Summary
Romanceanimedon’t always end as happily as they initially seem. However, when they do, they can make it feel well-earned. It’s not just about shipping two characters that seem destined to end up together. It’s the journey that it takes to get there and how their interactions manage to change them for the better that makes the romance compelling.
So what are the best anime that happen to end well? In some cases, both characters grow as people so that they can have a healthy relationship. In others, the plot makes them go through so much turmoil that it is cathartic to see them finally earn that happy ending.
10Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
Feeling Like A Main Character
Chunibyo is also known as MiddleSchool syndrome. For anyone who has ever seen themselves as the main character of their own show, this probably comes to mind. For Rikka Takanashi, she fully embraces this side of her with a belief that she possesses the wicked eye beneath her eye-patch.
As for Yuta Togashi, he used to refer to himself as the dark flame master. This is a past he very much wants to forget. His encounter with Rikka drags him back into this life as he cringes about the past, but also learns to embrace it as well. By the end, they wind up together and tackling their issues little by little.
9Clannad
Reversing Fate For A Happy Ending
Say what you want about Clannad being one ofthe biggest, tear-inducing animes of all time. Every arc feels scientifically produced in a lab to hit your heartstrings. Yet, when the anime finally ends, some of the saddest events in the story are reversed.
Nagisa never dies during childbirth and Ushio doesn’t fall victim to her sickness. In fact, time is reversed and Tomoya gets to raise his child with his wife as a family. Does it make sense? Not really, but after all that suffering, it only makes the happy ending so much stronger.
8Toradora
From Enemies, To Allies, To Lovers
In Toradora, Ryuji and Taiga team up to win over their crushes. While this goes through the common anime tropes where two characters fall for each other while chasing after other people, it’s the journey that makes the most impact.
They both have problems with their family life. By the end of the series, Taiga suddenly leaves everyone behind, including Ryuji. However, if you get past the credits, there is a secret scene that many fans miss in which Taiga returns, having gone off to confront her family issues and coming back a bit more mature and wiser.
7Lovely Complex
Short Tempers And Tall Personalities
Everyone loves a dynamic duo. Especially when they would make for such a cute couple. Koizumi is tall and vocal; Otani is short and equally short-tempered. Together they form an incredible bond that doesn’t start off as romantic or even develop smoothly.
It takes a while before the two finally realize their feelings for each other. They even miss timing throughout the series. By the end, they transcend their friendship and form a relationship that is deeper than what they had before, even if it’s not what they initially set out to find.
6My Love Story!!
Achieving A Happy Ending Right Out Of The Gate
Takeo Goda is a gentle giant. Rinko is a sweet and popular girl. With their handsome friend Makoto in the mix, it almost seems like there’s going to be a love triangle. However, very early on in the story, Goda and Rinko get together.
Their happy ending starts at the beginning. Everything that comes after feels like the after story as they figure out their relationship, their aspirations, and deal with how others view them as a couple. It’s refreshing to see the relationship unfold rather than the will they, won’t they.
5Recovery Of An MMO Junkie
Shut Ins Deserve Love Too
For Morio Morioka, quitting her job andfocusing entirely on her MMO gameis not just a dream. She actually does it. Love sparks when she meets Yuta Sakurai within the Fruits De Mer. However, Morio plays as a male character, and Yuta plays as a female character.
As they get to know each other more, their identities are revealed. Even when dealing with life and in-game drama, they manage to persevere with a newfound understanding of each other’s life goals. This gives them a new outlook on life going forwards and a wrap up to this neat little romance.
4Fruits Basket
A Generation Of Drama And Curses
Fruits Basket is one of the greatest romance anime of all time. Tohru Honda starts off living in a tent after her mother dies. She is soon discovered by the Sohma family who take her in. Little does she know that they’re all cursed to turn into animals whenever they come into physical contact with the opposite sex.
There’s romance, angst, family drama, and, of course, multiple candidates that Tohru might end up with. In the end, she winds up with Kyo Sohma, the curse is broken, and flash forwards show that they have started a new family together.
3My Happy Marriage
Life Gets Better
Miyo Saimori is immediately introduced in My Happy Marriage and is one of the saddest characters. She is born into a family known for its powerful blood and supernatural gifts. When she doesn’t seem to show any, she is mistreated for most of her upbringing.
This sad backstory is what makes her journey more compelling. She gets engaged to Kiyoka Kudou, a high-ranking official, but eventually comes to form a true bond with him. She works hard to earn his trust and, in return, he slowly begins to open up. Eventually, she even learns how to stand up for herself as she finds a new sense of self-worth.
2Tomo-Chan Is A Girl!
Fighting For Love
Tomo-Chan may be a tomboy but what she really wants is for her childhood friend, Junichiro Kubota, to see her as something more. Ironically enough, he originally asked her out in the past, only for her to reject him and later catch feelings.
This romance isn’t doomed. In fact, it eventually sparks, and the anime ends with both of them becoming a couple. Of course, it also culminates in a Judo match that determines whether Kubota can get her parents' blessing. It’s a real fight for love.
1Ouran HighSchool Host Club
Figuring Out That Feeling Deep Inside
The definitive ending to the Ouran series is locked away behind the manga. However, as far as the anime goes, it gives a pretty satisfying conclusion. Haruhi manages to get her debt to the host club paid off and realizes her feelings for Tamaki.
The entire series has Tamaki obviously in love with Haruhi but being in denial of these feelings. When he becomes engaged to Lady Eclair, he almost leaves Ouran and all of his friends behind. With a high-speed chase and a leap of faith, Haruhi and Tamaki embrace as he chooses to stay.
