12 Best Romantic Anime Movies Of All Time, Ranked

With anime movies encompassing virtually every major genre, it’s safe to say that there is no shortage of love stories told through Japanese animation. Anime romance films are as old as the medium itself, offering their own timeless star-crossed couples for fans of the genre. These can be fantasy and science fiction tales that feature prominent amorous affairs, or straightforward dramas and comedies revolving around a budding romance. And just because these stories are told through animation, doesn’t mean that they can’t contain mature elements or are guaranteed a happy ending.

From family-friendly movies to heartbreaking love-tinged tragedies for more mature audiences, there is a romance anime for everyone. Our personal favorites include ones with sci-fi premises and elements of magical realism but there are lots of solid slice-of-life love stories too. And with so many quality anime movies to choose from, we’ve gone ahead and narrowed down the best in the genre so far. Here are the 12 best romantic anime movies of all time, ranked and ready for you to fall in love with them yourself.

Gorō Miyazaki directed the 2011 period piece coming-of-age story “From Up on Poppy Hill” from a script co-written by his father (and Studio Ghibli co-founder) Hayao Miyazaki. Set in 1963 Yokohama, the story centers on teenagers Umi Matsuzaki and Shun Kazama, whose histories are tied to local sailors from the recent wars. Umi and Shun lead their friends to renovate buildings set for demolition as Yokohama rapidly modernizes and gentrifies, and along the way they grow closer together. However, discoveries from their respective pasts makes them realize they’re more connected than they thought, complicating this formative young love.

Though “From Up on Poppy Hill” might not rank as highly as other Studio Ghibli movies, it’s certainly not for lack of trying. The Miyazakis craft a story exploring the generational cost of war, particularly through the context of shared parental loss. This not only informs the love story between Umi and Shun but nearly derails it completely. A more grounded and unassuming tale from Studio Ghibli, “From Up on Poppy Hill” offers a nostalgic backdrop to its sentimental stakes.

Acclaimed filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda reunited with screenwriter Satoko Okudera for the 2009 science fiction movie “Summer Wars.” The movie follows high school math prodigy Kenji Koiso as he’s invited by his classmate Natsuki Shinohara to join her to visit her family in Ueda. During their visit, Kenji is implicated in a computer hack committed by the malevolent artificial intelligence program Love Machine, compromising the virtual infrastructure. As Kenji works feverishly to prove his innocence and stop Love Machine for good, he and Natsuki develop a deep love for each other.

“Summer Wars” is just a ridiculously gorgeous anime movie to look at as you enjoy the journey of its likable teenage characters. For all the online hijinks and commentary on unchecked A.I., this is a family story at its core, offering Kenji a bumpy introduction to his paramour’s quirky clan. “Summer Wars” signaled the arrival of a new anime auteur in Mamoru Hosoda, showcasing his favorite themes to great effect. You can expect other cinematic collaborations between Hosoda and Satoko Okudera on this list as a testament to their enduring work together.

The 2004 visual novel “Clannad” was adapted into both an anime television series and an anime movie, with both adaptations premiering in 2007. The movie focuses on high schoolers Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa, with Tomoya drifting aimlessly through school while Nagisa struggles to finish her studies despite her poor health. While trying to restart their school’s drama club, Tomoya and Nagisa bond and fall in love with each other. Deepening their relationship after graduating, Tomoya and Nagisa’s life together is derailed when tragedy strikes, though Tomoya finds solace in their shared dreams.

“Clannad” is one of the saddest anime movies ever but a strong reminder that sometimes the best love stories are tragic ones. Compared to the anime series, the movie offers a more streamlined narrative without compromising the story’s big emotional beats. Anyone familiar with the genre can predict the story’s big melodramatic development a mile away, but that doesn’t diminish its heartbreaking potency. A coming-of-age story that captures the emotional rollercoaster of young love and unpredictability of life’s cruelties, “Clannad” warrants a watch — just have the tissues ready.

The 1986 British fantasy novel “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones was adapted into an anime movie in 2004 by Hayao Miyazaki. The story follows Sophie, a young woman who is cursed to transform into an elderly woman after she encounters a witch. Sophie enters the moving castle of local wizard Howl, striking up a deal with the demonic Calcifer to be freed of Howl’s service in exchange for having her curse lifted. This quest is complicated by the surrounding nations going to war with each other and by Sophie’s developing feelings for Howl.

Arguably Miyazaki’s most underrated masterpiece, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is the venerable filmmaker’s most pointedly anti-war movie. These themes serve as a rich backdrop for the fantasy romance forming up the story’s emotional core. Like many Miyazaki movies, the 2004 film is something of a modern fairy tale and coming-of-age story all at once. A bombastic exploration of industrialism and warfare’s toll on innocence and old-world magic, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is Miyazaki’s gentle rebuke of the turbulent world around him.

Joining Mamoru Hosoda and Hayao Miyazaki as celebrated filmmakers with multiple entries in this article is Makoto Shinkai. 2007’s “5 Centimeters per Second” really kickstarted Shinkai’s career, with him not only writing and directing the movie but also writing its novelization and manga adaptation. The story is divided into three distinct acts chronicling different periods of the life of its protagonist, Takaki Tōno, and the women that he encounters as he grows up. This primarily involves Takaki’s childhood sweetheart Akari Shinohara, for whom he still pines despite being separated from her since they finished elementary school.

There is a poetically melancholic quality to “5 Centimeters per Second” that Shinkai employs to great effect. This is underscored by the movie’s occasional dream-like flourishes, including its haunting ending serving as a coda to Takaki and Akari’s dynamic. A gateway into anime films beyond Studio Ghibli’s catalog, “5 Centimeters per Second” is a wistful look at how love steers our lives. Few filmmakers capture emotional poignancy, particularly around romantic love, better than Shinkai and his sophomore effort cements that reputation.

Another beautiful romantic anime movie written and directed by Makoto Shinkai is 2019’s “Weathering with You.” The movie follows teenage runaway Hodaka Morishima as he arrives in Tokyo but struggles to find work. Hodaka befriends teenage girl Hina Amano, discovering that she can magically control the weather and going into business with her. As the couple fall in love, however, Hina’s powers grow out of control, threatening to flood Tokyo while the law closes in on the teenage delinquents.

Compared to the more sharply bittersweet “5 Centimeters per Second,” “Weathering with You” is as light as a cloud. The serious themes and raw emotional arcs are still on full display, but couched within a fantasy story. Shinkai creates characters who legitimately feel like teenagers: kids making reckless decisions without a serious thought to consequence in this coming-of-age tale. That makes the heartfelt romance at the center of “Weathering with You” all the more grounded and affecting between all the meteorological hijinks.

Hayao Miyazaki adapted his own 2009 manga story “The Wind Rises” with a feature film of the same name in 2013. The movie centers on protagonist Jiro Horikoshi, who possesses a lifelong love of aviation and turns it towards building airplanes. As Jiro becomes involved with designing and building planes for the Japanese military on the eve of World War II, he reconnects with his childhood sweetheart Nahoko Satomi. Unfortunately, Nahoko suffers from poor health, leading the couple to try to make the most of their time together.

“The Wind Rises” was initially intended to be Miyazaki’s final film before he came out of retirement three years later. The story feels incredibly personal to the venerable filmmaker, chronicling an obsessive professional whose work distracts from his home life. The movie also captures how art and personal achievement can be seized and corrupted by outside interests, often towards destructive ends. A tragic love story in the finest Miyazaki storytelling tradition, “The Wind Rises” would’ve been a solid movie for the filmmaker to end his career with.

Mamoru Hosoda and Satoko Okudera’s first movie together was 2006’s “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.” A sequel to the 1967 novel of the same name by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the movie has high schooler Makoto Konno learning that she has the power to travel through time. With only a limited number of time-jumps, Makoto uses her powers to help those around her. This informs her budding love story with her classmate and best friend Chiaki Mamiya, who has a secret of his own.

As with their other collaborations, there is an engaging art style to “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” that makes the movie stand out visually. The overarching warmth remains consistent, even in the more emotional moments of the story as its big dilemma arises. The relationship between Makoto and Chiaki is well-established, paying off in a big way as the true scope of the narrative comes into focus. The start of a strong creative partnership between Mamoru Hosoda and Satoko Okudera, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” remains among their best work.

The 1984 short story “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” by Seiko Tanabe was adapted into an anime movie in 2020. The movie opens with university student Tsuneo Suzukawa saving Josee Yamamura when her wheelchair accidentally careens down a steep road. Josee’s grandmother decides Tsuneo would make a great caretaker for her granddaughter, sensing a spark between them. This blossoms into a romantic relationship, though Tsuneo suffers his own life-altering tragedy along the way, with Josee stepping up to help him.

“Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” provides a stunning vision of Osaka, especially in regard to Tsuneo’s lifelong interest and studies into oceanology. But beyond its visuals, the movie offers a magnificently realized relationship at its core that grows organically across its story. Audiences who become deeply invested in how Tsuneo and Josee’s relationship fares will be relieved that this doesn’t result in an overly tragic ending. One of the best anime movies streaming on Crunchyroll, “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” offers a heartwarming romantic connection.

An underrated Studio Ghibli movie is 1995’s “Whisper of the Heart,” directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki. Based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi, the movie centers on teenager Shizuku Tsukishima who befriends a boy named Seiji Amasawa. The pair’s budding relationship is stalled when Seiji leaves to study violin-making in Italy for several months. To cope with Seiji’s absence, Shizuku writes a fantasy story starring a feline hero named the Baron, serving as an allegory for Shizuku’s own long-distance relationship.

“Whisper of the Heart” was the sole feature directorial effort by Kondō before his passing in 1998, adding a level of melancholy to the movie. But what really elevates the film is its sense of warmth and teenage yearning from its long-distance premise, poetically illustrated by Shizuku’s story. The movie would later receive a live-action sequel in 2022 and an animated Studio Ghibli-produced spin-off with 2002’s “The Cat Returns.” Cozily rendered and a quiet gem in Studio Ghibli’s celebrated library, “Whisper of the Heart” is an endearing coming-of-age romance.

Yoshitoki Ōima’s 2013 manga “A Silent Voice” was adapted into an anime movie of the same name in 2016. The story stars teenage bully Shōya Ishida who faces disgrace after tormenting his deaf classmate Shōko Nishimiya, and decides he must make amends with those he’s wronged before killing himself. This includes reconciling with Shōko, with Shōya dedicating his life towards helping her and her sister when he discovers their domestic circumstances. Through Shōya’s attempts at redemption, Shōko begins to fall in love with him while her own mental health issues surface.

Admittedly featuring a darker premise than most of the movies in this article, “A Silent Voice” provides a more offbeat love story. Mental health plays a huge role in the narrative, including prominent suicide ideation by more than one major character. And yet, Shōya and Shōko complement each other beautifully, with their respective flaws and traumas being understood and alleviated by the other. Emotionally turbulent, but ending on a cathartically healing note, “A Silent Voice” is rewardingly crafted.

One last Makoto Shinkai movie to close out this article, 2016’s “Your Name” really is the celebrated filmmaker’s magnum opus. The movie centers on two high schoolers, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, who begin intermittently swapping bodies. The two develop a deep understanding of one another, leaving written notes for the other to find, which blossoms into a distant romance. As the duo investigate their connection further, they learn they are separated by a three-year gap in their respective timelines, tied to a comet strike.

Along with the aforementioned “Weathering with You,” “Your Name” makes up the first two installments of Makoto Shinkai’s disaster trilogy. This trio of standalone anime movies feature a love story framed by volatile natural phenomena, with Shinkai taking inspiration from a real-life disaster for “Your Name.” What makes the 2016 movie stand out, in particular, is its deeply intertwined central couple, with the movie’s cataclysmic event giving its romance a tragically ticking clock to work against. Sumptuously realized by Shinkai and the rest of the creative team, “Your Name” truly is a love story for the ages.