Rom-com anime is a popular sub-genre within the romance genre simply because of the large target audience. Whether 16 or 60 years old, we all want a dash of sweet love in our life. And nothing is cuter than anime love.

Not only do the character designs and animation keep getting better, but the stories are also just as interesting and wholesome! Not to forget, it also comes with the slapstick humor that only anime can provide!

So, if you are in the mood for something cute, funny, and romantic, look no further. We’ve listed out some of the must watch 25 romance comedy anime (updated on Oct 25, 2023). If you haven’t watched them already then what are you waiting for.

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Best Rom-Com Anime [updated]:

Here’s to some good romance and laughs:

25. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!:

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! is actually a reverse harem anime. 

After getting hit on the head at the age of four years, Countess Catarina Claes regains the memory of her past life when she was a 17-year-old girl who loved playing otome games. She also realizes she has been reincarnated as the villainess of one of the otome games she used to play.

The villainess of the game was a horrible person who made everyone’s life miserable and in every route, Catarina had played she met a horrible fate. Determined to not let that fate be her future Catarina makes every effort to not do things as the Catarina of the game.

However, that makes her an adorable goofball loved by everyone. She is so fixated to avoid her doom she isn’t paying attention to the people developing feelings for her all around her.

BTW my favorite ship is Geordo and Catrina (I know I am basic I am sorry! let’s see who you ship her with.)

24. Special A:

Hikari Hanazono is a hyperactive and overly comepttive student. She has been bested by only one person in her life and that is Kei Takishima. It is her life’s mission now to beat him in everything from academics to sports. She even enrolls in the same school as him to continue her rivalry.

Together with the top 7 students of the school, they form Special A. However, even here she continuously strives to defeat Kei in every venture possible. What she doesn’t understand is Kei has been madly in love with her since childhood, and her attempts to beat him are actually really endearing to him.

23. Wallflower:

Sunako Nakahara was rejected by her crush for looking like the girl from a horror movie. That shattered her confidence and she became an extreme introvert with an obsession with everything horror. Sukano was sent to live with her aunt and to her misery, her aunt has 4 beautiful high school boys living as paying guests.

What’s more, her aunt has made a deal with the guys, if they can bring Sunako out of her shell and make her behave like a normal young girl they wouldn’t have to pay rent.

Now all four guys are on a mission. The more they interact with each other the more they come to understand each other’s perspectives. And of course, sparks fly and we have more than one ship sailing here. Have your pick!

22. Tomo Chan Is A Girl:

Tomo-chan Is a Girl! refreshing rom-com anime (on the surface) about Tomo Aizawa, a tomboy who is secretly in love with her best friend, Jun Kubota. Tomo is always trying to get Jun to realize that she is a girl, but he always sees her as just a friend.

One day, Tomo decides to confess her feelings to Jun, but he misinterprets her confession as a joke. Tomo is heartbroken, but she doesn’t give up on Jun. She continues to try to get him to see her as a girl, and eventually, he starts to realize that she is more than just a friend.

This anime has all the elements in a rom-com anime you’d expect: a tomboy protagonist, a clueless best friend, and a whole lot of romantic misunderstandings. As you might have guessed already, Jun’s obliviousness to Tomo’s affection, and the latter’s desperation, is the source of comedy in this anime. 

The story is executed well, even if it gets predictable at points. Apart from the rom-com aspect, one thing that stood out for me in this anime was the realistic portrayal of friendships in the series, especially that of Tomo, Misuzu and Carol!

21. TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You:

 This anime takes love at first sight to a new high. Nasa Yuzaki is a child genius who scored the highest marks in all mock exams. One evening he sees the most beautiful girl across the street. Bewitched by her beauty Nasa tries to follow her but is blindsided by an oncoming truck.

Fortunately, the same girl ended up saving his life. Even when bleeding and badly injured Nasa can’t help but admire how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Before she could leave Nssa stops her and profess his love. The girl Tsukasa Tsukuyomi is taken aback by the confession.

However she agrees to accept only on one condition, Nassa must marry her. Nassa accepts the condition. Tsukasa then vanishes for three years, returning one day with papers to legalize their marriage.

The rest of the anime is full of sweet lighthearted moments between the couple as get to know each other more.

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20. Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend:

Tomoya Aki is a high school student who wishes to make a video game for his fellow otaku. He finds his inspiration when he meets the sweet and docile Megumi Katou. He then turns towards his super popular classmates Utaha Kasumigaoka to write the script and  Eriri Spencer Sawamura for illustrations.

The series follows their adventures in developing the game and their plans to sell it at the Comiket convention. It is one of those better known anime in the comedy genre and you should definitely give it a try.

19. Honey And Clover:

So we all know of love triangles? Get ready for a love pentagon ( well not really sure about the shape but we must have proven some theorems from this anime’s relationships)

This story revolves around 5 people, three flatmates Yūta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama, and Shinobu Morita who are students of art in a college. Enter Hagumi Hanamoto, a new student who is a brilliant artist. Immediately Yuta and Shinobu both fall in love with Hagu.

Another student, a master of pottery Ayumi Yamada, joins their group. Ayumi is actually popular with guys but she falls for Takumi. However, Takumi is in love with an older woman, Rika Harada who is a widow.

And all these friends try to come to terms with their feelings while living through university life and onwards. The anime ranks lower because there are elements of drama introduced in the series later on. It is a mix of emotions really!

18. Recovery Of An MMO Junkie:

The Recovery of an MMO Junkie is a rom-com anime which follows Moriko Morioka, a 30-year-old NEET who quits her job to play an MMORPG called Fruits de Mer. 

Playing as a male character named Hayashi, she gets closer to a player called Lily who guides her through her initial stages of the game. As gaming becomes an addiction, Moriko fully embraces the life of a NEET.

One day Moriko is forced to go out and she meets with a small accident which puts her in the hospital. This is where she meets Yuuta Sakurai, a guy who manages to deeply impress her. 

If you are familiar with this genre, you probably know what’s going to happen down the line. No points for guessing who is behind Lily’s avatar.

Revolving around two socially inept and recluse individuals, the humor primarily stems from the characters’ interactions, misunderstandings, and the contrasts between their online and offline lives, which I honestly found quite funny. 

Awkward girl masquerading as a guy? I definitely had some good laughs there!

Also, MMO Junkie does a good job of highlighting the positive and supportive nature of the in-game community.

17. To LOVE-RU:

If you are looking for a mindless fun romantic comedy anime with a heavy dash of ecchi, then To LOVE-Ru is an anime you should definitely not miss out on. Following an episodic storyline for most parts, this anime adaptation has a cult following of its own.

The plot follows a 16 year old Rito Yuuki who has go through a host of bizarre and chaotic events after a stark naked girl landed on top of him one day while he was bathing.

This girl is none other than an alien princess named Lala Satalin Deviluke. The best part? She agrees to marry Rito in order to avoid being involved in a political marriage.

However, Rito on the other hand has his eyes set on his classmate Haruna, and to him, Lala and the other beauties who later arrive only are holding him back from professing his true love!

16. Kiss Him, Not Me:

Kae Serinuma is a high school student and a devoted otaku and a fujoshi. When one of her favorite characters dies she gets severely depressed refusing meals or even coming out of her room.

After wallowing in grief for over a week she finally musters up the courage to face the real world again. However, in that one week, she lost a ton of weight suddenly becoming strikingly beautiful. 

And now she is the center of attention of all the hot guys in her class. And being the true Fujoshi she is, she tries to hook them to each other instead of pursuing her.

15. Romantic Killer:

Romantic Killer is a new rom com anime that is quickly becoming a fan favorite. The plot follows Anzu Hoshino, a high school girl who is obsessed with video games and has no interest in romance. 

One day, she is playing a poorly programmed 3D otome game when a flying wizard named Riri appears and tells her that she is part of a dating game harem storyline in real life. Riri takes away Anzu’s favorite things to force her to focus on love, however, Anzu is not one to comply so easily.

Anzu’s consistent lack of interest in romantic endeavors creates a hilarious contrast with the situations she finds herself in, thanks to Riri. The fact that Riri, who has no real grasp on how human relationships work (has no emotions tbh), is forcing Anzu on countless romantic endeavors adds more humor to the show.

This new release is definitely a must watch for fans of the rom-com genre according to me. Also, it is of the same vibe as Kiss Him Not Me.

14. Tada Never Falls In Love:

Tada Never Falls In Love is an anime that often gets compared to Wotakoi by fans, and without a doubt, it is definitely a great rom-com anime to catch up on.

Picture this: a high school photographer, Mitsuyoshi Tada, and a foreign girl, Teresa Wagner, in a heartwarming tale of friendship and romance.

Tada and Teresa’s story unfolds in a series of funny coincidences and sweet moments peppered with everyday humor. Imagine awkward yet endearing interactions, innocent misunderstandings, and genuine reactions. 

As with any decent rom com anime, the characters are relatable, each with their quirks, adding layers of fun to the narrative.

What makes this anime a perfect rom-com fit? It’s the blend of subtle humor and the beauty of unexpected connections. Tada and Teresa have quite the contrasting personalities. On top of that, for Tada, love couldn’t be further away from his mind. 

However, as these two characters bond and get close, you get a perfect mix of subtle comedy, mixed with the characters’ genuine emotions, creating a heartwarming atmosphere. You’ll find yourself chuckling at the situational comedy and rooting for the blossoming relationships.

Give Tada Never Falls In Love a watch. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

13. The World God Only Knows:

The World God Only Knows is a classic rom-com anime that is still relevant in the fandom today. 

The plot of the anime follows Keima Katsuragi, a high school student who is known as the “God of Conquest” for his ability to conquer any girl in a dating sim (another character who loves 2D more than 3D). 

However, Keima’s life turns upside down when he opens an email that is sent by a demon girl named Elsie. He is challenged by her to woo multiple real-life girls (in order to aid her mission) and is forced to put his skills to the test.

Keima is initially reluctant to accept the challenge, but he eventually agrees because he wants to prove that he is the best dating sim player in the world.

Ticking all the boxes in the otaku comedy trope, this anime presents to viewers an amalgamation of witty, situational and pure parody humor, coupled with the awkward romantic advances of a bishoujo game obsessed.

12. My Dress Up Darling:

My dress-up darling is one of the newer titles in the rom-com anime genre. It centers around Wakana Gojo, a first-year high school student.

Unlike his peers who are interested in pop culture and girls, Wakana’s passion lies in making Hina dolls like his grandfather. He is an expert in sewing clothes and spends his free time making dresses for his dolls. However, he has kept this hobby a secret because he will be ridiculed if people came to know of his passion.

Unfortunately, he is found out by none other than Marin Kitagawa, the loud, beautiful, and most flirtatious girl of his class. However, she actually gets really impressed by Wakana’s skill and tells him her hobby is cosplay but she sucks at sewing costumes.

Marin asks for his help to make costumes for her cosplay. Along the way, they both start to develop feelings for each other.

Takagi and Nishikata are middle school students who sit next to each other in class. Takagi enjoys teasing Nishikata with embarrassing pranks and jokes. Nishikata keeps trying to think of ways to win one over Takagi but even if he wins, Takagi seems to be the winner still.

In reality, Takagi loves Nishikata and does all these pranks to keep his attention on herself only.

This qualifies as one of the best rom-com anime because along with the humor that comes from the playful teasing between Takagi and Nishikata, their relationship also develops over the course of the anime. I’m pretty sure you’ll that very heartwarming.

10. Yuri!!! On Ice:

Yuri!!! on Ice was a sports anime about figure skating but it gained popularity with the main couple Victor and Yuri for being one of the better representations of LGBTQ romance in anime in recent times

Yuuri Katsuki, one of the most promising figure skaters of Japan, loses his chance in Grand Prix Finale. His passion is reignited when the world-famous Victor Nikiforov decides to become his coach.

Obviously, being a mainstream sports anime the romance between the couple was kept to a minimum but the tension between the couple and the determination of Yuri’s emotions towards victor shown through his ice-skating performance was undoubtedly one of the best depicted in an anime.

Every scene with these two was a treat. Also, it gained a lot of popularity for being one of the better representations of LGBTQ romance in anime in recent times.

9. Toradora:

Taiga is a small short-tempered girl who is always getting into fights with others, nicknamed Palmtop tiger in her school. She lives alone away from her divorced parents but she never lets anyone know about her emotions being the true tsundere she is. 

Ryuuji Takasu is Taiga’s neighbor and classmate. Ryuuji has sanpaku eyes which makes him look angry all the time often creating awkward situations due to misunderstanding. At first, Taiga and Ryuuji were interested in each other’s best friends and vowed to help each other, but over time they fall for each other without even realizing it.

True, Toradora has tons of drama, but then it also has its fair share of humor. Do I have to point out how amazingly the romance aspect is handled in this anime? No right. Well when you look at it, Toradora certainly deserves a place in the list of best rom com anime.

8. Kami-Sama Kiss:

One day Nanami Momozono’s father left her with his debt due to which she is kicked out of her house. While she wondered what to do she happened to save a man from a dog. The guy after listening to her predicament tells her to visit his home and kisses her forehead as a blessing. When she arrives at the place turns out it was a shrine and she, Nanami Momozono is the new god of the shrine!!

And from there on starts a hilarious circus of Nanami trying to balance her life as the new land god and a high school student and on top of it, she has developed feelings for her rude and bratty familiar, the half fox demon, Tome (ok I do not blame her for the last part, Tomoe with the long hair made me pause and ogle at the screen.)

7. Kaichou Wa Maid Sama:

Misaki Ayuzawa is the first-ever female student council president of the school. As she is very strict with boys it earns her the title of “ demon president”.

Misaki also works at a maid café to support her family. A secret she hides from her schoolmates to not tarnish her reputation. However, one of the most popular boys in the school, Takumi Usui sees her in the café. Can he keep her secret?

A lot of humor in Maid Sama comes from the clash of Misaki’s tough girl persona at school and her secret life as a maid cafe waitress. The running gag of Usui teasing Misaki and always getting on her nerves after finding out her secret also adds to the anime’s funny quotient.

6. Urusei Yatsura:

Urusei Yatsura (the 1980s one) is a rom com anime that is often forgotten and overlooked when it comes to ranking the best in this genre. However, what many forget is that Urusei Yatsura is in fact one of the most influential anime in its genre that set a trend for the others to follow.

The plot follows Ataru Moroboshi, whose standout traits include his overly flirty nature and a fair share of bad luck. He gets chosen to be the one representing Earth, as the planet is threatened by an invading army of aliens known as the Oni. The events and misunderstandings that follow make Lum, the daughter of the Oni’s head, feel that Ataru is interested in marrying her, and ends up moving in with him. However, she doesn’t realize that Ataru has his eyes set on someone else.

What follows is a host of hilarious events. If you are new to this anime, then the humor in it might feel a bit cliched and formulaic. However, it’s worth noting that Urusei Yatsura is a series that brought forth the blue prints for this tried and tested formula and without a doubt reserves a place in this list of best romance comedy anime.

5. Ouran Highschool Host Club:

Haruhi Fujikoa has been accepted into the prestigious Ouran High school on a scholarship. However, most of the students going to the Ouran academy belong to rich families (filthy rich!, think conglomerates and actual Royalty). 

On the day of the orientation, Haruhi ventures into a room trying to find a quiet place to study. What she doesn’t know is the room was dedicated to the Ouran high school host club.

Haruhi accidentally breaks an antique vase while trying to back out of the room. To repay her debt the host club’s president Tamaki Suoh asks her to join them as a host. (Tamaki being the dimwit he is thinks Haruhi is a boy).

Now Haruhi is dragged into the world of these rich kids who are strangers to life of a common man. Chaos ensues and friendship blossoms and which gradually turns into much deeper feelings. 

4. My Love Story (Ore Monogatari):

Yamato is a big guy with an even bigger heart. He helps everyone, he laughs easily, overall he is the nicest guy ever. However, due to his large size and loud demeanor, he is usually labeled scary and an ‘old guy’ by strangers, especially girls.

He thinks no girl would ever find him attractive. So, when Takeo falls in love with him due to his kind heart and warm nature, Yamato thinks she is actually trying to woo his best friend who is the heartthrob of the school. However, finally, they get together after Yamato realized Takeo had been in love with HIM all along.

3. Monthly Girl’s Nozaki-kun:

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun is a rom com anime that should be there on everbody’s list. This anime focuses more on the comedy part, with the romantic development often left ignored in the backburner. However, that doesn’t take away any of the charm from this series.

Chiyo Sakura has the biggest crush on her classmate Umetarou Nozaki.  When she tries to confess to him her courage leaves her and she somehow ends up asking for his autograph. However, imagine her shock when she realizes the sign matches one of the shojo manga writers Let’s Fall in Love published in the magazine Monthly Girls’ Romance.

When she confronts Nozaki about it he confirms it. From then on Chiyo helps Nozaki with his manga and ends up meeting his friends all them who are well for the lack of a better word, weird in their own way.

Every day is filled with hilarious events as they all help Nozaki help develop plots and characters for his story as well as make the deadlines. All the while Chiyo keeps trying to find a perfect moment to confess her feeling to Nozaki.

2. Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku:

I am sure the title hits close to many of us out there. And honestly, that is what intrigued me to watch this anime.

Narumi Momose is an otaku and a fujoshi. She has vowed she will not let anyone in her professional life know about this secret (relatable!). Her cover is blown when she finds out one of her colleagues is her childhood friend Hirotaka Nifuji who was well aware of the otaku past.

Over the drinks, after work, Hirotaka asks her if she is attending the upcoming Summer Comiket making her fears come true.. Fortunately, the only two other colleagues present with them turn out to be otaku as well so her secret was safe.

Later when Narumi laments that her ex left her because of her Fujoshi ways, Hirotaka comments she should date an otaku like himself. Actually Specifically him. Even though shocked, Narumi agrees immediately and the romance between these two otakus begins.

1. Kaguya Sama: Love Is War:

If you’re someone who doesn’t make the first move and wait around patiently, putting out hints to the person you’re interested in because doing anything otherwise would just shatter your ego, then you can very much relate to the protagonists of Kaguya sama: Love is war.

Kaguya sama is not your typical romcom. It’s full of humor, over dramatic side characters, and the protagonists crushing on each other, but refusing to confess.

Kaguya sama: Love is war is a cute romantic comedy centering Shuchiin Academy’s Student council president Miyuki Shirogane and Vice president Kaguya Shinomiya. They both like each other but are reluctant to confess, making it a war of egos. 

The anime is filled with cute wholesome moments and not just between the main couple. The other student council members and their friends bring a ton of fun and cuteness. 

How many of these rom com anime have you watched already? Is there anime that we have missed out in this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!