February 2023 Issue

For all the fellow romance anime enthusiasts out there, the Winter 2023 season has been an amazing start to the new year with the return of playful Nagatoro-san while also introducing us to some new gems like Tomo-chan, Kubo-san, and the angelic Mahiru Shiina-san (>'-'<).

But all these diabetes-inducing anime are not just limited to this season. We’ve got one oh-so-sweet, oh-so-warm anime waiting for us in the next season!! And what awaits us in the coming season, or, should I say, next door, is nothing short of a galaxy.

The anime adaptation of the manga Otonari ni Ginga (“A Galaxy Next Door”) was announced last year and is set to be released on April 8, 2023, along with a television drama too.

After graduating from high school, Ichiro Kuga made his debut as a manga artist, but after his father died, he worked hard every day to support his young siblings by himself. Just by this much, you know that this is not going to be your stereotypical “guy quits his passion to support his siblings” plot point. It’s becoming difficult to keep up with his growing deadlines and responsibilities, and to top all that, his last two assistants quit to make their own debuts. It’s getting out of hand for Kuga to manage everything. But just then, she appears: Kuga’s knight in a black dress! Yes, you read it correctly. Shiori Goshiki, an extremely competent and equally beautiful lady, applies to become his new assistant. Goshiki helps Kuga meet his deadline, and Kuga’s life seems to be back on track—or does it? There’s something otherworldly about Goshiki, and an accident (a happy one, perhaps) will get them both engaged.

Otonari ni Ginga is a tale that depicts how unnatural circumstances can lead to something beautiful. Although Kuga and Goshiki seem to share a bond as soon as the story begins, this won’t let you miss out on the “slowly falling in love” side of the story. These are two level-headed adults who are trying to deal with the situation they found themselves in. There is no love at first sight here. It's a slow but pleasant burn. Their development is gradual and very interesting because none of it is cartoonish or played for fun, though the situations themselves will elicit some chuckles from the audience.

So far, five volumes of the manga have been released. The author of the manga, Gido Amagakure, has done significant work in slice-of-life and romance. He is popular for his work “Sweetness and Lightning,” which was also adapted into an anime. The amount of wholesomeness in “Sweetness and Lightning” makes us anticipate similar levels of wholesomeness in this one too.

The manga is great so far. The story is well-paced, and the mixture of romance and fiction in a slice-of-life setting is very refreshing and gives all the right feels. If you’re a romance anime fan and don’t mind a laid-back story, this is the anime you should be looking forward to.

Being a bit too loyal to its name, the 512-chapter Korean webtoon (originally titled Yumiui Sepodeul) by Donggun Lee is about the daily titbits of the titular protagonist Kim Yumi’s brain cells as they affect the mood, decisions, and relationships of their owner.

The webtoon got an initial Korean release on Naver and is being serialised between April 1, 2015, and November 13, 2020. It was later translated into English by LINE.

Having mastered the slice-of-life and office genres, Donggun Lee is no new name to the fans of Daily Jojo. With Yumi’s Cells, however, the Korean Webtoon author has outdone himself.

Yumi's Cells, while falling into the same genres, is a breath of fresh air compared to a reader's expectations of a light rom-com. The accurate depiction of the inner tussle that goes on subconsciously in the average person's head 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hits home. And the storm of thoughts and internal dilemmas that go on behind every small decision in Yumi’s life feel personal.

The plot of the webtoon is as simple as it gets. Our 32-year-old office-going female protagonist, Kim Yumi, has recently developed a crush on Wook, a younger employee at work. Yumi’s prime cell is the Love Cell; hence, her prime focus is to have a fulfilling love life, as is reflected in the superior powers that her Love Cell gets in decision-making, often overriding numerous other cells.

Character building is the life force of this webtoon. Yumi herself has an entirely different dimension when it comes to character depth. Through the interactions and reminiscing of her cells, we get to know her past and the triggers that still control her behaviour. Be it the constant arguments between her Rational and Emotional Cells or the sublimity of her Priority Board, Yumi feels more than just another character. At the end of every chapter, the reader is bound to have grown more invested in her character development because of the sheer nature of the story, which is driven by her mental and emotional changes.

The Cells themselves seem to have a personality of their own. Love Cell enjoys the position of the Prime Cell (the leader of all the other cells) and is overly defensive of what Yumi loves. The Rational Cell is undoubtedly the one logical cell that gets the most done and yet gets ignored a lot, primarily due to the overly sentimental Emotional Cell or the unduly sensitive Anxiety Cell. The combined interaction of the cells makes the webtoon so much more entertaining than your average slice-of-life fiction.

However, the human characters play an important role in the plot as well. Yumi’s colleague Ruby is again such a fresh change from the usual pretty-mean-girl trope. With the similar cellular character development of Woong, Yumi’s nerd boyfriend, the readers get a tense taste of subtle confusion in emotional understanding between two individuals, which could make or break a relationship. The details following the inner conversations of the cells are simple yet spectacularly beautiful.

On the surface, Yumi’s Cells is yet another rom-com about a woman striving to find purpose and love in life. But it leaves a mark with its unique approach. The characters feel real, and the attention given to emotions and long-drawn decision-making sequences doesn’t feel dragging. The artwork is cute, and the language is spiced up with some hilarious-sounding vocabulary (take One-Step-Behind Cell, for example).

Overall, Yumi’s Cells is a must-read webtoon for everyone, regardless of one’s genre preferences. But it holds a particular charm for those invested in character-oriented fiction and wholesome manhwas.

"Some ships get lost in the sea, And
Some stories are not meant to be."

In the anime and manga series "Your Lie in April," the theme of incomplete love is central and recurring. The series explores the idea that love isn't always enough, and that there are outside factors that keep two people apart. "Your Lie in April" characters each have their own experiences with incomplete love, and the series uses their journeys to illuminate the complex nature of love and its many facets.

Unrequited love is a prominent form of incomplete love in the series. The main character, Kōsei Arima, has strong feelings for Kaori Miyazono, but she is unable to reciprocate his feelings due to her own personal struggles and limitations. Kōsei's experience with unrequited love serves as a reminder that not all love stories end joyfully, and that the person we love may not always love us back. This unfulfilled love causes heartbreak for both Kōsei and Kaori, as they struggle to accept their feelings and find a way forward.

In "Your Lie in April" another type of incomplete love is love that is never fully realized due to external factors. Kaori's health issues, for example, prevent her from fully embracing her feelings for Kōsei, while Kōsei's own emotional issues prevent him from fully opening up to Kaori. These external factors serve to emphasize the idea that love is not always enough, and that there are often other forces at work that keep two people apart.

Incomplete love can also be seen in the relationships of the series' other characters. Tsubaki Sawabe, for example, has feelings for Kōsei but is unable to confess her feelings due to her own insecurities and fears. Tsubaki suffers heartbreak as a result of her incomplete love, as she must accept the possibility that her love will never be fully realized.

Despite the heartbreak and disappointment of the love stories in "Your Lie in April," the series emphasizes the idea that love can still have a profound impact on our lives. The series demonstrates through Kōsei and Kaori's relationship that love can be a source of comfort, support, and healing, even if it is never fully realized. Furthermore, the series investigates the concept of incomplete love as a catalyst for growth and change, assisting us in better understanding ourselves and the world around us.

"Your Lie in April" is a heartfelt and thought-provoking series that explores the theme of incomplete love. Whether it is unrequited love or love that is never fully realized due to external factors, the series demonstrates that love is not always enough, and that there are often other forces at work that keep two people apart. It also emphasizes the idea that love can have a profound impact on our lives even if it is never fully realized, and that it can be a source of comfort, support, and healing. Whether you like anime, music, or just good storytelling, it is a series that will stick with you.

"Pharmacist that sold 35M manga copies ^[1]"

Meet Naoko Takeuchi

Although she is known by the name Naoko, the artist and author is popularly known as Naoko Takeuchi, which is her maiden name. She was born in the city of Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan, on March 15, 1967. Takeuchi attended Kofu Ichi High School, where she was in the astronomy and manga clubs. Takeuchi drew inspiration from the past year while creating manga.

Seeing that the manga industry in Japan is a highly competitive one, Takeuchi's father encouraged her to consider an alternate path in the event that becoming an artist didn't work out. She studied chemistry at the Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy and graduated with a degree from the same university. She is a licenced pharmacist. Togashi entered the industry of manga after she submitted her work "Love Call" to Kodansha, a publishing house. Her other works included "Maria" and "Cherry Project." Takeuchi later took interest in doing a project that focused more on outer space and being a girl fighter.

After having a discussion with her editor, Fumio Osano, they decided to put the fighters in sailor suits, and thus the one-shot "Codename: Sailor" was created. In 1999, Nakayoshi began serialising Sailor Moon, and the series instantly became a hit. She went on producing 52 chapters, which were made up of 18 volumes. The series was so widely loved by people that it led to a 200-episode anime adaptation, animated films, video games, and a range of merchandise. The success of the series is not limited to Japan; it has a massive global fan base.

What is her net worth?

Seeing just how successful "Sailor Moon" went on to become, it comes as no surprise that Takeuchi's net worth is $50 million, as reported by Taddlr. As reported by the Japan Times, the series has gone on to sell 35 million copies since its start. With the new adaptations and release of the movie "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie," the "Sailor Moon" fanbase will probably keep growing.

She is married to the equally popular Yoshihiro Togashi. After Takeuchi left Kodansha to work for Shueisha, the popular publication house known for publishing Weekly Shonen Jump magazines, she attended a meeting for all the artists, where she met Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of the land hunter X Hunter. The two of them began meeting each other shortly after, and she even helped him with his manga. She acted as his manager and later as his colorist. The couple got married in January 1999 and have two children together, a son and a daughter.

The month of February, the month of romance. Hence, we bring to you the list of the top 10 anime with romance themes, curated by us. Since it is already a list of top 10 romances, we are not putting any ratings, because they are already the best you can find in this genre.

BANNER ALERT: We made this list only considering the anime we have watched, as, very obviously, we cannot comment on the anime we haven't watched. Therefore, few shoujo anime like "Fruits Basket" were not included since we haven't watched it.

Romance; What pops in your head when you think about it? A couple of teenagers, fumbling through the turmoil in their hearts; A pair enjoying the serenity of their daily lives; Some cheesy kisses and cuddles that get you all giddy on the inside? Well, there are a lot of forms that romance takes. While an ideal romance may take different notions or definitions for different people, there is one thing common in almost all romances (we are definitely not questioning your taste in romance if this is not a common factor in your ideal romance. Trust us), it warms your heart. With this, let's start with the 10th entry in our list.

A charming romance between Rikka Takanashi, a girl with delusions, and Yuuta Togashi, a man who has overcome his delusions but is still plagued by his past. The friendship between the odd pair gradually develops into a romance for Yuuta, who initially feels helpless and then becomes motivated by a desire to assist someone who is experiencing the same mental condition as he did. This show offers to you a hilarious love relationship that conceals deeper feelings and meanings than what you initially see. It is full of comical moments centred around a group of students who are either deluded or formerly were. You will not find many sweet moments in this show, but you will surely enjoy Yuuta reprimanding Rikka and her cute protests against him.

Misaki Ayuzawa, the first female president of the student council, has a bias towards girls and has a tense encounter with Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in the school. However, when they run into each other again, there's a catch: our president is seen doing her part-time job as a maid in a maid café! During this episode, a disciplined model student who must work in a maid café to support her family develops a difficult and humorous connection with an arrogant alpha male who has no qualms about using the girl’s part time job as leverage and blackmail. Misaki can argue all she wants, but she won't be able to stop the rising confusion inside her heart when Takumi acts possessive and protective of her. This anime has a shoujo demographic, but even if you are a guy, you would enjoy the incessant and exaggerated tropes that this show has in store for you.

Seishun, youth… the sweet sweet time of your life, when things like love and romance and hormone secretions are at their peak and when the thought of a lover sends butterflies in your stomach or colour you in a red brighter than your future. This anime has numerous high school couples, or soon-to-be couples in their own rom-coms, and each will make you grin broadly till your face resembles the mask (Not a reference to our society, but the Hollywood movie). You might genuinely be told that you have diabetes because it is so unbelievably sweet. Those who appreciate sweet romantic comedies simply must watch it. Due to the continually changing plot, the show never becomes boring because it centres around so many different characters. The 212 chapter completed manga, which contains many more pairings and a finished plot for each of them, is something we recommend reading if you like the anime.

Easily misunderstood, unable to strike up a conversation with girls, and a social pariah both by circumstance and choice. It is Hachiman Hikigaya, the protagonist of Oregairu; I am not making fun of you people. Sounds familiar, doesn't it—a guy who gave up on his social life and, as a result, on romance—a guy who gave up on expecting anything. Well, not completely, but in part. Oregairu is a rom-com drama that will leave you thinking deeply by the end of the episode. It is the story of a love triangle with a pessimistic protagonist, a separated perfectionist girl suffering from her complex, and a kind, optimistic and joyful, albeit slightly dumb girl. When watching this series, certain things could seem unnecessary or even pointless, and you might wonder why a character did what they did. However, because each character is well-developed, you will eventually come to understand, relate to, and sympathise with them.

This show depicts the complicated and awkward friendship of three teenagers who are all dealing with social discomfort. Oregairu is a powerful show that will repay you for the time you put into watching all three seasons. It will teach you the essentials and value of human interactions.

This brings us to one of the most popular romance anime in recent years. Horimiya is a story about Izumi Miyamura, an introverted and low self-esteem character,and Kyouko Hori, a stunning and well-liked character, the narrative of how they meet and how their romance develops. This is not one of those anime where the plot develops over the course of the entire show and the confession occurs at the very end. The couple's connection is lovely and funny at the same time, and the tale moves quickly—way too quickly. There are a few other couples in the plot that are just as promising. Although the anime adaptation skipped over half of the manga, this is not a problem for anime-onlys, as there is enough diabetes in the 12 episodes and the important plot points aren’t skipped in the anime.

Love is a war. The one who confesses their feelings first is the loser in the battlefield called love.

This is the sole premise of the show and, boy, is it executed beautifully. The poor, awkward, and hard working student council president at the Shuuchin Academy, wants to make the rich, sheltered and brilliant vice president fall in love with him, while the said rich girl wants to do the same to him. The events that transpire as they attempt to outwit one another in this deadly game of love are hilarious. Throw into this an adorable airhead(and her famous dance at the end of Season 1 ep 3), a super relatable socially awkward, yet intelligent guy, and a girl with the street smarts and awareness; and you get yourself one of the best animes ever made when it comes to pure Romantic Comedy. This anime is a mashup of every genre you would identify with romance, bar action, and is a roller coaster of comedy, romance, wits, and downright stupidity.

One of the sweetest Romance animes of all time. The plot follows a boy named Nasa Yuzaki, a responsible and hardworking middle schooler who is all set to get into the high school of his dreams, goes out on a snowy night and his eyes falls upon an extremely beautiful girl, the “cutest girl in the universe”, as he deems her to be, across the road. He runs towards her and a truck bashes into him, and thus begins the story of the only isekai anime in this list, or so you thought! But surprisingly, the girl in question manages to rescue him. He manages to propose to her before eventually passing out from significant blood loss. He skipped high school and is now working as a freelance developer two years later. Out of the blue, the girl shows up at his doorstep at his 18th birthday with… guess what? A marriage registration form; well it is legal to get married at the age of 18 for boys in Japan. The bond that develops between an oddly intelligent and capable boy and a stoic but lovely girl is sweet to the point of being diabetic. Your interest will be maintained by the healthy development of their connection and your curiosity will be piqued by the underlying air of mystery. We'll let you decide how to judge the Opening, just be sure to pay attention to it. It might not be the top anime on the list, but the anime which is the most rewatchable alongside Kaguya sama and Tsuredure Children.

This anime has it all, from the incredibly lovable Marin Kitagawa to the dedicated and passionate dreamer Gojou Wakana, to their endearing chemistry and their bonding over Marin's love of cosplay. Marin is undeniably the show's best character; she's just too sweet and outgoing while also being far too adorable. Gojou is an exceptionally kind individual who is passionate about creating "Hina dolls," his grandfather's hobby that he fell in love with. Gojou has created exquisite clothing for his hina dolls, while Marin loves cosplay but is only competent at sewing rubbish clothes. Their unexpected meeting changes everything for them both, whether it is Marin's goal of cosplaying, which felt incredibly surreal, or Gojou's passion towards his hobby, which is not seen as a “cool” by society, which over time led to his introversion. Although they primarily work on cosplay, the romance aspect of this show is fairly well defined, and it's wonderful to see how they gradually grow aware of one another as the episode progresses. The two's antics will keep you amused at all times while you madly simp on Marin. Do you desire a simple story with elements of romance and humour? This anime is perfect for you.

A little old school anime? Yes. Lacking in artstyle as it might be, this show nonetheless delivers what every single anime we’ve ever watched couldn’t do so perfectly. The second season is much better than the first because the first is a bit slow-paced and you might think it's ordinary. The amount of misery and pain the programme forces upon you is so overwhelming that despair may as well set in. A word of caution then: if you watch this show, make sure you stick with it all the way through, or else don't blame us for recommending something that caused you the trauma of a lifetime. There are several anime that can bring you to tears, but none quite like this one. Every single episode contains enough red flags to cause PTSD. You won't find another anime that so accurately captures a character's problems, their environment and resulting characteristics, their strained relationships, and their mutual love. Therefore, I would say that even if this isn't the typical high school rom-com, it may be the most relatable and realistic relationship you've ever seen. The two main protagonists are not the only focus of the novel; it also explores how their relationships with friends, family, and circumstances affect their daily lives. Lastly, this anime features the cutest child character I’ve ever seen, so if you like some wholesome parent child drama, this show gives you another incentive to watch it.

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Before we proceed with number one, here are some honourable mentions.

What is the meaning of “I love you”? Violet, an emotionally isolated girl, embarks on a journey to find the meaning of the last words of her commander, the one and only person who was important to her. Devastated and confused as she was, she tried her best to find the meaning behind those words and understand what her commander expects her to do. We progressively watch Violet come to terms with her past and experience these emotions along the road in this show, which teaches all of us the true meaning, significance, and depth of emotions and feelings, the necessity of words, and the need to convey what's actually in your heart. Although not a romance-focused show, it is one of the most heartfelt love-themed shows we've ever seen in the second half. On a different note, this anime has the most beautiful artstyle we have seen.

This is a classic that is almost certainly going to come up while discussing romance anime. This show offers far more than the latest cliché rom-com, replete with needless stereotypes, and has an amnesiac protagonist who is plagued by his past self and becomes involved in a love triangle with both his present crush and his prior love interest. It is not as sweet an anime as Tonikawa or Horimiya, but instead a proper and deeply impressive show with much more dimensions.

This show is about a vicious short girl, commonly known as "palm tiger," and a gentle tall guy who has a fearsome appearance and is mistaken for a gang member. Hilarity arises when these two somehow end up intertwined in one another's lives. The “com”(of “rom-com”) is strong in this one. This is one of the few rom-coms that lasts for 24 episodes with plenty of growth and story to rely on, as well as, of course, top-notch comedy. However, that does not mean that there isn't any character or story development. The final episode's end credits ARE NOT to be skipped.

Love is not always unsuccessful due to a sad ending. What if one's love is reciprocated and yet the conclusion isn’t happy? NO, you douchebags, we aren’t talking about NTR. CALM DOWN! Well this is not a happy story, we’d warn you beforehand. But this doesn’t undermine how meaningful the story of this show is. How important are memories to you? Is it just a recollection of your past and a record book of your experience? Or something much more profound and valuable? Over the course of the show, the duo of our protagonist and his Android partner undertakes various cases of taking back, or rather, neutralising androids that have reached the limit of their memories and are on the verge of a mental breakdown. The sorrowful romance that blossoms between the duo really touches the heart. This might not be the best anime, but the plot carries the deepest of experiences you’ll find in any show.

The only action anime to make it in this list. WE JUST HAD TO PUT THIS SHOW IN THIS LIST SOMEHOW. Since it is an action-romance anime, the show didn't explicitly emphasise romance for very apparent reasons, but when it comes to romance in an action anime, there is simply nothing better than this. And guess what, the protagonist does not have the power of friendship! Yes! It’s an action anime, with the most impressive romance, excellent animation, equally good soundtracks, underdog MC and a very engrossing plot. You'll undoubtedly enjoy this anime if you don't belong to the minority who despises any action anime that isn't one of the most well-known.

Tall girl, short guy, both with a complex about their heights and how they try to help each other with their crushes. This is the one show that made me(one of the writers of this article) cry and laugh simultaneously. It’s so emotional and funny at the same time; the only reason it’s not in the top 10 can be attributed to my dislike(somewhat) of the main male lead’s indecisiveness(don’t let it stop you from watching it though, it gets better albeit over time). On the other hand, the primary female character is likeable. Despite being an old anime, it isn’t one of those animes where the confession happens at the very end(looking at you Special A). People who are looking for a fantastic rom-com should definitely watch it because of the incredible way it is crafted.

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And with this we come to the show which we deem to be the best romance anime of all time.

Do you dream of your crush wearing a cute cosplay outfit, like a bunny girl or a maid? Get help, no, seriously. Coming back to the show, it is not the sweetest romance, not the most lighthearted. In fact, it is far from either. This is the anime that plunged us to tears, more than once. This anime is an ultimate masterpiece of romance, humour, drama, excitement, philosophy, and psychology because it portrays love, care, helplessness, weakness, anxiety, agony, desire, and loneliness in their most raw forms. Although Sakuta, the protagonist, is one of the anime world's most laid-back characters, his passive effort for the benefit of the people he loves about moved us more than most anime protagonists. On the other hand, Mai attempts to taunt Sakuta while acting all grown up and gets consistently UNO REVERSED by Sakuta. The portrayal of the other supporting characters is equally remarkable, with no lack of growth. You'll laugh at the characters' antics, cry at their situation, and feel passionately moved by how fervently and desperately they try to fix the issues in this anime.

To top it all off, the movie had more romance than the anime's first arc and more emotion and sadness than its last arc. The film truly moved our hearts more than any anime film we have ever seen, with the exception of one. Continue reading to learn more about that movie.