AnimeSuki Forums

kresslia · 2010-04-30, 14:57

Hey guys.

I took a break from watching anime for a while, and am going to take advantage of this weekend to watch some. Having said that, I'm looking for the best of the best. Hopefully.

-- Not a fan of harem anime.

-- I do like the whole soulmate concept (ie, Syaoran and Sakura in Cardcaptor Sakura/Tsubasa, Eureka and Renton in Eureka Seven). Two characters that are made for each other? I love it.

-- I'd like for the male romantic interest to not be an idiot. You know those annoying, weak, indecisive, nerdy, and ultimately useless male leads? Don't enjoy them too much.

-- Aaaand to add on to that, a great and likable female is necessary, too. Basically, I just don't want lame characters involved here. Character development IS lovely, however, so it's fine if one of the two or both start out not so great, and grow. That's fantastic.

-- Honestly, I'd much prefer the animation to be decent. A more recent anime would be fine. Meaning within the last, hm, 10-15 years.

That's mostly what I want. TL;DR: A good romance anime with good development and likable characters.

Bonus: I do like mecha anime. What I like even more than mecha anime is mecha anime with heavy romance elements. Some suggestions in the mecha/romance genre would be appreciated, too.

Thanks a lot in advance, guys!

EDIT: I would like to add a bit more. In general, it seems that I prefer romance/shounen series, but it seems to be tough to find good anime under that category. Romance/shoujo would definitely be my second pick. Manga is fine, too, I've been following Kobato for a few years and the romance really is shaping up now.

tyranuus · 2010-04-30, 15:04

Could try Spice and Wolf with its romantic subtext, (both seasons, hell ep00 season2 is adorable) and excellent interactions, also fits your development point as Horo joins Lawrence's journey as an unexpected guest and they grow on each other as they get to see past each other's shell. Horo is the smarter of the two but Lawrence is certainly no idiot in general, the characters are great. The series itself can be slow but dont let it put you off, the writing and banter is mostly superb and makes the 26 episode (13*2) run extremely watchable, there is a lot of depth in the series so plenty to consider if you enjoy reading beyond the lines.

Also Rahxephon which is Mecha with a few romance subplots, one of which is pretty crucial to the plot, and another has a fairly emotional climax.

Spice and Wolf is better (and hasnt technically ended as its based on a book series, and has potential for more seasons) , Rahxephon might be more to your taste.

kresslia · 2010-04-30, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyranuus

Could try Spice and Wolf with its romantic subtext, (both seasons, hell ep00 season2 is adorable) and excellent interactions or Rahxephon which is Mecha with a few romance subplots, one of which is pretty crucial to the plot, and another has a fairly emotional climax.

Spice and Wolf is better (and hasnt technically ended as its based on a book series, and has potential for more seasons) , Rahxephon might be more to your taste.

Ah, Rahxephon! I've definitely been meaning to watch that -- I watched 5 episodes after buying the DVDs and then forgot about it. I'll definitely check out Spice and Wolf, too. I've heard good things. Thanks a lot for the reply!

xris · 2010-04-30, 15:11

In that case I would suggest the following mix of suggestions (none are mecha).

Kimi ni Todoke
Cross Game
Gokinjo Monogatari
Nodame Cantabile (3 series)
Mahoraba - Heartful Days

Torrents available for all of these.

tyranuus · 2010-04-30, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by kresslia

Ah, Rahxephon! I've definitely been meaning to watch that -- I watched 5 episodes after buying the DVDs and then forgot about it. I'll definitely check out Spice and Wolf, too. I've heard good things. Thanks a lot for the reply!

If its relevant to you S&W Japanese audio is excellent and Holo has more vocal depth in native japanese, but the English dub is also decent and funi are dubbing season 2 right now for release in the future (license was announced at Boston this year).

MamoruUsagi · 2010-04-30, 15:52

Fushigi Yuugi
Paradise Kiss
Bokura ga Ita
Mars
High School Debut
Kare First Love
Ayashi no Ceres
Peach Girl
The Devil Does Exist
Ultra Cute
Happy Hustle High
Kare Kano
Wild Act
Marmalade Boy
Missile Happy!
Akuma De Sourou
Fushigi Yugi
Sailor Moon
Absolute Boyfriend
Ceres Celestial Legend
Sand Chronicles
Land of the Blindfolded

Great romance manga and anime

Bokura ga Ita
Fushigi Yugi
Kare First Love
Mars
Happy Hustle High
Peach Girl
The Devil Does Exist
Ultra Cute
Mars
High School Debut
We Were There
Fushigi Yuugi
Ceres Celestial Legend
Sailor Moon
Marmalade Boy
Wild Act
Absolute Boyfriend
Missile Happy!
Land of the Blindfolded

Series with soulmate epic romances:

Sailor Moon
Fushigi Yuugi
Ayashi no Ceres
Mars
The Devil Does Exist
Wild Act
Kare First Love
High School Debut

kresslia · 2010-04-30, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by xris

In that case I would suggest the following mix of suggestions (none are mecha).

Kimi ni Todoke
Cross Game
Gokinjo Monogatari
Nodame Cantabile (3 series)
Mahoraba - Heartful Days

Torrents available for all of these.

I've definitely been intimidated by Cross Game due to the 50 episode long length, but I have seen it recommended a lot and I've heard it's just great. May just end up watching it. Thanks!

Guardian Enzo · 2010-04-30, 18:17

Yup, Cross Game is a good fit. I immediately thought of True Tears, which (for me) has some of that fated romance mystique.

kresslia · 2010-04-30, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Yup, Cross Game is a good fit. I immediately thought of True Tears, which (for me) has some of that fated romance mystique.

True Tears was another one I had in mind -- in fact, I had it downloaded at some point.

Thanks!

Theowne · 2010-04-30, 20:33

I will throw a second vote for Cross Game . It satisfies most of your requests.

Also, it's hard to say without knowing exactly what you've seen already, but Kare Kano would be my other top vote. IMO the first four episodes are small masterpieces of this genre. Finally, Banner of the Stars - if you liked Eureka Seven, I imagine you would have no problem appreciating the romance subplot here.

I don't know how you feel about films, but I would definitely give Whisper of the Heart a look in terms of an actually good, intelligent female character and a non-idiot male that are both likable. Well, it's not new, but it's a ghibli movie, so the animation is fantastic.

And at the end of the day, it`s only <2 hours, so if you end up not liking it, you've only spent a small amount of time. However if you take it positively, it will be more than worth it....

kresslia · 2010-04-30, 21:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theowne

I will throw a second vote for Cross Game . It satisfies most of your requests.

Also, it's hard to say without knowing exactly what you've seen already, but Kare Kano would be my other top vote. IMO the first four episodes are small masterpieces of this genre. Finally, Banner of the Stars - if you liked Eureka Seven, I imagine you would have no problem appreciating the romance subplot here.

I don't know how you feel about films, but I would definitely give Whisper of the Heart a look in terms of an actually good, intelligent female character and a non-idiot male that are both likable. Well, it's not new, but it's a ghibli movie, so the animation is fantastic.

And at the end of the day, it`s only <2 hours, so if you end up not liking it, you've only spent a small amount of time. However if you take it positively, it will be more than worth it....

Thank you so much, I'm expressing interest in each of these series. I'm definitely, definitely going to try them out. Also -- Toronto, Canada represent! Haha.

Chiibi · 2010-04-30, 23:21

I do nothing but whore this series out constantly.

Regardless, Full Moon Wo Sagashite is a MUST-SEE.

It's shoujo, not harem, and not reverse-harem. Best shoujo romance EVER, especially if you're a sucker for "love conquers all" and "love can change destiny" themes. Beats Yuu Watase's shoujo mush ANY day!!

Because you know, we actually have DEVELOPMENT between the characters before they become "obsessed" with one another.

Actually they don't reach that point. It's a very cute, sweet friendship that slowly becomes something more. There are no annoying countless break-ups and no cheesey soap opera episodes. It's just very beautifully paced all the way through. The main character is a young girl and the boy is older. Some people frown upon it....but I don't see why because it's SO clean and innocent. Like Disney romances, little kids could totally watch this....though they wouldn't understand absolutely everything because some themes are so deep.

But...you WILL cry.

A lot.

..............did I mention the two main characters are incredibly lovable? Er well there are three main characters, but I mean the main couple is soooooooo

They are UNQUESTIONABLY made for each other...in probably the most touching and brilliant scenario I've ever seen done in a series. And the third main character is very awesome too, by the end.

SeijiSensei · 2010-05-01, 06:32

Lots of good suggestions. I'll throw in REC for a quick romance fix. You can watch the entire series in an evening. Otherwise I'd second xris's list (nice to see you in Suggestions thread, Oji-san), especially Nodame Cantabile and Cross Game. Don't worry about CG's length; it'll fly right by.

Nodame is one of three shows I've seen with young adult characters and a relationship between a woman and her slightly-older male senpai, the others being Planetes and Toshokan Sensou. All of these have a lot more to their stories than just the romance.

barcode120x · 2010-05-03, 01:45

Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka (A bit of indecisiveness..but you might like it still)
Futakoi
Futakoi Alternative (I prefer this one than the first)
Nogizaka Haruka (I think you'll love the girl in this)

Ai Yori Aoshi
Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi
~It's a good time killer and a great romance, but it does have harem in it and there isn't really "indecisiveness" per say, but rather a lot of stalling and epic love moments but they don't really turn out to be that "lovely" (just my IMO)
~not sure if this fits your entire description but you can give it a try

Last but not least:
You wanted romance?
You wanted soulmate?
You wanted a good male lead?
You wanted great animation?
I dare say to watch Clannad and Clannad After Story Q_Q

MeoTwister5 · 2010-05-03, 04:26

I feel like Cross Game.

Strygwyr · 2010-05-03, 05:39

Toradora
D.N Angel
Fruits Basket
Clannad
Full Moon Wo Sagashite

I'm trying to give you modern romantic animes, but classics like sailor moon are great to watch

tyranuus · 2010-05-04, 11:37

Im gonna be a cynic and say most of these probably dont have a happy ending. There seems to be something about anime romance and tragedy. Ofc if anyone wants to corrrect me or sort the aforementioned series into good/ambiguous/tragic ending then by all means, I like a good romantic subplot myself!

Chiibi · 2010-05-04, 13:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyranuus

Im gonna be a cynic and say most of these probably dont have a happy ending. There seems to be something about anime romance and tragedy. Ofc if anyone wants to corrrect me or sort the aforementioned series into good/ambiguous/tragic ending then by all means, I like a good romantic subplot myself!

I'm seeing a trend:

Shoujo romantic series=Happy ending. ALL THE TIME. Or sometimes it doesn't have an ending. But the manga will and it's happy, you can bet on that. Sometimes it's a little bittersweet. But honestly, most series end with the girl's marriage/and/or pregnancy to her true love and all of the rivals have been paired off too so EVERYBODY'S happy! lol

Shounen romantic series=Usually a happy ending. If it's a harem, he probably won't end up with anyone, officially. It seems to me that ecchi series that are NOT centered around a harem do have happy endings with the official "I love you" included in them: Rizelmine, Onegai Teacher, Steel Angel Kurumi, etc.

Seinen romantic series=Either tragic ending or a bittersweet ending or an ambiguous ending. These are the most dangerous series to the heart. They like to build you up just so they can crush you. HARD.

says the girl with Air in her sig.

Look, even if the story hurts, I won't stop loving the main characters, ok!?

Again, there are a few exceptions to these rules but I'm stating that this is generally how it goes....

2010-04-30, 14:57	Link #1
kresslia I dunno what to write. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Canada	Yes, more romance recommendations? Hey guys. I took a break from watching anime for a while, and am going to take advantage of this weekend to watch some. Having said that, I'm looking for the best of the best. Hopefully. -- Not a fan of harem anime. -- I do like the whole soulmate concept (ie, Syaoran and Sakura in Cardcaptor Sakura/Tsubasa, Eureka and Renton in Eureka Seven). Two characters that are made for each other? I love it. -- I'd like for the male romantic interest to not be an idiot. You know those annoying, weak, indecisive, nerdy, and ultimately useless male leads? Don't enjoy them too much. -- Aaaand to add on to that, a great and likable female is necessary, too. Basically, I just don't want lame characters involved here. Character development IS lovely, however, so it's fine if one of the two or both start out not so great, and grow. That's fantastic. -- Honestly, I'd much prefer the animation to be decent. A more recent anime would be fine. Meaning within the last, hm, 10-15 years. That's mostly what I want. TL;DR: A good romance anime with good development and likable characters. Bonus: I do like mecha anime. What I like even more than mecha anime is mecha anime with heavy romance elements. Some suggestions in the mecha/romance genre would be appreciated, too. Thanks a lot in advance, guys! EDIT: I would like to add a bit more. In general, it seems that I prefer romance/shounen series, but it seems to be tough to find good anime under that category. Romance/shoujo would definitely be my second pick. Manga is fine, too, I've been following Kobato for a few years and the romance really is shaping up now. Last edited by kresslia; 2010-04-30 at 16:15.

2010-04-30, 15:04	Link #2
tyranuus Team Spice and Wolf UK Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: England Age: 36	Could try Spice and Wolf with its romantic subtext, (both seasons, hell ep00 season2 is adorable) and excellent interactions, also fits your development point as Horo joins Lawrence's journey as an unexpected guest and they grow on each other as they get to see past each other's shell. Horo is the smarter of the two but Lawrence is certainly no idiot in general, the characters are great. The series itself can be slow but dont let it put you off, the writing and banter is mostly superb and makes the 26 episode (132) run extremely watchable, there is a lot of depth in the series so plenty to consider if you enjoy reading beyond the lines. Also Rahxephon which is Mecha with a few romance subplots, one of which is pretty crucial to the plot, and another has a fairly emotional climax. Spice and Wolf is better (and hasnt technically ended as its based on a book series, and has potential for more seasons) , Rahxephon might be more to your taste. __________________ Total Anime watched= Enough. What can I say? I'm a convert... ** PRAY FOR SPICE AND WOLF III and faster Yenpress novel releases! Reading: None at the moment Last edited by tyranuus; 2010-04-30 at 15:15.

2010-04-30, 20:33	Link #10
Theowne 耳をすませば Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Age: 34	I will throw a second vote for Cross Game . It satisfies most of your requests. Also, it's hard to say without knowing exactly what you've seen already, but Kare Kano would be my other top vote. IMO the first four episodes are small masterpieces of this genre. Finally, Banner of the Stars - if you liked Eureka Seven, I imagine you would have no problem appreciating the romance subplot here. I don't know how you feel about films, but I would definitely give Whisper of the Heart a look in terms of an actually good, intelligent female character and a non-idiot male that are both likable. Well, it's not new, but it's a ghibli movie, so the animation is fantastic. And at the end of the day, it`s only <2 hours, so if you end up not liking it, you've only spent a small amount of time. However if you take it positively, it will be more than worth it.... __________________ My Site - Reviews collection, Sheet music, and etc. Anime reviews/blog, piano arrangements, Studio Ghibli..

2010-04-30, 23:21	Link #12
Chiibi Vanitas owns you >:3 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: in a boring place you will not want to go to	I do nothing but whore this series out constantly. Regardless, Full Moon Wo Sagashite is a MUST-SEE. It's shoujo, not harem, and not reverse-harem. Best shoujo romance EVER, especially if you're a sucker for "love conquers all" and "love can change destiny" themes. Beats Yuu Watase's shoujo mush ANY day!! Because you know, we actually have DEVELOPMENT between the characters before they become "obsessed" with one another. Actually they don't reach that point. It's a very cute, sweet friendship that slowly becomes something more. There are no annoying countless break-ups and no cheesey soap opera episodes. It's just very beautifully paced all the way through. The main character is a young girl and the boy is older. Some people frown upon it....but I don't see why because it's SO clean and innocent. Like Disney romances, little kids could totally watch this....though they wouldn't understand absolutely everything because some themes are so deep. But...you WILL cry. A lot. ..............did I mention the two main characters are incredibly lovable? Er well there are three main characters, but I mean the main couple is soooooooo They are UNQUESTIONABLY made for each other...in probably the most touching and brilliant scenario I've ever seen done in a series. And the third main character is very awesome too, by the end. __________________ Last edited by Chiibi; 2010-04-30 at 23:42.

2010-05-01, 06:32	Link #13
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	Lots of good suggestions. I'll throw in REC for a quick romance fix. You can watch the entire series in an evening. Otherwise I'd second xris's list (nice to see you in Suggestions thread, Oji-san), especially Nodame Cantabile and Cross Game. Don't worry about CG's length; it'll fly right by. Nodame is one of three shows I've seen with young adult characters and a relationship between a woman and her slightly-older male senpai, the others being Planetes and Toshokan Sensou. All of these have a lot more to their stories than just the romance. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images

2010-04-30, 15:11	Link #4
xris Just call me Ojisan Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: U.K. Hampshire	In that case I would suggest the following mix of suggestions (none are mecha). Kimi ni Todoke Cross Game Gokinjo Monogatari Nodame Cantabile (3 series) Mahoraba - Heartful Days Torrents available for all of these.

2010-04-30, 15:52	Link #6
MamoruUsagi Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005	Fushigi Yuugi Paradise Kiss Bokura ga Ita Mars High School Debut Kare First Love Ayashi no Ceres Peach Girl The Devil Does Exist Ultra Cute Happy Hustle High Kare Kano Wild Act Marmalade Boy Missile Happy! Akuma De Sourou Fushigi Yugi Sailor Moon Absolute Boyfriend Ceres Celestial Legend Sand Chronicles Land of the Blindfolded Great romance manga and anime Bokura ga Ita Fushigi Yugi Kare First Love Mars Happy Hustle High Peach Girl The Devil Does Exist Ultra Cute Mars High School Debut We Were There Fushigi Yuugi Ceres Celestial Legend Sailor Moon Marmalade Boy Wild Act Absolute Boyfriend Missile Happy! Land of the Blindfolded Series with soulmate epic romances: Sailor Moon Fushigi Yuugi Ayashi no Ceres Mars The Devil Does Exist Wild Act Kare First Love High School Debut

2010-05-03, 01:45	Link #14
barcode120x MSN, FNP-C Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ontario, CA Age: 34	Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka (A bit of indecisiveness..but you might like it still) Futakoi Futakoi Alternative (I prefer this one than the first) Nogizaka Haruka (I think you'll love the girl in this) Ai Yori Aoshi Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi ~It's a good time killer and a great romance, but it does have harem in it and there isn't really "indecisiveness" per say, but rather a lot of stalling and epic love moments but they don't really turn out to be that "lovely" (just my IMO) ~not sure if this fits your entire description but you can give it a try Last but not least: You wanted romance? You wanted soulmate? You wanted a good male lead? You wanted great animation? I dare say to watch Clannad and Clannad After Story Q_Q

2010-05-03, 04:26	Link #15
MeoTwister5 Komrades of Kitamura Kou Join Date: Jul 2004 Age: 39	I feel like Cross Game.

2010-05-03, 05:39	Link #16
Strygwyr Attention Queen killer. IT Support Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Pripyat, Ukraine	Toradora D.N Angel Fruits Basket Clannad Full Moon Wo Sagashite I'm trying to give you modern romantic animes, but classics like sailor moon are great to watch __________________

2010-05-04, 11:37	Link #17
tyranuus Team Spice and Wolf UK Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: England Age: 36	Im gonna be a cynic and say most of these probably dont have a happy ending. There seems to be something about anime romance and tragedy. Ofc if anyone wants to corrrect me or sort the aforementioned series into good/ambiguous/tragic ending then by all means, I like a good romantic subplot myself! __________________ Total Anime watched= Enough. What can I say? I'm a convert... *** PRAY FOR SPICE AND WOLF III and faster Yenpress novel releases! Reading: None at the moment