Romance (1990)

Falling in love and struggling to progress towards—or maintain—a romantic relationship take priority, while other subplots either take backseat or are designed to develop the main love story. The narrative focuses on the thoughts and emotions of the characters, illustrating the connections between them and explaining their reactions to events or conflict. Almost always, the story ends happily and the couple is rewarded for their efforts with lasting love. Romance stories require significant romantic development leading to some kind of conclusion: either to begin the relationship, continue it, or end it. Open-ended romantic endings are only acceptable when the work is an incomplete adaptation of a Romance source. "Teasing" stories which do not narrate significant romantic development but have a conclusion should be tagged Romantic Subplot. A story can be simply Romance. Since they are plot-driven stories showing humans experiencing romantic struggle, most Romance has some Drama inherently. For both tags, the drama should be focused not only on the relationship but also on the side storylines; for example, one character overcoming the death of a loved one or a drug addiction. Comedy requires Romance narratives to be focused on eliciting laughter, not only using comedy for lightheartedness. Slice of Life and Romance are incompatible by definition.

Rizelmine

Rizelmine

Rizelmine

Iwaki Tomonori is an average 15-year-old boy who likes older women. He happens to have a crush on his teacher, but soon thereafter, learns she has become engaged. He heads home brokenhearted, only to find a 12-year-old girl named Rizel at his home, who he learns the Japanese government has married him to against his will. Furthermore, he learns Rizel is no ordinary girl; she is a biochemically engineered human, and her creators (her "papa"s, as they are often referred to) promise to waive multiple bills of Iwaki's parents in exchange to be allowed to stay at their house, and thus Iwaki's life with Rizel begins.
Apr 3, 2002 to Dec 22, 2002 | 24 eps | Publishing

Tenshi na Konamaiki

Tenshi na Konamaiki

Tenshi na Konamaiki

Megumi-chan is a girl with a secret past. She used to be a boy until she met a person she thought was a magic user. This person gave him/her a magical book from which a genie appears to grant one wish when blood is applied to it. Megumi made the wish to be a man in a man's body but the genie has a twist: he grants wishes backwards so he turns Megumi-kun aged 9 to Megumi-chan. Years pass and Megumi enters High School where she immediately beats up the school bully who of course falls in love with her. She is looking for that book again to be able to reverse the spell placed upon her.
(Source: ANN)
Apr 6, 2002 to Mar 29, 2003 | 50 eps | Publishing

Lodoss-tou Senki: Eiyuu Kishi Den

Lodoss-tou Senki: Eiyuu Kishi Den

Lodoss-tou Senki: Eiyuu Kishi Den

Five years after the death of the Emperor of Marmo in the War of Heroes, Parn is now the Free Knight of Lodoss, he and his old allies now famous through the land. However, the Emperor's right-hand man, Ashram, seeks the scepter of domination to re-unify Lodoss under his former leader's banner. Meanwhile, beyond his attempts at conquest lies a more sinister force beginning to set the stage for the resurrection of the goddess of death and destruction...

(Source: ANN)
Apr 1, 1998 to Sep 30, 1998 | 27 eps | Publishing

Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket

After the accident in which she lost her mother, 16-year-old Tooru moves in with her grandfather, but due to his home being renovated, is unable to continue living with him. Claiming she will find someone to stay with but also fearing the criticism of her family and not wanting to burden any of her friends, Tooru resorts to secretly living on her own in a tent in the woods.

One night on her way back from work, she finds her tent buried underneath a landslide. Yuki Souma, the "prince" of her school, and his cousin Shigure Souma, a famous author, stumble across Tooru's situation and invite her to stay with them until her grandfather's home renovations are complete.

Upon arriving at the Souma house, Tooru discovers their secret: if a Souma is hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they temporarily transform into one of the animals of the zodiac! However, this strange phenomenon is no laughing matter; rather, it is a terrible curse that holds a dark history. As she continues her journey, meeting more members of the zodiac family, will Tooru's kindhearted yet resilient nature be enough to prepare her for what lies behind the Souma household's doors?

Jul 5, 2001 to Dec 27, 2001 | 26 eps | Publishing

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Two years ago, Mitsuki Kouyama's friend, Eichi Sakurai, moved to America before she could confess her feelings to him. Though she cannot contact him, they made a promise to fulfill their respective dreams: Mitsuki wants to become a professional singer, and Eichi an astronomer. She hopes that one day her music will reach him across the world with a brilliance like that of the full moon.

There is just one catch: Mitsuki suffers from throat cancer, which makes her voice quiet and singing strenuous. Her grandmother, who has a hatred of music, insists that Mitsuki undergo surgery to remove the cancer, but she refuses due to the risk of losing her voice. One day, two shinigami—Meroko Yui and Takuto Kira—appear to tell her that she only has one year left to live. This sudden revelation spurs Mitsuki into action, and she decides that with Meroko and Takuto's help, she will become a professional singer in the time she has left.
Full Moon wo Sagashite follows the emotional story of Mitsuki and her shinigami friends as they discover what it means to sing—and ultimately, what it means to live.

Apr 6, 2002 to Mar 29, 2003 | 52 eps | Publishing

Fushigi Yuugi

Fushigi Yuugi

Fushigi Yuugi

During a visit to the National Library, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo stumble upon a strange old book that casts a red light, sucking them inside its unfamiliar world. Upon arrival, the two encounter hostile slave traders and barely escape with the help of Tamahome—a powerful young man bearing a Chinese symbol on his forehead. But, a moment later, the red light returns and takes Yui away.

Desperate to reunite with her companion, Miaka asks Tamahome for assistance. However, the situation escalates when the pair encounters the land's emperor, Hotohori, who believes Miaka is the foretold priestess of the kingdom's protector god Suzaku. By gathering the god's seven Celestial Warriors, the priestess can summon Suzaku and have all her wishes granted. Hotohori hopes this will save his country, and since it appears to be a fitting solution to the girl's problems as well, he convinces her to accept the role.

Meanwhile, at the library, Yui realizes she has been brought back alone. Unable to intervene, she helplessly witnesses Miaka traversing through courageous trials as the mysterious book's heroine.

Apr 6, 1995 to Mar 28, 1996 | 52 eps | Publishing

Fushigi Yuugi: Eikouden

Fushigi Yuugi: Eikouden

Fushigi Yuugi: Eikouden

After years of hardships interfered with their love, Miaka Yuuki and Taka Sukunami are finally married and expecting a baby—the pinnacle of their unbreakable bond. Unfortunately, not everyone rejoices alongside the blessed couple. Mayo Sakaki, one of Taka's students, has a crush on him and cannot bear witnessing the pair's flourishing relationship.

Upon discovering The Universe of the Four Gods, Mayo learns that the old book is where Miaka and Taka first met as the priestess of the god Suzaku and the god's Celestial Warrior Tamahome. Unscrupulous about destroying a happy family, Mayo readily ventures inside with hopes of becoming the new priestess of Suzaku and rewriting the story to her advantage.

Meanwhile, her actions do not delay to show devastating effects. Leaving an unconscious Miaka at the hospital, Taka must follow Mayo to The Universe of the Four Gods and stop her before the circumstances worsen for his wife and their unborn child.

Dec 21, 2001 to Jun 25, 2002 | 4 eps | Publishing

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!

Yusuke Kinoshita is forced by his father to work at his restaurant Pia Carrot all summer due to his bad grades in school. What first seems to be a boring job becomes a memorable experience due to his interactions with his co-workers and his boss.

(Source: ANN)
Oct 24, 1997 to Apr 24, 1998 | 3 eps | Publishing

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2

Yusuke (from the first Pia Carrot series) returns as the manager with a whole new cast. So the new male lead is Maeda Koji. Despite being late after an "accident," Koji manages to get the job as the Carrot's waiter because he's very persistent. Included within the set are Azusa (the female lead who hates Koji for his perversion), Ryoko (the manager who's sweet on Koji by working him very hard), Aoi (the token alcoholic), Jun (the secret-hiding waitor), and Mina (Azusa's cute little sister). Pia Carrot 2 is served up as a romantic comedy, with a side of hentai.

(Source: ANN)
Oct 23, 1998 to Apr 23, 1999 | 3 eps | Publishing

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2 DX

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2 DX

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2 DX

Kouji wants to work part-time, so, when he saw a cute girl with the Pia Carrot uniform, he tried to get a job there. When he's on the way, he accidentally bumped Azusa, and with some misunderstanding, they literally hate each other. What is the surprise of Kouji when he finds that she also got a job in the Pia Carrot, facing her daily. But as time passes, he will discover that 'hate' is not the appropriate word to describe his feelings...

(Source: ANN)
Dec 18, 1999 to Oct 25, 2000 | 6 eps | Publishing

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!: Sayaka no Koi Monogatari

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!: Sayaka no Koi Monogatari

Pia Carrot e Youkoso!!: Sayaka no Koi Monogatari

High schoolers Sayaka Takai and Akihiko Kannazuki work together at a restaurant chain "Pia Carrot." Both are interested in each other, but before either could make a move Sayaka was temporarily rotated to the newly established branch at a beach resort. While waitress girls at this new location did their best to confront harassment, make new friends, and attract new customers by attending a beauty contest, Sayaka's feeling for Akihiko never stops and has become stronger and stronger.

(Source: ANN)
Oct 19, 2002 | 1 eps | Publishing

Green Green

Green Green

Green Green

Kanenone Gakuen is an all-male boarding school located in the countryside of Japan. Although an all-male school is nothing new, life can become quite difficult when there are no female students for miles around. In order to help the psychological health of everyone involved, the school board has decided to try and merge with the nearest all-girl boarding school in order to become co-ed. The boys of Kanenone are more than thrilled at the prospect, and the girls are curious as to how interesting school life might become if there were more boys around. Before any serious decisions are made, the girls have been invited to stay at Kanenone for one month as a test.
Green Green follows Yuusuke Takazaki and his naughty room mates called the Baka (Idiot) Trio, and their ability to talk to the girls without making complete fools of themselves. But as soon as the school bus with the girls arrives, things become weird, hormonal, and hysterical. In particular, a girl named Midori Chitose leaps off the bus and immediately embraces a very confused Yuusuke. Is he a natural ladies' man, or do the two of them have a shared history that he is not aware of?
Jul 12, 2003 to Sep 27, 2003 | 12 eps | Publishing

Kannazuki no Miko

Kannazuki no Miko

Kannazuki no Miko

Kannazuki no Miko begins in the village of Mahoroba, where time passes slowly for both man and nature. Two students from the village's prestigious Ototachibana Academy might as well be night and day. Himeko is shy and unassertive, while Chikane is bold and elegant. Despite this, they love each other, and nothing can come between them, no matter how hard they try.

On the two girls' shared birthday, a sinister voice corrupts one of their friends into attacking them, and just when it seemed grimmest, the lunar and solar priestess powers that lay dormant in the two girls awaken, dispelling the evil. That was only the first hurdle, however. The two must now fend off the countless others who would threaten their well-being—even the people closest to them!
Oct 2, 2004 to Dec 18, 2004 | 12 eps | Publishing

Kanon

Kanon

Kanon

It’s been 7 years since Yuuichi Aizawa visited his aunt Akiko, but now that his parents have gone to Africa to pursue their careers, he is finally back in the little northern town. Yuuichi is not really overjoyed with the prospect of living here though, because all of his memories of this place and the people living in it have mysteriously vanished. His cute cousin Nayuki seems like a stranger as well, even though he used to play with her all the time when they were younger.

On the day of moving into his new home, Yuuichi starts unpacking the boxes and stumbles upon a red headband that no one seems to recognize. This is one of the first clues that will make Yuuichi take a stroll through the snow-covered town and make him start recalling fragments of his past, broken promises and buried secrets. Yuuichi soon realizes that there is something supernatural going on, and all of his new female acquaintances seem to have links to his forgotten past.
Jan 31, 2002 to Mar 28, 2002 | 13 eps | Publishing

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou

Yukino Miyazawa is the female representative for her class and the most popular girl among the freshmen at her high school. Good at both academics and sports on top of being elegant and sociable, she has been an object of admiration all her life. However, in reality, she is an incredibly vain person who toils relentlessly to maintain her good grades, athleticism, and graceful appearance. She wants nothing more than to be the center of attention and praise—which is why she cannot stand Souichirou Arima, the male representative for her class and the only person more perfect than her. Since the first day of high school, she has struggled to steal the spotlight from her new rival but to no avail.

At last, on the midterm exams, Yukino gets the top score and beats Souichirou. But, to her surprise, he congratulates her on her achievement, leading her to question her deceptive lifestyle. When Souichirou confesses his love to Yukino, she turns him down and gloats about it at home with only a hint of regret. But the very next day, Souichirou visits Yukino house to bring her a CD and sees her uninhibited self in action; now equipped with the truth, he blackmails her into completing his student council duties. Coerced into spending time with Souichirou, Yukino learns that she is not the only one hiding secrets.

Oct 2, 1998 to Mar 26, 1999 | 26 eps | Publishing

Shin Angel

Shin Angel

Shin Angel

Kousuke is a high school student. He just recently found out that his childhood friend Shizuka (whom he has a crush on) is now going to his high school. However, they haven't seen each other since they were five and much has changed. They don't like each other at first but they accept each other's differences and continue their friendship. They go on with their lives until small events start to escalate and they start to show affection for each other. In the meantime, Kousuke's good heart, lechery and luck lead him into the beds of various other young women, in his attempts to solve their problems.

(Source: ANN)
Oct 21, 1994 to Nov 22, 1995 | 5 eps | Publishing

Girls Bravo: First Season

Girls Bravo: First Season

Girls Bravo: First Season

Small for his age, Yukinari has been bullied and abused by girls all his life. Now in high school, he has developed a rare condition: whenever girls touch him, or even come close, he breaks out in hives. Imagine his surprise, when he is suddenly transported to the city of Seiren on a mystic world invisibly orbiting the Earth, and populated with vast numbers of women and very few men. Fortunately, he has a new friend, Miharu-chan, whose touch inexplicably doesn't affect him.

(Source: ANN)
Jul 5, 2004 to Sep 27, 2004 | 11 eps | Publishing

Ichigo 100%

Ichigo 100%

Ichigo 100%

One day, Manaka Junpei walks to the roof of his school and encounters a beautiful girl falling down from above him and accidentally exposing her strawberry panties. The embarrassed girl runs away before Junpei can find out whom she is. He wishes to become a filmmaker, and this whole experience seemed like it would make the perfect scene in a movie. And so he goes on a search for the girl with the strawberry panties in order to reenact it all on film. But he will soon discover that finding that one girl will not be that easy...

(Source: ANN)
Apr 6, 2005 to Jun 22, 2005 | 12 eps | Publishing

Hoshi no Koe

Hoshi no Koe

Hoshi no Koe

It is the year 2046, Noboru Terao and Mikako Nagamine are close friends who will soon be graduating junior high school. But after an alien attack on humanity, Mikako is selected for the UN military space expedition set to retaliate against the aliens. Separated, Noboru and Mikako attempt to keep in touch by sending emails to each other with their cell phones. Yet as the expedition journeys farther from Earth, the time it takes for them to transmit and receive each other's messages increases substantially.
Hoshi no Koe revolves around the relationship between this couple as they try to stay connected despite the growing distance between them.

Feb 2, 2002 | 1 eps | Publishing

Mahou Sensei Negima!

Mahou Sensei Negima!

Mahou Sensei Negima!

10-year-old Negi Springfield is a wizard-in-training, and needs only to pass one more test in order to become a Master Wizard. Unfortunately, his final task is a bizarre one—to become a English teacher at an all-females boarding school. As soon as he arrives, he completely embarrasses one of his students, Asuna Kagurazaka, and replaces the teacher she loves, which garners her hatred. To make matters worse, Asuna learns that Negi is a wizard, and promises to tell unless he helps her out. But unfortunately, circumstances force them to work together to do many things, from fighting evil wizards to helping the class pass their final exam, with a lot of humor, magic, and romances thrown in.

(Source: ANN, edited)
Jan 6, 2005 to Jun 30, 2005 | 26 eps | Publishing

Maria-sama ga Miteru

Maria-sama ga Miteru

Maria-sama ga Miteru

When Yumi Fukuzawa entered the Lillian Girls' Academy, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school in Tokyo, she never imagined she would catch the eye of beautiful and demure Sachiko Ogasawara, one of the school's most popular students. Now Sachiko has offered to be Yumi's soeur, her "sister" and guide for all her years at the academy. The whole idea has Yumi completely flustered—after all, they hardly know each other!

The entire campus is abuzz with rumors about the two of them, but Yumi is conflicted over accepting Sachiko's offer. While she admires Sachiko, being her soeur would also mean constantly being at the center of the entire school's attention!

(Source: RightStuf)
Jan 8, 2004 to Apr 1, 2004 | 13 eps | Publishing

RahXephon

RahXephon

RahXephon

The ordinary life of high school student Ayato Kamina is turned upside down when Tokyo is suddenly invaded by futuristic fighter jets. Amidst the chaos, he encounters a woman called Haruka Shitow who claims to be from a government organization called TERRA. She reveals that he has been living in a time bubble named "Tokyo Jupiter" that was put in place by the Mulians—humanoids from another dimension—in an attempt to isolate and take over Tokyo. TERRA has been trying to break through the barrier surrounding the city ever since.

Unable to process the revelation, Ayato panics and flees. He runs into his classmate Reika Mishima who leads him to a place called "The Shrine of Xephon" where a large egg slumbers. She starts to sing and an unknown power awakens within Ayato, connecting him to a being called RahXephon that breaks out of the egg. Shortly after, Haruka finds him again and tries to make him join her cause of fighting against the Mulians.

Caught between the crosshairs of the Mulians and TERRA, Ayato begins to question his purpose, navigating altered memories and ultimately his very identity in this chaotic new world.

Jan 21, 2002 to Sep 11, 2002 | 26 eps | Publishing

Shingetsutan Tsukihime

Shingetsutan Tsukihime

Shingetsutan Tsukihime

Shiki Toono wakes up in a hospital ward with the ability to see invisible lines. These thin threads, which make up all matter in Shingetsutan, instantly destroy an object when severed. Shiki discovers that if he traces the lines of something, its destruction soon follows. While keeping his supernatural vision a secret, Shiki proceeds to live his sophomore life in peace. However, this peace is short-lived when Shiki encounters a mysterious woman with bright red eyes on his way back from school. Following a sudden psychotic lapse, he appears to kill the woman, and passes out shortly after. As if things couldn't get any worse, Shiki is assailed by a pair of demonic hounds the next day—facing certain death, Shiki is saved by the timely arrival of the same woman from yesterday. She introduces herself as Arcueid Brunestud, a vampire princess. Deciding to team up, Shiki and Arcueid embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind their lineage and the recent string of murders around town.

Oct 10, 2003 to Dec 26, 2003 | 12 eps | Publishing

Tsubasa Chronicle

Tsubasa Chronicle

Tsubasa Chronicle

During an excavation at the mysterious ruins in Clow Country, Syaoran discovers his childhood friend Princess Sakura appear on the site with wings that disperse into many feathers. As the feather's disappear to different dimensions, so does Sakura's memory. In attempts to save Sakura's life and restore her memory, Syaoran travels through to another world to find a solution. There's only one thing left he can do. Travel through to different dimensions to collect Sakura's feathers. Helping out with the quest is Kurogane, an exiled ninja from Japan Country who wishes to return to his world, the runaway magician, Fay, who desires to jump between each world never to return to his own and the white meat-bun shaped creature, Mokona.
Apr 9, 2005 to Oct 15, 2005 | 26 eps | Publishing