These are the ten best romance anime to watch if you want a love story that stays with you, from shoujo favourites like Fruits Basket and Kimi ni Todoke to tearjerkers like Clannad: After Story and Your Lie in April. The picks draw on IMDb and MyAnimeList ratings and years of fan recommendations, and they cover everything from slow-burn first love to grown-up heartbreak. If you’re looking for anime to get your heart racing in more ways than one, we have a separate list of romance with fight scenes.
Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)
Your Lie in April
Your Lie in April is a masterful blend of music, romance and tragedy. The story follows Kousei Arima, a piano prodigy whose life loses its colour after his mother’s death. His world stays monochrome until he meets Kaori Miyazono, a spirited violinist who reignites his passion for music and life. With vibrant animation and real emotional depth, it consistently ranks among the highest-rated romance anime on MyAnimeList. Fans love how it handles grief, healing and the power of love and music, and the chemistry between Kousei and Kaori is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Clannad: After Story
Clannad: After Story continues the journey of Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa as they face adulthood, work and family life. The sequel follows their relationship across years, with themes of love, loss and resilience, and forces its characters to confront regret, sacrifice and what family really means. It scores highly on both IMDb and MyAnimeList and is praised for its emotional depth and realistic portrayal of life’s highs and lows. Keep tissues nearby.
Toradora!
Toradora! is a funny, warm story about the unlikely friendship and eventual romance between Ryuuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka. Ryuuji has a kind heart and an intimidating face, and Taiga is small but fierce, which makes them an unforgettable duo. The opposites attract dynamic drives sharp comedy and a sincere emotional payoff as they navigate high school and their complicated feelings. Toradora! rates highly on IMDb and MyAnimeList and remains a fan favourite for its humour, relatable characters and genuine romance.
Fruits Basket
Mixing romantic comedy, slice of life and the supernatural, Fruits Basket follows Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school girl who ends up living with the mysterious Sohma family. She discovers that family members are cursed to transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by someone of the opposite sex. The first anime aired in 2001, and the 2019 to 2021 remake adapts the whole manga, so start there if you want the full story. It is loved for its unique premise, deep character development and themes of acceptance, family and love, and Tohru’s kindness makes her one of anime’s best-loved heroines.
Lovely Complex (Love★Com)
Lovely Complex (Love★Com) is a funny, heartwarming story about Risa Koizumi, a tall girl, and Atsushi Otani, a short boy, who team up to help each other find love. It tackles stereotypes with humour and heart as Risa and Otani slowly discover their feelings for each other and learn to accept how they look. Fans on IMDb and MyAnimeList rate it for its comedy and sweet romance, and its message about embracing what makes you different resonates with many viewers.
Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)
A bittersweet slice of life that explores how people change as they grow up, Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride) tells the story of Futaba Yoshioka, a high school girl who is reunited with her first love, Kou Mabuchi. Kou has changed a great deal, and Futaba has to work through her feelings and the complications of their relationship. Its realistic portrayal of high school romance is especially compelling, and it captures the bittersweet side of first love and the challenges of growing up.
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) follows Sawako Kuronuma, a shy, misunderstood girl who becomes friends with the popular Shota Kazehaya. Over the series, Sawako goes from isolation to finding friendship and love. It is touching and inspiring, with a slow, subtle build-up of romance. With positive reviews on both IMDb and MyAnimeList, Kimi ni Todoke is a favourite for its charming characters and heartwarming story.
Nana
Mature, gritty and honest, Nana follows two women called Nana who meet by chance on a train to Tokyo. Despite their opposite personalities, they form a deep bond as they deal with love, dreams and friendship. Its realistic portrayal of relationships and personal struggles has pulled in many viewers. The series refuses easy resolutions, favouring complicated realities and painful honesty, and its strong character development makes it a standout in the romance genre.
Orange
Orange follows Naho Takamiya, a high school girl who receives letters from her future self, urging her to prevent the regrets she will have later in life. Central to this is saving her classmate Kakeru Naruse from a tragic fate. Fans on IMDb and MyAnimeList praise its emotional storytelling and compelling characters, and the premise makes it especially moving, with themes of regret, friendship and the desire to change the future.
Kamisama Kiss
Kamisama Kiss blends romance and fantasy. Nanami Momozono, a high school girl with nowhere to live, becomes the land god of a shrine, where she meets Tomoe, a fox spirit who becomes her familiar. Their changing relationship, full of funny and touching moments, is the heart of the series. Fans love it for its charming characters, its shrine setting and the sweet romance between Nanami and Tomoe.
Seven of These Ten Began in Shoujo Manga Magazines
Shoujo means “girl”, and shoujo manga magazines are where much of anime’s best romance starts. Kimi ni Todoke, Ao Haru Ride, Lovely Complex and Orange all began in Shueisha’s Bessatsu Margaret. Fruits Basket and Kamisama Kiss ran in Hakusensha’s Hana to Yume, and Nana ran in Shueisha’s Cookie, aimed at older teens and young women. The other three have different roots: Your Lie in April ran in the boys’ magazine Monthly Shonen Magazine, Toradora! began as a light novel, and Clannad started life as a visual novel game. If you enjoy the shoujo picks here, the manga is often the best way to keep going once the anime ends.
These ten romance anime cover a wide range of love stories, from heart-wrenching dramas to light-hearted comedies, and each has left a lasting mark on viewers. Whether you are a seasoned fan or new to the genre, they will hit hard and leave you reaching for the next one. For love stories on the big screen, see our guide to the best Japanese romance movies.
