A good romance can make anyone’s heart skip a beat, and few animation forms do it better than anime. Countless romance stories have been depicted in Japanese animation over the years, ranging from humorous to serious and sorrowful.
Romance Anime or Shoujo anime in general is a good way to step back from the ever-dramatic and heart-breaking (but fun) thrill of shonen animes, this is why the selection below presents Romance anime which mostly focus more on either slice of Life or comedy in case you might want to take a break from your daily dose of action, thrill, and adventure duly provided by Shonen.
Fans of romance may have difficulty filtering through the thousands of options to find the perfect show to watch, sometimes, they even choose to watch both at the same time! Fortunately, there are a few exceptional romantic anime series that stand out from the crowd. Here are 15 Romance Anime you might want to think about watching the next time you’d want a show to binge!
15. Ao Haru Ride
Ao Haru Ride is about Futaba Yoshioka who wants to “reset” her image and life as a fresh high school student for a variety of reasons. Because she’s cute, she was bullied by her female peers in junior high, and due to a misunderstanding, she couldn’t express her feelings to Tanaka-kun, the only boy she’s ever liked
14. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Puberty Syndrome is a rumored, mysterious syndrome that only affects adolescents. For example, a rabbit girl popped out of nowhere in front of Sakuta Azusagawa. Mai Sakurajima, a teenage celebrity who is currently an inactive high school senior, is the genuine identity of the bunny girl. Her charming physique, for some reason, does not reflect in the eyes of others. Sakuta begins to examine his feelings for Mai as he unravels the riddle underlying this phenomenon. Sakuta explains the significance of his strange meetings with women who have the syndrome in a city where the skies and seas glow.
13. Given
Ritsuka Uenoyama, a high school student, is the electric guitarist for a band that includes himself, bassist Haruki Nakayama, and drummer Akihiko Kaji. After mending the broken strings on Mafuyu Sato’s guitar, he reluctantly becomes a guitar instructor to the bashful student.
Ritsuka instantly recognizes Mafuyu’s talent as a singer and invites him to join the band. The both of them find romance and comfort in the middle of band preparations for their auditions.
Read More: Fuyu no Hanashi Song Explained
12. Tada Never Falls in Love
Mitsuyoshi Tada, a boy who has never tasted love, is the protagonist of the novel. When he meets Teresa Wagner, a transfer student from Luxembourg, a European country, he is photographing the cherry blossoms in full bloom. She appears to have separated from her travel partner upon arrival in Japan. Tada assists her by transporting her to his grandfather’s coffee business. The following day, they enroll in Tada’s school and are assigned to the same class. Mitsuyoshi is a budding photographer who aspires to be like his father, a well-known photographer. The plot revolves around Tada and his friends’ experiences and the development of their friendships.
11. Love is War
The plot begins with a battle of wits between the Student Council’s President, Miyuki Shirogane, and Vice-President, Kaguya Shinomiya – both of whom are attempting to force the other to confess to them, viewing a confession as a loss in the fight of love. The majority of the plot early on takes place in the Student Council’s room and features the shenanigans of the two protagonists’ intentions, which are typically foiled by the chaos factor, Chika Fujiwara.
Read More: Who Confesses First in Love is War?
10. Dokyuusei
Have you ever tried looking for love in all the wrong places, and ended up finding it in the classroom while you were looking for a bag you misplaced? Rihito Sajo, an honor student with a flawless entrance exam score, and Hikaru Kusakabe, a member of a band and famous among girls, would never have met paths. Until they started discussing their school’s forthcoming choral festival rehearsal. Hikaru meets Rihito after school on a daily basis to help him develop his singing skills. Their hearts begin to beat together as they listen to each other’s voices and harmonize.
9. Horimiya
Two extremely different people meet and form a friendship: an academically accomplished schoolgirl and a quiet loser schoolboy. At first look, Kyoko Hori appears to be a carefree high school student, but she’s actually basic, sensible, and family-oriented.
8. Komi Can’t Communicate
Komi, a high school Madonna, appears chilly and superior to her peers. In actuality, her demeanor stems from her inability to communicate with others. Tadano, Komi’s classmate, is adept at reading situations and quickly realizes that Komi suffers from a communication disorder. The plot revolves around typical high school adventures as Tadano assists Komi in gaining the confidence to make a hundred friends!
Read More: The 12 Best Slice of Life Anime to Binge
7. Maid Sama!
Seika High, once an all-boys high school known for its raucous students, has lately become a co-ed school. However, with the female population still a minority despite recent changes, Misaki Ayuzawa works hard to make the school a better place for girls.
6. Romantic Killer
Ever wonder how it would feel like to enter an otome game filled with the men you’ve only seen in fiction stories, games, and shows? Well, the life of Hoshino Anzu, the protagonist of Netflix’s newest romantic-comedy anime Romantic Killer pretty much sums up the whole experience of living in an otome game with handsome men of every caliber lurking around you.
5. Love is Hard For an Otaku
Momose Narumi, 26, is a yaoi fangirl nerd who recently changed careers with the aim of playing off an image of a perfect, attractive young lady. Her aspirations are dashed, however, when she reunites with her middle school
l classmate Nifuji Hirotaka, an enthusiastic videogame nerd who is aware of her secret. Both bond over booze, and Hirotaka agrees not to reveal Narumi’s geek identity. Hirotaka invites Narumi out while they drink, offering to help her pass her gaming levels as a bonus. Narumi accepts, ecstatic.
4. Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club is a romance classic among anime fans. It follows the story of Haruhi Fujioka who was only looking for a place to study inside Ouran Academy, a big school for the elite and ultra-rich. During her quest to find a quiet place, she stumbles upon an empty music room, which turned out to be a club room for the Ouran Host Club where a group of boys who have too much time on their hands entertains ladies who also have too much time on their hands. After knocking over a very expensive vase and having no money to pay for it, Haruhi is forced to work for the Club as one of the hosts.
3. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Another new release on Netflix, Kimi ni Todoke is sure to give you all the butterflies you need for the next 10 years. This narrative revolves around a girl named Kuronuma Sawako, who is dubbed Sadako (the ghost girl from “The Ring”) by her classmates due to her frightening appearance and temperament. She admires Kazehaya from afar because he is “100% refreshing” and has the ability to draw people in with his charm. Despite her expressions, she wishes to make friends and enjoy typical student life.
2. Sasaki to Miyano
Miyano spends his days reading Boys’ Love comics and fretting about how girly his face is—until a chance encounter leads to a fight with his senior, Sasaki. In love with his feisty junior Miyano, delinquent Sasaki seizes any opportunity to get closer and driven by his adoration for his senior, Miyano questions whether what he reads in mangas would be applicable to how he feels for Sasaki.
Read More: Sasaki to Miyano – The Best Introduction to the Shounen Ai World
1. Fruits Basket
Tohru Honda, a plucky high schooler, takes matters into her own hands after a family tragedy throws her life upside down and moves out…into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she chooses to build her new home on private land owned by the enigmatic Sohma clan, and it isn’t long until the owners uncover her secret. But, as Tohru discovers when the family agrees to take her in, the Sohmas have their own secret: when touched by the opposite sex, they transform into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!
Whew! That was quite a list. Did any of your favorite anime make the cut?
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