While most anime offer some romance in one way or another, those that make it a central theme are likely to be popular from now until the end of time. Other genres occasionally wane in popularity, but romance always seems to be in high demand.
People appreciate a good love story to tug on their heartstrings and make them feel the entire range of emotions. Whether fans are looking for a classic will-they-won’t-they dynamic or if they want more complicated tropes like love triangles or angsty plotlines, anime has it all.
Updated on April 25th, 2023 by Xandalee Joseph: Whether it’s the slow burn passion, enemies to lovers trope, or adorable moments that melt fans’ hearts, romance anime continues to be one of the most popular genres in the medium. As such, we’ve updated this list with more information about the best love stories in anime.
32 My Love Story!! (2015)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll & Hulu
My Love Story!! follows Takeo Goda, a first-year high school student who looks much older than he actually is. His classmates find him intimidating, but he’s a gentle giant with a heart of gold and an affinity for baking. Unfortunately, Takeo doesn’t have much luck with girls and the constant rejection took a toll on his self-esteem.
Still, Takeo’s closest friends always cheer him on because of his kindness and courage. Takeo’s best friend, Makoto, has much better luck with the ladies than him and has unintentionally made all of Takeo’s crushes fall for him. However, Takeo’s string of bad luck changes after he meets Rinko, who accepts him for who he is.
31 Snow White With The Red Hair (2015-2016)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu, & Funimation
Snow White With The Red Hair follows Shirayuki, an apothecary whose life was turned upside down after Prince Raji acknowledged her. He tried forcing her to become his mistress, but Shirayuki ran away and cut her long hair to hide in the forest. Then, Zen Wistalia, the second prince of Clarines, came to her rescue.
Shirayuki decided that she’d repay Zen’s kindness by taking her apothecary skills to Clarines. Zen, meanwhile, just wanted to prove why he’s worthy of being a prince. Snow White With The Red Hair is a classic fairytale romance that doesn’t try to differentiate from the shojo mold, which is why it’s a must-watch for any romance anime fan.
30 The Pet Girl of Sakurasou (2012)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime & HIDIVE
The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou is about Sorata Kanda, a student who got kicked out of his dorm for adopting a stray cat. He moved to the Sakura Dormitory, which is specifically reserved for delinquents. Sorata desperately wants out of there, but can’t help growing close to some of the other students in this dormitory.
Mahiro Shima is an exchange student who instantly caught Sorata’s attention. Mahiro is a brilliant artist, but she’s not great at doing basic daily tasks, so Sorata helps her with them. After getting to know her, Sorata slowly forgets about his desire to escape and instead wants to help her.
29 Romantic Killer (2022)
Available to stream on Netflix
Netflix’s new series, Romantic Killer, stars Anzu, a unique female lead who doesn’t have any interest in romance. She’d rather sit inside and play video games while chilling with her cat than indulge in any sort of a love life.
However, Anzu’s life turns upside down when one of her otome games comes to life and a wizard forces her to fall in love with the character from the game. The series follows Anzu as she struggles to keep her walls up around these handsome ikemen.
28 Tsuredure Children (2017)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll
Tsuredure Children is a poignant romantic comedy about teenagers experiencing romance for the first time. The series romanticizes the idea of young love through short vignettes that will make older viewers feel a sense of nostalgia for their time in high school.
This brilliant slice-of-life love story is equally emotional and hilarious as it goes through the four couples in every episode. Each episode is less than 12 minutes, so it’s perfect to watch on the go or during a lunch break at work. Tsuredure Children is a quick, but worthwhile binge-watch.
27 Recovery Of An MMO Junkie (2017)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll
Recovery Of An MMO Junkie follows Moriko, a terribly overworked but comically underpaid office worker who quit her job. Now, this thirty-year-old woman spends her days playing MMORPGs to escape the stress of the real world. However, she falls too deep into it and forgets about her responsibilities as an adult.
Interestingly, Moriko falls in love with Hayashi, another player in the game. However, neither of them realize they’ve formed an internet relationship despite knowing each other in real life. Recovery Of An MMO Junkie proves there is hope for a chronically online gamer to reintegrate into the real world.
26 Tomo-chan Is A Girl! (2023)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll
Tomo-chan Is A Girl! stars Tomo Aizawa, a tomboy who finally mustered up the courage to confess to her childhood crush, Jun. Unfortunately, Jun misunderstood her confession of love as an expression of gratitude for her friendship.
Tomo takes it personally and assumes that Jun rejected her because she looks too much like a boy. So, she embarks on a journey to feminize herself to make Jun love her and not see her as one of the guys anymore. Still, Jun would be lost without Tomo and probably doesn’t want to change anything about her.
25 Kimi Ni Todoke (2009)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll & Netflix
Kimi ni Todoke follows Sawako Kuronuma as she navigates high school. High school’s tough as it is, but it’s even harder for Sawako since she’s socially awkward and others make fun of her for resembling the frightful Sadako from The Ring.
Sawako looks up to Kazehaya because he’s naturally friendly and others gravitate towards him, so she wants to be like him one day. Kazehaya was the first person who showed Sawako kindness and stood up for her, but she figured it was just because he treats her the same as everyone else. However, that’s obviously not the case as the series progresses.
24 Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie (2022)
Available To Stream On Crunchyroll
Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie follows the titular Shikimori and her clumsy boyfriend Izumi. Izumi admires Shikimori for being cooler than he’ll ever be – especially because she has such a cute personality and fashion sense. The series aired during the summer of 2022 and fans are eagerly awaiting its second season.
Rather than the female lead being the damsel in distress, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie flips the roles by having its lead heroine rescue the hilariously klutzy male lead. It’s a laidback slice of life that could easily be binged in a day.
23 The Ice Guy & His Cool Female Colleague (2023)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll
The Ice Guy & His Cool Female Colleague stars Himuro, a descendant of snow spirits. He struggles to adapt to modern life as he works at his office job. When Himuro is especially stressed, his emotions get the better of him, and he creates a massive snowstorm.
Sometimes, Himuro even copes with his emotions by channeling them into building igloos and snowmen. Things are especially difficult for him when he realizes that he’s madly in love with his coworker, Fuyutsuki. Fuyutsuki has an icy exterior, but she’s secretly intrigued by Himuro’s endearing eccentricities.
22 Kokoro Connect (2012)
Available to stream on HIDIVE
The love triangle is a classic trope that’s been used in hundreds of fictional romance stories for centuries. However, Kokoro Connect puts a supernatural twist on this tried-and-true trope. Kokoro Connect follows Taichi, Yoshifumi, Yoi, Iori, and Himeko – members of the Student Cultural Research club.
Everything went well until the day these students’ lives were turned upside down by the Heartseed, a mystical entity who made each of the five students switch bodies with each other. This resulted in each of them learning more than they probably wanted to about their peers. Suddenly, everybody’s deepest secrets became common knowledge among them, bringing out the best and worst in each club member.
21 Yona Of The Dawn (2014-2015)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation, & Hulu
Yona Of The Dawn is an action-packed shojo series about the titular Yona, a princess whose world fell apart after a treasonous coup on the kingdom. In the aftermath, her bodyguard Hak was the only person she had left. Yona quickly learned just how cruel the world could be and relied on Hak to teach her how to fight. She became a talented archer and bravely fought against everybody who was after her.
Little does Yona know, Hak’s always been in love with her since they were childhood friends. Unlike other romance anime, Yona Of The Dawn doesn’t force Yona and Hak’s relationship from the jump. Fans immediately know something will happen between them, but there’s a gradual buildup and obvious chemistry between them that makes the possibility of their relationship all the more satisfying.
20 My Dress-Up Darling (2022-Present)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation, & Prime Video
My Dress-Up Darling was one of the highlights among the rest of the Winter 2022 anime. It’s a unique romance anime centered around cosplay culture. Wakana Gojo is passionate about making Hina dolls, but he’s a total loner because people make fun of him for his hobbies.
Marin Kitagawa is the most popular girl in school, and she immediately takes interest in Wakana’s hobby. Wakana agrees to help Marin put together a cosplay of one of her favorite anime characters and they end up bonding over their passions.
19 Your Lie In April (2014-2015)
Available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Funimation & Crunchyroll
Your Lie In April is perfect for fans who want something to tug on their heartstrings a bit. The series is about a piano prodigy named Kosei who could no longer play after his mother died. He views the world in monochromatic colors, reflective of his depression.
However, Kosei eventually meets Kaori, an anemic violinist who never lets life get her down despite her deteriorating health. Kosei feels inspired to play again, and the two grow closer through their mutual love and appreciation for playing music.
18 The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (2023)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll & VRV
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, produced by Project No.9, is a sugary sweet romance anime with a timeless friends-to-lovers premise. Amane and Mahiru live in the same apartment building and attend the same school, but never spoke to each other until Amane offered Mahiru his umbrella on a rainy day.
To thank him for his kindness, Mahiro offers to help Amane by cleaning his house and cooking for him. Eventually, they turn from strangers, to friends, and into something more in this wholesome love story.
17 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku (2018-2021)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku is a lighthearted romantic comedy that older viewers will appreciate. While many romance titles are set in high school, this one takes place in a workplace. It’s an endearing anime with tons of pop culture references for the audience to catch on to, making the characters seem more relatable.
Narumi is an average office worker who struggles to maintain a work-life balance. Specifically, she has difficulty keeping her otaku tendencies a secret from the rest of her coworkers. Her love interest, Hirotaka, doesn’t see the issues with discussing her hobbies in the workplace — he accepts her for who she is.
16 Toradora! (2008-2009)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation, & Prime Video
Before Toradora!, tsundere characters weren’t met with nearly as much admiration as they are today. Luckily, the series helped popularize the archetype, making many fans fall in love with these kinds of characters.
Taiga Aisaka is a total tsundere, despite her cute, fragile appearance. Ryuji Takasu is her love interest, and he’s a gentle soul who enjoys cleaning and housekeeping. They hated each other at first, but quickly realized that they were in love with each other. Taiga undergoes a lot of admirable character growth throughout the series, and she’s a wonderful protagonist with tons of depth.
15 Love, Chunibyo, & Other Delusions (2011)
Available to stream on HIDIVE
Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions follows Yuta after he recovered from the titular Chunibyo. Chunibyo describes young people who have unrealistic ideas and may appear delusional. Yuta thought he was in the clear until he met Rikka. Rikka reminded Yuta of his past and she proudly lives in Chunibyo at all times.
She tries to convince Yuta to join her in this world of delusions, but there may be something deeper to Rikka’s story that Yuta desperately wants to learn about. They grow closer throughout the story as Yuta comes to understand Rikka better than he did initially.
14 Your Name (2016)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll & Prime Video
After its 2016 release, Your Name quickly became the highest-grossing anime film of its time. The anime follows Mitsuha and Taki after they suddenly swap bodies with each other. Mitsuha is a girl from the countryside, while Taki is a city boy living in Tokyo.
Your Name is a love story, but it always feels like there’s something tragic looming around the corner despite the film’s happy ending. It’s about two people coming together through bizarre circumstances. Many things keep them apart, but they’re determined to make it work.
13 My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (2013-Present)
Available to stream on Crunchyroll & HIDIVE
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU has lots of twists and turns. Hachiman Hikigaya, the protagonist, is a total loner who thinks highly of himself but hates everyone else. He believes there’s no joy in anything and feels that his youth was stolen.
Hachiman’s teacher forces him to join the Volunteer Social Club to reform his behavior. Members of this club seek to help other students with their goals. The only other member is Yukino, another loner with a similar attitude. They work together to solve people’s problems and eventually grow closer.
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