Hey, I’m looking for my first romance anime.

So I’ve never watched a romance anime before. I’ve watched stuff like frieren, 86, and other shows with romance as a side plot. Tbh I’ve found myself super interested in the romance in those shows and wishing it was more in depth. So I decided to watch a romance.

Things I’d prefer

1. Characters are over

18

2. I don’t want to wait 24 episodes just for them to Hold hands. It would be nice if they were a couple for half the show.

3.

1. BL and Yuri is also fine.

Also you can recommend shows that don’t fit what I prefer if you think they are really worth it.

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Commentaires

AutoModerator2026-01-29 01:34

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parthghule12026-01-29 01:39

Horimiya

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:53

Going on my list thanks!

omen0562026-01-29 01:39

"Golden Time", peak romance and the story takes place in college. It has 24 episodes and ends within those 24 episodes so no need to wait for a second season and a confession as they became a couple early on like around ep 5-6. The ending is sweet.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:53

I’m making a list and this is going on it thanks!

littlexgamer572026-01-29 03:51

Also heard a lot of good things about this anime.

Motor_Difference_8022026-01-29 01:40

I’m gonna get downvoted but romance anime so far for me has been good at best, nothing great or crazy. Some of them are incredibly overrated.

With that being said Blue Box is probably the best I’ve seen. I haven’t see Kaguya Sama Love Is War yet

Poobrick2026-01-29 01:54

If blue box is the best you’ve seen I’m not surprised you haven’t enjoyed most romances

Motor_Difference_8022026-01-29 01:56

I mean I’ve see like 10 I think. Fragrant flower being rated as high as it is then being what it was is part of why I have this perception. What do you reccomend?

littlexgamer572026-01-29 02:01

Well, I’ve found I hyper focus on any cute couple in shows I watch despite those shows not being romance. So I can imagine I’ll love the genre.

awesomenessofme12026-01-29 01:43

Adult cast, pacing not too slow, got it.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
A Sign of Affection
My Happy Marriage

For some reason almost all of them are shojo. I do have a lot of shonen/seinen romances I love (that's most of them, actually), but I don't think I know of any that meet both of those criteria.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:54

As I guy…..I kinda prefer shojo….lmao

IntroductionRare52712026-01-29 02:02

As funny as it is I found the only romance anime I like are written by women lol.

Japanese dudes cannot write a romance I enjoy lol.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 02:07

Lmao, as a dude who gets zero play, I would have no idea where to start when writing a romance, especially the FMC, as I have no idea how they think.

Comprehensive_Dog6512026-01-29 14:21

You prefer shojo and have never seen a romance? Wow

littlexgamer572026-01-29 14:39

Well I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a shojo or a Josei to be fair. That being said most of my favorites anime’s have had female leads and IMO leaned more towards female audience. They might not actually fall under the shojo/josei genre. Things like violet evergarden.

Edit: also what does not seeing a romance have to do with liking shojo? Just curious

Comprehensive_Dog6512026-01-29 14:56

Most shojo are romance

littlexgamer572026-01-29 05:02

Oh also if you wanted to add the rest of the Shonen/seinen ones as well that would be appreciated.

awesomenessofme12026-01-29 06:16

OK, if you just want everything that I think is really good (some of these have probably also been mentioned in this thread):
Kaguya-sama: Love is War
My Dress-Up Darling (if you don't mind fanservice)
The Dangers in My Heart
Spice and Wolf (the reboot is the one I watched; this doesn't have much progress but it is about adults)
Tonikawa
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale
Horimiya
Blue Box
Rascal Does Not Dream (debatable if this should actually be classed as a romance, but it's a really good watch in general)
Tsukigakirei
Tomo-chan is a Girl

These are sorted very roughly in order of how much I would recommend them as a romance. (Rascal would be higher in general, as I said, but the romance itself isn't *that* great.)

littlexgamer572026-01-29 14:41

Thank you, I’ll add these. I’ve heard good things about about rascal even if it isn’t super romance. You have a few no one mentioned so thx

SpiritofBad2026-01-29 01:45

Good romance anime:
* Toradora
* Kaguya (Love is War)
* Horimiya
* Pseudo Harem
* Skip and Loafer (more SoL)
* I can’t understand what my husband is saying
* Tsurezure Children
* Tonikawa Kawaii

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:54

I’ll check some of these out thanks!

Kadmos12026-01-29 04:01

The Eng. dub of "Kaguya-sama" is hilarious, especially Ian Sinclair as the Narrator.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 04:03

Really. I like comedy’s lol. As long as the romance is good. Being funny is only an upside.

Ok-Cod52542026-01-29 01:46

Fit both criteria:

* I Have a Crush at Work
* Wotakoi
* A Sign of Affection
* Snow White with the Red Hair

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:55

Thanks! A lot of people are recommending, I have a crush at work. It’s going on the list! I’ll check the rest out.

IntroductionRare52712026-01-29 01:48

As others have said golden time is probably your best bet

hormiya is good too but they're in highschool

Dangers in my heart - give it 3 episodes the characters are young but the romance feels genuine, it's honestly probably the best romance released in a while. Dont let the first episode or two out you off, I cannot stress how good the show is lol.

Wotokoi is also pretty good and has adults and multiple couples

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:56

I’ll try dangers in my heart! Thanks. It doesn’t have to fit the criteria perfectly, but it really seems you like the show so I’ll trust you.

puchirus2026-01-29 01:48

Kowloon Generic Romance is a fantastic romance mystery. Definitely one of my favorite shows to have for out lately. I would try to describe it but I'm bad at summarizing things and the pure retro summer vibes can't be shown through my words alone haha.

Solo Camping for Two is a good fluffy one. I like to watch this with my husband while eating dinner lol. Basically a college student bonds with a cold and serious camper over campfire meals and chips at the walls around his heart. This one is definitely more of a slow burn though.

The Invisible Man and his Soon to-be Wife is airing this season and is turning out to be super cute and super well paced. I'm talking a proper dinner date by episode three!! No beating around the bush! It's cute to see the dynamic between an invisible man and a human blind woman. There are a lot of demihumans in this universe so it's very interesting to see an office romance with this sort of setting!!!

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:57

Thank you so much for the reply. I say if it’s good enough for a married couple they gotta be good Lmao. I’ll add these to my list!

Horror-Candle-60252026-01-29 01:48

i love this anime MY LVL999 LOVE FOR YAMADA KUN

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:57

I’ve seen this name a couple times I’ll add it to my list!

PorterhouseJ2026-01-29 01:48

Try “I have a crush at work”. It’s an office setting instead of the usual high school, and unlike other office romance shows the characters act their age (adults). There is real progress and romantic development pretty consistently throughout the show so you won’t be waiting a whole season just for them to hold hands and maybe kiss.

Dangers in my heart is also excellent. It very much is about awkward school crushes turning into young love, but the way they portray it is really sweet and wholesome. One of the great modern romances.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:58

Yea these two are a popular recommendation so I’ll deff add these to my list. With the amount of feedback I’m getting I might be binging romance for a while with my lonely single ass lmao

Early-Ad72672026-01-29 01:51

A sign of affection :3

littlexgamer572026-01-29 01:58

I’ll check it out thanks!

DuckiesDoBeCute2026-01-29 02:04

nana is the goat for a reason

littlexgamer572026-01-29 02:08

I’ll check it out thanks!

Appropriate-While6012026-01-29 02:14

Spice and wolf, snow white with red hair, Kakuriyo bed and breakfast for spirits, Saiunkoko monogatari.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 02:15

I’ve herd of spice and wolf. Thanks I’ll check these all out!

magnidwarf19002026-01-29 02:26

Domestic Girlfriend

littlexgamer572026-01-29 03:46

I heard this one is really ecchi? Is that true, and how bad.

TrainingNobody15662026-01-29 21:15

This is sooo trash anime, plz ignore it

manxinabox2026-01-29 02:30

The saints magic power is omnipotent - it's amazing and complete. They're adults as well
The ice guy and his cool female colleague is cute
Heaven Officials Blessing is very well done. Its BL
Unnamed memory, sugar apple fairytale, love after world domination, and plunderer (might count as romance but it's not finished and probably never will be). Sword art online could technically count as romance too. Kamisama kiss, maid sama, and fruits basket center on teens but it's tastefully done and not creepy like some can be.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 03:48

Thanks I’ll look at them. That’s why I prefer 18+ but if it’s done naturally and it in a creepy way I’ll check them out as well. Thanks!

Illustrious_Arm_7322026-01-29 03:49

My dress up darling, THE APOTHECARY DIARIES, Darling in the franxx, Howl's moving castle, Violet evergarden and Romantic killer definitely. But also My happy marriage, Re:life, 7th time loop, Doctor Elise, Villainess level 99, The do-over damsel conquers the dragon emperor, I'll become a villainess who goes down in history, I'm the villainess so I'm timing the final boss, My next life as a villainess all route lead to doom, Why Raeliana ended up in duke's mansion, Who made me a princess, Betrothed to my sister's ex, The dark history of the reincarnated villainess, Nina the starry bride, Paradise kiss, 365 days to the wedding, Days with my stepsister, A condition called love, Sign of affection, Say "I love you", The demon prince of Momochi house, Kamisama kiss, Yona of the dawn, Fireworks, Orange, More than a married couple but not lovers, The tunnel to summer the exit of goodbyes, Guilty Crown, Summer time rendering, Your lie in April, Suzume, Rent a girlfriend, Blue spring ride, Kimi ni todoke, Snow white with red hair, I want to eat your pancreas, Your name, Koikimo, Love is hard for an otaku, Kaichou wa maid sama, Oreigaru, Tomo chan is a girl, A star brighter than the sun, Honey lemon soda, Saiunkoku monogatari, My love story with Yamada kun level 99, Fruits basket, May I ask for one final thing, Blue box, The fragrant flowers blooms with dignity, I have a crush at work, Anyway I'm falling in love with you, Patema inverter, I want to escape my princess lessons, Cyberpunk edge runners, Call of the night, Yakuza fiancè, Love between fairy and devil.

littlexgamer572026-01-29 04:00

I’m taking a screen shot of this. Although I’ve already seen, darling in the franx, and violet evergarden, and they aren’t fully romance. I’m looking for pure romance.

Illustrious_Arm_7322026-01-29 04:20

They talk about love or represent it in different ways, but they are all very good!

littlexgamer572026-01-29 04:34

thanks for the list man. Lots to choose from, I’ll deff refer back to this whenever I’m looking for somthing new.

SHADOW_SINGH2026-01-29 04:34

Genuinely try tonikawa over the moon for you it was my first romance and goddamn it was good

littlexgamer572026-01-29 04:54

Added to the list. You’re the first to recommend that and I love niche anime.

Ginsan-AK2026-01-29 16:09

No Doubt in Us

mihizawi2026-01-29 16:37

Romance with characters that are over 18 is a bit of a limitation, as A LOT of romances are set in high school.

I am gonna list the few that I've watched that check the age request:

\- Ai Yori Aoshi: this one is a harem, but a harem where the two main characters (university age) get together at the very start of the anime, but they have to keep their relationship a secret which allows other girls to show varying degrees of interest in the main character, but the main relationship is never in doubt and the other girls (some of them are quite a bit younger) are mostly for comedy. The main couple during the anime does go way beyond hand-holding, so that's another check. However, while there's good progress in the relationship, the anime ends in a very awkward moment, like it was supposed to continue but didn't get the next season.

\- Clannad: this one starts as a high school harem romance with a bit of a supernatural elements, and then in the second season (Clannad: After Story) transforms into the struggles of a young adult couple, including some extremely sad moments (tissues needed).

Other romances that go beyond hand-holding (kissing or more):

\- Kimagure Orange Road: 80's anime about a love triangle. Two of the characters start as 15, while the third in the triangle is 13. During the series, it is unclear how much time passes, but in the first movie that resolves the story, I think the older characters are preparing for university, meaning that they are 18. Basically, at the end of the anime, they kiss. There's a second movie which shows a bit of what happens after, and in that second movie, they have sex at the end (no actual nudity).

\- Love, Chunibyo and other delusions: very sweet and funny high school romcom with some drama, despite the appearance of childishness of some of the main characters, they start dating quite early in the series, and in the movie that ends the story they actually kiss.

\- Toradora: a high school romance about a quite messy love polygon. By the end, the main couple does end up kissing.

\- Fruits Basket: a reverse harem shojo romance, as far as I remember, the main couple does end up kissing, but I am not 100% sure.

\- School Days: warning, this is not a happy romance, it's very messed up and all the characters are assholes, and the MC is the worst asshole, but still, they go way beyond kissing, so I am including it here.

Ecchi romances that go beyond hand-holding (with heavy sexual themes and some very taboo topics, such as incest):

\- Yosuga no Sora

\- Kiss x Sis

Unfinished or probably unfinished high school romances that have a slightly more mature tone to it, and that I expect to do at least kissing in future seasons:

\- The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

\- My Dress-up Darling

\- Alya sometimes hides her feelings in Russian

\- Skip and Loafer

Honorable mention:

\- Teasing Master Takagi-san: this one is in middle-school and is a very slow burn, don't expect much more than hand-holding and a confession at the end, but it is such a gem, both as a cute romance and as a hillarious comedy, that I had to include it despite not checking any of your points.

TrainingNobody15662026-01-29 21:16

Your lie in April... Peak show