1. Clannad
Synopsis
Okazaki Tomoya is a delinquent who finds life dull and believes he’ll never amount to anything. Along with his friend Sunohara, he skips school and plans to waste his high school days away.
One day while walking to school, Tomoya passes a young girl muttering quietly to herself. Without warning she exclaims “Anpan!” (a popular Japanese food) which catches Tomoya’s attention. He soon discovers the girl’s name is Furukawa Nagisa and that she exclaims things she likes in order to motivate herself. Nagisa claims they are now friends, but Tomoya walks away passing the encounter off as nothing. (Read More)
2. Your Lie In April
Synopsis
Piano prodigy Arima Kosei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital that resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano even though his hearing was perfectly fine. Even two years later, Kosei hasn’t touched the piano and views the world in monotone, and without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. (Read More)
3. ef: A Tale of Memories / Melodies
Synopsis
On Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono’s bike is stolen by a girl chasing a thief who stole her purse. He gives chase and finds her unconscious and his bike ruined. The girl, Miyako Miyamura, soon awakes and the two begin to talk. After making sure she is okay, they end up spending Christmas Eve together. Later, Hiro finds out Miyako attends the same school as him and they begin to spend more and more time together, Miyako developing affections for Hiro. Kei Shindou—Hiro’s childhood friend who has long held a crush on him—begins to become jealous and a love triangle follows. (Read More)
4. Golden Time
Synopsis
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. At that moment, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. Somehow arriving at their intended goal just on time, there appeared in front of the two a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses.
5. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
Synopsis
At first, Takayuki Narumi is befriended by Mitsuki Hayase only because Mitsuki’s best friend, Haruka Suzumiya has a crush on him; however since then, Takayuki, his pal Shinji Taira, and Mitsuki have grown to be the best of friends. Then one day, Haruka confesses to Takayuki her love for him. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Takayuki agrees to go out with her. After a few incidents, their relationship gets intimate, even while Takayuki and Mitsuki begin to realize their feelings for each other. But suddenly, when tragedy strikes, things are never the same for these four friends again. (Read More)
6. Kokoro Connect
Synopsis
The five members of the Cultural Research Club—Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, Himeko Inaba, Yui Kiriyama, and Yoshifumi Aoki—encounter a bizarre phenomenon one day when Aoki and Yui switch bodies without warning. The same begins to happen to the other club members, throwing their daily lives into disarray.
At first the five students find some amusement amidst the confusion, but this unwarranted connection also exposes the painful scars hidden within their hearts. As their calm lives are shattered, the relationships between the five students also begin to change. (Read More)
7. Kimikiss Pure Rouge
Synopsis
Kouichi Sanada and Kazuki Aihara’s childhood friend Mao Mizusawa has returned after living in France for a couple of years. Kouichi is surprised to learn that, since her parents are remaining overseas for the time being, his mother has agreed to let Mao stay with them. The three friends help each other deal with the ups and downs of high school romance. (Read More)
8. Kotoura-san
Synopsis
A school love comedy. Kotoura Haruka is a 15-year-old girl who can read people’s minds. She has been suffering from troubles caused by her mind-reading ability, and her parents got divorced as a result. She moves to a new high school but tries to keep away from her classmates. Manabe Yoshihisa, one of her classmates, accepts and appreciates her ability and she begins to interact with her friends with his help. (Read More)
9. Toradora
Synopsis
Despite Ryuji Takasu’s gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent. Class rearrangements on his second high school year put him together with his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, and his hidden crush, Minori Kushieda. Along with these two comes Kushieda’s best friend, Taiga Aisaka. Her delicate appearance contrasts with her brutal personality. Secretly in love with Kitamura, Taiga agrees to help Ryuji with his love interest as long as he helps her get closer to hers. (Read More)
10. Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Synopsis
The school romantic comedy revolves around a second-year high school student named Sorata Kanda who lives in Sakurasou, the dormitory for problem children at Sorata’s school. One day, Mashiro Shiina—a cute girl who happens to be also a cosmopolitan, brilliant artist—moves into Sakurasou. (Read More)
11. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
Synopsis
60 years ago, a young woman was left to die in the abandoned school building behind the exclusive Seikyou Academy. No one knows why. No one knows how. But the horrifying tale and the legends of the ghostly haunting that followed live on to this day. Perhaps it’s not so surprising then, that among Seikyou’s many school clubs is one for students interested in “paranormal investigations.” What might raise more than a few hairs, however, is that the founder of the club is the ghost herself. Unable to remember how she died and trapped in the grey land between life and death, Yuuko latches onto Teiichi Niiya, a freshman who can inexplicably see her. (Read More)
12. True Tears
Synopsis
Shinichiro is a student living in what would be a dream come true for most high school boys, but for him is mostly a frustration. A well-liked girl in school named Hiromi has lived in his house for a year along with his family. Her father was a close friend of the family, and when he died they immediately took her in. She is popular, always smiles, is talented in sports—but Shinichiro knows there must be tears inside her. (Read More)
13. Myself ; Yourself
Synopsis
For the sake of parents’ business plans, Hidaka Sana moved to Tokyo. Five years later, he has become a high school student, and returned to his hometown, Sakuranomori. He feels uneasy because the streets of his hometown and his old friend he meets again have changed a lot since five years ago. The most changed thing is his childhood friend, Yatsushiro Nanaka. She used to smile sweetly with innocent eyes, but now she has withdrawn herself and is gloomy. (Read More)
14. Anohana
Synopsis
Jinta Yadomi and his group of childhood friends have become estranged after a tragic accident split them apart. Now in their high school years, a sudden surprise forces each of them to confront their guilt over what happened that day and come to terms with the ghosts of their past. (Read More)
15. Ano Natsu de Matteru
Synopsis
When a group of friends decide to make a movie over a long summer holiday, they end up learning a little about filmmaking and a lot more about each other and themselves. What begins as a simple way to avoid the summer doldrums quickly turns into something much more complex, intimate and revealing, as the maturing relationships between the members of the young cast take on new, and sometimes very unexpected, turns. (Read More)
16. Koi Kaze
Synopsis
Saeki Koushirou works as a wedding planner, but his own love life is a shambles. His background makes it difficult for him to commit himself wholeheartedly to love. The child of a divorced couple, he lives with his father. He has a mother and a sister, but he has not seen them in years. After being dumped by his girlfriend, a chance encounter with a female high school student shakes Koushirou’s calm and awakens new feelings in him—but he learns that the girl is in fact his sister, who will now be staying with his father and him. Yet, the feelings in Koushirou’s heart… (Read More)
17. Mysterious Girlfriend X
Synopsis
When the oddly peculiar Mikoto Urabe transfers into Akira Tsubaki’s class, he finds that life has thrown him the weirdest curve ball ever. Because while Urabe may be an anti-social loner who sleeps on her desk, carries a pair of scissors in her underwear and breaks out in sudden fits of insane laughter, there’s something about her that Tsubaki just can’t quite put his finger on. Until he accidentally puts his finger in it, and suddenly the phrase “sharing spit with a girl” takes on an entirely new meaning! (Read More)
18. Kaichou wa Maid-sama
Synopsis
Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president at a once-all-boys-turned-co-ed school. She rules the school with a strict discipline demeanor, but she has a secret: she works at a maid cafe due to her family’s circumstances. One day, the popular A-student and notorious heart-breaker Takumi Usui finds out her secret and makes a deal with her to keep it hush from the school in exchange for spending some time with him. (Read More)
19. Kimi ni Todoke
Synopsis
Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from “The Ring,” which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose “100% refreshing” personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. (Read More)
20. Nodame Cantabile
Synopsis
Shinichi Chiaki is a first class musician whose dream is to play among the elites in Europe. Coming from a distinguished family, he is an infamous perfectionist; not only is he highly critical of himself, but of others as well. The only thing stopping Chiaki from leaving for Europe is his fear of flying. As a result, he’s grounded in Japan. (Read More)
21. Chobits
Synopsis
In the future, personal computers have developed into “Persocoms,” mobile computers that look like human beings. Hideki Motosuwa, a prep school student, desperately wants to buy a Persocom but cannot afford to. One day, he finds a Persocom that has been thrown away and decides to keep it. When he turns on the Persocom, all she can say is “Chii” so he decides to name her that. (Read More)
22. Onegai Teacher
Synopsis
Kusanagi Kei, a high-school student living with his aunt and uncle, has an encounter with a female alien. This alien is revealed to be a new teacher at his school. Later, he is forced to marry this alien to preserve her secrets. From there, various romantically-inclined problems crop up repeatedly. (Read More)
23. My Little Monster
Synopsis
Nicknamed “Dry Ice,” Shizuku is seen as emotionless and cold by her classmates. When she’s tasked with delivering class printouts, she runs into Haru, who immediately decides that they’re friends. Shizuku is touched by his innocence and his lack of knowledge towards human relationships. (Read More)
24. The World God Only Knows
Synopsis
Dating sim master Keima Katsuragi wants nothing more than to immerse himself in the 2D world, chasing digital girlfriends. But when the so-called “Capturing God” answers a mysterious email from an unknown sender, Keima finds himself chasing down real-life ladies in an attempt to help the peppy demon Elsie de Lute Irma capture “lost souls” escaped from the depths of hell. Now, lest the explosive collar around his neck detonate, Keima must convince various girls to fall in love with him in order to scare out the souls hiding in their hearts. (Read More)
25. Nisekoi
Synopsis
Raku Ichijou is an average high school student. He also happens to be the sole heir to the head of a Yakuza Family called the Shuei-gumi. Ten years ago, Raku made a promise… a secret promise with a girl he met. They promised one another that they will “get married when they reunite.” Since then, Raku never let go of the pendant the girl gave him. (Read More)
26. Ao Haru Ride
Synopsis
Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to “reset” her image and life as a new high school student. Because she’s cute, she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a misunderstanding, she couldn’t get her feeling across to the one boy she has ever liked, Tanaka-kun. (Read More)
27. Sukitte Ii na yo
Synopsis
Friends suck, and trusting someone is just setting yourself up. That’s the lesson Mei Tachibana learned after her heart was ripped out and only a shell was left where a girl used to be. But unlike so many, she found an easy solution: she’ll never make another friend. Ever.
Okay, maybe that’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s worked for Mei – or at least, it did until handsome, charming and annoyingly popular Yamato Kurosawa came along. For some freakish reason, he seems to like Mei. He even gave her his phone number! As if she would ever call him. Except she did. But only because she needed help. Still, he came. He actually came. And now things are getting way too complicated. (Read More)
Did we miss one of your favorites? Add more to the list in the comments! There’s so many great romance anime out there, that I’ll probably make a second part.