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Hi Alysers! I am excited to share with you my Top 10 List of Romance Anime with Grown-up Characters! Seeing young people fall in love is fun to watch, but for some of you guys who are wanting to see grown-up characters take on their journey of love, this is the list for you! The list is based on my personal opinion of the shows. If you have any disagreements about the ranking, tell us in the comment section down below! We would love to hear your thoughts!
10. Recovery of an MMO Junkie
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 10 episodes
- Genre: Game, Comedy, Romance
Moriko Morioka, 30, is unemployed for the first time since graduating from high school, and she couldn’t be happier. Moriko rapidly turns to online games to occupy her free time after quitting her long-standing employment of over 11 years. Recreating herself as the attractive and dashing male hero “Hayashi” in the MMO Fruits de Mer. She delves into the realm of the game, where she meets the compassionate and adorable healer Lily. The two become inseparable almost immediately after becoming friends, much as Moriko herself gets increasingly immersed in her new “life” as Hayashi. Moriko eventually adopts the reclusive lifestyle in its entirety, only leaving her flat when it is necessary.
Meanwhile, Moriko is unaware that Yuuta Sakurai, a shy 28-year-old corporate worker from the opposite side of town, has also signed onto Fruits de Mer. When they happen to run into each other at a convenience shop late one night, they dismiss their experience as nothing more than another unpleasant contact with a stranger—but fate has more in store for them than they realize.
[Source: My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
Living through a virtual world is a common theme in the current times. People log in to a world of their choice and live through their character’s life to escape the reality of the real world. In this anime, their virtual life allowed them to meet someone that gives them happiness. Eventually, this transcends worlds and made them experience that happiness in the real world as well. This series gets better once you watch more episodes.
9. I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 13 episodes
- Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, Seinen
Though they couldn’t be more different, Hajime Tsunashi, a hardcore otaku who isolates himself at home while earning a living from his blog, and his wife Kaoru, a hardworking office worker who, in comparison, is rather average, albeit a bit of a wild drinker, have managed to fall in love. As this odd pair realizes, love is about much more than a first kiss or a wedding; the years that follow in the path of marriage bring both joy and challenges.
Hajime and Kaoru get themselves into a lot of strange and ridiculous situations, whether it’s because of their odd personalities or because of the strange people around them. Despite their difficulties, the love that binds them together motivates them to continue forward and strive to be better persons to offer happiness to their relationship.
[Source: My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
This series reminds me of the quote “A great relationship is about two things: First, appreciating the similarities and second, respecting the differences”. This anime depicts a couple with different personalities building a lifetime together. Their love story is quite a joy to witness. It is a feel-good anime that I really enjoyed watching.
8. Natsuyuki Rendezvous
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 11 episodes
- Genre: Supernatural, Drama, Romance, Josei
Ryousuke Hazuki is a young guy whose heart has been stolen. He visits the neighborhood floral shop every day in the hopes of catching a sight of the store’s owner, Rokka Shimao. He decides to obtain part-time work at the shop to get closer to her, but before he can do so, he runs across a significant roadblock: Rokka’s residence is haunted by a ghost who claims to be her deceased husband.
Since his death three years ago, Atsushi Shimao has kept a close eye on his widowed wife. However, Hazuki is the first to notice him, and the two rapidly clash: envious Shimao tries to obstruct the suitor’s advances by attempting to control his body, while Hazuki merely wants the ghost to pass away, allowing Rokka to move on from the past and him to be with the one he loves. A strange interaction develops between a disturbed woman, a relentless ghost, and a stubborn man in love as both men struggle to let go of their desires.
[Source: My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
Watching this series made me think of the sacred vow “Until death does us part”. Just how strong “love” is for someone to continue feeling this emotion towards another person, even when their physical body ceases to exist in the physical world. No one knows what happens after death, but having the ability to watch over your loved ones seems like a blessing and a curse. People might think Shimao is selfish for not wanting to let go of Rokka, but no one really knows how he feels about being so close, yet so far away from the one, he loves. This series made me feel a barrage of different emotions and was a good show to watch.
7. Golden Time
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 24 episodes
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Banri Tada suffers from amnesia as a result of a catastrophic catastrophe, erasing his memories of his hometown and history. He decides to move on and start a new life at law school in Tokyo after befriending Mitsuo Yanagisawa. But, just as he’s settling into college life, the lovely Kouko Kaga unexpectedly enters Banri’s life, and their chance meeting marks the start of an extraordinary year.
Banri discovers that he is in a new place and a new world after getting a peek of college life—a place where he can be reborn, make new friends, fall in love, make errors, and grow. And as he begins to understand who he was, the route he has chosen takes him to life so dazzling that he will never forget it.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
What I like about this series is that it shows how the relationship of the characters progresses. They showed the ups and downs of a relationship. Being in a relationship is not always sunshine and rainbow and communication between both parties is important to keep the relationship strong. I am not a fan of its ending, but overall, it is still a good anime to watch and enjoy.
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6. The Great Passage
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 11 episodes
- Genre: Slice of Life, Drama, Romance
Kouhei Araki, a longtime editor of Genbu Publishing’s dictionary editorial section, prepares to retire to properly care for his ailing wife. However, before he can retire, he needs to find someone to finish his most recent project: a new dictionary named “The Great Passage.” However, no matter where he looks, he is unable to find someone suitable, as creating a dictionary needs a great deal of patience, time, and commitment.
Mitsuya Majime works in the sales branch of Genbu Publishing, but he has weak social skills and is unable to read people’s moods in most situations. Despite this, because of his love of reading and cautious personality, he excels at having a passion for language. These abilities drew Araki’s attention and led him to give Majime a job in the dictionary editorial department. Majime is doubtful about his abilities and wonders if he will fit in with his new coworkers as he begins to accept his new role. Despite this, The Great Passage will bring them together in a sea of words.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
Passion and Dedication. Those are the two words I can say to describe this show. Besides the romantic adventures of the characters, what I am most attracted to is the character’s attitude towards their job. It is inspiring to see people that enjoy their work. The characters were also portrayed realistically, which is very similar to how people are in real life. I like how the creation of the new dictionary became a way to show the character’s stages of growth in life.
5. Love is Hard for an Otaku
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 11 episodes
- Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance
The lively Narumi Momose is running late for her first day of work at a new office after sleeping through all four of her alarms. As she sprints to catch her train, she vows to herself that none of her coworkers will learn of her terrible secret: she is an otaku and a fujoshi. Her plot, however, goes haywire when she runs across Hirotaka Nifuji, an old middle school acquaintance. Her cover is shattered when he casually asks if she will be attending the next Summer Comiket, despite her best efforts to preserve her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work. Fortunately for her, the only witnesses are otaku as well: Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura.
Later that evening, the two went out for drinks to catch up after all of their years away. Hirotaka suggests that Narumi meet a fellow otaku, namely himself after she complains about her previous lover breaking up with her because he refused to date a fujoshi. He makes a serious pledge to always be there for her, to support her, and to assist her in Monster Hunter’s rare drop farming. Narumi is blown away by the proposition and agrees right away. As a result, the two otakus begin dating, and their endearingly awkward relationship begins.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
Sacrificing your hobbies because of the responsibilities of being an adult is a reality for most of us. What I really like about this series is that it shows that abandoning things that makes you happy due to being thrust into the adult world is not necessary. As the saying goes “If there is a will, there is a way“. It was fun to see them enjoy their hobbies even in adulthood. The cute romance of both couples is really fun to watch. One pair trying to navigate their way in their new relationship and the other pair continuously lighting fire to their long relationship. It is especially fun to watch because of the characters being otakus. Seeing the hardships they face because of being an otaku, is kind of relatable for me, in some way. It is a good rom-com to watch when you are craving for one!
4. Spice and Wolf
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 13 episodes
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Holo is a powerful wolf deity who is celebrated and revered in the small town of Pasloe for blessing the annual harvest. Yet as years go by and the villagers become more self-sufficient, Holo, who stylizes herself as the “Wise Wolf of Yoitsu,” has been reduced to a mere folk tale. When a traveling merchant named Kraft Lawrence stops at Pasloe, Holo offers to become his business partner if he eventually takes her to her northern home of Yoitsu. The savvy trader recognizes Holo’s unusual ability to evaluate a person’s character and accepts her proposition. Lawrence is getting closer to his ambition of owning his own shop now that he has keen business skills and is a captivating negotiator. Lawrence begins to realize that his dreams are progressively transforming into something unexpected as he explores the countryside with Holo in quest of economic prospects.
Spice and Wolf, also known as Ookami to Koushinryou, is based on the popular light novel of the same name and combines the two polar genres of economics and romance to produce a captivating story filled with sophisticated plots, biting comedy, and smart dialogue. It is more than a bartering narrative; it becomes a voyage of reclaiming a lost identity in an ever-changing world.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
Motivated by their purpose, this series portrays the journey of the characters as they traverse the path towards their own goals. It is a dialog-rich series with educational topics like economics and trading. It is interesting to see their adventure and how trading works in Medieval times. The characters also have amazing chemistry that was so fun to watch. Seeing this series made me empathic towards the character’s emotions and thus immersed me in the story they have presented.
3. Honey and Clover
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 24 episodes
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Slice of Life
Yuuta Takemoto, a sophomore at an arts college, lives in a modest apartment with two seniors: the quirky Shinobu Morita, who constantly failing to graduate due to his absenteeism, and the sensible Takumi Mayama, who behaves like a proper senior to Takemoto, often keeping an eye on him.
Takemoto had not given much attention to his future until one lovely spring day when he meets Hagumi Hanamoto and falls head over heels in love. Hagumi, who is incredibly talented in the arts, enrolls in Takemoto’s university and quickly befriends Ayumi Yamada, a popular ceramics student. Ayumi is already familiar with the three flatmates and has a strong affection for one of them. Honey and Clover are a touching story of youth, love, soul-searching, and self-discovery told through the complex connections of five good friends.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
One of the most relatable series I’ve ever watched. The portrayal of the characters is so realistic that I feel like they are people I can easily see in a campus cafeteria or at a park. I can also relate to the things that they are going through, being in the same stage in my life. The character development was phenomenal in this series. I feel like the characters were what drove this series forward. It was a perfect mix of romance, comedy, and drama, which I really enjoyed. This is a highly recommended series!
2. Nodame Cantabile
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 23 episodes
- Genre: Music, Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Josei
Shinichi Chiaki is a world-class musician whose ambition is to perform among Europe’s top. He comes from a prestigious family and is known for being a perfectionist, not only of himself but also of others. Shinichi’s only impediment to traveling to Europe is his phobia of flying. As a result, he’s been relegated to Japan.
Shinichi meets Megumi Noda, or Nodame as she calls herself, during his fourth year at Japan’s finest music academy. On the surface, she appears to be an unruly young lady with no plans for the future. Shinichi is blown away by the sound Nodame creates when he first hears her play the piano. Nonetheless, Shinichi is shocked to learn that Nodame is his next-door neighbor, and to make matters worse, she falls head over heels in love with him.
Thoughts about the Anime:
A series that integrates one of my favorite things in life, music. Watching this series made me enjoy classical music more. It was really amazing to see someone being passionate about something that they truly love, in this case, music. Chiaki and Nodame were fun characters to watch as well. They have a different approach in life, and it gives us a different perspective of people experiencing life. Their chemistry was really impeccable in this series. The series was relatable, and the characters were realistic enough for me to actually feel the emotions that they feel. The combination of romance and music was really an enjoyable mix that I thoroughly enjoyed!
1. Clannad: After Story
- Status: Complete
- Number of episodes: 24 episodes
- Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance
Clannad: After Story picks up after Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa graduate from high school in the sequel to the critically acclaimed slice-of-life series Clannad. They go through the emotional ups and downs of growing up together. Tomoya realizes the value of a strong work ethic and the power of Nagisa’s support when he is unable to decide on a path for his future. They push forward to address their personal challenges, deepen their existing relationships, and form new bonds thanks to the couple’s dedication and unity of purpose.
Clannad: After Story is an emotional drama portraying the significance of family and the challenges of maturity.
Source: [My Anime List]
Thoughts about the Anime:
A classic in its genre, Clannad is an emotion-filled series that made me cry while watching it. This series made me feel emotions in levels that I did not expect a show to do. This show also affected my life in many ways, given that I have watched this when I was a little younger. It changed my attitude and perspective towards life. “Life goes on” is the overall feel that I get from the show. Taking what life gives you, and just doing what you can to do as to what is happening in your life, is the attitude I got from the story of Clannad. That is the reason why I placed this in number one because the story of the characters made me reflect internally and changed my view on things in life.
This series holds a special place in my heart and I really suggest you watch the show and experience it as well!
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