do not need any explanations, while even the relationships in , have been no less torrid.
Arguably, Hughie's relationship with his father had a similar sense of purity and innocence. Unfortunately, that, too, ended in extreme tragedy. This left viewers with only one warm and rootable relationship in the series. Unfortunately, Kimiko and Frenchie's arc, too, does not feel the same anymore.
Ever since they have considered getting romantically involved, they have faced one challenge after another, which pulls them apart as soon as they try to get back together. Their dynamic also seems reminiscent of typical rom-coms that keep their central couple apart until the final moments. This takes away the novelty and sense of authenticity that once made their bond so compelling to watch.
In more ways than one, the romance categorization of their relationship also feels forced in The Boys season 5. They seemed good enough even when the show framed them as two deeply empathetic individuals who found comfort from their past traumas in each other's presence.
While it is still fun to watch them on screen because of how well Karen Fukuhara and Tomer Capone play them, it is hard not to believe that they were better off having a platonic relationship rather than a romantic one.
The Boys Season 5 Is Proving Frenchie & Kimiko Don't Work As A Couple
Many intriguing developments have unfolded in The Boys season 5 so far. However, when it comes to Kimiko and Frenchie, the show seems to be running out of stories to tell. It has been a while since the show started a "will they/won't they?" narrative for them, where they kept questioning whether they should get romantically involved.
This story beat seemed fun in the beginning because it hinted at how they would eventually take their relationship to a new level or drift apart for good. However, The Boys season 5 is now seemingly stretching the narrative too thin. The lack of a meaningful resolution to their romantic developments is becoming a little frustrating and redundant.
There was also something very personal about Kimiko and Frenchie's bond when they made non-verbal gestures to interact. Their sudden newfound romance and Kimiko's ability to speak has abruptly shifted their dynamic, which makes one miss what they used to have in the earlier chapters of the series.
While it is unfortunate that The Boys took one of its best character relationships and repackaged it into something far more conventional and repetitive, it is still hard not to hope that the Prime Video series will give them a good ending before its final credits start rolling.
Based on the hit comic series, Amazon Prime's The Boys is a gritty subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront and punish the powerful superheroes who abuse their abilities.
Cast , , , , Jessie T. Usher, , , Tomer Capone, , , , , , , Nneka Elliott, , , , , Jordana Lajoie, Katy Breier, Matthew Edison, , , , , Susan Heyward, , , , Nicola Correia Damude, , Sabrina Saudin, , Liyou Abere, , David Reale, Frances Turner Showrunner Eric Kripke Directors , , , , Eric Kripke Writers Eric Kripke Franchise(s) The Boys Main Genre Creator(s) Eric Kripke Seasons 5 Story By Garth Ennis Streaming Service(s) Expand Collapse
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