Taku Morisaki found a friend in Yutaka Matsuno, united by their protest against the school administration’s decision to cancel their junior high school trip. As the friends continue onto high school, Matsuno’s affections are drawn to a new transfer from Tokyo named Rikako Muto, who quickly ostracizes herself from others, due to her seemingly abrasive though intelligent nature. Morisaki begins to get caught up in Muto’s antics, much to his dismay. When rumors at school begin to develop around their supposed trip together to Tokyo, Matsuno suspects more is going on between Morisaki and Muto. Though Morisaki believes he has no feelings for her, it drives a wedge between Morisaki and Matsuno.

The first of three on the list from Studio Ghibli, The Ocean Waves tells a story of unexpected love, a spark of affection between two individuals despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. It speaks to how the relationships we mistakenly jump into can affect our friendships for better or worse. This being said, it is fairly light in how it approaches these themes and is for the couple that wants to sit down to watch a nice romantic film without feeling the need that they will be lost in the story if they don’t give it their full attention.

Two friends, Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara, become separated when Akari must join her family in a new city because of change in a parent’s career. Desperately wanting to keep their connection alive, they turn to write letters back and forth with one another to keep tabs on how the other is doing and how life is going for them. As time passes and Takaki must also leave his hometown, he plans to meet with Akari, in person, before they become even further separated by physical distance. As the distance becomes ever greater through the passage of time and new events, will life find a way to bring them back together before they are a memory to each other?

Earlier work from CoMix Wave Films, 5-Centimeters Per Second explores the fleeting nature and impermanence of human connection and love when faced with increasing distances in time or geography. It shows us the preciousness of small, individual moments or memories that make up our experiences of love and relationships and how those bittersweet memories can fuel us far into our future. This film is for a couple that wants to remind themselves to set aside time to invest in one another and reflect on the memories that they have made and the many more they wish to make.

Shizuku Tsukishima is a freshman in high school, unsure of what her future holds for her, she is drawn to the world of literature and creative writing as a creative outlet. More than anything, Shizuku wants to experience the great adventures she keeps reading about in her books. As she continues to take out books from her local library, she notices that they have all previously been taken out by Seiji Amasawa, a boy who goes to her school and dreams of becoming a violin maker. Taking this as a sign of a new journey for herself, Shizuku and Seiji’s lives begin to overlap more and more. A journey which involves a cat, an antique shop, and a strange statue of a gentleman cat named “The Baron”; how will this story unfold for her and Seiji?

The second on this list from Studio Ghibli. Whisper of the Heart brings us back to the beginning of when love first blossoms, how it ties into our individual journeys in pursuit of something great. Shizuku and Seiji show the importance of finding another person, a partner who can be there for the other as they support each other in pursuit of their own goals in their own life. This is perhaps one of the more underrated pieces from Studio Ghibli. It is for the couple who, like Shizuku and Seiji, each have their dreams and find strength and support in the other to see those dreams realized.

Shiga is a quiet and stoic young man who tends to keep to himself, so much so that he is indifferent to the negative impact this has on him making any friends or fostering any new relationships outside of his family. While in the waiting room at a hospital in order to have some stitches removed, he comes across a private journal titled “Living with Dying”. He is soon approached by Sakura Yamauchi, the owner of the journal who is surprisingly cheerful despite having a terminal illness. This encounter and a promise to keep her prognosis secret cascade the two students to begin a unique friendship with a time limit.

The most recent release on this list, from Studio VOLN. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas has found a place amongst some of the most touching and unique romance anime films to come out in the last decade. It speaks to the complexity of relationships and concepts of romance outside of the “are they friends or lovers?” dichotomy. It also speaks to the importance of utilizing the time we have with each other to the best of our ability, to savor each moment in the present. This is different from 5-Centimeters Per Second as it is less about looking back on a relationship but more about being present in the one you have while it is there. This is for the couple that wants to cry. . . a lot.

The Wind Rises is a fictional telling of the life of aviation engineer Jirou Horikoshi; from his
his time before the Kantō earthquake in 1923 when he first dreamed of becoming a great aviation engineer to the time of his training, his struggles through disaster and loss, and his eventual work as an aviation engineer working on WWII warplanes for Imperial Japan’s Military, leading to the invention of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter. Most importantly, it tells of the love story between him and Naoko Satomi.

The final film on the list and the final feature film from Hayao Miyazaki. The Wind Rises takes the top spot on this list for taking the audience through a holistic journey of life before, with, and after love. It tells a complete story of a relationship, caked with all sorts of emotions and challenges. Despite the fictitious telling of the tale, it is honest in exhibiting the evolving feelings of its protagonists and the various stages that life takes a relationship through. The Wind Rises is for the couple that wants to experience what they have to look forward to and experience together.

Tamako Love Story tells us about a cheerful and clueless girl named Tamako Kitashirakawa. She’s so peculiar, immersed in her own world of dreams, and fun that her only ambition is pulling off an impressive performance at the Usagiyama Marching Festival. However, most of her friends and classmates are more worried about their future plans and getting into fancy universities. Among such, we find Mochizou Ooji who intends to study at a big university in Tokyo. His problem is that he has a big crush on Tamako and he needs to confess his feelings before he leaves town.

If you’ve watched Tamako Market already you’ll know just how sweet and heartwarming this story can get. Let us tell you: the movie is even better. The plot is quite simple but very powerful. Emotions are delicately developed throughout the film and you’ll find some underlying insights about life. If you haven’t watched the anime, you don’t really need to. Tamako Love Story is a solid enough production to stand by its own. The characters’ personalities and emotions are so successfully conveyed that you’ll be able to feel their love, hope and sorrow as they were your own. Pretty much everything we expect from a good romantic movie and more.

Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda is a brilliant story about overcoming obstacles, getting over the past and expressing your deepest feelings. It starts with Jun Naruse, a little girl who is fascinated by a wonderful castle up the hill (which is in fact just a hotel that looks like a fancy castle) and one day she sees her father coming out of that castle with a woman. Jun gets excited, thinking that her father is a prince, so she goes home to tell her mother what she saw. Obviously, her mother doesn’t take it well and their whole family tears apart. Jun takes the blame for this and a magical egg prince appears (yes, an egg) to seal her ability to speak so that she won’t cause any more harm.

As you see, Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda is from the very beginning quite tragic and dramatic. Don’t despair though, when a story begins this sad, things can only get better. Jun and a few more students are chosen against their will to organize and participate in the school musical, an experience that will change their lives forever. These kids will get to know love and friendship as they are forced to work together and express their feelings through singing. Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda is certainly a wonderful, touching love story.

Of course, if you’re looking for a light-hearted high school romance movie, then you should try watching Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita. This is the typical story of a group of high school students who are all secretly love struck and wish to confess their feelings to the ones they love. In order to do so, these kids spend their whole days gathering courage, thinking on the best way to confess what they feel or even practicing how to say “I love you”. Will they be able to get past practice and finally dare to express their feelings?

Zutto Mae kara is a very romantic movie everyone can feel identified with. Pretty much every single one of us has been madly in love during high school. We’ve all had that special someone we spent hours looking at but rarely dared to speak to. This is what this movie is all about. It’s about the most innocent and pure face of love; the type of love that makes you feel butterflies in your tummy and that nothing else on earth matters. Zutto Mae kara is absolutely lovely and a perfect choice if you’re not really in the mood for sad and heart-breaking stories. This one will only leave you with a smile on your face and tears of joy.

Kotonoha no Niwa is one of Makoto Shinkai’s greatest works ever. That is of course no minor detail. If you haven’t heard about Makoto Shinkai yet, chances are you’ve probably watched or at least heard about some of his wonderful and unforgettable movies, one of the most popular of them being Byousoku 5 Centimeter (5 Centimeters per Second) listed on our previous selection of romantic movies. Shinkai isn’t called “the next Miyazaki” for no reason. He excels at making the most brilliant, wonderful and heartbreaking love stories, and Kotonoha no Niwa is definitely not an exception.

Kotonoha no Niwa tells the story of 15 year old Takao Akizuki, a nice and innocent kid with a big ambition; becoming a shoemaker (okay, not that big really, though he does take it very seriously). Takao is very responsible but he has one guilty pleasure. He skips school on every rainy morning to go to a beautiful Japanese garden and sketch shoe designs. There, Takao meets Yukari Yukino, a beautiful and mysterious grown up woman with whom he has pleasant and comforting talks each time they meet.

This is truly a movie to fall in love with. The art is impressive, the melancholic vibe is overwhelming and the human emotions are developed so realistically that you will find it hard not to shed a few tears. The story is not so much about a forbidden love between a high school kid and a grown up woman, but rather about two lonely human souls in distress who find great comfort in the company of each other. Of course, the romantic atmosphere and feelings are still there, so if you’re looking for a really moving romantic movie, Kotonoha no Niwa is always an excellent choice.

And finally we have Kimi no Na wa, Makoto Shinkai’s latest work and probably his greatest to date. The entire anime community is shocked by this production and after only a few weeks after its release, Kimi no Na wa has become one of the top anime movies of all times. It’s no exaggeration, just Google it if you have any doubt. This film is an instant classic and definitely a must-watch whether you’re a fan of romantic movies or not.

Kimi no Na wa tells the story of two high school kids with very different lives who are connected through their dreams and by the appearance of a comet that can only be seen each 1200 years. Mitsuha is a girl who lives on a small rural town and dreams of a fancier and more exciting life in the big city. Taki on the other hand, lives in Tokyo and works part-time as a waiter. Everything gets a bit messy when they realize that, in their dreams they switch bodies and live each other’s life, although they can’t quite remember much once they wake up in their respective bodies.

Taki and Mitsuha share a very magical and intimate experience that makes them really close despite the distance. Eventually, these two kids attempt to meet, but their meeting can be more difficult to realize than they expect. If you’re into romantic stories and emotional journeys then join these two adorable lovers as they try to find each other and learn about the spiritual connection between them. Just a little warning, you’ll cry your eyes out with this movie.