Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, the romantic comedy about a high school girl falling in love with her shōjo manga-making senpai, is spotlighted in a list of the best anime episodes about Valentine’s Day.

J-List founder Peter Payne highlighted the 2014 anime series in his list of the best Valentine’s Day episodes that anime fans should re-watch on the special holiday. The episode in question is Episode 12, “If This Feeling Isn’t Love, Then There Is No Love in the World,” where Chiyo Sakura tries to give her crush, Umetarou Nozaki, the chocolates she bought for him for Valentine’s Day… five months later. On that fateful day, Nozaki was too busy racing all over school looking for inspiration for his shōjo manga. Despite the long delay, Sakura is determined to express her true feelings for her senpai.

Valentine’s Day Invades Anime

In addition to Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Payne listed 10 other anime series with special Valentine’s Day’s episodes: My Love Story!! (Ore Monogatari!!), Koikimo (It’s Disgusting to Call This Love), My Senpai Is Annoying, Himouto! Umaru-Chan, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, School Days, Code Geass, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Toradora! and Teasing Master Takagi-san. The recommended episodes range from laugh-out-loud funny to emotionally engaging drama, encapsulating every complicated feeling that comes with falling in love.

With the exception of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, the anime listed on the J-List blog are primarily heterosexual in their depiction of love. However, there are anime that focus on LGBTQIA+ romances including Buddy Daddies, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. Additionally, there are manga that depict homosexual relationships like the Boys’ Love series Given, by Natsuki Kizu, which became an anime series in 2019. There are even books that focus on the relationships between older individuals, such as the mature Girls’ Love Hanamonogatari by the author known as schwinn.

The Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun anime TV series ran from July 7, 2014, to Sept. 22, 2014. It’s available to stream on Hidive. The original manga, created by Izumi Tsubaki, began in 2011 and is currently ongoing. A Chinese live-action adaptation of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, The Comic Bang, is in production with Zhong Qing as director. Shen Yue plays Zuo Qiandai / Chiyo Sakura, while Lu Yeqi / Umetarou Nozaki is played by Jing Xuan.

Source: J-List Blog