Ao Haru Ride, or as it is called in English, Blue Spring Ride, is a fantastic Shoujo romance manga in the high school setting. While this is something seen in much other anime and manga, one can never really get tired of these fascinating love stories. Here, we’ll be taking a look at the top ten animes similar to Ao Haru Ride.
Watching romances in slice-of-life animes is rather interesting, as it has a fascinating take on the mundane lives of these characters. The romance can if executed properly, be even more thrilling than many action scenes. Ao Haru Ride captivated us with its day-to-day interactions in an average setting, tinged with an air of mystery in the garden of teenage romance. If you’re looking for more animes with similar plotlines, look no further-
10. Orange
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Telecom Animation Film
- Genres: Sci-Fi, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Jul 4, 2016, to Sep 26, 2016
What if you got a chance to avoid the mistakes you are about to make? Naho Takamiya gets such a chance when she finds a letter delivered to her from herself in the future, a 26-year-old Naho. Sceptical in the beginning, Naho soon finds out that the letter is, in fact, true, as it describes many aspects of her life and day accurately. Naho finds out that her future is filled with regrets, the Naho from 10 years in the future hopes that she can avoid the mistakes and make a better future for herself.
What strikes Naho the most is the warning in the letter regarding a new student in her school, Kakeru Naruse. The letter, for some reason, tells her to be more careful around Kakeru and keep a close eye on him. She learns from the letter that this is because Kakeru isn’t around in the future. How will Naho change her future, and will she be successful in saving Kakeru?
9. Aishiteruze Baby★★
- Episodes: 26
- Studios: TMS Entertainment
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo
- Aired: Apr 3, 2004, to Oct 9, 2004
This anime introduces us to a high school playboy Katakura Kippei. He runs away from responsibilities and is always ready to flirt with girls. While he isn’t one for tasks, an unexpected turn of events results in his life being upturned. He is tasked with taking care of his five-year-old cousin, Yuzuyu. Yusuyu’s mother has abandoned her, leaving her under the full-time care of Kippei. With his horrible handling of responsibilities and lack of experience with children, how will Kippei handle his newfound obligations?
8. My Little Monster
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Brain’s Base
- Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Oct 2, 2012, to Dec 25, 2012
When two people living entirely different lives meet, what kind of love will they share? Shizuku Mizutani lives a life surrounded by books. She cares more about her grades than about the feelings of her friends. Her life changes when she meets her polar opposite, Haru Yoshida, the resident troublemaker at her school; Shizuku finds herself connecting to him. They both are unable to understand their classmates’ feelings, which gets them into various sorts of troubles.
In a surprising turn of events, Shizuku finds herself being proposed to by Haru. He proclaims her as his friend and asks her out. With their inability to understand emotions, the two try to make sense of their peculiar relationship. She soon finds out a side of him, much contrasted to his violent tales. How will the two awkward youngsters make sense of their feelings?
7. Kokoro Connect
- Status: Finished Airing
- Studios: SILVER LINK.
- Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, School
- Aired: Jul 8, 2012, to Sep 30, 2012
What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the body of your best friend? This is the question that the anime Kokoro Connect strives to answer realistically. Five friends and students of Yamaboshi Academy are unable to fit into any school club and decide to band together to form one themselves, called the Student Cultural Society. Each of these members is unique in their way.
However, their lives soon get intertwined, as the five find each other switching bodies. While it starts as fun and games, they all begin to discover the darkest secrets of the others, and soon, the integrity of the group is threatened. With their emotional scars exposed and their friendship in ruins, how will the group deal with these mysterious incidents… and what exactly is causing it?
6. Itazura na Kiss
- Episodes: 25
- Studios: TMS Entertainment
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo
- Aired: Apr 5, 2008, to Sep 25, 2008
Kotoko Aihara finds herself in the house of her biggest crush, Naoki Irie. How did she end up there? Well, after an Earthquake hits her newly-built home, she is forced to shift in with him. While he is the brightest in her school and perhaps all of Japan, she is a low-ranking and clumsy student. Now the two must share a single roof.
What’s more, the two aren’t absolute strangers either! Aihara had given Naoki a love letter once before. He had embarrassed her and refused the letter back then. Now with their boundaries forced open and a wound of the past still gashing, how will the two opposites deal with their new life?
5. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
- Episodes: 25
- Studios: Production I.G
- Genres: Slice of Life, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Oct 7, 2009, to Mar 31, 2010
Sawako Kuronuma bears a close resemblance to a ghost from the Ring Series. This has earned her a fearsome reputation, despite her being nothing like the malicious fictional spirit in personality. Her true nature is timid and cheerful, wishing to make friends. Sawako finds herself getting close to the popular boy of the class, Shouta Kazehaya, who she has always admired for his ability to be the centre of attention.
Kazehaya decides to hold a test of courage with all the class members and urges Sawako to join. Seeing this as an opportunity to get closer to her classmates, she agrees. With every new person entering into her life, Sawako learns more about herself and experiences new emotions. Sawako grows grateful of Kazehaya, not knowing that her presence has changed him just as much.
4. Bokuraga Ita
- Episodes: 26
- Studios: Artland
- Genres: Slice of Life, Drama, Romance, Shoujo
- Aired: Jul 4, 2006, to Dec 26, 2006
In her first year of high school, Nanami Takahashi is ecstatic to meet new people and make friends. She quickly becomes acquainted with the shy Yuri Yamamoto and hears about the popular boy in class, Yano Motoharu. However, Nanami doesn’t like him at first because of his attitude, while Yuri isn’t fond of him because of his past with her older sister, Nana.
Soon, however, Nanami and Yano begin to bond and decide to date each other. However, their dating life will be riddled with challenges, as Yano finds it hard to open up to Nanami about his relationship with Nana, who had died in a car accident. With the shadow of their troubled past casting darkness on their otherwise beautiful relationship, Nanami and Yano will give it their all to keep their relationship healthy. But will they succeed?
3. Your Lie In April
- Episodes: 22
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
- Genres: Drama, Music, Romance, School, Shounen
- Aired: Oct 10, 2014, to Mar 20, 2015
What does it truly mean to be a musician? What does it mean to live truly?
Kousei Arima was a masterful player of the piano, touted by many to be a prodigy musician. There were high hopes for him. Until the death of his mother sent him spiralling into a melancholic life. He began to live like a lifeless high school student, without a goal or idea in mind. His ears have turned deaf to the sound of the piano, and he can’t seem to become a musician yet again.
This is when he meets the girl who likes his best friend, Kaori Miyazono. She stirs his life up, breaking the monochrome of his life, and showing him that playing music is beyond playing all the tunes perfectly. While he learns more about life being with her, he begins to fall for her. However, it is a relationship that will reach nowhere because she likes his best friend.
2. Say “I Love You.”
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Zexcs
- Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo
- Aired: Oct 7, 2012, to Dec 30, 2012
What do the three words “I love you” mean? Find out with Mei Tachibana, who lives a life away from everyone else, after an incident in grade school where she was wrongfully blamed for the death of a class pet. Now in high school, she begins to see Yamato Kurosawa around herself an awful lot. He finds her interesting and insists on being her friend, while Mei wants nothing to do with him.
As nature would have it, though, to protect herself during a dangerous stalker experience, Mei ends up kissing Yamato, developing feelings for him. Soon, they discover that the feelings are mutual. Mei gains a boyfriend and many more friends. However, with the rapid changes in her life, the constant attention her boyfriend commands from many girls, her inability to speak out her feelings, and many misunderstandings, their relationship begins to falter. Will it push them apart or bring them close?
1. Toradora!
- Episodes: 25
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, School
- Aired: Oct 2, 2008, to Mar 26, 2009
Meet Ryuuji Takasu, a guy who has an intimidating face that labels him a delinquent numerous times. However, his personality is in complete contrast; he has a kind and friendly nature and loves to do housework. On the opposite spectrum is Taiga Aisaka, a cute, doll-like girl who is short and fragile in looks but has a violent personality. Her wooden katana in hand, coupled with her short stature, earned her the name “Palmtop Tiger.”
In a surprising turn of events, however, Ryuuji discovers a secret of Taiga- she has a crush on the school’s popular Vice president, Ryuuji’s best friend. Things spiral further when Ryuuji reveals that he also has a crush on Taiga’s best friend. And so the tale begins! The two will now help each other with their love interests. Will the peculiar duo succeed?
Also, Read- The Top 15 Hottest Guys In Anime
Honorable Mentions
- Amagami SS
- Ouran High School Host Club
- Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
- Special A
- Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji
- Horimiya
- The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
- Ore Monogatari!!
- Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare
- Tsuki ga Kirei