Tired of Boring Harem Anime? These 6 anime actually have good romance

Sometimes the anime industry puts an outrageous twist on a familiar genre or trope, with the romance genre featuring the harem trope. Some harem anime are actually solid, like e.g The Quintessential Quintuplets and We never learnbut not everyone is in the mood for it. Even the better harem anime can feel too gratuitous or unrealistic for fans of romance, so other titles will pick up on that. Anime viewers who want a “normal” and healthy on-screen romance have a lot to work with.

It's easy for fans to gravitate towards the must-see romance series and movies, such as Kaguya-Sama and Your name., but the industry still has more to offer. Other, equally watchable anime in the romance genre pack a lot of goodness into their runtimes, treating viewers to finely written, charming romance to capture the imagination of all viewers. In a surprising number of cases, the key to a good romance is not to make things too complicated or dramatic. Normal doesn't mean boring—it's often just what the characters and the audience all need.

6

My Dress-Up Darling is about personal authenticity and expression

Love means showing your true self

Even if My dressed up darling can be quite jarring at times when Marin Kitagawa flaunts her sexuality or undresses, pure fan service is not the real draw of this romantic anime. Marin is confident in her good looks, but more importantly, she is eager to express her love for cosplay as she pretends to be the fictional characters she admires the most. Marin is a balanced example of someone who loves herself but also wants to be more like someone else, or a role model. Marin's life is a mixture of who she is and who she wants to be.

It lends itself well to Marin's increasingly heated romance with her quiet classmate, Wakana Gojo. Wakana is not a cosplayer, but he understands the value of expressing his authentic self through hobbies. He was once heavily mocked for his female hobbies of hina dolls, but Marin is here to confirm it all. They are the perfect couple to make great cosplay that will get attention from professional cosplayers and photographers all over the internet. In the process, Wakana and Marin will enrich each other with who they are and what they can do — and what they can teach each other.

5

Dandadan found room for a colorful love triangle in all the action

Momo's heart is more sensitive than she expected

Among other titles, Dandadan is an anime that juggles romance with other genres to create a well-balanced and broadly appealing story. Dandadan is primarily a zany mix of science fiction, fantasy and comedy as Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura battle the likes of Acrobatic Silky and the Serpo aliens, but that's not all they have in mind. At first, Ken was far from embodying Momo's dream boyfriend except for his name, but now Momo has seen a new side of him. Ken is not a macho warrior that Momo saw in movies, but rather a kind and supportive person with remarkable courage.

It's rewarding to see a lively and hard-to-please girl like Momo slowly fall for Ken and expand her idea of ​​what an ideal romantic partner is like. The fun doubled when Momo's male childhood friend Jiji showed up, and Ken barely realized he was locked in a love triangle. This charming romantic tension reached its peak at the end of Dandadanthe second season, when the strange girl kissed Ken, and Momo realized how much it hurt to see it. Momo may have even surprised herself with the sudden surge of jealousy and heartbreak.

4

Komi can't communicate treats social anxiety with due respect

Hitohito Tadano's love is supportive and patient

Comedy and gentle romance go hand in hand with each passing episode of Komi cannot communicate. The original premise isn't even focused on love, interestingly enough, but it opened the doors to a new love story. Shoko Komi is a total dandere who can barely speak, and she's never had friends before – but that's about to change. Her quest to make 100 friends at school will reunite her with the empathetic Hitohito Tadano, Shoko's first friend and love interest.

Tadano may be content to play a supporting role in Shoko's mission, but he will soon be more than that. He is the ideal partner for Shoko, and Shoko can't help but express her gratitude as true love. But of course that romance has to wait for a slow burn, as Shoko is still busy making other friends and is too shy to just throw herself into Tadano's arms. All the time, Komi cannot communicate finds both humor and respect for those who have social anxiety and struggle to connect with others the way Shoko Komi does.

3

Love After World Domination is about romantic secret identities

It's Power Rangers Romeo and Juliet

Love for world domination is a rather obscure but 100% watchable little romantic anime. The overall premise is a silly and entertaining parody of Power Rangers and the like, with the colorfully dressed heroes battling the villainous Gekko organization. But that's just the background to the real story, the “forbidden lovers” are between Fudo Aikawa the hero and Desumi the villain. Desumi is a villain in name only, as she is a kind-hearted teenage girl who treats her allies as true friends. She is nice to her villains, and even nicer to her sworn enemy, Fudo.

The central romance thrives on secrecy, with Fudo and Desumi finding it so much sweeter to be together against their respective groups' wishes. It also fuels the anime's delightful comedy as Fudo and Desumi pretend to fight hero vs. villain while actually connecting on such a personal level. Overall, it's one of the best takes on the secret identity concept of heroes and villains while showing the stresses of hero life vs. civilian life.

2

Aharen-San is unclear focuses on the love languages

Games and food are the key to everyone's heart

Romance is often best expressed with words, such as half-spoken declarations of love or speeches about accepting someone else despite the difficulties. Words can fuel or fix many romances, but i Aharen-San is unclearwords are overrated. In their place are some charming love languages, or gestures and actions that speak volumes about romance. It's just as well, since Reina Aharen is too quiet to be heard, and Raido isn't the talkative type anyway.

Aharen has been lonely because of his quiet voice, but when the love languages ​​of food and play are used, Raido can hear Aharen loud and clear. That, along with some truly outrageous visual comedy, keeps this gentle anime moving while offering memorable visuals. Only rarely does Raido or Aharen express their love in words, and it sounds all the sweeter when they do.

1

Horimiya is the best normal romance anime of all

Less is More where Izumi and Kyoko are concerned

Horimiya is often held up as an example of a healthy and normal romance, and it's easy to see why. In this high school anime, Izumi Miyamura is an easy-going, supportive guy with a secret side covered in tattoos and piercings. Meanwhile, Kyoko Hori is hugely popular but is also a hard worker at home as a secondary mother figure. Anything that adds up to the main theme for Horimiya: that everyone has a hidden side waiting to be discovered.

It's the ideal formula for a solid, complicated romance that doesn't need drama to work. It's comforting to see all these romances and friendships blossom, even if there aren't any hard-hitting plot twists to spice things up. It does too Horimiya pretty comfortable anime, although not quite the same as one iyashikei title.