To some otaku, it feels like most romcoms these days are the same thing over and over again.
Many otaku feel that the common formula for romantic comedies nowadays is “a quirky and unusual girl likes a guy who’s otherwise unexceptional”. That’s not entirely correct, but there’s some truth to the sentiment: the genre has become somewhat formulaic in the past years, and a lot of its fans want something different from it.
If you don’t know where to search for somewhat different romcoms, look no further: here are 5 series that differ from what you’re seeing these days.
Working!!
Working!! (also known as Wagnaria!!) focuses on a very eccentric cast of individuals working at a family restaurant. While this is hardly a unique premise (especially in the broader scene of workplace romantic comedy), what makes Working!! so good is just how different every cast member is — and how well their interactions with each other work. That adds extra layers to the depth of the cast, providing a great experience to the viewers — and the anime doesn’t drop off after three seasons of its run.
High Score Girl
High Score Girl deals with teenagers finding a common passion in arcade gaming. As such, it is absolutely filled with references to the 90s gaming scene — something that older otaku will appreciate a lot — but that’s not really required knowledge for watching the series. In the end, it’s just about nerds doing something they like, and the romance that grows from it. Don’t let the CGI scare you, by the way: you will get used to the anime’s look quite soon.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!
While Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! (Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!) can hardly be called obscure, it fell out of relevance in the past few years. It’s understandable: with the anime being over, otaku slowly moved over to discuss other things. However, it’s still regarded as a great romcom recommendation, and for a good reason: it’s fun, the cast interactions feel realistic (despite some characters acting really corny), and being made by Kyoto Animation means it looks gorgeous. With a unique premise of middle schoolers dealing with their chuunibyou tendencies, it’s a fun romcom if you want something different.
Lovely★Complex (or, as it is commonly called, LoveCom) aired during the late 00s — the time when shoujo romcoms were on the rise. As such, it’s very much a product of its time — arguably one of the best among them — and obviously very different from what you see in anime now. Featuring a pair of protagonists who are both uncomfortable about their height, it seems like it’s a one-joke anime, but that’s completely wrong: both comedic and romantic aspects are very well-written.
Dagashi Kashi
This anime somehow takes a very normal and common thing — a young man working at his family’s candy store — and uses it as a premise for a gag-filled romcom with a lot of fanservice. A lot, lot of food-focused fanservice. Sounds weird? Yes, it kind of is — but it’s surprisingly entertaining if you know what to expect. Surprisingly enough, the anime somehow manages to also keep being occasionally educational, teaching the viewer about the world of sweets.
To some otaku, it feels like most romcoms these days are the same thing over and over again.
Many otaku feel that the common formula for romantic comedies nowadays is “a quirky and unusual girl likes a guy who’s otherwise unexceptional”. That’s not entirely correct, but there’s some truth to the sentiment: the genre has become somewhat formulaic in the past years, and a lot of its fans want something different from it.
If you don’t know where to search for somewhat different romcoms, look no further: here are 5 series that differ from what you’re seeing these days.
Working!!
Working!! (also known as Wagnaria!!) focuses on a very eccentric cast of individuals working at a family restaurant. While this is hardly a unique premise (especially in the broader scene of workplace romantic comedy), what makes Working!! so good is just how different every cast member is — and how well their interactions with each other work. That adds extra layers to the depth of the cast, providing a great experience to the viewers — and the anime doesn’t drop off after three seasons of its run.
High Score Girl
High Score Girl deals with teenagers finding a common passion in arcade gaming. As such, it is absolutely filled with references to the 90s gaming scene — something that older otaku will appreciate a lot — but that’s not really required knowledge for watching the series. In the end, it’s just about nerds doing something they like, and the romance that grows from it. Don’t let the CGI scare you, by the way: you will get used to the anime’s look quite soon.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!
While Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! (Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!) can hardly be called obscure, it fell out of relevance in the past few years. It’s understandable: with the anime being over, otaku slowly moved over to discuss other things. However, it’s still regarded as a great romcom recommendation, and for a good reason: it’s fun, the cast interactions feel realistic (despite some characters acting really corny), and being made by Kyoto Animation means it looks gorgeous. With a unique premise of middle schoolers dealing with their chuunibyou tendencies, it’s a fun romcom if you want something different.
Lovely★Complex (or, as it is commonly called, LoveCom) aired during the late 00s — the time when shoujo romcoms were on the rise. As such, it’s very much a product of its time — arguably one of the best among them — and obviously very different from what you see in anime now. Featuring a pair of protagonists who are both uncomfortable about their height, it seems like it’s a one-joke anime, but that’s completely wrong: both comedic and romantic aspects are very well-written.
Dagashi Kashi
This anime somehow takes a very normal and common thing — a young man working at his family’s candy store — and uses it as a premise for a gag-filled romcom with a lot of fanservice. A lot, lot of food-focused fanservice. Sounds weird? Yes, it kind of is — but it’s surprisingly entertaining if you know what to expect. Surprisingly enough, the anime somehow manages to also keep being occasionally educational, teaching the viewer about the world of sweets.
