By Maham Arsalan & Robbie Robinson
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Anime has become a widely popular medium for experiencing the language of love. While fans particularly enjoy romance anime shows, there’s a certain intensity and depth when it comes to romance anime movies. The likes of Makoto Shinkai and Hayao Miyazaki have given audiences some of the most iconic love stories of all time. Whether it's boldly mixing romance with disaster or telling stories about unrequited love, the anime world has bestowed fans with movies which go straight to the heart.
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Love in these movies is not a commodity to be exploited to induce drama; rather, it acts like gravity that pulls people into it without any regard for consequence. The greatest romance movies of all time offer a plethora of characters who are entangled in deeply emotional and relatable experiences like heartbreak, first love, unrequited feelings, and love across time and space.
Updated on October 9, 2024 by Robbie Robinson: For a lot of people, romance anime films are the perfect movies for any quiet night. While there are loads of anime films out there, some strike deeper than others. From heartbreak to sweet first love, this list has been updated to include even more anime romance movies and to get this article up to current CBR formatting standards.
15 Wolf Children Follows a Widowed Mother Trying to Raise Her Children
Streaming on Amazon Prime
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Wolf Children technically falls more into a coming-of-age story for the children, Yuki and Ame. That being said, the whole story of this movie is enveloped and carried by the love between Hana and Wolfman. On one fateful day, Hana meets a mysterious man who is, effectively, a werewolf of sorts. The two fall in love, have children and then, Wolfman is found dead one day. Their two children, Yuki and Ame, have inherited their father's abilities and become the cutest little half-wolves ever.
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While most of the story is about Yuki and Ame finding their paths, it's also about Hana's struggle as a single mother. Reeling from the loss of Wolfman, Hana is just a human who has no idea how to raise their wolf children. Without Wolfman there, Hana is at a loss and often has difficulty with her children's behavior and paths of life. Wolf Children is a glorious story that represents Hana and Wolfman's love through Yuki and Ame. There may not be much explicit romance in the movie, but the entire plot and tale echoes the care that Hana and Wolfman had for one another, which is why it's still an amazing watch for fans of romance.
10 Images
10 Images
Wolf Children
PG
Anime
Drama
Family
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children, a young woman must find ways to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him while keeping their trait hidden from society.
- Director
- Mamoru Hosoda
- Release Date
- July 21, 2012
- Cast
- Aoi Miyazaki , Takao Osawa , Haru Kuroki
- Writers
- Mamoru Hosoda , Satoko Okudera
- Runtime
- 1 hour 57 minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Production Company
- Nippon Television Network (NTV), Studio Chizu, Madhouse
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Ride Your Wave has the characters literally and figuratively surfing away from past grief and loss. After the young surfer Hinako Mukaimizu is rescued by a handsome firefighter named Minato Hinageshi, the two quickly grow close. In a shocking surprise, their romance is cut short as Minato dies in a tragic event. Hinako is then quite haunted by his death, both mentally and from his spirit that appears before her. Thus, Ride Your Wave begins its heartbreaking story of how hard it can be to let someone go.
Despite the fact that Hinako can't truly be with Minato, she holds herself and Minato back from moving on. There are some comedic elements to this movie, and the visuals are stunning. However, Ride Your Wave is a romance that excels at portraying the hardest part of love: letting it go when it's necessary. Hinako is a character that anyone who has lost a loved one can relate to. This story is bittersweet, but it's all about the strides one must take to free themselves from their hurt.
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13 5 Centimeters Per Second Uses a Slow Pace to Convey Its Story
Streaming on Netflix
Anyone who describes 5 Centimeters Per Second as a slow and "a drag" are not wrong. In fact, the film is purposefully made to feel as mundane as possible. The movie is chopped up into chapters, each one a different year from the last. 5 Centimeters Per Second follows the never-ending first love between Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara. Throughout the film, they each must follow their own paths, even if it doesn't lead them together.
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Now, back to this movie being very mundane. While many people watch films to see excitement and action, in most everyday lives, life can be relatively boring. That's not a bad thing - it's just how life is. Life is slow, yet passes people by in the blink of an eye. In 5 Centimeters Per Second, the film conveys the highs and lows of romance as they naturally happen. It takes its time lingering in the sweet pleasures of life, such as a first kiss.
5 Centimeters per Second
TV-PG
Drama
Family
Told in three interconnected segments, Takaki tells the story of his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love.
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Release Date
- March 3, 2007
- Studio
- CoMix Wave Inc.
- Runtime
- 63 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
12 Kase-San and Morning Glories Is Short But Perfect
Streaming on Amazon Prime
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Based on the manga by the same name, Kase-san and Morning Glories didn't get adapted into a series. Instead, it was adapted into a stunning short film. Yamada is clumsy, shy and nervous. Though, the one thing that gets her going is gardening. As the school's plant appointee, Yamada catches the high-school trackstar and heartthrob, Kase, helping out with the plants. The two of them are smitten at first sight.
As their relationship grows, Yamada finds herself struggling to keep up with Kase's popularity. She often lets herself fall down rabbit holes of worst-case scenarios. Kase-san and Morning Glories is not only an incredible coming-of-age LGBT story, but also a true portrayal of first loves. It's a peaceful and low-stakes movie perfect for anyone simply looking for an anime romance that will put a smile on their face. This film highlights all the awkward and silly moments that come with trying to figure a crush out.
Asagao To Kase-San
TV-14
Romance
LGBTQ+
Yamada is a shy girl in high school who loves doing greenery committee work, but one day she falls into conversation with Kase-san the popular and talented school track star. Suddenly Yamada's whole life changes and she realises she likes Kase-san. But how can Yamada admit her feelings for another girl and could Kase-san ever fall in love with her too?
- Release Date
- June 9, 2018
- Cast
- Ayane Sakura , Bryn Apprill , Minami Takahashi[ , Morgan Berry
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Hiromi Takashima
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11 Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop Features the Most Adorable Couple
Streaming on Netflix
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop expertly captures the growing pains of being a teenager struggling to find comfort in oneself and others. Cherry is a quiet, yet kind boy who tends to stick to himself. The noise and commotion of the world are often too much for him. He spends his summer working at a senior care center, and then one day he literally bumps into a girl called Smile, who is something of an internet personality.
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While she may not look it, Smile too struggles to fit in with the world. Because of her teeth and braces, she almost always dons a mask to cover her mouth. As Cherry and Smile spend their summer together trying to help an elderly man at the senior center, the two find comfort in one another. Cherry and Smile's internal pains easily resonate with viewers. Watching the two of them gain confidence in themselves through one another is achingly sweet. Their romance is but a fleeting summer. However, their growth and bond feels very realistic.
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
10 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Is a Captivating Story About Time Travel and Selfless Love
Streaming on Crunchyroll
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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a brilliantly crafted romance story that is impressive and not weighed down by its dramatic themes. Instead, it has an exceptional balance of coming-of-age romance mixed with the elements of time travel, which makes it a perfect watch for viewers who love a uniquely built love story. When Mokoto suddenly discovers that she has the power to leap through time, her first instinct is to tend to her more trivial needs, like improving her grades or changing the outcome of an embarrassing situation.
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However, it soon dawns on her that every change she makes results in dire consequences for others. That’s how she meets the mysterious Chiaki, who also has fascinating stories of his own about time travel. The two bond and eventually grow close in their attempt to understand the importance of free will and living in the moment. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time strays away from typical tropes and will be a worthwhile watch for fans who love thought-provoking romantic tales.
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14 Images
14 Images
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
TV-PG
Anime
Adventure
Comedy
A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.
- Director
- Mamoru Hosoda
- Release Date
- July 15, 2006
- Writers
- Satoko Okudera
- Runtime
- 1 hour 38 minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Production Company
- Madhouse, Happinet(I)., Kadokawa Pictures
9 Whisper of the Heart Is a Classic Tale of Self-Discovery and Love
Streaming on Max
Whisper of the Heart is straight out of Ghibli’s classic love story category, which features the studio’s signature themes of young love, self-discovery, and the simplicity of a great coming-of-age movie. The film follows an intriguing tale of two youngsters who wish to pursue their respective passions but are plagued with self-doubt. Shizuku is a bookworm who one day finds a boy named Seiji after realizing that he has read every book she borrowed from the library.
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It turns out that Seiji is a violin player who dreams of being the best. Initially brought together for their love of books, the two grow closer in their struggle to understand the gravity of their dreams and how they can achieve them. Whisper of the Heart’s beauty lies in its simplicity and clarity in depicting young love. It has just the right amount of drama and healthy romance to make it an enjoyable watch.
Whisper of the Heart
G
Drama
Family
A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.
- Release Date
- December 13, 1996
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 51 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Characters By
- Yoko Honna, Issei Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana
- Production Company
- Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network (NTV), Hakuhodo
8 The Garden of Words Is a Feast for the Eyes & Hearts
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The Garden of Words may perhaps be the healthiest age-gap romance out there and will take the viewers on a peaceful yet poignant emotional ride. Another one of Makoto Shinkai’s masterpieces, The Garden of Words follows the budding friendship between a high school student and a woman dealing with loneliness. Takao skips school to design shoes in a serene garden while Yukari comes there to unwind and take a break from work.
The two open up to each other about their lives, experiences, aspirations, and insecurities. The movie is an exceptional blend of complexity, romance, drama, and thought-provoking themes, which is a given for Shinkai movies. The main things that elevate the romance and overall story are the aesthetics and soundtrack, which will transport the audience to the very garden.
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The Garden Of Words
TV-14
Drama
Romance
A 15-year-old boy and 27-year-old woman find an unlikely friendship one rainy day in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Release Date
- May 31, 2013
- Cast
- Miyu Irino , Kana Hanazawa , Fumi Hirano
- Writers
- Makoto Shinkai
- Runtime
- 46 minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Studio(s)
- CoMix Wave Films
7 To The Forest of Firefly Lights Is a Heartbreaking Story About Genuine Connection
Not currently streaming
To The Forest of Firefly Lights is a unique love story that’s more about the loyalty and depth of a true friendship than a couple-like scenario. The story revolves around a child named Hotaru who got lost in a forest one summer. She was found and guided by the kind spirit named Gin, and she developed a strong affection towards him. Over the years, their friendship ripened as Hotaru grew older, but Gin remained the same. Their story seemed like a summer fairy tale, but there was a catch.
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Gin will disappear upon human touch, which means that their relationship will go beyond the limitations of unrequited love. Despite knowing the consequences, Hotaru and Gin continued to meet and cherish the time they had together. To The Forest of Firefly Lights is a bittersweet saga that portrays the love of the highest form. It tells the viewers that loving someone isn’t always an easy thing, nor does it need to be physical. It can be as simple as knowing that the other person exists.
To the Forest of Firefly Lights (2011)
Anime
Drama
Fantasy
Hotaru is rescued by a spirit when she gets lost in a forest as a child. The two become friends, despite the spirit revealing that he will disappear if he is ever touched by a human.
- Director
- Takahiro Ômori
- Release Date
- September 17, 2011
- Cast
- Koki Uchiyama , Ayane Sakura , Shinpachi Tsuji , Izumi Sawada , Hayato Taya , Kanehira Yamamato , Masanori Machida , Hiroki Gotô
- Writers
- Yuki Midorikawa , Takahiro Ômori
- Runtime
- 45 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
6 Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Is a Sad and Realistic Tale of Longing and Love
Streaming on Crunchyroll
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Josee, The Tiger and the Fish has a grounded feeling to its romance that’s more refreshing than tragic. Tsuneo is an aspiring student who wants to study abroad and thus works odd jobs to save money. He then gets a chance to become the caretaker of a wheelchair-bound girl named Kumiko. Initially, he finds her brazen attitude off-putting, but they slowly become closer after realizing that they both have a passion for traveling and seeing the world.
Their shared love for travel eventually becomes the stepping stone for a deep friendship and then a heartfelt romance. Josee, The Tiger and the Fish beautifully tackles its sensitive themes, especially Kumiko’s condition, and does a wonderful job of not streamlining or dramatizing her situation. It’s an inspiring love story that resonates with the themes of unconditional love and self-acceptance.
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Josee, The Tiger & The Fish
Anime
Drama
Romance
Original title: Joze to tora to sakana-tachi.
Tsuneo is a university student and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee's grandmother taking her out for a evening walk.
- Release Date
- July 12, 2021
- Runtime
- 1 hour 39 minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Characters By
- Kaya Kiyohara, Taishi Nakagawa, Matsutera Chiemi
- Production Company
- Bones, East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc., KDDI Corporation
5 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas Is a Bittersweet Love Affair
Available on Blu-ray via Amazon
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas is one of those romance stories that will traumatize light-hearted viewers. It’s considered one of the saddest and most heartbreaking anime love stories of all time, but it also offers a view of love that is worth experiencing. The movie may not have that happily-ever-after ending for the fans, but it’s a grounded story that depicts the realities of falling in love with someone on borrowed time.
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There’s no easy way to tell a story where a completely ordinary and healthy high school boy falls for his terminally ill classmate. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas is relatable on every level because it represents the helplessness of the heart that it feels when it falls in love with someone despite knowing that utter disappointment and heartache waiting at the end of it. The movie tells the viewers of the importance of living in the moment and that not all goodbyes are sad.
I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Not Rated
Drama
Romance
Family
A high school student discovers one of his classmates, Sakura Yamauchi, is suffering from a terminal illness. This secret brings the two together, as she lives out her final moments.
- Director
- Shin'ichirô Ushijima
- Release Date
- September 1, 2018
- Studio
- Studio Voln
- Cast
- Lynn , Mahiro Takasugi , Yukiyo Fujii
- Runtime
- 1 hour 49 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Producer
- Shin'ichirô Kashiwada, Yûma Takahashi
- Production Company
- ABC Animation, Aniplex, East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc.
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4 Weathering With You Is a Stunning Love Story With a Climate Change Backdrop
Streaming on Max
After Your Name, Makoto Shinkai became the undisputed king of grand-scale love stories that are also about pressing real-world issues. Weathering With You is another one of Makoto’s masterpieces. It is a stunning piece of animation complimented with lovable characters and a heartfelt story. The film follows the story of a 16-year-old boy, Hodoka, who runs to Tokyo in an attempt to live a better life.
Along the way, he meets the charming Hina, who has the mysterious power to control the weather. In their adventure of understanding and dealing with Hina’s powers and their consequences on the environment, Hodoka falls in love with her. Suddenly, she becomes the most important thing in his life, for whom he can even fight forces that are deemed uncontrollable. Weathering With You is a gorgeous story that will tug at the viewers’ heartstrings and pull them into the plot’s gravity.
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Weathering With You
PG-13
Romance
Fantasy
Set during a period of exceptionally rainy weather, high-school boy Hodaka Morishima runs away from his troubled rural home to Tokyo and befriends an orphan girl who can manipulate the weather.
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Release Date
- July 19, 2019
- Studio
- Toho Animation
- Runtime
- 112 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Production Company
- CoMix-Wave Films
3 A Silent Voice Is a Beautiful Journey of Love & Forgiveness
Available to Rent and Buy on Prime Video
A Silent Voice is absolutely breathtaking, from the visuals and direction to the characters and the story. The film will naturally make the viewers invested from the beginning, especially in Shoko’s character, who is an often-bullied deaf high school girl. A Silent Voice portrays powerful and sensitive messages throughout the story and sugarcoats it with just the right amount of romance.
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Shoko and Shoya, the boy who was one of the students who used to bully Shoko, are extremely relatable characters and convey an eye-opening story that will have everyone in tears. The way his past comes to haunt Shoya and his journey to redemption is simply fascinating, especially how Shoko becomes his path to both forgiveness and love. While Shoko and Shoya seem to be a rather unconventional couple, the two of them experience the most profund romance of all time.
A Silent Voice
Not Rated
Drama
A young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.
- Release Date
- October 20, 2017
- Studio
- Kyoto Animation
- Cast
- Saori Hayami , Miyu Irino , Yui Ishikawa , Megumi Han
- Runtime
- 130 minutes
- Main Genre
- Anime
2 Howl’s Moving Castle Is a Magical Journey of Unconditional Love
Streaming on Max
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There’s no debating the fact that Howl’s Moving Castle is one of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s finest works. It's one of the best romance stories to come out of the famed studio, and it's safe to say that the classic has withstood the test of time. With just the right dash of fantasy, magic, romance, and action, Howl’s Moving Castle will have the audience rooting for Sophie and Howl right off the bat.
When a seemingly ordinary Sophie contracts a mysterious curse and is turned into a 90-year-old woman, her only option is to either accept it or find a way to break the curse. During her journey, she comes across the popular and handsome wizard Howl and his infamous moving castle. This celebrated love story offers the viewers a slow-burn romance that goes beyond standard infatuation and stands tall on deep emotions like loyalty, trust, and unconditional love.
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Howl's Moving Castle
8-12 years
Animation
Action
Adventure
Family
Fantasy
Romance
When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Release Date
- November 20, 2004
- Studio
- Cast
- Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashûin , Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki
- Writers
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Runtime
- 119minutes
- Production Company
1 Your Name Is One of the Greatest Love Stories of All Time
Streaming on Crunchyroll
It’s almost impossible for Makoto Shinkai to top his own iconic creation, which took the world by storm in 2016. Considered one of the most captivating and fascinating anime movies of all time, Your Name represents everything worthwhile about love stories separated by time and space. Two teenagers get entangled in an epic adventure when they realize that they have started to switch bodies.
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However, that becomes the least of their problems as they realize that not only are they from different places but from different timelines as well. Your Name is genius, genuine, heartfelt, and a real tearjerker. The movie will take the audience on a beautiful ride where love makes a young man move mountains for a girl he hasn’t even met. Besides being a global phenomenon, Your Name is the best of the best because it adds unique meaning to the star-crossed lovers trope with emotional depth, surprising plot twist, and stunning visuals.
Your Name (2016)
PG
Animation
Romance
Drama
Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Release Date
- August 26, 2016
- Studio
- CoMix Wave Films
- Cast
- Ryunosuke Kamiki (Taki Tachibana voice) , Mone Kamishiraishi (Mitsuha Miyamizu voice) , Ryo Narita (Katsuhiko Teshigawara voice) , Aoi Yuki (Sayaka Natori voice) , Nobunaga Shimazaki (Tsukasa Fujii voice) , Kaito Ishikawa (Shinta Takagi voice) , Kanon Tani (Yotsuha Miyamizu voice) , Masaki Terasoma (Toshiki Miyamizu voice) , Sayaka Ohara (Futaha Miyamizu voice)
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Streaming
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- Anime
- anime
- Howl's Moving Castle
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