Some anime are so popular that even people who don't routinely watch romance anime recognize the titles or characters. Sometimes anime fans are aware of classic romance anime on their radar but starting a series with a big fan base can be intimidating. Sometimes anime are popular mostly for nostalgic reasons and may not hold up to newer audiences, but there are plenty that earned their popularity and will still hold up with new viewers.

Oftentimes romance anime that takes place in a contemporary setting has a somewhat basic premise, or a fantasy premise that many have seen before. But the uniqueness lies in the characterization and the chemistry between the characters. These anime titles may be pervasive, but they're well-loved for good reasons.

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10 The Wallflower

The Wallflower was widely popular in the early 2000s, especially the manga. The anime adaptation is relatively short, but it still holds up today, years and years later. The premise has been seen before--a young lady must live with several handsome and goofy guys.

But The Wallflower truly shines because of the protagonist Sunako. She's incredibly silly and lovable. She's a goth girl recluse who is terrified of being perceived and would rather rot in her room and watch horror movies. Many can relate to such an introverted, nervous character. And though the romance is far-fetched, it's incredibly charming and humorous.

9 Inuyasha

Inuyasha is an action shonen anime about demons, but the shining jewel of the series is the romance plot. Romance drives the whole story. Inuyasha is a classic anime across several genres and subgenres, like isekai, dark fantasy, and romance, and it has mass appeal from audiences of all ages and genders.

Inuyasha's written by Rumiko Takahashi, one of the queens of manga. Her stories all hold up, even decades after their release. And Inuyasha has the strongest romance arcs. It has an iconic 1990s anime style, yet the story still feels fresh today.

8 Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket has one of the most beloved tsundere-deredere romances in all anime. Even people who don't care much for tsundere love interests will enjoy the romance between Kyo and Tohru because character quirks aside, Kyo is an incredibly complicated yet empathetic sort of anti-hero.

Tohru is no stock deredere character, either. She may be empathetic to a fault, and a bit of a doormat at times, but she has the strongest heart. Their opposites-attractive romance isn't just a fun gimmick, it's couched in some careful character work.

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7 Sailor Moon

The love story between Prince Endymion of Earth and Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom crosses the stars and lifetimes in Sailor Moon. Not only does their love story transcend death and rebirth, it transcends generations. Sailor Moon is so many things all at once--a top-tier magical girl premise, a treatise on girl friendship, a monster-of-the-week formula with unforgettable villains, and an incandescent romance.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's romance appeals to more than the people who grew up with it in the '90s. It's a timeless tale about a prince and a princess who should never have met, yet they're perfect together. Even the side characters' romances are compelling.

6 Ouran High School Host Club

Shojo anime historically focus on romance and interpersonal relationships, and Ouran High School Host Club affectionately spoofs the shojo and romance tropes that are popular over the ages. Even though Ouran is a spoof of the genre, the romance and characters are still written with authenticity. On the surface, the characters seem like stock tropes and the plot contrived – but beneath there are layers of complexity and truly humorous events.

Haruhi isn't just the average naive girl protagonist, she's a wry outsider in a world of silly, privileged guys. Tamaki isn't just a handsome himbo bishonen, he's overwhelmingly well-meaning, and he isn't afraid of his emotions. Ouran High School Host Club has a character for every kind of romance story preference.

5 Vampire Knight

There are more shojo vampire stories nowadays, but years ago the go-to for vampire romance was Vampire Knight. The series has electrifying chemistry between the love interests, and one of the most notorious love triangles in all anime. Though there are several classic gothic anime, this series needs to be on the watchlist of anyone interested in getting into the gothic romance subgenre.

Sometimes in vampire anime, the ingénue gets thrown into close proximity with several vampire suitors because of flimsy plot reasons. Vampire Knight may seem tropey and trite, but there's more to it than meets the eye. It takes time to establish why these characters are thrown together and why they feel so strongly about each other.

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4 Yona Of The Dawn

Yona of the Dawn is a relatively more recent anime release, but the series is a love letter to classic high-fantasy romance anime. It takes many beloved romance anime tropes and adapts the characters for slightly more contemporary audiences. Though romance is a huge part of the series, it never shifts focus from the internal growth of the main character, Princess Yona.

Yona and Hak are beautiful people who are easy to fall in love with. They're also flawed in a way that gives them plenty of room for development. Though the series is wildly popular and there are many other fantasy anime that are similar, it's worth watching these characters develop and fall in love as they save their kingdom.

3 Fushigi Yugi

The central lovers in Fushigi Yugi are sometimes pigeonholed as being "basic," but it's more like Miaka and Tamahome are blueprints, rather than being generic. Miaka is as precocious as any male shonen protagonist – she's spunky, optimistic, and fun to follow along with. Tamahome isn't the only interesting, handsome love interest, either.

But Tamahome and Miaka really shine in their romance. Not only is the humor top-tier, the romantic moments where Tamahome shows his protective side are very entertaining. The rest of the cast are quality characters, too.

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2 Maid Sama!

Maid Sama! is a contemporary high school enemies-to-lovers romance about two people who couldn't be more opposite. The plot may seem unoriginal, but the attraction isn't in the original premise, it's in the overall tone of the show. Though it's a romance, it's incredibly tongue-in-cheek.

Usui is sanguine, popular, and conventionally attractive. Misaki needs to fight tooth and claw to gain a foothold with her educational goals--on top of working in a maid café to support her family. Their romance is fun because it's a light-hearted will they/won't they dance. Though Misaki pushes Usui away because she doesn't trust his intentions, it's obvious that they're meant to be together, and it's fun to watch them build trust.

1 Kamisama Kiss

Kamisama Kiss is a great watch for romance fans in the mood to dive into something lighthearted, but compelling and creative. Nanami is a sweet, naive protagonist – a character type that's common for shojo anime, but she still sticks up for himself and she's very adaptable. The show embraces the damsel-in-distress formula, which isn't always popular at the moment, but it adds a little zest to the time-old trope.

Tomoe is Nanami's familiar and mostly unwilling bodyguard. Their damsel and protector dynamic is great because he's such a grump about saving her, yet he doesn't hesitate to flex his yokai muscles whenever she's in danger. He's the perfect type of comedic anti-hero love interest.