A large number of anime that fall under the category of romance has been consumed since the original post from 2014 (which was really started in 2009). So here are overviews of more romance anime (and some manga for good measure). The titles for each will link to the review I have done on that series for more in depth information.
Ao Haru Ride
The story of a first year high school student who reinvents herself in order to blend in instead of stand out among her peers. Naturally beautiful, Futaba has received negative attention from her classmates in the past. Following a disastrous attempt at first love in middle school, when the boy she liked disappeared, she decides to focus on her studies and keep under the radar. She changes her image to frumpy and ordered disorder. The plan works and she is generally accepted by her classmates. Her plan is derailed when the boy she fell in love with also goes to the same high school, he himself has changed drastically. Once she realizes they are in the same school again he challenges her reasoning for becoming a different person.
This series fits in with a number of other recent romance titles that deal with the female main character who is uncertain about her self worth. These tend to get annoying, featuring weak characters that can only succeed through the strength of a gentle, but stern male character. If you enjoyed 'Say I Love You' this is right up your alley.
Fuuka
Released directly after the conclusion of Kimi no Iru Machi, Fuuka continues in the shared world that author Seo Koji has developed over the past 15 years. The story follows Yu, a sullen high school student who only interacts with the world via Twitter. Yu's life changes when he befriends a classmate in his new school, Akitsuki Fuuka, none other than the daughter of the main characters from Suzuka. Fuuka convinces Yu to be part of her attempts at creating a successful band. When she dies in an accident just before their debut performance Yu and the band-mates are thrown into disorder. Yu only comes out of his deep depression due to Fuuka's death when he discovers a voicemail she left him before she died. The voicemail convinces him the best thing to do is continue her dream and make the band she started a huge success. The road to fame will be difficult for the band as they have to deal with rival acts and unscrupulous record industry types.
Seo is popular for his shonen fan-service style romance stories. But, Fuuka really turns from a romance to a shonen battle of the bands format once the title character is eliminated from the cast. I have had a long running dislike of Seo's rampant fan service and only somewhat follow Fuuka. Seo's artwork is high quality and worth the time at least. Even if his stories are repetitive and somewhat annoying, I feel Suzuka is his best work and the direction Fuuka is taking is strange and I am not sure if I enjoy it.
GE: Good Ending
Seiji has a crush on the captain of the school tennis club. He is outed by a classmate, Yuki, who promises to keep his secret but offers up a series of conditions. Yuki manipulates him into confronting his crush and asking her to go out with him. All the while Seiji and Yuki grow close and her feelings for him begin to interfere with his relationship with the girl hes after.
This is honestly the best shonen romance manga I have read. There is no harem bullshit and while the character fall prey to some romance tropes, it is realistic and enjoyable. The only real issue I had with it is the second to last arc that seemed really out of place. This is one manga that I would really like to see get an anime adaptation. Highly recommended.
Girls Monthly Nozaki-kun
Sakura has a crush on her classmate Nozaki. Her attempt at confessing to him ends up with Nozaki thinking she wants to be his assistant. Unknown to her, Nozaki is the author of a popular shojo romance manga. She decides to help him out as a way to spend time with him. A small group of peers also contribute to the manga and work in the background to make sure Nozaki understands Sakura's feelings towards him.
One of my favorite series' from 2014, it unfortunately ended before it should have. The series is light on romance and heavy on physical comedy. Its the spiritual successor to School Rumble and is highly recommended for fans of that comedy romance series.
Glasslip
A senior in high school, Toko lives in an idyllic world believing that things with her friends will always remain the same. A new kid in town, Kakeru, pushes against her naivety about her plans for the future. Whether prophetic or catalytic, the new kids appearance has begun to splinter the close group of friends. Toko struggles to keep her naive dreams alive while suffering episodes that appear to be prophecies. Kakeru, somehow, knows whats happening to Toko and eludes to being able to solve her problems.
This series was somewhat strange and confusing in execution. It turns out to not be supernatural in any real way, or more like the super natural aspects actually had nothing to do with the story. In reality it is a simple story of growing up and facing the realities of adulthood and the way those realities chafe with ones childhood ideas. Its OK, but not really worth all that much, considering all this extra stuff was added in which ultimately had nothing to do with the series' conclusion or over all theme. Poorly executed.
Hatsukoi Limited
From the author of Ichigo 100% this short manga series (and anime) tells an evolving tale of life and growing up between a small group of interwoven characters. There is no real central plot or character(s) and the series moves from story arc to story arc, only loosely related. The arc's center primarily on the characters dealing with issues of love and friendship and how things can work out sometimes and other times not so much.
With too much fan service, moderate artwork and a glossed over sense of reality this is a mundane piece of romance. It brings nothing new to the genre beyond its interesting take of telling the tales with in. Not worth much mention, unless your a huge fan of Ichigo 100% or need some time to kill.
I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying
Kaoru ends up falling in love with and marrying an otaku named Hajime. The 2 season series of shorts follows them and a small groups of friends as they discover things they didn't know about each other. Kaoru, being a typical Japanese OL, struggles sometimes to understand her husbands eccentricities, but always returns to her love for him and their future together. Hajime struggles with his self worth and ability to be the husband his wife deserves. Those around them help the best they can to convince the pair they are a good match.
There is more romance than comedy but it can be quite witty at times. The artwork is substandard, largely keeping with the simplistic styling of the yonkoma manga it is based on. While episodic it does become hard to follow the stories progression at times. In the end though its a touching and endearing story about misfit love and acceptance of others.
Ichigo 100%
One day on the roof of his school, middle school student Junpei is surprised by visions of a classmates strawberry patterned panties. He desires for this girl, or more, the vision of her underwear, above everything else drives him to find her. His pursuit to learn the identity for the underwear wearer leads him to befriend a bookish classmate. Her writing hobby ignites his real dreams of becoming a film director and the two set out to turn her stories into movies. When he discovers who the girl with the strawberry panties is he chases after her, and succeeds in getting her. Soon enough he leans it was a mistake on his part when the real identity of the strawberry panty girl surfaces. Now he has to decide which direction he wants his lust to go in.
I really, really disliked this manga. I have heard that the anime is horrible compared to the manga, which has a relatively strong following. This is a classic by the book harem romance. Boring and rote plot devices, poor character interactions and unneeded underwear abound. Its a must if you are a fan of harem, otherwise probably best to avoid.
Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
In an attempt to live a quiet and normal high school life, Usa has moved to a different town to leave his troubled past behind him. He has an uncanny ability to attract strangeness to him and developed a reputation in school and home for it. By moving he hopes to leave that behind him. While going to school in a different city he will be living in a boarding house known as the Kawai Complex. Unfortunately for him the other residents of the house are misfits. By no fault of his own he falls for an upperclassman who happens to also live in the hostel as well. When his feelings for the bookish girl are discovered by the others in the house his life turns to a hell he never imagined.
Kawai Complex, on the surface, seems like the spiritual successor to Maison Ikkoku. In many ways it is and in some ways it isn't. This is a fun romp, filled with quality gag humor and some decently written characters. Sadly, it ends without any real resolution and begins to lose its way in the end. Still worth the time and too bad there isn't more to it.
Koe no Katachi
Shoya decides to cause trouble for a transfer student named Shouko. The class has problems with the new kid due to her being deaf. Shoya takes his antics a little to far and they end up being a little to mean. The class decides to turn on him for his actions and he finds himself an outcast as well. His frustration causes his attitude towards Shouko to worsen ultimately forcing her to transfer to a new school. Years later, being ostracized from his peers, Shoya decides to commit suicide. But before he can he has to clear his conscious and apologize to the girl who "ruined his life". He finds her, but her response to his attempts to feel better for himself before he plans to end his life, stops him from going through with his plan.
This is a very well written manga that deals with real people with real problems. The love story is stealthy and heart warming, if also heart wrenching. Aside from focusing on the main characters it also takes a look at the struggles and issues their mothers, who are both raising them alone, have to deal with. A highly recommended read, even for those not interested in the romance genre.
Koizora
Mika dreams of falling in love. She develops a relationship over the phone with a boy, Hiro, from school during the summer break. When classes resume she discovers he is a notorious delinquent and questions their connection over the summer. Sensing her trepidation he convinces her that, despite his reputation and appearances, he is the same sincere person in real life. They begin to date but trouble follows from his past as his ex-girl friend attempts to destroy Mika's life. Hiro does everything he can to protect her, overcoming every challenge. Some challenges seem to hard to face and when Hiro becomes distant, Mika questions everything they had shared together. When she finds out the truth she has to decide how she will spend the rest of her life.
Based on a popular book which is purported to be a real life account of the pseudonymous author, this is one of the most emotionally powerful manga I have ever read. Powerful, depressing, realistic...even if the male characters look like members of a Visual Kei group on their day off. Highly recommended and bring a lot of tissues.
Kokoro Connect
5 classmates become friends when they create their own after school club that has no real direction or purpose. Romance starts to blossom in the group but everything is challenged when a mysterious being forces them through a series of tests that could destroy their lives.
This was a really well done series that was light on the romance and heavy on psychology. The series was short and, until the end, seemed a bit out of context for some events. It was followed up by 4 OAV episodes that expand the main story. Definitely worth the time, given its shortness.
My Little Monster
Shizuka is top of her class, to remain in that position she gladly shuns everyone around her and only focuses on her studies. Her teacher tricks her into getting her to make a classmate return to school after a prolonged absence. The classmate, Haru, gloms onto her, forcing her to befriend him. As she unwittingly becomes wrapped up in his childlike wonder he confesses his love for her. Barely able to accept him as a friend, she struggles to convince him that she and he can't date.
This was a fun and entertaining series what was half insane comedy and half straight drama. Shizuka is like the straight man and Haru is like...Animal from The Muppets. The series does suffer from being too short, sometimes causing the story to become disjointed and out of sorts. It would have been nice to have been paced a little slower.
My Love Story
Takeo is a large brutish teenager who has an innocence to rival any 5 year old and a heart of gold. Unfortunately, for people not accustomed to his personality, his appearance scares everyone around him. While not an idiot, he doesn't let other peoples perceptions about him bring him down...in fact he barely bothers to relate to other peoples perceptions. All he cares about it helping out people in need. One day on a train from school that urge leads him to help a girl being assaulted by a groper. The girl, Yamato, instantly falls in love with the mountain that saved her. It takes some work from his best friend to convince Takeo that Yamato, a girl he suddenly falls for, is equally smitten by him. Once that point is made the two begin dating and dealing with the odd pairing and everyone's understandable perceptions of the giant gorilla.
(At the time of this writing the anime series was 3/4 finished.) This series is hugely entertaining and very comedic. Its great to see a story focus on the relationship its self, when most romance anime/manga focus primarily on the pursuit and end with the relationship beginning By the 3rd or 4th episode Takeo and Yamato are dating and everything else deals with them getting familiar with each other and over coming obstacles. The drama is slight and the comedy is ruckus. This is a great, innocent and thoroughly enjoyable romantic comedy.
Nisekoi
Raku is the son of a powerful yakuza boss. He has a long standing memory of a girl who promised to love him from when he was young. He can't remember her face, who she was or how he knew her. The only thing he has is a locket with a secret in it. The girl has the key that unlocks it. He hopes that a classmate of his is the girl, but when a series of other candidates show up; most to his terror, his memories become hazy and antics ensue to determine who the girl of his past/dreams really is.
I dropped this series pretty quick once it became evident that it was going to keep going far longer than it should. In fact, as of this writing, the anime and manga are still going and it seems pretty fucking pointless. If you are a fan of harem and wish a story would come out that could just go on forever, even if it shouldn't, like One Piece, then this is the series for you. It's not for me.
One Week Friends
Hase likes his quiet classmate Kaori, but every attempt at befriending her has failed. Determined to get close to her, he eventually is able to befriend her, only to discover her memories reset themselves every week. Not daunted by this unique challenge he works with her to retain their friendship and time spent together even if those memories disappear every Sunday night.
The anime was rather dull and white washed. There were a few dramatic moments and some good character interactions but everyone in the show was very one dimensional and had little in the way of emotions. The manga is a yonkoma and has a hint of comedy to it...but the comedy didn't translate to the anime. At only 12 episodes it isn't a waste of time to watch, but don't expect much out of it.
Orange
Five friends in high school struggle to cope with a transfer student, Kakeru, they befriend who commits suicide. The story bounces between their time in school and ten years later. Somehow, the future characters have been able to send letters into the past and are trying to prevent Kakeru's death. The majority of the story focus's on the time in high school as they try to prevent the suicide based on instructions in the letters from the future. The main character and focus is Naho, who ends up falling in love with Kakeru. She struggles with her own uncertainty, even with the letters, to work hard to prevent his death.
At the time of this writing the manga was still on going. The series has some pretty good drama and the artwork is classic shojo style. It is an interesting twist on time travel but can get confusing when it switches time lines without warning. Worth the read, well done...just waiting to see how it concludes.
Ranma 1/2
Ranma Saotome is betrothed to one of the daughters of his fathers friend, Soun Tendo. Ranma, his father and he Tendo's carry on the tradition of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. The betrothal was set when Ranma was born as a way to preserve the school and dojo. Ranma and his father have returned to Japan from years training abroad to finalize the agreement. The youngest daughter, Akane, is chosen to be Ranma's future bride...much to their refusal. The Saotome's end up living in the Tendo home, partially due to being free loaders and as a way to foster some sort of relationship between the unwitting couple. Ranma and Akane, have to deal with their interpersonal issues, challenges to each others hand in marriage and the future of the dojo its self. Can they actually fall in love or will someone else step in to capture either of their attention first?
Ranma 1/2 is a classic in second wave of American otaku. It is the third TV series from Rumiko Takahashi (Maison Ikkoku) and ran for 7 seasons. The series is pegged as a martial arts romantic comedy and is pretty heavy on the harem theme. All manner of female characters show up that try to woo Ranma away from Akane, who has her share of suitors as well. The series is really the best for the first 2.5 seasons. Afterwards the comedy, antics and story lines become boring and repetitive. The series is best known for a good portion of the main cast being cursed. When they are splashed with cold water they change to a specific animal, Ranma himself turns into a girl. They return to their normal selves when splashed with warm water. Various members of the large cast know some of the characters curses, but the story plays on the ones that aren't known being revealed, at great peril. A classic anime by any means, but it gets rather tedious for the majority of the show.
Sasameki Koto
Sumika is secretly in love with her best friend Ushio, who in turn is open about being a lesbian. Three problems plague Sumika from expressing her feelings. No one knows she is gay, Ushio dots on cutesy baby doll girls and Sumika fears for her friendship with Ushio being destroyed if she confesses. In high school the friends begin to attract a boisterous group of female friends, some of whom are also lesbians, which helps to shield them from disapproval from their peers. Everyone except Ushio figures out Sumika's true feelings and do what they can to help her come to terms with her feelings about her best friend.
This was a very well written romance that just happened to be about two girls. It wasn't a typical yuri where the main focus seems to be fap material. This is a typical high school romance manga that deals with the main characters inability to overcome their inner monologues and self doubt. The manga is better than the anime but drags on for too long. The anime is the right length, but leaves out some good story compared to the manga. Either way, both versions are worth the time.
School Rumble
High School student Tenma loves the strangest guy in her class, Kurasuma. Kurasuma is oblivious to the reality around him and goes about his abnormal reality. Another guy in Tenma's class, the delinquent and book-dumb Harima is completely obsessed with Tenma, but has no idea how to express himself. Both Tenma and Harima do everything in their power to express their feelings for the person they are crushing on, with little to no result. All the time oddity ensues and a wide cast of classmates and relatives pop in and out to add or detract from the insanity.
While on the surface this is a romance, it has far more slapstick, nonsensical comedy. The series doesn't take its self seriously, throws out homages to other anime and movies like candy and keeps a nice balance of antics and seriousness. Its hard to dislike this series and even gets better in the second half.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
Set in the alternate world featured in the Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi, the story focuses on all of the Haruhi characters and the mundane lives they live in a world with out aliens, EPSers and time travelers. The series deals Yuki and her unrequited love of Kyon. All of the Haruhi characters come back and assume the roles they had in the movie. Even without super natural activities the group experiences oddities together, but mostly they are normal high school kids,so their experiences are mundane.
This series was rather boring and pointless for the majority of it. It went to prove that when you take the characters of a beloved show that deals with special circumstances and re-imagine them in a normal world...well, it's not very entertaining. Or at least not as entertaining as the original material was. Its always nice to spend time with the characters but the charm of the original show was lost in mundane land.
The World is Still Beautiful
Princes Nike from the secretive Rain Country is sent to the Sun Country to marry their king. A man who has taken the world by storm and through negotiations and arms is poised to reign over all of it. Much to her surprise the king is nothing but a boy, a rude and calculating boy. Yet something inside makes her fall for him. He too see's something in the 'yokel' that he admires and the two decide to go through with the marriage. Before their imperial marriage can take hold forces from many places challenge their union. They have to figure out if they can truly have a future together and over come the challenges that continue to interfere.
I am generally not a fan of fantasy anime but this was a well done series. It wasn't anything special, just enjoyable. The characters were agreeable and the short time spent with them was entertaining enough. It ends pretty abruptly but the note it ends on doesn't seem to be too big of a stretch. Some will want more from it, but I was satisfied with the length it had. In the end it was a decent story with some enjoyable characters and not much else, nor did it seem to try to be anything more than that.
Toradora
Ryuji is the son of a hostess and a long dead yakuza peon. Unfortunately for him he takes after his father when it comes to his appearances. Everyone assumes hes a delinquent but in reality hes a hard worker; decent at school and psychopathic about cleanliness. He has spent most of his life taking care of his air headed mother. His compassion bites him in the butt when a classmate and sudden next door neighbor, Taiga, drops into his world. Ryuji is infatuated with Taiga's only friend. Taiga is infatuated with a classmate. In a mix up of bags Taiga forces Ryuji to help her out and she promises to help him out in their love lives. Ryuji ends up being Taiga's servant and over time they develop feelings for each other neither wants to admit.
The first half of this series is little more than rote jokes, but half way through it turns around and becomes endearing and highly enjoyable. Once the story begins to focus on the deeper personality and pasts of the four main characters it takes on an enjoyable tone. Highly recommended, but most people have already seen this one as it is a highly praised modern romance. Golden Time is from the same creators and it too deals with deep personal issues covered within the guise of a typical romance story.
Your Lie in April
Kosei lives a solitary and closed life following the death of his mother. He spends his days in his empty house and going to school. His childhood friend and neighbor, Tsubaki, tries to make sure he doesn't die. Concerned for his sanity, she convinces him to attend a music recital. Kosei was a prodigy on the piano when he was younger, but has since forsaken the instrument following his mothers death. As he waits for Tsubaki and another friend, Watari, to arrive, he meets a spirited and lively girl named Kaori, who instantly captures his attention. Unfortuntely Kaori is to be set up on a date with Watari. Kaori agree's to semi-date Watari but focuses much of her attention on the morose Kosei. His infatuation for her deepens as she forces him to return to music. When he reluctantly returns to it the demons of his past surface and he has to struggle to over come them along with his yearning for Kaori...especially when it seems he will never be able to be with her.
This was a well done and heavily dramatic romance that deals with kids who have experienced painful lives. They try to maintain normalcy but below the surface teem self hate and internal rejection. I'm really surprised no one committed suicide in this series. On the surface its fun and cute but deep down its raw and emotional. Unfortunately it slips from time to time into a half baked attempt at being a shonen music battle series. The real story is the character personalities and struggles with themselves and accepting the world around them.
Wandering Son
Shuichi is a timid elementary student that wants to be a girl more than a boy. He ends up falling for a friend and classmate, Yoshino. Yoshino wants to be a boy and does everything she can to look like one. At the urging of a mutual friend, Saori, Shuichi begins to experiment with cross dressing, soon becoming consumed with conflicting desires. Saori develops feelings for Shuichi and when those feelings aren't shared she turns on both Shuichi and Yoshino. In middle school Yoshino and Shuichi gain more friends who share in their gender identity secrets. All the while each tries to confront their desires and the realities they face as they enter puberty. With Shuichi struggling with his unrequited love for Yoshino.
This is probably one of the best manga I have read. The anime is very well done but only deals with some segments of the manga, skipping the entire first part of the story. It reflects on real emotions and concerns with preteens and adolescents who are struggling with their identities and trying to find their place in the world around them.
Wolf Girl and the Black Prince
Lying is how Erika copes with the world around her. Being a pathological liar has gotten her into more trouble than not. But when she lies about having a boy friend to classmates she wants to impress she has to work hard to make it convincing. In an unfortunate set of circumstances the boy she picks as her fake boyfriend is the most desired guy in school. When she confesses her secret to him, he agrees to go along with her charade. In exchange for helping with her lie, he makes her his unwitting servant. Surprisingly what started out as being fake turns into reality when they do actually start going out. But when it becomes real Erika's trouble begins as the guy everyone is after is one of the most horrible human beings she has ever met. Much like the hostages in Munich, she continues to desire his abusive attention.
This was a rather troubling series in how the entire selling point was its exploiting controlling and verbally abusive relationships. It show cases the abysmal way some women are treated in Japan, where in some cases they are looked at as inferior still. This one got to me in that regard as I am relatively feminist in opinion and actions. The story was rather rote, making the cringe worth abuse less tolerable. It really made me scrutinize the way female characters are portrayed in anime and manga, especially in stories that are aimed a women. Japan needs more positive strong women role models in the medium.
Ao Haru Ride
The story of a first year high school student who reinvents herself in order to blend in instead of stand out among her peers. Naturally beautiful, Futaba has received negative attention from her classmates in the past. Following a disastrous attempt at first love in middle school, when the boy she liked disappeared, she decides to focus on her studies and keep under the radar. She changes her image to frumpy and ordered disorder. The plan works and she is generally accepted by her classmates. Her plan is derailed when the boy she fell in love with also goes to the same high school, he himself has changed drastically. Once she realizes they are in the same school again he challenges her reasoning for becoming a different person.
This series fits in with a number of other recent romance titles that deal with the female main character who is uncertain about her self worth. These tend to get annoying, featuring weak characters that can only succeed through the strength of a gentle, but stern male character. If you enjoyed 'Say I Love You' this is right up your alley.
Fuuka
Released directly after the conclusion of Kimi no Iru Machi, Fuuka continues in the shared world that author Seo Koji has developed over the past 15 years. The story follows Yu, a sullen high school student who only interacts with the world via Twitter. Yu's life changes when he befriends a classmate in his new school, Akitsuki Fuuka, none other than the daughter of the main characters from Suzuka. Fuuka convinces Yu to be part of her attempts at creating a successful band. When she dies in an accident just before their debut performance Yu and the band-mates are thrown into disorder. Yu only comes out of his deep depression due to Fuuka's death when he discovers a voicemail she left him before she died. The voicemail convinces him the best thing to do is continue her dream and make the band she started a huge success. The road to fame will be difficult for the band as they have to deal with rival acts and unscrupulous record industry types.
Seo is popular for his shonen fan-service style romance stories. But, Fuuka really turns from a romance to a shonen battle of the bands format once the title character is eliminated from the cast. I have had a long running dislike of Seo's rampant fan service and only somewhat follow Fuuka. Seo's artwork is high quality and worth the time at least. Even if his stories are repetitive and somewhat annoying, I feel Suzuka is his best work and the direction Fuuka is taking is strange and I am not sure if I enjoy it.
GE: Good Ending
Seiji has a crush on the captain of the school tennis club. He is outed by a classmate, Yuki, who promises to keep his secret but offers up a series of conditions. Yuki manipulates him into confronting his crush and asking her to go out with him. All the while Seiji and Yuki grow close and her feelings for him begin to interfere with his relationship with the girl hes after.
This is honestly the best shonen romance manga I have read. There is no harem bullshit and while the character fall prey to some romance tropes, it is realistic and enjoyable. The only real issue I had with it is the second to last arc that seemed really out of place. This is one manga that I would really like to see get an anime adaptation. Highly recommended.
Girls Monthly Nozaki-kun
Sakura has a crush on her classmate Nozaki. Her attempt at confessing to him ends up with Nozaki thinking she wants to be his assistant. Unknown to her, Nozaki is the author of a popular shojo romance manga. She decides to help him out as a way to spend time with him. A small group of peers also contribute to the manga and work in the background to make sure Nozaki understands Sakura's feelings towards him.
One of my favorite series' from 2014, it unfortunately ended before it should have. The series is light on romance and heavy on physical comedy. Its the spiritual successor to School Rumble and is highly recommended for fans of that comedy romance series.
Glasslip
A senior in high school, Toko lives in an idyllic world believing that things with her friends will always remain the same. A new kid in town, Kakeru, pushes against her naivety about her plans for the future. Whether prophetic or catalytic, the new kids appearance has begun to splinter the close group of friends. Toko struggles to keep her naive dreams alive while suffering episodes that appear to be prophecies. Kakeru, somehow, knows whats happening to Toko and eludes to being able to solve her problems.
This series was somewhat strange and confusing in execution. It turns out to not be supernatural in any real way, or more like the super natural aspects actually had nothing to do with the story. In reality it is a simple story of growing up and facing the realities of adulthood and the way those realities chafe with ones childhood ideas. Its OK, but not really worth all that much, considering all this extra stuff was added in which ultimately had nothing to do with the series' conclusion or over all theme. Poorly executed.
Hatsukoi Limited
From the author of Ichigo 100% this short manga series (and anime) tells an evolving tale of life and growing up between a small group of interwoven characters. There is no real central plot or character(s) and the series moves from story arc to story arc, only loosely related. The arc's center primarily on the characters dealing with issues of love and friendship and how things can work out sometimes and other times not so much.
With too much fan service, moderate artwork and a glossed over sense of reality this is a mundane piece of romance. It brings nothing new to the genre beyond its interesting take of telling the tales with in. Not worth much mention, unless your a huge fan of Ichigo 100% or need some time to kill.
I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying
Kaoru ends up falling in love with and marrying an otaku named Hajime. The 2 season series of shorts follows them and a small groups of friends as they discover things they didn't know about each other. Kaoru, being a typical Japanese OL, struggles sometimes to understand her husbands eccentricities, but always returns to her love for him and their future together. Hajime struggles with his self worth and ability to be the husband his wife deserves. Those around them help the best they can to convince the pair they are a good match.
There is more romance than comedy but it can be quite witty at times. The artwork is substandard, largely keeping with the simplistic styling of the yonkoma manga it is based on. While episodic it does become hard to follow the stories progression at times. In the end though its a touching and endearing story about misfit love and acceptance of others.
Ichigo 100%
One day on the roof of his school, middle school student Junpei is surprised by visions of a classmates strawberry patterned panties. He desires for this girl, or more, the vision of her underwear, above everything else drives him to find her. His pursuit to learn the identity for the underwear wearer leads him to befriend a bookish classmate. Her writing hobby ignites his real dreams of becoming a film director and the two set out to turn her stories into movies. When he discovers who the girl with the strawberry panties is he chases after her, and succeeds in getting her. Soon enough he leans it was a mistake on his part when the real identity of the strawberry panty girl surfaces. Now he has to decide which direction he wants his lust to go in.
I really, really disliked this manga. I have heard that the anime is horrible compared to the manga, which has a relatively strong following. This is a classic by the book harem romance. Boring and rote plot devices, poor character interactions and unneeded underwear abound. Its a must if you are a fan of harem, otherwise probably best to avoid.
Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
In an attempt to live a quiet and normal high school life, Usa has moved to a different town to leave his troubled past behind him. He has an uncanny ability to attract strangeness to him and developed a reputation in school and home for it. By moving he hopes to leave that behind him. While going to school in a different city he will be living in a boarding house known as the Kawai Complex. Unfortunately for him the other residents of the house are misfits. By no fault of his own he falls for an upperclassman who happens to also live in the hostel as well. When his feelings for the bookish girl are discovered by the others in the house his life turns to a hell he never imagined.
Kawai Complex, on the surface, seems like the spiritual successor to Maison Ikkoku. In many ways it is and in some ways it isn't. This is a fun romp, filled with quality gag humor and some decently written characters. Sadly, it ends without any real resolution and begins to lose its way in the end. Still worth the time and too bad there isn't more to it.
Koe no Katachi
Shoya decides to cause trouble for a transfer student named Shouko. The class has problems with the new kid due to her being deaf. Shoya takes his antics a little to far and they end up being a little to mean. The class decides to turn on him for his actions and he finds himself an outcast as well. His frustration causes his attitude towards Shouko to worsen ultimately forcing her to transfer to a new school. Years later, being ostracized from his peers, Shoya decides to commit suicide. But before he can he has to clear his conscious and apologize to the girl who "ruined his life". He finds her, but her response to his attempts to feel better for himself before he plans to end his life, stops him from going through with his plan.
This is a very well written manga that deals with real people with real problems. The love story is stealthy and heart warming, if also heart wrenching. Aside from focusing on the main characters it also takes a look at the struggles and issues their mothers, who are both raising them alone, have to deal with. A highly recommended read, even for those not interested in the romance genre.
Koizora
Mika dreams of falling in love. She develops a relationship over the phone with a boy, Hiro, from school during the summer break. When classes resume she discovers he is a notorious delinquent and questions their connection over the summer. Sensing her trepidation he convinces her that, despite his reputation and appearances, he is the same sincere person in real life. They begin to date but trouble follows from his past as his ex-girl friend attempts to destroy Mika's life. Hiro does everything he can to protect her, overcoming every challenge. Some challenges seem to hard to face and when Hiro becomes distant, Mika questions everything they had shared together. When she finds out the truth she has to decide how she will spend the rest of her life.
Based on a popular book which is purported to be a real life account of the pseudonymous author, this is one of the most emotionally powerful manga I have ever read. Powerful, depressing, realistic...even if the male characters look like members of a Visual Kei group on their day off. Highly recommended and bring a lot of tissues.
Kokoro Connect
5 classmates become friends when they create their own after school club that has no real direction or purpose. Romance starts to blossom in the group but everything is challenged when a mysterious being forces them through a series of tests that could destroy their lives.
This was a really well done series that was light on the romance and heavy on psychology. The series was short and, until the end, seemed a bit out of context for some events. It was followed up by 4 OAV episodes that expand the main story. Definitely worth the time, given its shortness.
My Little Monster
Shizuka is top of her class, to remain in that position she gladly shuns everyone around her and only focuses on her studies. Her teacher tricks her into getting her to make a classmate return to school after a prolonged absence. The classmate, Haru, gloms onto her, forcing her to befriend him. As she unwittingly becomes wrapped up in his childlike wonder he confesses his love for her. Barely able to accept him as a friend, she struggles to convince him that she and he can't date.
This was a fun and entertaining series what was half insane comedy and half straight drama. Shizuka is like the straight man and Haru is like...Animal from The Muppets. The series does suffer from being too short, sometimes causing the story to become disjointed and out of sorts. It would have been nice to have been paced a little slower.
My Love Story
Takeo is a large brutish teenager who has an innocence to rival any 5 year old and a heart of gold. Unfortunately, for people not accustomed to his personality, his appearance scares everyone around him. While not an idiot, he doesn't let other peoples perceptions about him bring him down...in fact he barely bothers to relate to other peoples perceptions. All he cares about it helping out people in need. One day on a train from school that urge leads him to help a girl being assaulted by a groper. The girl, Yamato, instantly falls in love with the mountain that saved her. It takes some work from his best friend to convince Takeo that Yamato, a girl he suddenly falls for, is equally smitten by him. Once that point is made the two begin dating and dealing with the odd pairing and everyone's understandable perceptions of the giant gorilla.
(At the time of this writing the anime series was 3/4 finished.) This series is hugely entertaining and very comedic. Its great to see a story focus on the relationship its self, when most romance anime/manga focus primarily on the pursuit and end with the relationship beginning By the 3rd or 4th episode Takeo and Yamato are dating and everything else deals with them getting familiar with each other and over coming obstacles. The drama is slight and the comedy is ruckus. This is a great, innocent and thoroughly enjoyable romantic comedy.
Nisekoi
Raku is the son of a powerful yakuza boss. He has a long standing memory of a girl who promised to love him from when he was young. He can't remember her face, who she was or how he knew her. The only thing he has is a locket with a secret in it. The girl has the key that unlocks it. He hopes that a classmate of his is the girl, but when a series of other candidates show up; most to his terror, his memories become hazy and antics ensue to determine who the girl of his past/dreams really is.
I dropped this series pretty quick once it became evident that it was going to keep going far longer than it should. In fact, as of this writing, the anime and manga are still going and it seems pretty fucking pointless. If you are a fan of harem and wish a story would come out that could just go on forever, even if it shouldn't, like One Piece, then this is the series for you. It's not for me.
One Week Friends
Hase likes his quiet classmate Kaori, but every attempt at befriending her has failed. Determined to get close to her, he eventually is able to befriend her, only to discover her memories reset themselves every week. Not daunted by this unique challenge he works with her to retain their friendship and time spent together even if those memories disappear every Sunday night.
The anime was rather dull and white washed. There were a few dramatic moments and some good character interactions but everyone in the show was very one dimensional and had little in the way of emotions. The manga is a yonkoma and has a hint of comedy to it...but the comedy didn't translate to the anime. At only 12 episodes it isn't a waste of time to watch, but don't expect much out of it.
Orange
Five friends in high school struggle to cope with a transfer student, Kakeru, they befriend who commits suicide. The story bounces between their time in school and ten years later. Somehow, the future characters have been able to send letters into the past and are trying to prevent Kakeru's death. The majority of the story focus's on the time in high school as they try to prevent the suicide based on instructions in the letters from the future. The main character and focus is Naho, who ends up falling in love with Kakeru. She struggles with her own uncertainty, even with the letters, to work hard to prevent his death.
At the time of this writing the manga was still on going. The series has some pretty good drama and the artwork is classic shojo style. It is an interesting twist on time travel but can get confusing when it switches time lines without warning. Worth the read, well done...just waiting to see how it concludes.
Ranma 1/2
Ranma Saotome is betrothed to one of the daughters of his fathers friend, Soun Tendo. Ranma, his father and he Tendo's carry on the tradition of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. The betrothal was set when Ranma was born as a way to preserve the school and dojo. Ranma and his father have returned to Japan from years training abroad to finalize the agreement. The youngest daughter, Akane, is chosen to be Ranma's future bride...much to their refusal. The Saotome's end up living in the Tendo home, partially due to being free loaders and as a way to foster some sort of relationship between the unwitting couple. Ranma and Akane, have to deal with their interpersonal issues, challenges to each others hand in marriage and the future of the dojo its self. Can they actually fall in love or will someone else step in to capture either of their attention first?
Ranma 1/2 is a classic in second wave of American otaku. It is the third TV series from Rumiko Takahashi (Maison Ikkoku) and ran for 7 seasons. The series is pegged as a martial arts romantic comedy and is pretty heavy on the harem theme. All manner of female characters show up that try to woo Ranma away from Akane, who has her share of suitors as well. The series is really the best for the first 2.5 seasons. Afterwards the comedy, antics and story lines become boring and repetitive. The series is best known for a good portion of the main cast being cursed. When they are splashed with cold water they change to a specific animal, Ranma himself turns into a girl. They return to their normal selves when splashed with warm water. Various members of the large cast know some of the characters curses, but the story plays on the ones that aren't known being revealed, at great peril. A classic anime by any means, but it gets rather tedious for the majority of the show.
Sasameki Koto
Sumika is secretly in love with her best friend Ushio, who in turn is open about being a lesbian. Three problems plague Sumika from expressing her feelings. No one knows she is gay, Ushio dots on cutesy baby doll girls and Sumika fears for her friendship with Ushio being destroyed if she confesses. In high school the friends begin to attract a boisterous group of female friends, some of whom are also lesbians, which helps to shield them from disapproval from their peers. Everyone except Ushio figures out Sumika's true feelings and do what they can to help her come to terms with her feelings about her best friend.
This was a very well written romance that just happened to be about two girls. It wasn't a typical yuri where the main focus seems to be fap material. This is a typical high school romance manga that deals with the main characters inability to overcome their inner monologues and self doubt. The manga is better than the anime but drags on for too long. The anime is the right length, but leaves out some good story compared to the manga. Either way, both versions are worth the time.
School Rumble
High School student Tenma loves the strangest guy in her class, Kurasuma. Kurasuma is oblivious to the reality around him and goes about his abnormal reality. Another guy in Tenma's class, the delinquent and book-dumb Harima is completely obsessed with Tenma, but has no idea how to express himself. Both Tenma and Harima do everything in their power to express their feelings for the person they are crushing on, with little to no result. All the time oddity ensues and a wide cast of classmates and relatives pop in and out to add or detract from the insanity.
While on the surface this is a romance, it has far more slapstick, nonsensical comedy. The series doesn't take its self seriously, throws out homages to other anime and movies like candy and keeps a nice balance of antics and seriousness. Its hard to dislike this series and even gets better in the second half.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
Set in the alternate world featured in the Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi, the story focuses on all of the Haruhi characters and the mundane lives they live in a world with out aliens, EPSers and time travelers. The series deals Yuki and her unrequited love of Kyon. All of the Haruhi characters come back and assume the roles they had in the movie. Even without super natural activities the group experiences oddities together, but mostly they are normal high school kids,so their experiences are mundane.
This series was rather boring and pointless for the majority of it. It went to prove that when you take the characters of a beloved show that deals with special circumstances and re-imagine them in a normal world...well, it's not very entertaining. Or at least not as entertaining as the original material was. Its always nice to spend time with the characters but the charm of the original show was lost in mundane land.
The World is Still Beautiful
Princes Nike from the secretive Rain Country is sent to the Sun Country to marry their king. A man who has taken the world by storm and through negotiations and arms is poised to reign over all of it. Much to her surprise the king is nothing but a boy, a rude and calculating boy. Yet something inside makes her fall for him. He too see's something in the 'yokel' that he admires and the two decide to go through with the marriage. Before their imperial marriage can take hold forces from many places challenge their union. They have to figure out if they can truly have a future together and over come the challenges that continue to interfere.
I am generally not a fan of fantasy anime but this was a well done series. It wasn't anything special, just enjoyable. The characters were agreeable and the short time spent with them was entertaining enough. It ends pretty abruptly but the note it ends on doesn't seem to be too big of a stretch. Some will want more from it, but I was satisfied with the length it had. In the end it was a decent story with some enjoyable characters and not much else, nor did it seem to try to be anything more than that.
Toradora
Ryuji is the son of a hostess and a long dead yakuza peon. Unfortunately for him he takes after his father when it comes to his appearances. Everyone assumes hes a delinquent but in reality hes a hard worker; decent at school and psychopathic about cleanliness. He has spent most of his life taking care of his air headed mother. His compassion bites him in the butt when a classmate and sudden next door neighbor, Taiga, drops into his world. Ryuji is infatuated with Taiga's only friend. Taiga is infatuated with a classmate. In a mix up of bags Taiga forces Ryuji to help her out and she promises to help him out in their love lives. Ryuji ends up being Taiga's servant and over time they develop feelings for each other neither wants to admit.
The first half of this series is little more than rote jokes, but half way through it turns around and becomes endearing and highly enjoyable. Once the story begins to focus on the deeper personality and pasts of the four main characters it takes on an enjoyable tone. Highly recommended, but most people have already seen this one as it is a highly praised modern romance. Golden Time is from the same creators and it too deals with deep personal issues covered within the guise of a typical romance story.
Your Lie in April
Kosei lives a solitary and closed life following the death of his mother. He spends his days in his empty house and going to school. His childhood friend and neighbor, Tsubaki, tries to make sure he doesn't die. Concerned for his sanity, she convinces him to attend a music recital. Kosei was a prodigy on the piano when he was younger, but has since forsaken the instrument following his mothers death. As he waits for Tsubaki and another friend, Watari, to arrive, he meets a spirited and lively girl named Kaori, who instantly captures his attention. Unfortuntely Kaori is to be set up on a date with Watari. Kaori agree's to semi-date Watari but focuses much of her attention on the morose Kosei. His infatuation for her deepens as she forces him to return to music. When he reluctantly returns to it the demons of his past surface and he has to struggle to over come them along with his yearning for Kaori...especially when it seems he will never be able to be with her.
This was a well done and heavily dramatic romance that deals with kids who have experienced painful lives. They try to maintain normalcy but below the surface teem self hate and internal rejection. I'm really surprised no one committed suicide in this series. On the surface its fun and cute but deep down its raw and emotional. Unfortunately it slips from time to time into a half baked attempt at being a shonen music battle series. The real story is the character personalities and struggles with themselves and accepting the world around them.
Wandering Son
Shuichi is a timid elementary student that wants to be a girl more than a boy. He ends up falling for a friend and classmate, Yoshino. Yoshino wants to be a boy and does everything she can to look like one. At the urging of a mutual friend, Saori, Shuichi begins to experiment with cross dressing, soon becoming consumed with conflicting desires. Saori develops feelings for Shuichi and when those feelings aren't shared she turns on both Shuichi and Yoshino. In middle school Yoshino and Shuichi gain more friends who share in their gender identity secrets. All the while each tries to confront their desires and the realities they face as they enter puberty. With Shuichi struggling with his unrequited love for Yoshino.
This is probably one of the best manga I have read. The anime is very well done but only deals with some segments of the manga, skipping the entire first part of the story. It reflects on real emotions and concerns with preteens and adolescents who are struggling with their identities and trying to find their place in the world around them.
Wolf Girl and the Black Prince
Lying is how Erika copes with the world around her. Being a pathological liar has gotten her into more trouble than not. But when she lies about having a boy friend to classmates she wants to impress she has to work hard to make it convincing. In an unfortunate set of circumstances the boy she picks as her fake boyfriend is the most desired guy in school. When she confesses her secret to him, he agrees to go along with her charade. In exchange for helping with her lie, he makes her his unwitting servant. Surprisingly what started out as being fake turns into reality when they do actually start going out. But when it becomes real Erika's trouble begins as the guy everyone is after is one of the most horrible human beings she has ever met. Much like the hostages in Munich, she continues to desire his abusive attention.
This was a rather troubling series in how the entire selling point was its exploiting controlling and verbally abusive relationships. It show cases the abysmal way some women are treated in Japan, where in some cases they are looked at as inferior still. This one got to me in that regard as I am relatively feminist in opinion and actions. The story was rather rote, making the cringe worth abuse less tolerable. It really made me scrutinize the way female characters are portrayed in anime and manga, especially in stories that are aimed a women. Japan needs more positive strong women role models in the medium.
