Some of the most heartwarming and heartbreaking romance anime have flown under the radar. Fans of the genre should check out these underrated gems.
From meet-cutes to silent pining, courtship to broken hearts, romance anime can be exhilarating, comforting, and heartbreaking all at once. Rather than relying on cheesy tropes and emotional manipulation, good romance anime try to touch on something authentic about the human experience.
Whether cutesy and exaggerated or refined and reserved, romance anime explore their characters’ most vulnerable feelings; there might not be missile barrages or hordes of zombies to contend with, but the threat to the character is no less real. The pain of a broken heart isn’t soon forgotten, but neither is the unexpected relief and joy of finding one’s match.
Updated May 3rd, 2023, by Suzail Ahmad:Romance is one of the most popular genres of anime. It has recently grown in popularity because of its ability to tackle the issues that people face in their lives. The new generation of romance anime covers other aspects that set them apart from the old ones. Given the fact that there has been a significant increase in the production of romance anime, it is impossible to watch every single one of them. Fans usually tend to watch the ones with high ratings and better promotions.
Due to this reason, some of the other anime get overlooked. While some avid romance anime fans do try to watch them, most people tend to ignore them, which is unfortunate considering they are filled with incredible stories and characters. So to help anime fans who want to watch something that is not widely known, the list has been updated with the most underrated romance anime.
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18 Bokura ga Ita
Bokura ga Ita covers the story of Nanami Takahashi, who is thrilled at the prospect of making new friends in high school. Nanami ends up meeting two people: Yuri Yamamoto and Yano Motoharu. Nanami and Yuri become good friends, but they stay away from Yano.
Slowly, Nanami begins to take an interest in Yano, and they begin to talk to each other. After a while, the two start dating, but they face many challenges in their relationship. However, the two keep going and conquer one obstacle after another.
17 Momokuri
Momokuri focuses on the biggest problem in every romance: proposing. Yuki Kurihara, the main character, gets the jitters every time she thinks about asking out her crush. After months of delaying it, Yuki finally musters enough courage to propose to Shinya Momotsuki.
He accepts her proposal, and soon the two start hanging out. With every passing day, Shinya learns about the odd habits of his partner. Despite the oddities, Shinya tries not to think about them too much and instead tries to make her happy. But the question is: How much can Shinya take before he finally decides to confront his girlfriend?
16 Koi Kaze
Koi Kaze has a very complicated and outlandish story. It follows Saeki Koushirou, who works as a wedding planner. Even though his job involves helping other people have their dream wedding, Saeki is unable to find a suitable partner for himself. His past causes plenty of problems for him, so he prefers not to dedicate himself completely to any relationship.
This causes Saeki to be dumped by his girlfriend, after which he meets a high school student whose personality shakes him to the core. Saeki begins to develop feelings for her, but soon he finds out that she is his sister. He tries to avoid her, but it only exacerbates the situation. While it may seem bizarre at first, the anime gets better with every passing episode, making it an underrated romance anime.
15 She, The Ultimate Weapon
The title for this particular anime series is quite different from the usual romance anime. She, The Ultimate Weapon, covers the romance of Chise and her childhood friend, Shuuji. The two of them live in a military town, which is a peaceful town with little to no troubles. On a fateful day, Shuuji and his friends decide to go to another place to buy presents for their girlfriends.
Unfortunately, the happy trip turns into a grim one because of an air raid. It results in thousands of casualties, but Shuuji somehow manages to survive. He tries to find his way back to his town, only to find Chise looking nothing like she did when he left her. Shuuji eventually finds out that she has been transformed into a cyborg against her will. They try to continue their relationship and find answers to some important questions.
14 Sing “Yesterday” For Me
Ambitionless college graduate Rikuo and high school dropout Haru connect over their mutual disillusionment. Sing “Yesterday” for Me isn’t a cold or grim story, but neither is it one that shies away from the hard parts of life.
Its characters are adults, and they have adult problems, and there’s something admirable in that. Many romance anime focus on young couples who have not yet had to face the difficulties of the adult world. Sing “Yesterday” for Me is as much a slice-of-life anime as a romantic one, and the way it interweaves its themes is part of the draw.
13 Snow White With The Red Hair
As its name suggests, Snow White with the Red Hair is an anime rooted in fairytales and other classic stories. Despite trading on the tropes and imagery of these stories, however, it manages to create a unique identity of its own. Will young pharmacist Shirayuki find happiness after escaping one prince and meeting another?
The plot isn’t groundbreaking, but the series is bolstered by exceptional art, sound design, and characterization. It may be a new version of an old story and therefore feel more than a little familiar to viewers, but Snow White with the Red Hair is well-made and enjoyable.
12 Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Flowers have long been a symbol of love, romance, and friendship, so the protagonist of a romance anime running a flower shop is the perfect fit. Rokka Shimao owns such a shop, and when Ryousuke falls in love with her, it seems their romance is destined to work out.
Of course, there’s the small matter of Rokka’s dead husband, who is now a ghost and intends to do everything in his power to disrupt their courtship. Natsuyuki Rendezvous suffers from messy plot development and an odd approach to its themes, but despite these problems, it remains a standout romance anime.
11 Mysterious Girlfriend X
It’s impossible to know during the making of a series what level of popularity it will achieve. Some flop, while others soar to unexpected heights. Others become cult classics, beloved by a few diehard fans while being largely ignored by the broader community. Mysterious Girlfriend X is a cult classic, and it’s easy to understand why.
It’s about the romance between Tsubaki and Mikoto, which begins when Tsubaki becomes addicted to Mikoto’s drool. Strange and gross? Yes. But the series uses this bizarre plot as a means to explore a deep and nuanced relationship between two characters whose emotions are actually worth caring about. That’s a feat for any anime.
10 Kokoro Connect
When five students who have no club to offer them friends decide to form their own, the Student Cultural Society is born. Then a supernatural occurrence causes two of its members — karate champion Yui and class clown Yoshifumi — to switch bodies. This occurrence begins an emotional saga of loving and learning to see things from another person’s point of view.
While the setup may sound trite, Kokoro Connect works hard to dig into its character’s emotions and motivations, keeping things from feeling too predictable. Viewers won’t find the strongest anime characters here, but they will find more than enough heartache.
9 Hataraki Man
Hiroko works too hard at her job at a weekly magazine, smokes too much, and is too rude to maintain relationships: three things that differentiate her from the average romance anime protagonist. Hataraki Man is a complicated, adult slice-of-life anime, in that it doesn’t try to simplify the messy reality of adult relationships. Hiroko has a great deal to worry about, and it all seems to stand in the way of her love life, even when she does her best.
If there’s one main reason to recommend Hataraki Man, it’s this: It is a romance anime that refuses to condescend to its audience. In doing so, it comes closer than almost any other such series to depicting real relationships.
8 Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
Based on the Kare Kano manga, Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou is about the relationship that develops between two class reps: Yukino, the current star, and Soichiro, the transfer student who begins challenging Yukino for leadership. Though impeded by its limited budget, the series is still a sound portrayal of young love.
Its main couple is strong in its own right, but the secondary characters and their relationships are strong enough to carry the show by themselves.Yukino’s quirks, in particular, make her the standout character of this charming show. Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou is a fun, light look at both everyday school life and romance, balancing the two so that neither spoils the fun of the other.
7 No.6
Some may argue that No.6 is not a romance anime; it is, after all, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action anime about life in the six remaining human cities. Life is utopian with no crime, no poverty, no worries at all — that is, until the lie of that life is exposed.
The series is one that blends genres, but the romantic arc that develops between Shion and Nezumi earns it a place amongst the great romances. After a fantastic opening, the show does suffer from directionless plotting; however, seeing Shion and Nezumi grow closer to one another as they cope with their new circumstances is worth it.
6 Henneko
Most people have something about themselves they’d like to change — but most don’t get the opportunity to change that something by visiting a magical stone cat statue. That’s exactly the opportunity that Youto gets in Henneko. Unfortunately, as always seems to be the case, this kind of magic has a catch.
Thanks to the statue, Youto can’t stop confessing his emotions, and fellow student Tsukiko is rendered almost emotionless. It’s not an auspicious start for romance, but romance is nonetheless where it leads. Henneko may not be technically perfect, but it is endearing, fun, and innovative in ways that many romance anime aren’t. Its fan service means it isn’t for younger viewers, but older romance anime fans should find plenty to enjoy.
5 Origin: Spirits Of The Past
A film by Studio Gonzo, Origin: Spirits of the Past is a fascinating sci-fi film about a world that is forever changed when the forests gain sentience. When young protagonist Agito finds a girl, Toola, slumbering in a strange machine, he learns that she may be the key to achieving peace between humans and trees.
The exceptional premise might be enough to win the film renown as science fiction, but to be a great romance, the connection between Agito and Toola must be special — and it is. Thanks to Studio Gonzo, the animation is as lush and crisp as one could ask for.
4 The Fruit Of Grisaia
There’s something off about Mihama Academy, and it’s the number of students: there are only five of them. Transfer student Yuuji Kazami understandably wants to know why, and when he learns that the school functions as a rehab and safe space for girls who have suffered trauma, he makes it his duty to help protect them.
Given this premise and given that The Fruits of Grisaia trades heavily on the tropes of other harem anime, it would only have taken a single misstep to destroy the series. That misstep never happened. Instead, viewers get a charming, elegantly written, well-animated story of relationships, trust, and blooming affection.
3 Amagami SS
Two years ago on Christmas, Junichi Tachibana was stood up for a date, and he never quite recovered. Ever since then, he has had trust issues, withdrawing from others to protect himself from ever getting his heart broken again. That doesn’t mean he’s given up on love.
Based on the Playstation 2 romance simulator, Amagami SS adopts an anthology format of sorts, in which Junichi is afforded the opportunity to fall in love with a series of girls. Considered as a whole, the multiple stories sometimes clash, but individually they’re fun and satisfying. How viewers feel about the series’ parallel timelines will likely determine how they feel about the series as a whole. For those that enjoy that plot mechanic, Amagami SS is a satisfying romance.
2 Tsukigakirei
The final year of junior high brings together track star Akane and aspiring novelist Kotarou. That is, it brings them together in the same class, but it will take more than convenient seating to get Akane and Kotarou to move beyond staring dreamily at one another.
Tsukigakirei is beautiful, with fluid animation and expert shading that let it rival the best in the genre. There is nothing over-the-top or unbelievable about the protagonists, their feelings, or their relationship. It’s what normal people in love look like, and there’s something warm about that simplicity. It doesn’t exploit or tease; it just coaxes viewers in. It might not have an upcoming sequel, but it should.
1 Scum’s Wish
Scum’s Wish does not have the happiest title, and it isn’t the happiest anime. Its protagonists, Hanabi and Mugi, have both had their hearts broken by other people and turn to one another, hoping intimacy will dull the pain.
Scum’s Wish isn’t an anime for kids or viewers that like their fictional romances easy and uncomplicated. Relationships in this anime are taxing, and even when the effort is invested, sometimes things don’t work out. The series is divisive, difficult, and adult, but it’s arguably for these exact reasons that it succeeds. Scum’s Wish retains and even celebrates the ambiguity that most anime expel from their romances, and that alone warrants praise.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
