Top 3 Romance Anime
Hi! Just wanted to ask your personal favorite top 3 Rom Anime. And ideally if you can explain why you like it or what makes it special.
I've seen some, but also many I haven't seen, so want to check out which one would be interesting to watch next.
Won't share What I've seen so far, so it is ok if you share something I already watched. Also curious as well to know which ones are overall the favorites.
Thanks!
I've seen some, but also many I haven't seen, so want to check out which one would be interesting to watch next.
Won't share What I've seen so far, so it is ok if you share something I already watched. Also curious as well to know which ones are overall the favorites.
Thanks!
Commentaires
The users of this subreddit came up with [a chart of anime recommendations for newcomers and veterans](https://i.redd.it/0w1v880jtq661.png) and [an awesome longer flowchart](https://i.redd.it/vdzlkodz19c71.png). Maybe you can find something there that you'll like \^.\^
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Toradora - wonderful cast and production, RieKugi at her finest, some extremely touching moments and developments beyond the romance, it's also complete.
Amagami SS - 6 solid to great romances (actually 7) in one series and all wrapped up to boot. The character designs are really strong despite sticking to realistic hair colors and styles with pretty strong visuals.
I think for 3 I'll go for Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai? Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen which balances comedy and romantic development well while never taking the focus off of the romantic interactions. The issue with this one is that post-S3 it focuses on the main duo in the anime to the detriment of all else and that wasn't a wise decision, but you do get some romantic closure even by S3 and even more afterwards with it not ending after the relationship comes together.
I could probably come up with other options but those popped into my head immediately.
I have to mention my favorite anime, Cardcaptor Sakura, as its main genre is not romance, but the romance subplot ends up being just as important, if not more, than the main magical girl plot, and the romance is why I CCS is my nº 1 anime.
* White Album 2: For when you want heavy drama.
* Insomniacs After School: Just a simple unembellished story about two people meeting by accident and falling in love, yet with superb execution.
Just because!
My teen romantic comedy snafu
2• Ohshc - again MC is not a pushover and the main ship is so cute and each host characters dynamic and personality is interesting (please forget about the twins 💔)
3• An April shower may bring flowers - This one is so cuteeeee and I love how the MC doesn’t have to change to be ‘pretty ‘ for the ML and the ML loves her regardless and the slow burn is actually worth it !!!
Romantic Killer is a good pick too. Watched it just recently after someone mentioned it in this sub and loved it.
Ouran is in my list and I should get to it soon.
[Spice and Wolf](https://livechart.me/anime/3481) — A traveling merchant in a medieval land is joined by an ancient wolf spirit and they roam together. The banter between the leads is great and they have excellent chemistry. Some people prefer the [newer adaptation](https://www.livechart.me/anime/11104) which will eventually cover more of the story.
Beyond that I have something like a six-way tie for third where my favorite will depend on the day, so picking one of those arbitrarily:
[Toradora](https://livechart.me/anime/3420) — Two unlikely companions work together to help each other get with their crush. The quintessential school romance in my opinion, covering most of the major events over the course of the school year without dragging on before it wraps everything up.
I haven't watch the newer Spice and Wolf remake yet, but Holo was so peak in the original version.
Toradora is also one of my favorite! If you don't mind, could you tell me the other 5 romance anime that are tied for third?
* [I Have a Crush at Work](https://livechart.me/anime/12763) — A couple who are very into each other try to keep their relationship hidden from their coworkers.
* [Insomniacs After School](https://livechart.me/anime/11024) — A pair of students aim to nap in the old astronomy club room.
* [A Sign of Affection](https://livechart.me/anime/12222) — A deaf girl attending college has a chance run-in with a world traveler who takes an interest in her.
* [NANA](https://livechart.me/anime/3640) — Sex, drugs, and rock and roll: the story of two women that become friends after a chance encounter.
* [With You, Our Love Will Make It Through](https://livechart.me/anime/13017) — A girl's drawn to the demihuman trying to integrate with her school.
* [Bloom Into You](https://livechart.me/anime/3227) — An introspective study on what the concept of romance and relationships mean to different people.
A Star Brighter than the Sun
Tsukigakirei
Some with more action: apothecary diaries, my happy marriage, and Dan da Dan
A Silent Voice is a movie that’ll leave you in tears. Fragrant Flower is so wholesome that it’s just beautiful. Rascal Does Not Dream is peak.
Rascal does not dream series
(characters, story development, hit hard emotionally, just has a very special place in my heart)
Clannad
(Goes from school to adulthood, life changing, hit hard emotionally, character development, characters)
MDUD
(Characters, visuals, storyline, very entertaining, there's more but I'm blanking)
Lovely Complex
(romance, comedy, story)
Kaguya Sama
(Comedy, narrator, story, entertaining, romance factor)
Golden Time
(Holds special place in my heart, characters, story, the whole romance part)
Fruits basket
(Characters, storyline)
Kamisama
(good ending, characters, entertaining storyline)
Go like 30 more that I consider "peak"
Toradora
Spice and wolf
At the moment my top 3:
1. A sign of Affection (delicate, respectful, adult and the characters are awesome)
2. The dangers in my heart (even though the protagonists are really young, it made my heart race in every scene)
3. My love story with Yamada-kun at lv.999 (easy one since i'm a gamer)
HM: The Quintessential Quintuplets.
I just can't love it. Even if he made me suffer a lot (who knows, knows)
Havent seen many myself as well, but will check the others out, awesome!
Spice and Wolf - Slow burn subtle romance in a fantasy medieval setting. I really loved the chemistry between Holo and Lawrence, especially their banters!
Yubisaki to Renren(A Sign of Affection) - It's just pure fluff and it's unique in that it shows a romance through the perception of someone with a disability and does not treat it as pity or special.
2) My love story
3) Kimi no Tadoke
Another one is ReLife because it can truly touch you and it just hit me deep. Not because I related to it but it does make you think a lot about life.
Then a different tone one is the Quintessential Quintuplets,honestly such a vibe,very fun,intriguing I loved every second of it.
As of movies I want to eat your pancreas would also make it on my top list(I'd say its the best) because of how emotional it is.
Bunny girl Senpai is just also peak
I also enjoy stupid lighthearted ones like Bokuben,100 girlfriends,cafe terrace etc...
Kaguya-sama
The Dangers in my Heart
HM: Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Toradora, Golden Time, Strawberry Panic, Bloom into You, TWGOK, Horimiya, ToniKawa, Your Lie in April
My Dress Up Darling - I have some other slice of life shows rated higher, but this is probably my favorite "wholesome" romance show as far as just giving good feelings and comfy scenes with two characters slowly getting more used to being in each other's company. I don't mind the fan service as much as some people might, and I like the otaku/cosplay narrative device that makes Marin a relatable girl nerding out over her favorite magical girl shows and whatnot.
Bakemonogatari - Okay this is a bit of a curveball because it's not really a romance, but the relationship between Araragi and Senjougahara is probably my favorite in all of anime. Their banter, the way they poke around each other defense to get at what they really mean. The date scene under the stars. The absolute trust they have in each other. I wish so much of their relationship wasn't as off screen as it was. I'd love even just temporary glimpses of them studying together or bantering around at home more than they actually show. But in a show full of throwing crazy character dynamics at each other and seeing how they react, the dynamic between Araragi and Senjougahara is the one that I always liked the most.
**Teasing master Takagi-san** \- Nagatoro without the naughty bits, \*and more intelligent. No unintentional bullying here. It's a psy op!
**Kaguya-sama: Love is WAR** \- And they mean it. It's all about who gets the other to confess first and all the trials and tribulation that ensue. The Narrator turns things up to 11. The supporting characters often steal the show. The crescendo episode nearly broke the internet. The latest episode that aired last week, hit a little too close to home.
Fruits Basket
100 Girlfriends
(1) **\*\*The Dangers in my Heart\*\*** \- this was truly the show that raised my expectations of the genre in general. It often puts people off at the first couple of episodes, but the progression and natural pacing raised this to the gold standard. Fantastic writing and just generally what I see as important - being with others helps you grow yourself as an individual.
(2) **\*\*The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity\*\*** \- one of the latest and one of my favorites now. It also has quite strong writing and development and I'm often torn to pick between the two on which one I like more. There's just so much to unpack here, even outside of the main featured romance. While the romance is quite well done, there's such a wonderful emphasis on friends and family too. I've never felt so catered to before when watching.
\---- Those two are the ones that above and beyond the others I personally like. They are just the ones that resonate with me the most. It's honestly hard to pick the third for me. Something like Kaguya-sama is great and quite entertaining (I am a fan), I'll go for something a little more "out there."
(3) **\*\*Nagi no Asukara\*\*** (A Lull in the Sea) - well... calling this a romance might be a tad of a stretch. It lies a little more in the drama territory. The polygon gets so complicated, and i guess that's part of the appeal. It's one of those shows that might be pretty mid by today's standard, but for some reason, there's just this intangible that has me thinking about it every now and then. I don't want to say too much here, but it's quite an interesting show considering it aired in 2013-2014
And Fragrant flower blooms with dignity is for me ver close, and of what iv'e seen is my 2nd favorite rom anime. Loved it so much as well.
Thanks for that suggestion, will definitvely check it out even if its not romance. One of the reason I wanted to ask is because I'm sure there are many idden gems out there that I would never find out by myself, so will put this one down in my to watch list.
as for Nagi no Asukara, it’s quite a different as a heads up. it’s nowhere near my favorites, but lives rent free in the back of my head every now and then. i think the synopsis on MAL does a good job - it’s something along the lines of Anohana with more world building.
Some other romances that might be slightly less watched that I enjoyed:
(1) Insomniacs after School
(2) Plastic Memories
(3) ReLIFE
In that aspect Dangers in my heart I really like how real the characters were, have more flaws, and the boys act how boys do. But still you can see they are good people and is nice to see the journey of self improvement of them, and how sometime they go 2 stp forward and then 1 step back, like irl.
So of course my top option is **Steins;Gate**...which isn't actually a romance, I guess. But it's one of my favorite animes *because* of the romantic sub-plot, so I'm sticking with it. Characters are almost universally off-putting, but I really loved them by the end. And more and more on subsequent rewatches. Romance is fairly understate; most of the characters are not very comfortable being emotionally vulnerable, so it's a pretty slow burn. Makes the moments when they legitimately open up hit harder, though.
I'll second **Golden Time**: college-aged romance, characters are bonkers initially but really grew on me, and it's a complete story. Hits a lot of really solid notes. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say that this one is right in my strike zone, too, and leave it at that.
Third place is harder. I really loved **Dangers in my Heart** and **Insomniacs After School** recently, but I'm not sure if they're "top 3" worthy yet. Need a couple more rewatches to establish that. **Say I Love You** is super high on my list, but only because it led me to the manga; the anime isn't a complete story, and has anime-original stuff as its final episode which really tarnished the series for me. The manga, though, is a really beautiful example of a romance that evolves typical (for the time) stereotypical characters into full-fledged people, including the characters you really hate initially. Anime is still decent, just not actually top 3. Like many here, I also really enjoyed **Toradora** and **Rascal Does Not Dream**, but the former didn't age super well for me (the more times I rewatch, the less patience I have for the main characters), and the latter isn't a complete story.
If you want to count movies, though, then **Your Name** is the definitive third place winner, because again...strike zone. 🤣
I don't like anime that focus solely on romance, since they tend to run out of ideas quickly and either become boring or tedious from lack of any decent romantic development. Good romance, for me at least, needs to have or be a secondary focus to something else in the story. Imagine romance like a grape vine, without anything to support its growth it just falls on the floor. An anime I should mention is Wagnaria!!!, because it starts off as just a comedy slice-of-life, but in the last season shifts to a great romance because several developed relationships start to bloom into romantic ones.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that romance is better when it's a secondary focus.
I somewhat agree with you, because I have notice that on some rom animes. Normally they tend to use secondary characters to push the story forward, and sometimes this is too much.
But I understan why, because is very very tough to keep the story going on if it is just romance. So I agree there has to be something else and not just that.
That is why for example, Dangers in my heart I consider it to be my #1 rom anime of what I've seen. I watched it completely and read the manga up to date and does what not other has done, that the focus is always on the MC's, and the secondary characters are always there to support them. But it never gets dull or boring. that is because the journey of the MC's, especially him is to overcome their personal issues. They are characters with flaws and self doubts, and is very very good how they develop themselves, and more than the romance itself that is good, is how they interact between each other, their relationship, and the character development is so so well done. I think that is why is so good, because on how is a constant self improvement development, and the MC's complement each other, but since they are kids 13-14 years old they still have lots to grow. hopefully you can give it a chance (and almost everyone agrees the first 2-3 episodes are not bad , but the MC seems not be liked so much, but soon you will see that is only a self defense mechanism and chuuni thoughts, nothing more). then it gets better and better and then each episode is masterpiece after masterpiece, especially season 2, but season 1 still is outstanding the 2nd half i would. totally worth it!
Will check yours too, they look very interesting, have written them down, thank you!!
Spice and Wolf
Toradora
Nodame Cantabile
Kare Kano (but only cause I finished the manga, anime is incomplete had production issues at the end)
Puts the Com in Rom.
- Horimiya
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
There are quite a few here who highlighted Your Lie in April, but even tho it’s a Top 5 anime for me, I really don’t think it fits the genre (minus very specific part around the end)
The Dangers in My Heart
Fruits Basket
2. 5 cm per second
3. Toradora.
Next in line, unsorted :
* Kaguya-Sama
* Insomniacs after school
* Nagatoro
* Angel next door spoils me rotten
* Fragrant flower blooms with dignity
* Aharen-San
* Tada never falls in Love
* Recovery of an MMO Junkie
* Maid-Sama
* Pseudo Harem
* TQQ
* More than a married couple
* 365 days to the wedding
* The dangers in my Heart
* Kubo won't let me be invisible
.... and many more.
Oh, and one more thing. Mai and Sakuta have been my smartphone wallpaper for over four years now. Definitely a romantic story and also my number one.
Love is War
Say I love you
Blue Box
Golden Time
Your lie in April
2)365 days to the wedding.
3)The fragrant flower blooms with dignity.
More than a married couple but not lovers.
Oregairu.
Ore monogatari.
Tada kun never falls in love.
I have a few more that I like, but these are the top 3 that I really love.
Nodame Cantabile - Funny romcom, great music, and what I like the most is that there is no overly shy moments between couples, like, they don't get overly flustered over holding hands, kisses, or even further physical affections. It just feels more natural and they don't make a big deal out of it.
Toradora - Another funny romcom and a pretty interesting premise where both main leads met under the circumstances where they liked another person, eventually things happened and they fell in love with each other. As a fan of Tsundere this is a must watch for me. Toradora tugged my heartstring multiple times and I love it, not many anime can do that.
The best part is that all 3 of these series have complete adaptation and an ending.
P.S. Clannad After Story is one of my highest rated anime, but I personally don't consider it a romance anime so I excluded it from the list, but it is a very good anime.
Romantic Killer
Lovely Complex
1) love is hard for otaku
2) a silent voice
3)your name
i really wish for a second season of love is hard as the secondary couple were really cute and wholesome🙂
i know the other two are movies but i really do wish for a sequel especially a silent voice(really a emotional rollercoaster)
meh its my personal choice tho so no offence to anyone...
Ao Haru ride- perfect everything about it. I loved romance anime’s with childhood friends so I knew I’d love this. Seeing Kou slowly start to warm up to futaba throughout the anime was beautiful. There relationship was complex, but I love how no matter their past conflict they still cherished each other.
Snow White with the red hair-SOOOO UNDERATED. It was the most wholesome romance anime. One of the few were the leads COMMUNICATE and hardly argue. I like how romance wasn’t the main plot, most of th episodes was shirayuki journey being a herbalist and zen carrying out his prince duties. Seeing their friendship and then love story blossom was so cute!
(So peak def recommend 🙌🏽)
Nana
Insomniacs After School
2.love is war
3.clannad
Golden time
7th time loop
- Rascal Does Not Dream
- My Dress-Up Darling
- Horimiya
100 Girlfriends would unironically be one of my favorites as well.
EDIT: Okay, if Spice and Wolf counts, that supplants Horimiya and goes straight to the top.
**Clannad**, best one for feels and overall some healthy relationshops
Third place is hard. Thereare a bunch of serues I could have out there. But let's go with this one:
**Yagate Kimi ni Naru/Bloom Into You**, the best (and pretty realistic) GL anime. The only drawback is that we never git S2.
(The magus effort to protect the arrange/chosen bride is heart warming, and the bride effort to reciprocate his love and learn the way of magus norm)
Toradora
(The tsundere little stature girl always not in agreement with her male friend that turn couple later, their interaction was always in chaos)
Ore monogatari
(Just a comedy couple thingy which I find it rather interesting, contrast appearance couple which brutish guy have a cute girlfriend. His overly affectionate towards each other that infuriates his surrounding friends)
(Why this very different three? They leave deep impression on me, they are the first that comes into my mind)
I'm not the biggest fan of Clannad but it's well worth it for Clannad Afterstory.
2. Fruits Basket (the 2019 remake) - Whilst I have some issues with it, mostly with how the author really like age gap relationships, the core romances are great and the drama is amazing.
I watched the entire final season in one sitting I was breathless the entire time.
3. Kaguya-sama: Love is War - For one, it's a romcom that actually has clever comedy. It's also has some really great drama. Kaguya and Shirogane are two of the best-written protagonists in romance, in my opinion, and their romance is so good.
Duelling Hearts Festival and First Kiss Never Ends are two of my favourite arcs of all time.
blue box
romantic killer!!
2. Maid sama
3. Golden time/quintuplets
Nodame Cantabile: my absolute fav anime, the only one I rewatch every year or so because it's my confort anime. I love the comedy and the sinergy between characters, the passion they show for music and also their struggles. Slow burn but also quite conclusive, the FL has her own journey with music throughout the series. Tsundere ML. It adapts the whole manga, but being an anime centered on music, the adaptation exceeds the manga IMHO (being able to hear what they're playing is a plus).
Kamisama Kiss: love the comedy in this one too and the lore. The ML is a tsundere with a dark past. The FL is adorable and confident (I'm not fond of insecure FL, they get on my nerves). The story starts with arcs centered on different mythical beings but advances with arcs centered on the main characters. It adapts the whole manga too.
Skip and Loafer: a heartwarming anime, every interaction between characters is just precious to me. Every character has his or her own situation and the series shows how they are shaped based on that and how their friendship evolves. Slow burn too, the manga is ongoing so the anime is not complete, but there will be at least a second season.
1. Kaoru Hana
2. Tenshi-Sama
3. Kisekoi
If you don't mind things getting a bit more complicated and love polygons watch Oregairu IMO the best in the romcom genre, Toradora also love polygon and heavy drama but worth a watch. And if you don't mind comedy mixed with the romance I also recommend Roshidere and Sakurasou.
The quintessential Quintuplets;
Clannad