As far as thematic diversity goes, nothing can beat anime. Whether you like bone crushing action or some strange human-animal romance, there is an anime for you. Basically, whatever you can think of, there’s an anime for that. However, in this post, we will look at a genre of anime that is a little less out there. We are going to take a look at the best romance animes list published by 2MinutesRead.com. Who doesn’t want love in their lives? Whether you have a partner or not, these romance animes are extremely enjoyable. These well written romance animes can make even the coldest heart melt. Let’s get started with this lovey-dovey list.
Here Are the Best Romance Animes for You in 2021
Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story!!)
This romance anime will make anyone happy. If you enjoy slightly unconventional romances with a gentle giant of a protagonist, you will definitely enjoy this romance anime.
Most people will like the large sweetheart called Takeo Gouda.
The giant teddy bear of a man is just looking for love, and trying to make everyone happy in the process. He protects, he forgives, but most significantly he cares. The Shrek like protagonist will be loved by everyone.
Your Lie in April
This great romance anime has a tragic touch. And yet it manages to succeed in a part that creates you are feeling such as you can do anything.
You probably wouldn’t even see the depth of the show coming initially, because the very bright colors and chipper atmosphere of the primary few episodes really lull you into a sense of an optimistic rom-com.
But then BOOM, the curtains drop and that we see real people, with some tousled histories, within the process of healing.
Music is additionally a carrying theme within the show, which makes the entire thing very serene.
Clannad
As far as romance animes are considered, Clannad ranks up there with the absolute best. It’s so well written and beautifully animated that it will pull at everyone’s heart strings.
The world of Clannad is very well developed featuring intertwined characters woven together with realistic writing. Watching Clannad at times feels like watching real life stuff. In this show, relationships are developed very well and taken to their logical conclusions. This great romance anime also has a perfect balance of tragedy and comedy, never leaning too much on either side. This great romance anime also features a fantastic, tear jerking soundtrack. All in all, an absolute treat to watch.
Kaichō wa Meido-sama!
This starts and we’re introduced to an all-boys school that recently decided to travel co-ed.
This certainly ruffles up some feathers as highschool is awkward enough because it is, including once you throw plot twists into the combination. When a girl gets selected as the president, the boys around her aren’t very happy with her attitude. If you were wondering about the “maids” in the title, it’s the President who also works as a maid and this secret is discovered by one of the guys in this romance anime.
Grab some popcorn, it’s about to get messy.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
The two main actors of this romance anime are Sawako and 2000s horror.
Okay, that is a bit misleading. But briefly, the most female protagonist Sawako can’t seem to seek out any friends because everyone thinks she seems like the girl from the Ring.
How they might check out that adorable face and think that’s beyond me.
But there’s one feller who features a functioning pair of eyes, Shouta, and he’s her golden ticket to friendship. Or maybe even more than friendship.
Kiss Him, Not Me!
This is a great romance anime for anyone to watch. The plot is very interesting. An overweight girl is basically into anime, especially BL. Then one of her favorite characters dies. She gets so depressed that she stops eating, she loses weight, and becomes the hottest girl of the university. Boys start falling at her knees, but she wants all of them to form out instead of be together with her. And all of that is just the pilot. Just go and watch the rest.
Lovely Complex
Aside from Meliodas, short kings don’t get nearly enough love within the community.
And tall girls always end up becoming the butt of jokes. Well, Lovely Complex is here to change that. As it’s all about the unconventional love between the short-stacked Atsushi Ootani and therefore the tall beauty Koizumi Risa.
This romance anime’s story is written very well and it oozes cuteness. The characters have great chemistry and they end up conveying a great message to all the viewers.
Sure, many shows have a “love yourself” message.
But Lovely Complex does it during a more “show don’t tell way”, making it land just a touch more gracefully.
5 Centimeters Per Second
This romance anime got tons more real in 2020, as it’s all about separation and therefore the fight to take care of a relationship without being together.
If you and your significant other/best friend chose different colleges after high school, then you should already be more than familiar with the feeling of drifting away.
The protagonists of the show really attempt to maintain the flame they made. But fate can really make it difficult sometimes.
So be prepared to question rekindling some old flames also as shedding some tears when watching this movie.
Snow White with the Red Hair
This romance anime. is just very relaxing to watch. It has that rom-com vibe where the chemistry is quite consistent. And there’s no looming threat that might disrupt the progression of the character’s relationship. Not to say that nothing happens. But it is just very chill.
The protagonist may be a herbalist, her love interest an enthralling prince, it’s all so wholesome.
If you ignore the opposite not so charming prince who abuses his power, that is.
Junjo Romantica
This is one of the homosexual entries on the list. Love is love after all. So how can we just feature animes with heterosexual romance? Rest assured, this hasn’t been included to fulfill some “diversity quota”. We have included Junjo Romantica because it is actually a very good romance anime, whatever sexuality it expresses itself in.
Junjo Romantica is all about boy on boy love. Yes, the protagonists are too young to be called “men”. There are some older characters on the show as well though.
The show covers a plethora of personalities as it tracks three couples. All of them are not aware of their homosexuality, some are still seeking their identity.
The show covers a lot of ground. The characters are all well written and if you want some yaoi but don’t like ice skating, this could be your fix.
Hotarubi no Morie
This romance anime just fills you with all the great feelings that you would like in life. It has a really fairy-tale like quality but still stays on the brink of reality, a minimum of in terms of human affection.
The show revolves around a few girls who come into contact with a spirit of the forest.
It was alleged to be a one and done encounter, however more stuff ensues.
The catch is that she will never touch the spirit or he’ll vanish.
Such an easy premise and yet it adds numerous layers; no adorable head pats but still a true connection is established.
Nisekoi
Nisekoi is a great romance anime, as well as a great harem anime. We’ve two opposing gangs and therefore the leaders of said gangs have a son and a daughter, respectively.
However, rather than the 2 sneaking out and being together in spite of what their parents say, it’s actually the oldsters that want them so far, and therefore the kids are the hesitant party of this story.
So the two play pretend to stay the peace.
The couple isn’t into each other at the start but in a typical rom com fashion, things change.
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun
You have probably seen dozens of harem animes where every girl on the road is head over heels over some oblivious, “kind of nice”, bland male character.
But this time it all makes sense.
The series protagonist may be a big league shoujo mangaka. He’s the Justin Bieber of the anime world. The protagonist of the show, in a bizarre way, becomes his assistant to get his number.
If that leap in logic doesn’t spill its innards, well this show may be a comedy series with a backbone of romance and a few mangaka insights. And it’s worth checking out.
His and Her Circumstances
This show seems like if Oresuki was done just a touch better… okay tons better. Because it also highlights how the pitch-perfect student could have some tousled things in their closet, but how they will also learn to like while being faithful towards their somewhat nasty self.
There’s no bench-kun unfortunately. The chemistry of the leading duo is brilliant.
The first few episodes show them acting like they’re straight out of Mean Girls or something with how they act.
The show does end out of nowhere. But the section that has been adapted remains worth a watch.
Nana
This romance anime is quite a few things at once: music, friendships, aspirations, rivalries, etc.
But love, either between friends or partners, may be a prevalent theme that goes in many directions.
We would like to warn you that a number of the ships during this show will cause you to want to tug your hair out. Some might bring tears into your eyes and some will make you wish that your relationship was like theirs.
The series just showcases both the ups and downs of relationships to such a degree that you simply legitimately desire a fly the wall. The anime and the manga seem to be unending so you can keep watching.
Ao Haru Ride
A lot of us suffer from the problem of overcorrecting our mistakes. Especially when it comes to impressing someone. People consider their true personality undesirable and adopt a completely different persona in order to impress someone. The protagonist of this romance anime undergoes a similar transformation as she goes from a very “girly girl” to a girl who gets along very well with the guys. She does so because she couldn’t confess to the boy she liked in middle school, she has to change in order for that to never happen again. However, the boy comes back for more. And is extremely confused this time… so what happens next? Romance, confusion, and some chuckles.
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
Basically, our male protagonist of this romance anime really wants a cat. However, instead of bringing his cat home, he has to move to Sakurasou. It’s a city where many oddballs come for refuge. Most regarding quirks and such, alongside a woman who can’t seem to fend for herself.
The duty then falls on our MC to assist this fair maiden out, while sparks fly as per usual.
Again, give it a watch. It’s not as smutty because it sounds, not within the slightest.
Tamako Love Story
Tamako, the protagonist of this romance anime, is a happy go lucky girl who lives in the moment. She doesn’t bog herself down by worrying about the future. She has a great family restaurant so she is always more focused on nailing her baton performance. However, it’s a romance anime, so there is a love story involved.
A childhood friend is basically into her but is a) scared to inform her how he feels, and b) has his state of mind on studying in Tokyo, leaving Tamako behind. How will all of this end up? Watch it and find out.
Golden Time
The beginning of this romance anime might throw some viewers off. In the first scene, we are introduced to a guy getting lost within the city, bumping into another guy who’s also lost, then a woman pops onto the scene and throws flowers at another guy, which leads to a hilarious Looney Tunes type chase sequence. This sets up the show to be extremely goofy and self deprecating. However, that’s not the case and it actually portrays relationships in a mature and tasteful way. The characters seem fully fleshed out too. And most of what happens is natural. So never judge a book by its first pages.
ReLIFE
More optimistic than his Re brother (of the zero clan) but still quite painful.
The central hook is this: we take a man in his late twenties who is simply failing at life, like we all are, and provides him a pill that reverts him into a teenager.
He now has got to attend highschool everywhere again and relearn why teens have so much anxiety.
Will he fall in love along the way? Watch to find out.
Special A
If you’ve ever seen anime rivals and thought “just kiss already”, this show might just be right up your alley.
It focuses (most of the time) on Hikari Hanazono and Kei Takishima, both brilliant people who excel at everything they do.
The only catch is that Kei excels just a bit more, and Hikari really doesn’t like this second fiddle business.
So she tries her best to beat Kei in everything and anything, while Kei just secretly likes her. Sure, Naruto and Sasuke might have done it first. But it is still very satisfying to see a rivalry turn romantic!
My Little Monster
Before all you Lady Gaga fans get excited, let us tell you that this romance anime isn’t about you. It’s still an amazing romance anime though.
It takes two people, both of whom really don’t understand interpersonal relationships but out of various reasons, and pairs them up.
In this unconventional duo the feminine lead, Shizuku, may be a complete kuudere who can’t be bothered by anything.
And then we’ve Haru, a semi-delinquent who is filled with passion and features a rooster for a few reasons.
It’s unconventional, it’s quirky, and it’s wholesome.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Romance definitely plays second fiddle to the supernatural during this movie. But it’s important enough to qualify this as a great romance anime.
As the name so elegantly puts it, our female lead gains the power to travel back in time.
Of course, she uses it to repair petty mistakes. But wouldn’t you recognize it, not all problems are often solved like that.
In all seriousness, this is an excellent romance anime, with the aunt being the most interesting character of them all.
Honey and Clover
Honey and Clover is simply a very good anime that happens to be a romance.
It’s all about the school struggle, especially on how it affects the humanities. The five protagonists have different creative talents, They also have different motivations and ambitions.
The characters of this romance anime are so well written that you simply just desire you’re reliving your college years, which just happens to contain tons of romance (hopefully).
There is some drama, comedy, and chill vibes thrown into the combination.
But honestly, the top goal of the show is for you to point to a personality and just say “same”.
Kokoro Connect
Kokoro Connect takes your average highschool rom-com, adds one supernatural element, and makes a fantastic romance anime.
The hook of the show is that a gaggle of friends start randomly swapping bodies with one another, during a similar vein as a movie further down on the list.
This in fact results in many funny moments. They carry a good amount of emotional weight as well.
Because if someone is in your body, they’re going to learn things about you no matter how hard you are trying to retain its secrecy.
Your life reception, your health, and most significantly your browser history iis completely visible to everyone.
And maybe afterward some different stuff starts happening, watch to find out.
Weathering With You
This romance anime’s plot revolves around two characters who are struggling to make ends meet.
But one day they discover something quite peculiar. You see, within the Tokyo of the movie it’s a continuing downpour, but whenever the feminine lead prays for it, the sun bursts through those troublesome clouds and shines on us mortals.
Will this be a business? What will be the consequences? Watch it to find out.
Spice and Wolf
If you don’t want your romance to be set within the plaid-out scenery of a highschool than Spice and Wolf is perhaps more your speed.
It’s more of an adventure where our protagonist Lawrence comes into contact with a wolf-like deity named Holo.
The end goal is for Holo to return home but the journey is crammed with intriguing dialogue, Holo being adorable and stubborn, also because of the merchant life.
The chemistry is on point. And to be honest, Holo is a woman who anyone would want as a wife.
Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai
That looks like an intimidating title. But actually, it’s just translated to “I’ve always liked you”.
Take that sentence, throw it into multiple dialogues and you’ve got this movie.
As the title suggests, everyone likes everyone in this romance anime. And they all suck at explaining themselves. However, they are all very well written and quite likeable. This is a fantastic high school romance and even if you scoff at that genre, you will most likely end up enjoying it.
Orange
This great romance anime tells the story of Naho, a woman who receives a letter from her future self, warning her to require excellent care of a replacement transfer student so as to make sure he sticks around in the future.
It can get heavy. It can get wholesome. This shoujo is thoroughly enjoyable. Everybody is bound to like it.
It definitely takes a special approach than another entry on this list, but both add their own ways.
Kuzu no Honkai
This romance anime is pure masochism, but not in a brutal, torturous way.
This show doesn’t have any fairy tale endings. It doesn’t have any ethereal connections or cinematic scenes of airport proposals. It’s basically just a bunch of teens trying to work things out.
How to be intimate, how to truly care for another, and how to move on. It can definitely kill the mood at times. But if you wish this approach more so than the Disney princess counterpart, you’ll enjoy the series throughout.
The Garden of Words
This romance anime can serve as an ASMR treatment for your soul. It revolves around a boy who skips class and stumbles upon a mysterious woman one day. They find themselves meeting within the confines of a beautiful garden while the rain just trickles within the background. The boy decides to form her some new shoes, then their encounter becomes quite a one-time deal.
Then some plot twist happens and makes things really exciting.
The Anthem of the Heart
Living in your own little fairy tale (the genre, not the anime) is all fun and games until it impacts the real world.
Our protagonist had to find out this the hard way, as her naivety results in a secret getting call at the planet and hurting people really on the brink of her.
She now features a “curse”, or more sort of a seal, that forestalls her from ever speaking again.
But then the varsity pulls the classic “calling on someone who didn’t raise their hand” move, and she or he gets chosen to require part during a musical. A great romance anime overall.
Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran high school has a host club. But what is a host club?
It’s where rich boys get all dressed and check out to impress ladies so as to urge that paper. Are one of these ladies the female interest?
Well not really. You see, an individual completely unrelated to the host club finishes up in dept and has got to masquerade as a boy to tug it off. But she also features a killer personality “off stage”, so she becomes very fashionable with the lads also. It’s strange but entertaining.
Kimi no Na wa
This is a fantastic romance anime. Quickly captured the whole anime community and even beyond that.
It does have supernatural elements. But it just feels so real: that look for your kindred spirit, chasing the line of fate, maybe body-swapping a touch love it is Freaky Friday, all common things people do.
The art design is additionally on point during this movie.
Everything is crystal clear and fluid. And when paired with a strong soundtrack it really makes for a tremendous theatre experience.
Toradora!
This fantastic romance anime strikes a great balance between seriousness and fun.
Taiga is usually quite cute, attacking people together with her sword, pouting just like the tsundere queen she is, and chilling with Ryuuji and Inko. She also has a lot of great monologues and themes.
All in all, it’s a touch of everything. And if you’ll recover from the blue balling half, you’ll find this show to be one of the most satisfying romance animes out there.
So those were some of the best romance animes for you to watch. Start by watching one and finish with them all. Enjoy.