Looking for realistic romance anime

[Duckinator]

I'm looking for a romance anime. Here are several themes/factors I'm looking out for.

1. Realistic
Ideally no fantasy or supernatural. I like average characters. The average white collar worker, students etc. I'm trying to avoid over the top wealthy or superstar main leads, but I can live with it.

2. Good ending
This is very important. The main characters must end up together. Cannot be hinted or implied. 5cm per second is awesome, but sadly didn't fulfill this criteria. I don't care if the main leads dated other people during the series. As long as the audience know they should be together and that they do end up together.

3. Not music themed
Nodame and white album is out basically.

4. Romance
It need not necessarily be the main genre, but it must be present and central. I liked Suzuka, but I found cross game to be disappointing. Don't particularly enjoy harem or those like boys over flowers.

5. Graphics
I don't need great animations, but I can't stand 90s style. Maybe those ~2004 onwards like gundam seed, f/sn, kimi ga nozomu eien etc.

Can't think of other factors. Basically I like shows that resembled the Taiwan drama 'in time with you'. You have 2 main leads with lots of tension between each other, but somehow have not gotten together. They could be bffs, or enemies turned lovers (kinda like this) etc. I particularly liked that they were both competent individuals, not rich man dumb girl pairing, but I can still accept the latter.

Length wise something decent would do. Not short like REC (I liked it but too short!!). Maybe max 50 epi? Preferably ~12-25.

Thanks!

[AnimeFangirl]

Maison Ikkoku fits all the criteria you named except Graphics.

[Duckinator]

Originally Posted by AnimeFangirl

Maison Ikkoku fits all the criteria you named except Graphics.

IKR. I couldn't watch it cuz of that

[Fairy Water]

Library Wars then.

[Haak]

I would heavily recommend Toradora though it may fall foul of criteria one depending on how pedantic you are about it.

[SeijiSensei]

Two recent shows with some romance as a supporting theme:
Fune wo Amu
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Also
REC

[Sackett]

Maison Ikkoku actually has 80's character designs which are very different from 90's character designs. Also, the animation quality is actually rather high (at least in the later seasons) with some work on lighting and shadows that is still really impressive.

Since Maison Ikkoku is easily the best romance anime in the last 40 years it's pretty hard to pick a different one. Most of the other good romances are either lacking in the clear ending, or they have supernatural elements, or they they are music themed, or romance is not the central theme.

I mean, I'm sitting here looking at my list of romance that I like and it's basically:

#1: Maison Ikkoku - (80's graphics, but realistic and best ending ever)

Oh my Goddess (Season 1 + Movie) - (late 90's character design, aired in early aughts, but has supernatural elements)

Whisper of the Heart - (90's but with Ghibli character designs, only movie length)

Clannad and Clannad After Story - (supernatural elements)

Tamako Love Story (only movie length)

Cross Game - which you already reject as not having the romance as central enough to the story

Banner of the Stars III (requires watching Crest of the Stars, and Banner of the Stars I and II during which romance is secondary)

Honey and Clover - (heartbreak ending)

Katanagatari - (tragic end, supernatural, fantasy)

Chrono Crusade (romance not central, tragic end)

Mawaru Penguindrum (tragic end, supernatural)

Your Lie In April (music themed)

Kimi Ni Todoke - (this one matches all your requirements I guess, but somehow I doubt it's what you are looking for.)

The World Is Still Beautiful (supernatural)

Hanasuka Iroha (inconsistent episode quality, unclear ending)

Anohana (supernatural, tragic end)

Kotoura-san (supernatural)

Otome Yokai Zakuro (supernatural)

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun (romance not the central focus, primarily comedy, currently no ending)

There are probably some more, but I can't think of them right now.

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I mean, House of the Sun fits perfectly, and is complete, but is a manga not an anime.

[RichardFromMarple]

Victorian Romance Emma - I've only seen the first episode but the write-ups of it sound good.

[AnimeFangirl]

How could I forget about Emma? But the manga is way better than the anime, which shoehorned in some meaningless non-canon love triangle where it didn't belong. The manga has much better art too.

[mashingan]

Golden Time? Though I dropped it in episode ~10 or so I'm not sure whether Banri (the MC) was still dating that rich girl at the end.

Edit: I read spoiler and it seems Banri and Koko were married each other (maybe?)

Ai Yori Aoshi is fit all your requirement.

[Arya]

I had completely forgot about Golden Time. I also dropped around then IIRC. Not something I'd suggest.

Anyways, here my suggestions, I start with a couple of harem's. Mashiro-iro Symphony, it's harem. It may be involuntarily deceiving in the first episodes (I even dropped it once) but then it shapes out better later. It's decent watch.

Shuffle!, another (old?) harem, it has fantasy elements, but the story won't change even removing them. It has a couple of interesting twists that makes it worth watching.

Then Peach Girl, a shoujo, basically an high school love triangle around a (tanned) girl, it has good moments and drags a bit in the second half, but it's a good watch if you like roller coaster romances.

I have to deduct you already watched White Album II (not the first one) and of course Cross Game, so it left me only True Tears, an high school love triangle in the countryside about a boy and two girls.

Side note, I can't avoid to second Crest of the Stars Saga whenever it fits or not the criteria (and it surely doesn't, only for the visuals alone).

[AnimeFangirl]

Originally Posted by Arya

I had completely forgot about Golden Time. I also dropped around then IIRC. Not something I'd suggest.

Same here. It's a terrible romance.
And I'd forgotten about Peach Girl and similar shoujo romances like Hana Yori Dango and Kare Kano. Popular shoujo romance animes. They forgot to include Nana. One of the Nanas is in a stable relationship. The other, well...

[Arya]

Originally Posted by AnimeFangirl

Same here. It's a terrible romance.
And I'd forgotten about Peach Girl and similar shoujo romances like Hana Yori Dango and Kare Kano. Popular shoujo romance animes. They forgot to include Nana. One of the Nanas is in a stable relationship. The other, well...

Terrible, yeah.
Ah, so now I see it, Hana Yori Dango == Boys over flowers, I never watched it so I couldn't catch it before reading from your list. List that reminded me of Tonari, a shame of a show with such a great side couple.

Speaking of Nana, well Nana is awesome, with one of the best OST ever (from my limited knowledge about anime OST). A couple of series these past/current two seasons reminded me of it and I'm seriously thinking to watch it again.
Oh, speaking of which also I]Paradise Kiss[/I] is a good watch.
But, neither of them matches the required criteria.

[AnimeFangirl]

Oh yeah, Nana hasn't ended and is music-themed. Actually, being a Nana fan is suffering because it has been on hiatus for at least 7 years. Avoid that one.

[Duckinator]

Ay thanks all for the recommendations. Yea strictly no music theme, or arts/literature etc. And harem's a turn off for me (I believe it means 1 guy many girls and vice versa?) A love triangle is fine, though I prefer if its clear who the main leads end up with from the start.

I suppose it being anime, I can live with fantasy theme too. As long as the romance is strong and well developed, even if its not the main theme I'm fine with it. However I'd like to avoid fighting genre though.

I remember liking oh my goddess. Male lead is a weakling though...

Maison ikkoku and kare kano's stories seem to fit what I want, but I really can't handle the graphics. Argh....

I remember wanting to watch true tears, but I read that some viewers strongly dislike the female lead. Was it a messy triangle? I don't like if the female lead is 50-50, and I have ton take sides lol. I want the female lead to be a clear choice, and we know early on that the third party has no chance.

Comments on toradora? Seems to fit what I want!

[Shana]

A show that fits all your criteria is Itazura na Kiss. Depending on how flexible you're willing to be about the length of the show and the "realistic" aspect, I'd also recommend Hori-san to Miyamura-kun, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, and Saikano.

[AnimeFangirl]

Originally Posted by Duckinator

Comments on toradora? Seems to fit what I want!

It fits all your criteria except best girl lost. And I hate the female lead. Toradora put me off romance shows for a long, long time.

[Duckinator]

Originally Posted by AnimeFangirl

It fits all your criteria except best girl lost. And I hate the female lead. Toradora put me off romance shows for a long, long time.

By best girl, do you mean the female lead? Or is the opinion that the female lead is an irritating character and thus doesn't deserve the happy ending?

Ay guys, also wanna point out that I like stories where the couple has a love hate relationship. Like maybe initially they are enemies or rivals, but end up together with a happy ending. I particularly enjoy the struggles or tension in accepting the feelings. For example noboru and anko in GTO

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Duckinator

By best girl, do you mean the female lead? Or is the opinion that the female lead is an irritating character and thus doesn't deserve the happy ending?

She means the latter and I would heavily disagree but she's entitled to her own opinion.

[AnimeFangirl]

What Haak said. But don't mind me, this is your thread and about your tastes. And the main leads deserve each other (in both the positive and the negative sense) so it's all good and well.