Best Romance Anime of 1996

During the final days of the Bakumatsu era, there was a legendary assassin called Hitokiri Battousai. Known as a ruthless killer without equal in the land, he vanished without a trace at the height of the Japanese Revolution. A decade of peace has passed since then, but the mere mention of Battousai still sends chills through war veterans. Unknown to them, Battousai has forsaken his bloody past to atone for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura—a cheerful, strong-willed wandering swordsman. Swearing never to take another life, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he encounters Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is under threat from a fraud claiming to be Battousai. After Kenshin helps her, Kaoru invites him to stay at the dojo, and the former assassin pauses his travels for a time. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan follows Kenshin as he strives to rescue those in need. Yet, as foes from both his past and present start to surface, can the reformed killer uphold his new principles?

Hitomi Kanzaki is a typical 15-year-old schoolgirl who enjoys tarot cards and fortune-telling, but one evening, a boy named Van Fanel appears from the sky alongside a vicious dragon. Thanks to Hitomi's premonition, Van manages to slay the dragon, yet a pillar of light engulfs them both, transporting Hitomi to the world of Gaea—a mysterious land where the Earth hangs in the sky. In this strange realm, Hitomi learns that Van is a prince of the Kingdom of Fanelia, which is soon attacked by the evil Zaibach Empire. To fight back, Van pilots his family's ancient guymelef, Escaflowne—a mechanized battle suit—but fails to repel the attack, and Fanelia is destroyed. Forced to flee, Hitomi and Van meet a handsome Asturian knight named Allen Schezar, whom Hitomi is astonished to discover looks exactly like her crush from Earth. With new allies at their side, Van and Hitomi resist the forces of Zaibach as the empire seeks to revive an ancient power.

Similar to the R Season, Sailor Stars is split into two segments. The first part addresses lingering conflicts from SuperS and features the return of the Outer Senshi: Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru, who has been reborn as a child. In the second part, Usagi says goodbye to Mamoru, who is departing for America to study. Concurrently, the Three Lights, an idol trio comprising boys Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten, appear. The new antagonist is Galaxia, a woman seeking to rule the galaxy by collecting human Star Seeds. Three new Senshi, the Sailor Starlights, emerge with their own motivations to defeat Galaxia, though they initially act without Sailor Moon’s assistance.

Sixth grader Sana Kurata seems to have it all: her mother is a reasonably successful writer, a young man is employed to keep her happy and safe, and she shines as the star of the children's TV show Kodomo no Omocha. Yet one thing ruins her perfect life—Akito Hayama. Akito, a classmate of Sana's, has been causing trouble in class, and the other boys have followed his lead. Every day, the girls and their teacher struggle to maintain order and get any learning done. That rotten Akito… Sana refuses to put up with it! The hyperactive Sana decides to investigate what makes Akito tick, hoping to restore normalcy to the classroom and stop the teacher from spending every day crying instead of teaching. However, the more she discovers about him, the more she realizes there might be more to Akito than meets the eye.

Tsukushi Makino, a student from a humble background, simply wishes to survive her final two years at the elite Eitoku Gakuen without incident. However, her attempt to defend a friend against the F4, the school’s four wealthiest and most influential boys, results in her receiving a red card, signaling a declaration of war from the group. When she refuses to back down and begins to develop feelings for one of them, Hanazawa Rui, she discovers that the reality behind their polished facades is far more complex than it initially appears.

Although raised on the fictional mecha series Gekiganger 3, Akito has no desire to engage in combat and prefers cooking to piloting giant robots. His peaceful life is upended when his home base on Mars is obliterated, leading to his sudden and unexplained arrival on Earth. Haunted by unanswered questions, he tracks down Yurika, a girl he met by coincidence, in hopes of finding clarity. As the captain of the private warship Nadesico, Yurika provides him a way to stay close, so Akito joins the crew as their chef. Thanks to nanite implants that grant him the ability to operate mechas, he serves as a capable reserve pilot for the Nadesico’s fleet. He integrates into a crew driven by revenge for Mars, which appears to be a ragtag group of misfits, otakus, and airheads, though they are actually elite specialists. As they launch their personal crusade against Mars, they must confront the harsh truth that real-life conflicts do not follow the predictable tropes of a giant mecha narrative.

In a distant future, Earth's population has grown too large, prompting humanity to seek new worlds for colonization. One colony ship, the Mesopotamia, suffers a critical failure, killing nearly everyone aboard—only six people survive. They manage to reach a nearby planet called Terra II, which closely resembles Earth. However, all six survivors are male. To ensure their efforts are not wasted, they establish six nations and continue their species through cloning and genetic engineering. But without any women, they create highly realistic female androids known as Marionettes to handle daily chores and labor—emotionless machines that lack true feelings. One day, an ordinary boy named Otaru discovers and activates three special battle-type Marionettes that possess emotions thanks to a Maiden Circuit installed inside them. He must guide them and help their emotions develop. When a neighboring country threatens to conquer the world, Otaru and his "human" Marionettes must rise to defend their nation.

Cinderella is the daughter of a wealthy duke who remarries to give her a mother and sisters. When the duke goes abroad, Cinderella realizes her new family is far from loving. With spoiled stepsisters and a harsh stepmother, she is forced to do all the cooking, cleaning, and housework. Yet she stays cheerful, gentle, and kind to her family, her animal friends, and a mysterious boy named Charles who appears to have a link to the prince of Emerald Castle. This is a new take on a classic fairy tale. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother stops her from attending the Royal Ball, she receives unexpected help from the adorable mice Gus and Jaq, as well as from her Fairy Godmother.

Shy middle schooler Yuuko harbors romantic feelings for her childhood friend who lives next door. However, she faces a dilemma when she discovers that her best friend also has a crush on him, leaving her uncertain about how to proceed. The narrative delves into the dynamics among these three individuals as they navigate the typical challenges of junior high life.