I'm having a really hard time finding a romance anime I'd enjoy. Any help in that regard?

[ninja666]

Not going to lie, this is going to be an extremely challenging request. However, my requests have always been challenging, and yet you always managed to provide fantastic help, so I hope I can count on you this time as well.

Recently, I got in a mood for a romance anime. I'm having a really hard time something I'd enjoy, though, because while I definitely don't dislike romance in anime as a concept, I simply can't digest all the tropes and cliches they are filled with. Here are my main gripes with romance anime:

Spoiler: My problems with romance anime

1. The characters almost always fall into the same archetype. The guy is an awkward, shy, and often pretty dense nerd, who doesn't know how girls work, and the girl is a tsundere, who constantly abuses the male character, mostly physically, as her weird way of showing her deeply hidden feelings towards him.
2. There's no chemistry between the characters. They don't talk with each other very much, they don't spend much time together, and they often barely stand each other's presence throughout the whole thing, and yet somehow near the end they suddenly start madly loving each other out of the blue and end up as a couple. Lack of a proper buildup makes their relationship feel very forced and unnatural.
3. Everything is pure and intimacy doesn't exist. The characters never get close to each other and are never intimate with each other. There's zero signs of affection being shown. The most you get is a single kiss at/near the end to symbolize they've officially become a couple. Other than that, though, you get nothing.
4. The events are artificially stretched out to the absolute maximum, teasing you as much as possible, often featuring long periods of nothing relevant to the relationship's development happening, which makes it especially annoying since the payoff is often not worth it at all.
5. The ending is often not satisfying. The characters' relationship often goes nowhere and the series end on a really "meh" note.

What I'd really like to see is a romance anime that doesn't have those problems. Not just any one will do, though, because apart from having a well-realized romantic relationship, I'd like this romance to have some sort of interesting twist to it. What sort of twist? Really unusual characters/love interests, interesting gimmicks, captivating, non-cheesy story/premise... Basically anything that would make it more like something a guy in his twenties would want to watch, and not his 40-something year old mother. The romance still has to be the main theme of the anime, though, so avoid recommending any series with merely a romantic subplot. Please don't recommend any harems either.

Any year is fine. I'm also fine with hentai recommendations. Not because I just want jerk-off material, mind you, but rather because hentai, for obvious reasons, doesn't have to stop itself at anything, so it can easily show the more intimate side of the relationship. It also can't really be wasting time on inconsequential stuff due to the short runtime they often have. Plus, I've seen many hentai try to be more than just a porn flick, so who knows, maybe my perfect romance anime is sitting somewhere among the Rx rated ones? Don't focus too much on that part of the request, though. I'm mainly doing it to increase the chances of finding something, so if you can find me a hentai that fits what I'm looking for, then go ahead and post it, but I'd rather have the main focus of the recommendations be regular anime.

Please recommend only titles that end conclusively and don't require any manga to be read afterwards. I'm also not interested in manga recommendations (I'm aware manga might bring the desired results more easily, but I'm not interested in reading manga in general). Thank you in advance.

 

[balladbird]

Physical intimacy is definitely a hard point, for sure. Anime markets itself toward a specific cliche of person, and the writers tend to shy away from having their characters cross the line into outright sex, even in a world of sexy harem nonsense, so as not to accidentally alienate that audience.

Sword art online is 95% garbage, but on a fundamental level the relationship between the two leads in its first arc is one thing that?s often praised, even by its haters, so maybe that will work for you, although tread beyond season one and you?ll wish you hadn?t.

An anime called ?the ancient Magus bride? aired this winter. It?s a slow burn series, to be sure, but the art is beautiful and the relationship between the two leads is the whole point of the series.

There?s also an old series called ?Suzuka? that may scratch your itch. It?s... basically an anti-fairy tale, showing teenage love, warts and all, in a fairly straightforward and sincere way

You could also step into the shojo genre to find what you?re looking for. Most of the cliches you described are primarily used in shonen-aimed fare. Granted, shojo has its own cloying cliches to deal with, but if you?re unfamiliar with the genre it could take some time for them to grate on you.

From shojo, I?d recommend either Skip Beat or Akatsuku no Yona, the latter if you still want your story to have a few non-romantic shonen elements.

 

[ninja666]

Sword art online is 95% garbage, but on a fundamental level the relationship between the two leads in its first arc is one thing that?s often praised, even by its haters, so maybe that will work for you, although tread beyond season one and you?ll wish you hadn't.

Not really a fan of action shonen, personally (well, most of them, at least), so I don't think this is what I'm looking for. Plus, it being an adventure focused series clashes with my point of romance being the central theme of the show.

An anime called "the ancient Magus bride" aired this winter. It?s a slow burn series, to be sure, but the art is beautiful and the relationship between the two leads is the whole point of the series.

Sounds interesting. Unfortunately, it seems to still be airing and I watch only anime that are finished (don't wanna wait for the next episode, but rather watch it at my own pace). I'll add it to my list, though, and check it out when it finishes airing for sure. Thanks.

There's also an old series called "Suzuka" that may scratch your itch. It's... basically an anti-fairy tale, showing teenage love, warts and all, in a fairly straightforward and sincere way

Definitely sounds like something up my alley. Is there any particular reason for the polarizing ratings it's getting, though? It seems to either get an 8-9/10 or 3-4/10, nothing inbetween.

You could also step into the shojo genre to find what you're looking for. Most of the cliches you described are primarily used in shonen-aimed fare. Granted, shojo has its own cloying cliches to deal with, but if you're unfamiliar with the genre it could take some time for them to grate on you.

Well, the shojo genre might be free from the cliches I'm describing, but that doesn't really change the fact that the vast majority of it is the teeth-rottingly sweet and pure type of romance, with more cheese in it than in a pot of fondue, and that's not really what I'm after either.

From shojo, I'd recommend either Skip Beat or Akatsuku no Yona, the latter if you still want your story to have a few non-romantic shonen elements.

How does Skip Beat fare in regards to what I wrote above? Is it that sort of romance, or does it actually do something interesting to break the mold? As for Akatsuki no Yona, it doesn't sound like something I'd watch right now, but I like story-driven adventure shows, too, so I'll add it to my list. Thanks once again.

 

[I can't enter my old name]

I have a couple of recommendations without the 'deres and with all the intimacy. Most of your problems stem from romcom and shoujo formulas, which leaves only drama. However, the "interesting twist" requirement is pretty vague. I'm not sure if down to earth ones are okay, as in similar to tv dramas, or only ones with anime wackiness.

White Album 2 [https://myanimelist.net/anime/18245/White_Album_2] is one of my favorites. It's down to earth, no anime wackiness, but it's adapted from an eroge which means your mother probably wouldn't be too interested. Intimacy wise, MC hooks up pretty early in the show, and there is a sex scene.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien [https://myanimelist.net/anime/147/Kimi_ga_Nozomu_Eien] is less down to earth, also another eroge adaptation. MC hooks up early in the show, sex scene, betrayal, stuff like that.

ef: A Tale of Memories [https://myanimelist.net/anime/2924/ef__A_Tale_of_Memories] and ef: A Tale of Melodies [https://myanimelist.net/anime/4789/ef__A_Tale_of_Melodies] are also eroge adaptations, but is not realistic at all. There are multiple stories with different characters throughout both shows. I can't remember Memories, but I do remember Melodies pretty darn well, because it was quite dark.

Yosuga no Sora [https://myanimelist.net/anime/8861/Yosuga_no_Sora__In_Solitude_Where_We_Are_Least_Alone] is also an eroge adaption, which at this point I realized all of my recommendations are. Yes, it's the twincest one, but that's just a single arc. There are lots of sex scenes, and I'm not talking about the PG-13 ones. I'm talking hentai, except they don't show the genitals at all. I'm suprised they actually broadcasted this on tv. I don't think the story is exceptional, but I find the music, setting, and feel exceptional. It reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film, it's quite amazing really, because it's a show about fucking your twin sister.

It's a shame your requirements are so strict, because there are some great shows that are left out.

 

[ninja666]

One of the best romance anime is Clannad (though I'd recommend the game more for it being extremely unique regular route). The hero is depressed and has trouble at home and doesn't have more than single friend or drive to make more, so every time you play you can only focus on few characters so it gives a very lonely feel throughout the game. Rewrite the VN is amazing but the anime wasn't too good. I liked Little Busters! the anime but it wasn't very romance oriented to be honest.
Leaving Key behind, Ore Monogatari!! is really nice romance comedy, though I left it behind since it became same-y after a while. Also Tora Dora is nice and has the relationship being built pretty well. If I recall more anime in the process I'll update.

Not really a fan of VNs, but I might check out the Clannad anime. As for the rest, except for Little Busters, I got all of those recommended on multiple occasions by multiple people. From what I could gather about them, these don't sound like something I'd want to watch. Ore Monogatari is this sweet, pure romance, lacking the more realistic approach I'm looking for. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Toradora pretty much the epitome of cliche high school romcoms? From what I heard it utilizes pretty much every trope I have a problem with.

However, the "interesting twist" requirement is pretty vague. I'm not sure if down to earth ones are okay, as in similar to tv dramas, or ones with anime wackiness.

I made it vague on purpose, in order not to hinder your creativity. Both more down to earth and the ones on the wackier side are fine with me, as long as the romance is well-executed and they don't fall into the tropes I have a problem with. Basically the only thing I don't want are series clearly made with middle-aged housewives in mind, with the premise and romance looking like it came out of one of those trashy romance novels you can buy at grocery stores, or some sort of soap opera. Now, for your recommendations:

White Album 2 [https://myanimelist.net/anime/18245/White_Album_2] is one of my favorites. It's down to earth, no anime wackiness, but it's adapted from an eroge which means your mother probably wouldn't be to interested. Intimacy wise, MC hooks up pretty early in the show, but there is a sex scene.

Might be good. I'll add it to my list.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien [https://myanimelist.net/anime/147/Kimi_ga_Nozomu_Eien] is less down to earth, also another eroge adaptation. MC hooks up early in the show, sex scene, betrayal, stuff like that.

Sounds very intriguing. Definitely on top of my list for now. Thanks.

ef: A Tale of Memories [https://myanimelist.net/anime/147/Kimi_ga_Nozomu_Eien] and ef: A Tale of Melodies [https://myanimelist.net/anime/4789/ef__A_Tale_of_Melodies] are also eroge adaptations, but is not realistic at all. There are multiple stories with different characters throughout both shows. I can't remember Memories, but I do remember Melodies pretty darn well, because it was quite dark.

I prefer series focusing on a single story, but you kind of got my attention with the "quite dark" part, so I might check it out regardless.

Yosuga no Sora [https://myanimelist.net/anime/8861/Yosuga_no_Sora__In_Solitude_Where_We_Are_Least_Alone] is also from an eroge adaption, which at this point I realized all of my recommendations are. Yes, it's the twincest one, but that's just a single arc. There are lots of sex scenes, and I'm not talking about the PG-13 ones. I'm talking hentai, except they don't show the genitals at all. I'm suprised they actually broadcasted this on tv. I don't think the story is exceptional, but I find the music, setting, and feel exceptional. It reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film, it's quite amazing really, because it's a show about fucking your twin sister.

I'm not bothered in the slightest by taboo romances (I enjoyed Koi Kaze, which is another anime about incest, a lot). As I already mentioned, however, I don't really enjoy series not focusing on a single story, and on top of that, Yosuga no Sora seems to have this whole "time resets every arc" gimmick, which I find especially jarring in this case because it basically leads to romances that go nowhere multiple times. So yeah, sorry, but I'm giving this one a skip.

It's a shame your requirements are so strict, because there are some great shows that are left out.

I just try to filter out stuff I won't enjoy as much as possible in order not to waste my time. That's why I'm always so strict and picky.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!(Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!) I recently watched it as a recommendation from Bobular, and it definitely doesn't fall into the typical romance tropes. I actually went into it wanting just a fun romcom and got way more than I bargained for. It's only 12 episodes so it doesn't take a long time commitment and things move at a brisk pace. There isn't a huge amount of physical intimacy, but that's the only point that doesn't get checked from your list.

Synopsis from MyAnimeList:

"Everybody has had that stage in their life where they have thought themselves to be special, different from the masses of ordinary humans. They might go as far as seeing themselves capable of wielding mystical powers, or maybe even believe themselves to have descended from a fantasy realm. This "disease" is known as "chuunibyou" and is often the source of some of the most embarrassing moments of a person's life.

For Yuuta Togashi, the scars that his chuunibyou has left behind are still fresh. Having posed as the "Dark Flame Master" during his middle school years, he looks back at those times with extreme embarrassment, so much so that he decides to attend a high school far away where nobody will recognize him. Putting his dark history behind him, he longs to live a normal high school life.

Unfortunately, he hasn't escaped his past yet: enter Rikka Takanashi, Yuuta's new classmate and self-declared vessel of the "Wicked Eye." As this eccentric young girl crashes into Yuuta's life, his dream of an ordinary, chuunibyou-free life quickly crumbles away. In this hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy who just wants to leave his embarrassing memories behind, the delusions of old are far from a thing of the past."

 

[ninja666]

I do think Ore Monogatari is unrealistic, if anything, the expectation that you cannot have a romance without constant conflict is unrealistic and having the main couple get together after something like five episodes is simply refreshing. Sometimes life is simple and people who click well meet up without problems.

I definitely get where you're coming from with that, but we're talking about a show here, entertainment. It has to be something that's interesting to watch. And a show where everything is sweet, perfectly innocent, and goes perfectly, without any hiccups whatsoever doesn't sound like something that's interesting to watch, unless you just want something you can turn your brain off to, which in this particular case, is not something I'm after.

Toradora only breaks rule 3 (that is hard to do in general). The main character is a neat freak with a face of a thug, the heroine is a violent tsundere but has a reason for it (plus if I remember correctly it gets toned down after the first episode where he insults her unknowingly). They have a chemistry and the show builds it quite well (with them starting with a crush of each-others friends and slowly realizing they prefer one another). I never felt it stalled too long and the ending is great. It's the kind of show of "don't judge a book by its cover".

Reminds me when I first watched re:Zero I left it ten minutes in since it appeared to be just another LN generic story.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, and for participating in general, but Toradora really doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy. Sorry.

 

[ninja666]

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!(Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!) I recently watched it as a recommendation from Bobular, and it definitely doesn't fall into the typical romance tropes. I actually went into it wanting just a fun romcom and got way more than I bargained for. It's only 12 episodes so it doesn't take a long time commitment and things move at a brisk pace. There isn't a huge amount of physical intimacy, but that's the only point that doesn't get checked from your list.

Reading about it, I'm kind of on the fence with that one, but I'll add it to my list. Who knows, maybe I'll suddenly get in a mood for something exactly like this. Thanks.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!(Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!) I recently watched it as a recommendation from Bobular, and it definitely doesn't fall into the typical romance tropes. I actually went into it wanting just a fun romcom and got way more than I bargained for. It's only 12 episodes so it doesn't take a long time commitment and things move at a brisk pace. There isn't a huge amount of physical intimacy, but that's the only point that doesn't get checked from your list.

Reading about it, I'm kind of on the fence with that one, but I'll add it to my list. Who knows, maybe I'll suddenly get in a mood for something exactly like this. Thanks.

I don't think that synopsis does a great job at encompassing what the show is, actually, but I wouldn't know how to describe it any better.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'd suggest Kare Kano, or His and Her Circumstances by a different title.

It's 26 episodes long, the girl and guy get together within the first 5 episodes, and there's no love rivals or moments of will-they-won't-they. Also, no guy and girl getting mad at eachother due to forced misunderstanding. It's just following these two through their high school romance and the change it brings in them.

The art style is quite minimalistic, some would say cheap as it was done by Gainax during their dry spell, I guess (There's one episode that's all just cardboard cut-outs moving around, I'm not even joking.). But with Hideaki Anno at the helm, the visuals are striking nonetheless. You can also see in it the progenitor to what would one day become Fooly Cooly. And a fantastic score, too.

Check it out if you want one of the more believable romance animes.

 

[Jerast]

I'm going to be real with you, nearly all romance anime is absolute trash.

If you want to find believable romance in anime you're better off looking in other genres (adventure, sports, action) that have two characters develop feelings for eachother and getting physical but you're gonna be looking at stuff from the 90s or early 2000s cause anime is definitely wussified right now.

Most of those have trash romance too because they're aimed at nerds who want wish fulfillment.

If you're certainly going all in on the full on romance where characters make progress in life and show genuine love and affection, the only actual answer that isn't horrifically obscure is unfortunately Clannad, and the Clannad anime is trash compared to the VN (and the VN is only decent).

On the whole, I would say VN's would offer far more romance than anime would and I am watching this thread in hopes I'm dead wrong and people start mentioning things that actually are good romance anime instead of garbage because unfortunately that's all I've seen.

 

[ninja666]

I'd suggest Kare Kano, or His and Her Circumstances by a different title.

It's 26 episodes long, the girl and guy get together within the first 5 episodes, and there's no love rivals or moments of will-they-won't-they. Also, no guy and girl getting mad at eachother due to forced misunderstanding. It's just following these two through their high school romance and the change it brings in them.

The art style is quite minimalistic, some would say cheap as it was done by Gainax during their dry spell, I guess (There's one episode that's all just cardboard cut-outs moving around, I'm not even joking.). But with Hideaki Anno at the helm, the visuals are striking nonetheless. You can also see in it the progenitor to what would one day become Fooly Cooly. And a fantastic score, too.

Check it out if you want one of the more believable romance animes.

Sounds like the kind of anime I'm looking for (well, except maybe for the cheap-looking artstyle, but then again, I'm not really all that picky in that regard either, it's the content that counts). Added to my list. Thank you.

On the whole, I would say VN's would offer far more romance than anime would and I am watching this thread in hopes I'm dead wrong and people start mentioning things that actually are good romance anime instead of garbage because unfortunately that's all I've seen.

I'm aware that manga and VNs are more likely to have what I'm looking for, but the problem is, I'm not interested in either. I just really don't like static media that involve lots of reading.

And in regard to the second part of the quote, I wouldn't say it's that bad. Some suggestions defeinitely were... off, but most of the series suggested don't sound like something that qualifies as "typical garbage".

 

[balladbird]

Definitely sounds like something up my alley. Is there any particular reason for the polarizing ratings it's getting, though? It seems to either get an 8-9/10 or 3-4/10, nothing inbetween.

it's difficult to quantify precisely, and I imagine the reasons why may vary depending on the person, but if I had to guess, the polarization comes from the fact that Suzuka initially sets itself up like the usual anime escapist romance fluff, then throws the swerve of being far more grounded than the genre usually is. Some people may have come to it looking for some moe-moe escapism, and simply not liked the different tone. There's also the ending. I won't spoil it, but it deals with a situation that's not at all uncommon in real life relationships, but almost never seen in anime romance, and ultimately results in the story climaxing in a way that I would describe as "a happy ending...if not a wholly pleasant one"

The ending was also really divisive, when it came out, but I like Suzuka. there's just nothing else quite like it, especially as far as anime goes. It's like one of those love drama shojo series you might imagine, except told from the guy's point of view, and with an overtly masculine sense of tone, timing, and perspective. Like I said, it's hard to put into words what the appeal of the show is. When anime tries to market romance to boys, it usually does it either by making it a full on harem comedy, mixing it with an action plot, or purposefully making it fluffy and comical. Suzuka has moments of the latter, but is ultimately about the bond between the two characters. I guess if I had to pick a word for it, it'd be "earnest"

How does Skip Beat fare in regards to what I wrote above? Is it that sort of romance, or does it actually do something interesting to break the mold?

Skip Beat knocks your first few requirements out of the park and then some. There's good chemistry between the characters, and it has one of my favorite female leads in all of anime. It does drag on a bit, and I can't guarantee it'd scratch your itch, but it does seem like it might at least be worth the old 3-episode test for you.

 

[ninja666]

if I had to guess, the polarization comes from the fact that Suzuka initially sets itself up like the usual anime escapist romance fluff, then throws the swerve of being far more grounded than the genre usually is. Some people may have come to it looking for some moe-moe escapism, and simply not liked the different tone. There's also the ending. I won't spoil it, but it deals with a situation that's not at all uncommon in real life relationships, but almost never seen in anime romance, and ultimately results in the story climaxing in a way that I would describe as "a happy ending...if not a wholly pleasant one"

I see. That's kinda what I thought. Thank you for clearing that up. I added Suzuka to my list.

Skip Beat knocks your first few requirements out of the park and then some. There's good chemistry between the characters, and it has one of my favorite female leads in all of anime. It does drag on a bit, and I can't guarantee it'd scratch your itch, but it does seem like it might at least be worth the old 3-episode test for you.

Definitely sounds like something worth a try, then. I'll add it to my list as well.

 

[Vanilla ISIS]

Seto No Hanayome.

It's the funniest anime series I've ever seen and it's also cute as a romance.
It's very over the top and exaggerated but it's really entertaining.
The visual humor is top notch.

The basic plot is this:
A teen goes to visit his grand parents by the sea.
He goes for a swim and starts drowning but gets rescued by a mermaid, although nobody believes him.
He goes back home and then a bunch of evil looking strangers barge into his house, along with the mermaid, only she has human legs.
Turns out that they're the mermaid Yakuza and the girl is the daughter of the boss.
The mermaid law states that a mermaid must marry the person they save (or something like that, I can't remember exactly) so here they are.
The 2 kids hit it off and start dating.
However, the father of the girl doesn't want some peasant human marrying his daughter so he's trying to discourage the kid (he makes Godfather style threats, hires assassins and other great things).
I won't say more because it would be spoilers but I highly recommend.

 

[09philj]

Toradora only breaks rule 3 (that is hard to do in general). The main character is a neat freak with a face of a thug, the heroine is a violent tsundere but has a reason for it (plus if I remember correctly it gets toned down after the first episode where he insults her unknowingly). They have a chemistry and the show builds it quite well (with them starting with a crush of each-others friends and slowly realizing they prefer one another). I never felt it stalled too long and the ending is great. It's the kind of show of "don't judge a book by its cover".

Reminds me when I first watched re:Zero I left it ten minutes in since it appeared to be just another LN generic story.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, and for participating in general, but Toradora really doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy. Sorry.

Give it a try. I don't like romcoms much, but Toradora is great. The protagonists are all likeable, the jokes are generally funny, and constantly surprised me. Just make sure to watch it in Japanese.

 

[ninja666]

Seto No Hanayome.

It's the funniest anime series I've ever seen and it's also cute as a romance.

Does it meet my criteria, though? Because from what I could read from the reviews, it really doesn't like it does. It might be good as a comedy anime, sure, but I'm looking for good romance in particular.

 

[404notfound]

Depending on how you view them, these might be okay:

Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka? (WorldEnd): [https://myanimelist.net/anime/33502/Shuumatsu_Nani_Shitemasu_ka_Isogashii_desu_ka_Sukutte_Moratte_Ii_desu_ka]
A little bit of sci-fi/fantasy blend of a setting, might infringe a little on points 1 and 5, depending on your view point. But I loved this show, not sure if there'll be a sequel or a spinoff or anything (aired mid 2017), but I think it ended on a definite point.

Plastic Memories: [https://myanimelist.net/anime/27775/Plastic_Memories]
More sci-fi setting, its a little bit slice of lifey at times. Characters are generally well rounded, though again it might infringe a little on the points you don't like.