Theromance genreis vast and has been a part of a lot of shows. From popular titles likeYona of the Dawn, Maid Sama!,andKamisama Kissto smaller hits likeWotakoi: Love is Hard for an OtakuandThe Duke of Death and His Maid. Romance just adds a little something to the story and the characters.
While there are plenty ofromance animeshows to watch, there are even more manga that have yet to receive an adaptation. Some have hadlive-action adaptations or stage plays, but for some reason, they still haven’t received their time as an anime show. Even if the day never comes for them, readers might find some of these mangas entertaining to read.
Updated on July 31, 2025, by Sarah Prado:The romance genre is vast and has a lot of works within it. Though not all can have an anime adaptation, there are some mangas that deserve to have one. Most of these have gotten live-action adaptations, but these works would be a lot better as an anime. A few tackle some heavy issues that are rarely seen in anime and others have a sweet and simple story. But there is some hope for them to get one. After many live-action adaptations and drama CDs, it was announced earlier this year that the popular mangaHana-Kimiwill be getting an anime adaptation (and thus, removed from this list). There is hope that one day these popular works will get their chance to shine as an anime. Until then, readers should check out these romance mangas if they’re looking for a new read.
35GE: Good Ending
A Guy Gets Help From His Classmate To Woo His Crush
Seiji Utsumi is a high school student who has a crush on Shou Iketani, the school’s tennis team captain. He is too shy to actually talk to her and is perfectly content with watching her from far away. However, he is caught looking at her by his classmate, Yuki Kurokawa, and accused of being a peeping tom. After she realizes she’s wrong about him, Yuki offers to help Seiji get Shou’s attention since she’s on the tennis team too.
This manga has a good balance of romance, drama, and comedy. There are even some growing-up moments for Seiji as he comes to realize that there’s more to his crush than meets the eye. With 16 volumes, there’s plenty of material to work with for an anime adaptation.
34Saotome Senshu, Hitakakusu
A Guy Rejects His Crush So She Doesn’t Lose Focus
Satoru Tsukishima, a boxer, is approached by his classmate, Yae Saotome, and she confesses that she likes him. Though he’s thrilled by this, Satoru rejects her. He feels he could be a distraction for her if they were to start dating now. Yae is the featherweight boxing champion at school and her championship is going to be on the line soon. Plus, many expect to one day represent Japan in boxing for the Olympics. Word gets back to their coach about this and the coach decides to assign Satoru as Yae’s trainer so they can spend time together.
Boxing has some show very successful anime shows, but not many have female leads. Though Yae is not the only main character, but it would still be nice to see a female boxer be a lead. Plus, the story itself is good with a nice mix of sports, romance, and comedy.
33Something’s Wrong with Us
A Complicated Love Story Between A Sweets Maker And Her Childhood Friend
Nao Okura is a young woman who works as a sweets maker alongside her mother. They work at a prestigious shop that’s been around for four hundred years and Nao befriends the heir, Tsubaki Takatsuki. All is well in their lives until one day, Tsubaki’s father is murdered and his testimony lands Nao’s mother in jail. Fifteen years later, Nao is still working as a sweets maker at a different shop and her work catches Tsubaki’s eye. However, he seemingly doesn’t know who she is and asks her to work at his establishment, believing her work can change it for the better.
If readers are looking for a manga with some enemies-to-lovers elements, this one is a really good choice. There’s plenty of drama and murder mystery that keeps this from being too romantic. Making this into an anime would be a nice change of pace.
32Joou no Hana
A Princess Vows Revenge Against Her Father With The Help Of Her Friend
Princess Aki is a young woman who was cast aside alongside her mother when her father’s second wife gave birth to a boy. While exiled, she meets a young man, Hakusei, who works as a slave in the palace. After outshining her younger brother in the hunt, Aki curses his and his family’s name which sparks a war along with the second queen poisoning Aki’s mother. Now banished, Aki vows revenge and Hakusei agrees to help her.
A great manga with romance and adventure mixed with historical drama. This would make for a fantastic anime that has a very strong female lead with an understanding partner by her side. It’s not afraid to show the more vulnerable side of Aki and even Hakusei has his own issues he must deal with.
31Shinobi Life
A Teen Girl Is Protected By A Ninja From The Past
Beni Fujiwara is a high student who comes from a rich family and gets kidnapped on a regular basis because of it. She’s gotten so used to it that she no longer cares if she lives or dies, but hopes that it’ll embarrass her father if she is killed. Life takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious man, Kagetora, falls out of the sky and vows to protect her. Beni isn’t quite sure what to make of this, but Kagetora is connected to her ancestor.
It’s not often that a shoujo manga (or anime) has ninjas in it. Making this manga into an anime would add a little action to the romance genre. Plus, it has some adventure, time travel, and drama that makes for an interesting story.
30Beast Master
A Girl Helps Tame The Wild Beast With Love And Understanding
Yuiko Kubozuka is a high school girl who is a huge animal lover, which is ironic because animals hate her. One day, she meets Leo Aoi, another student at her school and the two of them become friends. Leo is seen as unapproachable because of his wild looks andhe becomes animalisticwhenever he’s attacked or sees blood. Despite this coupled with his scary looks, Leo is actually a big softy who is very gentle to animals and Yuiko. As their relationship develops, she is the only one who can calm him down.
A sweet story that’s perfect for anyone who wants to read about two very sweet people who love animals and want a little drama. With only two volumes, this would make for not only a quick read but also a good anime movie. It has a good story with loveable characters
29L - DK
Two Students Find Themselves Living In The Same Apartment
Aoi Nishimori is a sixteen-year-old high schooler whose friend confesses her feelings to the most popular boy in school, Shusei Kugayama. Shusei turns her down and Aoi isn’t happy that he did, but learns he’s her new neighbor, making things a little awkward. Things get even more awkward when his apartment becomes inhabitable after a kitchen and he moves into her apartment. Both of them must keep this a secret so no rumors at school will spread.
This manga received a live-action adaptation, and both movies are nice to watch. But an anime show would be nice to see since it can include any missing details that didn’t make it into the live-action movies.
28Kitchen Princess
A Girl Looks For Her “Flan Prince” After He Saves Her Life
Najika Kazami is a thirteen-year-old girl who loves food. Whether she’s cooking or eating, Najika is happiest when she’s around food and aspires to be a pastry chef. She leaves home to attend a special academy to find a boy she knows as the “flan prince.” Life isn’t going to be easy as she’s seen as an outcast by her peers because of her love for eating, but she’s determined to find him.
The manga might feel a bit childish at times, but it has everything that shojo fans would want. Najika shares somesimilarities with Tohru Honda fromFruits Basketas both girls have tragic pasts, but still maintain a positive attitude and change the lives of people around them for the better. An anime adaptation of this manga would make for a great show as it has a cute story, drama, and a good group of characters.
27Swan
A Student Navigates The Complicated And Competitive Ballet World
Masumi Hijiri is a sixteen-year-old girl who loves ballet and whose life is turned upside down overnight. After winning a ballet competition, she is now a student at a prestigious ballet academy and begins her training to best ballet dancer. Being the weakest dancer out of the eight finalists, Masumi is determined to become the best ballerina in the academy.
While the manga does have some romance in it, it does focus on Masumi and her growth. It’s also one of the first works todepict mental health issuesas Masumi tends to shut down and is unable to hear anything when she’s doubting herself. This plus with non-toxic rivalries and adding some modern-day elements,Swanwould make an excellent anime for today’s audiences.
26Crimson Hero
A Girl Finds Herself In Drama On And Off The Volleyball Court
Fifteen-year-old Nobara Sumiyoshi is a tomboy who loves playing volleyball much to her mother’s displeasure. After moving in with her aunt, Nobara sets off to reinstate the girls’ volleyball team and drama ensues shortly after. Between volleyball and finding herself falling for the star player of the boys’ team, Yushin Kumagai, Nobara has a lot going on in her life.
Having asports drama is somethingthat never gets old and this manga has a lot of it that fans will love. Plus, the relationship between Nobara and Yushin has some enemies-to-lovers elements that would be entertaining to see play out in an anime.
