Shoujo (“young girl”) is the Japanese term commonly used to refer to visual novels, anime, and manga whose target demographic is made up of young teenage girls. More than any other genre, shoujo anime series focus on romance as a key plot element and are often set in a school or a fantasy world, where a female protagonist lives her adventures and overcomes obstacles.
Romantic shoujo anime are often the most satisfying to watch: they’re recognizable for their use of bright colors and emphasis on the characters’ emotional development. A typical example of the genre depicts the main characters meeting and falling in love, experiencing various hurdles throughout their relationship until they finally overcome them, culminating in a lovey-dovey happy ending. With a little bit of comedy, tragedy, drama, and of course love, it’s no wonder that these anime have become so popular.
But you know what they say: the course of true love never did run smoothly. For some characters, being in love means enduring more hardship than most have ever gone through.
If love is in the air and you want to enjoy some good romance anime, our list highlights the best titles from the Japanese animation world. The romance genre has more than enough shows to satisfy every romantic out there!
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#1 A Silent Voice
2016 | 2h 10m
A Silent Voice follows a former bully turned outcast who decides to reconnect and befriend the deaf girl he had tormented when he was a kid. The movie covers some heavy themes like suicide, disability, bullying, social alienation, and the pursuit of redemption. A Silent Voice is a little gem that deserves all its recognition.
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60points
#2 Your Name
2016 | 1h 47m
If you’re an active member of the anime community, there’s a 100% chance that you’ve heard about this movie. It depicts a high school student in Tokyo and a high school girl in the Japanese countryside who suddenly and inexplicably begin to swap bodies and live each others’ lives. This one has everything you can look for: outstanding graphics, a catchy soundtrack, and a breathtaking plot.
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58points
#3 Kamisama Kiss
2012 | 25 episodes + 5 special episodes
Nanami, a homeless girl, becomes the new Earth Deity at a small temple. As the story progresses, Nanami falls in love with Tomoe, a yokai who also lives at the temple. Despite their requited love, Tomoe rejects her since love between a human and a yokai is forbidden. There’s no reason you should sleep on this romantic anime with such memorable characters!
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57points
#4 Snow White With The Red Hair
2015 | 24 episodes + 1 special episode
Shirayuki, always taught to hide her unusual red hair from the world, is noticed by Prince Raji, who orders her to become his concubine. With nowhere to go, she flees to another country, where she meets Prince Zen. It’s the beginning of a new life at the royal palace of Clarines! A refreshing fantasy story between an optimistic heroine and a prince who constantly stays on her watch.
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57points
#5 Maid Sama!
2010 | 26 episodes + 1 special episode
Ayuzawa Misaki is the student council president at Seika High, a notorious school with a low percentage of female students. Unbeknownst to her classmates, she works part-time at a Maid Cafe. When a student from her school discovers her secret, she does anything she can to make sure he keeps it. A cool romance anime with a perfect story and character development!
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56points
#6 Horimiya
2021 | 13 episodes + 6 special episodes
Popular Hori and social outcast Miyamura couldn’t be more different. When they learn each other’s true personalities, they end up becoming close friends. Horimiya creates drama and excitement for two high-school students who realize they have feelings for each other without typical love-story clichés, such as creating conflict between the two protagonists or creating a clear antagonist.
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53points
#7 Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You
2009 | 38 episodes
Get ready to fall in love with one of the best romance anime around! Kimi Ni Todoke follows the story of a girl named Sawako. Her appearance and name are eerily similar to Sadako from the movie The Ring, which has caused her classmates to avoid her like the plague. The poor girl just wants to make friends and be like every other student, but everyone thinks of her as an evil spirit. Shota Kazehaya is the first to ignore the rumors and treat her like a normal person.
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50points
#8 Yona Of The Dawn
2014 | 24 episodes + 3 special episodes
Yona Of The Dawn is not one of those cliché shoujo anime that only focus on romance. Princess Yona flees the palace with dreams of living a new life when the man she loves kills her father. With her guard Hak by her side, she must piece together the remains of an ancient legend that might be the key to reclaiming her kingdom from those who stole it from her.
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49points
#9 Toradora!
2008 | 25 episodes + 1 special episode
Who would have thought that one of the best romance anime of all time would be a story about a tiger and a dragon? If you’re looking for a love anime that combines humor, romance, and sheer hilarity, then Toradora! is the show for you. Ryuuji may look like a criminal with his sharp eyes and intimidating aura, but he’s actually a nice guy. On the other hand, Taiga is a tiny, doll-like student with a foul temper and an even fouler mouth. When their lives become intertwined, they decide to help each other out in order to pursue their romantic interests.
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49points
#10 Fruits Basket
2001 | 26 episodes
The plot of Fruits Basket is definitely a unique one. Tooru, a homeless high school girl, gets taken in by the Souma family when she discovers their terrible secret. The members of this family turn into animals from the Chinese Zodiac whenever they are hugged by anyone of the opposite sex who isn’t possessed by one of the animals of the Zodiac. However, this strange phenomenon is no laughing matter; rather, it is a terrible curse that holds a dark history.
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49points
#12 Blue Spring Ride
2014 | 12 episodes + 2 special episodes
Childhood friends Futaba and Kou unexpectedly meet again in high school. Futaba has always been in love with him, but the boy she knew has become a completely different person, as he is now cold and indifferent. Can Futaba make things work? Get ready for a deep, warm, and enjoyable love story!
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48points
#13 Your Lie In April
2014 | 22 episodes
Your Lie In April falls under the sad romance anime category. It follows the story of a young pianist, Kоsei Arima, who loses the ability to hear the piano after his mother’s death. However, upon meeting violinist Kaori Miyazono, he slowly regains his footing. The series director, Kyohei Ishiguro, wanted his adaptation to be appealing to those people who usually do not watch anime. In our eyes, he succeeded at this task with flying colors!
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48points
#14 Ouran High School Host Club
2006 | 26 episodes
Ouran High School Host Club is a romantic comedy that parodies all the tropes you see in shoujo anime. The story follows Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich kids’ school whose life changes when she stumbles on the Host Club, an unusual extra-curricular activity for idle rich kids. Haruhi is forced to join the club to pay off debt and thus begins a series of hilarious antics by Haruhi and the boys in the club as they host guests and go on ridiculous adventures. The series is silly and outrageous, but it’s also a beautiful parody of shoujo tropes that both mock and celebrate the genre.
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48points
#15 Fruits Basket (2019)
2019 | 63 episodes
After Tooru is taken in by the Souma family, she learns that twelve family members transform involuntarily into animals of the Chinese zodiac and helps them deal with the emotional pain caused by the transformations. The author, who had limited involvement with the 2001 adaptation and disagreed with some of the changes, has been fully involved in the production of the 2019 edition.
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42points
#16 My Little Monster
2012 | 13 episodes + 1 special episode
Shizuku, an asocial girl who only cares about her school grades, strikes an unlikely bond with Haru, a troublemaker who turns her life upside down. Despite seeming so different, he’s not much different from her. He also understands little about human nature and does not have any friends. Much to Shizuku’s surprise, he proclaims that she will be his friend and immediately confesses his feelings towards her.
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41points
#17 Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
2019 | 24 episodes
Miyuki and Kaguya seem to be the perfect match: Kaguya is the daughter of a wealthy conglomerate family, and Miyuki is the school’s top student. Although they like each other, they are too proud to confess their love, coming up with schemes to make the other confess first. You better catch up on this comedy anime because the third season will be out in April 2022!
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40points
#18 Say "I Love You."
2012 | 13 episodes + 1 special episode
Mei is a quiet girl who has never had a boyfriend and hasn’t been able to make friends since first grade because of a childhood incident that left her believing that people will betray each other sooner or later. The day Mei injures the most popular boy in school, for some inexplicable reason, he takes an interest in her!
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38points
#19 Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai
2018 | 13 episodes
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is a fun and interesting romance anime set in the modern world. The story follows our protagonist Sakuta as he deals with a strange phenomenon known as Puberty Syndrome, which causes random people to spontaneously develop unusual physical changes, mental issues, or social problems. Sakuta’s first encounter with this phenomenon happens when he sees a bunny girl who seems invisible to everyone, except to Sakuta.
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37points
#20 Special A
2008 | 24 episodes
Hikari Hanazono has always been able to do things that ordinary people cannot do. As a child, she assumed everyone else was out of her league until she met Kei Takishima. From that point on, she has sworn to best Kei at everything, ranging from academics to athletics. While Hikari treats Kei as a rival, she is completely oblivious that he harbors hidden feelings for her.
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34points