Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is from the perspective of an unsuspecting male protagonist, a contrast from School Days’ Makato Itou being the instigator of the romance. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien follows Takayuki Narumi as he and two different girls are tangled up in a romantic drama. Mitsuki Hayase agrees to befriend Takiyuki for her friend Haruka Suzumiya, who has a crush on Takiyuki. Sound familiar? The problem comes when Takiyuki and Haruka finally begin dating, but Mitsuki and Takiyuki realize they have feelings for one another. And when things suddenly get much worse, the group will find their lives changed forever.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien follows a plot incredibly similar to School Days, just without all of the gory violence of its ending. It still has its emotional moments, but losing the psychological element of School Days is certainly noticeable. You can expect a much tamer series, though this anime still manages to draw you in, giving good personality and emotion to each character. Much more than in School Days, you will root for your favorite characters to end up together, all the way until the end. Be prepared for intense feels!

If you are looking for another anime with complicated romantic drama, look no further than Yosuga no Sora! The series begins with twins Haruka and Sora Kasugano coming back to their home in the countryside. The two decide to return after their parents both die in a car accident, leaving them to start over, returning to a place of memories. Old childhood friends Nao Yorihime and Akira Amatsume, as well as new friend Kazuha Migiwa, welcome them back. Yet, soon, emotions threaten to overwhelm the twins and their friends, as their past collides with their present. And as a secret begins to be revealed, questions of what is right and wrong will be brought into play.

Yosuga no Sora is another anime where sex and emotions become entangled, bringing about romantic drama. Both Yosuga no Sora and School Days involve harems – yet while School Days studies the darker aspects of humanity, Yosuga no Sora looks at how people judge each other and decide what is right or wrong. It should be noted that Yosuga no Sora is for a mature audience, as School Days is, yet Yosuga no Sora doesn’t contain the violent aspect of School Days. However, if you loved School Days, you will love Yosuga no Sora’s thought-provoking series.

Myself; Yourself is an anime following Sana Hidaka, a young boy who moves away from his childhood friends and then returns when he is 16. He expects to pick up his relationships with his friends where they left off. The town itself seems to be exactly the same. But upon his return, Sana finds that his friends have changed, and the new secrets that they hold will threaten the group’s ties. This anime may not seem as dramatic or surprising as some of the others on this list. Yet, its appearance is deceiving. More than the typical romantic school drama, the need to know what will happen next in Myself; Yourself will keep you watching until the end!

Myself; Yourself and School Days share the romantic drama theme equally, even while School Days is certainly more dark. While Myself; Yourself is not necessarily a harem in the typical sense, it has the feel of a harem. What we mean by this is that the relationships formed in this anime are not all strictly romantic, but there are still plenty of tangled webs of ties between characters. And the drama in Myself; Yourself is certainly felt! Each character has important development, and is vital to the overall story. So while Myself; Yourself and School Days may not have the same psychological twist, we think you will still be pleased with the ending. Give it a shot!

Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya seem, to the rest of the world, like a perfect couple. Yet these two are together simply because they share the same lonely pain – they are in love with people they cannot be with. Hanabi is in love with her homeroom teacher Narumi Kanai, whom she has known since they were children. But Narumi is noticed by the music teacher, Akane Minagawa, and a relationship between the two begins to form. Meanwhile, Mugi has loved Akane since middle school, and is also upset by the current arrangement. In trying to figure out how to deal with the pain of their loneliness, Mugi and Hanabi turn to each other. However, will a substitute of another body be enough?

Kuzu no Honkai is a romantic drama which shows how the “use” of other people will not help one’s own pain. This is similar to School Days – the main character in School Days uses girls for sex, while trying to decide what his true feelings actually are. In Kuzu no Honkai, Hanabi and Mugi use one another as surrogates for the ones that they love, choosing each other simply because they are in the same situation. While School Days has a very tangible dark side, Kuzu no Honkai’s dark side comes more from within, being eminent in the emotions the characters show. Kuzu no Honkai is certainly tamer than School Days, but still has its own worth. And the animation is beautiful! The newest anime on our list, Kuzu no Honkai is a hidden gem.

What happens when a regular college student is dating an idol singer? Touya Fujii is just an average student trying to get through his college work, but one of his biggest problems is the lack of time he gets with Yuki Morikawa. Yuki is a new idol singer with her own drama to deal with. As she continues to get more popular, Yuki faces the cutthroat industry and her veteran rival, Rina Ogata. Will she be able to survive and thrive as a successful idol? And will her relationship with Touya last, or will the new people he meets and Yuki’s career get in the way?

White Album is a harem anime with a more realistic outcome, much like School Days (although that series is a bit extreme). And with White Album, you even get the added bonus of a great soundtrack! White Album and School Days also share the aspect of a dramatic tragic ending. The best part of these series is that they try to break the mold of the typical and go their own path with the storyline.

Nagi no Asukara follows a group of childhood friends who were raised in an underwater city, and go to school on the mainland. Hikari Sakishima, Manaka Mukaido, Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki must learn to deal with the prejudices that people raised on land have for those who live in the sea. The group soon befriends Tsumugu Kihara, another student whose family has close ties with the sea. Just as they are beginning to unite with the people of the land, the friends learn of an event which could endanger all of their new comrades. Not only do they have to deal with the approaching storm, but they also must face their own emotions. Can Hikari and his friends find the balance between the rolling waves and their hearts? We won’t spoil it for you, but trust us – the romantic drama in this show is everywhere!

Nagi no Asukara and School Days are both romantic dramas through and through. And while nothing can match the dark intensity of School Days, Nagi no Asukara deals with other themes like discrimination and self-sacrifice. Hikari has an almost harem-like experience, as most of the girl characters in the series are in love with him at some point. Fans that are looking for an interesting plot to add to the romantic entanglement should look no further! This anime is much tamer, but that does not make it any less good.