The romance genre of anime is vast enough to make your head spin about what you should be watching. For this task, most people rely on MAL ratings to make their list, and thus, some applaudable names remain undiscovered.
Today, we will be mentioning titles that deserve more but get less popularity. Titles that may be better than famous ones, but since they are underrated, you never get to experience them. If this rings a bell, make sure you stick to the end, because this list contains such blossoming and heart-wrenching tales of romance that you never wanna miss.
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10: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines
So let’s kickstart our list with a banger that no one should be missing. Whether you crave a grounded romance, slow-burn relationship building, modern art style, or lots of gag humor, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines has everything in the right quantity.
The story revolves around a first-year high school student, Kazuhiko Nukumizu, a self-proclaimed background character. And believe me, he is. Kazuhiko’s life becomes vibrant as he witnesses his class’s most popular girl being rejected in a cafe.
This premise sounds like an average harem setup (although its poster gives the same vibes); believe me, it’s not.
9: HigeHiro
Let’s suppose one night you’re returning from the office and you encounter a cute high school runaway asking you to let her stay for one night. What could you possibly do? Take her to your home? Yes, our protagonist has done the same thing for a good reason.
Yoshida, your average salaryman gets into the same situation. Now, he has to bear with this teenage girl while figuring out how he can escort this child back to her home. It’s a well-written romance, not too grounded, but it can present a good storyline.
8: Lovely Complex
Lovely Complex is your old-school warm romance anime where love knows no boundaries. Even a 172 cm tall girl can fall for a 156 cm boy.
This is the warm yet hilarious tale of two high schoolers who once dreamed of finding the perfect partner for themselves, while society took their ambitions as unrealistic. On the road to finding a true match, they realize their personalities are entirely resonant (except for height). It’s a bit old school, but it’s a must-watch since the story is superb.
7: Sing Yesterday For Me
Suppose there’s rain outside, and you have nothing to do and want to watch something meaningful, slow-paced, and mysteriously heart-wrenching. I bet that Sing Yesterday For Me is a perfect match for this situation.
Meet Rikuo Uozumi, a university graduate stuck in first gear just like most of us weebs, figuring out what to do next. With no ambitions, unfulfilled love, and no steady income, everything is messed up in his life until Haru Nonaka, a high school dropout, becomes his friend, hiding the fact that she admires him.
Before anything good can happen, Rikuo’s previous crush stumbles upon him. What he will do, and where his destiny will take him. Please don’t miss this emotional roller coaster show.
6: Call of the Night
Call of the Night has everything in it that you can expect from a top-tier romance anime. A set of intriguing characters, a flashy art style, a good story, and finally a brilliant soundtrack.
Kou Yamori is your depressed-looking teenage boy who begins skipping school because he wanders all night to find solace. His night becomes extra flashy when a punk girl, Nazuna, invites him to share the same bed. At midnight, she bites Kuo on the neck, revealing her true identity as a vampire. What will happen next is your task to find out.
5: Wolf Girl & Black Prince
At first glance, the premise sounds like a rom-com cliché: a high school girl lies about having a boyfriend, then convinces a random guy to pretend to be her bf.
To seem like she’s experienced in love, she shows them a picture of a handsome stranger, claiming he’s her boyfriend. Bad luck: that stranger turns out to be Kyoya Sata, a popular guy from their school.
This Kyoya guy pretends to be a princely character while he’s the polar opposite of what he looks like. Their relationship begins as a fake, but how it turns out is a must-watch tale.
4: Scum’s Wish
Scum’s Wish is a diabolically deep anime about what a sadistic romance should be. If you’re an adult and can handle intense topics, this roller coaster of emotions should be on your list at every cost.
At the center of the story is Hanabi Yasuraoka, a high school student who appears to be in a picture-perfect relationship with her classmate, Mugi Awaya. They’re good-looking, they’re close, and they seem like any other teen couple.
But the truth? They’re both using each other as replacements for their true crushes. This is not your average fairy tale but a thorny, edgy romance drama that will make you question what love is and how far a lover can go to find his/her love.
3: Tsuki ga Kirei
In a world where most romance anime is packed with love triangles, fan service, or dramatic confessions, Tsuki ga Kirei stands out for its simplicity — and that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.
Set in a quiet Japanese middle school, Tsuki ga Kirei follows the gentle romance between Kotarou Azumi, a bookish aspiring writer, and Akane Mizuno, a shy, athletic girl who’s just as awkward as he is.
They meet in their third year of junior high — a time when everything feels uncertain. At first, they barely speak. But over time, through nervous glances, text messages, and small moments, their connection slowly deepens.
2: Tomo Chan is a Girl
Who says that a good romance should be emotional and dramatic? It could be funny as hell, like Tomo-chan Is a Girl, and yet serve its purpose.
Meet Tomo Aizawa, a high school girl who’s athletic, strong, and, honestly, way cooler than most of the boys in her class.
There’s just one tiny problem: her longtime childhood friend (and major crush), Junichirou, sees her as one of the guys. It’s a hilarious tale of romance where the girl is desperate to make her crush realize that she is a girl.
1: The Dangers in My Heart
Have you ever thought of murdering your crush just because she’s a beauty prodigy and you’re just a background, creepy-looking guy? Don’t take it exactly.
Meet Kyotaro Ichikawa, a middle school boy who believes he’s the edgy loner of the class who wants to murder the charismatic Anna Yamada. Once Kyotaro encounters Anna in the library, eating snacks as a clumsy girl.
This childish spark ignites the first conversation between the two polar opposite characters, and thus their love journey begins, which is full of wholesome and quirky moments.
