16 Romance Anime Series for 2025

Shojos, these mangas and anime aimed at girls, have been wildly popular for many years. While they attract a smaller audience than shonens, they have successfully carved out a place in Otaku pop culture.

However, not all romance anime are shojos—some are shonens or even romantic comedies published in Japan’s most famous shonen magazines! Here’s a quick overview of these anime that might just captivate you in 2025, whoever you are.

Cultural Exchange with Game Center Game is a rather unique manga, originally published on Twitter and Pixiv in 2019 by Hirokazu Yasuhara. Since then, the series has clearly found its audience and secured a traditional publication through Kadokawa, as well as an online release on the Niconico Manga website.

The premise? Exactly what the title suggests. Renji Kusakabe, an employee at a Japanese arcade, meets a young Englishwoman, Lily Baker, during a cultural exchange. Naturally, in addition to her love for Renji’s workplace, there’s a chance their budding friendship could blossom into something more…

The nine-volume manga is set to become an anime in July 2025. The adaptation will be handled by the animation studio Nomad.

The shojo manga Honey Lemon Soda by Mayu Murata was first published in 2015 in Shueisha’s Ribon magazine. With over 13 million copies sold, the manga has already been adapted into a live-action film in 2021 starring Raul (from the japanese boy band Snow Man) as Kai Miura and actress Ai Yoshikawa as Uka Ishimori.

Honey Lemon Soda follows the daily life of Uka Ishimori, a socially anxious high school girl. Nicknamed “The Stone” by her classmates, who fail to understand her struggles with public speaking, Uka meets Kai Miura, a boy her age determined to help her. What unfolds is a heartwarming romance, with Kai doing everything he can to help Uka overcome her fears and move forward with her life.

The anime adaptation is set to premiere on January 9, 2025, produced by TMS Entertainment and animated by J.C. Staff. The series will be available on Crunchyroll.

A true success story, the manga My Happy Marriage by Akumi Agitogi and Tsukiho Tsukioka, first published on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website (a website who allows users to publish their own stories), has been in print since January 2019 under Fujimi L Bunko.

It has inspired several adaptations, including a live-action film released in 2023 and a manga serialized in Square Enix’s Gangan Online since December 2018.

The anime adaptation, produced by Kinema Citrus, premiered in 2023 with a first season of twelve episodes.

Now, it’s time for the highly anticipated second season, which continues the story of Miyo Saimori, a young woman from a noble lineage with supernatural powers. Considered a burden by her family due to her lack of abilities, she is sent to the Kudō household in what appears to be a cruel attempt to rid themselves of her. However, she discovers that her husband, rumored to be heartless, is much kinder than he seems.

Season two premieres today, January 6, 2025, and is available on Netflix.

Blue Box is a shonen—yes, a shonen, a manga aimed at boys—and yet, it’s all about romance! Written and illustrated by Kōji Miura, the series is relatively new, having started serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2021 before getting a physical release.

The anime is set in the world of sports and revolves around a romance between Taiki Inomata, a member of the badminton club, and Chinatsu Kano, the star of the basketball team. While Taiki struggles to confess his feelings, an unexpected event gives him a chance to change that. Of course, things won’t be so simple.

Rather than a second season, this is the second part of the 25-episode anime series, which resumed on January 2 on Netflix. The first part aired in 2024 and was produced by Telecom Animation Film.

For those following the series, season two delves deeper into a love triangle that just might reach a resolution in the upcoming episodes. But no spoilers here—stay tuned!

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons is a Japanese light novel (an illustrated novel) written by Izumi Sawano and illustrated by Miru Yumesaki. Initially published on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website between 2018 and 2019, it was later acquired by Shufu to Seikatsu Sha.

A manga adaptation followed, illustrated by Uri Sugata, and has been serialized on the group’s platform PASH UP! since 2020. A physical version is also available.

The story is set in a world inspired by European aesthetics. It follows Leticia, a young princess who would rather do anything than train to become the perfect future wife for Prince Clark, heir to the throne. When their engagement is broken off, Leticia naturally thinks freedom is finally within her grasp. However, Clark, far more invested in their engagement than she was, isn’t ready to let go just yet.

A persistent suitor or a hidden soft heart? The anime, produced by EMT Squared, has been streaming on Crunchyroll since January 5!

Betrothed to My Sister’s Ex is a Japanese light novel written by Tobirano and illustrated by Mai Murasaki since 2019, this series also debuted on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō platform. The rights were later acquired by Futabasha, which has been publishing the volumes under the M Novels f imprint since 2020.

The manga adaptation, illustrated by Chikage Nakakura, has been released both in physical format and on the publisher’s website Gaugau Monster, also starting in 2020.

The story follows Anastasia and Marie, two sisters and daughters of a ruined baron. The eldest, Anastasia, is forced to marry a count to pay off her father’s debts. However, after Anastasia dies in a carriage accident, her red-haired sister Marie, unloved by her family, must take her place and marry Count Granado. But as fate would have it, Granado had already fallen in love with Marie at first sight and had always intended to marry her.

The anime adaptation is set to premiere in July 2025, produced by LandQ Studios.

The yaoi manga by Syundei was serialized in Opera magazine from 2014 to 2016, followed by a sequel titled Go For It Again, Nakamura! which ran from 2017 to 2021.

Promising to be a heartwarming anime, Go For It, Nakamura! tells the story of Nakamura, a shy high school student who falls in love with his classmate, Hirose. Despite his timid nature, Nakamura resolves to win the heart of the boy of his dreams.

The anime, produced by Drive, is set to premiere in 2025 on Crunchyroll.

The manga by Akamaru Enomoto was serialized in Kodansha’s Morning magazine from March 2019 to January 2023.

I Have a Crush at Work focuses on the relationship between Tateishi Masugu, an accountant at a confectionery company, and Mitsuya Yui, his colleague from the planning department. The catch? Their relationship must remain a secret at all costs, which proves to be a challenging task at times.

The anime, produced by Blade, premieres today, January 6, 2025.

A rather long name, There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless... is a Japanese yuri light novel written by Teren Mikami and illustrated by Eku Takeshima, it has been published since 2020 by Shueisha under the Dash X Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation followed the same year, illustrated by Musshu and released under another company label, Dash X Comic.

The story follows Renako Amaori, a high school girl who struggles to make friends. One day, she is approached by Mai Oduka, the most popular girl at school. Why? Mai sees Renako on the roof one day and mistakenly believes she’s about to jump.

From this misunderstanding, a friendship blossoms—one that deepens on Mai’s side as she confesses her feelings to Renako. Although Renako is initially reluctant to become Mai’s girlfriend, she gets drawn into a game that might just change her perspective.

The anime, produced by Studio Mother, is set to premiere in July 2025.

Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms is a manga written by Ran Kuze who began serialization in 2021 in the famous Weekly Shonen Magazine by Kodansha.

Mona Kawai is the most popular girl in high school. Used to being praised from all sides, she is caught off guard by Medaka Kuroiwa, a new student who seems completely immune to her charm.

Out of vanity, Mona tries to make the young man fall in love with her—but ends up falling for him first. What she doesn’t know, however, is that Medaka isn’t actually immune to her charms; he’s simply trying to resist the temptation, as he is currently a monk-in-training!

The anime, produced by SynergySP, premiered today, January 6, 2025, on Crunchyroll.

My Awkward Senpai is a manga written by Makoto Kudo who was initially published on Kudo’s Twitter in March 2019, before being officially serialized in Young Gangan magazine in December of the same year. The publication is owned by the renowned company Square Enix!

So, what will the anime be about? It follows a young woman, Azusa Kannawa, who is in love with a subordinate at her workplace. Her problem? As the title suggests, she is extremely awkward and struggles to express her feelings toward him.

The anime is set to release in 2025, and it will be produced by Studio Elle.

The Invisible Man? Wanting a Wife? is the premise of this manga, which was first posted on Twitter in 2021 by the user Iwatobineko. It was later serialized on the Pixiv Comic website.

The story follows Yakou Shizuka, a young woman working for a detective agency. Her boss, Tounome, is… invisible. While no one else seems to notice his presence at work, Yakou always feels him whenever he is near her. Naturally, this sparks Tounome’s interest in getting to know Yakou better, and perhaps letting love blossom between them.

The anime is set to premiere in 2025!

Kakuriyo is a light novel written by Midori Yūma and illustrated by Laruha, published by Fujimi Shobo. It has since been serialized in Enterbrain’s B’s Log Comic magazine and has had a physical release since 2016, this time with illustrations by Waco Ioka.

The story follows Aoi, a young student who inherits an extraordinary ability: the power to see yōkai, spirits from Japanese folklore. One day, one of these spirits enters her life, asking her to marry him to pay off her grandfather’s debts. She refuses, but instead decides to work at the inn he owns—and who knows what else may follow.

Season two will finally be available!… at the end of 2025. Yes, it will be quite a wait, and yet, it will be 7 years—yes, 7 years—since the first season of 26 episodes aired in 2018.

I Got Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class is a Japanese light novel written by Seiju Amano and illustrated by Nanami Narumi, it was originally a YouTube manga, published on the Manga Angel Neko Oka channel in 2020.

Later that same year, Media Factory began publishing the volumes under the MF Bunko J imprint. The manga version, illustrated by Mosskonbu, was published in 2021 on the Shōnen Ace Plus website, owned by Kadokawa Shoten.

Marrying the girl you despise most in the world is already tough, but when you’re just a high school student… it’s even worse. Yet, this is exactly what happens to Saito Hojo and his classmate Akane Sakuramori. Although they don’t get along at first, perhaps married life will bring them closer together?

The anime, produced by Studio Gokumi and AXsiZ, premiered on Crunchyroll on January 3, 2025!

Okitsura is a Japanese manga created by Egumi Sora, published on the website of the publishing company Shinchosha, Kurage Bunch, since 2020.

Falling in love with a girl from Okinawa can quickly become complicated when you don’t understand her dialect. This is the case for Teruaki Nakamaru, who has just transferred to a high school where he meets Hina Kyan, a young woman he falls in love with. However, he can only talk to her with the help of Kana Higa, her best friend, so they can understand each other.

Produced by Millepensee, the first episode was released on January 4, 2025.

Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You is a manga created by Haruka Mitsui, serialized in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine since 2020.

It follows Mizuho, a young high school girl and manga artist who is rejected by the person she loves. Luckily, her four childhood friends are there to help her smile again. Kizuki, in particular, falls in love with her, but… will he be the only one?

The anime, produced by Typhoon Graphics, is set to premiere on January 9 on Crunchyroll.

And not all productions have been revealed yet! So, you can expect more anime this year. But one thing is for sure: the month of January will be rich in emotions. There will definitely be something to spark your interest.

You have also probably noticed that many of these productions were originally published on social media, or on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website by talented users who have since found success. So if you ever feel the urge to write your own love story, you might just find success!