The 15 Best and Sweetest Romance Anime To Watch On Hulu
Yorozuya
Tops & Rankings
The romance genre has always been one of the most popular and widely followed, so much so that every release season, there is always at least one.
So we decided to take a chance, and given its ever-expanding popularity, we have gathered for you the best romance anime that you can watch on Hulu.
Now you have no more excuses, so find some free time and let these excellent series melt your heart.
As always this listicle is purely based on our opinions and knowledge.
Table of Contents
15. Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club is a series based on a popular shojo manga featuring comedy and sentimental elements combined with one of the best reverse harem anime you can find.
Haruhi Fujioka is a girl who after much effort has managed to enroll in Ouran Academy, one of the most prestigious academies in Japan.
After finishing classes, to find a quiet place, Haruhi enters a seemingly empty room, only to stumble upon the headquarters of the renowned Host Club.
This is a school club formed by the school’s best-looking boys for entertaining girls.
Haruhi however surprise drops a valuable vase, and to repay the debt she is forced to start working as an employee at the host club by disguising herself as a boy.
As is usual in these anime all the guys will try to conquer Haruhi, going on to form a big reverse harem, and this is how the anime will develop, between comedy and romance.
If you like the genre and have not seen it yet, it’s still a pretty enjoyable anime.
14. Plastic Memories
If you are looking for an anime that in plot and themes ends up being a real punch in the chest, then Plastic Memories is for you.
In a not-too-distant future, it is now customary to use human-like androids for the most common jobs.
Their life expectancy is limited to only 9 years, after which they are decommissioned and processed to a reset, making them start a new identity.
But when the story’s protagonist has to deal with the scrapping of some units with Isla, on of the androids, he will make a discovery.
An anime that unabashedly focuses on feelings, the actual protagonists of this show. The theme of morality will predominate, when we realize that these androids have actual feelings, creating an important question.
Is it right to exploit them and then decommission and reset them, making them lose all their memories?
Romance, feelings, and morality come together perfectly in this good anime, with Isla being one of the best kuudere girls in romance.
The father of Momozono Nanami, the main character, after accumulating a frightening amount of debt disappears, leaving her alone, and causing her to be kicked out of the house.
With nowhere to go, one day the girl rescues a mysterious traveler named Mikage from a rabid dog. The boy, to reward her for her kindness, decides to take her in.
But once she arrives at her destination, she will realize that the place is a shrine, populated by all kinds of spirits, including a fox-eared boy who seems to be interested in Nanami.
The plot of Kamisama Kiss is nothing particularly innovative or special and indeed falls squarely within the canons of supernatural-based comedy romance anime.
What rather makes it interesting are the characters, all of who are distinctive and well-characterized with beautiful designs.
12. Say I Love You
Say I Love You is a scholastic romantic comedy that would melt the hearts of the toughest fans with its twists and tender moments.
Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without ever having a boyfriend or even friends. One day she ends up getting into a fight with Yamato Kurosawa, a popular boy, who begins at that moment to take a liking to the girl.
Their romance soon begins in a kinda unexpected way, when one night Yamato, to save Mei from a stalker, kisses her to pretend to be his boyfriend.
Say I Love You presents a mature love story, with little room for comedy and much focus on the psychology of the characters, who are well characterized, with Yamato being of the coolest MCs in romance anime in our opinion.
Another strong point is the smooth and beautiful animations, far ahead of the time when the anime was released, in 2012.
11. Snow White with Red Hair
An award-winning anime and one of the best historical romance anime that, as you may have already guessed from the title, openly takes inspiration from the Snow White fairy tale, along with its medieval-like historical setting.
Shirayuki is a young herbalist who leads a quiet existence in the kingdom of Tambarun.
One day Raji, the prince of her country, decides to take her with him as his concubine. Shirayuki does not want this and decides to run away to escape this arranged marriage.
During her escape, she will meet Prince Zen, who welcomes her to court as a herbalist to help her resolve the matter and save her, but the two will end up falling in love in a heart-warming love story.
Zen will decide to make Shirayuki’s life as beautiful as he has always wanted it to be, choosing to protect her and be protective of her so that she lacks nothing.
If your goal is to find a solid, twist-filled romance set in a medieval setting, then this is probably the best choice on this list, and perhaps even one of the best in general.
10. Horimiya
Horimiya is one of the most popular romance anime in recent years, based on a Yonkoma manga, which is a collection of humorous strips.
It tells us the love affairs of Izumi, an introverted and quiet boy, and Kyoko, who, in contrast, is outgoing and friendly.
The 2 will manage despite their differences to understand and love each other, in an excellent romance that will keep us company throughout the story.
Horimiya despite being comic focuses on the growth, both physical and psychological of the characters, both the main characters and their friends.
It’s really a really good romance that makes us attached to the characters, making the viewer feel like an integral part of the events as a member of the company of friends.
Kousei Arima, the boy protagonist of the story, from an early age has always been an ace piano player, famous and recognized by many musicians even older than himself.
That was until he suffered the tragic loss of his mother, leading him to abandon music and feel depressed.
That is until he meets Kaori, a beautiful blond-haired violinist who plays by putting her whole soul into it. She will indeed bring back Kosei’s passion for music, but in a more carefree and lighter way than he was used to from his mother.
Your Lie in April focuses mainly on music, but it also has excellent romantic moments that will warm your heart.
This anime is known for one reason in particular: being incredibly sad. Get your tissues ready if you decide to listen to our advice, as this is one of the romance anime with the saddest endings as well as one of the most dramatic stories in romance.
8. Maid-sama!
Maid-sama! is a blessing in disguise and we are lucky to have it available on Hulu too.
This anime is set in Seika High School, a predominantly male high school where Misaki Ayuzawa achieved the position of first-ever female student council president, becoming extremely popular.
Its primary purpose, given the clear majority of males, is to protect girls from boys.
Misaki encounters Takumi Usui as he rejects a love confession by a classmate who starts crying. Misaki tries to intervene, but Usui shows total indifference, and so the relationship between the two begins in the worst possible way.
But Misaki is hiding a secret, namely that outside of school hours she works at a maid cafe, and guess who will find out about her on that same day? Usui, of course, will have to keep the secret so as not to ruin the girl’s school career.
It also has that trait typical of works from shojo manga and a prevalent moe component given by the maids, so it recommends itself.
7. Yona of the Dawn
In a story about treason and revenge, the main character princess Yona is betrayed and forced to escape from her kingdom.
She will do everything in her power to reclaim her place, as shown by her resolute nature. The story is set in a fictional kingdom that takes inspiration from the Three Kingdoms period of Korea, around 57 BC to 668 AD.
On her journey, she will be accompanied by her faithful general Son Hak, but along the way she will meet a great many male characters, creating a respectable reverse harem for herself.
And Son Hak, as a good bodyguard and Yona’s childhood friend, will be extremely loyal and protective throughout the story, becoming a real key element in the events.
The story follows the adventures of Takeo Goda, a 2-meter-tall, muscular student who doesn’t have much luck with girls. Every girl he likes ends up falling in love with his far more attractive best friend Makoto Sunakawa.
One day Takeo rescues a girl named Rinko Yamato from an attacker on a train, and so the two unexpectedly fall in love at the first sight.
The original manga had good success in the East, even placing as the best manga for girls for multiple years.
Ore Monogatari!!! is an excellent romance if you are a lover of comedy mixed with romantic elements and if you like unusual couples who go out of their way to rewrite the genre’s patterns.
Takeo and Rinko are all but the average dream couple you get to see in Japanese animation.
5. Spice and Wolf
Spice and Wolf is a truly unique and criminally underrated romance anime, almost difficult to pigeonhole into a single category.
This is because the anime, based on Isuna Hasekura’s novels, despite its vague fantasy world-building features does not adhere to the canons of the genre.
This is given the absence of magic and the struggle between good and evil and relying more on economics and trade.
The story revolves around the events of merchant Lawrence Kraft who agrees under request to help return to his native place a wolf-god called Holo, receiving in return his divine help and several privileges.
But feelings always blossom, and we will see a good romance between the 2.
Spice and Wolf is something we recommend you watch not only because it’s a good anime, but because of its uniqueness.
From Me to You is a manga written by author Karuho Shiina winner of the prestigious Kodansha Award in 2008, a title of no small importance in the Japanese anime and manga scene.
The anime adaptation was released in 2010 with 25 episodes.
The main character, named Sawako, is derisively called Sadako by her classmates because she resembles the character of the same name in Ring, the Japanese version of the famous Western horror film The Ring.
One day she will make the acquaintance of Shota, a popular boy in their school, who will treat her with consideration. This unusual relationship will blossom love and give birth to one of the best psychological romance anime in general.
Its ability to perfectly combine important psychological themes such as bullying and social exclusion with a solid romance that will make your heart melt is incredible.
3. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
One of the best and most acclaimed romance genre anime in recent years, and another great show available on Hulu.
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War deals with small self-contained stories about the eternal psychological and love struggle between Miyuki Shirogane, distinguished student council president, and his deputy, Kaguya Shinomiya.
The only difference between the 2 is that Shirogane comes from a modest family, while Kaguya is extremely wealthy and popular.
Both are determined to get the other to confess their love first because you know, in such cases the one who gives in first loses, and they can’t afford it.
This anime is an incredibly solid and complete show that even those who don’t appreciate romance should see.
There is material for every fan: funny moments that will bend you over with laughter, serious psychological moments, and many beautifully realized sentimental ones.
2. Fruits Basket
A classic romance anime with supernatural elements and a cult in the romance genre that received a remake in 2019 by Studio TMS Entertainment.
The story follows Tohru Honda, a girl that starts living in a tent after a family tragedy. Her tent is located inside the Souma residence, a peculiar household.
Once they know about her situation, they offer to let her live inside their house. The strange thing about the Souma family is that when they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
Fruits Basket is a cult for sentimental fans, and one of those romance anime that just can’t be missed if you’re a fan of the genre.
And this is not only because of its touching and sweet love story but also because the fantasy component of this anime gives that extra touch to the events that make it the unique show it is.
1. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is based on Hajime Kamoshida’s light novel of the same name and was adapted in 2018 by CloverWorks.
The plot revolves around Sakuta Azusagawa, a high school boy who keeps to himself and has only two friends.
This is caused by the fact that rumors are circulating about him allegedly assaulting some boys. One day, while walking around the library, he runs into a girl dressed as a bunny.
The girl’s name is Mai Sakurajima, his senpai older than him as well as a professional actress. The two will begin to discover each other, opening doors to their various past experiences.
It will feature many romantic scenes but will also deal with important and serious themes of the human psyche, with a specific focus on youth issues in a truly unique way.
These problems will not only be told and solved but will be shown as real supernatural phenomena, making it much more captivating, and creating a super interesting union of romance and supernatural genres.
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.
