Romance Anime are one of the biggest selling sub genre of the anime industry. Honestly there are SO MANY of them out there. But when there are so many of something, it tends to get repetitive and eventually falls short of quality. Finding the good ones among the hundreds is a tough task. But that is what Senpai is here for. This article consists of some of the Romance Anime that Senpai found unique. These are basically Senpai’s favorite Romance Anime.
1. Bakuman
Now before you get all butthurt and go “But Senpai, Bakuman is a Slice of life/drama anime”, let me tell you why it is on my list. It is here because the whole story of Bakuman is driven by the love/romantic relationship between Mashiro and Miho. Bakuman is one of the three finest slice of life anime I have come across. But it also has one of the purest examples of love. You have to look for the romance in it.
2. Nana
Now before go all “Senpai, what are you doing? Is this a pattern?”, hear me out will you? Yes, Nana isn’t your every day run-of-the-mill lovey-dovey shoujo/romance anime. Nana is more of a Music/Drama/Slice of life anime. But is has one of the most mature instances for romance and love.
Nana is also about two friends aiming to reach their goals. There are tons of similarities between Nana and Bakuman. However, Nana is more romantic, more dramatic and more depressing than Bakuman. Bakuman is a light hearted anime if you compare it to Nana. Two girls sharing the name comes across each other on a train. Whether you call it fate or not they end up being roommates. As time goes their friendship grows stronger as they help each other through tough times and enjoy the happy ones. Nana, like Bakuman, has pure romance as its driving force. The whole story is guided by the love lives of the two girls. That is why Nana is in my list of Romance Anime.
3. Ef: A Tale of Memories
Ef: A tale of memories is an extremely underrated Romance Anime. The anime shows two stories at the same time. One is about a mangaka and a girl and the other is about a girl who loses her memory after 24 hours so she keeps a diary to keep track of everything.
An anime with extreme emotions and depth of plot. If you are a sucker for romance, Ef: a tale of memories is a must watch. You will not regret it. I assure you.
4. Your Lie in April
Get that tissue box ready because this is a Romance Anime that will give you the feels. The story is about a boy who loses his ability to listen to tone after a tragic incident although his hearing is completely fine. However, after that event he stopped playing the piano. One day he encounters a free spirited jolly minded girl and all of a sudden his black and white world starts to take color.
Your Lie in April focuses on classical music and circulates around a boy who is trying to recover from a trauma. One of the most romantic anime I have encountered. This anime is a feels train without any brake. There are very few anime out there which is so emotionally driven as Your Lie in April.
5. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU like Bakuman is more of a slice of life than Romance Anime. But still I thought it was worth mentioning. It’s an anime that will give you an insight on how the life of an asocial person can be like. You will come across some mind blowing characters and unique philosophy. Not to mention an extremely unique protagonist.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU has some underlying romance in it. If you watch it you’ll get understand the unspoken romance in it.
6. The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
An romance anime that is focused around a dorm full of “unique” people. On the exterior it’s just your everyday light hearted rom/com but once you get deeper you’ll see how heart touching the anime gets.
It masterfully depicts how insecurities and inferiority complex eats you up inside and affect your relationships with each other. A simply stunning romance anime that should not be overlooked. I enjoyed it a lot.
7. Bokura wa minna Kawaisaou
This one has a similar setup as the pet girl of sakurasao although it is more of a light hearted series. The story revolves around a dorm filled with eccentric people. Our male lead and female lead both are cute and have an amazing chemistry.
Seeing them together I felt like going back to my high school days. They blush a lot though. No, seriously they blush too much it’s irritating.
8. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun
Gekkan shoujo revolves around a girl who has a crush on a mangaka. Although I have mentioned it but it is more of a comedy anime rather than romance. It is probably one of the funniest anime I have watched in a while. But it still has some romance elements to it.
It is really unique and fascinating romance/comedy anime and every one should watch it.
9. Inuyasha
A list of romance anime is simply incomplete if you don’t put inuyasha in it. It’s an absolute classic. Basically it’s an action adventure anime that mostly deals with fights and adventure. But the romance that accompanies this journey is simply mind blowing.
I have yet to see a couple that share such unique and exceptional chemistry as Inuyasha and Kagome. If you don’t have problems with long action anime this is a must watch.
10. Akatsuki No Yona
After completing inuyasha I went in a slump. I could not find an anime that has mixed action and romance to such excellent precision. Then I came across Akatsuki no Yona.
It’s the story of a girl who loves a killer and friendzones her protector. Nah, just joking. It’s an amazing action/romance anime that even compelled the romance hater to watch it.
11. Ao Haru RIde
Ao haru ride has stepped out of the shackles of those cliched romance anime and was able to pull of an exceptional plot. Funny, Sad and even utterly romantic at times. It can be light hearted yet serious at times.
Overall Ao Haru Ride is a breath of fresh air among the countless high school life romance anime.
12. Kimi Ni Todoke
Kimi ni todoke is one of the finest Romance Anime out there. A story of a popular boy and shy girl and how their relation panned out. It’s an absolutely cute anime and the characters are really unique. It has lots of comedy aspects to it especially regarding the main female protagonist.
I really liked it and would urge others to watch it. It’s really beautiful.
13. Kaichou Wa Maid Sama
Kaichou wa Maid Sama is everyone’s favorite High School Romance Anime. It’s the story of a popular guys and a hard working student council president who secretly works in a maid cafe as a waitress. It is a typical high school romance.
However if you really want to get the most from this series. I would suggest you read the manga as the manga has the complete story and much more depth to it.
14. Clannad and Clannad: After Story
Ah, Clannad, the anime that takes you on a feels trip. An astonishing anime with some fascinating character and decent plot. It deals with the hardships of life. If you are depressed just watch Clannad: After story and you will realize how lucky you are.
Tomoya is one of the most humane characters you will ever come across. The anime has some problems regarding pacing and realism but the emotional roller coaster it takes you through is more than good enough to make up for those flaws.
Some Honorable Mentions
- My little Monster
- Say I Love You
- Kimi No Iru Machi
- Toradora
- Fruits Basket
- Golden Time
- Ore Monogatari
- Isshukan Friends
- Bokura Ga Ita
- Wolf girl and the black Prince
I hope this list will be helpful is identifying some good romance anime among the hundreds of them out there. I would like to point out that these are strictly my personal opinion. But I assure you that all the anime mentioned in this list are top notch romance anime that will make fall in love all over again.
