Crunchyroll’s A Sign of Affection and its popularity are indications that the audience, at the end of the day, resorts to romantic anime series just as much as they indulge in action, thriller, and sci-fi. Hence, ComingSoon has curated a list of four best romance anime series like A Sign of Affection, for those who look forward to watching more such anime.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You is a shōjo romance anime series set in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture. The series ran from 2009 to 2011 and spans over two seasons as of now. The third season will premiere in 2024 on Netflix.
The anime‘s plot revolves around Sawalo Kuronuma, a 15-year-old high school student. Though she has a sweet and shy disposition, she is often misconceived as being appalling due to her bullies’ tendency to name-call her after a ghost from The Ring series. As such, her classmates call her Sadako, making it difficult for her to make friends.
Sawako admires the most popular boy in her class, Shouta Kazehaya, who pushes her to participate in a test of courage. Eventually, the two come closer to each other as both acknowledge the positive changes they have brought into each other’s lives.
Toradora!
Toradora! is another one of the best romance anime series like A Sign of Affection. Based on a light novel, the story’s complication lies in its characters’ personalities and people’s misconceptions about them. While Ryuuja Takasu is a gentle boy who loves doing housework, his face often intimidates others.
Conversely, Taiga Aisaka is bold and intimidating, but her small build makes people believe she is soft and fragile. The two misunderstood characters cross paths one day only to discover that they have crushes on each other’s best friends.
This romantic comedy has 25 episodes in total and is famous for its dramatic narrative. Additionally, the awards jury from the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival, 2009, recommended Toradora, adding to its feats in popular culture.
Horimiya
Another title from the romantic comedy genre is Horimiya, which is, again, based on two high school students with contrasting characters. The anime series has two seasons and is adapted from Daisuke Hagiwara’s HERO manga.
It follows the dynamic between Kyouki Hori and Izumi Miyamura. While the former is perfect in every sense – from being pretty to academically brilliant – the latter appears reserved and doesn’t make his presence known as much. On a fateful day, the two cross paths and realize that they are both different from how other students commonly perceive them.
Beneath Hori’s perfect demeanor is her inability to socialize due to her involvement in housework. Likewise, Izumi’s meek nature conceals his mildly rogue side with tattoos and piercings. As the two get to know each other, they spend most of their time together, finding things that nobody else knows about.
Golden Time
Golden Time is another romance anime series like A Sign of Affection, based on Yuyuko Takemiya’s light novel. It is a 24-episode-long series which aired from October 2013 to March 2014. The main focus of this narrative is Banri Tada, who meets a devastating accident followed by a complete memory wipe-out.
As he struggles to remember his history, he meets his friend, Mitsuo Yanagisawa. Eventually, he understands that he has to move on and starts a new life in Tokyo. At his new college, Banri meets Kouko Kaga.
As he spends time together with Banri, he realizes that luck has given him a new chance at life. He could make friends again and fall in love, restarting a journey of unforgettable memories. With this realization, he moves on in an attempt to build a beautiful life for himself.
