Over the last few years, several genres of anime have evolved to become all-time favorites of fans. But no matter which genre you are watching, love or romance is something that can be found as a side story in every anime. Given the potential of the romance genre, several mangakas have adopted it as the primary theme of their story and shaped them to have fans addicted to the romance genre.
No matter how much you love a romantic story, you can always get something new to watch from the never-ending list of anime shows. But for those who want to start a fresh journey with the romance genre, it’s better to try the best out of the best ones first. So here are some selected shows that will never disappoint you.
10/10 Clannad
Clannad was based on a visual novel by Fumihiko Shimo, which aired from 2007 to 2008. Not every romance anime is supposed to have a happy and comic theme. Sometimes, the story is created to make the viewers burst into tears, and Clannad is one such story of a young guy named Tomoyo and his classmate Nagisa.
Tomoya Okazaki lives a hard life that makes him hate everything and everyone. But, his dull life starts to fill with colors after meeting Nagisa, who is repeating the class due to illness. Nagisa doesn’t live a great life either, but soon they both start to find meaning in their lives when they start to share a great bond of friendship.
9/10 Kamisama Kiss
How often do you witness a series portraying the love between a human and a supernatural entity? That’s the kind of love you will find in Kamisama Kiss, a Japanese manga written by Julietta Suzuki. If you like Inuyasha and Fruits Basket, other great romance anime shows, then you should try Kamisama Kiss as well, as some people consider it similar to them.
Nanami Momozono’s childhood was ruined by her father, who lost everything to gambling. As a result, Nanami has nowhere to go unless she finds Mikage, who offers her his home as a return favor for saving him from a dog. The home turns out to be a shrine, and Mikage is no ordinary person either. There she meets Tomoe and falls in love with him. Tomoe also loves Nanami, but their love is considered taboo.
8/10 Horimiya
It’s one of those anime that will make you fall in love from its very first episode. From animation to the story, everything about Horimiya is simply perfect. What makes the series hilarious are the comical bits and the daily life problems of high schoolers that you will witness in the show.
The series will introduce you to Kyoko Hori, an extrovert girl in school who seems to be an introvert in her home, and Izumi Miyamura is the complete opposite of Kyoko. Though they seem very different, their relationship soon grows stronger when they discover each other’s hidden identities and promise to keep them a secret from each other.
7/10 My Dress-Up Darling
A shy and timid female character and a tough, outspoken guy falling in love have been the setup of most romance shows. But My Dress-Up Darling reversed the concept to make things unique, and it seemed to work just perfectly for the creators as it became one of the best shows of 2022. Just recently, the second season of the series was also greenlit, which we can expect to drop in 2023.
Marin Kitagawa and Gojo Wakana are high school students in the same class. They never talk to each other until Marin discovers Gojo’s passion for making Hina Dolls, after which she asks for his help to make a cosplay dress. Marin’s passion for cosplaying brings them closer to each other than ever before, and soon they develop feelings for each other.
6/10 Ouran High School Host Club
School-life romance never seems to go out of fashion. But, Ouran High School Host Club is different than what you expect it to be. In an interview, the manga artist of the series, Bisco Hatori, stated that Ouran had been created as a parody of Shojo anime, a category of anime that is focused on targeting young and adult women. And the story of the series given below will make you understand why that’s true.
The main character of the series, Haruhi Fujioka, accidentally breaks a precious pot in the Third Music Room of the school, after which she has no choice but to work as an errand boy in the Ouran Academy Host Club. At first, no one is able to identify her true gender, but due to her great skills, she is made a full-time host in the club.
5/10 Given
Given is one of the least-known names in the romance genre, but it’s definitely worth your time if you want to understand the meaning of love in a broader sense. It’s one of the few series to bring the LGBTQ group onto the screens. You can binge-watch Given in just one day, as it has just eleven episodes.
The series doesn’t focus on the love story of two particular characters, but different arcs bring forth the relationship between different characters who work together in a music band. A short one-hour Given movie is also available that you can stream on Crunchyroll.
4/10 Yuri On Ice
Yuri on Ice is completely different from Given, but the depiction of same-sex love makes them fall on the same line. Although the major genre for the series remains sports, it has so much more to offer than just skating. The series has also won several awards in different categories, including the Anime of the Year award, Best Opening, Best Ending, Best Couple, Best Animation, and many more.
Katsuki Yuri is a Japanese skater who decides to retire after a terrible defeat in the Grand Prix Final. But, little did Yuri know, his life as a skater had just started, as a video of his performance was posted online, which is seen by Russian skater Victor Nikiforov. Victor travels to Japan and becomes his coach, after which they share a deep relationship.
3/10 Your Lie In April
If you’re a true romance genre fan, it would be hard to believe that you haven’t watched this series already, but if you really haven’t, then you’re missing one of the best anime shows so far. The series brings out every emotion in you from time to time and leaves you with an experience that is hard to deliver with words.
Arima Kousei used to be a piano prodigy who had stopped playing since his mother passed away. But Arima’s life changes after he meets Kaori Miyazono in the park, a brilliant violinist who guides him to enter the world of music again.
2/10 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Sometimes, love is not just a sweet relationship between those who love and care for each other; instead, it’s more of a psychological war. This unique setup of the series makes it different from other romance anime. The manga of Kaguya-sama: Love is War has just ended, and a sequel film is currently in the making. So, it’s the perfect time to watch the series.
Miyuki Shirogane is the student council president of the Shuchiin Academy, while Miyuki Shirogane is the vice president. Despite loving and caring for each other, their pride never allows them to confess their love. So, they try to trap each other in situations where they have to show love and care for the other.
1/10 Fruits Basket
It’s hard to find an anime like Fruits Basket, which has delivered romance, comedy, and supernatural settings with such brilliance. While you will also love the 2001 anime adaptation of the series, the one adopted in 2019 was far superior, making it a masterpiece.
After losing her mother in an incident, Tohru decides to move in with the Soma family. But Tohru is surprised after learning that all the twelve family members can turn into the animals of the Chinese zodiac sign. Instead of leaving the family to deal with everything on their own, Tohru decides to stay with them and help break their curse.
