Valentine's Day is a great time of year to explore romantic comedies. They're lighthearted and perfect to get hearts fluttering or even tears streaming. A good rom-com can bring a viewer through rollercoasters of emotion, ending in the comforting feeling of watching beloved characters get together.
Anime has a lot of romantic content to offer, with a multitude of subgenres existing within the rom-com realm — shojo, shonen, comedy-based, drama-based, realistic, absurd, and so on. As always, anime has something for every type of viewer. Memorable rom-com anime are plentiful for any Valentine's Day.
10 Maid Sama! Is The Epitome Of Rom-Com
Maid Sama! centers around Misaki Ayuzawa, the uptight and stiff president of the student council who harbors a hatred for men. However, she works a part-time job at a maid cafe because her family is in need of money. When her cool and sarcastic classmate, Takumi Usui, finds out about her part-time job, he takes an interest in her and teases her about her maid job. The developing relationship between Misaki and Takumi is fun to watch and this series quickly became an iconic shojo for its era.
9 Kimi Ni Todoke Is A Classic Sweet Shojo
Kimi ni Todoke's Sawako Kuronuma is a shy and awkward girl whose distant and vacant mannerisms are often interpreted as scary by her classmates. However, the popular boy, Shota Kazehaya, seems to realize that she has a sweet and innocent core. Eventually, Shota and Sawako shyly approach each other as the series goes on. The female lead starts to grow out of her shell with the help of the male lead, and the series as a whole is heartwarming and captures the feelings of nervous first love perfectly.
8 Love, Chunibyo, & Other Delusions Is Surprisingly Deep & Hilarious
Chunibyo centers around the romance between an eccentric, childish girl and a boy who is desperate to leave his early teen self behind and finds her extremely embarrassing. The juxtaposition between them makes for a nostalgic and interesting exploration of teenage years and the concept of growing up. Comedy and drama are perfectly blended in this heart-melting cocktail of funny and strangely realistic characters. The two leads have a lot of chemistry and have become iconic within the anime community even years after its original air date.
7 Toradora! Makes Use Of Love Triangles
Toradora is one of the first anime people think of when the topic of anime romcoms arises, and for good reason. Exploring the concept of "opposites attract," Toradora combines Taiga Aisaka, a small, cute, but feisty girl; and Ryuji Takasu, a tall, scary-looking, but sweet boy. The two fall in love with each other's best friends and make a deal to try and help each other in their romantic endeavors.
Their plan becomes complicated, however, as their romantic interests slowly start to shift to each other. This lighthearted character drama nails everything that is fun about romcoms: characters with chemistry, love triangles, and heart-pounding moments.
6 Rent-A-Girlfriend Is A Harem Done Right
The fake girlfriend trope is a romantic scenario that has been explored many times, and Rent-A-Girlfriend executes it well. The heartbroken protagonist, Kazuya Kinoshita, hires a girlfriend stand-in and ends up stringing her along in front of his family and friends. This anime is mostly a character drama but has some good comedic bits and is stuffed full of heart-pounding, cute moments. The female lead is lovable and the male lead makes for a decent self-insert. It's cheesy, it's cliché, but it knows this very well, and it embraces the charm of a good old rom-com harem.
5 Lovely Complex Is Cheesy & Owns It
Lovely Complex is the quintessential classic shojo. The premise is very simple: a girl likes a boy, but they're an awkward match. She is much taller than him and they argue constantly, to the point of being nicknamed by their teachers and classmates. It's a classic shojo setup, but it does its job well. This anime is absolutely dripping with sugary sweet moments to make anyone swoon. It's predictable, but that doesn't stop it from being fun. Lovely Complex makes for the perfect guilty pleasure shojo rom-com anime.
4 Kamisama Kiss Is A Well-Executed Shojo
Kamisama Kiss is the perfect show for those who enjoy their romantic comedies with a dash of the supernatural. The anime centers around Nanami Momozono, a homeless girl who gets put in charge of an abandoned temple by a mysterious man and has to take care of it.
In doing so she discovers a man with fox ears and a tail who's a spirit of the temple, and she develops a relationship with him. The hardworking and pure-hearted female lead and the sarcastic and cold male lead are a classic combination with a lot of chemistry, and it is a pleasure watching their relationship unfold on screen.
3 Tsurezure Children Is Full Of Cute Romantic Skits
Tsurezure Children follows not one but several couples in the early stages of their relationship. Most of them get together quickly and audiences get to see all the quirks and funny problems brought about by the start of blossoming new love. Each couple makes for an interesting combination, and it is hard to pick a favorite. Tsurezure Children brings a lot to the table when it comes to new, cute skit ideas and is truly a delight. Cute and lighthearted, this show is a favorite for those looking for a light and easy watch.
2 Wild Boy Meets Serious Girl In My Little Monster
My Little Monster's female lead is Shizuku Mizutani, a serious and studious girl who lacks a social life. She encounters the school's problem child, Haru Yoshida, and he becomes enamored with her kindness towards him. He confesses to her, but she finds him very confusing and has trouble coming to terms with their differences. My Little Monster is about the female lead exploring her brand new feelings for the first time in her life and forming an unlikely connection with a wild and unpredictable but undoubtedly honest boy.
1 Ore Monogatari!! Has Characters Who See Each Other As They Are
Ore Monogatari!! is a heartwarming show that's relatable for most audiences. It centers around Takeo Gouda, a boy who is often set aside and misunderstood for his scary appearance despite his sweet interior. One day, Rinko Yamato sees him for who he really is when he saves her from assault and she shows romantic interest in him. The two begin their awkward but incredibly cute attempt at building a relationship. Neither of them really know what they're doing, resulting in clumsy and often even cringe-worthy comedic moments that make this show so memorable.