Romance blossoms in all of us. With famous anime love stories such as Horimiya and Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, some romantic gems get lost in their dazzling light. Here is our list of the top 5 romance anime you probably haven’t seen.
5. Kimi ni Todoke
Who doesn’t love a good Loner x Popular trope in the media? Kimi ni Todoke features Sawako Kuronuma, a not-so-popular loner with a supposedly creepy face. Despite her appearance, she is actually a sweet girl whose only wish is to be helpful. However, upon talking more often to the popular boy, Shota Kazehaya, she finds herself opening up and learning how to navigate communicating to others.
This romance anime is a beloved and wholesome journey about learning to overcome miscommunication and building connections and relationships. There’s something so precious about the puppy love that sprouts in between these two characters that genuinely strive to make each other better people.
Watch Say “I Love You” on Netflix. 1 Season, 24 Episodes (Completed)
4. Ao Haru Ride
In a sweet childhood friends to lovers storyline, Ao Haru Ride reintroduces the main heroine, Futaba Yoshioka with her first love, Kou Tanaka, whom she planned on confessing to three years ago. After reuniting in high school, the two relight the spark between them. Despite their many changes while apart, the two learn to find themselves and love each other again.
Ao Haru Ride is a sweet and comedy romance anime that touches the hearts of those craving young love. It describes the concepts of reconnection and change within people perfectly. The characters are well-fleshed out and have excellent dynamics.
Watch Ao Haru Ride on Crunchyroll. 1 Season, 12 Episodes (Completed)
3. Snow White with the Red Hair
Set in the fantastical kingdom of Tanbarun, Snow White with the Red Hair is a beloved classic for those growing up in the 2000s. This romance anime series follows the sweet pharmacist, Shirayuki, coveted for her striking red hair. Shirayuki escapes the prying eye of the prince, who demands she become his concubine. After cutting her beloved hair off, she runs away to the neighboring kingdom and stumbles into the arms of a handsome stranger.
Snow White with the Red Hair is a beautiful retelling of the famous, Germanic fairytale, Snow White. It features unique and visually-appealing characters with a strong female lead and a lovable male lead.
Watch Snow White with the Red Hair on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu. 2 Seasons, 24 Episodes (Completed)
2. The World is Still Beautiful
The World is Still Beautiful follows the relationship of Nike, the youngest princess of the Principality of Rain, and Livius, the Sun King. After losing a game of rock, paper, scissors with her sisters, Nike–who has the ability to summon the rain by singing–travels to the Sun Kingdom to marry the tyrannical Sun King. However, upon arriving, she is stunned to find that the king is a young boy!
A humorous, yet serious portrayal of an arranged marriage between two people, The World is Still Beautiful is a gorgeous and sweet setting of two people that learn to understand each other. Despite there being a five year age gap between the two, the characters develop and grow into their lives together in a rather comedic, yet pleasant way in this romance anime.
Watch The World is Still Beautiful on Crunchyroll. 1 Season, 12 Episodes (Completed)
1. My Happy Marriage
Coming in at number one is My Happy Marriage. A gentle love story set in the 19th-century Meiji Restoration Era, My Happy Marriage navigates its way through the life of Miyo Saimori. As the shunned first-born daughter of the Saimori family, Miyo has been forced into servitude from childhood. When she comes of age, her father sends her away to be married to the cold and supposedly cruel commander, Kiyoka Kudou.
This anime is currently ongoing, but from what viewers can see, it is a beautifully animated and soft tale of learning to love not just another, but oneself. The relationship between Miyo and Kiyoka is delicate and is sure to bring viewers to tears.
Watch My Happy Marriage on Netflix. 1 Season (Ongoing)
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