Launching as part of the Crunchyroll Originals label, Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You is a unique mix ofshonen shenanigansandfan servicewith a more mature, almost josei-style romance. The story focuses on the relationship between the young genius Nasa Yuzaki and the mysterious girl who saved him from a fatal traffic accident, Tsukasa.
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Nasa proposes to her, and she shockingly agrees — but disappears. Two years later, Tsukasa returns, and the pair begin a somewhat awkward but committed marriage. The story has a light fantasy mystery tinge but largely focuses on the day-to-day work of learning about the person you love. This list can help you find a show with a similar vibe.
10Love After World Domination
Another series that mixes hijinks and real relationship work, Love After World Domination tells the tale of a forbidden love between the leader of a Power Rangers-like superhero group and a fearsome fighter in the evil army they fight.
The pair begin the series already dating in secret and use battles as a perfect opportunity to sneak away and spend time together. Despite the ridiculous premise, the story addresses the real challenges of their relationship and the work required to build infatuation into real love.
9Science Fell In Love So I Tried To Prove It
Another series that skips past the will-they-won’t-they stage, the main couple in this show have clearly already fallen for each other. However, as dedicated and brilliant scientists, they know that they have to understand these feelings and reactions from a scientific perspective before they can fully dive into a relationship.
This results in a wide range of hijinks as the pair conduct experiments to better understand love. They’ll receive plenty of “help” from a colorful cast of coworkers eager to join in the nonsense.
8My Love Story
While committed relationships are common in more mature or slow-paced romance shows, My Love Story keeps all the shojo zaniness while entirely focusing on a committed relationship with two kids who fell deeply in love at first sight.
Despite his kind heart, Takeo Goda has always struggled with girls due to his intensity, enormous size, and ludicrous strength. Fortunately, that’s exactly what Yamato Rinko admires about him. The two shy but sweet teenagers are encouraged and pushed along in their relationship by a small group of friends.
7Kamisama Kiss
As a married couple, Tonikawa’s pair naturally begin their relationship by living together (but not sleeping together). Kamisama Kiss’ lead duo don’t start out married, but Nanami Momozono is taken in by an odd man after saving him from a dog.
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What starts out as a simple offer to help Nanami avoid homelessness slowly evolves into a chance for love. The series also has a more overt fantasy angle as the man she saved turns out to be a spirit and will come to develop affection for his familiar Tomoe.
6Love Is Like A Cocktail
Mizusawa Chisato is a strong business person respected by her colleagues. While she works diligently, she is excited every night to come home to an adoring husband who has a new cocktail ready for her. When drunk, Chisato becomes a cute, bubbly loving wife who just wants to spend time with her perfect husband.
The adorable, almost nauseatingly cute couple will get into all manner of drunken shenanigans in the evening before Chisato returns to her work self in the morning just counting down until she can experience that next cocktail.
A somewhat tighter story than manyseinenromances, Momokuri highlights the developing love between high schoolers Yuki Kurihara and Shinya Momotsuki. While the pair are in a relationship, Yuki has developed a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her boyfriend, often hiding to take pictures of him when he’s unaware.
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Although early on, Shinya generally just indulges Yuki’s antics and affections, he steadily grows to love her more intensely as the series progresses.
4Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai
Based on an ongoing light novel series, the show focuses on high schooler Sakuta Azusagawa. One day, Sakuta discovers a woman dressed in a bunny girl outfit wandering the library. It turns out he is the only one who can notice her, dubbing her strange imperceptibility “Adolescence Syndrome.”
Sakuta’s world changes as he spends more time with the girl, Mai Sakurajima, and learns more about the mystery of her situation. Eventually, he’ll encounter other girls affected by Adolescence Syndrome. Of course, it wouldn’t be anime if these new girls didn’t also develop feelings for our hero.
3The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague
The opposite of Tonikawa in many ways but no less wholesome and comfy, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is a slow and steady romance story. Rather than sudden confessions and quick kisses, Ice Guy lands its hits with a smile or a lingering glance. Its fantasy element is also more overt.
Himuro is the descendant of a snow woman and therefore creates ice and snowstorms when he feels strong emotions. He finds an instant kinship with the soft-spoken Fuyutsuki, who has always struggled to make friends due to her perceived coldness.
A show that wastes little time developing its leads into a proper couple, Horimiya is one of the tightest slice-of-life romance stories you’ll find. In just 12 episodes, the show covers the meeting, attraction, and relationship of Izumi Miyamura and Kyouko Hori.
Horimiya focuses largely on the internal lives of its main cast, with each character showcasing that there is more to them than what they present on the surface at school. A comfy and sweet love story, Horimiya is simply a must-watch for romance fans.
1Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
Although its initial premise is deeply mired in shenanigans,Kaguya-Sama: Love is Warslowly develops into a surprisingly mature love story about two smart people working hard at their relationship. Of course, the shenanigans only enhance the journey.
Student council leaders Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya have clearly developed feelings for each other, but neither can express it because everyone knows the first to confess loses. So, they’ll engage in mental warfare to trick the other into being the first to make their feelings known.
