11 Best Romantic Anime Series That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and Feel All the Feels

There’s nothing quite like romance animes to make you feel all the feels. This genre is especially good at it, as these animes can take us on an emotional rollercoaster that leaves us laughing, crying, and feeling everything in between. They can even hook the non-anime watcher into exploring what this medium has to offer. 

In the mood for some romance? Here are some of the best animes to watch, from light-hearted to angsty and everything in between. 

My Happy Marriage

Starting things off with the anime based on the novels by Akumi Agitogi. The series takes place in the Meiji Restoration era. Miyo, who, despite belonging to a well-off family, has suffered at the hands of her stepmother, stepsister, and her biological father. In an attempt to get rid of Miyo for good, her family tries to pass her off as a potential wife to Kiyoka, who is known to push women away.

While getting rejected would spell trouble for Miyo, what happens is the opposite. Kiyoka doesn’t just end up liking Miyo, he is also intrigued by how her family treats her. The anime manages to highlight the long-term impact of the abuse by Miyo’s family.

Skip and Loafer

One of the anime series to come out in 2023 was Skip and Loafer. It’s a seinen romance anime that’s bound to hook shojo and shounen romance fans as well.

Mitsumi Iwakura is a headstrong heroine, who dreams about becoming a politician in Tokyo when she grows up. She has to get good grades to be on track to get into a good university. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have time for friends and even love.

Horimiya: The Missing Pieces

This anime series became one of the most popular in 2021. This is mainly because of the chemistry between Kyouko and Izumi. While the anime ended nicely in that it didn’t need a sequel, the 2023 iteration, The Missing Pieces, picks up on what was left out in the original anime. It doesn’t follow a fixed timeline either.

The spin-off is more of a slice-of-life comedy with sprinkles of romantic themes. The Missing Pieces also doesn’t add too much to the romance already established in Horimiya. Well, aside from a few sweet moments between the couples, that is.

Komi Can’t Communicate

An anime series that became a fan favorite and one of the must-watch romance animes. Komi Can’t Communicate follows high school student Shoko Komi. Komi’s a beautiful but shy girl who also has a communication disorder, and also doesn’t have many friends growing up. Determined to change it, she vowed to make 100 friends and restart her social life.

Along her journey to reinvent herself, there’s the one boy who could understand her, her classmate Hitohito Tadano. As Komi begins to make friends as she promised to herself, she also starts seeing him as more than a friend.

Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie

When Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie premiered in 2022, it received mixed reactions, making it quite a controversial pick. It’s also one of the few romance animes where the couple, Shikimori and Yuu Izumi, are already together. Still, it’s a cute romance anime especially as it centers around two people who are quite inexperienced in love.

My Love Story!

A cute romance anime that premiered in 2015, My Love Story! Follows a student named Takeo Goda. Takeo looks much older than he is and also looks intimidating. But he’s actually a gentle giant with a heart of gold. Sadly, he doesn’t have a lot of luck with girls unlike his best friend Makoto, who unintentionally gets Takeo’s crushes to fall for him.

That changes though, when Takeo meets Rinko, who likes him for who he is. My Love Story! Also has a live-action movie adaptation.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Romance animes are predominantly school romances, but this one is one of the exceptions. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku also has a live-action movie adaptation. The series follows two couples: the established couple Tarou Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi and the couple whose romance fans witness, Hirotaka Nifuji and Narumi Momose. The workplace comedy depicts love differently for the two couples.

Narumi has never thought of Hirotaka as a potential romantic interest, but her mind changes eventually as the series goes on.

Romantic Killer

While a parody of the romance and reverse harem animes, Romantic Killer still manages to respect both themes. The anime’s main lead, Anzu, isn’t really interested in love. She would much rather stay in and play games. But Anzu’s life turns upside down when one of her otome games comes to life.

A wizard also forces Anzu to fall in love with the character from the game. Anzu ends up struggling to keep her walls up around the handsome characters.

Kimi ni Todoke

One of the classic romance anime series out there, Kimi ni Todoke premiered in 2011 and lasted for two seasons. The story follows Sawako Kuronuma, who goes through the ups and downs of high school. It’s already tough being at this stage of life, but what makes things worse for Sawako is that she’s socially awkward. Sawako also gets teased for resembling the horror movie character Sadako from The Ring.

Kazehaya is the one whom Sawako admires, as he’s naturally very friendly and approachable. Sawako wants to be like him one day. Kazehaya was also the first person who was kind to her and stood up for her. But she thinks it’s because he treats her like everybody else. Over time, she learns that it’s not the case.

Kokoro Connect

Take a love triangle, throw in some supernatural elements, and you’ve got a romance anime series that’s a must-watch. Kokoro Connect follows students Taichi, Yoshifumi, You, Iori, and Himeko. All of them are members of the Student Cultural Research Club.

All is well in their lives until they come across the Heartseed, which makes the five of them switch bodies with each other. In the body switch, they each learn more than what they probably wanted to about each other. All of a sudden, their deepest secrets are revealed, bringing out the best and worst in them.

My Dress-Up Darling

Having premiered in 2022, My Dress-Up Darling is a romance anime series that puts cosplay culture front and center. The anime series follows Wakana Gojo and Marin Kitagawa. Wakana is a loner but has a passion for making Hina dolls, while Marin is the most popular girl in school. When Marin gets interested in Wakana’s hobby, he agrees to help her put together a cosplay of one of her favorite anime characters.

Wakana and Marin end up bonding over their passions and learn about cosplay and romance from each other.

These are 11 of the best romance anime series to check out, so if you’re looking for a way to escape the real world for a while and experience all the emotions that love has to offer, we hope you’ll check them out! Did we miss your favorite series? Let us know in the comments!