A good romance anime is enough to make anyone’s heart soar, and this industry can bring these stories to life better than most other media. There have been countless romantic tales told through Japanese animation throughout the years, from comedic stories to those that are deep and heartbreaking.
Fans of romance may have a hard time sifting through the thousands of choices to try and pick the perfect show to watch, especially since every season seems to introduce a handful of new series that have similar premises. Fortunately, the best romance anime stand out from the crowd in a big way.
Updated July 13, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The Summer 2025 season is underway, and the lineup contains a new series that has the potential to become an all-time great romance anime.
Spring 2025 was a decent month overall, but its successor should blow it completely out of the water. Every genre has coverage, but Summer 2025 is particularly stacked with romances. Seriously, this might be the best lineup of romance anime in years, and that goes beyond just sequels. Still, focus on the latter, Dandadan, My Dress-Up Darling, Call of the Night, Rent-a-Girlfriend, and Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus are all big sequels that explore relationships in some form or another.
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As these returning heavyweights do not need introductions, let’s cast a light on some new romance anime. In fact, Summer 2025’s biggest entry in the genre is a newbie.
While debuting on July 6, 2025, Netflix has delayed the North American version of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity until September 7, 2025.
Premature as it might be to endlessly sing the praises of a new show after just one episode, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity leaves an incredible first impression, and the manga is extremely highly regarded. Featuring something akin to a Romeo & Juliet set-up, the anime envisions two schools that exist next to each other, one belonging to elite girls and the other to delinquent boys. The former detest the latter, ensuring they exist in two worlds that are meant to never cross over.
Looking like the poster boy for delinquents, despite not being violent at all, Rintarou tends to scare people. However, he meets a girl named Kaoruko who sees him completely differently, and they connect over cakes. While infatuation threatens to bloom, their relationship is threatened by the fact that they attend opposing schools. CloverWorks seems to have brought its A-game for this adaptation, and I adored the first episode. Rintarou and Kaoruko have instant, adorable chemistry, and the dual school premise adds a fun little twist.
A rare girls love anime that does not reduce romance to subtext, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… could be one of Summer 2025’s biggest surprises, at least going by the first episode. The anime also has the pieces to become an all-girl harem, which is almost unheard of. The core relationship revolves around Mai and Renako, with the duo getting into a competition to see if they are better as friends or a couple. While the premise is fairly silly and over-the-top, the girls’ banter is witty and amusing, while the animation is pretty great too.
Now, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… is, ultimately, a comedy that prioritizes humor above everything else. However, the show revolves entirely around romance, so if you are craving the latter genre, you should give this series a try.
Now, onto the best romance anime ever…
Romance manga and anime focus heavily on teen love, which makes sense since most stories target the shonen and shojo demographics. Still, some adult-starring shows do exist, even if they tend to be rare. Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again is a somewhat refreshing take on the genre since its main characters – Shozo and Ine – have been together for roughly 50 years, and their cute and subtle interactions reflect their long history together. Now, a supernatural twist causes the protagonists to revert to their 20s, so the story is not a full exploration of elderly love; however, the changes are mostly physical rather than mental, so the characters still act their real ages.
Despite mostly focusing on comedy, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again investigates a couple of interesting themes like mortality, all the while touching upon the couple’s relationships with their children and grandchildren. Shozo and Ine are fantastic together, sharing a rapport born out of comfort and safety stemming from years of support. That said, the show does love to have them blush at the mere thought of showing affection in public, which can feel a bit cliché at times.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! is fantastic and should satisfy people craving either romance or comedy. Rather than revolving around a main couple (at least, not initially), the story follows a guy (Nukumizu) who befriends three girls after they experience heartbreak.
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Although poking fun at tropes like the childhood friend, Makeine treats its characters’ sorrow with seriousness, allowing the girls to process their emotions without ridicule. Nukumizu can sometimes seem like he is just along for the ride, but he has developed a cute dynamic with all three girls. While romance is a big part of the equation, Makeine focuses more on friendship and moving on than direct relationships. It is a refreshing take that lends itself well to humor and drama.
Makeine‘s lack of a central romantic relationship might limit its appeal to viewers specifically craving entries in this genre.
Dandadan wears a lot of hats. The anime is hilarious, arguably among the funniest shows of 2024. The series also knows its way around action, delivering visual spectacles that never lose sight of the characters’ personalities and development. While nothing too deep, the supernatural (and sci-fi) elements are implemented well. So, after all that, how can Dandadan also be a great romance? Like, that is just too much.
The thing is, Momo and Ken’s friendship is arguably the best part of the story so far. They are ridiculously great together, and their banter somehow manages to be sweet despite both of them relying on the occasional insult. Episode 5 serves as a great demonstration of Dandadan‘s rom-com brilliance. With almost no action and focusing nearly exclusively on Momo and Ken’s awkward attempts to connect at school, this episode is delightful, endearing, funny, and just everything. The best anime of 2024 will hopefully also be among the best anime of 2025 as season 2 has already been announced.
Maid Sama! has many tropes that would sink lesser romance anime: the male lead is too flawless, the “strong” female protagonist is repeatedly reduced to a damsel, and a love triangle is introduced for no reason. These elements are not executed particularly well by Maid Sama!, but the anime makes up for its shortcomings through sheer personality.
Maid Sama! is all about the relationship between the heartthrob Takumi Usui and the man-hating student council president Misaki Ayuzawa. While Takumi takes most things in his stride, Ayuzawa is far more disciplined as she has to balance her busy school, home, and work lives. Once Takumi learns that Ayuzawa works in a maid cafe, he takes the opportunity to see a different side of the student council president.
Kokoro Connect takes a tried and true love triangle scenario and adds a supernatural twist to it. The story follows students, Taichi, Iori, Yui, Yoshifumi, and Himeko who are all part of their school’s Student Cultural Research Club. The group lead a normal life until a mysterious being named Heartseed gifts them with supernatural abilities.
From then on they experience various sensory phenomena, testing their relationships and bringing to light various aspects of their personalities they’d have rather kept hidden. The anime has tons of great character development, making for an interesting experience throughout.
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou follows an eccentric group of characters through a journey of growth and self-discovery. After Sorata Kanda is kicked out of his school’s main dorms, he’s forced to move into the disesteemed Sakura House.
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There, Sorata gets to know several talented but troublesome students. When a peculiar young artist moves into the dorms, Sorata is tasked with helping her adjust to her new life. The series explores the dynamic between the dorm mates, their individual goals, and how their relationships intertwine.
2016 – 2016
Sayo Yamamoto, Jun Shishido
Sayo Yamamoto, Mitsuro Kubo
One of the most famous boys love anime of all time, Yuri!!! on Ice is a bit of an odd option for the romance genre. While love drives the main characters to an extent, the show primarily tells a sports story, albeit one that gradually builds up the relationship between Victor and Yuuri. Consequently, viewers who go in specifically craving a romance might be disappointed by the anime’s lack of focus on that aspect.
All that being said, Yuri!!! on Ice is pretty great. The animation is top-notch, the characters are either endearing, complex, or both, and the ice-skating sequences are thrilling. Victor and Yuuri also make a good couple, even if the anime only shows the early days of their romance.
My Happy Marriage was quite comfortably Summer 2023’s best romance anime. Based on Akumi Agitogi’s novel series, the story takes place during an alternative version of the Meiji Restoration era that incorporates supernatural elements. While coming from a reasonably well-off family, Miyo has lived a hellish life under the thumbs of her awful stepmother, stepsister, and biological father. Looking to get rid of her for good, her family packages Miyo as a potential wife for an infamous military figure known for pushing women away within days, and a rejection would spell the end for the protagonist. However, Kiyoka not only takes a liking to Miyo but becomes fascinated (and enraged) by her family’s treatment.
My Happy Marriage does not shy away from showing the long-lasting effect of Miyo’s abuse at the hands of her family. Robbed of her sense of self-worth, the protagonist needs time to recover, even within the safety of Kiyoka’s presence. In the latter’s case, he is a fascinating figure who has some ulterior motives for his initial interest in Miyo, although his feelings for her seem genuine.
When focusing on Miyo and Kiyoka’s relationship, My Happy Marriage is sweet and heartwarming; however, the anime does not knock everything else out of the park. The supernatural elements can feel out of place, and the villains are hateable but also one-dimensional.
Based on a popular and completed manga by Fumita Yanagida, Tomo-chan Is a Girl! was one of Winter 2023’s funniest rom-coms. Tomo and Jun are very close friends, so much so that the latter can only see the former as a buddy. As Tomo is very much interested in taking their relationship to the next level, Jun’s inability to see her as a potential romantic partner is an issue.
Although romance drives its characters, Tomo-chan is a Girl! is primarily a comedy. The likable Tomo and Jun bounce off each other well, and they are complemented by hilarious characters like Misuzu and Carol. Still, Tomo and Jun have pretty good chemistry that builds convincingly throughout the season. There are plenty of romance anime that struggle to sell why their leads are made for each other, but Tomo-chan does not have that issue.
Teen romances tend to hog the limelight when it comes to anime, but there are a couple of exceptions. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is a workplace comedy mainly about two couples: the newly formed Hirotaka Nifuji and Narumi Momose and the established Tarou Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi. The former duo take center stage for the most part, and while the series focuses more on humor than romance, the latter is depicted quite realistically.
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While they are childhood friends, Narumi did not see Hirotaka as a potential romantic partner, and this uncertainty remains a constant throughout the show’s run. Unfortunately, the anime’s short length means that it only scratches the surface of these relationships, but Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is an entertaining ride while it lasts.
