What Is The Best Romance Anime Of The 2020s?

Romance anime has been a fan-favorite genre for as long as the shows have been on. Stories of blossoming love never fail to sweep audiences into the drama and allure of romantic storytelling. In recent years, the romance anime offered to viewers has only gotten better. Many of these newer shows are some of the best romance anime available.

The best romance anime since 2020 feature beloved characters and heartwarming stories. Whether the shows are tragic or uplifting, fans easily get swept into the love and attraction that the main couples share. Many recent anime focus on more realistic romances as well, which helps them be even more relatable (and adored) to an increasing number of romance anime fans.

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The Best Romance Anime to Watch Right Now

Between Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, romance fans have an abundance of endearing and entertaining romance anime to enjoy.

10 Tomo-chan Is A Girl! Is An Unconventional Romance

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!

Tomo is a tomboy who has been in love with her childhood friend Junichiro, and strives to make him see her as a romantic candidate.

Release Date

January 4, 2023

Cast

Rie Takahashi , Kaito Ishikawa , Rina Hidaka , Sally Amaki , Kōhei Amasaki , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Franchise

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!

Characters By

Fumita Yanagida

Distributor

Crunchyroll

Main Characters

Tomo Aizawa, Junichiro Kubota, Misuzu Gundo, Carol Olston, Kosuke Misaki, Tatsumi Tanabe

Production Company

Lay-duce

Story By

Fumita Yanagida

Writers

Megumi Shimizu

Number of Episodes

13

Tomo-chan is a Girl! is the hit, one-season anime about a tomboy named Tomo Aizawa, who falls for her childhood friend, Junichiro Kubota. Yet, when Tomo confesses her feelings to Jun, he misunderstands her confession and continues to treat her like she’s just “one of the guys”. The anime is a hilarious and heartwarming romp through Tomo’s continued tries to get Jun to realize that she is, indeed, a girl and that her feelings are more romantic than friendly.

Tomo-chan is a great story for its unique premise, as well as for its depiction of its central couple. Tomo and Jun aren’t the usual characters found in romance anime, but that is what makes them so watchable. The two have great chemistry and the ending to their story is satisfying (which is rare in older romance shows).

9 My Dress-Up Darling Finds Romance Through Cosplay

My Dress-Up Darling

Traumatized by a childhood incident with a friend who took exception to his love of traditional dolls, doll-artisan hopeful Wakana Gojo passes his days as a loner, finding solace in a room at his high school.

Release Date

January 8, 2022

Seasons

1 Season

Characters By

Hina Suguta, Shoya Ishige, AmaLee

Creator

Shinichi Fukuda

Production Company

Aniplex, CloverWorks, Square Enix Company

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Everything We Know About My Dress-Up Darling, Season Two

My Dress-Up Darling was one of the best romance anime of 2022, and it’s now gearing up for a second season. Here’s everything to know about it.

My Dress-Up Darling is a stand-out show for its portrayal of cosplay. Wakana Gojo and Marin Kitagawa meet by happenstance and become partners after Marin discovers that Gojo can design and sew clothing. Their story is fairly ecchi and a somewhat typical teen romance, but still a great watch.

Gojo and Marin are a particularly great couple because of how different they are. Gojo’s reserved countenance and Marin’s effervescent personality would clash anywhere else, but the two somehow mesh in this otaku anime. Although it’s been years since the first season debuted, another season is on its way for fans wanting to get into this great romance anime from 2022.

8 Romantic Killer Subverts Expectations

Romantic Killer

Living her best single life, romance is the last thing on Anzu’s mind, until a tiny matchmaking wizard suddenly turns her life into a clichéd rom-com.

Release Date

October 27, 2022

Cast

Deneen Melody , Courtney Lin , Jason Griffith , Aleks Le , Kellen Goff , Matthew David Rudd , Jenny Yokobori , Ryan Colt Levy , Gilli Messer , Jesse Valinsky

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Studio

DOMERICA

Franchise

Romantic Killer (Romantikku Kira)

Characters By

Wataru Momose

Distributor

Netflix

Main Characters

Anzu Hoshino, Riri/Rio, Tsukasa Kazuki, Junta Hayami, Hijiri Koganei, Tsuchiya, Saki Takamine, Makoto Oda, Arisa Kazuki, Yukana Kishi

Production Company

DOMERICA

Story By

Wataru Momose

Writers

Sayuri Ōba , Hiroko Fukuda , Wataru Momose

Number of Episodes

12

Romantic Killer is different from other romance anime because it is somewhat of a satire of Otome games and the reverse harem genre. Anzu Hoshino is forced into a reverse harem scenario by a mysterious wizard named Riri, but things don’t go as planned.

Romantic Killer begins with a lot of humor and slapstick situations but delves into the darker sides of romance as the season continues. There’s one particular twist that still has fans shocked to this day. Romantic Killer is a breath of fresh air for people who are a little weary of romance anime and are looking for something new and different in the genre.

7 The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague Is A Wholesome Workplace Romance

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague (Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi) is a romantic comedy anime series with a fantasy element. Himuro, a young man who descends from a powerful snow spirit, lives with his somewhat uncontrollable ability; when his emotions run awry, Himuro can create snowmen, igloos, and powerful gusts of snow. However, for some reason, when he finds himself smitten by his coworker Fuyutsuki, he quite literally freezes up.

Release Date

January 4, 2023

Cast

Yui Ishikawa , Chiaki Kobayashi , Yumi Uchiyama , Hiyori Nitta , Ayane Sakura , Kouki Uchiyama

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Studio

Zero-G

Distributor

Crunchyroll

Main Characters

Fuyutsuki, Himuro, Komori, Yukimin, Otonashi, Saejima

Production Company

Zero-G

Writers

Tomoko Konparu

Number of Episodes

12

The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague is a wholesome office romance about two young professionals who fall in love. Fuyutsuki and Himuro start at their company at the same time and are immediately interested in each other. Things are slightly complicated by their working relationship, as well as by Himuro’s ice powers, which tend to act up when he’s nervous (which is a lot when Fuyutsuki is around).

This adorable anime has a slower pace than a lot of shows nowadays, but that is one of the things that makes it great. The romance is not rushed, but the story still gives audiences plenty of heart-pounding moments to swoon over. Himuro and Fuyutsuki also have excellent chemistry. Fans can only hope that a second season comes out soon, so they can find out more about Himuro and Fuyutuski’s relationship.

6 Komi Can’t Communicate Highlights The Trouble Of Social Anxiety

Komi Can’t Communicate

An elite and aloof schoolgirl is in fact severely withdrawn and anxious about communicating with others. An ordinary schoolboy befriends her and helps her to open up and talk with people.

Release Date

October 21, 2021

Cast

Aoi Koga , Gakuto Kajiwara , Rie Murakawa , Rina Hidaka

Seasons

2

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Komi Can’t Communicate Is a Positive Example of Supporting Someone With Social Anxiety

Fans of Komi Can’t Communicate can relate to Komi’s social anxiety, but they can also use the popular anime as an example of how to help others.

Komi Can’t Communicate is a lovable anime about a painfully, socially shy girl and the friend who helps her come out of her shell. Shoko Komi’s dream is to make one hundred friends in high school, and the plain, but determined Hitohito Tadano does everything in his power to help her achieve her goal.

Komi and Tadano’s relationship begins strictly as friends, but the more they hang out, the more they realize their feelings for one another. Komi especially starts to show her feelings toward Tadano every time he calls, or they meet up. Komi and Tadano’s relationship is innocent and new, like a lot of teen romances, and is a low-stakes option for those looking for a light and beautiful romance.

5 The Stranger By The Shore Reveals Secret Emotions

The Stranger By the Shore is a breathtaking anime film from 2020 about two young men who rediscover each other after years apart. Shun Hashimoto is a struggling author who was ostracized by his family for his sexuality, and Mio Chibana is a young man who left the island after his mother’s death but returned to rekindle his spark with Shun.

This movie is a poignant look at loss and family dynamics, wrapped in a touching romance. Shun, especially, is a sympathetic character since he is cagey about entering into a romance with Mio based on poor past experiences. Mio remains undeterred, and the two finally come together in a loving, supportive romance that helps heal them both in the process.

4 Skip and Loafer Highlights Friends First

Skip and Loafer

Mitsumi moves to Tokyo to attend a prestigious school and achieve her dreams of making positive change in the world. But while she’s got book smarts, she soon finds herself inexperienced in big city norms, and struggles to make friends.

Release Date

April 4, 2023

Cast

Megumi Han , Tomoyo Kurosawa , Maaya Uchida , Akinori Egoshi

Seasons

1

Studio

P.A. Works

Skip and Loafer is very different from typical romance anime. This is mostly because the central couple has yet to begin their initial romance. Mitsumi Iwakura and Sousuke Shima run into each other by coincidence on their first day of school and form an unlikely friendship from there. The cutesy animation style adds to this anime’s wholesome aesthetic, which highlights Mitsumi and Sousuke’s friendship even more.

Although Mitsumi has much loftier goals than most teens, Skip and Loafer is one of the more relatable anime. Seeing the relationship develop slowly between Mitsumi and Sousuke over time helps them each mature as characters, while also allowing themselves (and audiences) the chance to get to know each other better before beginning a full-blown romance. This show is a wonderful, humorous anime that has captured many audiences’ hearts and has some great transgender representation as well.

3 Horimiya Is A Relatable Romance

Horimiya

Two very different people – an academically successful schoolgirl and a quiet loser schoolboy – meet and develop a friendship.

Release Date

January 10, 2021

Cast

Haruka Tomatsu , Koki Uchiyama , Seiichiro Yamashita

Seasons

1 Season

Creator

Hiroki Adachi

Production Company

Aniplex, CloverWorks

Number of Episodes

26

Network

Crunchyroll

Horimiya is one of the most romantic and relatable romance anime. Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura seem like complete opposites at first, but once they get to know one another, they can’t help but fall head-over-heels for each other. Unlike a lot of romance anime, Horimiya centers around the main couple’s dating relationship, rather than their budding feelings for one another. In this way, audiences are treated to their actual relationship and how they navigate problems together.

Horimiya is a well-rounded anime with both humor and drama. Fans of each are certain to find something they like about this show. Although the anime (and subsequent movie) gave viewers all the manga material, fans can only hope that the creators can somehow continue Hori and Miyamura’s beautiful story in future installations.

2 A Sign of Affection Is The Newest Romance Anime

A Sign of Affection

Yuki Itose is a college student who’s into friends and fashion. She’s also deaf. A chance meeting on a train leads to a serious crush… But can it grow into something more?

Release Date

January 6, 2024

Creator

suu Morishita

Production Company

Ajia-do Animation Works

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How A Sign of Affection Communicates the Five Love Languages in the Anime Medium

A Sign of Affection creatively uses the five love languages to develop Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship.

A Sign of Affection is one of the newest anime, but it is already a hit with audiences. The story of Yuki Itose and Itsuomi Nagi is a moving tale of two people who fall in love despite a language barrier. This show is particularly unique since Yuki is deaf, and most of the characters whom Yuki interacts with speak with both their voices and with sign language – something that hasn’t been done in other romance anime besides A Silent Voice.

Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship is passionate from the onset since Itsuomi is fascinated by how Yuki lives her life. Yuki is simply touched that he wants to get to know her and learn her way of communication when so many others pass her by. The show is absolutely adorable and is certain to melt the hearts of even the most stoic anime fans.

1 My Happy Marriage Highlights Patience In Romance

My Happy Marriage

An unhappy young woman from an abusive family is married off to a fearsome and chilly army commander. But the two learn more about each other, love may have a chance.

Release Date

July 5, 2023

Seasons

1 Season

Studio

Kinema Citrus

Characters By

Reina Ueda, Kaito Ishikawa, Houko Kuwashima

Creator

Akumi Agitogi

Production Company

Kinema Citrus

Number of Episodes

12 Episodes

My Happy Marriage is a wonderful anime that blends many different genres to create something utterly engaging. In a world of magic-users and spirits, Miyo Saimori appears to not possess any abilities and is treated harshly by her family. But when her father arranges her marriage to a supposed tyrant named Kiyoka Kudo, Miyo finds that Kudo may just be the salvation she was looking for all along.

Not only does this anime feature magic and romance, but it also focuses heavily on familial abuse and mental health. Miyo’s story is hard to watch at times, but the way she is welcomed into Kudo’s home and the way he treats her with patience and understanding is truly precious. Slowly, fans get to watch Miyo understand that she can trust Kudo and the two develop legitimate feelings that only solidify their arranged marriage. My Happy Marriage is the best anime to come out since 2020 and curious fans can watch the first season on Netflix.