Animationis a medium that’s able to represent and abstract emotion in a more artistic fashion than live-action, including the genre of romance. Because of that,romance is a huge subgenre of anime, and anime movies are no exception. These movies are not only gorgeous to watch, lovingly animated, and beautifully rendered, they also satisfy our craving for love.

So if you’ve run out of live-action rom-coms to watch, exhausted your stack of romance novels, and run out of romance manga, here’s a list of movies for you to take up next. There’s a romantic waiting to be found in each of us (and, even for the cynics, quite a few very sad romantic anime movies).

Cherry and Smile sit next to each other in diffrent rooms.

Streaming

Netflix

A study of two unique personalities coming together, the story follows the shy Cherry and his interactions with the bubbly Smile. Each of them have fun character quirks: Cherry speaks in haikus and Smile wears a mask. They spend a summer together, learning to connect through music.

It’s a simple, adorable story that delivers on the good time it promises you. If you want something upbeat, vibrant, and told through a colorful explosion of animation, then this is the movie for you.

Hinako, on a surfboard, reaches for Minato, who’s in a wave.

Love And Loss

Studio

Science SARU, Fuji Televison Network, TOHO, jeki, Shogakukan, KDDI, & Lawson Entertainment

July 10, 2025

Max, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Fandango, YouTube, YouTube TV, Apple TV

A movie about a young woman moving out on her own and the firefighter she falls in love with, Ride Your Wave is not for those who want a happy ending. It’s for those who want to suffer. If you enjoy romance that also explores the grief that follows the death of a loved one, with an edge of magic, then you’ll like this movie.

Boy and girl looking up at the sky in the rain.

In the fluid, bouncy animation style Science SARU is known for. The movie explores both the formation and fallout of this ultimately tragic relationship in a way that feels extremely human. And, to take a little bit of that edge off, there is also a tertiary romance.

If you enjoy romance stories that are also about grief (and crying), we also recommend I Want to Eat Your Pancreas and The Wind Rises. Both movies are not only beautifully animated and romantic, but oh so sad.

Josee blushes as Tsuneo looks down at her.

June 28, 2025

Max, Hulu, YouTube TV, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Fandango

A runaway working for an occult magazine meets a girl who has the ability to control the weather. From there, the two of them unravel the truth about this power, including the high stakes that it poses for our protagonists' budding relationship.

Tamako and Mochizo face each other standing on rocks in a pond.

Weathering With You is a movie about devotion, so if you like to see a protagonist who is willing to give up anything and anyone for the one he loves, you’ll enjoy the ending. It’s also, overall, a movie with a very powerful visual component. Almost every frame of it could be a screen saver.

Crunchyroll, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Fandango

A slice-of-life anime movie about a wheelchair-bound artist, Josee, and her new caretaker, Tsuneo, who dreams of going abroad. When they first meet, they don’t initially get along, but as they navigate difficulties together, they—as you may have guessed from the title of the article—find their relationship deepening.

A beautifully animated movie for those who want a wholesome experience and a happy ending. If you’re easily won over by tear-jerkers, overcoming adversity, and finding true love in unlikely places, then this movie will definitely check those boxes.

Shizuku leans against a wall, talking to Amazawa, who’s leaning out of his window.

The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime

This romance follows two students who are childhood friends and who are graduating from high school and preparing to part ways. With this approaching deadline, Mochizo confesses his feelings for Tamako, who must then decide what her own are.

The movie and its warm, dreamlike atmosphere are lovingly animated. It captures the feeling of change, the way that big emotions linger at the edges of life-changing choices. It’s also just a great movie to watch if you need a pick-me-up or want to feel nice.

Shouya and Shouko stand together on a bridge.

July 12, 2025

A girl who loves writing stories meets a young man who she notices has been checking out all the books she checks out before her. The movie follows their interactions after that, with the briefest appearance of fantasy. Of course, it’s also a Studio Ghibli movie, so the animation lives up to that standard.

Part coming-of-age movie and part slice-of-life, the movie isn’t only a romance, it’s a love letter to having passion for your craft. You’ll never be able to listen to Country Roads the same way again.

Otome holds a giant wineglass with four bottles being poured into it.

YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango

Based on a manga of the same name, A Silent Voice follows a deaf girl, Shouko, and her former bully, Nishimiya. As Nishimiya matures, he regrets his actions and seeks to make it up to Shouko, seeking her forgiveness. What follows is a heartwarming but still dramatic and emotional journey between the two.

If you enjoy stories about forgiveness and romance in one, you’ll like this movie. As a cool bonus, the English VA for the movie is also deaf.

Mitsuha And Taki being separated by a shining light.

Max, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, YouTube TV

Night is Short, Walk On Girl creeps up sideways to love through everyone else’s passions.Weknow that Senpai is in love with The Girl with Black Hair because the movie is about the lengths he’ll go to for her. But the movie does something unique with that feeling: instead of showing us their interactions directly, it shows us who this girl is. It shows us why she captured his heart.

Their story is beautifully told through Science SARU’s iconic animation style, reality, and fiction blending throughout the almost never-ending night.It’s one of Masaaki Yuasa’s best movies.

Howl carries a young Sophie through the air.

The Power Of Connection

CoMix Wave Films, TOHO, KADOKAWA, jeki, AMUSE, voque ting, & Lawson Entertainment

Crunchyroll, Apple TV, Amazon Prime

A masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai,Your Name gives your typical boy-meet-girl story a magical twist. A small-town girl starts to switch bodies with a big-city boy, and as the two navigate each other’s lives, they form a very intimate bond. There’s also a reveal in the middle that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Everything from the soundtrack to the beautifully animated landscapes makes this a movie worth watching for both romance fans and general anime fans alike. It’s one of the highest-grossing anime movies of all time, for good reason.

June 24, 2025

Max, Hulu, YouTube TV, YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Fandango

Not onlyis this one of Studio Ghibli’s best movies, it also has an amazing romance at the heart of the plot. If you’re bored by romance characters being too flat, both the protagonist, Sophie, and her love interest, Howl, have personality in spades.

Set in a lush fantasy world, the story follows Sophie, who’s been cursed, as she’s caught up in a magical conflict between the wizard Howl and the King’s Royal Sorceress. At first, the characters butt heads, but the more time they spend together, the more they realize how well these differences actually complement each other.