Romance Anime Starter List
I donāt know about you guys, but Iām sick and tired of seeing āTop ___ Best Anime of All Timeā 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 āstartersā for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, Iād think all there was to offer was shounen action series.
And by āstartersā I mean basic stuff thatās not tooā¦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).Ā
So if youāre new to anime and want stuff thatās not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, donāt 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 Tachibanaā¦who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her familyās debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so theyād never have to deal with him again. Itās 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 itās not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear itās 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 Iāve seen depicted in an anime. Itās 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 donāt want to say much more than that. Itās 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 whoās 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, āsnow whiteā) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her townās 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 arenāt 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 thatās why I didnāt include it).
Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool ādelinquentā upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over mangaā¦specifically BL manga. Thatās right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, heās constantly trying to convince others that heās not interested in having his own love story where heād 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. Itās 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 whoās been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to startā¦but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesnāt know how to respond when sheās just not into the guy. And then she gets another confessionā¦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 thatās a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly donāt remember much about it. It just didnāt 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 heās sure sheās 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 itās the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes itās 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 theyāreā¦you knowā¦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. Itās a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.
Fruits Basket- Iāve talked about it before and Iāll talk about it again. A romance ācomedyā 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 aĀ (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though Iām 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 itās a classic for a reason. If anyone hasnāt 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 firefighterā¦ā¦and Iām 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. Thatās it. Thatās the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. Itās 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 didnāt include it in the main list is because they donāt get together by the end of the first season, but itās still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)
So thatās my starter list. And no, I didnāt include Toradora, even though itās a classic. I know itās 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 š
3K notes
Ā·
View notes