Updated May 11, 2024 by testing

Main characters, these individuals better live up to their title and be the main one in somebody’s heart. I mean, they’re already getting all the good stuff, right? So why not add some more flavor in it? Perhaps the sweetness of romance as topping to the layers that makes up their character.

We are going to explore some of the few anime where the MC is involved in a relationship for the entire or at least some parts of the series or movie. We’re going to have to include relationships that didn’t last or didn’t have any healthy romance in it.

This bulky list may contain romance anime because most main characters from other genres are busy fighting demons or searching for treasure. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be leaving out some of them, because well, love can coexist with the likes of adventure, action, and even tragedy. Anyway, without further ado, let us begin our journey on anime where the main character is involved in a relationship.

 

ANIME WHERE THE MCS FINALLY GET TOGETHER (RECOMMENDATIONS)

 

26. Sailor Moon

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
5/10	8/10	10/10	7/10	30/40

We’re starting this journey with the childhood classic “Sailor Moon”, certainly one of the most iconic magical anime of all time! We witness the magical-action adventure of our jolly protagonist, Usagi, also known as the iconic Sailor Moon.

Her relationship with Mamoru or the infamous Tuxedo Mask, is the reason why she managed to make it on this list. Though their relationship is shown to be one of the major plot lines throughout the series, some fans do not like the ship at all.

Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship ties back to their past lives, the only reason why they are even attracted to each other. Unlike every other anime on this list, their relationship is much likely forced upon by destiny which makes it less impactful but fits the criteria nevertheless.

 

25. Tonikawa

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
7/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	31/40

Love can wait, or so they say. But the love story of Nasa and Tsukasa from “Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You” happened real quick. But not as quickly as Nasa getting hit by a truck, he survived though. With that, he gets another opportunity to confess his love.

Nasa’s offer to Tsukasa was accepted, and they got married. If that ain’t a quick one, I don’t know what is. The wedding went like a speeding truck, but despite that, Nasa and Tsukasa had quite the wholesome marriage, as if they got hit by each other.

It’s not about how fast they went, like getting married right at the first episode. Though an unlikely scenario in real life, the couple managed to form an inseparable bond and established a romance like no other.

 

24. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	7/10	7/10	8/10	32/40

This anime with a long title follows the love story between two high school students. Sakuta Azusagawa meets Mai Sakurajima, an actress and model dressed in a bunny girl costume as the title suggests.

Even though Mai is very passionate about upholding her life of fame, it seems that Sakuta pretty much looks at her beyond a certain degree she would not expect. All in all, this anime is quite the romantic adventure with twists and turns that’ll have you mesmerized throughout the series.

 

23. Kiss Him, Not Me

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
7/10	10/10	8/10	8/10	32/40

“Kiss Him, Not Me!” is quite an interesting and ridiculous story. The plot revolves around Kae Serinuma, an overweight girl so into watching BL anime. She lived quite an ordinary life until the death of one of her favorite characters.

We all understand the sorrow of losing our favs but who could’ve known it could be this life changing for her! Because of that, she got depressed and lost herself, and some of her weight because of undereating.

After that, she became a campus chick and every boy in school was bawling over her. But the only guy who has her heart is Asuma Mutsumi who was actually in love with her all along. Listen though, don’t try to undereat when you’re upset alright?

 

22. Sword Art Online

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	7/10	8/10	10/10	32/40

Sword Art Online might start out as your typical, action packed shonen adventure series, that is until Kirito crosses paths with the heroine, Asuna. Remember those high school couples using them as couple DP’s? What an era has it been.

Anyway, as the story progresses and we move through the floors of the game, so did the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. They faced trials and hardships throughout their journey side by side, until the inevitable happened and Asuna got kidnapped at the end of the first part.

But as fairy tale stories go, the prince saves the princess, and their romance continues throughout the series. Sword Art Online may not be everyone’s favorite nowadays, but it sure made a huge impact on the anime community at its prime.

 

21. Lovely Complex

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	9/10	7/10	7/10	32/40

Tall boy x petite girl has always been the bread and butter of romance anime, we don’t get much love for our short kings. Tall queens, on the other hand, usually fall under the “strong independent woman” category, for which they are.

Lovely Complex is such a lovely anime for going down the least taken route, our small boy Atsushi Ootani and the long-legged lady Koizumi Risa made quite the lovable match!

The romance in this story is a chef’s kiss, from great chemistry and self-love messages. Overall, there is so much wholesomeness to go by. Lovely complex shows that physical stereotypes don’t have to matter so long as you enjoy each other’s company.

 

20. Beastars

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	9/10	8/10	8/10	33/40

Let’s take a short break from humans and let us explore a universe of anthropomorphic animals, with the story of Legoshi the wolf and Haru the rabbit. Might sound like a cute little fable but don’t be surprised if you wander into its violent and shady territories.

Going back to our main characters, Legoshi struggles to fight his carnivorous nature just to be with Haru. Though this idea might appear out of reach, we are still rooting for our lovely wolf to be able to make it to his rabbit’s heart… emotionally speaking of course!

The only thing that holds Legoshi back from his goal is his involvement with the Black Market and rather shady background. This further strengthens the emotional aspect of the story, where an interspecies relationship is already difficult enough, he had to fight his natural instincts.

 

19. Dragon Ball Series

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
7/10	10/10	8/10	8/10	33/40

We are head on to one of the childhood classics, the Dragon Ball series is one of the most well-known anime for so many generations. Following the story of the main protagonist Goku, from childhood to having a family of his own.

The action and adventure are respectfully set aside for now. For most of the series, Goku had a relationship with Chi-chi, his wife. As the story went on, we actually got to see progression with their relationship despite being an action-packed anime.

For so many years, Chi-chi has always been with Goku’s side whether he is in space or other planets fighting off threats, maybe even in the afterlife right after he falls in battle multiple times. But there is no threat in this universe strong enough to even dent their love for one another.

 

18. Honey and Clover

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	10/10	7/10	7/10	34/40

Honey and Clover is a romantic story about college students. Well, not only that, the anime shows us the sweetness of romance. It also delves deep into the aspect of self-discovery, and developing both intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships.

In this wonderful story, we follow the lives of five creative protagonists with very diverse qualities and traits. What makes this anime so great is that you can see yourself in any of these characters, especially if you have been in college or are currently in it. The anime shows us the wonder and sweetness of a once in a lifetime college life.

 

17. Tsuredure Children

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	34/40

If you are more interested in an anthology of love stories than being focused solely on one relationship alone, then this is the perfect anime for ya! Tsuredure Children has the ongoing theme of struggles in confessing, but eventually ending up in romance.

Most romances in this anime have a smooth and steady flow so, there’s not much of a rush. Witness the characters as they fall in love, muster the courage to confess, and finally get into a relationship. After all, love is a journey, right?

But that does not apply to all as some characters are already dating in the first few episodes! What I love most about the anime is that each love story has a pacing of their own, which goes to show that flowers do bloom at their own time.

 

16. Horimiya

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
9/10	9/10	7/10	9/10	34/40

Horimiya is quite famous for its realistic approach to puppy love, or should we say… high-school romance. Our main characters, Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura, took the opportunity to get to know each other before eventually falling in love. 

Miyamura wound up confessing his feelings to Hori thinking she was asleep. Lucky enough, Hori had mutual feelings for him, making them an official couple in the following episode. Ahh from friends to lovers, what could be lovelier than that.

 

15. Toradora!

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
9/10	9/10	8/10	9/10	35/40

Here, our main character, Ryuji, may start off with a fierce demeanor, though he has lovely qualities which helped him establish a relationship with Taiga, who in return has quite the attitude I might say.

The show is certainly addictive, especially if you are the type who is into RomCom! The execution of characters in each episode, and their personal development as the story progresses is phenomenal and would keep you coming back for more.

 

14. Yuri On Ice

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	9/10	9/10	9/10	35/40

One of the few non-hetero relationships in this list and I wish I could have added more, Yuri on Ice is more than just a story of ice skating. It also gives some spotlight on the relationship between Victor and Yuri, which I guarantee is canon and not the usual queerbait.

The show is beyond entertaining with so many aspects to focus on such as sports, family, friendship, and character growth. Oh! And how could I forget to mention culture! The anime is centered on a world ice-skating competition, so you know what to expect.

We have ourselves here a wonderful roster of characters, unique plot, amazing shows and most importantly, a one-of-a-kind romance. The portrayed romance may or may not be your thing, but I guarantee you will enjoy the show as much as everyone else.

 

13. A Silent Voice

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	8/10	10/10	9/10	35/40

A Silent Voice is a movie focusing on the life of a high school student, where it evokes so many emotions brought by two characters: Shoya, being a bully to Shoko, who has an impaired hearing. But what comes after is something you would not expect.

As the years go by, Shoya gets eaten up by his guilt and tries to reform himself and befriend Shoko, who he once tormented. Though it was never an easy reconciliation to begin with, they eventually grew into each other and all it takes is to understand one another’s feelings.

 

12. Monogatari Series

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	8/10	9/10	8/10	35/40

Up next, we’ll be heading into paranormal territory. But fear not, we’re still on track with the love stuff with the “Monogatari Series”. A story about yet another high schooler, Koyomi Araragi. He survived a vampire attack and now helps the ladies from paranormal situations.

There is amazing romance in these series, where the pair Koyomi and Hitagi have quite the chemistry. They complement each other’s characters and manage to pull off the best scenes when they’re together on screen

The story not only focuses on romance and the paranormal but also on self-developing aspects like kindness and selflessness, these ideas help with understanding the characters to their fullness and witness their development throughout the series.

 

11. Kaichou Wa-Maid Sama

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
9/10	10/10	8/10	8/10	35/40

Maid Sama is an anime with fascinating comedy, wherein gender related jokes make up most of the humor, given that the anime is set on an all-boys turning into co-ed, aimed to become a girl-friendly campus, there’s so many things to catch up to.

Despite the energetic environment and a lovely roster of characters, we still focus on the romantic story of our protagonists, Misaki Ayuzawa and Takumi Usui. Misaki is the student council president of Seika High who is working part-time at a Maid Café.

Much to their surprise, the strong and terrific student council president’s secret was discovered by Takumi Uzui, threatening the reputation of her position in school. However, the two slowly developed feelings for one another and ended up as a couple.

 

10. Gamers!

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	9/10	8/10	10/10	35/40

This is a romance anime following the story of Keito Amano, your average student gamer who goes about his high school life like everyone else. That is, until he crossed paths with Karen Tendou, the girl who would soon rock his world!

Because of Karen’s persistence to invite Keita into the gamers club and Keita’s lack of self-confidence, the two had quite the share of misunderstandings early on that you’d be surprised(?) as to why they managed to end up on this list.

Not for long though, they managed to understand each other’s feelings and started dating. Well, they already had the chemistry despite having the awkward vibes but, hey that is the chemistry! Gamers don’t find it difficult to get along with each other, right? Right??

 

9. 5 Centimeters Per Second

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	8/10	10/10	10/10	36/40

If you are into stories that boldly engage the realities of romance, this movie portrays the best of it, perfect for those who probably had the same experience in 2020. All I got to say is love does not get better with distance especially in this movie.

The story is interconnected in three segments, following the story of Tataki and his relationships, along with the cruelty of separation, coldness, and difficulty of maintaining the flames of love with the given circumstance.

Love is proven to be delicate as cherry blossoms, uncertain to exist in the harsh winters and ravages of time. This movie is both cake and coffee, from the sweetness of childhood love to the bitterness and waking up to the reality of adulthood, left only with the memories of our first love.

 

8. Spice and Wolf

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	10/10	8/10	8/10	36/40

There’s not much romance stories where you find yourself in a different setting other than high-school or workplace sceneries. Spice and Wolf will certainly add some spice (and a bit of wolf) to your list of to-watch romance anime.

We follow the romance between the protagonist Lawrence, and a god that looks like a wolf named Holo. Holo’s final wish is to return home, but the journey towards the goal is quite fun with lots of substance and emotions into it.

 

7. My Love Story

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	10/10	8/10	9/10	37/40

Unfortunately, appearance sometimes gets in the way of having a relationship, but the love story of Takeo and Rinko proves that looks should matter the least. Takeo, used to being rejected and insecure, had his life changed the moment he met her.

At first Takeo thought that Rinko was interested in his friend, Makoto, just like how things usually go. But little did he know that Rinko had her eyes for him, thus began their love story 3 episodes into the series.

This is one of the anime where you get to enjoy a classic, healthy love story between two individuals. A love story that defines the maxim “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, this is Takeo and Rinko’s wonderful love story.

 

6. Darling in The Franxx

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	10/10	9/10	10/10	37/40

Darling in the Franxx is an action packed mecha anime, but don’t let the mecha stuff fool you, the anime made it in this list for a reason. The main characters, Hiro and Zero, had a relationship stronger than any mech in the verse.

To prove how strong their love is to each other, many potential love interests came across Hiro’s life and not even one of them managed to take Zero-Two’s place in his heart. Their story is a wild ride of romance and action, I guarantee it’s worth the watch!

 

5. The Flowers of Evil

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
6/10	10/10	10/10	10/10	37/40

I’ve said it in the introduction, we are going to explore other areas of romance but here, we fall to its darkest side. The Flowers of Evil is a shounen series that somewhat involves romance, just not the way you would expect… I mean, look at the title.

When we speak of shounen romance we could safely assume that it would be the typical, you know, wholesome kind of happy ever after. But the love triangle of Takao, Nanako, and Sawa beg to differ, where they go the route of a twisted love story.

The Flowers of Evil might not sound as dreamy as the other anime on this list, and certainly not the type of main character you would not want to be, but the show is definitely worth watching if you’re into dark stuff.

 

4. Arakawa Under the Bridge

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
8/10	10/10	10/10	9/10	37/40

Arakawa Under the Bridge, follows the story of a youthful businessman named Kou Ichinomiya, living his life as best he could alone and not relying on anyone else. But that didn’t last long as he met Nino, the girl who saved him from falling from Arakawa Bridge.

Nino, despite saving Kou’s life, does not want anything in return except to feel the love she sought for. At this moment, the isolated life of Kou had unexpectedly changed. Along with his relationship with Nino, came along the changes in his social life.

 

3. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures (Phantom Blood)

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
9/10	10/10	10/10	8/10	37/40

Part 1 is a classic, Phantom Blood is a story about a British gentleman and his rivalry against his malicious adopted brother. The gentleman would be named Jonathan Joestar, his valor and charm is topped with a heart of gold that Erina fell in love with.

Erina, for most of the series, had his heart until that certain blonde adopted vampire brother came into the show and stole more than just Jonathan’s heart from Erina. Despite the tragic conclusions, Erina’s love for Jonathan lived on with her until her last breath.

 

2. Spy X Family

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
9/10	10/10	10/10	10/10	39/40

For Spy X Family we have ourselves a totally normal couple, with an even more normal adorable child. I might be kidding, the relationship of Loid and Yor Forger had a deadly background as to where they began. Since technically they are in a relationship well, they are on this list.

As to how a spy is married to an assassin having a mind-reading child makes sense is yours to discover. All I gotta say is that these people, as badass and lethal as they could be, will always have a heart to spare for some familial love.

 

1. Bloom Into You

Romance	Characters	Plot	Animation	Total
10/10	10/10	10/10	9/10	39/40

And number one on our list is “Bloom Into You”, Yuu Koito would be someone who we can describe as aromantic. Though aware of the concept of romance and capable of understanding it, she never knew how it felt for her until she met a certain girl.

That girl would be Touko Nanami, a member of the student council and later on gains the position of president. She is really close with Yuu and eventually became her love interest. Watching her fall in love will only bring a smile to your face, trust me.

Yuu found herself head over heels with Touko, and who could have known that the girl fell in love for the first time. The title itself speaks of Yuu’s journey of self-discovery, for a flower who waited so long that it was nice to see it bloom at the perfect circumstance.

 

CONCLUSION

My, my, we sure went through many different flavors of relationships in this list, did you happen to find yourself on one of these characters? Perhaps, some might be your ideal type of relationship? Nevertheless, there’s a lesson to learn behind these wonderful stories, stories that will surely leave a mark in your heart as an audience.

If there’s one takeaway these various anime can give you, is that relationships are meant for everyone, and it’s true. Aliens, animals, humans, gods, or rock, you name it. There’s always someone out there to accept them for who they are, and the same goes for you. 

There we have it, our 26 anime where the main character gets into a relationship. These anime help us understand the ups and downs of a relationship without going through the troubles of being in one so I recommend giving them a try. Go on, pick your treat and enjoy the show!