Horimiya is a high school romance anime that has an unexpected and witty twist. These seemingly ordinary classmates get together to become friends, but they learn more about each other than just their interests. In order to find out what really makes them tick, the characters of Horimiya go on life-changing adventures with one another in ways where no first impression can tell your whole story.
The anime series quickly became quite popular in the West, and you may be one of those people who loves it! If so, then we have some romance anime recommendations that might tickle your fancy just as much.
Rent a Girlfriend
Kazuya Kinoshita tried to rent a girlfriend through an app after getting dumped by his girlfriends. He met Chizuru Mizuhara, who seemed like the perfect girl – good looking, kind and left him with a great impression. But when he checked her reviews on the app, they were all mixed: some said she was sassy and temperamental while others called her polite and friendly. He leaves a bad review on her profile, and Chizuru confronts him about it. Just as she was going off on Kazuya, his grandmother was rushed to the hospital.
Check Out: 6 Of The Best Anime Like Rent A Girlfriend
Senryu Girl
Nanako Yukishiro is a 16-year old girl who cannot speak. She communicates through senryu–17 syllable poems that are witty and beautiful! Sixteen-year-old Eiji Busujima was once delinquent in his middle school years, but he has since turned over a new leaf with the help of Nanako’s love for poetry as well as their shared interests in the literature club. Despite looking like an intimidating guy on the outside, they have no trouble communicating when it comes to exchanging ideas or simply talking about books they enjoy reading!
Ao-chan Can’t Study
Horie is in high school and trying to get out of her father‘s scandalous shadow. But when the amiable Takumi Kijima confesses his feelings for Horie, she finds herself with all sorts of conflicted, mixed-up emotions – thoughts about scandals can’t help but stray from a pure heart like that! And no matter how hard she tries to ward him off by studying harder than ever before (really!), it seems he won’t stop pursuing her until they’re officially together on their wedding night. What will happen next?
Maid-Sama!
Misaki Ayuzawa is president of the student council, and her life revolves around school. She’s so focused on being an upstanding, perfect role model that she doesn’t have time for a social or love life – until handsome Takumi Usui comes along to change everything! Misaki is a ruthless student council president that works part-time at a maid cafe to support her family. Takumi accidentally stumbles upon this secret and leads to funny and romantic interactions between the two.
Check Out: 27 Of The Best Anime Like Kaichou wa Maid-sama
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Wotakoi is a fantastic rom-com anime that follows adult office workers caught up in workplace hijinks. Hirotaka Nifuji, for instance, hides his intense passion from co-workers and childhood friend Narumi Momose lives out her geeky side with him while keeping their interests secret outside the walls of work. The result is a series filled with humor and heartwarming moments, all between grownups living life together!
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You
One chilly night, a high schooler who was hit by a truck named Nasa gets saved from when his future wife intervenes. It’s love at first sight, and he confesses to her instantly. She agrees to become his girlfriend but only if they get married because she knows something about him that nobody else does, and it takes time for them both to marry each other in secret until Tsukasa reappears years later with an engagement ring requesting marriage asap!
Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai
Sakuta is a seemingly ordinary high school student who soon stumbles upon a bizarre phenomenon, where young women suffer from Adolescence Syndrome. The first affected girl he meets is Mai Sakurajima, the bunny girl. She’s not ordinarily a bunny girl; in fact, she’s totally invisible to the world and dresses that way as an attempt to get people to notice her – there’s much more under those clothes than just being cute! After meeting with him about this puzzling issue of hers one day on campus, they become fast friends after discovering their mutual interest in all things strange and unusual.
Check Out: 50 Of The Best Schools in Anime
Fruits Basket
At first glance, this series may seem like a run-of-the-mill shojo anime. But it’s one of the essential titles in the genre! The story follows high school girl Tohru Honda, an orphan with good spirits who befriends members of what is essentially a cursed family possessed by animal zodiacs and living on their own estate away from society. It sounds dark, right? Well, don’t worry because there’s something special about Tohru that will heal each Soma member’s broken heart, one at a time; she’ll make them feel better until they’re no longer “cursed”!
Check Out: 17 Of The Best Anime Like Fruit Basket
A Silent Voice
This heart-warming anime series is equal parts of romance, humor and tragedy. The main character Shoya Ishida has a long road ahead of him, who was a merciless bully in 6th grade. He tormented the hard-of-hearing girl named Shoko Nishimiya. Like Horimiya, this series proves that first impressions are not everything; there is always another layer to someone else waiting to be revealed.
After The Rain
In this short anime series, rather than focusing on high school hijinks and romantic relationships like most other shows in the genre do, it instead focuses more on themes of healing and self-actualization. Average girl Akira Tachibana loved to run track, but an injury has kept her from running for a while now. She works part-time in a family restaurant to try to get over the sport. However, Akira is developing feelings for her forty-something restaurant boss, Mr. Kondo, and while they can’t have a true relationship (the age gap is too big), Akira gets to know the real him that everyone else sees as goofy bumbles or clumsy when he’s just trying hard in his own way.
One-Week Friends
Kaori Fujimiya is a high school student who has an interesting problem. Every Monday morning, she wakes up with no memory of any friends or associates from over the course of that week and can’t keep friendships for more than one week at a time. So, after giving up on making friends due to her inability to maintain them long term, Kaori put on this cold exterior in order to push people away instead. However, now there’s someone not afraid of that chilly exterior called Yuuki Hase; he wants nothing less but to be her friend despite never being able to make it past even just one day.
Check Out: 23 Of The Best Rom Com Anime Of All Time
Bloom Into You
In this anime, late bloomer Yuu Koito is a girl who has never felt love before. She didn’t think she would have to wait long for it. But that day never came until they met Tokou Nanami. A girl who has also never experienced love, until she met Yuu; and now Touko suddenly confesses to her – but when asked why by the surprised Yuu, Touko explains that this newfound feeling of loving someone else with all your heart – even if not reciprocated- meant more than anything.
Toradora!
In this daringly original romcom anime series, male protagonist Ryuji Takasu has the face of an ice-cold bully who can scare people off with eye contact alone. But it’s all a big misunderstanding; he actually loves to cook and gets along well with his single mother. He is also cuddly! Ryuji enters into a love-hate relationship with petite Taiga Aisaka: she’s feared for her bad girl persona but is lonely at home.
Check Out: 10 Must Watch Anime If You Like Toradora
Blue Spring Ride
Blue Spring Ride’ is the story of Futaba, a middle school student in love with her cold and distant classmate named Kou Tanaka. She has had feelings for Kou ever since she shared a shelter with him, but Futaba failed to get his attention despite her best efforts. Later, in high school, when she meets the same boy, she used to love only now goes by the name Kou Mabuchi. After learning more about their dire circumstances, Futaba tries to help them both while they learn a lot from each other!
Wolf Children
Wolf Children’ or ‘Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki, is the story of a diligent college student named Hana who falls in love with her mysterious classmate. It turns out that he isn’t actually human, but one of the last werewolves left alive and transformed into a beast on full moon nights. Despite this clear difference between them, she decides to start their family together.
Check Out: 17 Best Slice of Life Anime with Extraordinary Elements
My Little Monster
The plot of My Little Monster is surprisingly heartfelt and heartwarming. It follows the studious Shizuku Mizutani, who has little care for anything except her grades. When she meets Haru Yoshida – a notorious troublemaker with no love for school- their lives are changed forever because they understand each other better than anyone else does; both prefer to stay alone or distant from others. Once Shizuku gets to know him more, though, she realizes that there’s much more about his ferocity in reality–he’s actually quite kind!
Kare Kano
The perfect balance of wittiness and sweetness. Yukino Miyazawa, a high school student who loves to be the center of attention. But Soichiro Arima steals her thunder because of the sheer perfection in everything he does. Yukino starts disliking him and tries to do everything possible to ensure that she becomes the center once again! After regular efforts, she finally gets a top score on midterm exams, beating Soichiro’s scores. Yukino has been so enthusiastic about winning against Soichiro on the midterm exams and beating him by a wide margin. Much to her surprise, though, it turns out he is not at all perturbed even after she gets first place in their class and beats his score. He congratulates Yukino nonetheless then confesses that he loves her.
Kimi ni Todoke
Sawako Kuronuma is a sweet girl who desperately wants friends. She realizes that in order to make more, she has to befriend the most popular boy, Shouta Kazehaya. In front of their classmates, he challenges her, and Sawako takes up the challenge without hesitation, proving herself as not only courageous but also influential on people around her.
Check Out: What Is Shoujo Anime: What You Need To Know About This Popular Anime Genre
Nisekoi: False Love
Nisekoi is a comedy anime that follows the daily antics of this mismatched couple who have been forced to get along for the sake of maintaining peace in their city. With many more girls popping up in his life, all involved with Raku’s past somehow, he searches everywhere for the girl who holds his heart and gets into unexpected situations on an adventure like none other!
Lovely Complex
Two high schoolers with a ridiculous height difference become close friends, and one of them falls in love really quickly. Lovely★Complex follows Koizumi and Ootani as they work their way through the challenges of finding love in a world where being different is frowned upon. With common interests such as music, fashion style choices, and an unrelenting spirit to never give up on what we believe in despite overwhelming odds – these two just might find that perfect someone who appreciates them for all that they are.
Check Out: Top 15 Best Shoujo Anime That Will Give You That First Love Feels
We hope you enjoyed this list of romantic comedy anime like Horimiya! Did we happen to miss your favorite? Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what it is. And if you’re looking for more fun, check out our other amazing anime recommendations. As always, Enjoy!
