The 12 Best Workplace Romance Anime for a Change of Setting
Yorozuya
Tops & Rankings
You’re looking for some good romance anime that shifts its setting from the classic school environment? As always, we are here to help and guide you to the best choice.
With this in mind, we have gathered for you the best romance anime set in a workplace, perfect for something fresh.
From the more classic vanilla love stories to some deeper and more psychological ones, rest assured that there is a choice for every taste and preference.
Just remember that this list is written based on our personal opinion and experience.
Table of Contents
12. Ganbare Doukichan
Ganbare Doukichan is a collection of 12 animated shorts released in 2021, based on comic and romance themes and with ecchi elements.
Douki-chan is a young girl who has feelings forher co-worker.
But between awkward situations and other female colleagues who will get in his way, it won’t be easy for her to win him over!
If you are looking for something light and watchable without too much commitment, then this anime is for you.
Each episode lasts approximately 5 minutes, and between the comic scenes and incredibly tender romantic moments, you won’t even realize they have passed.
The story follows the funny goings-on of some employees of a public office in Hokkaido in a combination of comical, no-sense, and romantic situations.
Servant x Service is a great choice if you’re looking for an anime with little plot, but lots of entertainment thanks to its comic scenes with romantic interludes.
The animations are also not bad at all, and all the characters are quirky characterized, and funny.
10. My Tiny Senpai
My Tiny Senpai is a 2023 anime adapted in 12 episodes from a seinen manga.
It’s a great slice-of-life/workplace romance anime featuring comedy, mature characters, and a glimpse into the working world in Japan.
It’s great if you’re looking for a fun series filled with cute vibes, making it perfect for a lighthearted watch.
The main character is Shinozaki, an office worker who looks after his colleague Katase Shiori, known for her petite stature.
There’s a tension between the two: Shiori is friendly and open with Shinozaki, but he sees her behavior as mere courtesy.
Will romance bloom between them, or will their relationship stay strictly work-related?
9. My Senpai is Annoying
My Senpai is Annoying is a good romcom released in 2021 in 12 episodes.
Igarashi is a clumsy worker who works hard in the office. Takeda, on the other hand, is her senpai who loves teasing her.
We will see the girl’s life as she seeks balance between her private, work, and love life while experiencing a succession of absurd moments.
But as often happens in these cases, strong feelings between the two will soon surface.
If you are looking for something light, based on comedy, and without a complicated plot to follow, then this is an excellent choice that we are sure will keep you entertained.
8. The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is a recently released romance anime that brings in comedy and supernatural elements, giving it a fun and unique twist compared to the usual romance stories.
We recommend it if you’re in the mood for a straightforward yet different romance anime, offering a bit of a change from the typical series in this genre.
The protagonist is Himuro, who may seem like an ordinary guy, but he’s actually the distant descendant of Yuki-Onna, a figure from Japanese mythology with the power to control ice.
Thanks to this heritage, Himuro can freeze things he touches or make it snow when he’s feeling anxious.
Now, the big question is, how will he handle his romantic feelings for his coworker Fuyutsuki given his icy abilities?
7. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun is one of the best comedy romance anime, released in 2014 with only 12 episodes.
Sakura is a girl who is secretly in love with her classmate Nozaki, and one day she finally finds the guts to come forward and confess her love.
What she doesn’t know is that Nozaki is a famous mangaka, and she mistakes the girl’s confession for a letter from a fan, and he will then decides to hire her as his assistant.
Will Sakura take advantage of this absurd opportunity to get closer to her lover?
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun is a fun romantic anime, with good characters and a story full of gags and tender moments.
6. Working!!
Working!!! is a good slice of life romance anime coming out in 2010 in only 13 episodes.
The main character is Takanashi Souta, an ordinary 16-year-old student with a kink for cute little things and people.
He ends up taking a part-time job as a waiter at the Wagnaria restaurant from Taneshima Popura, a girl who is precisely small in stature. There he will meet many peculiar people, experience comical situations, and fall in love.
Working!!! is exactly what it sounds like from the synopsis: a super-light romance anime, perfect to watch if you are looking for something without any particular plot twists that can entertain you during its 13 episodes.
Hazuki falls in love at first sight with an older woman who works as a flower girl. Her name is Rokka, and to get closer to her, he decides to get hired as a part-time employee in her store.
However, the woman is by no means ready to enter into a relationship, as she is still suffering from the recent loss of her husband.
Moreover, still conditioned by the grief over the loss, the woman can see the ghost of the man, preventing her from moving on.
If you are looking for a short and mature romance anime with strong psychological themes, we highly recommend it. Its story is full of pathos, with a slow and complicated romance.
4. Ristorante Paradiso
Ristorante Paradiso is an excellent and unique anime released in 2009 in 11 episodes, which in addition to the romance theme focuses on cooking.
This story is set in Italy and is about Nicoletta, a girl who has lived since her childhood with her grandmother.
Her mother Olga, years before, had left her in the care of her grandmother so she could live with Lorenzo, a man who doesn’t want to have relationships with women with children.
Nicoletta, now grown up, decides to take revenge by showing up at Lorenzo’s restaurant, called Ristorante Paradiso, to expose her mother’s lie, but she is unexpectedly captivated by the stunning beauty of the restaurant.
That’s when she decides to pretend to be a friend of Olga’s and not her daughter, so that she can be hired at the beautiful place where Claudio, a waiter with whom she falls in love, works.
Ristorante Paradiso is a small animation gem with a unique atmosphere, set in a beautiful, unique, and lively Italian setting. Its story is also unique and interesting, and we are sure it will captivate you.
Akira Tachibana is the classic unattainable beauty, as enchanting as silent and unapproachable.
Everyone wants to get close to her, but Akira is secretly in love with the manager of the caféwhere she works part-time, a forty-five-year-old man, who is divorced and has a son.
After the Rain is an anime that deals with the hard theme of impossible love between 2 people of different ages and its complications.
After the Rain is an incredibly underrated romance anime that explores incredibly mature themes and situations. All with excellent animations and an eye-catching character design that we are sure you will love.
The Great Passage is one of the most underrated romance anime, that went under the radar upon its release in 2016. Despite this, it hides a good story and message in its 11 episodes.
The main character is Mitsuya Majime, an inept man who drags himself from his home to his workplace. He has no ambitions or passions except for reading, the only glimmer of light in his dark life.
But one day he will be approached by Kohei Araki, an old professor, who offers him the chance to participate in a project: the creation of a new Japanese language dictionary.
Meanwhile, we’ll see Mitsuya’s relationship with Kaguya Hayashi, the niece of the owner of the apartment building where he lives, who starts to show an attraction towards him.
The Great Passage is a complicated anime, based on a famous novel in Japan. Its story is about finding meaning in one’s life while discovering love in unexpected situations.
Looking for something short and perfect to binge-watch tonight? Then Wotakoi, with only 11 episodes, must be your choice.
Narumi Momose is a young girl who is arriving late to the first day of her new work when she makes a promise to herself: no one must find out that she is a deep nerd.
But these promises go up in smoke when she unexpectedly meets at her workplace Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend of hers who knows her passions and is a great otaku himself.
The two will become increasingly more intimate, promising to respect their shared passion and to help each other farm on Monster Hunter.
Wotakoi is an excellent and underrated love story, which we regard as the best romance anime with Otaku MCs, with no doubts. Its romance is tender and entertaining, with funny, realistic, and well-written characters.
Passionate about Japanese culture for years, serial devourer of manga, anime, and videogames that have now become part of my routine.
My favorite series? Goodnight Punpun and One Piece.
