The romance genre in manga and anime has come a long way since the 90s, but it’s important to remember the series that brought fans here. From tender shojo stories to someearly offerings of the harem genre, there are plenty of series from the 90s that are still relevant and remembered fondly to this day.
Manga started gaining popularity in the West in the 1990s. At that time though, most series that were lucky enough get an English translation tended to be action-themed shonen, perhaps to compete with American comic books. Fans of romance manga have companies like Tokyopop to thank for bringing the genre to the North American market.
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Demographic
Seinen
An ordinary college student named Kaoru Hanabishi has a chance encounterwith a childhood friendhe once made a marriage promise to. Wanting to keep their relationship a secret, Kaoru and the girl, Aoi, move into a mansion owned by Aoi’s family. Soon enough, they are joined by four other college girls, who all eventually develop crushes on Kaoru.
Ai Yori Aoshiis more heartfelt and touching than what most readers would expect from a harem series. While it’s certainly not above a little fanservice, its success speaks for itself. The manga was adapted into an anime in 2002, and a PS2 visual novel in 2003.
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Shojo
In one of many shojo series that explore just how nasty teenagers can be, Momo Adachi faces with salacious rumors because of her tanned skin and her bleached-out hair. To make things worse, the person responsible for starting the rumors was someone she considered a friend. Not only does she have to deal with her fake friend Sae’s jealousy, but Momo is soonpulled into a love triangle between two schoolmateswho have a crush on her.
In addition to winning the Kodansha Manga Award for shojo in 1999,Peach Girlhas had many adaptations across various media, including an anime, a live-action film, and a Taiwanese television drama.
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Miki Yoshikawa’s wish for a normal school life is snatched away when her parents announce they are moving in with another couple to swap partners. Miki now has to deal with three roommates, including the couple’s son, Yuu, and all the drama at her high school on top of that.
As a classic, lighthearted shojo series,Marmalade Boyis an incredibly addicting read. It has been adapted into several light novels, an anime, an otome game, a Taiwanese TV drama in 2002, and a live-action film in 2018.
Blending theisekai genre with some classic shojo melodrama,Fushigi Yuugitells the story of two girls, Miaka and Yui, who find themselves sucked into the world of an old book called ‘The Universe of The Four Gods.’ Miaka, finding herself to be the Priestess of Suzaku, is tasked with the duty of finding the seven Celestial Warriors to summon the God Suzaku and get three wishes.
In the process, she falls in love with one of the Celestial Warriors, and her priorities shift towards wanting to be with him. As one of the best-selling manga of all time, the series has been adapted into an anime, thirteen light novels, a PS2 video game, three stage plays, and most recently, a musical in 2016.
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Shonen
Youta Moteuchi, a teenage boy who has terrible luck with girls, buys a tape from a video rental store to cheer himself up. When he tries to play the tape, a beautiful girl pops out of his TV, to his surprise. Calling herself Ai, the girl eventually develops feelings for Youta when she’s just supposed to comfort him.
As one of themost heart-wrenching romancesreaders will ever come across,Video Girl Aihas held up surprisingly well. It was adapted into a live-action film in 1991, a six-episode OVA in 1992, and a TV drama in 2018.
Marsfocuses on the relationship between two teenagers: a timid artist named Kira Aso, and the troubled womanizer Rei Kashino. They bond with each other through their troubled pasts. The series tackles a lot of difficult topics like child abuse, suicide, and bullying, and it does so sensitively and tastefully.
The series was critically acclaimed for the romance between the main characters and for how it deals with the serious issues brought up. The manga was adapted into a Taiwanese television drama in 2004, and a Japanese TV drama andlive-action sequel movie in 2016.
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Yukino Miyazawa may seem like the perfect student: good grades, good looks, and good at sports to boot. But it’s all an act to win the praise and admiration of those around her. When she finally meets her match, the smart and handsome Soichiro Arima, she vows to take him down no matter what it takes.
The anime adaptation ofKare Kanowas directed by Hideaki Anno, the creator ofNeon Genesis Evangelion.With that in mind, readers should expect this series to be more of ajourney into the characters' psychologythan what they’d get from a standard romantic comedy.
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Josei
Readers who love romance and have a passion for fashion will find their perfect series in the form ofParadise Kiss. Protagonist Yukari Hayasakai initially turns down an offer to model for her high school’s fashion design club. However, she agrees to help them after witnessing how passionate the students are about their craft. And so begins Yukari’s journey into the world of high fashion.
Much like Ai Yazawa’s other seriesNana,Paradise Kisshandles its characters and their romances with maturity and realism. Readers looking for escapism should perhaps look elsewhere. The series was adapted into an anime in 2005 and a live-action film in 2001.
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One of the best Magical Girl series of all time,Cardcaptor Sakurais known for its romance just as much as its fantasy elements, even featuring a couple of same-sex relationships. The story follows 10-year-old Sakura Kinomoto, who accidentally releases a bunch of cards with magical abilities from a book in her basement. The main plot revolves around Sakura trying to retrieve the cards and maintain peace and order.
Despite it being intended for kids,Cardcaptor Sakurahas elements that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It has been praised for its characters and their emotional development.
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No series has been more successful at pulling at readers' heartstrings thanFruits Basket. It follows Tohru Honda, a teenage girl who moves in with the Sohmas,a family with a curse. Whenever they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into an animal of the Chinese zodiac. Tohru promises to keep the Sohma family’s secret, all while forging new relationships and finding ways to break the curse.
Dealing with issues like abuse, mental illness, and family death, the popularity of this series has never faded. It received an anime adaptation in 2001, a stage play in 2008, and a reboot anime covering the entire manga in 2019.
