A shogi prodigy turned professional in middle school. Rei Kiriyama has gained admiration from various members of the community. However, below this almost seemingly stoic exterior is a spiral of trauma and anxiety from his past Both the death of his parents and his adoption, as well as the pressure to live up to being a genius people used to expect of him can become too much. Rei soon learns to turn to mentors at the Shogi Hall and three neighbourly sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo Kawamoto, as well as their grandfather. Through his matches and blooming relationships, he will learn to grow as a person.

From the creator of Honey and Clover comes this strikingly beautiful story of individual growth and resilience. While not typically categorized as a romance anime, it makes the list for showcasing the importance of all the relationships in our lives and how they change with time and circumstance. If you are looking to play the long game with gratification of romantic themes, you will need to watch into season 2 of this show but the journey is worth the travel.

Akira Tachibana was formerly a track star of her high school’s team before suffering from a leg injury which hindered her chances of continuing. Now Akira spends her time listlessly attending high school, while ignoring advances from interested boys, and going to her part time job where she harbors a secret crush for her manager, 45-year-old Masami Kondou a kind divorced man who is none the wiser to her affection. Yet despite the huge gap in age, will Akira work up the courage to confess and how will Masami react?

After the rain is a romance anime that examines the circumstances of how we fall in love and who we fall in love with. The anime seeks to espouse a sense of realism in matches that we deem to be unhealthy, or illogical. It should be noted that while the anime certainly has its light-hearted elements, it does cover mature themes in it’s plot so may not be the go-to for those who want a traditional school romance story. Regardless, the animation is quite pretty, and the plot is intriguing enough to earn it a place on this list.

We follow the life of Mitsuyoshi Tada, who after losing his parents in a car accident, lives with his little sister above their grandfather’s coffee shop. One day, Mitsuyoshi bumps into a foreign girl naked Teresa Vagner from Luxembourg, while he was snapping pictures of cherry blossoms in the park. Teresa and her friend Alex, end up transferring to the same school as Mitsuyoshi and joins him and his friends in the photography club as they seek to capture beautiful moments and spend time with their new friends. Always taking two-steps back when it comes to love, will Mitsuyoshi begin opening to this new person in his life or will a hidden past keep the two apart?

A romantic-comedy anime, Tada Never Falls in Love is a refreshing balance of both colourful, spritely and serious romantic moments. Our main protagonist, Mitsuyoshi is someone who has closed his heart off for years and has never really connected romantically with anyone and so you as an audience will get to see how he develops these feelings and how he handles them. If this sparks an interest for you, check it out.

Mei Tachibana, having felt the sting of betrayal and distrust from her friends in grade school, has since preferred the company of herself to avoid the same kind of hurt. Yet circumstance brings her to bump into Yamato Kurosawa, a professional model and one of the most popular boys in her school. Adverse to wanting to get to know him, a situation thrusts them together where they become closer than she would have liked. Yet overtime and through struggles to communicate and deal with new friends she never asked for, Mei uncovers feelings for Yamato she did not previously have, and Yamato tries to convey his feelings for Mei.

A classic school romance tale of outcast girl meets popular boy. This anime deals with what happens when one or both parties are not yet ready to pursue their feelings at full force all the while dealing with the unwanted attention or teasing from their classmates. This is a great anime for those who enjoy a social outcast story.

Sophomore high school student, Naho Takamiya has a bit of an odd start to the school year when she receives a mysterious letter that appears to come from herself, 10 years into the future, when she is 26 years old. Naho is skeptical as any rational person would be when receiving such a letter, however when events detailed in the letter begin to unfold in her life, she slowly becomes convinced. Yet the letters do not only focus on her but on a new student named Kakeru Naruse whom Naho is asked by her future self to keep watch over. Will Naho’s life change for the better by following the letters or will she come to regret her choices the same as her future self.

Orange is a school romance and drama anime that tackles sensitive subject matters of depression and regret. Given the anime has letters traveling in time, some may argue it is a fantasy or sci-fi anime, however these elements are non-existent outside of the writing of letters. We do not often see depression or mental illness alluded to in school romance anime for one reason or another, however Orange does a good job with incorporating all the necessary tools to balance those themes with the romance. If you are looking for something more serious this is for you.

This story begins at the close of a chapter, in the final semester of his final year of high school. Eita Izumi transfer back to his hometown that he left behind due to his father’s work. It is at his new high school that Eita will reconnect with friends from his past, like Haruto Souma a friend he used to play with on the baseball team. As well as Hazuki Morikawa, a band member, and Mio Natsume, someone who may still hold a candle for Eita. During a time where students are deciding their future, how will this familiar face’s sudden arrival impact their lives, what feelings will be rekindled?

Just Because! makes another fine addition to the school romance anime list. It picks up during a tumultuous time for the characters, right as we are between significant stages of our young adult lives. In that regard, there is a great sense of playing catch up with relationships in this anim. It may have the audience and characters worried at first, whether there is enough time for the romance to head in any satisfying direction. This is perhaps what distinguishes this anime from others on the list in how effective it handles the continuation or end of relationships past high school.

Tsurezure Children takes us through the lives of various high schoolers, highlighting different moments in their romantic journeys. From gathering the courage to confess your feelings to someone who was just a friend to what happens after the confession where you two begin dating. The road of love is a bumpy one and these high schoolers do what they can to make it work.

This is a short formatted, romantic comedy anime with each episode clocking at around 12 minutes. Each episode is spent focusing on different pairs of couples at different stages in their relationship and brings a fresh humour to the genre. Worth the watch if you are tired of anime where you have to wait 12 episodes for any serious development with little jokes in between.

In middle school, Futaba Yoshioka was the envy of her female classmates and the centre of affection of the boys due to her cute nature. She had not taken notice of any boys, not until one rainy day after seeking shelter from the downpour, she found herself standing with a classmate named Kou Tanaka under some cover. Kou was a soft-spoken boy. Futaba found herself taking interest in Kou and intended to invite him to the summer festival before a misunderstanding was formed that drove Kou away never to be seen again. Now in high school, Futaba has changed her appearance for the worse to fan off unwanted jealousy from the girls and attention from the boys, carrying on with her life as normal until she bumps into a male student who looks identical to Kou yet going by a different name. Is this young man the same one she once knew?

Blue Spring Ride is a school romance anime that, like Just Because!, deals with the picking up of a relationship following the passage of time. It shows how large a gap a couple year can make in us connecting with those we once had feelings for. How do we deal with feelings of someone who is no longer like who they used to be? You will find this anime on many must watch lists. It is sure to please for any classic school romance fans.

Middle school student and aspiring writer Kotarou Azumi begins his last year of middle school alongside new classmates including Akane Mizuno, a member of the school’s track team. Over the period of the year and various chance encounters and circumstance, a mutual affection begins to flutter between the two yet both struggle with overcoming their own fears and anxiety of one another’s thoughts to act on their true feelings. Will they be able to overcome their biggest obstacle, themselves, and find happiness or will their paths diverge at graduation?

From the studio that brought you My Teenage Romantic Comedy SNAFU! and Hinamatsuri comes a lower key school romance anime. As per the summary, Tsuki ga Kirei is focused on the budding relationship between a boy and girl in middle school. This anime does a very good job grounding the romantic themes to feel not so much like a viewer watching a fantasy version of romance but an actual relationship between two young people with all the awkward pauses, anxiety, and small triumphs that come with it. This is an anime for anyone who needs to relax and immerse themselves in a good story.

Kousei Arima was a piano prodigy when he was younger, though he was viewed as being like a metronome in his robotic but perfect reproduction of classical music. One day, while at the top of his game, his world came crashing following the death of his mother. Finding himself no longer able to hear his own notes, he quit performing in competitions. Years passed, Kousei remains in the same rut he was before, unable to hear his own music. He coasts through a bland a life with his friends until he encounters the effervescent Kaori Miyazono, a beautiful violinist who might just change his outlook on life and help his music.

It would not do justice to leave Your Lie in April off a list of school romance anime. This heartfelt, and at times heartbreaking, tale shows the beauty in the world that we can only find in relationships that point it out to us. This anime does a great job at highlighting the importance of mutual support and kinship in relationships and the difference that can make. On top of the story this anime brings stunning visuals and a fantastic soundtrack to add to your classical music playlist.