Best Romance Anime of 1999

In the days leading up to the Japanese Revolution, Hiko Seiijuro, a wandering master swordsman and hermit, comes across bandits ransacking a slave wagon. With the hope of saving as many lives as he can, Hiko cuts down the raiding bandits, yet only manages to shield one child from the slaughter. He leaves the child behind, telling him to head to a nearby village where the locals can raise him. A few days later, Hiko returns to check on the child he saved and is struck by what he finds: the boy has shaped gravestones for both the slaves who had become his friends and the bandits who had killed them. Seeing great potential in the child, Hiko takes him in, gives him the name Kenshin—meaning "heart of the sword"—and mentors him in the swordsmanship of the Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu. As his ideals clash relentlessly with the cruelty of reality, Tsuiokuhen tells the sorrowful and dark tale of Himura Kenshin, one of the most dreaded assassins of the Japanese Revolution: the Hitokiri Battousai.

Kusakabe Maron appears to be an ordinary high school student, but she is actually the reincarnation of Jeanne d'Arc. Guided by the angel Fin Fish, she transforms into the phantom thief Jeanne each night to hunt down demons that have possessed artworks, exploiting the emotional vulnerabilities of their owners. As the artworks vanish once the demons are sealed away, Maron is branded as a thief. Her situation becomes even more complicated with the arrival of a new classmate and neighbor who is also her rival, the thief Sinbad. With her best friend, the daughter of a detective, determined to capture her, and Sinbad competing against her, Maron's missions are far from simple.

In a far-off future, humankind faces the threat of the Abh Empire, a highly advanced species that evolved from humans. As numerous worlds succumb to Abh dominion, humanity bands together to create the Four Nations Alliance, comprising the United Mankind, the Republic of Greater Alcont, the Federation of Hania, and the People's Sovereign of Union Planets. Seikai no Monshou follows Jinto Linn, whose father—the President of Martine—surrendered their planet in return for a high-ranking role within the Abh Empire. Now a young count, Jinto must adapt to the aristocratic society of those who conquered his home world. He is guided by Lafiel Abriel, a strict Abh princess who soon becomes his close ally. On their voyage to Jinto’s new academy deep in Abh territory, their vessel becomes caught in a violent space clash between Alliance and Abh forces. Unaware of the broader stakes, Jinto and Abriel find themselves at the center of an escalating full-scale war between the Abh Empire and humanity.

Two thousand years after a catastrophic war rendered Earth largely uninhabitable, the Correct Century sees a remnant population living on the Moon while the planet slowly heals. The Moonrace periodically checks whether Earth is fit for resettlement. Loran Cehack, a young man, is sent to Earth with two companions on a reconnaissance mission. After a year working for the Heim Family—part of a society reminiscent of the Victorian era—Loran witnesses the family's coming-of-age ceremony involving a large stone statue called the White Doll. The Moonrace then invades Earth, shattering the White Doll and revealing the Turn A Gundam. Loran pilots the mobile suit, creating a stalemate between Earth and Moon forces. Alongside allies from both sides, he strives to maintain peace and prevent another global catastrophe.

Akari and Hiroyuki have been close friends since childhood, but over time Akari's feelings for him have intensified. As a new high school term begins, the question arises whether this change will bring them closer or drive them apart. The story centers on Hiroyuki, Akari, and their circle of friends—including the energetic Shiho, the quiet Serika, the charming Kotone, and others—exploring themes of love, romance, and friendship in a heartfelt narrative.

Set during Japan's Taisho Era (1912-1926), a scientist named Ayanokoji created the Steel Angel, an artificial humanoid possessing superhuman physical abilities. Although the Imperial Army sought to deploy this creation as a new instrument of modern warfare, Ayanokoji envisioned it as a pivotal step for the future of humanity. Defying the Army's orders, he secretly constructed the Steel Angel codenamed "Kurumi". One day, a young boy named Nakahito Kagura, daring his friends, snuck into Ayanokoji's residence and stumbled upon Kurumi's lifeless form. Suddenly, an Imperial Army assault shook the house, causing Kurumi to fall atop Nakahito. In that instant, their lips touched, and Kurumi awoke from "the kiss that started a miracle".

In "Iketeru Futari," sixteen-year-old Keisuke Saji spends his time fantasizing about attractive girls and becomes obsessed with Koizumi Akira, whom he sees as his ideal partner. However, Koizumi despises Saji and all men, expressing her hatred through violent behavior. Even though other boys recognize the clear signs of her hostility and the warnings in her actions, Saji continues to chase after her without giving up.

In "Tenchi Forever!", Tenchi flees into the forest after a fierce argument with his friends. While reflecting, he hears a voice coming from a camellia tree and finds a portal, which he enters. Six months go by with no trace of Tenchi, yet his friends remain determined to find him. They split into two groups: Aeka and Ryouko stay on Earth to search for clues, while Washuu, Sasami, Kiyone, and Mihoshi travel across the galaxy on their hunt. Their persistence eventually leads them to detect Tenchi's energy signature. But before they can celebrate, they face a difficult obstacle: Tenchi has lost all memory of them and now lives happily with another woman. The discovery of Tenchi only deepens the mystery of his disappearance and what they must do next.

A man and a woman, talking over their relationship.

Presented as a passionate love dream, 1001 Nights, inspired by Amano's art book, serves as the first installment in the groundbreaking "Filmharmonic" series. This unique project merges new orchestral scores from renowned film composers with short films directed by leading filmmakers. Among the series, Nights stands out as the only animated work, originally planned to be fully computer-generated.

Following the breakup of their previous band, guitarist Yuki and drummer Santa join forces to launch a new musical venture. They recruit bassist Towa, young guitarist Atsuro, and eventually persuade vocalist Sakuya to become a part of them. Together, they form the band Lucifer, with the goal of making it in the cutthroat music industry while preserving their bond. Alongside their professional ambitions, they deal with personal hurdles such as family disapproval and the frustration of watching their former bands achieve fame first. Sakuya, weighed down by his troubled past and his connection to teenage lyricist Aine, faces the most internal struggle among the members.

Further misadventures with the Magic User's Club! Comprising five well-intentioned oddballs, the Magic User’s Club wields real magic far beyond mere card tricks. Using their powers, they successfully vanquished an enormous spaceship from outer space, but that victory left a colossal cherry blossom tree planted in the city center—so massive it blots out the sunlight entirely. Takeo Takakura, the club’s honorable yet lecherous president, convenes a special Sunday meeting to deal with the tree. The task appears straightforward, but with magic in the mix, nothing unfolds as intended. Moreover, a ghostly presence lurks among the branches, observing their every action. Who is this quiet apparition, and what is his objective?

Based on the Argentine graphic novel series, this anime focuses on Cybersix, a super-soldier created through the cruel experiments of Dr. Von Reichter. A former Nazi, Von Reichter conducted horrific tests during WWII before escaping to South America, where he continued his research, leading to the creation of the "Cybers," including Cybersix herself. Because they developed independent thought, which was seen as a problem, Von Reichter eliminated all the Cybers to prevent possible rebellions. In the present day, Cybersix, now living under the secret identity of "Adrian Seidelman," manages to avoid capture. She discovers that her existence depends on a unique substance created by Von Reichter, forcing her to hunt down the "Technos"—the new generation of super-soldiers—to ensure her survival. In doing so, she inadvertently takes on the role of a superhero, protecting the world from Von Reichter's creations and his evil plans.

Li Meifon operates a complimentary escort service to navigate spacecraft safely across the cosmos. Despite being only 16, she demonstrates remarkable prowess and command as the captain of her ship, the Angel Links. When disturbing recollections begin to emerge, Meifon starts to doubt her history and who she truly is. Follow Meifon and the Angel Links crew through the Oracion star system, contending with pirates, political factions, and a Tao master, as they gradually reveal the concealed truths about Meifon's origins.

Yuusuke's ordinary high school routine is shattered when Noelle, a naked and innocent angel-in-training with a halo, suddenly falls into his life. Before he can make sense of it all, he becomes entangled with a bizarre household of supernatural beings. Papa, who looks like Frankenstein's monster, is obsessed with doing calisthenics. Mama, a beautiful woman with a strange attraction to round objects, adds to the oddness. The eldest sister, Sara, is completely invisible, while the brother, Gabriel, is a rebellious teenage vampire. The youngest sister, Ruka, enjoys inventing new contraptions. The household also includes a stern Grandma, a powerful witch who keeps a vulture as a familiar. Though Yuusuke hopes to catch Natsumi's attention, he now has Noelle, an angel in training, constantly at his side. Noelle also has another mentor guiding her journey toward becoming an angel—the mysterious Michael.

While hurrying to school as he usually did, Tsuyoshi came across a girl attempting to rescue a kitten that was stuck in a tree. That girl turned out to be Minamizato Ai, who had been secretly in love with Tsuyoshi for a long time.

Yorn stares at the two colossal cities hovering overhead, longing to uncover what lies within them. Then, without any notice, those secrets come after him. Assassins from Edenic slaughter his father, and Yorn becomes their next target. With the aid of an unnamed old man and an enigmatic girl, he sets out to locate his missing mother and learn the truth. Called the God Hunter, Yorn competes against the sinister machinations of the tech-ruling elite.

What if you were just a normal girl who possessed something extraordinary? In "Seraphim Call," eleven young girls, each carrying their own special skills and secret hopes, come together at Acropolis Tower. Their personal ambitions, mixed with moments of happiness and sadness, meet in that setting. These eleven ordinary girls, blessed with remarkable gifts, join forces to improve the world, questioning whether their dreams can truly come true.

In "Trouble Chocolate," Cacao, a student attending Micro Grand Academy, awakens one morning to discover a wooden girl named Hinano lying next to him. Hinano is actually a tree spirit that took residence inside a wooden doll after Cacao inadvertently botched a spell from his magic lessons. Developing a strong attachment to Cacao, Hinano chooses to enroll at his school. Surrounded by the eccentric twins and their peculiar four-eyed cat guardian, a demonic young man, odd faculty members and classmates, along with the looming possibility of becoming a powerful magician, Cacao's daily life grows more chaotic and bizarre.

The story of Tokimeki Memorial centers on twelve female students at Kirameki High School, with particular emphasis on Fujisaki Shiori. The plot begins at the start of their final year, which offers the protagonist his last opportunity to choose and develop a romantic connection with one of the girls prior to graduation.

Koume starts working as a new employee at Caramel Ribbon, Inc., a company that specializes in design. The series follows her daily life and nightly adventures, infused with the distinct humor of Osaka. From an outsider's perspective, the Kansai region appears quite different from the rest of Japan. Watching this show will make you an expert on the area, even if you currently know nothing about it. This is a comedic portrayal of life inside a Japanese company, featuring Koume, her boss who has effeminate mannerisms, and Kimi—a former member of a girl gang—as they attempt to sell (allegedly) innovative and original designs. The voice actors are all from Kansai, which lends the show an authentic feel. Note: This series is part of Anime no Ai Awa Awa Hour (アニメ愛のあわあわアワー), a block of three romance-related comedy series targeting women that all aired on the same day.

The anime delves into sexuality and sadomasochism, adapted from a manga by Masahiko Kikuni—author of "Kizu darake no Tenshi-tachi" (Heartbroken Angels), which appeared in Young Sunday. It was included in the Wonderful anthology show, broadcast daily and earning a 9.1% viewer rating, despite airing in late-night slots typically seen as poor for viewership.

In 2007, the inhabitants of Danger Planet II fight using remotely controlled robots referred to as "virtual puppets." Kirio Nimura, a high school student and the top puppeteer on the planet, has his life turned upside down after falling for Sairi Takahara. Sairi, however, imposes a condition: she will not entertain any romantic overtures until someone succeeds in defeating her puppet, Benkei.

The series follows on from Hatsumei Boy Kanipan. Kanipan has grown into a teenager and remains a well-known inventor. One day, a mysterious vessel descends from the sky and crashes on a beach. Inside, they find a female humanoid who has lost all memory of her past. Kanipan takes on the task of restoring the humanoid's memory, and in doing so, unwittingly uncovers that his planet faces a serious threat.

Sequel of Nippon-ichi no Otoko no Tamashii.