Love is in the air, and February is the perfect month to put romance anime on repeat all month long! Whether you’re a hopeless romantic looking for the perfect love story, or happily in love, Anime Fire’s got the recommendations for you.
Here are our picks on romance anime to watch this February, in no particular order.
10. Fruits Basket
Tohru Honda is a kindhearted girl who lived in a tent following a family tragedy. One day, she stumbled upon the Sohma family residence, which holds a secret: The family turns into a Zodiac animal upon being hugged by the opposite sex! With this knowledge, Tohru keeps the family secret and continues to live with the Sohmas, determined to break the curse.
Fruits Basket not only displays acts of romantic love between Tohru and Kyo Sohma, but also unconditional love. Tohru is a positive light in the Sohmas’ lives, and her dedication to breaking their family curse is the greatest love of all.
9. A Sign of Affection
In Yuki Itose’s quiet world, Itsuomi Nagi’s love is loud and clear. A hearing-impaired student, Itose is often isolated and reliant on texting, writing, and signing with her close friend, Rin Fujishiro. One day, on the train, she meets Nagi, a multilingual traveler who becomes interested in learning all about Yuki and sign language. The two learn about each others’ worlds, falling in love in the process.
One word to describe this anime: Authentic. The two lead characters are genuinely interested in getting to know each other despite their differences. The two take it slow
8. Horimiya
Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura couldn’t be more different in high school: Hori is popular, and Miyamura is gloomy and branded as an otaku. These two each have a secret: Hori is a homebody and looks after her brother, while Miyamura has piercings and tattoos. The two have a chance encounter when Miyamura brings Hori’s brother home following a fight. Now knowing each other’s secrets, the two promise to keep it quiet, while their own love story unfolds.
A classic grumpy-meets-sunshine trope, Horimiya has a wonderful mix of characters. The side characters experience their own crushes, while the main characters have their own romance and experience love all around from their developing friendships.
7. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
What is the best way to make your ex-boyfriend jealous? Convince him that you’re dating one of his favorite professional video game players! My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 follows Akane Kinoshita, a college student who has just been dumped by her boyfriend for another girl. She plans on winning him back at an in-person gaming event, but unexpectedly, she runs into Akito Yamada, a professional gamer.
Another grumpy-meets-sunshine plus a slow burn, Kinoshita and Yamada are very different. Kinoshita is warm, welcoming, and perceptive, while Yamada’s stoic and introverted facade starts to crack as the series progresses, demonstrating his true feelings for Kinoshita.
6. The Apothecary Diaries
Maomao was content to be a humble apothecary, servicing the people of the backstreets. One day she’s kidnapped and sold to be a servant girl in the Imperial Rear Palace. Even so, she planned to work quietly until her debt was paid off. However, her keen and inquisitive mind draws the attention of the higher ups, including Master Jinshi, the head official of the Rear Palace. As Maomao gets involved with more and more bizarre medical cases, the gap between her and Jinshi slowly closes. This series is perfect for fans who like a little mystery and court drama in their romance stories. The relationship building is a slow burn, but the subtle ways Maomao and Jinshi look out for each other is very sweet. Whether or not they realize it themselves, something is happening between them, and we’re here for every juicy moment. Streaming on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime.
5. Sasaki and Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano is a BL comedy, romance, and slice of life series. Previously covered in our Pride Month list, Sasaki and Miyano follows the story of Yoshikazu Miyano and his upperclassmen and romantic interest, Shumei Sasaki. Miyano is a fan of BL manga who constantly looks for common tropes in his life. He is befriended by Sasaki at the start of the series—their friendship blossoms into something more when they both begin to develop feelings for one another. As the series progresses, they overcome hurdles and ultimately discover what a relationship between them looks like. You can currently stream Sasaki and Miyano, as well as the sequel film, Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation, on Crunchyroll.
4. My Happy Marriage
My Happy Marriage is a series set in a fictionalized version of Japan’s Taisho era and follows Miyo Saimori. Miyo is a young girl who is forced into servitude by her stepmother. As soon as she is old enough, she is put into an arranged engagement with a commander named Kiyoka Kudou. He has a reputation for making his previous partners leave in fear. Miyo, who has simply accepted her fate, discovers that Kiyoka is nothing like his reputation. They slowly warm up to each other and realize they might be each other’s true love. You can currently watch My Happy Marriage on Netflix.
3. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku follows friends and former classmates, Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji. Narumi is a fujoshi who hides her lifestyle from the public, and Hirotaka is a gaming otaku. They quickly start a romance and try to navigate their relationship while keeping their shared interests in anime, manga, and games while finding acceptance with each other. They each have a co-worker at their jobs who also happens to be married to each other while being otakus, as well. Hanako Koyanagi is Narumi’s senpai who also happens to secretly be a famous cosplayer and is into BL manga. Taro Kabakura is Hanako’s husband and Hirotaka’s coworker who is a fan of heroes and bishojo manga, though he is less intense than his wife about his interests. You can stream the series on Netflix.
2. Recovery of an MMO Junkie
After quitting her job as a corporate slave, 30-year-old Morioka Moriko dives into the online world. She starts playing an MMORPG where she creates a handsome young man character named Hayashi. She befriends a cute female character named Lily, and the two become friends. Meanwhile, in the real world, Moriko meets a salaryman named Sakurai Yuta. The line between the real and digital worlds starts to blur. Relationships made in-game start affecting relationships offline and not everyone is who they say they are. This show has the perfect balance of online and offline drama. It also does a great job depicting the pressures and anxieties of social life. This is a must-watch for gamer couples. Streaming now on Crunchyroll.
1. OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I just Wish I Knew What She’s Saying
When Teruaki Nakamura moved from Tokyo to Okinawa, the last thing he expected was to fall in love. He develops a crush on his classmate Kyan Hina. Unfortunately, he can’t understand what she says because of her thick Okinawan dialect. Thankfully, his other classmate, Higa Kana, translates for him. She’s harboring a crush of her own. Join Teruaki as he discovers everything about Okinawan culture while growing closer to Hina and Kana. The bright atmosphere and tropical setting are perfect for a budding romance. Fun facts about Okinawa and its unique culture are sprinkled about in each episode. It adds an enjoyable layer of edu-tainment to an otherwise typical love triangle. Streaming on Crunchyroll.
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