#bloom into you manga

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

#yuri on ice #kaguya sama: love is war #fruits basket #ore monogatari #bloom into you #sasaki to miyano #snow white with the red hair #yamada kun to lv999 no koi wo suru #horimiya #recovery of an mmo junkie #taisho maiden fairy tale #skip to loafer #unfortunately not much bl or gl since a lot that I've seen is too...out there for this list... #now bl manga on the other hand... #why did i make this lol? #because i finally got to the confession scene in akatsuki no yona of course and now i'm dead #I kinda want to include doukyuusei too but it's just a little bit steamier than what I was going for with this 😅

[all-blues]

by 仲谷鳰

#yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you #manga #yuri #yuri manga #official art

[elainiisms]

need a constant steady flow of yuri content or i will wither up and die

#yuri #lesbian #sapphic #wlw #yuri manga #yuri anime #urasekai picnic #bloom into you #tamen de gushi #relationship guidelines #btd #bad thinking diary #she is still cute today #sadistic beauty side story #i'm in love with the villainess #handsome girl and sheltered girl #whispering you a love song #that time i was blackmailed by the class's green tea bitch #the magical revolution of the reincarnated princess and the genius young lady #the guy she was interested in wasn't a guy at all

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

These are all big moods!!!

#yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you #sayaka saeki #Nanami Touko #Koito Yuu #Manga Cap #Manga #Greyscale #Long hair #ponytail #thou shalt submit to the ponytail

[hasukeii]

recent rkgk of touyuu simply because i miss them

#yagate kimi ni naru #yagakimi #bloom into you #BIY #touko nanami #yuu koito #yuri #anime #manga #fanart #illustration #art #digital art #drawing #idontknowhowtagsworkhere

[yonae]

Bloom Into You by Nio Nakatani

#yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you #Shoujoaisource #yagakimi #Anisource #Animangaladies #Animangahive #Mangaedit #Manga #Yuri #Yuri manga #GL #GL manga #Wlw #Manga art #Manga illustration #Art #Illustration #Fymanga #Dailymanga #Fymanganime #Fyanimanga

[doublesama]

It's time for Bloom Into You's shot at redemption. Last year, I didn't like the anime. So this year, I read all 50 chapters of the manga. No starting from where the anime left off.

#bloom into you #yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you manga #yagate kimi ni naru manga #yuri manga

[mercyll]

Is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury the first anime series to depict a married same-sex couple?

Given the rings and comments from the staff (excluding Bandai) it's pretty clear that both Suletta and Miorine are married. And looking at older anime couples I can't find another one where the characters are actually married to one another.

There are series that depict engagements and proposals (implied or otherwise with queer characters).

Some examples would be:

Yuri & Viktor from Yuri on Ice, where it's implied that they want to be engaged.

Ranma & Akane from Ranma 1/2, both find themselves in an arranged engagement but end up falling for each other anyway. Ranma is canonically genderfluid in both the anime and manga and Akane is attracted to Ranma as both a man and a woman. And this is ignoring all of Ranma's other fiances who know about their curse and want to be in a relationship with them anyway.

Utena & Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena, while the circumstances of their engagement are out of their control, the two of them fall deeply in love with one another despite that. And in the movie they kiss.

Other LGBT anime couples are together or in love but next explicitly depicted as engaged or married would be:

Michiru Tenou & Haruka Kaiou from Sailor Moon, they are very much together and in the Crystal series end up living together and adopting a baby.

Yukito Tsukishiro & Touya Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura, who are in love with one another.

Eiji Okumura & Ash Lynx from Banana Fish, who are in love with one another. And it hurts.

Yuu Koito & Touko Nanami from Bloom Into You, who are two girls who fall in love with one another. And in the story you watch them grow and get closer.

Nezumi & Shion from No. 6, a sci-fi drama where two boys fall in love. This one also hurts.

And countless other examples, none of which I could find have the characters taking their relationship further than dating or engagement.

So, is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury the first married same-sex couple in anime?

On a minor note, there have been several gay weddings depicted in manga.

Some examples would be:

Our Dreams At Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani, which was written by an asexual, X-gender author.

Until I Meet My Husband by Ryousuke Nanasaki and illustrated by Yoshi Tsukizuki. This manga was written by a gay man and based on his own essays about his life. The manga is auto-biographical.

I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up by Kodama Naoko, who has written several other LGBT manga, most of which are Yuri.

And there are several more!

Bonus:

Shoutout to Episode 7 of the 80s anime Dirty Pair for having a wedding between a cis man and a trans woman in one episode.

#gay marriage #anime #manga #lgbtqia #mobile suit gundam the witch from mercury #ranma 1/2 #revolutionary girl utena #yuri on ice #rambles #sailor moon #card captor sakura #bloom into you #no 6 #i married my best friend to shut my parents up #until i met my husband #our dreams at dusk #banana fish #dirty pair

[yuri-manga-archivist]

"So it's about these two girl right and one of them has never experienced love before. Then she meets this other girl who she think is like her but then the girl she meet confesses to her that she fell in love with her. It's a pretty good yuri but we'll never get a second season which is a real shame because that's where the manga starts getting amazing. Are you actually gonna watch this because I don't wanna spoil anything if you are. It's really good you should watch it"

#yuri shitposting #yuri manga #yuri #yuri fandom #yuri anime #bloom into you

[rowdysakura]

Finished this manga for my yuri book club 💙

#bloom into you #manga edit #manga coloring #nagi edits #rly stepped out of my comfort zone to color these panels w sunset lighting idk how well I succeeded but I’m happy #rly liked these panels so to celebrate I colored them

[haaaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Yuu by Leria_V

#Anime #Manga #Bloom Into You #Yuu #Leria_V

[thirteendaysintaunton]

Bloom Into You

"When I read about love in books or hear about it in music, it's always bright and sparkly. I always admired it from afar, but I also longed for the day I'd get to experience that light and floaty feeling, as if I'd grown wings. I expected that to happen. But...my feet were still firmly planted on the ground.I'm sure it's just taking my wings longer than usual to appear. I'm sure it won't be much longer..."

#bloom into you #yagate kimi ni naru #biyedit #yagakimiedit #animeedit #anime gif #dailyanime #anisource #animangaladies #koito yuu #id in alt text #me vs photoshop #js but this anime/manga hits so different when you're aroace #like it just does it's me that's me on the screen

[all-blues]

#yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you #yuri #manga #yuri manga #official art

[svenojilasity]

Gay people

#yuri manga #bloom into you

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

AHHHH TOUKO KICKS HER LEGS ADORABLY!!!!

#yagate kimi ni naru #bloom into you #Koito Yuu #Nanami Touko #Manga #Manga Cap #Greyscale #long hair

[nonameidentified]

I hate the "manga is better than the anime" sentiment because it's absolutely (mostly) true. Not because of any technical reasons plot structure and pacing and junk. Forget the story. Manga is "better" than anime simply because we get shit like this,

This is from bloom into you and the mangaka is an absolute treasure.

They are more relatable than any fictional character.

Like hearing them talk about this thing they clearly poured their heart and soul into. It just feels more fulfilling, I guess.

And the mangaka directly addressing us. That's nice, too.

#i know anime is a different medium #and everything that goes behind that is laborious too #but this feels more personal i guess #manga #since it was the example #bloom into you #yagate kimi ni naru #yagakimi #anime and manga