Top 10 Romance Tropes in Anime

There’s not much more romantic than a love that transcends lifetimes. Much like the love between Meliodas and Elizabeth in Seven Deadly Sins, characters with this trope always seem find each other and push past all obstacles that would prevent them from being together. It’s sweet, but can also lead to some problematic themes, such as 3000+ year old Meliodas’s comfort with lifting 16 year old Elizabeth’s skirt or grabbing her chest. While Elizabeth has been reborn, this behavior from Meliodas begins well before it is revealed that she was his lover in a past life. Despite this, their bond is genuine and it is shown time and time again how deeply they care for each other.

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Ah yes, the “Cinderella” of anime. When characters undergo a sudden transformation that becomes a romantic plot device, it can lead to some questionable love interests. This is beautifully tackled in Kiss Him, Not Me!. When Serinuma becomes woefully heartbroken over a beloved character, let’s be honest: we’ve all been there, her body undergoes a major transformation. To most, she is unrecognizable. Without giving any spoilers, I can safely say that this romance trope has been a true treasure to behold. Kiss Him, Not Me! is a definite winner for anyone who’s a fan of this trope.

Arranged marriages in anime tend to start rough, but usually they end with a really cute couple. In My Happy Marriage, Miyo is thrown into an arranged marriage that has a bit of a treacherous appearance. Again, I won’t spoil this anime for you, but in the arranged marriage trope, this love story is golden. Miyo’s timid personality is well portrayed and you’ll be rooting for her happiness the whole way. I know the previous trope was referred to as the “Cinderella” trope, but “Cinderella” also suits this trope. Rags to riches, a wicked step-mother and step-sister, just shy of the talking mice!

They say opposites attract, right? Well, in this trope, that couldn’t be more true. ItaKiss (Itazura na Kiss for the manga and translated to Mischevious Kiss in English) follows Kotoko, a girl who’s not so bright but ends up falling for one of the smartest men in the country. Though she means well, Kotoko doesn’t have the best of luck in her endeavors to prove she is worthy of his affection. This trope can be really cute and shows just how unpredictable love can be. I definitely recommend ItaKiss to any fans of opposites attract.

Who doesn’t love a good rival in a romance? Love triangles add some spice to an otherwise straightforward love story. In Fruits Basket, it can be hard to choose which love interest to root for, just like in many other love triangles. Yuki and Kyo both care about Tohru in their own ways and it shows. Love triangles are fairly common as far s romance tropes go, but there’s a reason that it is still growing. Pulling the heartstrings in two different directions keeps viewers coming back for more.

This trope is one of my personal favorites. She has a secret she’s trying to keep and he finds out. This usually leads to ” blackmail ” that is really more teasing. In Maid Sama, Usui finds out about Misa’s part time job and starts visiting her at work, teasing her about her working as a maid. To Misa, Usui is a nuisance who’s holding his knowledge of her job over her head, and for a little bit, he kind of is. The beauty of this trope comes when you realize his true intentions. Maid Sama is great for a laugh and will be tugging at your heart strings, I definitely recommend giving it a watch.

Okay, hear me out here. It’s so cute when the guy falls first. Granted, in Love Stage! they are both guys, but it’s still cute none-the-less. Izumi is a real “out of the spotlight” kind of guy who has a family full of people in the spotlight. When Izumi gets puled into doing a commercial as a sequel to a wedding commercial he was in as a child, he ends up portraying the bride! His partner for the commercial, Ryouma, has been pinning for Izumi since the first commercial when they were kids. The only problem? Ryouma has always believed Izumi to be a girl! While this leads to some very adult themes very early on, and even later on I wouldn’t recommend this for younger viewers, this is a sweet and cute love story. If you’re a yaoi fan and like to see the guy (even if it’s just the “manlier” guy) fall first, Love Stage! is definitely for you.

Appearances aren’t always what they seem, right? A romance surrounding someone who is scary looking but actually is very sweet always pulls my heart strings. In From Me To You: Kimi Ni Todoke, Sawado has a striking resemblance to Sadako that leads to many people misunderstanding and fearing her. Sawado is actually a very sweet girl who means well, and it’s beautiful to see her story evolve as people begin to understand her. The first one to really see her as kind in the show, Kazehaya, helps her show her true colors to her classmates. This trope is cute and you never really know what’s coming next.

So this is a manga, not an anime, but hear me out!! The sibling’s friend or friend’s sibling trope has so much to offer! Everything from unrequited love to hopelessly pining for each other without either one realizing and it hits close to home for many viewers. Kiss Made No Kyori is a cute short manga about 5 chapters long that covers Yuzuha’s crush on Hayao’s (her twin brother’s) best friend, Kaji. In the few chapters this story gives, it covers enough about the past to give clarity for the reader in the present, despite any misunderstandings that may occur between the two.

This trope leads to hilarity. In Romantic Killer, Anzu is living her best life being single, playing video games, eating chocolates, and doting on her beloved cat, Momohiki. When a wizard, Riri, takes away her three greatest desires to try to help Anzu find romance, Anzu decides that she’s going to fight Riri and avoid romance at all costs. This leads to Riri trying every trick in the book. This trope is one I haven’t seen much of, but it’s definitely golden. If otome stereotypes make you giddy or you just love a good rom-com, I definitely recommend Romantic Killer.

It’s really been over done, so I would have felt wrong including it as a ranked part of the list, but it would have also felt wrong to exclude it altogether. Ouran Highs Shool Host Club is a much more wholesome approach than some other anime I have seen, but the trope remains. The reverse harem (or the harem, depending on which you prefer) trope has many love interests and, much like the love triangle, pulls you in many directions. One MC with multiple love interests attracts a wider variety of viewers because there is a wider variety of love interests to root for. For example, in OHSHC, you could be rooting for the smart one, the cutesy one, the strong and silent one, the princely one, the mischievous ones, or even the yakuza one. The variety leaves viewers often rooting for more than one love interest, and can even leave viewers envious of the main character, watching just to live through them. Personally, if you like light-hearted rom-coms, I recommend Ouran.

While there are many (and I mean MANY) different tropes in romance anime, these are my personal top 10. Many popular tropes are highly saturated in terms of stories available, but there are some seriously golden ones that have barely been touched. Personally, I would love to see more of a fair few of these tropes. If there is a trope I’ve left out, feel free to leave a comment! I will also be leaving a list of where you can find these as of January 28, 2024 if any of you are interested in watching (or reading) any of the anime I have mentioned above.

Where to find the anime listed above:

Seven Deadly Sins – Watch on Netflix

Kiss Him, Not Me! – Watch on Crunchyroll

My Happy Marriage – Watch on Netflix

ItaKiss – Watch on Crunchyroll

Fruits Basket 2001 and 2019 – Watch on Crunchyroll

Love Stage! – Watch on Crunchyroll

Maid Sama – Watch on Hulu

From Me To You: Kimi Ni Todoke – Watch on Netflix

Kiss Made No Kyori – Read On MangaNelo

Romantic Killer – Watch on Netflix

Ouran High School Host Club – Watch on Crunchyroll