Act out of the tropes!
Aren't you tired of all those romantic shows with characters who turn into a babbly blushing mess after simply brushing hands with someone? And keep turning into this blushing mess after the third, fourth, fifth touch, not letting the relationship progress?
We've got you covered: we made a list of anime shows where romance is actually physically tangible, and the characters are not shying away from touches, hugs, and other things that couples actually do. And all of these have pretty happy endings, too, so you won't need to bawl your eyes out.
Horimiya
This is one of the most praised romantic anime series, and for a reason: its portrayal of relationship development between high schoolers has been deemed perfect. On the surface, it's a typical story of a popular girl, Kyoko Hori, dating an unpopular guy, Izumi Miyamura, but there's a layer of their personalities that they allow to show only to each other - and these secrets, this trust, is what their relationship is based on. There's a lot of drama, of course, but it's nicely balanced with simple, relatable things.
Love is Like a Cocktail (Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara)
A great show if you want some bite-sized fun, as it has short three-minute episodes in which Sora, a husband who works as a bartender, spoils his wife, Chisato, by making her cocktails at home. She's a talkative drunk who morphs from being stoic and collected into an extremely cutesy person after having a sip. And her husband is the only person who's allowed to see her like that. Their relationship is almost diabetes-inducingly sweet, but sometimes we need that.
I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying (Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken)
Another wholesome anime about a married couple with short episodes, this one allows us to peek into the lives of Hajime Tsunashi, an otaku husband who has a blog, and Kaoru, his wife, a very hardworking office lady. Their personalities cannot be more different, but their love is so tangible and wholesome. The portrayal of their married life is not just cute: it has its ups and downs, and it's shown in a pretty relatable way.
Tsuki Ga Kirei
Kotarou Azumi is a writer, and Akane Mizuno is a track team star. They end up in the same class in the last year of junior high school, and through the small gestures, short gazes, all this teenage awkwardness love blooms between them. The pacing is pretty slow, which makes the development have a very realistic progress. And not just the romance: the characters themselves change in a very believable way, one that makes you want to support them, both as individuals and as a couple.
Chillin' in My 30s After Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army (Kaiko sareta Ankoku Heishi (30-dai) no Slow na Second Life)
Dariel has been a soldier in the demonic army for 30 years but then was laid off. Lost without his job, he wanders through the forest and meets a human girl, Malika, running from the monsters — and saves her, and she, in return, invites him home. Their relationship development is pretty organic and also aided by the things Dariel uncovers about himself. The first half of the season feels very slice-of-life-y, but in a good way, and it aids with the portrayal of the romance that grows between the characters.
Insomniacs After School (Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia)
Two lost souls struggling with insomnia, find solace in the abandoned observatory in school — and in each other. Ganta Nakami and Isaki Magari are two opposites: he's irritable, she's outgoing and quirky, but they both suffer from sleep disorders, and the observatory becomes their safe haven. The show portrays not only blooming romance between the protagonists, but also focuses on the troubling insecurities and stresses of modern teenagers. The intimacy lies not only in casual touches but in the general interactions — and it feels soothingly organic.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai)
The world of this show deals with a thing called Puberty Syndrome — a rare disease with very supernatural symptoms. And Mai Sakurajima, a very unapproachable and distant child actress that vanished from the scene is another victim of that disease. It becomes apparent to Sakuta Azusagawa when he meets her in the school library and sees her in a bunny girl costume, and decides to help her battle the disease. Despite the cover, the show is not filled with ecchi elements and can be considered something like a milder version of Monogatari series, with less violence, at least, and a bit more wholesomeness.
Banished From The Hero's Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside (Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita)
Red just lives a normal life after retiring from being an adventurer. He's not alone, though: together with him is Rit, also an adventurer who's grown to like Red during their time together. While the romance is a significant part of the show, it combines the slice-of-life aspects of living the chill countryside life with the deeper exploration of the characters' past. But the romance is nice: they both are not stalling, the development is organic and believable, and the way they settle down and build their lives away from adventure is super cozy.
TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You (Tonikaku Kawaii)
Truck-kun makes his appearance here, but thankfully it doesn't take the main character's life: no, it just leaves him bleeding after he tries to save the most beautiful girl in the world whom he instantly fell in love with. He's swift to propose his feelings, and the girl, divine Tsukasa Tsukyomi, agrees to be with him, but only if they get married. The story is of them navigating the world of romance, as both have no experience in it, and learning to be with another person while being madly in love.
More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers (Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman)
The premise of the show just forces the characters to physically interact: one of the courses at the school they attend is marriage practice. The pairs of boys and girls are randomly selected and for a whole term, they have to ace various domestic tasks and get close. The pairs that get the best grade can change their partners. It just so happens that Jirou Yakuin gets paired with Akari Watanabe, but his crush, Shiori Sakurazaka, is playing out marriage with her crush, Minami Tenjin. And the main pair wants to swap their partners, but to do that, they have to become the best couple.