Romance Anime Fans Look Here!

I created my own personal watch list but here are some more recommendations! Let me know if you have seen any.

TOHRU AND KYO FRUITS BASKET

🌸 Classics (Must-Watch Foundational Shoujo)

1. Fruits Basket (2019-2021) – Healing, deep character arcs, love triangle.

2. Ouran High School Host Club – Lighthearted, reverse harem, iconic humor.

3. Sailor Moon – Magical girls + romance, the blueprint for many.

4. Cardcaptor Sakura – Innocent romance, magical girl nostalgia.

5. Kimi ni Todoke – Sweet, slow-burn, misunderstood girl and popular boy.

6. Nana – Gritty, mature look at love, fame, and female friendship.

💖 Modern Favorites (2000s–Present)

1. Horimiya – Refreshing take on high school love, wholesome and real.

2. My Love Story!! (Ore Monogatari) – Lovable twist on shoujo tropes.

3. Toradora! – Tsundere queen + emotional growth.

4. Ao Haru Ride – Melancholy, second chances, gorgeous art.

5. Say I Love You – Quiet girl + popular guy with sincere romance.

6. Snow White with the Red Hair – Gentle fantasy romance, strong heroine.

💔 Emotional / Bittersweet / Dramatic

1. Your Lie in April – Music, young love, and tragedy.

2. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas – Poetic and devastating.

3. Orange – Sci-fi twist, regrets and redemption.

4. Clannad: After Story – Gut-wrenching family/romance drama.

5. Ef: A Tale of Memories – Artistic, nonlinear, intense emotions.

💌 Underrated Gems

1. Lovely★Complex – Tall girl + short guy, lots of laughs and heart.

2. Tsuki ga Kirei – Realistic, middle school romance at its finest.

3. Itazura na Kiss – Classic slow-burn love story (divisive but iconic).

4. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster) – Quirky, chaotic energy.

5. Ojisan to Marshmallow – Office romance with comedic charm.

✨ Magical, Fantasy, or Supernatural Romance

1. Kamisama Kiss (Kamisama Hajimemashita) – God x familiar, magical shoujo vibes.

2. Akatsuki no Yona – Romance + action + political drama.

3. Yamada Tarou Monogatari – Comedy/romance with a twist on class differences.

4. Spice and Wolf – Economic fantasy with slow-burn, witty romance.

5. Vampire Knight – Dark, gothic love triangle.

🎀 Reverse Harems / Otome Adaptations

1. Yona of the Dawn – (Again because it fits here too!)

2. Uta no Prince-sama – Idols + romance.

3. Hanasakeru Seishounen – Political intrigue meets romance.

4. Diabolik Lovers – Gothic, but more style than substance (popular in the aesthetic crowd).

5. Brothers Conflict – Drama-filled guilty pleasure.

🌟 Cozy and Wholesome

1. Skip and Loafer – New-gen gem, shy girl and warm-hearted boy.

2. ReLIFE – Adult given a second chance at high school life.

3. Insomniacs After School – Quiet intimacy and shared secrets.

4. The Dangers in My Heart – Weird kid romance with surprising depth.

5. Kimi wa Petto (Tramps Like Us) – Mature romance with an unusual premise.

   
   

   

   365 DAYS TO THE WEDDING. HONORABLE MENTION. 2 AWKWARD PEOPLE GETTING TO THE POINT. LOVED IT!!

   
   

🌟 Modern Romance + Fantasy Isekai/Drama

These fit the “Yakuza Fiancée,” “Raeliana,” “7th Time Loop,” and “My Happy Marriage” kind of vibe:

• The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – Romance with adult female lead + healing fantasy.

• Sugar Apple Fairy Tale – Strong-willed girl in a fantasy world with slow-burn romance.

• The World is Still Beautiful – Weather magic princess marries a young emperor—sweet and emotional.

• Fena: Pirate Princess – Fantasy adventure + romance vibes, underrated.

• Norn9 – Otome game adaptation, historical fantasy romance.

• The Executioner and Her Way of Life – Yuri romance hidden in fantasy action (with a twist).

🎀 Soft, Wholesome, Slice-of-Life Romance

For fans of A Sign of Affection, Ice Guy, Skip and Loafer, etc.

• My Senpai is Annoying – Office rom-com with adorable age gap.

• Tanaka-kun is Always Listless – Chill, slow-burn cute feelings.

• Sweetness & Lightning – More about family and food, but warm feelings galore.

• Senryuu Girl – Girl speaks in poems, short & super sweet.

• Tsurezure Children – Micro-romances; rapid-fire couples with all kinds of cute tropes.

💘 High School Romance Hits

If you liked Tomo-chan, Kimi ni Todoke, My Little Monster, etc.

• Blue Spring Ride: Prologue (Movie) – You already love Ao Haru Ride, now get the origin story.

• Bloom Into You – Thoughtful yuri with a slow emotional unraveling.

• Just Because! – Understated, realistic portrayal of love and growing up.

• One Week Friends – Melancholy, sweet, about memory loss and persistence.

• Tsuki ga Kirei – Realistic and tender portrayal of first love.

💣 Emotionally Charged / Drama-Rich

If you love Orange, Violet Evergarden, Rascal Does Not Dream:

• Plastic Memories – AI love and loss, prepare to cry.

• The Pet Girl of Sakurasou – Messy but meaningful college-age romance.

• Kuzu no Honkai (Scum's Wish) – Dark, messy, and deeply emotional.

• Your Name (Movie) – Sci-fi, romance, and fate.

• 5 Centimeters per Second – Bittersweet poetry in motion.

💍 Josei + Mature Romance

For a slightly older, more mature crowd:

• Nodame Cantabile – Music school romance + chaotic pianist heroine.

• Paradise Kiss – Fashion, glam, bittersweet growing up.

• Hataraki Man – Career woman + relationship balance.

• Natsuyuki Rendezvous – Supernatural love triangle involving a ghost.

• After the Rain – Unconventional romance, beautifully handled.

😈 Reverse Harem / Guilty Pleasure

In the same zone as The Wallflower, Ouran, Yakuza Fiancé:

• Dance with Devils – Gothic musical harem. Campy, chaotic fun.

• Brothers Conflict – Insane premise, but addictive.

• Uta no Prince-sama – Idol-filled reverse harem madness.

• La Corda d'Oro – Classical music boys, light reverse harem.

🧠 Smart, Surprising Romance Picks

For fans of Wotakoi, Yamada Lv999, Dress-Up Darling:

• Recovery of an MMO Junkie – Online dating and awkward adulthood.

• Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It – Nerd love at its nerdiest.

• Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun – Meta-comedy about making shoujo manga.

• Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend – Otaku twist on harem with actual heart.

• The Duke of Death and His Maid – Curse keeps them from touching—pure longing.

🎬 Romantic Anime Movies You Must See

• The Garden of Words – Rainy, melancholic beauty.

• A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi) – Redemption and deep emotional weight.

• I Want to Eat Your Pancreas – Heartbreaking and poetic.

• Josee, the Tiger and the Fish – Wholesome with emotional depth.

• Ride Your Wave – Surfing, love, and moving on.

I HAVE A CRUSH AT WORK