Best Romance Anime of 2019

At the prestigious Shuchiin Academy, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya stand as the student body's most prominent leaders. Miyuki, recognized as the nation's top student and admired by both classmates and faculty, holds the position of student council president. Serving alongside him is vice president Kaguya—the eldest daughter of the affluent Shinomiya family—who excels in every conceivable area. They are admired by the entire school, often seen as the ideal pair. Yet, despite each having already fallen for the other, neither is ready to confess. The one who admits their feelings first would lose face, be looked down upon, and be considered the inferior party. With their honor and pride hanging in the balance, both Miyuki and Kaguya are fiercely determined to be the victor in this romantic war.

Tokyo is plagued by incessant rain showers that disrupt the daily rhythm of its inhabitants. Into this seemingly endless downpour steps Hodaka Morishima, a runaway high school student struggling to survive on his own. He finds work at a small publishing company. Meanwhile, the orphaned Hina Amano searches for a job to support herself and her younger brother. Their paths cross when Hodaka rescues Hina from suspicious men, and they decide to flee together. Soon after, Hodaka learns that Hina possesses a strange but incredible gift: she can summon clear skies by praying. Recognizing Tokyo's unusual weather, Hodaka sees a chance to use this ability. He proposes that Hina become a "sunshine girl"—someone who brings sunlight to people in their moments of need. At first, things improve for them. But everyone knows that such power comes with a heavy price.

Fuutarou Uesugi is a top-tier high school student, but his life is far from easy. His aloof demeanor and tendency to keep to himself have left him without friends, and his father's heavy debts force the family to struggle just to get by. One day during lunch, Uesugi gets into an argument with a female transfer student who takes "his seat," creating mutual dislike between them. Later that same day, he receives a golden chance to wipe out his family's debt: a private tutoring job for a wealthy family's daughter, paying five times the usual rate. He accepts the offer, only to be horrified when he learns the client, Itsuki Nakano, is the very girl he clashed with earlier. After failing to mend fences with Itsuki, Uesugi realizes his troubles are just beginning: Itsuki is actually one of quintuplets. In addition to her, he must also tutor her sisters—Miku, Yotsuba, Nino, and Ichika—who, despite being in real danger of failing their classes, want nothing to do with a tutor. But with his family's survival on the line, Uesugi presses on, determined to overcome the sisters' hatred for studying and successfully guide them to graduation.

Tooru Honda has always been captivated by the Chinese zodiac tales her beloved mother shared with her as a child. But a sudden family tragedy upends her life, leaving her entirely on her own. Forced to live in a tent, Tooru unknowingly sets up camp on land belonging to the prestigious Souma family. One day, she stumbles upon their home and meets Shigure, an older Souma cousin, and Yuki, the "prince" of her school. She tells them she resides nearby, but the Soumas soon uncover her hidden plight of homelessness when they spot her returning to her tent one night. Things begin to improve for Tooru when they kindly offer her a place to stay after learning of her situation. However, she quickly gets caught in a quarrel between Yuki and his short-tempered cousin, Kyou. In trying to intervene, she discovers the Souma family’s own deep secret: whenever they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into the animals of the Chinese zodiac. With this newfound knowledge, Tooru realizes that living with the Soumas will be an unexpected journey filled with laughter and romance.

Natsuo Fujii knows the sting of unrequited love all too well, as he secretly longs for Hina, his school's perpetually cheerful teacher. Crushed by the impossibility of his feelings, Natsuo reluctantly attends a mixer at his friends' urging, where he meets Rui, a girl who shares his emotional detachment. Eager to prove her maturity to those who see her as naive, Rui invites Natsuo to her home and asks him to sleep with her. Still haunted by his feelings for Hina, Natsuo reluctantly agrees. Both leave the encounter feeling empty, and they part as strangers. Before Natsuo can process what happened, his father announces his remarriage and introduces the bride, Tsukiko Tachibana, to the family. The shock deepens when Natsuo learns that Tsukiko's daughters are none other than Hina and Rui, making them his new step-sisters. Now forced to live under the same roof as the woman he loves and the girl who shared his first night, Natsuo must navigate a tangle of emotions and confront the darker, more complicated aspects of love.

Six months after his unexpected encounter with a bunny girl in a library, Sakuta Azusagawa is living happily with his girlfriend, Mai Sakurajima—the very same bunny girl. However, the return of Shouko Makinohara, his mysterious first crush now grown up, introduces a fresh challenge to his relationship with Mai. Compounding the issue, he meets a middle school version of Shouko in the hospital, battling a serious illness. Strangely, his old scars begin aching whenever he is near her. Since Shouko’s bizarre situation somehow revolves around him, Sakuta must accept his own conflicted feelings, whatever the outcome. With a young girl’s fate resting on his decisions, what actions can he possibly take?

In the kingdom of Earlshide, Merlin Wolford was once hailed as a national hero for his tremendous power and achievements. Wanting a quiet life, he retired to a secluded rural area to raise an orphan he had rescued. That child is Shin, a former Japanese office worker reincarnated into this world with his past memories intact. Over the years, Shin demonstrates remarkable brilliance in both magic and combat, continually astonishing Merlin. However, on his fifteenth birthday, it becomes apparent that Shin’s talents are purely combat-oriented, leaving him socially awkward, lacking common sense, and somewhat reckless. To address these deficiencies, he enrolls in the kingdom’s Magic Academy to grow alongside his peers. But a peaceful existence proves impossible, as he quickly becomes a local sensation upon arrival. As Shin Wolford adjusts to school life in the capital, he forms friendships, explores the world, and faces the various evil forces threatening him and his city.

Amatsuyu "Jouro" Kisaragi is a seemingly average second-year high school student who unexpectedly finds himself on two dates within a single weekend. The first is with Student Council President Sakura "Cosmos" Akino, followed by a date with his childhood friend Aoi "Himawari" Hinata. In a twist, both girls confess their affection not for Jouro, but for his best friend, Taiyou "Sun-chan" Ooga, the star pitcher of the baseball team. Acting as a romantic advisor, Jouro agrees to help Cosmos and Himawari win Sun-chan’s heart. Yet, Jouro’s cheerful and oblivious demeanor is merely a mask designed to mimic a typical rom-com lead. Underneath this sunny exterior hides a calculating schemer who devises a new plan: manipulate Sun-chan into falling for either Cosmos or Himawari, allowing Jouro to pursue the other girl. This scheme is threatened by Sumireko "Pansy" Sanshokuin, a gloomy girl with glasses who exposes Jouro’s true nature and confesses her love for the real him. Caught in this chaotic web of deceit, traps, and misunderstandings, the five students struggle to achieve their romantic ambitions.

Nariyuki Yuiga, a third-year high school student from a humble background, works tirelessly to secure the prestigious VIP scholarship that would cover his entire university tuition. The headmaster acknowledges his efforts and awards him the scholarship, but with one catch: he must tutor the school's top students in their weak subjects. His pupils are Rizu Ogata, a math prodigy aiming for a humanities degree; Fumino Furuhashi, a literary genius who wants to pursue science; and Uruka Takemoto, Yuiga's athletic childhood friend who struggles in every subject. In We Never Learn, Yuiga encounters a series of bizarre and comedic situations as he tries to guide these three eccentric students. With Ogata and Furuhashi's ambitions opposing their natural strengths, Yuiga must figure out whether he can successfully help them achieve their goals.

Shidou Itsuka keeps carrying out his duty for Ratatoskr, finding Spirits and sealing their abilities while strengthening the connections he's built with the ones he's already sealed. When new Spirits appear, he has to tackle more difficult problems to stop additional catastrophes, and along the way, he discovers more about where the Spirits truly come from.

As children, Izumi Norimoto and Kazusa Onodera were as close as siblings. But when puberty arrived in middle school, Kazusa’s feelings changed, and the other girls began to avoid him. To escape this social isolation, Kazusa distanced herself from Izumi upon entering high school. She found refuge in the literature club, whose members distracted her from her loneliness. The club became notorious across campus for reading erotic passages from novels aloud, earning a reputation so intimidating that no teacher would agree to be their adviser. The dynamic shifts when a discussion about bucket lists leads one member to bring up sex. This revelation triggers an obsession among the five girls, as thoughts of intimacy consume their daily lives. The situation escalates for Kazusa after she accidentally witnesses Izumi in a private moment, forcing her to confront her deep-seated feelings for him. With their hearts racing and the club on the verge of disbanding, the group must fight to preserve both their sanity and their shared existence.

Despite the significant amount of time Nishikata has spent alongside Takagi, he still can't devise the perfect strategy to defeat the relentless teaser. Whether it's a mental duel, a physical contest, or a test of bravery, every approach he takes to uncover her vulnerabilities ends in failure. Instead, his desperate efforts only expose more of his own shortcomings, which Takagi exploits to escalate her teasing. Adding to Nishikata's troubles, the frequent interactions between them may have sparked rumors among their classmates about a possible relationship. Still, the ever-optimistic Nishikata holds onto the belief that wisdom comes with time, and that his growing experience with her constant teasing will eventually pay off, bringing him the long-awaited moment of triumph. With that hope, he presses on in his quest to achieve the seemingly impossible: outsmarting Takagi and finally making her blush with embarrassment.

Like most adolescent guys, Keiki Kiryuu longs for a girlfriend. His wish appears to come true when he discovers a love letter and a pair of white panties left by an anonymous admirer he dubs Cinderella. Hoping to identify his secret suitor, Keiki looks into several possibilities: his senior Sayuki Tokihara, his underclassman Yuika Koga, and his classmate Mao Nanjou. But as he digs deeper, he finds that each girl harbors a twisted fetish hidden beneath her innocent appearance.

With Nariyuki Yuiga's dedicated guidance, his classmates Rizu Ogata, Fumino Furuhashi, and Uruka Takemoto are finally achieving average scores in their weakest subjects. However, time is running out, and the three geniuses of Ichinose Academy still have a long journey ahead before they are ready for their upcoming university entrance exams. Meanwhile, the girls continue to struggle with balancing their dreams and their growing feelings for their oblivious tutor. They are joined by Mafuyu Kirisu, a teacher who holds firm beliefs about education and natural ability due to her past as a promising figure skater, and Asumi Kominami, a school graduate aiming to enter a national medical university. With these two additions, the group of six becomes livelier than ever. Completely swept up in hilarious antics alongside his new friends, Yuiga finds that his final year of high school now involves far more than just attending classes and studying.

"Ao-chan Can't Study!" follows Ao Horie, a high school student who is determined to focus on her academics to escape the shadow of her father, a notorious erotic novelist. As a child, she proudly explained the origin of her name, but now she just wants to avoid his influence. Her resolve is tested when Takumi Kijima, a nice guy, confesses his feelings to her. Instead of seeing his pure intentions, Ao’s mind is flooded with inappropriate thoughts, imagining moans and physical sensations. Misinterpreting his kindness as something else, she struggles to reject his advances while trying to concentrate on her schoolwork, finding it nearly impossible to study with such distractions.

As the new semester begins at Tanenashi High School, a disinterested freshman looks for a club that demands very little effort. He discovers the magic clubroom, where a lovely upperclassman is rehearsing spells. Plagued by stage fright that leads to frequent mistakes and embarrassing mishaps, she is quite the incompetent performer. Although he initially has no desire to join a club led by such a flawed magician, the freshman becomes a member anyway, finding himself navigating a series of awkward situations with his peculiar mentor.

The otaku teenager Tsutsui has finally begun to feel at ease in his relationship with the gorgeous Iroha, but the real world keeps throwing challenges at both of them. With the school cultural festival looming, Tsutsui is roped into serving on the festival committee, while Iroha's classmates push her to join the beauty contest. At the same time, Tsutsui's best friend Itou finally gathers the nerve to confess his feelings to Ayado, but she turns him down. As Itou works to move past the rejection and Tsutsui struggles just to survive the festival, both decide to do whatever it takes to become better individuals. Will their good intentions lead to a happy result, or will more hearts end up broken along the way?

With the second Winter Comiket fast approaching, Blessing Software has been working hard on its new game, "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend." Even though Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura have left the circle, Megumi Katou and Tomoya Aki remain hopeful that by sticking to Tomoya's original vision, their upcoming title will surpass Blessing Software's previous work. With new members Iori and Izumi Hashima joining, development moves forward—but not without difficulties. The dating sim industry rarely goes according to plan, and numerous obstacles force Tomoya to choose between supporting his friends and finishing the game. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine brings the series to a close as Tomoya picks his final route, both in his personal life and within Blessing Software.

At Karai High School, the students see Nanako Yukishiro as a pretty, calm, and cute 16-year-old. But Nanako is no ordinary girl—she is unable to speak and instead expresses herself through senryuu, poems of 17 syllables. Eiji Busujima, also 16, was a troublemaker during middle school. Since discovering a passion for senryuu, he has turned over a new leaf. Though his intimidating appearance might suggest otherwise, Eiji gets along well with Nanako as a fellow member of the Literature Club. Despite Nanako being mute, the adorable pair communicate without difficulty. Senryuu Shoujo is a lighthearted and soothing story following two teenagers in their everyday lives.

Winning the high school team tournament marked a major milestone for the Mizusawa members. Each of them has grown significantly in their own way, and the victory reflects just how far they've come. Yet with one goal achieved, their personal ambitions are now within sight. Chihaya Ayase is determined to face Shinobu Wakamiya and claim the title of Queen, while Taichi Mashima, having reached Class A, can finally go head-to-head with Arata Wataya. Everyone at Mizusawa is driven to improve, and if they continue striving, there's no telling what the future may bring.

In 1996, second-year high school students Haruo Yaguchi, Akira Oono, and Koharu Hidaka remain just as passionate about video games as they were five years prior. Brought together through arcade games, what started as a healthy rivalry and friendship has grown into something more. As they work to understand these unfamiliar feelings, they cooperate with allies, navigate the ups and downs of high school, and discover that even when life throws many challenges their way, there is always a game or two they can count on.

As the president of her middle school's science club, Ueno is naturally a gifted inventor. She creates devices capable of turning any liquid into potable water, eliminating even the worst odors, or generating dark matter for use as a concealment tool—nothing seems beyond her abilities. Yet, Ueno does not build these inventions for the betterment of humanity. Instead, the sole force driving her is love, the one puzzle she cannot solve. Ueno is deeply in love with Tanaka, her indifferent fellow club member. However, because she is too anxious to confess her feelings and he is too clueless to recognize her affection, her romantic life is completely stuck. In Ueno's reasoning, if she can just put him in perverted scenarios, surely he'll become flustered and fall for her, right? With help from her stoic classmate and dedicated wingwoman Yamashita, Ueno uses her many inventions on Tanaka in a lecherous way, hoping that one day he will grasp her true feelings.

Valkyries, the legendary female warriors from the divine realm of Asgard, are dispatched by Odin to safeguard Earth from the escalating demon menace. To counter these threats, nine valkyries, disguised as the Saotome sisters, must strengthen themselves by engaging in various romantic interactions with their designated lover, the Einherjar. Meanwhile, Takuma Akutsu, a young man plagued by social anxiety, discovers that Odin has selected him to be the valkyries' lover. Despite his deep dismay, he reluctantly allows the sisters to reside in his large but vacant home to assist them in their battle against demons. With nine beautiful women living under one roof, can Takuma conquer his fear of society and rise to become someone capable of saving the world?

Middle school teacher Nobunaga has long envisioned a scenario ripped from a gal game: a girl suddenly appearing and professing her love for him. Instead, the one who shows up is Kichou, a 14-year-old girl who insists she is his wife. Believing she has time-traveled from the Sengoku era, she mistakes him for Nobunaga Oda and pressures him to father a child with her. So begins the age-difference romantic comedy between a teacher hooked on gal games and a princess with deep knowledge of the Sengoku period.

Mei Ayazuki leads a mundane life as a typical high school student, but her routine is shattered when the moon turns red and full. Charlie, a self-proclaimed magician, suddenly transports her back to the Meiji Period. She arrives in an alternate version of Meiji-era Tokyo, a place where the presence of ghosts is a normalized phenomenon. Under Charlie’s guidance, Mei reaches the Rokumeikan, where she is greeted by a group of historical figures: Ougai Mori, Shunsou Hishida, Otojirou Kawakami, Kyouka Izumi, Gorou Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tousuke Iwasaki. Through her interactions with these men, Mei learns that she is a Tamayori, an individual capable of seeing spirits, a rare and highly prized ability in this era. This unique power alters the dynamics of her relationships with the men around her. As she navigates this unfamiliar time and grows closer to these attractive figures, romantic feelings begin to blossom. The story explores whether Mei can find a way back to her own time and what fate awaits the love that transcends the limits of space and era.

Drugs have become a major source of conflict in Japan, with drug-related crimes rising at an alarming rate. Unable to manage the growing turmoil, the police force decided to form a specialized unit called STAND, composed of unique experts and professionals better equipped to handle the crisis. Rei Izumi is a newcomer assigned to the narcotics investigation division, tasked with the challenging mission of recruiting potential members for STAND. Though she was recommended for her strong sense of justice and dedication to police work, Rei also possesses a unique trait that may have secured her the position—she is immune to many, if not most, types of drugs. Eager to find candidates for STAND, Rei quickly discovers that scouting these individuals is far more difficult than expected. Each candidate harbors their own personal feelings, beliefs, and level of willingness to join the team and address the drug issue as a whole. Her competence as a narcotics officer is also called into question by the many colorful personalities she encounters, creating conflict and unpredictability in Rei's daily life. However, persuading the various contenders for STAND is not her only challenge, as becoming involved in the treacherous underworld of drugs—filled with deceit and secrecy—proves far more dangerous than she ever anticipated.

Thanks to the legacy left behind by Tatsuya Uesugi, Meisei Academy High School was once famous for its powerful baseball team. However, twenty-six years after that golden era, the team has failed to maintain its reputation and has since fallen into obscurity. Two stepbrothers, Souichirou and Touma Tachibana, are determined to restore the former strength of Meisei Academy's baseball program and make it to the National High School Baseball Championship. Both boys are second-year students at Meisei Academy Middle School and are exceptionally talented players. Souichirou demonstrates outstanding abilities as both a catcher and a batter. Touma possesses extraordinary pitching skills but no longer takes the mound for a certain reason. Once they enter high school, the two form a battery and aim to compete in the National High School Baseball Championship.

Bouida Haruto is a devoted otaku who has no interest in real women, believing that getting too involved with figures leaves no way out. Despite this, he buys a figure of Nona, a character from the anime Girls→Planetary Investigation, after finally succumbing to temptation. That night, the Nona figure mysteriously comes to life, initiating a romantic relationship between the man and his toy.

Pucca must confront a danger to her family restaurant's existence and a love rival for Garu's heart, compelling her to struggle for everything she holds dear.