#Akatsuki High School Host Club

[tozettastone]

I wish you would write a fic where the Akatsuki are a host club and [character of your choice] is a passing Haruhi…..

for the "I wish you would write..." ask meme

We have

Pein as a metal-studded prince with an indifferent temper (and a very sad backstory).

Konan is the stiff, correct club secretary who knows everything about everyone.

Kisame is our tall, grim-looking swords guy who is honestly more chill than 70% of the cast.

I know it seems natural that Kisame's smaller "much less intimidating," companion with the sweet tooth should be Itachi, but you should hear me out and let it be Sasori instead. I think the contrast between Kisame and Sasori is actually thematically pretty good. Big guy with massive natural chakra deeply invested in physical arts next to a tiny guy who has interfered with every single "natural" process he can conceptualise to turn his own body into the ship of theseus, you know. Good shit. Moving on.

The twins are not twins and, in fact, aren't even brothers, although a lot of the Host Club's clientele certainly think they are. Itachi and Deidara are both very rich orphans who appear (?) to hate each other (??) and who have also moved in together. (They live with Sasuke! But Madara is Itachi's only remaining adult relative. Oof.) Reasons unclear. Only the maids understand this relationship, and they're not telling. God forbid you pick on Itachi or Deidara where the other one can tell, though: Itachi will rip you a new one about picking on people who are already that pathetic, and Deidara once set a man on fire for provoking Itachi to an asthma attack. If anyone's going to kill Itachi, it's going to be Deidara.

Tobi is the hooded weirdo who shows up in the middle of a scene through a door he just made up and curses people. If you take his mask off and expose his face to the sun he cries. Zetsu follows him holding onto curse accoutrements and mumbling to himself.

Kakuzu is their club manager. Clients typically won't see him unless the plot demands he rise from the ground on a giant steel platform, lifted by a mass of writing tentacles and throbbing chakra monsters. Unlike Host Club's Renge, he does not show up to squeal about his faves and offer a genre-savvy comedy segment. Instead, he appears when he senses someone is making a fiscally unwise choice with club funds. We don't know where he sleeps, or, worse, what he eats.

Hidan is the scion of a late crime lord (lotta orphans in this cast, I see) who died under such grim and mysterious circumstances that a dark cloud hangs over his reputation. He shows up because he's heard Kakuzu is also an eldritch abomination and wants to learn about him. Kakuzu is in the business of managing hosts, though, so if Hidan wants his time he's going to have to work for it. Smile, Hidan.

I'm not sure who the funniest character to bring into this setting would be. Sakura seems like an obvious choice, and who doesn't like insane Sakura centric AUs? But Kakashi could also be fun, I think. He would just not want to be there at all, ever... but if he escapes one of the hosts he's definitely not escaping the rest. (Especially if Kakuzu thinks he owes them money.)

[youre-my-worst-nightmare]

Well written anime women, my beloveds!

Shonen anime could learn a thing or two! *COUGH* My Hero Academia *COUGH* Naruto

Seriously, I hate MHA

[animeyanderelover]

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, stalking, manipulation, blackmailing, isolation, abduction, femalre reader

Tags: @lovley-valentine7

I love you but I can't be with you

Fushiguro Toji

🪱​You've been warned of Fushiguro Toji from his close acquaintance Shiu, your meeting with the agent unavoidable as soon as the assassin starts hanging out around you increasingly. Shiu is honest and you appreciate that even though what he informs you about hurts you a bit. Are you suprised though? Not really. It's always been obvious from observing the huge man that his life isn't exactly normal. It's just a shame that you had to fall in love with him of all people as you already know that you can't have a relationship with a man who sleeps with women only to leave them as soon as he has their money and who has a broke and irregular lifestyle you don't want to be part of. That is why you reject him when you find yourself in a situation where Toji makes his interest in you apparent even if your heart is beating out of your chest. You at least explain yourself honestly though as you confess that you can't see yourself in a relationship with him and the way he is currently living his life.

🪱​Nothing would hold him back from simply abducting you, taking you for his own desires. He's thrown away the concept of morality with the death of his wife after all, doesn't care if people think of him as the scum on earth. It's... different with you though. A feeling that is neither normal love nor only selfish desire has crawled into his heart and nested itself inside like a parasite. He knows you have feelings for him. His senses have heightened to the point where he can smell and hear things that no other human could sense. He picks up on that little heartbeat of yours beating loudly inside your chest when he is around, senses the heat of your cheeks when he gets too close to you. You don't fear him nor do you despise him, you love him yet it is his own way of living and his bad reputation and gambling addiction that stops you from allowing you to give in to your feelings. Perhaps it is that knowledge that has him considering to give it one, but only one, try to woo you the normal way and to see if he is capable of more than what he has reduced himself to after his wife's death.

🪱​All of a sudden he drops everything bad. He stops gambling, he saves the money, buys an actual house, starts caring more for Megumi who you often babysit and dresses up in better clothes. Even Shiu is surprised by the way Toji suddenly flipped his life around but the man has also known him long enough to realise that those feelings still differ from what Toji felt for his wife. He's willing to be a better lover for you but not willing to be anything more. He keeps secrets from you, never tells you what his true jobs entail and how he earns the money he willingly pours into you nor does he let you know about the presence of curses. The things you do not know can't scare you and hurt your relationship with him after all and as long as you are in his protection you may never need to find out after all. Is he a better person thanks to you? Yes and no. He's content, happy for the first time in years because of your presence in his life but he only is a better man when around you. He still murders children, woman and men alike to earn his money, hunts down everyone who poses a threat to you and gets rid of anyone else who may have an interest in you. You're going to be safe and loved, everyone else is a free game.

Doctor Shamal

🩺​It is no surprise that you don't trust Shamal with your heart that foolishly fell for him even though you knew that he was a certified womanizer who loves every woman he lays eyes upon. Yet you couldn't stop your traitorous heart when his attention landed on you. As sappy and silly as Shamal is and as clingy and touchy as he acts, you have seen that he hides more behind that goofy facade of his. His knowledge is vast and he is quite educated and from the stories he has shared with you you know that he is a man who has travelled all over the world and has seen things that you can only dream of seeing with your own days some day if you have the money. The doctor showers you in attention, touches and compliments yet you wonder how long it will take him to find his new love interest so you decide that you should end things before you get your heart broken during a dinner he invited you too, dressing up in a nice suit and sending you expensive clothes to wear as well.

🩺​As blind as this love might have made him, Shamal knows that his reputation with women in the past may have made him appear in not the best light in your eyes but the rejection you courtly tell him still breaks his poor heart on that night. No words and promises seem to convince you on that night enough to give him a chance as you almost have to run away from him as he persistently chases after you as you leave, sensing that you have broken the romantic atmosphere with your rejection. You're mistaken if you think that your rejection would stop Shamal though. He is far from giving up actually, all the more determined to win you over and prove you wrong. He may have had his unsavoury habits in the past but now he is a man truly in love and adamant to prove to you that he has changed for the better to be a devoted lover to you. Old habits of his unfortunately do not disappear in the least although there is one major change. His creepy behavior that he previously directed to multiple women is now solely focused on you.

🩺​It is only the fact that you love him that stops you from calling the police as you forgive his behavior even though to any other person he classifies as a stalker. He follows you around every day and sings you his promises of love, constantly appears in front of your door and sends you constantly gifts all in hopes of winning you over. He is willing to do anything to help you see that he only loves you and if you want proof of his burning passion for you you only have to tell him what you want and he will give it to you. He may use some underhanded methods when he realises that he isn't getting anywhere with his attempts, might send his mosquitoes out to infect someone close to you only to sweep in as your night in shining armour who cures the patient back to health only to then bask in your attention and gratitude. Sure, it isn't very chivalrous to use other people to win you over but he isn't harming anyone fatally in the end and nurses everyone back to health. There are people much worse than him in the Mafia, you know?

Jae-Ha

💚​Jae-Ha is infamous for his playboy attitude, appreciative of the beauty around him and even going as far as chasing everyone he believes to be beautiful. He may be a tad bit perverted but he does it with such confidence that it's almost attractive again. No one could blame you for falling in love with him as he is handsome, confident and despite his playboyish and perverted tendencies at the end of the day still highly charming and treats women with kindness and respect. Still, you have known him long enough and heard from the other people he travels with enough to know that he is probably not what you are looking for in a partner. As flattering and charming as he is as soon as he lays his eyes on you, you know that you are only one of many to have received such sweet words and his attention. His confession one day when the both of you are alone takes you by surprise as he asks of you to come with him, his hand stretched out and his green eyes looking at you.

💚​He has been told off before by some women in his life due to his advances but he has always made the effort to respect their wishes. Your rejection is different though. It hurts him deep inside his heart yet he swallows all the pain down and smooths his face to hide any flicker of heartbreak as he asks you why you don't want to be with him. You're slightly anxious as you tell him about what you have seen yourself and what you have been told about his flirty and playboyish behavior and he can just feel the anger building up inside of him. He asks you who it is that told you about all of this and has to suppress his ire from showing too much as he clenches his jaw when you carefully admit that you had a talk with Ki-ja who told you about his tendencies to chase after everything he perceives as beautiful. The same night he gets into a fight with the white dragon that almost escalates into a physical fight if it wouldn't have been for Yona. Reluctantly he stops but his anger is still very much burning inside of him as he warns Ki-ja as well as everyone else to never put any wrong ideas in your head again.

💚​He's far from discouraged from your rejection though. Jae-Ha is after all persistent and confident, downright bold with his advances as he continues to spend his time with you. He knows that he can't force you into a relationship with him. His group would catch on if he were to do it and Gi-Gan raised him better than this. As a rather possessive individual though the very least he has to do to be somewhat at ease is to see it through that you don't fall for anyone else and that no one dares to claim you for themselves. Perhaps it is a tad bit cruel as he keeps on tugging at your heartstrings even after you have rejected him to secure that you don't erase him from your heart, not allowing you to move on from him all whilst threatening and scaring away anyone who he senses considers trying their chances with you. It's alright. You don't have to accept him instantly but if you even think that he would just let you move on from him you are sorely mistaken. One day he will have you all for himself and until that day comes he will see it through that no one else can have you.

Suoh Tamaki

🌹​You're not the first one in love with Tamaki from all the clients in the host club as he is widely popular in the school and you know that you aren't the last one either. Perhaps if he would have realised his feelings sooner you would have accepted his confession but unfortunately Tamaki remained oblivious for too long, denying his love for you so that he could keep his Host Club running and continue pleasing the female guests. By the time he finally acknowledges his feelings and the whole obsession comes crashing down on him you have resigned yourself to the fact that you probably wouldn't be happy due to his position and his role as the host. You've seen how much it means to him and have decided to not interfere. So when he goes down on one knee and offers you a red rose, confessing his feelings to you and asking you earnestly to be his you have a very bittersweet feeling brimming in your heart before you shake your head and softly reject him.

🌹​You leave his poor heart shattered and his impulsiveness gets the better of him as he grasps your arm as you attempt to leave, tears brimming in his eyes. He's incredibly stubborn, shakes his head when you ask of him to let you leave as he refues to let you go after your rejection. Kyoya is on that day your savior as he had a feeling that Tamaki would confess to you soon after having finally figured out your feelings and he helps you to separate the teary-eyed boy from you before dragging him away, reprimanding him for his unwarranted behavior just now whilst Tamaki kneels on the ground like a kicked puppy, desperately dealing with his freshly broken heart. The co-host doesn't give up though, far from it actually. He knows that you have loved him long before he even realised his own emotions for you and this fuels his delusional thoughts only more. Nothing is lost after all as it is only his own inability to recognise his love for you that has ruined his chances and he constantly beats himself up for it.

🌹​The truth is that he is more anxious than he would like to let others notice, his princely facade up as he attempts to woo you and win you over with the same act he constantly has all other guests swooning over him in the Host Club only to soon realise you don't fall for it as you know that this is merely an act he always puts on to please his clients. As soon as he has recognised that he is only pushing you away further though he drops this act and reveals his real self that he always shows outside of his Host Club. He's clingy, greedy for attention and throws a drama as soon as you pay attention to someone else and ignore him. At times his anxiety and impatience gets the better of him which means that he might corner you out of desperation. He loves you and he knows that you love him too so he's begging you to give him a chance. He knows that he's at fault for having ignored his own feelings for you but he promises that he'll treat you like royalty if you give him a chance.

Ikkyu

♠️​Ikkyu's own blooming obsession is something he is painfully aware of because how could he not? He's essentially entrapped, his own wish he made as a child something that has restricted him and robbed him of his freedom as he has his own fanclub obsessing over him and threatening everyone who dares to try to take him away from them. That is why he attemps to distance himself from you for your own protection, pushing his own feelings down all because he wants to protect you. Yet the yearning he does would put a poet to shame, blue eyes discreetly stealing glances at you and only lingering on you when he is wearing sunglasses, his gaze hidden from the people around him behind the darkened lenses. Just once... Just once does he want to tell you how he truly feels about you and maybe then will he be able to move on. He spends a few days meticulously planning everything before he secretly informs you, his heart threatening to burst when he finally has you all for himself for the first time and tells you what he has been feeling for you for a longer time now.

♠️​If you would have just acted the same way as everyone of his fangirls he would have been able to let you go yet you do something that sets him down a dark path. You confess your own feelings earnestly to him, his heart nearly stopping as he realises that you are genuine and not blinded by the same obsessive adoration as other girls but you instantly crush his heart moments later as you prove to be very self-aware. You know about Rika and his fanclub, do not wish to bring yourself into danger before admitting that you also aren't too sure about him. He's charming and a playboy, someone you do not want to commit to and whilst you do realise that this is probably a facade he has to keep up to keep his fangirls on a leash you wish you could see the real him but know that his status probably won't allow that. All you would have needed to do was be just another fangirl or just simply reject him and he could have moved on yet you defy all of his previous encounters with other girls. Ikki realises on that day that he can't allow himself to let you go, opening his heart as he willingly allows his obsession to fully take root.

♠️​He leaves you alone after that day though and initially you believe that he respects your decision. The few times you two do interact there seems to be nothing off with him which only lures you into a sense of false security. You see him spending more time with Rika and his fangirls again and there is a bittersweet ache in your heart as you acknowledge that everything is back to how it was. At least until you receive news one day that Rika got into a terrible accident and is hospitalised, the whole fanclub in a disarray as Rika is the president. You didn't necessarily like her but what happened to her is still quite shocking. You didn't expect Ikkyu to look as affected as he does and you guess that even though Rika must have given him lots of trouble she still was someone he knew quite well. He seeks out comfort in you, keeps you close and you foolishly comply as you believe that he needs the company and the comfort, missing the way he smirks slightly when you hug him or the way his blue eyes trail over you as soon as you turn your head away from him.

[muchadorks]

Obviously, I haven't included all of them (mainly just ones I'm decently familiar with, enough to know that the anime adaptations are completely). Some I also made executive decisions to exclude. For example, I left out the Legend of Basara and Please Save My Earth because they're less familiar to most people on here. And D.N. Angel and My Love Story!! have male MCs, so I'm not sure if they count as shoujo. And Shugo Chara technically isn't fully adapting since they made up the Party! arc after the Easter Arc (manga ending is much better in my opinion lol...)

However, I hope I got most of the popular ones! Or at least that ones that still make me sad aren't finished lol

Update: cannot believe I forgot these ones

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Princess Jellyfish

[dynachan]

Fuck a breakup, real pain is when one of your favorite series doesn't get a second season and you long for it.

[lyssmoriarty]

Giving Tumblr an early preview for my new edit bc I love you guys more☺️

[martian-astro]

I like demon slayer, but I liked yona of the dawn even more 😭 and I'll never get over the fact that we only got one season of it even though it had a waaayyyy better storyline than demon slayer. It hurts knowing that shonen will always be placed at a higher level than shoujo.

[missmagicalelf]

Shojo anime appreciation post

Yona of the dawn

Snow White with the red hair

Ouran high school host club

Fruits basket

Sailor moon

Cardcaptor Sakura

Wotakoi

Fall in love like a comic

Tonikawa

Maid sama!

[awkwardgamergirl]

✨Reverse Harem Anime you need to watch today✨

🍃🐌This list is not at all extensive! Just some personal favorites that come to mind! I’ve watched and loved all of these but there are many more reverse harems on my “to watch” list still! I’ll post that one next if you’ve seen these and want a few more recs! 🐌🍃

[minkimoop]

Muse/Character List

(Edited July 25 2024)

3/5 slots are taken

✔ is a character I like to play

💛 is a character I would like to try or don't often play

✒ means that I have a plot idea for said character or fandom

💖 Is a character that I am itching to rp as.

🛎Is a fandom that I have OCs for

If you don't see a character or fandom you like, feel free to ask! I probably just forgot to put it on the list.

Anime Fandoms

Banana Fish

✔Shorter Wong✔✒

✔Yut-Lung✔

💛Ash Lynx💛

Black Butler

✔Sebastian✔

✔Undertaker✔

Bungou Stray Dogs 🛎

✔Dazai Osamu✔

✔Kunikida Doppo✔

✔Odasaku✔

💛Chuuya Nakahara💛

Code Geass 🛎

✔Lelouch Lamperouge✔✒

✔Euphemia Li Britannia✔

✔Shirley Fenette✔

💛Kururugi Suzaku💛

Fruits Basket

💖✔Ayame Sohma✔✒

✔Yuki Sohma✔

✔Hatori Sohma✔

💛Hatsuharu Sohma💛

💛Shigure Sohma💛

Given

✔Akihiko✔

✔Haruki✔

Ouran Highschool Host Club

✔Kyoya Ootori✔✒

✔Tamaki Suoh✔

💛Takashi Morinozuka💛

Yona of the Dawn

✔Jaeha✔

💛Shinah💛

💛Hak💛

💛Zeno💛

Video Games

Detroit Become Human 🛎

💖✔Connor RK-800✔✒

✔Hank Anderson✔

💛Markus💛

Ikemen Vampire 🛎

💖✔Arthur Conan Doyle✔

💖✔Leonardo Da Vinci✔

✔Dazai Osamu✔

✔Sebastian✔

💛Vincent van Gogh💛

💛Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart💛

Ikemen Sengoku

✔Mouri Motonari✔

✔Date Masamune✔

💛Oda Nubunaga💛

Mystic Messenger

💖✔Jumin Han✔✒

✔Saeran Choi✔

💛Zen💛

💛707💛

That's Not My Neighbor

💖✔Francis Mosses✔✒

The Legend of Zelda Series 🛎

✔Ganondorf (OOT,TP)✔ ✒

✔Ghirahim✔ ✒

✔Majora (MM)✔

✔Nabooru (OOT)✔

✔Zant✔

💛Impa (OOT,SS)💛

💛Midna💛

💛Zelda (OOT,TP,SS)💛

Television

Rwby🛎

💖✔Qrow Branwen✔✒

💖✔Ozpin✔✒

✔Lie Ren✔

✔Nora Valkyrie✔

✔Pyhrra Nikos✔

✔Weiss Schnee✔

Jessica Jones

💖✔Kilgrave✔

✔Luke Cage✔

Avatar the Last Airbender

✔Zuko✔

✔Sokka✔

✔Toph✔

💛Aang💛

💛Katara💛

Movies

Hunger Games series

✔Corilanus Snow✔

✔Haymitch Abernathy✔

✔Finnick Odair✔

💛Lucy Gray Baird💛

💛Peeta Mellark💛

[fangirlforthewin]

Anime Recommendations

Looking for some good anime recommendations from you all! I used to watch a lot more anime than I feel like I have recently. Now that I'm older, I am a little pickier and don't love the school kid anime much anymore, and I like cleaner styles if that makes sense?

My favorite anime:

Yona of the Dawn

Spy x Family

Snow White with the Red Hair

InuYasha

Naruto

Yugioh

Pokemon

Fruits Basket

Fullmetal Alchemist

Full Metal Panic

Sword Art Online

Freezing

Violet Evergarden

Ghost Hunt

Ouron High School Host Club

[misschimotosuwa-blog]

Characters Most People Forget About/Don't Care For -- That I Find Amusing, Attractive, Intriguing, Lovable etc.

Aoyama 😩👌🔥 -- My Hero Academia

Umehito Nekozawa ☺️ -- Ouran Highschool Host Club

Kan Tae Jun -- Yona of the Dawn

Yun -- Yona of the Dawn

Ryuu -- Snow White with The Red Hair

Momiji 💘💘💘💘 -- Fruits Basket

Tom 🔥 -- Star vs the Forces of Evil

Pink Diamond

Miss Fur Bottom 😂👌🔥 -- Sgt Frog

Minoru Kokobunji -- Chobits

I'll probably have to make another post another time 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ I can't think rn lol, but I know there's lots

[arisaeve]

Shojo Protag Quiz

decided to put my shojo media knowledge to good use and make this quiz, it's still a work in progress so I'm open to suggestions ToT

if they're in the tags that means they're in the quiz LMFAO

[shoujo-josei-anime-poll]

Hello shoujo and josei fans! Soon I'll be doing an anime tournament using Tumblr polls. Feel free to suggest some series for me to include in the tournament in this form <3

Update: form is now closed, polls are up on the blog!

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅