Best Japanese romance series
A curated collection of popular romance series from Japan.
The Fruit of Grisaia (2014)
The Fruit of Grisaia (2014)
Mihama Academy—on the surface, a closed learning environment established to nurture students who find themselves at odds with the world around them; in actuality, an orchard-cum-prison built to preserve fruit that has fallen too far from its tree. Yet with the arrival of the institute's first male student, the nearly preposterously opaque Kazami Yuuji, the students at Mihama begin to fall out of step with their predetermined rhythms. Will Yuuji prove to be the element the girls around him needed to take hold of their lives once more, or will the weight of their pasts prove too steep a wall to overcome?
Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)
Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)
Usagi Tsukino is chosen to be a guardian of justice and is sent on a quest to locate a Silver Crystal before the Dark Kingdom invades the Earth.
Demon King Daimao (2010)
Demon King Daimao (2010)
Demon King Daimao follows Akuto Sai as the lead character, who on the day he enters Constant Magic Academy, receives a very unexpected future occupation aptitude test result: “Demon King.”
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You (2020)
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You (2020)
Nasa Yuzaki falls in love at first sight after an encounter with the mysterious Tsukasa. When Nasa earnestly confesses his feelings, she replies, "I'll date you, but only if we're married." Nasa and Tsukasa's cute and precious newlywed life of love is about to begin!
Trinity Seven (2014)
Trinity Seven (2014)
In this "romantic comedy but sometime serious magical school story," life as Arata Kasuga knows it is wiped out by a bizarre incident known as "Collapse Phenomenon," which causes worldwide destruction and takes his cousin Hijiri Kasuga to the next world. To resolve the "Collapse Phenomenon" and bring back Hijiri, Arata enrolls in the Royal Biblia Academy. Waiting in the school are seven beautiful female magic users — the Trinity Seven.
Hi Score Girl (2018)
Hi Score Girl (2018)
The year is 1991 and 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo only has video games to live for. He's not popular in school and he's neither handsome, funny, nice nor even friendly. The only thing he has going for him is that he is good at video games. One day at the local arcade, he plays Oono Akira, a fellow classmate but who's popular, smart, pretty and a rich girl that absolutely destroys him at Street Fighter II. Not only does he lose to her 30 times in a row, he can’t beat her at any game. Haruo can’t seem to shake Akira off as she follows him from arcade to arcade everyday after school and beats him every time. As weird as it sounds, the odd couple begins a strange bond and friendship.
Teasing Master Takagi-san (2018)
Teasing Master Takagi-san (2018)
"If you blush, you lose." Living by this principle, the middle schooler Nishikata gets constantly made fun of by his seat neighbor Takagi-san. With his pride shattered to pieces, he vows to turn the tables and get back at her some day. And so, he attempts to tease her day after day, only to find himself victim to Takagi-san's ridicule again sooner than later. Will he be able to make Takagi-san blush from embarrassment even once in the end?
The Dangers in My Heart (2023)
The Dangers in My Heart (2023)
Kyotaro Ichikawa, a boy barely clinging to the bottom rung of his school's social ladder, secretly believes he’s the tortured lead in some psychological thriller. He spends his days dreaming up ways to disrupt his classmates' peaceful lives and pining after Anna Yamada, the class idol. But Kyotaro's not nearly the troubled teen he pretends to be…and it turns out Anna's a bit odd herself!
Recovery of an MMO Junkie (2017)
Recovery of an MMO Junkie (2017)
Moriko Morioka is a 30-year-old single NEET woman. After dropping out from reality, she has taken off in search for a fulfilling life and ended up in a net game or "netoge." In the netoge world, she began her new life as a refreshing and handsome character named Hayashi. While starting out as a beginner, a pretty character named Lily reached out to help her. Meanwhile, in the real world, awaits a shocking encounter with a good-looking elite company employee, a mysterious blue-eyed blonde.
Gamers! (2017)
Gamers! (2017)
Keita Amano is a perfectly mediocre loner with no particular distinguishing features other than his love for games. One day, his school's prettiest girl and Gamer Club President Karen Tendo suddenly calls out to him. That moment changes Keita's life forever, as he now finds himself in the midst of a romcom with beautiful girl gamers... or, well, that's how it usually goes. Not with him, however.
Yamada's First Time: B Gata H Kei (2010)
Yamada's First Time: B Gata H Kei (2010)
OMG! There’s this girl at school, Yamada, who wants to make like a hundred sex friends. She totally thinks she can devirginize one hundred different boys! Can you believe that? That’s like every boy in the school. Who does she think she is? I heard from my friend’s neighbor’s cousin’s lab partner that Yamada’s never even been kissed. Oh. My. God. I would totally die. That’s like burn all your makeup and shave off your eyebrows embarrassing. I can’t even think about it. Today at lunch I saw Yamada flirting, like for reals flirting, with that geek Kosuda. You know the guy. Photography club, no muscles, boring face, kind of reminds you of a black-and-white movie. Super lame. If Yamada can’t even make the sex with him, she’ll never score a hundred cherry boys. She needs to take like Sex Ed or something because I heard she can’t give it away!
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (2020)
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (2020)
After remaining a virgin for 30 years, Kiyoshi Adachi gains the ability to read other people's minds by touching them.
Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (2021)
Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (2021)
On his way home from drinking his sorrows away after being rejected by his crush, 26 year old salaryman Yoshida finds a high school girl named Sayu sitting on the side of the road and ends up letting her stay at his place overnight. Not having the heart to put the runaway out on the streets, Yoshida allows her to stay at his place... And so began the awkward, irritable, and slightly heartwarming relationship between a runaway high school girl and a salaryman living together.
Chihayafuru (2011)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Chihaya Ayase has spent most of her life supporting her sister’s model career. When she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, he thinks Chihaya has potential to become a great karuta player. As Chihaya dreams of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends. Now in high school, Chihaya still plays karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again.
To Love-Ru (2008)
To Love-Ru (2008)
The story is about Rito Yuuki , a high-school boy who cannot confess to the girl of his dreams, Haruna Sairenji. One day when coming home and sulking in the bathtub a mysterious, nude girl, appears out of nowhere. Her name is Lala and she comes from the planet Deviluke, where she is the heir to the throne. Her father wants her to return to her home planet so she can marry one of the husband candidates, but she decides that she wants to marry Rito in order to stay on Earth.
Katanagatari (2010)
Katanagatari (2010)
The legendary swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki created 1,000 swords in his career. The more of the swords a country owns, the higher its chances are at winning a war. When the shogun emerged victorious, he collected 988 swords, but these were merely the “practice pieces”. The last twelve swords were the crowning achievements of Kiki’s career. Each one of them is so powerful that a single man could defeat an army with it.Togame, the shogun’s strategist, gets the order to collect these swords. At first she hired a ninja, but each of the swords’ value is so high that the entire ninja clan went rogue once they got hold of one. She then put her trust in another warrior, but he kept the sword for himself. Her final hope now is Shichika, the seventh and last student of the Kyotoryuu School.
Tsuredure Children (2017)
Tsuredure Children (2017)
A series depicting various scenarios of young love. These stories range from a boy, crippled by his absolute lack of confidence in himself, cannot even accept the fact that the girl of his dreams actually asked him out on a date, to the near-psychotic girl that pours her own blood into her homemade chocolate in order to win his heart.
The World God Only Knows (2010)
The World God Only Knows (2010)
Keima is a dating sim champion. Cute girls are rendered powerless by his irresistible game playing techniques. Too bad things aren't that way in the real world. That is, until his tempting game playing causes a real live—and very bubbly-cute—demon hunter named Elsie to materialize! Now Elsie wants Keima to help her free hot girls from sneaky demons who secretly possess them.
Tsukigakirei (2017)
Tsukigakirei (2017)
Kotarou Azumi and Akane Mizuno became third year students at junior high school and are classmates for the first time. These two, along with fellow classmates, Chinatsu Nishio and Takumi Hira, relate to their peers through mutual understandings and feelings. As their final year at junior high school progresses, the group overcome their challenges to mature and become aware of changes in themselves.
IS: Infinite Stratos (2011)
IS: Infinite Stratos (2011)
Girls from all over the world gather at IS Academy to learn how to become IS pilots. However, since Ichika can somehow pilot the IS even though he is male, he was forced to attend IS Academy as the only male in this school.
Skip and Loafer (2023)
Skip and Loafer (2023)
Iwakura Mitsumi, a tenacious country girl, prepares for high school in the big city. She meets the handsome Shima Sousuke, whose easygoing ways help her adapt in the real world.
Banished From the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (2021)
Banished From the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (2021)
After being betrayed by the Hero’s party, Red hopes to start anew by opening an apothecary in a small town. He wants to keep his past life secret, but it won’t be easy...especially when a beautiful adventurer from his past asks to move in.
A Sign of Affection (2024)
A Sign of Affection (2024)
Yuki Itose is just a typical student dealing with the pressures of college. She is struggling one day on the train when an upperclassman named Itsuomi Nagi helps her out. As he gradually opens a new world to her, Yuki develops feelings for Itsuomi. A pure love story begins to grow.
Eromanga Sensei (2017)
Eromanga Sensei (2017)
This "sibling romantic comedy" revolves around Masamune Izumi, a light novel author in high school. Masamune's little sister is Sagiri, a shut-in girl who hasn't left her room for an entire year. She even forces her brother to make and bring her meals when she stomps the floor. Masamune wants his sister to leave her room, because the two of them are each other's only family.Masamune's novel illustrator, pen name "Eromanga," draws extremely perverted drawings, and is very reliable. Masamune had never met his illustrator, and figured he was just a disgusting, perverted otaku. However, the truth is revealed… that his "Eromanga-sensei" is his own younger sister! To add to the chaos that erupts between the siblings, a beautiful, female, best-selling shoujo manga creator becomes their rival!
Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts (2010)
Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts (2010)
Advanced placement into a school of higher grade proof-reading is determined by the results of the Promotion Test strictly for class type. Ranging from A class with the best facilities anyone can offer all the way down to F Class which is composed of low dining tables, rotten tatami mats and other worn out facilities. Students can change classes by competing using the Examination Summons Battle system or ESB. Students summon characters with their equivalent test mark scores and use them to compete with other classes.
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (2020)
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (2020)
Shinichi Sakurai’s one wish is for a little peace and quiet. But Hana Uzaki — his boisterous, well-endowed underclassman — has other plans. All she wants is to hang out and poke fun at him. With the help of her chipper charm and peppy persistence, this might just be the start of a beautiful relationship!
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (2020)
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (2020)
Wealthy heiress Catarina Claes is hit in the head with a rock and recovers the memories of her past life. It turns out the world she lives in is the world of the game Fortune Lover, an otome game she was obsessed with in her past life... but she's been cast as the villain character who tries to foil the protagonist's romances!
Blend · S (2017)
Blend · S (2017)
High school girl Maika Sakuranomiya has trouble finding a part-time job because of how scary she looks when smiling. However, she is scouted one day by Dino, the manager of the café Stile where its waitresses play unique traits such as tsundere and younger sister. Maika is given a sadist trait because of her looks and has to adopt a dominant and cruel persona when servicing customers, particularly masochist ones.
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles (2021)
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles (2021)
His past life and current life are intersecting--a boy with memories of two lives faces his destiny! After his mother was killed at an early age, the orphaned Rio fought his hardest to survive in the slums. One day, he awakens to the memories of Haruto Amakwa, who died in an accident while dreaming of being reunited with his childhood friend, and Rio realizing he has reincarnated in a world of swords and sorcery.
Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (2015)
Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (2015)
Tomoya Aki is an otaku who has a dream. His dream is to create the best visual novel game ever. The main heroine for this game and the inspiration for this dream is a background character named Megumi Kato who somehow stumbles into main character-esque traits in his eyes. To complete the game in time he has to call upon the aid of his anime loving professional friends who aren't so keen on the choice of his main heroine.