Let’s discuss anime love stories. For the purposes of this discussion, an anime love story has to either have the love story itself as the main plot, or the love story provides major support to the main plot. So no anime in which the love story is a minor plot point, or has no role in the main story. (Although some of my choices may be borderline.)
My list is in no particular order. Maybe I will relist later on if others remind me of anime I have forgotten about.
WARNING! Some spoilers.
Stepped Up Love Story. Two virgins in their late 20’s get married. Neither knows much about the physical act of sex, but they get pointers from their friends. Eventually, this couple mentor younger couples. Yes, this one is soft-core hentai. But still it is a sweet story of a man and a woman who love each other so much that they want to provide each other with pleasure.
Love, Chuunibyou, and other Delusions. Yuuka is a recovered Chuunibyou, that is someone who partly lives in a make believe world of magic, sorcery, demons, and warriors. Starting life over again in a new school, Yuuka hopes to live a normal life. But then he meets Rikka, a committed Chuunibyou. Obviously Yuuka will fall in love with the annoying Rikka. The first season ends darkly and hopefully when Yuuka learns that Rikka’s obsession deals with a mental trauma, and he promises to be at Rikka’s side forever. It would have been a perfect ending to the series, only there is a second season which is not bad, but it does not live up to the first.
Your Name. Boy and girl are strangers. Boy and girl change bodies back and forth. Boy and girl fall in love from a distance. This has all the makings of a pretty good comedy, but it does turn dark when Taki learns that Mitsuha, her family, and her entire town are in mortal danger.
Your Lie in April. This series is a heartbreaker. Child prodigy Kousei has walked away from a promising future as a pianist due to emotional trauma. A free spirited violinist named Kaori brings him back. Kousei falls in love with Kaori, but those feelings are not returned. Only at the end do we learn of the lie.
Rumbling Hearts. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl is left in an irreversible coma due to a traffic accident. After a few years, boy falls in love with a long time female friend. Then the girl wakes up. This is a heartbreaker.
A Silent Voice. Shouko is the new girl in school. She is deaf and the target of bullying lead by Shouya. Things get so bad that Shouko is forced to transfer to another school. Years later, Shouya’s life is going nowhere. He has remorse over the way he treated Shouko, and then the two are reunited. Naturally, a strong bond develops. My only complaint is that they could have taken this a bit further.
Beastars. In a world where all the people are animals, the shy, awkward wolf Legosi falls in love with the cute dwarf rabbit Haru. Good relationships between the species are encouraged, but that does not include romance. To make things more complicated, Haru is having an affair with the big man on campus, the buck Louis.
A Whisker Away. Schoolgirl Miyo loves classmate Kento. Kento ignores Miyo. Miyo gains the power to turn into a cat so she can be close to Kento.
Torodora. Supposed campus tough guy Ryuuji gets a new rival in tough girl Taiga. Eventually they agree to team up to help each other win the hearts of those they love. Can you see where this is going?
Hi Score Girl. In the world of video games, there is a love triangle. Ono and Hidaka both love the clueless Haruo. But give Haruo time. There is a heartbreaking moment in season one when the emotionally fragile Ono is temporarily separated from Haruo, having taken him on as an emotional crutch.
Please! Teacher. This is for any schoolboy who has ever had a crush on a hot, young teacher. Especially if that teacher is an alien from another planet.
Midori Days. High schooler Seiji is a tough guy with a reputation which scares off any potential girlfriend. He is unaware that Midori loves him from a distance, until Midori replaces his right hand. They do keep this anime clean.
That’s enough. What are your anime love stories?
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