30 Anime Featuring Couples That Prove Real Love Exists

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Anime expert Inferno Jae shares animes where couples dive deep into love

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Fruits Basket

2 Howl's Moving Castle

3 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas

4 Given

5 Clannad

6 Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

7 The Rose of Versailles

8 Horimiya

9 Gravitation

10 Nana

11 The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

12 Kamisama Kiss

13 From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke

14 My Happy Marriage

15 Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You

16 The Tatami Galaxy

17 Rent-A-Girlfriend

18 Yuri on Ice

19 Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out

20 Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

21 My Dress-Up Darling

22 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

23 Hana-Kimi

24 Sasaki and Miyano

25 Tamon's B-Side

26 The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

27 The Villainess is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom

28 Ouran High School Host Club

29 The Apothecary Diaries

30 Ao Haru Ride

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Co-authored by Inferno Jae and Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA

Last Updated: July 14, 2026 Fact Checked

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If you’re looking for anime with couples that steal your heart, you’ve come to the right place. Anime with a romantic storyline and tumultuous relationships has a way of getting to your emotional core and striking a nerve. We spoke with anime experts to get their take on some of the most popular anime featuring couples. The following list includes a variety of titles that’ll make you laugh, cry, blush, and jump for joy.

Romantic Anime Featuring Couples

Anime expert Inferno Jae explains that romantic anime includes relationship-driven plots, lots of slow burns, super-heavy emotions, and comedic moments. Some well-known anime romances with couples include Fruits Basket, Given, The Rose of Versailles, Horimiya, Gravitation, and Kamisama Kiss.

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1

Fruits Basket

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1. 
   Tohru and Kyo are at the heart of this anime. They start off as friends who spend a lot of time together. They experience plenty of ups and downs, especially as Tohru tries to break the Sohma family curse. Despite the challenges, they stick together, proving how strong their love is.

   • Take our quiz to find out which Fruits Basket character you are!

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Inferno Jae is an anime expert & gamer who provides entertaining commentary on anime, gaming, and more.

   Megan Blue is an anime expert who has been watching anime for over 25 years.

   Michael Udayakumar is a pop culture commentator who creates content on anime, gaming, and more for his over 138k social media followers.

   Nicole Favarelli is an anime expert who specializes in emotionally driven storytelling in her film work.

   Ed Erskine is an anime expert who runs the #1 anime podcast in the UK.
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2

Howl's Moving Castle

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1. 
   Howl’s Moving Castle combines the best of romance and fantasy. Sophie is cursed and turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste. She goes on a journey to figure out how to break the curse and meets the handsome and mysterious Wizard Howl who’s also cursed. As the plot thickens, Sophie begins to fall in love with him and is more determined than ever to find a way to save them both.

3

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas

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1. 
   This anime delivers a love story filled with heartbreak and drama. Sakura is dying from a fatal pancreatic disease but hasn’t told anyone about her condition. Then, a total stranger named Haruki discovers her journal and learns her secret. This secret brings them together and the two have memorable experiences together that enrich them in ways they didn’t know was possible.
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4

Given

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1. 
   Given is a captivating BL (boy’s love) anime series. It centers on Ritsuka and Mafuyu who first strike up a friendship because of their love for music. Their relationship goes from platonic to romantic, and the storyline follows the pair as they navigate this new terrain. Fans of the anime series find it refreshing and realistic.

5

Clannad

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1. 
   If you enjoy tear jerkers, this one’s for you. Tomoya is a high school student coping with the loss of his mother. He meets Nagisa and decides to join the drama club with her. The two become close, and the storyline follows the pair from their teen years to adulthood. But, their paths are filled with challenging times, making it seem like this could be a tragic romance.
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6

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

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1. 
   This anime focuses on a character who’s lost someone precious. Frieren is a powerful elf who’s human companion, Himmel, has died. She decides to go on a quest to learn more about humans as a way to cope. Throughout the narrative, she has moments when she thinks back on her special moments with Himmel. This story shows how love truly transcends death.

7

The Rose of Versailles

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1. 
   This is one of the earliest examples of shojo anime. The 1979 series tells the story of Oscar François de Jarjayes, a woman raised as a man and trained to be a soldier. Despite the masculine existence she’s been made to lead, at her core she’s a woman searching for a man to love her. While there’s not a specific relationship the story highlights, it does show Oscar experiencing heartbreak.

   • Inferno Jae explains that shojo is centered more on young girls and explores relationships, romance, and emotions.
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8

Horimiya

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1. 
   Horimiya shows that opposites do attract. It’s a fun romantic comedy that follows the unlikely pairing of Hori, the hot girl, and Miyamura, the loner guy. Their interactions are awkward at the beginning, revealing the realities of teen romance. There’s also a love triangle that pops up and adds some drama.

9

Gravitation

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1. 
   Shuichi (a pop singer) and Eiri (romance novelist) are the heart of this one. Anime expert Megan Blue shares that Gravitation “was one of the first entirely gay romance stories in an anime.” The relationship between the characters Shuichi and Yuki is deeply impactful, she adds, because it centers on “two men developing a romantic relationship together.” Blue says that Gravitation is one of the first male-on-male romances in Western media that didn’t have a stigma attached to it.
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10

Nana

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1. 
   Nana highlights the endearing friendship between two young women. The main characters share the same name, Nana, and become super close. Pop culture commentator Michael Udayakumar says this anime shows what true friendship among women looks like as they navigate love, romance, and toxic relationships.

11

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

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1. 
   This anime brings together two characters with very different backgrounds. Rintaro Tsumugi is a tall, blonde jock who attends a high school for delinquents. On the other hand, Kaoruko Waguri is a small, brown-haired teen with huge eyes who attends a preppy school academy. They meet when she drops into his family’s bakery, and they have an instant connection.
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12

Kamisama Kiss

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1. 
   A relationship between a girl and a fox-man is at the center of this story. Nanami Momozono suddenly inherits the title of “earth god” after a weird encounter with an old man. She enters a magical realm and meets her protector Tomoe, a yokai or fox-man. Things are rocky between them at first, but the pair gradually start to grow on each other.

13

From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke

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1. 
   Can the popular guy in school really fall for the strange, quiet girl? This anime proves the answer is “yes!” Everyone adores Shoto, while Sawako is bullied by classmates. Somehow, these two develop a bond that helps them grow into better individuals. And, Shoto shows Sawako that she’s so much more than she believes herself to be.
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14

My Happy Marriage

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1. 
   My Happy Marriage blends fairy tales and magic. Miyo is a Cinderella-like character who’s brutally mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister. She’s married off to a rich man named Kiyoka who has a reputation for mistreating women. However, he’s nothing like what Miyo was made to believe, and Kiyoka shows his new wife what genuine love and affection are.

15

Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You

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1. 
   Nasa and Tsukasa are the couple at the heart of this story. The two have a strange first encounter when Tsukasa saves Nasa’s life. At the time, Nasa doesn’t know this girl’s name and waits for the chance to cross paths with her again. The pair do meet again and what transpires is a comedic love story.
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16

The Tatami Galaxy

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1. 
   This anime has the main character stuck in a tricky time loop for love. An unnamed student is in his third year at Kyoto University and wishes he could do his earlier college years over. He gets his wish and travels through parallel universes where he keeps meeting a fellow university student, Akashi, who he has feelings for. The plot shows this character trying to win her over repeatedly.

17

Rent-A-Girlfriend

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1. 
   This anime shows the complicated side of couples and relationships. Kazuya has hired a fake girlfriend in a moment of desperation, but also starts to fall hard for the gorgeous Chizuru. But, he’s also still kind of in love with his ex. It’s far from being a traditional love story about couples, and leaves you wondering if Kazuya should stay single for a bit.
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18

Yuri on Ice

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1. 
   Yuri on Ice has become a popular representation of LGBTQ+ anime. It follows the relationship that blossoms between professional ice skater Yuri and his trainer Victor. According to anime expert Nicole Favarelli, Yuri and Victor are the most popular gay couple she’s seen in anime. She goes on to explain that while gay relationships aren’t typically made explicit in anime, it’s apparent that this pair’s relationship goes from platonic to romantic in the story.

19

Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out

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1. 
   This is a fun anime that follows a college romance. Hana is an outgoing sophomore, while Shinichi is a totally introverted junior. That doesn’t stop Hana from trying to get her fellow classmate out of his shell and spend as much time with him as possible. Their relationship is playful, comedic, and lighthearted.
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20

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

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1. 
   Watch this anime if you like nerdy work romances. Narumi and Hirotaka work in an office all day, sitting behind desks. Gradually, they find themselves drawn to each other and realize they’re a good match. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is charming, and you can’t help but root for this unlikely duo.

21

My Dress-Up Darling

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1. 
   Love and cosplay collide in My Dress-Up Darling! Wakana Gojo is a quiet guy who makes Hina dolls for his family’s business. Marin Kitagawa is a beautiful and stylish girl who turns to Wakana for help creating cosplay costumes. They bond over this project, and Marin encourages Wakana to take pride in his talents.
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22

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

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1. 
   This love story is between a student body president and vice president. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is one of anime expert Ed Erskine’s top romance anime recommendations that he also says is really funny. The story delivers the classic elements of a rom-com. Kaguya and Miyuki are totally into each other but neither wants to admit it. So, they decide to play mind games on each other to see who will confess their love first.

23

Hana-Kimi

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1. 
   This anime makes you wonder how far would you go for a crush. It’s a romantic comedy that follows Mizuki, a teen who disguises herself as a boy to enroll at a male boarding school so she can be close to her crush, Izumi. She finds herself in some pretty tough situations to try to hide her true identity. Will it all be worth it in the end?
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24

Sasaki and Miyano

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1. 
   This BL anime tells the story of high school students Miyano and Sasaki. They connect over their appreciation for manga, and start off as close friends. Their relationship turns romantic and the two fall in love. But, they face challenges as they try to navigate their self-identity issues. It’s a heartwarming story that reveals the vulnerable side of same-sex relationships.

25

Tamon's B-Side

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1. 
   A fan meets her idol, but he’s not who she thought he was. Utage is a big fan of the group F/ACE, and has a thing for a member named Tamon. When she meets him, though, she realizes he battles with self-confidence issues. She tries to help him with this, and the pair become more to each other than a fan and superstar.
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26

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

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1. 
   Himuro is attracted to his co-worker Fuyutsuki, and weird things happen. He’s a descendant of an ice spirit, and any feelings he experiences set off winter weather phenomena. This makes for interesting interaction between the two in their office setting. Since the series is still ongoing, it’s unclear where this office romance is headed.

27

The Villainess is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom

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1. 
   A prince and villain try to come together in this anime. The female protagonist is trapped in the body of a villain after playing a dating game in her past life. Right as she’s about to face exile, a prince comes to her rescue. The romance starts right away and it’s an easy, feel-good watch.
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28

Ouran High School Host Club

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1. 
   The story doesn’t start off with a couple, but a romance may develop. Haruhi is a woman with androgynous features who manages to become a member of the school’s all-boy “host club” because of her looks. The club is where women pay for the company of men, and Haruji proves herself to be quite the charmer. She’s found out by the boys, but they don’t mind keeping her around. She develops friendships with them, but her interactions with Tamaki, in particular, may turn into something more.

29

The Apothecary Diaries

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1. 
   Jinshi and Maomao have a complex relationship that’s not necessarily romantic. Maomao works in the royal court and is independent and clever. This draws the attention of Jinshi, a good-looking eunuch who can’t help but be taken with her. While the two dance around the whole romance thing, their connection is undeniable.
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30

Ao Haru Ride

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1. 
   Futaba is determined to reconnect with her middle school crush, Kou. Futaba was not treated kindly by her middle school peers, except for Kou. But, when he suddenly stops coming to school one day, they lose contact. That is until Futaba hears that he’s back. Their reunion, though, is not a joyful, foreshadowing challenges ahead if they want to rediscover what they once had.

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