In The Name of Love
Valentines Day, the celebration of expressed love. A day where people all around the globe rejoice in romance as they gift each other chocolates, flowers, and love letters. With Valentines Day just around the corner how could I, the grand Cupid, not write a post about romance? Whether you are spending the day with your special person, or are as single as can be, here is a list of some of my favourite romance anime that will for sure have you kicking your feet.
I must admit, to pick and rank only a handful of series was not an easy task. By no means does my list suggest that any one series is better than the others. It is purely subjective to my experience watching them for the first time. In my humble opinion, these series are the ones that stood out from the rest.
Cupid's Favourite Romances
- Love, Chunibyo, & Other Delusions!
To start of my list we have Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! It is an innocent, lighthearted, and silly little series following the two main characters Yuuta Togashi and Rikka Takanashi. Chunibyo is a term to describe adolescents who develop delusions of grandeur, and a phase where they believe to have supernatural powers. Yuuta, embarrassed of his past history of chunibyo, wants to forget all about it but encounters Rikka, a girl who currently has chunibyo. He cringes as he sees himself within Rikka, but inevitably befriends her. This series is so full of ridiculously hilarious moments, with so many characters introduced with chunibyo it becomes a chaotic mess but nevertheless, it works. Heartwarming? Check! Comedy? Check! Romance? Check, Check, Check!
- Blue Box
Blue Box is when a sports anime crosses with romance. Basketball girl, meets badminton boy. In many ways, this series is very inspirational, I mean who doesn't love an underdog story. This anime will keep you on the edge of your seat as Taiki Inomata and Chinatsu Kano strive to reach nationals. But above and beyond that, Blue Box is incredibly full of adorable little moments that will have you screaming "just kiss already!"
I love basketball. I love romance. I love anime. To combine all three in a singular series, it's a no-brainer to include Blue Box on my list.
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
An extremely recent addition to the genre of romance anime, is The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity. It has made great waves in social media, gaining massive popularity and within good reason too. The series follows a Romeo and Juliet-esque set up as Rintaro Tsumugi and Kaoruko Waguri are from opposing schools. Rintaro is from Chidori High, a school for "delinquents," and Kaoruko from Kikyo Girls' Academy. They shouldn't be friends, and yet they are. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is a beautiful and heartwarming series, it shows us that sometimes the only barrier to genuine relationships are false labels.
- Clannad
The oldest anime on my list, and yet, it isn't any less praiseworthy. Clannad follows the unlikely friendship of Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa. It is a series that is both comedic and dramatic. The series pacing is slower than the other entries but it includes so much emotional depth that if you are patient enough to sit through the series, it is such an unforgettable experience. And for those who have seen it, I know you agree with me. A difficult decision to place this as the runner up, and in many ways this series is number one in my heart.
- Golden Time
Last but certainly not least at my number one spot we have Golden Time. The story follows Banri Tada, an amnesiac who lost his memories during an accident. This anime begs the question: which love will persist when your memory returns–past love, or present love? Golden Time is an intense series. It is so full of funny moments, you won't be prepared for the drama, and trust me there is so much drama. I mean, there's enough love triangles to put Egypt out of business. And in my opinion, Koko Kaga makes it extremely fun to watch. Her personality is so chaotic and ridiculous, I love every scene that this little goofball appears in. Overall, watching this series for the first time was an amazing experience, it left me in absolute awe. So if my list persuaded you to pick up a romance anime today, let it be Golden Time.
Honourable Mention:
My Dress Up Darling
As an honourable mention I have My Dress Up Darling. This is such an adorable series following the friendship of Gojo Wakana and Marin Kitagawa. In the pursuit of cosplay, Gojo becomes Marin's go to designer where he creates cosplay outfits of her many favourite characters. While the series is full of adorable, heartwarming scenes, they also find themselves in many unexpected scenarios that are both hilarious and outrageous. It is truly a series worth mentioning today.
The End.
That concludes my miniature post, I hope you enjoyed. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any series you think would be on your list, that I did not include on mine. I hope everybody has a great Valentine's Day, and I'll see you all on my next post. Take care!
