Anime is an extremely broad medium, with plenty of different genres, animation styles, and studios. While plenty of anime contains violent and adult themes, it can sometimes be rather satisfying to sit down to watch a pleasant, hilarious romantic comedy. With so much to choose from, it can be difficult to pick your next rom-com series. Here we will attempt to make that choice less daunting by selecting some of our favorites and giving some brief, spoiler-free summaries. Let’s kick off our list of the 7 best rom com animes.
7. Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Centering on a recently unemployed 30-year-old named Moriko, this hilarious series sees her quickly delving into the world of online gaming. With so much time on her hands, she reinvents herself within an MMO called Fruits de Mer as a male character named Hayashi. As she plays more of the game, she encounters a cutesy healer by the name of Lily who she quickly befriends. Eventually, she becomes a complete recluse and only leaves her apartment when it is essential, such as shopping. On one of these late night shopping trips, she bumps into a reclusive corporate worker who, without her knowledge, is also deeply engrossed within the same MMO.
My Anime List rating: 7.55
You can purchase episodes of Recovery of an MMO Junkie on Amazon Prime.
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6. Fruits Basket
When a teenage girl named Tooru loses her mother in a tragic accident, she moves in with her grandfather. However, his home is being renovated and it is clear that Tooru needs to move out. Not wanting to worry her family or burden any of her friends, she goes camping in the woods in a tent. One day, she returns to the woods to find her tent buried under a landslide and a passing male student (and his famous author cousin) invite her to stay with them until her grandfather’s renovations are finished. After some time, Tooru discovers that the members of their family miraculously transform temporarily into animals if they are hugged by a female. Despite being pretty funny, this transformation is actually a curse with a dark history and Tooru must uncover the mysteries of the Souma family.
My Anime List rating: 7.68
You can watch Fruits Basket on Funimation or Crunchyroll.
5. Clannad
In Clannad, a guy named Tomoya Okazaki is a troublemaker who sees his life going nowhere. Often skipping school with his friend Youhei, the pair intend to aimlessly pass the time until they graduate. One day, Tomoya meets a strange young girl who he begins to encounter more and more around the school grounds. Eventually, they become friends and it is revealed that she has been held back a year due to illness and that she dreams of reviving the school drama club. Despite his aimless nature, he decides to help her and four other girls revive the club, learning more about the girls individually as he befriends them all. Despite being funny and entertaining, Clannad has quite a hopeful message about purpose, humanity, and relationships.
My Anime List rating: 8.00
You can view the show on Funimation.
4. Toradora!
Toradora! follows a kind natured high school student named Ryuuji who is often mistakenly labeled as a delinquent due to his intimidating appearance. One day he crosses paths with a female student named Taiga who has a feisty personality that contrasts with his own. Despite her nature, Ryuuji discovers another side to her since she has a crush on his best friend. This forces him to admit that he has a crush on Taiga’s best friend, leading to some hilarious scenarios in which the pair attempt to matchmake each other with their best friends. Although it can be a little predictable, Toradora! is a funny and heartwarming anime that will keep you entertained for hours on end.
My Anime List Rating: 8.09
You can watch Toradora! on Netflix.
3. The Tatami Galaxy
Following an unnamed student during his third year at Kyoto University, The Tatami Galaxy delves into parallel universes to examine how his life could have played out differently depending on his choice of student society. These student societies are known as ‘circles’ within Japan and each one is drastically different in terms of the impact on the student. Although it can be pretty funny, his infatuation with his classmate Akashi leads to some quite impactful reflective themes. Surreal and mind bending, the scope and style of this anime make it extremely memorable.
My Anime List rating: 8.57
You can watch online at Funimation.
2. Kaguya Sama Love is War
Two members of the Shuchiin Academy’s student body, Miyuki and Kaguya, are incredibly well-respected members of the community and seen as the ideal couple. Although they both have feelings for each other, they neglect them and fail to admit them since the first one to flinch would be considered the loser. In a funny standoff that sees them desperately trying to emerge on top in the game of love, Kaguya Sama Love is War remains one of the best rom com anime of all time.
My Anime List rating: 8.41
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1. Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
If you are looking for a film instead of a series, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a great place to start. When a student named Kyon arrives at his school for another day with his friends, he swiftly realizes that two of them have completely disappeared. Not only that, but another friend doesn’t recognize him and another has returned after a previous disappearance. Since he has encountered supernatural events in the past, he decides to investigate these bizarre occurrences and finds that he has a choice between continuing in this new reality or reversing the events entirely.
My Anime List rating: 8.61
You can watch The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya on Funimation.
As you can see, there are many options out there for the best rom com anime. Each show and movie that made it onto our top 7 list is easily accessible online as well. The most common streaming sites for anime are Funimation and Crunchyroll. However, other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu often have some selection as well. Funimation has ad-free anime streaming for just $9.99 per month. If you tend to watch a lot of anime and want to check out these shows and movies listed, it’s probably the best option available to you.