Tsukigakirei is an excellent and underrated romance anime that has some outstanding features that would surely stick with you if you have watched it.
It has a simple yet effective storyline that includes a sweet and innocent love story, featuring a close-knit and realistic group of friends with perfectly matched personalities.
If you are looking to experience these wonderful features again, we recommend adding these anime to your watchlist, as they are the best anime like Tsukigakirei.
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15. Scum’s Wish
Scum’s Wish can be considered an explicit and mature take on the romance genre compared to a typical show like Tsukigakirei.
This anime is bold and uncompromising, not shying away from depicting the sexual tension and awkwardness that can often come with teenage romance.
The story follows two broken-hearted individuals, Hanabi and Mugi, who find solace in each other’s arms. Despite their passionate relationship, they both harbor unrequited love for other people, leading to a web of lies and self-deception.
As Hanabi and Mugi grapple with their guilt and shame, you’ll find yourself drawn into their complicated world, questioning the very nature of love and desire.
While Scum’s Wish shares the same genre as Tsukigakirei, it has a vastly different atmosphere. However, that is precisely why we recommend it.
If you want to explore a completely different perspective on romance, this anime is worth watching.
14. Tsuredure Children
Tsuredure Children is a heartwarming coming-of-age romance that follows the main characters as they navigate their first love and form genuine relationships.
As you may have already noticed, this anime has many similarities to Tsukigakirei.
With an endearing cast of characters and multiple adorable couples to root for, Tsurezure Children is sure to put a smile on your face with each episode.
Whether it’s the mature bickering between Ryouko and Akagi, the goofy relationship between Kana and Chiaki, or the honest and open dynamic of Ayaka and Takeru, each couple brings something unique to the story.
If we had to find a difference between Tsuredure Children and Tsukigakirei, it would be the former’s more comedic atmosphere, but that’s not a big deal at all.
13. Golden Time
Golden Time, much like Tsukigakirei, revolves around an extended cast of characters and their relationships, love entanglements, and problems, making it a good recommendation.
The story follows the lives of three college students, Banri Tada, Mitsuo Yanagisawa, and Koko Kaga, who are involved in a love triangle.
Banri Tada loses his memory after falling off a bridge before his high-school graduation, making him an interesting protagonist.
Mitsuo Yanagisawa is a friend of Banri’s, and Koko Kaga is Mitsuo’s childhood friend and an over-the-top girl who shows up by slapping Mitsuo with a bouquet of roses.
The only difference, though not too significant, is the same as in Tsuredure Children: Golden Time has a lighter and more frenetic pacing, with a greater emphasis on comedy.
12. Sing Yesterday for Me
Sing Yesterday For Me is a mature anime romance with many psychological aspects that are more prominent than romantic elements.
We recommend it to you for one simple reason: like Tsukigakirei, it tells a realistic story that you can easily relate to, without any fanservice, exaggerated, or stereotypical moments.
The protagonist, Rikuo Uozumi, is a boy without ambition who takes up a simple part-time job after finishing school, with no plans for the future.
It’s here that he meets several acquaintances who open his eyes to the world around him, from his old crush to a peculiar girl named Haru.
If you are looking for a series that maintains the same qualities and vibes as Tsukigakirei but in a more mature setting, Sing Yesterday For Me is definitely worth checking out.
11. Horimiya
With Horimiya, we are still in the same vein as Golden Time and Tsuredure Children: anime with a similar structure to Tsukigakirei but narrated in a decidedly more comedic and lighthearted manner.
Hori appears to be a popular girl, but in reality, she spends her free time doing housework and studying, while Miyamura seems like a shy and outcast guy, but when nobody sees him, he is actually popular and outgoing.
After a chance encounter, they reveal their true selves to each other and become a couple, navigating the ups and downs of high school life together.
But apart from the difference mentioned earlier, Horimiya, like Tsukigakirei, tells a light and tender love story, along with a well-rounded and closely knit cast of characters.
10. Looking Up at the Half-Moon
If you enjoyed Tsukigakirei’s coming-of-age storytelling with a focus on character development, then you will love Looking Up at the Half-Moon.
The anime follows Ezaki Yuuichi, a boy confined to a hospital due to hepatitis A, who meets Akiba Rika, a moody and bossy girl around his age also staying at the same hospital.
Despite her personality, Yuuichi can’t resist her beauty, and the two begin a heartwarming and heart-wrenching journey of love.
However, Looking Up at the Half-Moon is more serious and melancholic than Tsukigakirei, so don’t expect a happy ending.
But if you are looking for a change of atmosphere and a touching story that explores themes of love and loss, Looking Up at the Half-Moon is an excellent choice.
9. Toradora!
Toradora! is one of the best romance anime that features a large cast of close-knit characters, along with their love entanglements and believable relationships, much like Tsukigakirei.
The story revolves around Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, two high school students with contrasting personalities who team up to help each other win the hearts of their crushes.
However, as they spend more time together, they may begin to develop unexpected feelings for each other.
If you enjoyed the gentle and heartwarming love story of Tsukigakirei, along with its well-rounded and complementary cast of characters, then you are sure to appreciate Toradora! as well.
8. 5 cm Per Second
5 Centimeters Per Second is considered one of the best romance movies out there, and like Tsukigakirei, it tells a coming-of-age story that hits close to home.
The movie’s main theme is unrequited love, which leaves behind only regret.
It’s divided into 3 parallel stories, all centered around the characters of Akari and Takaki, who have been in love since childhood but are unable to fully realize their love due to life’s circumstances.
Each story represents a different stage in their lives, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.
Essentially, 5 Centimeters Per Second is a coming-of-age romance, but without a happy ending. So, it’s a perfect choice if you are looking to explore the other side of the coin.
7. Tamako Love Story
Tamako Love Story is an excellent romance movie that we have often recommended in our articles for a reason: it tells a light and innocent love story like Tsukigakirei, which we are sure you will love.
The movie follows the story of Mochizu and Tamako, who have been best friends since birth. Growing up, they spent countless hours playing together, and Mochizu eventually falls in love with Tamako.
As they approach their final year of high school, Mochizu decides to attend a university far away. Before he leaves, he decides to confess his feelings to Tamako.
Unfortunately, Tamako panics and rejects him, but as he sets out on his new journey, she begins to realize the depth of her own feelings. A race against time ensues as she tries to set things right.
The only difference we can find is that perhaps Tamako Love Story relies more on comedy and deliberately stereotypical scenes than Tsukigakirei. But apart from that, we have no doubt that you will enjoy it.
6. Just Because!
Just Because! is extremely similar to Tsukigakirei, to the point where it’s almost the same anime with a slightly different storyline and premise.
It follows the story of Mio Natsume, Hazuki Morikawa, and Haruto Souma, three childhood friends who are eagerly waiting for the end of their junior year in high school so they can enjoy their well-deserved vacation.
However, when a transfer student named Eita Izumi comes back to town, old relationships are reignited, and buried feelings resurface.
The similarities between the two anime are significant: they both tell a coming-of-age love story in a realistic and non-stereotypical way that you can easily relate to.
If you enjoyed Tsukigakirei, you’ll definitely love Just Because!.
5. Ore Monogatari!!
Ore Monogatari!!! is a heartwarming anime romance that, like Tsukigakirei, portrays a tender first love story in a light-hearted atmosphere. However, it also has some differences.
The protagonist Takeo Gouda stands out from the typical romantic hero with his muscular physique and unorthodox personality.
When he rescues Rinko Yamato from danger, he falls head over heels in love and pursues her despite opposition from his best friend Makoto Sunakawa. Their journey is full of ups and downs, but their love only grows stronger with each episode.
The anime explores themes of coming of age, self-discovery, and realistic relationships between the characters.
The difference we were talking about? That one again: Ore Monogatari!!! is way more comedic and stereotypical in its approach.
4. Honey and Clover
Like Toradora!, Honey and Clover has few rivals if you are looking for an exceptional romance/coming-of-age anime that centers around a group of friends and their love entanglements, problems, and personal growth.
But we put Honey and Clover above Toradora! because it comes closer to Tsukigakirei in terms of storytelling: more mature, realistic, and less comical and stereotypical.
Set in a fine arts academy, the series follows the daily lives of five students, three girls, and two boys, as they navigate love and the difficulties of life.
Honey and Clover is essentially identical to Tsukigakirei, with the only difference being the setting, and that Honey and Clover is slightly more mature.
3. Whisper of the Heart
Whisper of the Heart is undoubtedly one of the best romance movies of all time, and surprisingly, it’s a great choice if you’re a fan of Tsukigakirei.
The movie follows Shizuku, a 14-year-old girl with a love for reading and a dream of becoming a writer.
One summer, she visits the library and realizes that the books she’s borrowing are the same ones that a boy named Seiji Amasawa has checked out. Curious, Shizuku sets out to find Seiji, daydreaming about him.
Whisper of the Heart has a lighter, more playful feel than Tsukigakirei, but there’s no doubt that if you’re looking for an excellent, well-written, and similar romance, you’ll love it.
2. One Week Friends.
One Week Friends is an interesting romantic anime that, like Tsukigakirei, features a tender love story with two protagonists pursuing their affection for each other.
The story follows Yuuki Hase, who decides to befriend a classmate named Kaori, who is isolated and has no friends, in an attempt to rescue her from her loneliness.
However, Kaori refuses his offer due to her unique condition of losing her memories every week. Undeterred, Yuuki sets out to win her trust each week, hoping to keep her from feeling alone.
However, there are some differences between One Week Friends and Tsukigakirei. One Week Friends has a significant focus on drama and psychology, given Kaori’s condition and Yuuki’s feelings of helplessness.
But if you are looking for a captivating love story that can capture your heart like Tsukigakirei, we highly recommend it.
1. From me to You
From Me to You is an excellent school romance that, like Tsukigakirei, focuses on the psychology and emotional growth of its characters.
Sawako is a high school student who is bullied by her classmates because of her resemblance to Sadako, the protagonist of the horror film Ring.
Despite her perceived intimidating appearance, Sawako is a sweet and shy girl, and catches the attention of Shota, the most popular boy in school.
The differences between the two anime are quite obvious.
From Me to You is less of a coming-of-age story than Tsukigakirei, and it centers around two characters rather than a group of friends.
However, if you enjoyed Tsukigakirei’s realistic and non-stereotypical approach to resolving trauma through love, then From Me to You will definitely touch your heart.
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