Ever since I became a cult fanboy of romance anime, I have made a lot of stereotypical comments on anime, like they’re meant for kids, anime is reels of slideshows and contains cartoonish storylines. It’s okay, maybe they haven’t witnessed any mature plot before. Today, I have curated a list of some forbidden romance anime as a solid response to stereotypical norms people think about anime.
Some of these are comedy, ecchi, and pure romance but definitely, each of them holds a strong thought-provoking theme. What does forbidden romance mean here? Well for your clearance, this type of romance often involves a love that goes against societal norms, familial expectations, or moral standards, and it may be characterized by secrecy and the need to hide the relationship.
Without getting twisted in the complexity of the topic, let’s dive into the list of some awesome forbidden romance anime.
10. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, REALLY Love You
After getting dumped by his 100th girl, Rentarou Aijou encounters the god himself while visiting a shrine. The good news here is that God has promised Rentarou Aijou to get 100 soulmates. It’s a fabulous thing to hear but there’s a dark twist in this cool prophecy.
Rentarou Aijou has to form a relationship with each of them otherwise there are life-and-death consequences. It’s a fall 2023’s harem anime that comes with a seinen theme. In today’s society, dating two opposite genders is a considerably forbidden act whereas Rentarou Aijou has to date 100 girls. Despite being a comedy anime, this anime portrays a thought-provoking theme where Rentarou Aijou has to change his gears to save the life of girls.
9. More Than a Married Couple But Not Lovers
Jirou and Akari faced disappointment when paired together instead of their crushes for a class. However, they decided to work hard as a team to crack the top ten where students could choose new partners if both agreed. While strategizing to be with their crushes, a forbidden love triangle blooms between these characters.
Well, explaining how this comedic storyline will lead to a forbidden romance will cost spoilers. While chasing his crush, Jirou unintentionally began to develop feelings for Akari. To his surprise, Jirou’s crush also holds romantic feelings for Jirou before realizing him. This is enough clue to tell where this forbidden romance anime is going, so you can watch it on your own to experience the best.
8. Love After World Domination
Fudou and Desumi had begun dating secretly, though circumstances made their romance difficult – he led Gelato 5, a team protecting Japan, while she commanded forces for Gekko, Gelato 5’s enemy seeking world domination. Keeping their couple status private wasn’t easy, as they found themselves on opposing sides with their teams unaware of the love blossoming between these would-be adversaries.
If we implement this script in our real world, man, this love story could have wiped out two nations from the world map. Well, this is the beauty of Love After World Domination, you can expect the least expected script from anime.
7. The Garden of Words
Takao, a troubled boy, skipped school often to visit a small garden and find solace. One rainy day, he met Yukino, an elegant woman working on her thesis. As they bonded over shared worries, a tender friendship developed between the unlikely pair.
As a teen, Takao felt uncertain about his future while Yukino was a career-driven adult. Their relationship needed to remain secret to avoid scrutiny and disapproval from society. If you are certain to watch a roller coaster of emotions, drip with vibrant colors animations, and a super emotional forbidden romantic tale, this anime is for you.
6. Scum’s Wish
Hanabi and Mugi wore masks of happiness in their relationship, but both suffered from unrequited love for others since childhood. A chance meeting led them to find solace solely in each other’s arms, as physical intimacy momentarily drowned out the pain of their true romantic desires remaining unfulfilled by those closest yet forever out of reach.
This is such an intense romance anime best suited for adult audiences because the way this anime portrays the complexity of love and relationships is a task for adults to handle. This seinen anime is well-considered forbidden romance as it portrays lusty relationships in the name of solace.
5. Snow White with the Red Hair
Snow White with the Red Hair is a romantic fantasy series set in a medieval-inspired land. Shinju is a talented apothecary known for her rare red hair, while Prince Raji is the heir to the kingdom’s throne. When their paths cross, they form an unlikely bond that blossoms into love, despite coming from vastly different worlds.
As a royal, Raji must make a politically strategic marriage, and their relationship could undermine the stability of the realm. Despite this, they still find solace in each other’s company, though their love remains a secret they know may never be openly acknowledged. On one hand, their relationship is forbidden but on the other hand, this anime presents that in a wholesome way.
4. To your Eternity
Basically, To Your Eternity is not a romance anime although I am not particularly talking about the main protagonist. I am quoting the forbidden love story of Gugu, the commoner, and Rean, the royalty. As their love story has been told within 5 to 7 episodes, I think it’s worth considering in this list.
You would have known by their status why Gugu and Rean’s love story is considered a forbidden romance. I don’t wanna spoil but within these 5 to 7 episodes, you’ll find the best romance an anime could offer.
3. Domestic Girlfriend
Natsuo had cared deeply for his teacher Hina, but their romance was forbidden. Yet fate brought the sisters Rui and Hina back into his life through his father’s new marriage, complicating things further. Both sisters held a claim to Natsuo’s heart in different yet meaningful ways. While Natsuo cherished Hina, he could not forget his past with Rui either.
This is one of the best ecchi romance anime that beautifully explores matters of the heart. Whether you want to watch anime with fanservice, emotional plot, or twisted characters, Domestic Girlfriend is the most recommended show.
2. The Flowers of Evil
Takao is a quiet boy who finds himself drawn to strange poetry and the beauty of flowering weeds against his better judgment. One day, he forgets his Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil in the classroom, on the way to getting this back, he brings his crush Nonaka’s athletic clothing as a joke.
This anime depicts a romance between teenage students that becomes deeply emotional yet also crosses certain lines. Due to the characters’ age and certain troubling story elements, it explores intimate relationships in a way that some find unsuitable or feel pushes boundaries too far for a young audience. There are some other elements I don’t wanna reveal here, that make this forbidden romance anime worth watching for adults.
1. School Days
Makoto was instantly attracted to his classmate Kotonoha’s good looks but was too shy to talk to her. Instead, he secretly took her photo for his phone background, hoping it would help him build the courage to speak to her. His friend Sekai found out but, to his surprise, offered to wing-woman him and help Makoto win Kotonoha over.
Honestly speaking, this is the wholesome storyline of such a dark romance anime which is nowhere close to wholesomeness. This is undoubtedly a cult classic forbidden romance anime tale which is must must-watch for those who love watching distrubing scripts.
Haider Ali
Haider Ali is a dedicated anime lover with a business degree who finds joy in part-time writing. He’s all about sharing anime recommendations and creating insightful overviews as a hardcore Otaku.