There's no doubt that Japanese entertainment culture, particularly anime, has made its mark in global communities! A popular genre of any TV show or film is romance. Many shows of this genre explore themes of first love, heartbreak, and insecurities which deeply resonate with viewers of all ages. Thus, here's a list of romance anime that are perfect for a stay-at-home binge and an escape into unique, heartwarming stories!

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1) Blue Spring Ride

Length: 1 season - 12 episodes

OVA(s): 2

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): love polygon, childhood friends to lovers, slow burn romance, school

Credits: shanteb5 on Tenor

Blue Spring Ride is quite a fan-favourite! With the classic childhood crush to lovers' trope, the story's all about how Yoshioka Futaba wants to fit in and thrive in her high school era, except she never expected said childhood crush, Tanaka Kou, to be there. This show's full of somewhat infuriating 'wrong place at the wrong time' moments that leave you begging for a first kiss moment after 127 failed attempts.

Whereas the '127 fails' may have been an exaggeration --- the number's a lot less than that, don't worry! --- the show's popularity is definitely not. If you're looking for some cute, smile-evoking high school romance with minimal but well-executed drama episodes, go give Blue Spring Ride a watch!

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2) Ouran High School Host Club

Length: 1 season - 26 episodes

OVA(s): -

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): forced proximity, crossdressing, slow burn romance, school

Credits: OOyku on Tenor

Ouran is, literally, a classic. Having been released in 2006, it has truly survived the test of time and for good reason! With its unique plot, concept, and cast, Ouran follows the high school life of Fujioka Haruhi, which didn't have much of an ideal start.

Essentially, she wandered into a random room on her first day, broke a super expensive vase, and was forced to pay for said vase, but she couldn't due to her average family financial background. Hence, she's forced to work off her debt at the Host Club, dressing up as a host and participating in the most over-the-top crazy activities! The rest of the show tells of her crazy experiences working at the club, and how she slowly becomes closer to the members, particularly the club's founder, Suou Tamaki.

3) Horimiya

Length: 2 seasons - 26 episodes

OVA(s): 4

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): polar opposites, hidden sides, popular girl + emo guy, school

Credits: ch7e on Tenor

This show immediately earns points for title wordplay! 'Horimiya' is the literal ship name of the show's main couple. Hori Kyouko is a popular high school girl known for her natural beauty and great personality while Miyamura Izumi is initially known as the emo creep of the class. However, a coincidental meeting has them emerging out of their shells. Being polar opposites but sharing oddly cute similarities, they gradually grow closer and eventually become one of the most beloved couples in the anime world!

4) Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Length: 3 seasons - 37 episodes

OVA(s): 1

Movie(s): 1

Theme(s): enemies/rivals to lovers, slow burn romance, school

Credits: noteIfsai on Tenor

Kaguya-sama: Love is War, in my opinion, has one of the most unique concepts in the genre! With its fresh twist of interpreting academy romances, its immense popularity is undoubtedly well-deserved. The story takes place at the prestigious Shuchiin Academy where Shirogane Miyuki and Shinomiya Kaguya are elite student body representatives.

With Miyuki as president and Kaguya as vice president of the academy's exclusive student council, they are regarded as 'the perfect couple' by the entire student body. Despite having feelings for the other, their pride gets in the way and turns this seemingly simple school romance into a 'battlefield of love', with both sides eager to emerge victorious! The first to confess? Loses.

5) Kamisama Kiss

Length: 2 seasons - 25 episodes

OVA(s): 5

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): human + supernatural romance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, mythology

Credits: KING_BLINK on Tenor

Kamisama Kiss is a slightly more hidden gem but is definitely worth a watch! The show's romance takes place between the 'god' and her fox familiar. Having accidentally become the patron god of Mikage shrine, Momozono Nanami is made to carry out divine duties as the original god's supposed replacement. She eventually makes a contract with the original god's fox familiar, Tomoe, to escape the threats of the youkai (spiritual beings) and ensure the well-being of the shrine, all whilst navigating her growing feelings for the stubborn and sometimes infuriating fox spirit, Tomoe.

6) 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

Length: 1 season - 12 episodes

OVA(s): -

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): time travel, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, strong female lead, medieval fantasy

Credits: violetheart08 on Tenor

An even more hidden gem released in winter 2024, 7th Time Loop is an isekai-reincarnation-themed show! With the popular 'loud, outgoing girl x cool, quiet guy' dynamic, this show's couple truly got me smiling at their cute interactions and relationship development! Having lived 6 different lives already, Rishe Irmgard Weitzner, has honed multiple skills and garnered immaculate knowledge about life.

However, each of her lives always ends with her being killed one way or another by the cold, crown prince of Galkhein Kingdom: Arnold Hein. Thus, in her 7th life, Rishe is determined to survive Arnold's tyranny and live her desired life no matter what, even if it means marrying the crown prince himself!

7) Sasaki to Miyano

Length: 1 season - 12 episodes

OVA(s): 1

Movie(s): 1

Theme(s): boy love, quiet guy + loud dude, slow burn romance, school

Credits: osiriskid on Tenor

Here's one for all the BL (Boy Love) fans out there! Showcasing a popular trope in the genre: shy, quiet, smart guy and loud, tough, gangster (?) dude, Sasaki to Miyano is a cute, often overlooked jewel of a show. Miyano Yoshikazu, the quiet guy, has a secret love for BL manga, which he obviously doesn't want anyone knowing about; but he screws up and unintentionally tells Sasaki Shuumei, the loud dude.

Intrigued, clueless Sasaki borrows a BL manga from Miyano and surprisingly enjoys it! With a new common interest, their relationship blooms and becomes increasingly complicated as time passes, leaving them both confused as to how they should feel towards this newfound emotion.

8) Special A

Length: 1 season - 24 episodes

OVA(s): -

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): rivals to lovers, rich + commoner romance, slow burn romance, school

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Special A is often overshadowed by Ouran. Having both been released before 2010, they are considered classics amongst romance anime today. Despite having lesser popularity, Special A provides just as much 2000s anime nostalgia as its older 'rival', Ouran!

Unlike Ouran and its eccentric concept, this show is perfect for people who adore the classic 'rivals to lovers' dynamic! Due to childhood-obtained pride, Hanazono Hikari enrolls in the same school as her only rival from academics to athletics, Takishima Kei. Together, they form the top 2 of the school's 'Special A' class: an exclusive class with 7 exceptional selected students. Constantly distracted by her rivalry with Kei, Hikari never realises that he secretly harbours feelings towards her and continues to obliviously compete with Kei daily at Special A!

9) Taisho Otome Fairy Tale

Length: 1 season - 12 episodes

OVA(s): -

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): arranged marriage, forced proximity, innocent girl + cold guy, slow burn romance, historical Japan

Credits: VSmanOS on Tenor

With its adorable art style and light-hearted vibe but deep plot, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale is a lesser known romance show but has never disappointed anyone who's watched it! Its 'arranged marriage' trope introduces many adorable and heartwarming interactions between the main couple, Shima Tamahiko and Tachibana Yuzuki. As a depressed pessimist, Tamahiko doesn't believe life's worth living and deems himself incompetent, suffering from constant self-deprecation.

But suddenly, Yuzuki appears at his doorstep in the middle of the night and claims to be his future wife, who was sent to him by his father! After her appearance, Tamahiko slowly sheds his cold exterior and allows Yuzuki to care for him as his soon-to-be wife.

10) Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Length: 1 season - 11 episodes

OVA(s): 3

Movie(s): -

Theme(s): office romance, friends to lovers, quirky

Credits: dehny on Tenor

Wotakoi introduces a fun concept that touches on the somewhat realistic side of romance: the awkwardness of an introvert seeking a lover. Unlike most romance shows which present a school romance setting, Wotakoi explores the grown-up world of romance between working adults!

In this case, the romance is between 2 otaku (shy, shut-ins lacking in social skills), Hirotaka Nifuji and Momose Narumi, where Nifuji tells Narumi to try dating a fellow otaku, specifically himself! The show follows this lively gang of otaku, the couple and their fellow co-workers, who indulge in their interests, like gaming, and comics, all while experiencing adorably awkward romance together.

With that, I sincerely hope that these shows bring you as much laughter and smiles as it did for me with their unique, adorable love stories! Thanks a bunch for giving this article a read!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Credits: arki23 on Tenor