The 15 Most Underrated Romance Anime You Should Check Out

Snow White with the Red Hair is one of the most popular anime on this list, but it still doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves and is virtually unknown to many anime fans. It follows a young woman who works at an apothecary who must escape the prince of her nation, who wants to force her to serve as his concubine. She's rescued by Zen Wistalia, the prince of a nearby nation, and finds a new life as an herbalist in his country - as well as a new chance at true love.

Though not nearly as well known as NANA, an anime based on a manga by the same author, Paradise Kiss is still a must-watch. Yukari Hayasaka is a strait-laced student who focuses all of her energy into getting into college with the aim of escaping her dull hometown and overbearing parents. That aside, she doesn't have any real goals of her own. One day, she's asked to model for an eccentric group of fashion students going to art school. At first, she doesn't want to get distracted from her studies, but she finds herself impressed by their dedication to a singular goal. What's more, she might be falling for George Koizumi, the leader of the group.

You've probably at least heard of Fushigi Yugi, but if you haven't actually watched it, you should give it a chance - especially if you're a fan of more popular shows like Inuyasha and Fruits Basket. While there are aspects of it that haven't aged well, it still offers a wonderful combination of action and romance that's hard to find. It tells the story of Miaka, who is transported into a world resembling ancient China. There, she becomes the Priestess of Suzaku, a person whose destiny is to summon a god and save the nation of Konan from destruction. While there, Miaka falls in love with Tamahome, one of the Suzaku Seven. Their love story is a complicated one that's repeatedly challenged by everything from others vying for their affection to the fact that they're from different worlds. By turns frustrating and beautiful, it definitely leaves an impression.

Nanami Takahashi and Motoharu Yano start out their relationship cautiously but quickly end up deeply entangled with one another's lives. Unfortunately, their relationship is complicated by Yano's past, which involves a girlfriend who passed away in an accident, as well as a tryst with his former girlfriend's younger sister. If you love anime that digs deep into relationship drama to the point of resembling a soap opera, Bokura ga Ita is the show for you.

Romance can blossom in any environment, including a post-apocalyptic one. Shion and Nezumi come from vastly different worlds. Shion lives a privileged life in a protected enclave where he has no idea about the horrible things that people outside of his environment go through - meanwhile, Nezumi is a fugitive from the outside world. When Shion takes in Nezumi for the night, he and his mother are stripped of their "elite" status and forced to reckon with the same environment Nezumi fled. The two meet again - and as they deal with complex political issues, they start to fall in love with each other.

If you're looking for a unique plot, look no further than Natsuyuki Rendezvous. When Ryousuke Hazuki falls in love with widow and flower shop owner Rokka Shimao, he expects to have to win her heart - not to be blocked by the ghost of her former husband. In order to even get close to Rokka, he has to get past all the obstacles that the ghost puts in place. While the two duke it out over whether or not Rokka should move on, the three protagonists begin to form strange but powerful bonds with one another.

Honey & Clover is an older work based on a manga by the same artist responsible for the acclaimed March Comes In Like A Lion. Though not as well known, this anime is still seriously enjoyable. It follows a group of art college students who are trying to figure out what the rest of their lives should look like. This includes plenty of romantic entanglements and the complications that come with that territory. Whether it's Yuuta's unrequited feelings for Hagu or Ayumi's interest in Mayama, hardly anyone gets what they want in this show - but they learn a lot about themselves along the way.

Anime with short episodes tend not to get as much attention as those with a typical time frame. That being said, I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying is absolutely worth the small amount of time it takes to watch it. Kaoru and Hajime Tsunashi are a married couple who couldn't be more different - Kaoru is an 'ordinary' office worker, while Hajime is a nerdy otaku who works from home and doesn't really meet society's expectations of success. While there's a lot of comedy to be found in these differences, what really makes the series shine is their common ground. While their interests and priorities are different, they make each other laugh, support each other emotionally, and just generally make you root for them as a couple.

If you think that an anime about making dictionaries isn't worth watching, think again - The Great Passage is every bit as a great as the title implies. Mitsuya Majime is a sales associate at Genbu Publishing who has no talent whatsoever for sales. When he's recruited to work on the creation of a new dictionary, he actually gets the ability to showcase his true talents. As his career is slowly taking off, he grows closer to the daughter of his landlord who is also a budding chef dealing with her own issues. The romantic storyline is a subplot to the dictionary one, but it's still an important part of Majime's character development, and it's truly well done.

Looking for something a little more light-hearted? Try Jitsu wa Watashi wa, a vampire romance about a teenage boy named Asahi Kuromine who accidentally discovers that his classmate and crush Youko Shiragami is actually a vampire. Where before the main conflict was about whether or not she'd like him back, now the issue is whether or not they can keep her vampiric nature a secret. Little do they know that their class is actually full of supernatural beings! Vampire romance is a niche subject to begin with and this fun, little series is often overlooked in favor of most popular shows like Vampire Knight, but if you like supernatural romcoms, this is well worth your time.

Fumihiko Matsumaru's life isn't going well - his career in sales is tanking, and he has no luck in the romance department either. On the way home from getting stood up, he runs into his neighbor Aka Onda and ends up going out with her instead. When Aka's house burns down, she winds up moving in with Fumihiko. As the two of them try to move forward in their careers and voice acting, they start forming a relationship. Unlike in most anime, where physicality basically doesn't exist and if it does it happens long after the relationship is already established, these two are intimate with each other before they admit to dating.

While there are plenty of adult anime fans, the fan base does tend to skew toward younger viewers. This might be why romance anime that focuses on adults aren't always as popular - especially when the lives of those adults are squarely focused on full-time work. Hataraki Man is about a couple who can't seem to make time for each other due to the demands of their respective careers. Worse, they have to contend with jealousy issues when the man's career isn't as successful as the woman's. If you're looking for an anime that gets uncomfortably real about the demands of the working world and how that impacts peoples' personal lives and relationships, watch Hataraki Man.

Mysterious Girlfriend X is kind of a cult favorite, but it's still largely ignored by the wider anime community. The premise is deeply bizarre - Tsubaki Akira becomes physically addicted to Mikoto Urabe's drool, which he consumes on a whim while she's asleep at her desk. While this sounds like it's going to be a particularly creepy hentai, it's actually not that. Instead, it's a complex relationship between two fully rendered character who feel like real people. Strange people, yes, but people you care about nevertheless. Mysterious Girlfriend X is a romance anime that proves that anime doesn't have to fit preconceived models to be good.

When Scum's Wish came out in 2017, it generated a lot of discussion - but since then it's mostly faded into the background. That's too bad because it's actually a really cool show. Mugi and Hanabi are two teenagers who are in love with their teachers. Because they know that it's unlikely that their feelings will be reciprocated, they decide to take solace in each other. There are plenty of complications, however - ranging from both Mugi and Hanabi having friends who are in love with them, to Mugi's crush not being the sweet and gentle person she seems to be. This anime depicts love as one of the most painful, complicated, messy things in the world, so if you're feeling bitter about the concept of romance, this is a great next watch.

Fumi Manjoume and Akira Okudaira were once best friends, so when they meet again at their new high school, they hope to resume their friendship. Things aren't quite as simple as they would hope, because both girls have new romantic issues to contend with - including Fumi's interest in girls, and Akira not being ready for the dating world her friends have entered into. The two of them fumble their way through their own romantic concerns, while also trying to help their other friends with their issues. This is a messy, emotionally complex anime that will get you invested in every single one of its characters.