When anime fans are asked to name a romance anime, they will probably think of a series like Toradora!, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, or Fruits Basket. High school romances are great, but sometimes, viewers would like a little bit of variety and break out of the confines of a classroom to find their love stories.
Luckily, there are plenty of romance anime out there that sidestep this prevalent setting, from fantasy worlds to hectic workplaces, from wholesome escapism to angsty realism. As expected, these series are usually aimed at the seinen/josei demographic, but not necessarily. There are lots of non-high school love stories aimed at teens and young adults.
12 The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague
MyAnimeList Score: 7.33
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Release Date |
January 4, 2023 |
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Studio |
Zero-G |
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Creator |
Miyuki Tonogaya |
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is possibly one of the most adorable workplace romances in recent times. Himuro, a descendant of a snow spirit, has trouble controlling his ice powers during emotional moments. And since he has a massive crush on his colleague, the calm and collected Fuyutsuki, he has a hard time concealing his real personality as a romantic.
The series was initially a web manga created in 2019 and was adapted into a 12-episode anime in January 2023. Square Enix would later license the series for publication in English in March 2023.
11 Arakawa Under the Bridge
MyAnimeList Score: 7.56
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Release Date |
April 4, 2010 |
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Studio |
Shaft |
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Creator |
Hikaru Nakamura |
Kou Ichinomiya, the son of a wealthy businessman, has always taken one lesson from his father to heart – never owe anything to anyone. Unfortunately, this comes back to bite him when his pants get stolen from him on top of the Arakawa Bridge. Trying to retrieve them himself, he falls into the Arakawa River and gets rescued by an eccentric stranger.
Now owing this girl his life, Kou agrees to be her boyfriend and live with her under the Arakawa Bridge. As the anime was animated by Studio Shaft, Arakawa Under the Bridge contains many of its trademark quirks, including the famous ‘Shaft head tilt’. Along with the zany characters in Arakawa, the romance between the two main leads manages to be awkward and sweet at the same time.
10 Golden Time
MyAnimeList Score: 7.74
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Release Date |
October 3, 2013 |
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Studio |
J.C. Staff |
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Creator |
Yuyuko Takemiya |
Banri Tada, a college student, has lost memories of his past after falling from a bridge. Missing his entrance exams and an entire year of law school, he decides to begin his life anew at college. There, he meets the beautiful Koko Kaga, a freshman who develops an unhealthy crush on him.
The two main leads develop nicely as the series progresses, especially since Banri slowly starts uncovering his memories after developing feelings for Koko. Adapted from a light novel, Golden Time was also turned into a manga, an anime, and a visual novel.
9 Snow White with the Red Hair
MyAnimeList Score: 7.76
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Release Date |
July 6, 2015 |
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Studio |
Bones |
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Creator |
Sorata Akizuki |
Herbalist Shirayuki’s life is turned upside down when the prince of her country tries to force her to become his concubine after taking a liking to her bright, red hair. She cuts off her long hair and escapes from her kingdom. She soon meets the prince of the neighboring country, Zen, who accepts her as the court herbalist.
Like the series’ namesake, Snow White with the Red Hair has some truly gorgeous, Disney-esque visuals, but unlike Snow White, Shirayuki does not need a prince to come to her rescue. She can handle problems on her own, and her love interest recognizes that immediately.
8 My Happy Marriage
MyAnimeList Score: 7.83
Set in the Taisho era, My Happy Marriage is a gorgeous shojo fantasy series about a woman named Miyo Saimori. Hailing from an abusive family, she is set to marry a soldier named Kiyoka Kudou, a man so allegedly ruthless that his former fiancées fled after meeting him.
To Miyo’s surprise, Kiyoka is nothing like his reputation. And so begins Miyo’s journey to finally find true love and kindness from her husband-to-be. Originally a light novel, My Happy Marriage was adapted into a manga, a live-action film in 2022, an anime in July 2023, and a stage play.
7 Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
MyAnimeList Score: 7.94
Narumi Momose, an otaku and yaoi fangirl, tries to keep her hobbies secret from her workmates. Unfortunately, she runs into her childhood friend at her workplace, a gamer named Hirotaka Nifuji. They start dating shortly after and, along with a fellow otaku couple, they explore romance in their own cute little ways.
Wotakoi provides a hilariously relatable deep dive into nerd culture and the importance of finding friends and partners one can be their self around. The anime is perfect for a relaxing watch and manages to be funny and adorable at the same time.
6 Plastic Memories
MyAnimeList Score: 7.96
Plastic Memories, set in a sci-fi universe, is about Tsukasa Mizugaki, an eighteen-year-old who manages to land a job at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation, or SAI Corp, after failing his college entrance exams. The story follows Tsukasa and his growing relationship with a ‘Giftia’ named Isla. Giftias are advanced androids with a predetermined lifespan, a maximum of nine years and four months.
As Isla is coming to the end of her lifespan, Tsukasa must come to terms with his feelings for her and enjoy their fleeting moments together. Created by the same person who made Steins;Gate, Plastic Memories is a romantic drama that deals with the anguish caused by nearing the end of one’s life, and it does so in a rather beautiful and heartfelt fashion.
5 Yona of the Dawn
MyAnimeList Score: 8.03
Yona, the sheltered princess of the Kouka kingdom, is betrayed by her childhood friend and longtime crush Su-won. After killing her father and taking the throne for himself, Yona is forced to flee the palace with her bodyguard, Son Hak. Together, they take it upon themselves to find the four Dragon warriors to take back what rightfully belongs to Yona.
Yona of the Dawn is considered one of the best shojo manga of all time and its anime does manage to capture the magic of the small portion of the source material it’s adapted.
4 Skip Beat!
MyAnimeList Score: 8.08
Sixteen-year-old Kyoko Mogami takes upon multiple jobs to support her childhood friend and crush Shotaro Fuwa, in his journey to become an idol singer. After overhearing that Shotaro only thinks of her as a servant, Kyoko soon gets her heart broken. Vowing to take revenge, she gets into the entertainment industry herself to become a big star and surpass Sho.
Kyoko’s priorities start to shift, however, as she develops a genuine love for acting. With an unpredictable protagonist and a similarly colorful and wacky supporting cast, the sheer energy of Skip Beat! is enough to keep even a non-shojo fan hooked on the series.
3 Nodame Cantabile
MyAnimeList Score: 8.27
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Release Date |
January 11, 2007 |
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Studio |
J.C. Staff |
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Creator |
Tomoko Ninomiya |
A gifted but arrogant piano player and violinist named Shinichi Chiaki dreams of one day playing with musical elites in Europe, but there’s one problem – he’s terrified of flying, leaving him stuck in Japan. Fellow pianist Megumi Noda, on the other hand, is more carefree and eccentric, insisting on being called ‘Nodame’.
Through the power of music, their contrasting personalities harmonize together like a symphony. The anime is worth watching for the music alone, although unfortunately, it does not have an English dub.
2 Nana
MyAnimeList Score: 8.54
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Release Date |
April 5, 2006 |
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Studio |
Madhouse |
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Creator |
Ai Yazawa |
Two 20-year-old women with the same name – Nana Osaki, an aspiring punk rocker, and Nana Komatsu, an energetic girl who dreams of true love – happen to cross paths when the two of them move into the same apartment in Tokyo.
Despite having wildly different personalities and ambitions, the two eventually grow closer through their mutual heartbreaks and adversities in achieving their dreams. Nana depicts its romances more maturely and realistically than most other series, with tons of angst and a stellar soundtrack to boot.
1 Clannad: After Story
MyAnimeList Score: 8.93
Set after the events of Clannad, which is set in high school, Clannad: After Story follows the two main leads, Tomoya and Nagisa, as they navigate adult life and plan for their future after graduation. The two eventually get married and work at deepening their relationship.
In addition to the romance, the anime highlights the importance of family while giving viewers many tear-jerking moments along the way. In contrast to the first season, After Story received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising its heartfelt and tragic storytelling.
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