Greatest Romance Anime Motion pictures

Romance anime movies are and can at all times be well-liked. Every year appears to supply a minimum of one film that pulls on the heartstrings, bringing collectively lovable characters who complement and full one another. Whereas these kind of tales have been round for many years, they’ve turn out to be extra frequent lately, maybe because of the success of movies like Your Identify.

In comparison with sequence, anime films usually tend to go by unnoticed, as they’ve inconsistent launch schedules and will not be usually accessible on streaming platforms. Nonetheless, in case you are craving a love story, I like to recommend in search of out these improbable romance anime films.

Up to date on September 2, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Up to now, 2025 has not produced a genuinely nice romance anime, though there’s nonetheless time for one thing like ChaO to hit the mark. Within the meantime, you may simply take a look at the greatest romance anime films ever.

30

The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Indicators Of Nice Issues To Come

• Japanese Title: Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho
• Launch Date: November 20, 2004
• Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Studio: CoMix Wave Movies
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.42
• The place to Stream: The Criterion Channel

At this level, Makoto Shinkai is comfortably established as one of many largest administrators in anime. Nevertheless, each grasp hones their craft regularly, and Shinkai isn’t any exception. After a couple of shorts, the director put collectively his first characteristic, 2004’s The Place Promised in Our Early Days. These days, this movie is mostly thought to be Shinkai’s worst launch, albeit one that’s nonetheless value awaiting individuals who take pleasure in his subsequent masterpieces. Showcasing lots of his logos however arguably struggling to type a coherent and gripping narrative, The Place Promised in Our Early Days has moments of brilliance and stretches of confusion.

Now, it needs to be stated that The Place Promised in Our Early Days isn’t an especially satisfying romance anime film, regardless of exploring the long-lost lover trope that options in so lots of Shinkai’s greatest works. Set in an alternate actuality the place Japan is break up into the North and South, the story follows three youngsters named Hiroki, Takuya, and Sayuri. When the latter goes modding, the previous two drift aside, solely to return collectively years later in an try to avoid wasting their good friend. Sayuri and Hiroki are romantically fascinated by one another and share a few cute scenes; nevertheless, they’re largely saved aside, and the film doesn’t fairly handle to cement their bond in the identical manner as, for instance, Your Identify.

29

To Me, The One Who Cherished You & To Each You I’ve Cherished Earlier than

Multiverse Romance Anime Film

• Japanese Title(s): Kimi wo Aishita Hitori no Boku e & Boku ga Aishita Subete no Kimi e
• Launch Date: October 7, 2022
• Director: Jun Matsumoto
• Studio: Bakken File
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.44 & 7.49
• The place to Stream: Crunchyroll

Now, right here is one thing a contact completely different. Launched on the identical day, To Each You I’ve Cherished Earlier than and To Me, The One Who Cherished You are sibling films that needs to be watched collectively, however nonetheless inform tales that may be loved in isolation. Set in a actuality with parallel universes that may be jumped into, the flicks primarily revolve round Koyomi, a teen who’s going by some household struggles and can be experiencing love for the primary time. He has completely different companions in every film since they’re set in separate universes, even when there’s some overlap.

To Each You I’ve Cherished Earlier than and To Me, The One Who Cherished You deserve credit score for making an attempt one thing uncommon and impressive. Individually, the flicks are simply respectable and inform comparatively run-of-the-mill tales, albeit ones elevated by the multiverse factor.

28

The Princess and the Pilot

A Romance-Igniting Journey

• Japanese Title: Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku
• Launch Date: October 1, 2011
• Director: Jun Shishido
• Studio: Madhouse, TMS Leisure
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.59
• The place to Stream: Amazon Prime Video, TheRokuChannel, Hoopla, PlutoTV, AsianCrush

Whereas a blended bag general, The Princess and the Pilot is value a watch, particularly by individuals who love romance epics from yesteryear. Set in a world outlined by two warring kingdoms, a pilot, Charles, is tasked with flying a princess, Juana, throughout enemy territory, all within the hope of reuniting her along with her prince. Whereas not devoid of nuance or problems, the film’s core premise is kind of easy and, for essentially the most half, develops as one would count on. There may be nothing incorrect with that, nevertheless it does imply the story is kind of predictable.

The Princess and the Pilot‘s affect on a viewer will come right down to their attachment to Charles and Juana. Each protagonists are likable sufficient, with the previous having to take care of discrimination and the latter fighting some inner prejudice. They slowly develop a bond all through their journey, one that’s constructed simply as a lot on respect as on love.

27

Trip Your Wave

Romance, Browsing, And Loss

• Japanese Title: Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara
• Launch Date: June 21, 2019
• Director: Masaaki Yuasa
• Studio: Science Saru
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.61
• The place to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix

Trip Your Wave has a reasonably blended status, because the romance anime film appears to divide viewers. Truthfully, I perceive each side of the equation. On the one hand, the animation is persistently attractive, serving as an early instance of Science Saru’s brilliance. Hinako, the feminine lead, is well-written and carries the film on her shoulders to the purpose that she is the protagonist, somewhat than sharing the highlight with Minato, the male lead. Conversely, the anime has some unintentionally humorous moments, and the romance feels rushed on account of being largely confined to the primary half of the runtime.

So, what’s Trip Your Wave about? Properly, Hinako strikes to a coastal city to take pleasure in some browsing, and he or she finally ends up falling for a firefighter, Minato, who rescues her from a fireplace. After that, they’ve a brief however intense romance, solely to be break up aside by a tragedy. The anime does simply sufficient to make you purchase into Hinako and Minato’s romance, permitting for the extra dramatic and heavy second half of the story to hold some weight. That stated, Trip Your Wave is primarily about overcoming grief, and it handles that facet decently.

26

Revolutionary Lady Utena: The Adolescence of Utena

A Sophisticated Relationship

• Japanese Title: Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku
• Launch Date: August 14, 1999
• Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara
• Studio: J.C.Employees
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.68
• The place to Stream: PlutoTV

Revolutionary Girl Utena is arguably one of the most important anime of all time, significantly the 1997 sequence. Wealthy in imagery, symbolism, and metaphors, the present might be considerably tough to digest at occasions, rewarding a number of viewings and a willingness to embrace a surreal environment. In 1999, a film got here out that takes the unique story and twists it, taking the characters in a distinct course that also feels genuine to their different incarnations. Revolutionary Lady Utena: The Adolescence of Utena isn’t a sequel or a spin-off, however somewhat a separate entity that lives alongside the present.

Truthfully, this movie can’t be wholly described as a romance, a minimum of not within the conventional sense. Nevertheless, the story is constructed completely on the connection between Utena and Anthy, two ladies who complement one another superbly. Whereas The Adolescence of Utena‘s comparatively quick size leads to a much less satisfying expertise than the TV sequence, an argument may very well be made that the film handles the principle dynamic higher than its extra acclaimed predecessor. Utena and Anthy got here throughout as way more energetic members of their journeys, somewhat than people who find themselves largely on the mercy of destiny.

25

From Up on Poppy Hill

A Totally different Period, A Cute Romance That Takes An Odd Detour

• Launch Date: July 16, 2011
• Director: Gorō Miyazaki
• Studio: Studio Ghibli
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.78
• The place to Stream: Max

One in all Studio Ghibli’s lesser-known films, From Up on Poppy Hill is about throughout the Nineteen Sixties, a couple of years after the Korean Warfare. The anime takes place in a Japanese port city and has a reasonably relaxed vibe, albeit with a touch of unhappiness introduced on by previous losses and cultural modifications occurring on the time. Whereas slice of life is perhaps a greater general descriptor, the movie facilities round a romance, with two college students named Umi and Shun coming collectively when a constructing at their college is in peril of being torn down.

Umi and Shun are extremely likable, each as people and as a pair. The story establishes them early on as love pursuits however then throws out a twist that briefly stalls their romance’s development. Issues work out in the long run, nevertheless it leads to a stop-start romance that may be a contact irritating. Nonetheless, From Up on Poppy Hill is fairly good and price a watch.

24

The Tunnel to Summer season, the Exit of Goodbyes

Love & Loss

• Japanese Title: Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi
• Launch Date: September 9, 2022
• Director: Tomohisa Taguchi
• Studio: CLAP
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.93
• The place to Stream: HIDIVE, Hulu

Searching for a heavier romance anime film? Then, The Tunnel to Summer season, the Exit of Goodbyes may simply hit the spot. Launched in 2022, this movie does a fairly nice job of distilling the sunshine novel and manga into a brief runtime of lower than 90 minutes, telling a narrative overflowing with emotion and nuance.

The Tunnel to Summer season, the Exit of Goodbyes is about Anzu and Kaoru’s teen romance, with the 2 characters connecting over previous trauma and a sense of being caught in place. There may be even a thriller and virtually supernatural factor courtesy of an odd tunnel that the 2 leads go to, though it’s used to strengthen their grief somewhat than take the story in an action-oriented course.

Regardless of having a fairly good core relationship, The Tunnel to Summer season, the Exit of Goodbyes‘ romance doesn’t really feel just like the precedence, and the film is arguably a greater drama. Nonetheless, romance followers ought to examine this out.

23

Saekano the Film: Finale

A Good Conclusion To A Good Present

• Japanese Title: Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Advantageous
• Launch Date: October 26, 2019
• Director: Akihisa Shibata, Kanta Kamei
• Studio: CloverWorks
• MyAnimeList Rating: 8.24

Sticking with the harem genre in the intervening time, Saekano: The way to Elevate a Boring Girlfriend is without doubt one of the higher exhibits of that style. The 2 seasons do a superb job of mixing romance, fanservice, and self-aware humor, and so they profit from having a fairly robust solid of women.

Saekano the Film: Finale brings the story to an in depth, providing not solely a solution to the age-old “which woman wins” query but in addition offering satisfying conclusions for many of the characters. Like most film sequels, Saekano the Film: Finale can’t be watched as a standalone piece as its emotional weight relies upon completely on viewers being conversant in the characters’ journeys up thus far. Nevertheless, as a comply with as much as the sequence, this sequel earns its spot as one of many greatest romance anime films.

22

Tamako Love Story

The Complicated Highway To Love

• Launch Date: April 26, 2014
• Director: Naoko Yamada
• Studio: Kyoto Animation
• MyAnimeList Rating: 7.91

A sequel to Tamako Market, Tamako Love Story finds the characters on the cusp of maturity and going through modifications that can enormously affect their future. The sequence hints at a possible romance between Tamako and Mochizou fairly closely, however it’s at all times within the background somewhat than the main target. Nevertheless, the film pushes this to the forefront, with each characters having to return to phrases with the truth that this may very well be their final probability to specific their feelings.

In a enjoyable twist, Tamako Love Story is much extra fascinated by declarations of affection and the potential penalties of appearing on that curiosity than actively exploring a relationship. Whereas a satisfying conclusion to Tamako and Mochizou’s romance, the movie does require viewers to be already invested of their journey.

21

Love, Chunibyo & Different Delusions! Film: Take On Me

A Highway Journey In direction of That Inevitable Kiss

• Launch Date: January 6, 2018
• Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
• Studio: Kyoto Animation
• MyAnimeList Rating: 8.10
• The place to Stream: HIDIVE

Love, Chunibyo & Different Delusions! is foolish enjoyable. The sequence focuses on Rikka, a woman who tends to get misplaced in her chunibyo fantasies, and Yuta, a man who used to get misplaced in his chunibyo fantasies. Initially, their relationship revolves round Yuta making an attempt to information RIkka away from her make-believe powers, a journey that proves to be each humorous and insightful. Nevertheless, they pretty rapidly type a romance, with season 1 bringing them collectively.

Take On Me is arguably a greater comedy than a romance, however the film works effectively sufficient because the latter to warrant a suggestion. That stated, this finale is solely for individuals who love the present, and newcomers will most likely not get an excessive amount of out of this journey. Like season 2, Yuta and Rikka’s romance takes a very long time to develop, however they do finally get someplace within the movie.