The Best ROMANCE ANIME (According To FANS)

The combination of romance and anime is one that will last for all time, and those who like anime may always look forward to the discovery of new love tales.

Although the majority of anime have some element of romance, the ones that focus on it extensively are the ones that are most probably to remain popular far into the foreseeable future and beyond. 

Although the popularity of certain other genres may fluctuate over time, the romance genre consistently seems to be in great demand.

The ability of a good love narrative to pull at the reader’s heartstrings and cause them to experience a whole spectrum of feelings is one reason why people like reading about love. 

If a fan is searching for a straightforward will-they-won’t-they dynamic or whether they prefer more sophisticated clichés like love triangles or angsty storylines, anime has all of these options and more.

It does not seem that the appeal of romance anime fluctuates as much as the reputation of some of the genre’s additional literary styles does. Fans are constantly on the lookout for the next love tale that will make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

This list has been updated with the addition of five more fantastic romantic anime, as well as more information on the titles that were included in the previous update.

25. Snow White With The Red Hair (2015-2016)

Streamable on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation, among other services.

Shirayuki, the protagonist of Snow White With the Red Hair, is a pharmacist whose world is flipped around as Prince Raji notices her. 

He attempted to coerce her into becoming his mistress, however, Shirayuki eluded him by running away and cutting off her long hair so that she could conceal herself in the woods. 

When she was in danger, Zen Wistalia, the 2nd prince of the Clarines, rushed to her aid.

Shirayuki made the decision to show her gratitude to Zen for his help by offering her pharmacy services to Clarines. Zen, on the other hand, is solely focused on demonstrating the reasons why he should be a prince. 

The fact that Snow White With the Red Hair is a traditional fairytale romance that doesn’t make any effort to break away from the shojo mold is one of the reasons why it is an absolute need for anybody who enjoys romance anime.

24. My Love Story!! (2015)

Both Crunchyroll and Hulu provide streaming access to the show.

My Love Story!! the story focuses on Takeo Goda, a freshman in high school who has the appearance of being significantly older than he really is. 

Despite the fact that he is a kind giant with a big golden heart and a passion for baking, his peers perceive him to be frightening. 

Sadly for Takeo, he does not have much success with females, and his self-esteem has suffered as a direct result of the repeated rejection.

Despite this, his closest friends are constantly rooting for him to succeed due to his bravery and generosity. Makoto, Takeo’s closest friend, is considerably more successful than he is in his relationships with women.

Makoto is responsible for every one of Takeo’s crushes falling for him, even though she had no intention of doing so. 

His run of bad luck, though, comes to an end when he finds Rinko, who welcomes him without judgment no matter who he is.

23. Kokoro Connect (2012)

Streamable on HIDIVE (available to watch).

The three-way romantic relationship is a tried-and-true plot device that has appeared in many literary love tales over the course of several centuries. 

On the other hand, the game Kokoro Connect gives this tried-and-true cliche a spooky spin on it.

The characters Taichi, Yoshifumi, Yoi, and Himeko are followed by Kokoro Connect. They are all associated with the Student Cultural Research group in some capacity.

The lives of these 5 students were flipped upside down one day when they were forced to exchange bodies with each other by a magical creature known as the Heartseed. 

Before that day, everything about these students’ lives had been going according to plan. As a consequence of this, every one of them learned more about their other students than they had likely desired to understand. 

Instantaneously, everyone’s darkest secrets were brought out into the open and discussed among them. It drew out the brightest and worst in everyone who was a part of the group.

22. Sasaki & Miyano (2022-Present)

Crunchyroll and Funimation both provide streaming services for the series.

Sasaki & Miyano is a breezy and enjoyable BL anime that is packed to the gills with sugary-sweet moments between the show’s namesake characters. 

Miyano is a fan of BL manga, but he keeps his interest private from everybody else until he sees Sasaki, who convinces him to give him a copy of the manga to read. 

After that, he can’t stop reading it! Their connection strengthens as a result of their shared interest in the manga.

Almost immediately, Sasaki found himself developing emotions for Miyano. 

Nevertheless, it needed Miyano a little bit longer to embrace his love for Sasaki because he had previously dated ladies and couldn’t imagine that the events from his BL manga would take place in real life. 

Sasaki was the first girl he’d ever had affection for. Sasaki & Miyano, in contrast to most other BL series, maintains a humorous tone throughout its episodes and is not written with lovers of the subgenre in mind.

21. My Dress-Up Darling (2022-Present)

Streamable on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation, and Prime Video, amongst other services.

One of the most memorable parts of the Winter 2022 anime season was the segment titled “My Dress-Up Darling.” It’s a one-of-a-kind romantic animation that focuses on the subculture of cosplay.

Wakana Gojo has a deep interest in creating Hina dolls, however, he spends almost all of his time by himself as a result of the ridicule he receives for his hobbies.

Marin Kitagawa is perhaps the most attractive girl in school, and she shows an obvious interest in his passion after learning about it.

When Marin asks Wakana for assistance in creating a cosplay that depicts one of her lovely anime characters, Wakana gladly accepts, and the two of them wind up becoming close as a result of their shared interest in anime.

20. Yona Of The Dawn (2014-2015)

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu all provide streaming services where you may watch them.

Yona of the Dawn is a shojo series that is full of exciting activities and follows the story of the eponymous Yona, a princess whose life was turned upside down following a treacherous coup in the realm. 

After all that happened, her sole remaining companion was her bodyguard named Hak. Yona was forced to face the harsh realities of the world very fast, and she looked to Hak for guidance in learning how to defend herself. 

She trained hard to become a skilled archer and fiercely battled against all of those who were pursuing her. She had no idea that Hak has always been in love with her, even back when they were only childhood pals together.

Yona of the Dawn is not like typical romance anime in that it does not immediately thrust Yona and Hak into a romantic connection. 

Fans instantly realize something could very well develop among them, yet there is a steady development and clear chemistry between the two that makes the chance of their romance all the more fulfilling.

19. Amagami SS (2009-2010)

Hulu and HIDIVE both provide streaming access to the show.

The exceptional romantic anime Amagami SS is about overcoming rejection and moving on to find love. The main character, Junichi Tachibana, had a date planned for Christmas Eve, but he was not honored by his companion.

Following that, he was frightened of being rejected again, so he avoided becoming involved in romantic relationships altogether.

When Junichi interacts with a few female characters, the plot of the anime takes a surprise turn.  He finds himself drawn to every one of them, making it challenging for him to choose a favorite among them.

Haruka is a popular lady who is obsessed with all everything kawaii, and Kaoru is his childhood pal who has always had a thing for him. These are just two examples.

Tsukasa is a lovely student leader who appears typical on the surface, but she has another half. Sae is an introverted new student who came from another school.

18. Your Lie In April (2014-2015)

Netflix, Hulu, Funimation, and Crunchyroll are among the streaming services that offer the show.

Fans looking for something to give their emotions a little bit of a workout may find Your Lie in April to be the ideal choice. 

The story follows a young man called Kosei who was a gifted pianist but lost his ability to perform when his mother passed away. As a manifestation of his despair, he sees the world in monotone hues.

Nevertheless, Kosei does end up meeting Kaori, an anemic violinist who, regardless of the fact that her health is worsening, manages to remain upbeat and positive throughout life. 

Kosei receives the motivation to pick up his instrument once more, and the two of them become closer as a result of their shared passion for and enjoyment of performing music.

17. Toradora! (2008-2009)

Streamable on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation, and Prime Video, amongst other services.

Prior to the release of Toradora!, tsundere characters did not get anywhere as much adulation as they do now in popular culture. 

Thankfully, the series was instrumental in popularizing the archetype, which resulted in a significant number of fans developing a deep affection for characters with such traits.

Despite her kind and vulnerable exterior, Taiga Aisaka is a complete and entire tsundere. Her romantic interest, Ryuji Takasu, is a kind and kind spirit who takes pleasure in doing chores around the home, including cleaning.

At first, they detested one another, but they soon came to the conclusion that they were head over heels in love with one another. Taiga is a superb heroine that has a great deal of depth, and she goes through a lot of remarkable character development throughout the course of the series.

16. Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku (2018-2021)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EiOPRwCp4M

Streamable via the Amazon Prime service.

The romantic comedy Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku is one that mature audiences will enjoy because of its humorous tone.

In contrast to the majority of romance novels, this one is set in a working environment instead of a high school.

It’s a charming animation that’s packed with pop cultural allusions that the viewer should be able to pick up on, which helps the characters come across as being more accessible.

Narumi is your typical office worker who has trouble striking a healthy balance between her professional and personal life. 

She has a hard time concealing her otaku inclinations from the rest of her employees, which is a particular challenge for her.

Her potential romantic interest, Hirotaka, does not see anything problematic with her talking about her interests at work; he embraces her for who she is.

15. Your Name (2016)

Crunchyroll and Prime Video both have it available to stream.

After it was first made available to the public in 2016, “Your Name” swiftly established itself as the highest-grossing anime film of its era. After a mysterious event, Mitsuha and Taki find themselves inhabiting the body of the other person in the anime. 

Mitsuha hails from the countryside, whereas Taki was born and raised in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.

Regardless of that, the movie has a happy ending, and it never fails to give the impression that a terrible event is about to occur, regardless of the fact that it is a love tale. 

It’s about how two strangers end up at the same place at the same time for some reason. They are separated by a number of obstacles, yet they remain committed to making their relationship work.

14. Orange (2016)

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Prime Video all have streaming services where you may watch them.

Although it will make its audience members weep, Orange is a really fun anime to see. The story centers on a young woman called Naho who is in high school when she comes across a letter that she had written to herself in the year 2028. Her vigilant self from the future gives her advice to watch out for Kakeru Naruse.

She additionally shows sorrow for things that she had done previously and attempts to lead her younger self in a healthier way by offering advice to that version of herself. 

Naho gains a lot of insight into who she is as a person as a result of reading these letters; but, as the story progresses, she also starts to feel remorse. Although Naho fell in love with Kakeru, she was unable to protect him from harm.

13. Ouran High School Host Club (2006)

Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll all provide streaming services where you may watch it.

Many anime fans who have followed the medium for a long time will recall the first time they saw Ouran High School Host Club and heard its memorable opening theme song. 

The series is a timeless classic that the vast majority of anime fans have probably seen by this point. 

Haruhi Fujioka is the protagonist of Ouran High School Host Club. She is a student from a lower social class who receives financial assistance to attend the prestigious Ouran Academy.

She was responsible for breaking a costly vase, which resulted in the host club charging her a bill. In order to repay her debt, she pretends to be a man and works in the hospitality industry as a host. 

This reverse harem pokes fun at each and every one of the traditional shojo tropes and doesn’t take itself too seriously either.

12. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (2013-Present)

Crunchyroll and HIDIVE both have the video available for streaming.

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU is full of unexpected turns and surprises. The main character, Hachiman Hikigaya, is a solitary hermit who despises everybody else yet has an excessively high opinion of himself. He is under the impression that nothing can bring him happiness and is angry that his youth was taken from him.

The conduct of Hachiman has to be improved, therefore his instructor recommends that he join the Volunteer Social Club. The purpose of this group is for its participants to assist other students in achieving their objectives. 

Yukino, another solitary person with a similar outlook, of the group. They help other people by working together to solve their difficulties, which ultimately leads to a tighter relationship between them.

11. Kamisama Kiss (2012-2015)

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu all provide streaming services where you may watch it.

The claim that Kamisama Kiss is a rip-off of Inuyasha is completely unfounded, despite the fact that some people hold to this misconception. 

The show is a fantastic fantasy shojo that will make viewers laugh till they weep from their level of enjoyment. Nanami is a likable heroine who, in the span of a single night, ascends from life on the streets to her position as the land deity of the Mikage temple.

She makes friends with Tomoe, a refractory fox yokai who reluctantly agrees to become familiar. 

Despite the fact that it’s forbidden for humans and yokai to have romantic relationships, in the end, the two of them end up falling in love with each other and assisting one other in developing into better persons. 

Their partnership stands out as one of the most successful ones of its day.

10. Maid-Sama! (2010)

Accessible to view on Hulu & Prime Video.

The shojo manga and anime series Maid-Sama! is such a success that it has already achieved the status of a contemporary classic. Misaki, a refreshingly self-reliant shojo heroine, is the main character of this series.

She helps support herself by working part-time at a maid café while she is not in class. She is one of the finest heroines in the genre since she is so strong-willed and won’t tolerate any crap from anybody.

Misaki’s potential romantic interest, Takumi, frequents the café in an effort to better understand her. 

Misaki is first upset by his conduct, but she eventually comes to find it attractive and loves the fact that he would do everything to protect her.

9. Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai (2018-2019)

Currently streamable on Hulu, Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation, among others.

Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai has a beginning that seems conventional, however, this quickly takes a dramatic turn towards the supernatural, which differentiates it from other works of its time. Sakuta Azusagawa is a very typical person, however, one day he meets a strange woman dressed as a rabbit called Mai. 

Even though Mai is a popular actress, she decided to take some time off. Only Sakuta has the ability to observe her presence.

He makes the decision to make it his top priority for the rest of his life to study and discover the reason why she is invisible to everybody else except for him.

8. Ao Haru Ride (2014)

Streamable on Crunchyroll.

The story of Ao Haru Ride follows Futaba Yoshioka as she searches for Kou Tanaka, the man she had a crush on 3 years ago. In spite of the fact that a great number of men are drawn to her, she is making every effort to deter them intentionally. 

In addition, she spent a lot of time alone in middle school because her friends were envious of the amount of male attention she received, and now she wants to avoid repeating that experience.

After he unexpectedly stopped coming to class, Kou was her only nice memory from that time in middle school, but they never met each other again after he left. 

When Futaba found out that Kou had returned, she was thrilled and eager to see him once again. However, she was taken aback by how much he had evolved since she had last seen him.

7. Nana (2006-2007)

Hulu users may watch it right now.

Nana is a josei series that has received a lot of praise from anime critics and is widely regarded as a true treasure that every fan should see at least once. Nana Komatsu was raised in a working-class family, but she decided to uproot her life and come to Tokyo with the man she was dating. 

On the opposite side, Nana Osaki is a punk rock queen who performs in a group and who left her birthplace to follow her aspirations of becoming a musician.

The friendship between the two develops rapidly. The most well-known of the two is undoubtedly Nana Osaki, and with good cause. She is one of the most well-written female characters in anime, and she triumphed over a great deal of opposition in order to establish a reputation for herself. She develops romantic feelings for Ren Honjo, a well-known musician.

6. Horimiya (2021-Present)

Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and Prime Video all have streaming versions of the show available.

In contrast to the usual practice in romance anime, which consists of a stressful play, Horimiya wastes no time in getting to the heart of the matter by having the protagonist profess his feelings for the protagonist early on. 

It follows the unusual characters Shoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura through their high school years as they navigate the ups and downs of a romantic relationship.

In addition, Horiyama does a good job of developing its supporting cast of characters and establishing love connections between them. The fact that the show is ready to let every connection develop naturally contributes to the impression that it is really realistic.

5. Given (2019-2020)

Streamable on Crunchyroll.

The Given book series is easily among the most authentic love stories ever written and published. 

Fans who are sick of the problems that plague the BL anime genre will find this series to be a welcome change of pace since it showcases some of the most harmonious relationships in the genre’s canon. 

Ritsuka, Mafuyu, Akihiko, and Haruki get together to form a band and develop a strong friendship via their shared passion for music.

The primary pair of the series is Ritsuka and Mafuyu, and their love develops as they both deal with some of the challenges that they have faced in their own lives individually. 

Ritsuka didn’t become aware of his sexuality until he developed feelings for Mafuyu, who was going through a difficult time after his ex-boyfriend committed himself. 

The connection between Akihiko and Haruki, who got off to a more troubled start, is the primary subject of the film. Akihiko struggled with commitment, but he desired to improve himself so that he could be a better person for Haruki.

4. Clannad (2009)

Accessible to watch on Vudu, Funimation, & Prime Video

Fans will find themselves reaching for Kleenex when they watch the Clannad series since the show is a classic coming-of-age story. Tomoya Okazaki is the main character. He is a high school student who is left to shoulder the burden following the death of his mother. 

His father is usually working, so Tomoya never gets to see him. Even when he attends class, it often seems as if he is operating on autopilot.

He gets to know Nagisa, a young lady who is skipping a grade since she missed so much of the previous school year due to illness. 

Tomoya makes the decision to assist her and suggests that they join the theatre club. Each of them has a renewed sense of exuberance towards life as a result of this. 

It starts while they’re teenagers and continues through their marriage as adults, but there’s no fairytale ending.

3. Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War (2019-Present)

Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu all provide streaming services where you may watch it.

There is no need for fans to go any further than Kaguya-sama: Love Is War in their search for something that will entertain them till they are yelling and weeping with laughter. This groundbreaking take on the romantic comedy genre combines the high-stakes psychological warfare of “Death Note” with the innocent frivolity of “shojo classics.”

Each Kaguya and Miyuki have a love for one another however they have such a strong sense of pride that admitting it might seem like rippihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nVe995f9HQng nails for them. They put each other through absurd mind games in the hopes of getting the other person to ultimately shed their guts and reveal their true feelings.

2. Fruits Basket (2019-2021)

Streamable on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Prime Video, among other platforms.

Fruits Basket is a shojo classic that has stood the test of time because it is so endearing and virtuous that it is difficult to detect it. 

Tohru Honda is an endearing heroine who is almost unreasonably kind, yet this trait develops during the course of the story as part of her character journey. 

She moved into a tent from outside Sohma estate when her mother passed away, and she remained there until a storm occurred, which rendered her destitute. 

Fortunately, the Sohmas took her in and provided her with a place to call her own.

She finds out about the curse that has been placed on their family and is dragged into all of the drama that is going on in the clan, but she is simply thankful that she has met so many fascinating individuals. 

As a result of the fact that many of the Sohmas came from dysfunctional homes, Tohru had become a source of recovery for the Sohmas, and the connection she has with Kyo is the epitome of romantic bliss. 

Fans will experience a range of feelings while watching Fruits Basket, despite the show’s upbeat nature.

1. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas (2018)

Netflix members may watch it right now.

Every spectator is certain to shed a tear or two while watching the emotionally draining anime, “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.” The story revolves around a young woman called Sakura who, regardless of the fact that she has an incurable pancreatic ailment, is determined to live her life to the fullest. 

Haruki eventually finds her diary and reads it, which is how she learns all of her secrets.

She hasn’t even informed the people who are the nearest to her about the disease, but suddenly a complete stranger is aware of it. As a result of this secret, they became closer to one another and embarked on a variety of adventures together until it was too late. 

The narrative comes to a very tragic conclusion, and Haruki comes to the realization that he ought to have confessed sooner rather than later.

Conclusion

If you wish to know which romantic anime is a great piece of art to watch, then this article is the perfect one for you. We hope you will like this list.