Descriptions draw on each title's Wikipedia entry, linked below. Availability on streaming services varies by country.
Office and grown-up rom-coms
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
Narumi, an otaku trying to hide her hobbies at a new job, reconnects with her old classmate Hirotaka, a fellow gamer, and they start dating. Short, funny and very relatable for adult fans.
Princess Jellyfish
A jellyfish-obsessed woman living in an all-female otaku apartment building has her quiet life turned upside down by a stylish new acquaintance. An 11-episode series from 2010.
Maison Ikkoku
A 1980s Tokyo boarding house, a down-on-his-luck student and a young widowed manager: a slow-building classic from Rumiko Takahashi.
College and young-adult love stories
Nana
Two 20-year-old women, both named Nana, move to Tokyo and become roommates: one chasing fame in punk rock, the other chasing love. A drama about romance and friendship, with heartbreak. Content note: mature themes.
A Sign of Affection
A deaf university student falls for a well-traveled friend of a friend who speaks several languages. Gentle and quietly romantic; the anime aired in 2024.
Honey and Clover
A group of art school students living in the same apartment building tangle up their friendships and crushes. Bittersweet rather than fluffy.
Nodame Cantabile
Two aspiring classical musicians, one chaotic and brilliant, the other a perfectionist, push each other toward their dreams. Music and romance in equal measure.
Golden Time
A college rom-com with a supernatural twist, adapted from Yuyuko Takemiya's light novels. 24 episodes.
Fantasy and historical romance
Spice and Wolf
A traveling merchant and a wolf deity journey north toward her homeland, and their banter turns into something deeper. A fan favorite for slow-burn chemistry.
My Happy Marriage
In a Meiji-inspired Japan with supernatural powers, a mistreated young woman is sent into an arranged marriage with a feared military commander, and slowly finds kindness. Content notes: family abuse, arranged marriage.
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits
A college student is carried off to the spirit world to marry an ogre as repayment for her grandfather's debt, and decides to work off the debt by running a restaurant instead. Content note: an arranged marriage premise.
Romance anime films
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2020)
A university student takes a job caring for a young woman who uses a wheelchair, and their prickly relationship becomes a love story. Produced by studio Bones.
Wolf Children (2012)
Mamoru Hosoda's film about a woman who falls in love with a werewolf in college and, after his death, raises their two half-wolf children. More family drama than romance, but the love story opens it.
What about the popular high school romances?
Titles like Toradora!, Horimiya and Kaguya-sama: Love Is War top many lists, but their leads are teenagers. If you want romance between adults, start with the picks above. For more grown-up love stories in comics form, see our guide to romance manga and manhwa; for live action, try romance K-dramas.
Want to be in the romance yourself?
If you like anime romance, you may also enjoy otome games and visual novels, where you make the choices. Be My Story takes it further: you write what your character says and does in your own words, and the story responds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best romance anime with adult characters?
Nana, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku and Maison Ikkoku are three of the most recommended picks with adult leads.
What is a good romance anime for beginners?
Wotakoi is short and easy to start, and Spice and Wolf is a classic slow burn.
Are there romance anime films?
Yes. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2020) is a romance film about two young adults, and Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children (2012) begins with a love story.
What is josei anime?
Anime adapted from josei manga, which is marketed to adult women. Josei stories often feature adult characters and more mature relationships; Princess Jellyfish and Nodame Cantabile both ran in the josei magazine Kiss.
Sources
- Wikipedia entries, checked October 27, 2026: Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Princess Jellyfish, Maison Ikkoku, Nana, A Sign of Affection, Honey and Clover, Nodame Cantabile, Golden Time, Spice and Wolf, My Happy Marriage, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, Wolf Children.
- Josei manga — Wikipedia; checked October 27, 2026.
Related articles
- Romance manga and manhwa: picks with adult leads
- Romance K-dramas: 15 to watch
- Otome games: what they are, where to play, 5 to try
Our editorial approach
Be My Story publishes these guides and selected industry news. We check factual claims against linked sources, attribute company statements, and label our analysis. Send corrections through Support.
Explore Be My Story
Discover romance and drama stories shaped by your words in the mobile app.