Japanese anime shows delve into the depths of unrequited feelings, taking us on emotional journeys filled with heartache, longing, and personal growth. From heart-aching romances to bittersweet tales, these anime series will leave you captivated and empathizing with the characters' struggles. So, if you are ready to immerse yourself in the world of Japanese animation, below are the top 10 Japanese anime series about unrequited love.
1. Tomo-Chan Is A Girl
Tomo-chan is a Girl is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fumita Yanagida. The manga was released in 2015. It has eight volumes. The anime series was released in 2023. It has 13 episodes. The story is about a 15-year-old tomboy. She has a crush on her childhood friend, but there seems to be a little problem. Her childhood friend doesn’t see her as a girl but as a tomboy and treats her like a boy too.
2. A Whisker Away
A Whisker Away is a Japanese anime romantic fantasy film produced by Studio Colorido, Toho Animation, and Twin Engine starring Mirai Shida, Natsuki Hanae, and Hiroaki Ogi. It was released in 2020. The story blurs the line between the human and animal realm when a high school girl transforms herself into a cat just to gain the attention of her crush. She spends her time with her crush, but she longs to confess that the cat he loves and the girl he dislikes are the same person.
3. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is a Japanese animated romance comedy drama produced by Sublimation and Signal.MD starring Ichikawa Somegorō, Hana Sugisaki, Megumi Han, Natsuki Hanae, Yūichirō Umehara, and Megumi Nakajima. It was released in 2020. It is set in a rural part of Japan. It is a story that follows two people who are unable to communicate with each other. One is a shy boy who can only communicate through his writing and the other is a girl who tries to hide her beautiful smile with a mask because of her unwanted braces for which she feels insecure and starts getting a feeling that she is ugly. Will their meeting with each other overcome their insecurities? Watch the show to see what is written in their destiny.
4. Golden Time
Golden Time is a Japanese animation drama written by Yuyuko Takemiya, with illustrations by Ēji Komatsu. The manga was released in 2011. It has nine volumes. The series was released in 2013. It has 24 episodes. It is a story about a freshman at a Tokyo law school. He had an accident which caused him severe memory loss. He then decides to start a new life and eventually falls in love with a girl, but with a twist. She is already obsessed with her childhood friend.
5. Sasaki And Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano is a Japanese BL manga series. The manga was released in 2016. It has nine volumes. The series was released in 2022. It has 12 episodes. It is a story that follows the story of two male high school students. They first became friends but when they got an opportunity to get closer their friendship eventually turned into romantic.
6. Your Name
Makoto Shinkai is the writer and director of the animated love fantasy film "Your Name." in Japan. CoMix Wave Films produced the film, and Toho handled distribution. 2016 saw its release. It tells the story of two high school students who suddenly began swapping bodies for each other, even though they had never met before. Things get even more complicated when the boy and girl agree to meet in person.
7. Weathering With You
Makoto Shinkai is the writer and director of the Japanese animated love fantasy film Weathering with You. Starring Nana Mori and Kotaro Daigo. 2019 saw its release. It is a story about first-year high schoolers. He decided to run away from Tokyo and escape his troubled life and more troubled home. But he soon struggles to live due to financial problems and when his life starts to become more troubled he meets a strange girl who seems to have supernatural power to control the weather.
8. Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki is the writer, producer, and director of the Japanese animated fantasy film Kiki's Delivery Service. Featuring Keiko Toda, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi, and Minami Takayama. 1989 saw its release. It is a story about a witch who moved away from her family to practice and master her witchcraft, but she soon realizes that it is hard to make friends out there and is left lonely in the new and strange world.
9. Lovely Complex
Aya Nakahara is the author and illustrator of the Japanese romantic comedy manga series Lovely Complex, often known as Love Com. 2001 saw the release of the manga. There are seventeen volumes. In 2007, the anime series was made available. There are twenty-four episodes. There is only one season for it. It is a love story between a boy who is shorter than an average boy’s height and a girl who is taller than the average height of a girl. But what shocked him the most was when the girl fell for him and not the other handsome boys from her school.
10. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
The Japanese animated drama film "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" is based on the same-titled light novel by Yoru Sumino. Starring Mahiro Takasugi, Lynn, Yukiyo Fujii, Yuma Uchida, Jun Fukushima, Atsuko Tanaka, Shin-ichiro Miki, and Emi Wakui, it was produced by Studio VOLN. 2018 saw the release of the film. The story revolves around a teenager who finds a diary kept by his classmate in a hospital waiting room. The diary reveals that the classmate is secretly struggling with a fatal pancreatic illness. The story follows their journey as they bond and grow through this difficult situation.
