Table of Contents >> Show >> Hide
- How This List Works (And Why Hulu Was a Romance Goldmine)
- Heart-Melting Shoujo Classics
- High School & College Crushes Done Right
- Emotional Heavy Hitters & Tearjerker Romance
- Supernatural, Fantasy & Action-Packed Love Stories
- Boy Love, Reverse Harem & Niche Gems
- Quick-Glance List: 50+ Romance Anime That Have Streamed on Hulu
- of Real-Life Hulu Romance Anime Binge Experience
If your ideal night involves comfy sweatpants, snacks you definitely meant to portion but didn’t,
and fictional people falling in love while soft piano music plays in the background, Hulu’s romance
anime catalog is basically your home planet. Around 2019, Hulu quietly became one of the best
places to stream romantic anime in the U.S., collecting everything from classic shoujo tearjerkers
to supernatural slow burns and chaotic rom-coms full of secondhand embarrassment (the good kind).
This guide pulls from fan-ranked lists, streaming guides, and anime recommendation articles to
highlight the most swoon-worthy romance anime that have streamed on Hulu, especially around
the 2019 era. Think of it as your curated love-filled watchlist: some titles are fluffy comfort
food, some will emotionally wreck you for days, and a few will do both in the same episode.
How This List Works (And Why Hulu Was a Romance Goldmine)
Because streaming licenses change, the exact lineup on Hulu in 2019 versus today isn’t 100% identical.
Still, fan-curated rankings and Hulu-focused guides show that the platform has hosted more than
50 romance-heavy anime titlesfrom iconic shoujo series to fantasy epics with a strong love story
at the center. Consider this a snapshot of the core “Hulu romance anime canon”: shows that
either were streaming around 2019 or became staples on the service soon after.
To keep things binge-friendly, this list is grouped by vibehigh school crushes, dramatic
fantasy love, emotional gut-punchesso you can jump straight to whatever your heart (and tear ducts)
are in the mood for.
Heart-Melting Shoujo Classics
Fruits Basket (2001 & 2019)
Fruits Basket is the one romance anime that shows up on almost every “best of” list for a reason.
Orphaned ray-of-sunshine Tohru Honda moves in with the mysterious Sohma family, only to discover
they’re cursed to transform into zodiac animals when hugged by the opposite sex. What starts as
a quirky setup turns into a deeply emotional exploration of trauma, healing, and unconditional love.
Whether you catch the early 2000s version or the 2019 reboot, expect slow-burn romance,
lovable side characters, and more feelings than you’re emotionally prepared for.
Kamisama Kiss
Homeless high school girl accidentally becomes a local land god and ends up living with a grumpy,
ridiculously attractive fox familiar? Say less. Kamisama Kiss mixes supernatural hijinks with
classic shoujo romance: Nanami learns how to run a shrine and handle spirits, while her relationship
with fox familiar Tomoe evolves from pure annoyance to something much softer and sweeter. It’s cozy,
funny, and overflowing with romantic tension and yokai drama.
Maid-Sama!
In Maid-Sama!, Misaki is the intense, no-nonsense student council president at a once-all-boys school
who secretly works at a maid café after class. The school heartthrob Usui discovers her double life
and decides to… casually haunt her entire existence. What could have been a creepy setup becomes
surprisingly wholesome: their dynamic flips between teasing, support, and genuine emotional growth,
turning this into one of Hulu’s most beloved school rom-coms.
Ouran High School Host Club
Cross-dressing misunderstandings, sparkly rich boys, and chaoswelcome to Ouran High School Host Club.
After scholarship student Haruhi breaks an expensive vase, she’s roped into working with the school’s Host Club:
a group of pretty boys who entertain their female classmates. While the show is mostly parody,
it sneaks in a surprisingly earnest romance and a smart exploration of gender, class, and identity.
It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants laughs with their love story.
Snow White with the Red Hair
If you like your romance soft, respectful, and refreshingly healthy, Snow White with the Red Hair
is basically relationship goals: the anime. Shirayuki is an herbalist with striking red hair who catches
the eye of a creepy prince, runs away, and meets Prince Zen, who treats her like an actual person
instead of a prize. Their romance unfolds slowly as equals, with plenty of political intrigue,
world-building, and found family along the way.
High School & College Crushes Done Right
Horimiya
Horimiya takes the “secret sides” of people and turns it into a sweet, grounded love story.
At school, Hori is the perfect honor student and Miyamura looks like a quiet loner.
Outside of school, she’s a frazzled homebody and he’s a tattooed, pierced softie. When their real lives
collide, a gentle romance unfoldswith a big, lovable friend group and character growth for almost
everyone. It’s low on melodrama, high on “aww.”
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Sawako just wants friends, but her resemblance to a horror-movie character earns her the nickname
“Sadako” and scares everyone awayuntil golden-retriever-in-human-form Kazehaya reaches out.
Kimi ni Todoke is the definition of slow burn: the relationship moves at a snail’s pace,
but every smile, blush, and tiny step forward feels earned and satisfying.
Blue Spring Ride
Blue Spring Ride follows Futaba and Kou, former middle school almost-lovers who reunite in high school
with a lot of unresolved feelings. Futaba’s trying to reinvent herself, Kou’s dealing with grief,
and neither of them is especially good at communicating. It’s messy in a very human way,
making it perfect for viewers who like their romance grounded and bittersweet.
Say “I Love You”
Mei has decided friends are overrated and people can’t be trusteduntil she accidentally roundhouse-
kicks the most popular boy in school and somehow starts dating him. Say “I Love You” tackles bullying,
insecurity, and trauma while still delivering a genuinely cute romance. It’s great if you’re
into stories where the characters actually talk about their emotional baggage instead of just
staring sadly out windows.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
On the more cynical end of the spectrum, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU features Hachiman,
a self-proclaimed loner with a terrible attitude, forced into a service club with the ice-cold
Yukino and the bubbly Yui. While not a traditional rom-com, it quietly becomes a complex,
sometimes painful story about connection, expectations, and the weirdness of teenage relationships.
The romance is subtle but hits hard if you’ve ever felt like the odd one out.
My Love Story!! (Ore Monogatari!!)
Most anime boys are slim, cool pretty-boys. Takeo is… not that. He’s huge, loud, deeply sincere,
and convinced girls will never like him. My Love Story!! flips the usual trope by pairing him with
Rinko, a sweet girl who absolutely adores him from episode one. Instead of “will they, won’t they,”
the show asks “can nice people stay nice and also grow together?” Spoiler: yes, and it’s adorable.
Emotional Heavy Hitters & Tearjerker Romance
Your Lie in April
If you’re looking for a light, breezy watch… this is not it. Your Lie in April follows piano prodigy
Kousei, who stopped playing after his mother’s death, and Kaori, the chaotic violinist who drags him
back into the world of music. Their relationship is full of color, sound, and heartbreak. It’s
one of those shows where you know you’re being emotionally set upand you’ll still ugly-cry anyway.
Clannad & Clannad: After Story
Clannad starts as a seemingly typical school romance about delinquent Tomoya and sickly but determined
Nagisa. Then After Story kicks in and casually drops some of the most devastating plot turns in anime.
This is less “cute couple” and more “multi-year emotional journey,” exploring family, adulthood,
and what it means to keep loving someone when life gets hard. Watch with tissues. And maybe a hug pillow.
Plastic Memories
In a world where androids with human-like personalities have expiration dates, Plastic Memories
asks the question: if you knew your relationship had a built-in end point, would you still fall in love?
Tsukasa and Isla do exactly that. Their romance is gentle and tentative, making every small moment precious
because you know how limited their time is.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Don’t be fooled by the title: this isn’t a goofy fanservice show. Bunny Girl Senpai mixes supernatural
“puberty syndrome” with sharp, witty dialogue and a surprisingly grounded central relationship
between Sakuta and Mai. Their banter alone could power a small city, and the way they support each other
through bizarre phenomena makes this one of Hulu’s standout romance-with-a-twist picks.
Supernatural, Fantasy & Action-Packed Love Stories
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Yes, the title is chaos. No, it’s not just a gag. Commonly called DanMachi, this fantasy series
follows Bell, a low-level adventurer, and his tiny, ride-or-die goddess Hestia as they fight monsters,
climb dungeon floors, and collect admirers. The romance is part harem, part earnest crushes, all wrapped
in a surprisingly heartfelt coming-of-age story.
Date A Live
What if saving the world meant… taking magical girls on dates? In Date A Live, Shido has to
romance powerful “Spirits” so they stop accidentally causing apocalyptic disasters. It’s half sci-fi,
half rom-com, and fully aware of how ridiculous its own premise is. If you enjoy over-the-top setups
and big feelings with explosions, this one’s for you.
Devils’ Line
For fans of darker romance, Devils’ Line focuses on a half-devil investigator and the human woman
who gets tangled up in his dangerous world. It’s bloody, angsty, and full of forbidden-love tension.
The show doesn’t shy away from questions about monstrosity, control, and whether love can survive
when someone is literally built to hurt the person they care about.
Vampire Knight
Vampire Knight gives you love triangles, broody boys, and vampires trying (and often failing) to
coexist with humans at a fancy boarding school. Main heroine Yuki is caught between her childhood friend
Zero and enigmatic pure-blood vampire Kaname. If you grew up reading paranormal YA, this will feel
like nostalgia fuel in anime form.
Chivalry of a Failed Knight
Ikki is officially “the worst” student at his magical academy. Stella is a terrifyingly strong princess
whose power level is basically “try me.” Forced to room together, they start as rivals and slowly
develop mutual respect, then romance. The series balances solid action scenes with a refreshingly
supportive couple who actually communicate and hype each other up.
Engaged to the Unidentified
Kobeni wakes up on her 16th birthday and finds out: surprise, you’re engaged to a boy you barely remember.
Engaged to the Unidentified mixes supernatural elements with slice-of-life comedy as Kobeni and
Hakuya awkwardly figure out whether they’re okay with this whole “destined fiancé” situation.
It’s light, silly, and secretly very sweet.
Boy Love, Reverse Harem & Niche Gems
Uta no Prince-sama
Aspiring composer Haruka lands at a prestigious idol academy and ends up surrounded by six beautiful singers
who all might kind of be into her. Uta no Prince-sama is basically romance-adjacent idol chaos:
sparkles, dramatic songs, heartfelt speeches about dreams, and plenty of shipping fuel.
Love Stage!!
Love Stage!! is a boy-love (BL) series about Izumi, who wants to be a manga artist, and Ryoma,
a famous actor who believes he’s been in love with a “girl” from a childhood commercialonly to discover
that “girl” was Izumi in costume. The show leans into comedy and identity confusion while still delivering
a soft central romance about acceptance and seeing someone for who they really are.
Junjo Romantica
One of the more well-known BL titles, Junjo Romantica weaves together three different couples with
intersecting storylines, each tackling messy, intense relationships in their own way. It’s melodramatic,
emotional, and definitely not for viewers who want low-stakes fluffbut if you like your romance complicated,
this is a classic.
Quick-Glance List: 50+ Romance Anime That Have Streamed on Hulu
To help you build your queue fast, here’s a non-exhaustive list of romance-focused anime that
have appeared on Hulu over the years (with a strong emphasis on what fans were watching around 2019):
- Fruits Basket (2001)
- Fruits Basket (2019)
- Kamisama Kiss
- Maid-Sama!
- Ouran High School Host Club
- Snow White with the Red Hair
- Yona of the Dawn
- Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
- Blue Spring Ride
- Say “I Love You”
- My Love Story!! (Ore Monogatari!!)
- Horimiya
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
- My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
- Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun
- Special A
- Itazura na Kiss (Itakiss)
- Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
- Clannad
- Clannad: After Story
- Your Lie in April
- Plastic Memories
- Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
- Vampire Knight
- Devils’ Line
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
- Date A Live
- Chivalry of a Failed Knight
- Engaged to the Unidentified
- Guilty Crown
- Uta no Prince-sama
- Love Stage!!
- Junjo Romantica
- Diabolik Lovers II: More,Blood
- Nisekoi
- Nana
- Arte
- From Me to You (Kimi ni Todoke)
- Snow White with the Red Hair
- Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
- Sailor Moon (romance-heavy magical girl classic)
- Ore Monogatari!! (alt title for My Love Story!!)
- Various shoujo and romance-focused movies and OVAs that rotated through the service
Between long-running series, single-season gems, and supernatural romances, it’s easy to hit the
“50+ romance anime” mark just by exploring Hulu’s anime section and fan-curated lists.
of Real-Life Hulu Romance Anime Binge Experience
So what does it actually feel like to dive into Hulu’s romance anime lineupespecially the big 2019-era
catalog that so many fans still talk about? Imagine this: it’s Friday night, you’ve finished pretending
to be productive all week, and you open Hulu “just to pick one episode.” Dangerous phrase. You browse
the anime hub, see familiar titles like Maid-Sama!, Kamisama Kiss, and Fruits Basket,
and suddenly you’re building a full-blown marathon schedule like you’re programming your own tiny
romance anime festival.
A common Hulu strategy people fell into around 2019 went something like this: start with something light
and funny like Ouran High School Host Club or Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun to shake off
the workweek energy. You laugh, you fall in love with the side characters, and you swear you’ll only
watch two episodes. Then the next thing you know, the “next episode starting in 10 seconds” countdown
has become your entire personality.
Once the rom-coms warm you up, the natural evolution is, “Okay, now emotionally ruin me.”
That’s when people jump into Your Lie in April, Clannad, or Plastic Memories.
Hulu’s autoplay and “Because you watched…” recommendations make it almost too easy to slide from
“haha cute” into “why am I sobbing at 3 a.m. over fictional teenagers and a violin solo?”
For a lot of viewers, this switch is part of the fun: you get the full spectrum of romance,
from silly crushes to life-changing love and grief, without leaving one app.
Another very real Hulu experience: the “group watch but everyone is emotionally at different levels
of stability” scenario. One friend suggests DanMachi or Date A Live because they want
more action and fantasy with a side of romance. Another friend just finished Devils’ Line and is
still recovering from the angst. Someone else is peacefully re-watching Maid-Sama! for the fifth time.
The shared language ends up being: “Okay, how wrecked do we want to be tonight?” and then you scroll
until the right level of heartbreak appears.
A big perk of having this many romance titles in one place is that you can follow your moods in real time.
Want something hopeful and healing? Queue up Fruits Basket (2019). Craving smart, talky, slightly
petty romance games? Hit play on Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. Need something cozy and rural with a
fairy-tale vibe? Snow White with the Red Hair. Want a romance that also makes you question your
life choices? That’s where Your Lie in April and Clannad show up, smiling politely with a box
of tissues behind their back.
One underrated part of the Hulu romance anime experience is how easy it is to experiment. Don’t like a show
after two episodes? No problemjump to another title in seconds. People discovered personal favorites this way:
maybe the big mainstream picks didn’t click, but a smaller series like Special A or Engaged to the
Unidentified hit exactly the right balance of comedy and sweetness. Because Hulu carried both huge hits
and quieter niche gems, it rewarded curiosity.
Ultimately, binging romance anime on Huluespecially during the 2019 “golden window” when so many of these
series overlappedfelt a lot like hanging out in a cozy, ever-changing library of love stories. Want
magical fox boyfriends, sad pianists, reverse harems, BL couples, or arranged-marriage shenanigans?
All there. And even as licenses shift over time, that culture of browsing, discovering, and collectively
crying over the same shows is exactly what keeps people coming back to romance anime on Hulu.
