Top 20 Best Anime Romances

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the couples across the anime scene with the best chemistry and most captivating relationships. Watch out for feels and spoilers ahead.

“Cyberpunk Edgerunners” (2022)

Night City is not a place for happy endings, no matter how badly we want them, especially when it comes to these two lovebirds. After losing his mother to gang violence, David throws himself into the criminal world of chrome and mercenary work, where he finds himself falling helplessly for Lucy – a mysterious and equally broken soul. Their love is the only pure thing left in Night City, so naturally it’s snuffed out before either have the chance to make a future for themselves. At least they’ll always have the moon.

“Lovely Complex” (2007)

Feeling anxious or inferior about one’s own appearance can certainly cause a person to lash out and make enemies. In the case of Rise and Otani, it also happened to form the bedrock of their future relationship. With one suffering from small man’s syndrome and the other being a woman of considerable height, at first it seems the two bickering rivals found every excuse to rub each other the wrong way…only for unexpected feelings to blossom along the way. She may be a mountain and he may be smaller than the average dude, but turns out that love has a way of sprouting in the spaces between.

“Baccano!” (2007)

We would say that these two are the Bonnie and Clyde of the anime world, but that would be doing these two a disservice. They’re way more likable! After accidentally becoming immortal due to the elixir of life, these two go about committing thefts…in the most nonsensical ways possible. While their antics may leave everyone confused, there’s no denying that these two adore one another completely. Seriously, the only thing more potent than their love is their boundless optimism.

“Naruto” franchise (2007-23)

The life of a ninja may be filled with war, assassination and dealing with mythical beasts trapped inside their souls, but there’s seemingly still room for love. Harboring a one-sided crush for the whiskered faced knucklehead since childhood, Hinata’s wish was finally answered when Naruto, after way too long a wait, realized the most beautiful kunoichi in the Leaf Village wanted to be his wifey. One battle on the moon later, and the two finally found the moment to confess their heart’s desire, bringing one of shonen’s most sought after ships to fruition.

“Yuri on Ice” (2016)

It was the kiss that broke the internet. There had always been something simmering between this trainer and figure skating star. Turns out it went well beyond flirtation. After completing the performance of his career, Yuri and Victor’s feelings come to the forefront with the whole world watching. Going beyond the fact these two did wonders for LGBT representation in such a seamless manner, the fact remains that between Yuri’s shyness and Victor shuffling between smug and smitten – these two are genuinely perfect together.

“Spy x Family” (2022-)

Granted we’ve seen no confirmation of love on either side just yet, but come on! It’s only a matter of time before this spy and assassin, unaware of one another’s profession, fall in love for real. Loid, for all his suaveness, is often lost when it comes to Yor’s bottomless compassion (as well a super strength). All the while, Yor has never had someone care for her in the capacity that Loid does, appreciating her beyond her talent for killing. Sure, these two might be going in circles for the moment, but mark our words, there’s only so much denial these two can put up before their unabashed attraction to one another breaks through.

“Sword Art Online” franchise (2012-20)

These two may have been the internet’s biggest punching bag for a while, but for all the memes made about their earlier seasons, the one facet of the franchise that continued to hold in good stead was how amazing Kirito and Asuna are as a couple. Even if Kirito can’t help but attract other ladies like a harem black hole, his heart has always belonged to Asuna. And why wouldn’t it? She’s as dazzling a swordswoman as she is a beauty to behold. Come Alicization’s end, there was zero doubt these two were going to remain an item, no matter how many virtual realities that had to face together.

“Fruits Basket” franchise (2001; 2019-21)

The cat may often be associated with bad luck, but this kitty, despite some fierce competition from the rest of the Zodiac, managed to out with the ultimate prize – the heart of the sweetest girl to ever grace shojo anime. That’s not hyperbolic, Tohru is sunshine incarnate – always on hand to offer empathy and love no matter what hardships are thrown her way. Despite the Soma curse and numerous other beautiful bishonen boys hoping to earn her affection, Tohru has a soft spot for the would-be-bad boy consumed by a desire to prove himself. It was a monumental struggle, but if anyone deserved happiness, it was these two.

“Sailor Moon” franchise (1992-97; 2014-16)

The shojo power couple who quite literally fought evil by moonlight and found love by daylight, the romance between these two is almost as integral to the story of Sailor Moon than their battles with the Dark Kingdom. Usagi, for all her cry-baby tendencies, is heroic at heart, willing to fight the forces of evil…and hopefully find the man of her dreams one day. Lucky for her, her prince charming just so happens to be the one and only Tuxedo Mask – suave magician rocking the top hat and cape combo like no other. Theirs is a fairy tale that serves as a classic of the genre.

“Detective Conan” (1996-)

As either a teen heartthrob or a kid detective, Shinichi/Conan has been solving crimes of varying scale for decades now – and in all that time he’s had one person serving as his guiding light. Sure, even after all this time Ran still can’t piece together that Shinichi and Conan are one and the same. But given how sweet and endearing the two are, she doesn’t have to. It may take another twenty years before the two end up tying the knot and revealing all their secrets, but in the meantime we’re just happy to see them solve crimes and fall ever further in love along the way.

“The Dangers in My Heart” (2022-)

The newest couple to enter the anime romance scene, and to say they have captivated all of us with their unorthodox yet beautiful love story would be a colossal understatement. How we ended up going from a chunnibyo with a fascination with murder all the way to an authentic, anxious lovesick cinnamon roll is beyond us, but seeing Ichikawa swiftly fall for the ditzy yet utterly charming Yamada has made for some of the best slice of life goodness in modern anime memory. Even if these two ending up together is inevitable by this point, their adorable journey has us rooting for their success every step of the way.

“Kimi ni Todoke” (2009-11)

This is arguably the greatest example of the “awkward girl finds herself falling for and earning the affection of the coolest guy in school” setup. Might sound boring on paper, but Sawako’s pureness as a person and the genuine warmth she feels for her chosen crush transcends all gimmicks. There’s an earnestness to these two, one that keeps the intrigue going without dragging us into the dreaded void that is “will they, won’t they.” All we can say is that Kazehaya had better hope he’s up to the task, because Sawako deserves every good thing that comes her way!

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” (2023-)

Theirs is a love that should have been, and yet time was never on their side. Through various flashbacks we slowly uncover that what was once thought to be a simple friendship between party members was something far grander. It becomes all too clear that Himmel was well and truly in love with the ageless elf, and while she didn’t realize it at the time, had also developed some romantic inclinations towards the hero. The tragic fact remains that, even if Frieren does finally confront her own feelings, Himmel has long passed on by this point. Ain’t immortality a bitch?

“Monogatari” franchise (2009-19)

Goes to show how much of a keeper this sharp-tongued beauty is. Aside from the fact Senjougahara is a captivating, blunt, fourth-wall breaking beast of a leading lady who would entrance even the most hardened of cherry boys, the fact she cemented herself as Araragi’s one and only amongst a sea of alternative S-Tier love interests is something else. Araragi himself, for all his…lapses in judgment, is also infinitely compelling given his vampiric affliction and willingness to help as many people as he can. For as bizarre as Monogatari and its installments get, the relationship between these two is authentic and as entertaining as it gets.

“Gurren Lagann” (2007)

When you’ve got someone willing to challenge the cosmos itself to rescue the woman he adores, you know you’re dealing with a next-level romance. Such is the case with Simon and Nia. While the mysterious star-child pulled Simon back from the brink following the loss of his big bro, the young digger showed her the worth and beauty of humanity, the two falling ever deeper in love even as the war with the Anti-Spiral threatened all they knew. The most beautiful, if harrowing, part of their love story is that even though Nia’s life was destined to burn out, they still bound themselves in matrimony. That takes commitment.

“Inuyasha” (2000-04; 2009-10)

Every dog has his day, and in the case of Inuyasha, it was finding love with the girl out of time. Throughout the quest to find the Shikon Jewel, defeat Naraku and overcome the seemingly endless slew of filler arcs, Inuyasha and Kagome’s tender, fantasy romance was the one subplot that had OG fans forever on edge. Thankfully, the final act came in to save the day, not only delivering a solid conclusion to the half dog demon’s journey, but also had the two finally solidify their feelings for one another. They’re an OG power couple whose romance was long-sought and well-earned!

“Fullmetal Alchemist” franchise (2003-04; 2009-10)

When you’re a State Alchemist on a mission of redemption to restore what was stolen from you by an omnipotent entity, you need a lady who has your back. Who will give you the confidence to keep moving forward. And most importantly – fix up your automail whenever it needs a tune up! In spite of all the pain and death that befell them throughout their lives, Ed and Winry have withstood it all thanks to their unbreakable bond. One that eventually turned romantic when Ed, after finally going through an emotional and physical growth spurt, decided to confess to his dream girl. It was certainly worth the wait.

“Steins;Gate” (2011)

Even with time-traveling texts via a microwave, alternative timelines, murder and death loops, one of this landmark anime’s biggest draws is the brewing romance between its lead pair of scientists. While they share the same profession and hyper-intellect, they couldn’t be more different. With Kurisu being reserved, calm and often the voice of logic, while Okabe is…well…the very definition of a mad scientist trapped in his own little world. And yet, through the anime’s crazed kaleidoscope of a narrative, these two somehow bring out the best in each other, culminating in a relationship that soon becomes the anime’s beating heart.

“Toradora!” (2008-09)

High school romance anime will keep being made until the sun goes out, have no doubt, but among the mountain of trash and gems, there’s one that will continue to endure as the apex of the “enemies to lovers” trope. Cute yet feral Taiga and intimidating yet sweet Ryuji could not dislike each other more, but via an agreement to set the other up with their respective friends, the two soon find themselves falling hopelessly in love along the way. The school shenanigans are always fun, but it’s seeing the tiger and the dragon inch ever closer to that confession that truly had us hooked.

“Kaguya-sama: Love is War” (2019-22)

It’s one of anime’s greatest romantic comedies, featuring one of anime’s greatest couples. Apart, they are gut-bustingly funny as they use their genius to attempt to get the other to confess their feelings first, only to fail at every turn in spectacular fashion. But together, Kaguya and Miyuki’s chemistry is so brilliant it became genuinely one of the most entrancing relationships in the medium. Only these two could complicate a romance practically destined to succeed by throwing in mental gymnastics every step of the way. But by making every step to reach that all important confession more hilarious than the last, they cemented themselves as an anime couple for the ages. Idiots and geniuses both, gotta love em’.

Which of these couples do you stand by as your one true ship? Let us know in the comments!