Highlights

  • Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! - Fun anime focused on friendship, romance, and laughs in Hokkaido.
  • Komi Can't Communicate - Hilarious high school romance about overcoming communication barriers.
  • Toradora! - Side-splitting love story of two high-schoolers with unexpected alliances.

Based on the Japanese manga series written by Kai Ikada, Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! is a fun anime that is centered upon themes of friendship, connection, romance, and adolescence. The comedy series revolves around the exploits of a high-schooler named Tsubasa Shiki, who finds himself experiencing a series of unanticipated encounters and cultural adjustments after he moves from Tokyo to the northmost part of the country, Hokkaido.

Related
13 Best Romance Anime Films, Ranked

These anime films are visually stunning and tell incredible romance stories that are sure to tug at the heartstrings.

Initially skeptical and somewhat apprehensive, Tsubasa's life takes a dramatic turn as he makes new friends and desperately tries to get used to Hokkaido's unforgiving cold environment. Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! offers viewers a lighthearted experience that is filled with unexpected surprises, romance, and laughter.

5 Komi Can't Communicate

Comparable High School Setting With Romantic Subtext

Najimi, Tadano, and Komi in Komi Can't Communicate
Komi Can't Communicate
Comedy

Release Date
October 7, 2021
Creator
Tomohito Oda
Number of Episodes
24
Streaming Service(s)
Netflix

Shouko Komi is a popular girl in high school who is often referred to as the school's Madonna by her peers. Despite being gifted with so much fame, Komi retains her mysterious and elusive persona, making her even more of a topic of intrigue for others. Little do her fellow schoolmates realize that Shouko struggles with crippling nervousness and a communication disorder that makes it virtually impossible for her to make friends.

Determined to overcome her personal restraints, Komi hopes to live her high school days to the fullest and make at least one hundred friends. Luckily, her classmate, Hitohito Tadano, learns about her condition and decides to help Shouko achieve her ambitious goal, becoming her first friend in the process. Komi Can't Communicate is a hilarious series set in a high school that explores the romance that blossoms between Komi and Tadano as they embrace each other's flaws and help one another become a better version of themselves.

4 Toradora!

A Side-Splitting Love Story Of Two Eccentric High-Schoolers

Taiga Aisaka & Ryuuji Takasu kiss in Toradora
Toradora! (2008)
Comedy
Romance

Release Date
October 2, 2008
Creator
Yuyuko Takemiya
Number of Episodes
25
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll , Tubi , Amazon Prime Video

Toradora! is a hysterically funny romance anime that is rated as one of the greatest series in its genre. Based on Yuyuko Takemiya's Japanese light novel series, the show revolves around Taiga Aisaka and Ryuuji Takasu, two high-schoolers with conflicting personalities. When they accidentally cross paths with one another, the duo learns insightful truths that contradict and challenge the rumors and preconceived ideas they used to have.

With the knowledge that they are interested in each other's best friends, Taiga and Ryuuji form an unexpected alliance. However, their partnership leads the duo to unexpected ends as they overcome their differences and misunderstandings while getting better acquainted with one another.

3 Horimiya

A Lighthearted Show Focusing On Young Adults And Their Romantic Lives

Horimiya Horu and Miyamura Hug at School
Horimiya
Comedy
Romance
Slice of Life

Release Date
January 10, 2021
Creator
Hero
Number of Episodes
26
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll , Hulu

Inspired by Hiroki Adachi's manga series, Horimiya explores complicated but recurring popular culture themes like identity, social acceptance, self-expression, and individuality. Although rarely praised for it, the anime beautifully captures the intricacies of juvenility and young adulthood through the subtle depictions of relatable experiences and sentiments. Despite being a lighthearted show, Horimiya still manages to address serious issues like self-image and mental health.

Izumi Miyamura is an ordinary student at Katagiri Senior High School who is known for being cold and unpretentious. Although his facial features make him look gentle, Miyamura hides his body, which is covered with secret tattoos and piercings. Well aware of the fact that he will be deemed a delinquent if his peers find out, Izumi is always conscious of hiding these unseemly features. Meanwhile, his classmate, Kyouko Hori, is considered by his fellow schoolmates as a beauty with brains who has nothing in common with Miyamura.

Related
22 Wholesome Anime That Will Put A Smile On Your Face

Some anime are extremely wholesome and will put a smile on any viewer's face. Here are some examples.

Despite their superficial differences, Miyamura and Kyouko connect effortlessly as fate brings them together. Horimiya focuses on the unlikely duo as they slowly develop a deep relationship that changes their lives for the better. Furthermore, the anime also explores the deep-rooted insecurities of its characters, offering viewers an intimate understanding of the challenges faced by young adults. Overall, the rom-com series is an ideal watch for fans of Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!, which explores somewhat similar themes.

2 Rent-A-Girlfriend

Hilarious Harem Series That Does Not Disappoint

Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3 Review
Rent-A-Girlfriend
Comedy
Romance
Drama

Release Date
July 11, 2020
Creator
Reiji Miyajima
Number of Episodes
36
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

Kazuya Kinoshita is an ordinary young adult who is madly in love with his girlfriend, Mami Nanami. Things appear to be going quite smoothly for the couple until one day Mami suddenly dumps Kazuya, leaving him heartbroken. To get over the pain of abandonment and betrayal, he ends up renting a girlfriend. That's when he crosses paths with the ravishing college student, Chizuru Mizuhara.

Related
10 Rom-Com Cliches That Will Never Get Old

From romantic gestures to plentiful period pieces, here are some of the best rom-com cliches that never get old.

Rent-a-Girlfriend primarily focuses on the rib-tickling drama that unfolds as Kazuya and Chizuru become intertwined in each other's lives. While Kinoshita falls head-over-heels in love with Mizuhara, the latter remains reserved and indecisive about her feelings towards him. As if their unresolved issues were not problematic enough, their dynamic gets further complicated by the involvement of Ruka, Sumi, and others.

1 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

Rom-Com Anime Revolving Around Eccentric Deuteragonists

Kaguya & Miyuki kiss in Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War (2019)
Comedy
Romance

Release Date
January 12, 2019
Creator
Aka Akasaka
Number of Episodes
41
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll , Hulu

Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya, of the well-known Shuchiin Academy, are two of the brightest students in the country and are considered the ideal couple by their peers. Kaguya comes from the affluent Shinomiya family, while Miyuki, through sheer hard work, has become the student council president despite being raised by a financially unstable family.

Although the duo are head-over-heels in love with each other, they are reluctant to confess because of their pride and honor. Kaguya-sama: Love is War recounts the mirthful story of the eccentric pair as they struggle with their competitive nature and slowly come to terms with their romantic aspirations. When it comes to rom-com anime, very few shows can come close to the entertainment value and emotional depth of Kaguya-sama: Love is War, which makes the series a must-watch.

More
17 Best Shonen Romance Anime, Ranked

Despite often being action heavy, even shonen anime can have romance in them, and these series are the best.