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Best Romance Anime, Ranked

The 57 best romance anime in the Codex, ranked by weighted score across the six-criterion rubric - NANA leads the list. Every title earned its place on story, characters, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact, not vote counts.

The short answer

The best romance anime is NANA — 8.74 out of 10 on the Anime Codex six-criterion rubric — scored, not voted. All 57 ranked below.

NANA
8.74
NANA
2006Top: Character 9.3
Honey and Clover (Hachimitsu to Clover)
8.66
Honey and Clover (Hachimitsu to Clover)
2005Top: Character 9.2
Toradora!
8.43
Toradora!
2008Top: Character 9.0
Maison Ikkoku
8.37
Maison Ikkoku
1986Top: Character 9.0
Cardcaptor Sakura
8.30
Cardcaptor Sakura
1998Top: Cultural 9.5
Chihayafuru
8.23
Chihayafuru
2011Top: Character 8.5
Fruits Basket
8.22
Fruits Basket
2019Top: Character 8.7
Welcome to the NHK (NHK ni Youkoso!)
8.22
Welcome to the NHK (NHK ni Youkoso!)
2006Top: Character 9.0
Paradise Kiss
8.15
Paradise Kiss
2005Top: Character 8.5
Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon)
8.10
Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon)
2012Top: Animation 9.0
Cross Game
8.08
Cross Game
2009Top: Character 9.0
Your Lie in April
7.86
Your Lie in April
2014Top: Animation 8.7
Nodame Cantabile
7.85
Nodame Cantabile
2007Top: Character 8.5
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (His and Her Circumstances)
7.83
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (His and Her Circumstances)
1998Top: Character 8.5
Ouran High School Host Club
7.83
Ouran High School Host Club
2006Top: Cultural 9.0
Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
7.81
Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
2014Top: Character 8.7
Clannad
7.80
Clannad
2007Top: Animation 8.5
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)
7.78
Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)
2009Top: Character 8.5
Rurouni Kenshin
7.77
Rurouni Kenshin
1996Top: Cultural 8.5
Lovely Complex
7.68
Lovely Complex
2007Top: Character 8.5
Tamon's B-Side
7.64
Tamon's B-Side
2026Top: Character 8.0
Skip Beat!
7.58
Skip Beat!
2008Top: Character 8.5
The Ramparts of Ice
7.55
The Ramparts of Ice
2026Top: Character 8.0
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
7.55
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
1989Top: Character 8.2
Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)
7.50
Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)
2014Top: Character 8.0
Bokura ga Ita (We Were There)
7.45
Bokura ga Ita (We Were There)
2006Top: Character 8.0
Recovery of an MMO Junkie (Net-juu no Susume)
7.43
Recovery of an MMO Junkie (Net-juu no Susume)
2017Top: Character 8.0
Bakuman
7.38
Bakuman
2010Top: World 8.0
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class
7.38
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class
2026Top: Character 7.8
School Rumble
7.20
School Rumble
2004Top: Character 8.0
Sailor Moon
7.15
Sailor Moon
1992Top: Cultural 9.5
Ristorante Paradiso
7.12
Ristorante Paradiso
2009Top: World 8.0
Hataraki Man
7.10
Hataraki Man
2006Top: Themes 8.0
Kamisama Hajimemashita (Kamisama Kiss)
6.94
Kamisama Hajimemashita (Kamisama Kiss)
2012Top: Character 7.5
Urusei Yatsura
6.93
Urusei Yatsura
2022Top: Cultural 9.0
You and I Are Polar Opposites
6.93
You and I Are Polar Opposites
2026Top: Character 7.5
Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?
6.92
Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?
2026Top: Character 7.4
I Want to End this Love Game
6.92
I Want to End this Love Game
2026Top: Animation 7.3
Fushigi Yûgi
6.83
Fushigi Yûgi
1995Top: Cultural 7.5
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii)
6.75
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii)
2018Top: World 7.2
Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
6.70
Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
2010Top: Character 7.5
Tune In to the Midnight Heart
6.60
Tune In to the Midnight Heart
2026Top: Animation 7.0
InuYasha
6.53
InuYasha
2000Top: Cultural 8.0
Marmalade Boy
6.41
Marmalade Boy
1994Top: Cultural 7.0
Peach Girl
6.35
Peach Girl
2005Top: Character 7.0
Mistress Kanan is Devilishly Easy
6.34
Mistress Kanan is Devilishly Easy
2026Top: Character 7.0
The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
6.30
The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
2026Top: Character 6.7
Vampire Knight
6.23
Vampire Knight
2008Top: Character 6.5
Ranma ½
6.22
Ranma ½
1989Top: Cultural 8.0
Itazura na Kiss
6.19
Itazura na Kiss
2008Top: Character 6.8
Tokyo Mew Mew
6.04
Tokyo Mew Mew
2002Top: Cultural 7.0
Rave Master
6.00
Rave Master
2001Top: World 6.5
Hayate the Combat Butler
5.98
Hayate the Combat Butler
2007Top: Character 6.5
Sword Art Online
5.98
Sword Art Online
2012Top: Cultural 8.5
Special A
5.68
Special A
2008Top: Character 6.3
To Love-Ru
5.13
To Love-Ru
2008Top: Cultural 6.5
Negima! Magister Negi Magi
4.63
Negima! Magister Negi Magi
2005Top: World 5.5

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FAQ

What is the best romance anime?
NANA ranks #1 among romance anime on the Anime Codex rubric, scoring 8.74 out of 10. Every title is scored on story, characters, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact — not vote counts.
How are the best romance anime ranked?
Each show is scored 0-10 on six criteria - story, character writing, themes, world-building, animation, and cultural impact - then combined into a single weighted Codex score. The romance list is those scores, sorted highest first.
How many romance anime are ranked here?
57 romance titles from the Codex catalogue currently carry a full ranking. The list updates as new shows are scored.
Is this ranking based on popularity?
No. Popularity and member counts don't feed the score. The ranking reflects the rubric only, which is why it often disagrees with the crowd - and that gap is the point.