Romance anime lives in the tiny moments: the hand almost touching on the train, the shared umbrella, the text left on read for three days. *Toradora!* defined the "romcom with real emotional payoff" lane, and half the charm is how seriously anime treats the build-up instead of speedrunning to the confession.
Prefer manga? Best Romance manga
The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love....
Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa have graduated from high school, and together, they experience the emotional rollercoaster of growing up. Unable to decide on a course for his future, Tomoya learns the value of a strong work ethic and discovers the strength of Nagisa's...
Hundreds of years ago, the Chinese zodiac spirits and their god swore to stay together eternally. United by this promise, the possessed members of the Souma family shall always return to each other under any circumstances. Yet, when these bonds shackle them from freedom, it...
Apparitions, oddities, and gods continue to manifest around Koyomi Araragi and his close-knit group of friends: Tsubasa Hanekawa, the group's modest genius; Shinobu Oshino, the resident doughnut-loving vampire; athletic deviant Suruga Kanbaru; bite-happy spirit Mayoi Hachikuji;...
When mankind's savagery surpasses his fear of death, there is little hope for those who wish to live honest lives. Beneath a full moon, a young boy witnesses the murder of the bandits who had enslaved him, and is then christened with a new name by the man who rescued him. This...
After an eventful winter break, Kyoutarou Ichikawa and Anna Yamada reunite with a stronger bond. They continue to grow in their own ways, with Yamada taking on more challenging photoshoots and Ichikawa maturing both physically and emotionally as he tackles his affections for...
That jumbled piece of architecture, that cacophony of hissing steam and creaking joints, with smoke billowing from it as it moves on its own... That castle is home to the magnificent wizard Howl, infamous for both his magical prowess and for being a womanizer—or so the rumor...
Kousei Arima is a child prodigy known as the "Human Metronome" for playing the piano with precision and perfection. Guided by a strict mother and rigorous training, Kousei dominates every competition he enters, earning the admiration of his musical peers and praise from...
Six months ago, Sakuta Azusagawa had a chance encounter with a bunny girl in a library. Ever since then, he's been blissfully happy with his girlfriend: Mai Sakurajima, that same bunny girl. However, the reappearance of his mysterious first crush, the now-adult Shouko...
One autumn evening at a mysterious ramen stand behind the Shimogamo Shrine, a lonely third-year college student bumps into a man with an eggplant-shaped head who calls himself a god of matrimony. Meeting this man causes the student to reflect upon his past two years at...
The aloof protagonist: a bookworm who is deeply detached from the world he resides in. He has no interest in others and is firmly convinced that nobody has any interest in him either. His story begins when he stumbles across a handwritten book, titled Living with Dying. He soon...
The sole thing that gets the middle-aged Sasaki through his soul-sucking job is a cheerful smile from Yamada—the young woman who works at a nearby 24-hour supermarket he frequents. After every tiring day of getting berated by his boss, Sasaki stops by the store to have his...
Onto their third serialization, manga duo Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi—also known by their pen name, Muto Ashirogi—are ever closer to their dream of an anime adaption. However, the real challenge is only just beginning: if they are unable to compete with the artist Eiji...
The all-girls Kikyo Private Academy and Chidori Public High School are polar opposites. With its prestigious history, Kikyo is attended by noble young ladies from distinguished families, while Chidori is infamously full of simple-minded delinquents. It is no surprise that their...
In November 1998, a double homicide occurs at the newly constructed Ogawa apartment complex in the heart of Mifune City. The murderer, Tomoe Enjou, has fled in a panic. To his astonishment, he is not pursued by the police and news of the incident has not been reported through...
In early-1900s London, Lili Ichijouin, a Japanese exchange student travels to England to enroll in the prestigious Saint Thomas Art Academy. Determined to become a painter, she arrives under pressure: her parents expect her to rise to the top of her class within six months or...
Winning the high school team tournament was a great accomplishment for the Mizusawa members. Each of them has made great strides in improving themselves, and the victory symbolizes how far they have come. But after accomplishing one goal, their individual aims are within reach....
Summer is in full swing, and so is the love between Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya. From attending summer school together to meeting each other's parents, the two enjoy quality time together while tackling the feelings of self-doubt and emotional strain that come with their...
With the second Winter Comiket just around the corner, Blessing Software has been vigorously producing its new game, "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend." Despite Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura leaving the circle, Megumi Katou and Tomoya Aki are hopeful that, by...
While playing in the snow one day at her shrine, the land god Nanami Momozono witnesses her familiar—the fox youkai Tomoe—collapse, with dark markings appearing on his body. Tomoe's former master, Lord Mikage, appears after his long absence and places Tomoe into a magical pocket...
Equipped with his passion for diving and admiration for marine biology, university student Tsuneo Suzukawa tries his best to juggle several part-time jobs to earn enough money to study abroad. But one night, in a fateful accident, he meets a girl in a wheelchair, driving his...
In a time of class stratification and rising tensions amongst the impoverished population, the Austrian Empire sends Princess Marie Antoinette to France to be wed to Crown Prince Louis XVI. The political marriage is arranged to strengthen the alliance between both countries, but...
As summer break comes to an end, Nishikata is stoked to try out his newest pranks and finally outdo his classmate Takagi once and for all. Despite his losing streak, he is slowly getting to know the unrelenting workings of her crafty mind. However, he soon realizes that Takagi's...
Resolved to become a more independent person, Yukino Yukinoshita decides to smoothen things out with her parents, and the first step toward achieving that goal is to prove herself. As graduation draws closer for the third-year students, Iroha Isshiki—the president of the...
A human may become a vampire only if they fall in love with one—and 14-year-old Kou Yamori wishes for nothing more. Kou has decided to fall in love with a vampire named Nazuna Nanakusa, and he has only 10 months of nightly rendezvous left to realize his goal. Kou's friends,...
Right now, Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic- holds the #1 spot with a 8.95 on MAL. The elite members of Shuchiin Academy's student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics.
MyAnimePulse tracks over 2,341 romance anime — from 90s classics to shows airing this season. This list focuses on the 25 highest-rated.
If you've never watched romance anime before, Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-, Clannad: After Story, and Fruits Basket: The Final Season are all safe bets. They're highly rated for a reason — any of them will hook you.
