Best Anime Like Horimiya

Key Takeaways

• Unique love dynamics, friendship elements, and sweet romances are showcased in anime like Skip And Loafer, The Dangers In My Heart, and My Dress-Up Darling.
• From fake relationships to strong connections, the genre provides a diverse range of narratives that explore love, friendship, and personal growth.

Ever since Horimiya‘s release, the anime that took the world by storm in 2021, many new and old fans have been looking for other rom-coms that can fill the void left by its conclusion. The series checked off all the boxes that make a great romance/slice-of-life show. It had the sweetest love story, realistic and relatable characters, powerful side characters, and an array of different friendship dynamics.

It features the female gaze and highlights love through innocent affection, making it so much more heart-wrenching and emotional than much other anime in the same genre. However, there are plenty of incredible anime similar to Horimiya that make hearts speed up just like this one did.

Updated November 18, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Horimiya will likely not receive any further anime content, so fans will need to constantly keep their eye on seasonal releases to see if there is anything that might scratch that itch. Fortunately, Fall 2024 has one anime like Horimiya that could fill that void.

25 How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer

Three Cute Couples Living Their Best Lives

Horimiya‘s success arguably comes down to its balance of romance and comedy, with both elements complementing each other rather than competing. Even the more comedic Missing Pieces manages to strengthen key relationships, all the while focusing on everyday situations during which nothing of significant note happens.

Fall 2024’sHow I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer strikes a similar harmony, telling a story that jumps between humor and romance effortlessly. The premise is simple: three guys go to a mixer and find three girls dressed as men waiting for them. After this awkward but cute encounter, they quickly split into three couples, while still regularly meeting as a full group. While not developing instant relationships, the anime allows the characters to regularly flirt, with the girls usually being the more aggressive. It is all wholesome and charming.

At a stretch, How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer could also be described as a slice of life. Most episodes revolve around mundane dates or meetings between the couples, and progress or drama is rarely the point.

24 Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

Strong Personalities Attract

Not to take anything away from Horimiya‘s supporting characters, but the anime’s popularity (mostly) comes down to Miyamura and Hori’s chemistry. They are both well-defined characters with strong and grounded personalities, paving the way to a romance that feels authentic rather than just predetermined.

Summer 2024’s Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian should be able to scratch a similar itch thanks to Kuze and Alisa, two leads who are great individually and fantastic together. Similar to Miyamura’s alter ego at school, Alisa also hides her true self, opting to speak her mind in Russian due to believing that nobody else can speak the language. However, Kuze understands every single word she says, which is slightly embarrassing as they are usually about him. Using this secret, Kuze often manages to help Alisa when she needs it the most, all the while being more than happy to engage in some light banter and teasing.

Along with slowly chronicling Alisa and Kuze’s budding romance, Alya incorporates slice of life elements by simply following the duo and a few more students at school. While not as comedic as Horimiya, Alya gets quite funny at times, making it a great all-rounder that delivers romance, drama, and humor.

23 Pseudo Harem

Awkward & Adorable Slice Of Life

Primarily a recommendation for Horimiya: Missing Pieces, Pseudo Harem consists of short moments that showcase Rin and Eiji’s cute friendship. The title is a reference to Rin’s acting chops, as she decides to create a one-girl harem for her senpai, Eiji. Basically, she assumes different waifu archetypes and gives Eiji a boost in confidence, all the while allowing her to mask a (very obvious) crush. Their interactions are the definition of wholesome and inconsequential.

Presuming somebody is not seeking an overt romance, Pseudo Harem should hit the mark with fans who enjoy Horimiya‘s slice of life chapters. The anime is just pure fluff, and sometimes nothing hits the mark like a healthy dose of sugary adorableness.

22 More Than A Married Couple, But Not Lovers

An Unorthodox Assignment

Much like Izumi Miyamura and Kyoko Hori, this unlikely (involuntary) pair of “lovebirds” enjoy the perks of a fake relationship as they learn to live under one roof while attempting to cultivate an imaginary romance (for a bizarre class assignment). Stemming from two different worlds, Jiro Yakuin and Akari Watanabe have very little in common; besides the fact that they are both hopelessly in love with someone else.

Initially relatively repulsed by each other, their constant proximity eventually starts rubbing off, and once they share a kiss (for the sake of their grades, obviously!), things get quite complicated from thereon out. Will they risk their deep-rooted desires for a new, fresh flirtation, or will they end up getting separated once their marks reach the required level?

21 Skip And Loafer

High School Life

One of the best anime of 2023, Skip and Loafer is an absolute delight that presents a grounded rather than idealized look at adolescence. Now, before proceeding any further, Skip and Loafer only has romantic subtext, so Horimiya fans craving an official couple might not get what they want from this series. That said, Mitsumi and Sousuke complement each other beautifully, and they are somewhat similar to Izumi and Hori in the sense that they have very different personalities and backgrounds, at least at a glance.

Both shows focus on more than just their protagonists, emphasizing the relationships and insecurities of their secondary characters. Although primarily a drama, Skip and Loafer can be enjoyed as a slice of life as well, even if it touches upon heavier themes than most of the genre’s offerings. The show even has its share of funny moments that stem naturally from the characters’ well-defined personalities.

20 The Dangers In My Heart

Slow-Build Love Story

Starting as a fairly typical comedy before blossoming into one of the best romances in a long time, The Dangers in My Heart is something special. Kyotaro Ichikawa is an awkward teenager who keeps to himself and occasionally daydreams about killing his classmates, specifically a model named Anna. Just normal adolescent stuff. Wisely, the anime spends very little time on Kyotaro’s fantasies, instead opting to focus solely on his growing friendship with Anna. And, their dynamic is irresistibly endearing, with both characters playing their part in selling the prospect of a romance.

Unlike Horimiya, The Dangers in My Heart focuses on setting the stage for a romantic connection, at least during its opening season; however, the series does a brilliant job exploring the students’ relationship growth. Kyotaro, especially, goes through a fair amount of development, while Anna comes across as a three-dimensional character from the very first episode. The sequel season is particularly fantastic and firmly establishes Kyotaro and Anna as an all-time great anime couple. An argument could be made that The Dangers in My Heart is the most consistent romance anime of all time.

19 My Dress-Up Darling

Made For Each Other

The familiar tale of angst high school romance gets a unique upgrade as fashion design and cosplaying are highlighted throughout this narrative. Marin Kitagawa is a stunning Otaku with limited sewing skills who happens to bump into a socially anxious introvert who has spent years tirelessly honing his Hina Doll craftsmanship (garments included).

Wakana Gojo slowly learns to come out of his shell with Marin’s excitable and enthusiastic influence and discovers the wonders of the cosplaying industry, accompanied by a crash course in anime (and way too much nudity for his liking!)

18 Komi Can’t Communicate

More Comedy, Less Romance

Komi Shokou has quite a bit in common with Izumi Miyamura, as she would also much prefer to remain on the outskirts of social gatherings and generally tries to keep to herself at school. In stark contrast, however, Komi somehow happens to be the most popular girl at Itan Private High School; her stunning features are a lot more difficult to hide than Horimiya’s undercover rebel.

With the patient assistance of Hitohito Tadano, Komi discovers that she actually can make friends, but not every willing candidate has the best intentions. Together, Komi and Tadano navigate their way through the hilariously intricate social structures of adolescence, stumbling across love along the way.

17 A Couple Of Cuckoos

Love Triangle Silliness

Born at the same hospital on the very same day, Nagi Umino and Erika Amano are mistakenly swapped at birth and subsequently grow up in the wrong household. Only after discovering the mix-up much later in life, do the two families agree that the best solution for everyone involved (according to them) is if the youngsters just get married. That way, they can be one big happy family; too bad Nagi and Erica aren’t on board!

Forced to suddenly live together and play nice, the pair butt heads as they attempt to find some kind of symbiosis. However, Nagi is more interested in pursuing his beloved Hiro Segawa instead. Comedy and chaos are guaranteed with these Cuckoos, adding their own strange spin on the typical love triangle trope.

16 My Love Story With Yamada-kun At Lv999

Gaming, Friendship, & Romance

Horimiya is just as much about friendship and social groups as it is about romance, and the same can be said about My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999. Sure, the story is driven by Akito and Akane’s romantic connection; however, most episodes prioritize their budding friendship and relationship with their (gaming-themed) support group, setting the foundation for the pair’s eventual romance.

After being dumped by her boyfriend, Akane heads to a convention in the hopes of making him jealous. She makes a fool of herself, but she ends up meeting a well-known gamer named Akito. While more weird than cute, their meeting sets the stage for Akane to join Akito’s MMO guild, introducing her to a slew of other people who are all generally likable (despite one character trying their hardest to leave a terrible first impression).

15 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku

Adult Romances

A short-lived anime that really deserves a second season, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku shakes things up by (primarily) centering on adult couples. More importantly, by the end of the first episode, the main duo are officially together, so there is no will they/won’t they drama that spans a full cour. That said, Narumi and Hirotaka’s relationship develops slowly after that point, although this pacing is born out of uncertainty and comes across as organic.

Like Horimiya, Wotakoi leans heavily into slice of life and comedy, with romance often taking a backseat. The four main characters are all funny in their own ways, with Narumi being especially hilarious.

14 Quintessential Quintuplets

A Well-Written Harem

Another attractive anime lead attempting to keep up pretenses is a penniless (and friendless) Fuutarou Uesugi, who happens upon an opportunity that is too good to pass up! With his stellar grades at school, Fuutarou catches a wealthy businessman’s attention, who is looking for a tutor for his daughter and is willing to pay five times the average rate!

Already having offended his new student, Itsuki Nakano, things get off to a rough start and he has to suddenly backpedal after realizing there is more up for grabs. When Fuutarou discovers she has more sisters (resulting in a substantially larger paycheck), he does his best to turn on the charm and get their father on board for this mass-tutoring mission. With five stubborn quintuplets to work with, convincing them to take an interest in their education is a gargantuan task indeed, particularly when the siblings begin to squabble over him!

13 My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected

High School Love & Anxiety

When two very different students collide, Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita spend a great deal of time together at their school’s Service Club. Here, they offer advice and help to other students.

As another Horimiya-like anime,this show portrays high school students who go through a great deal of personal development to break the emotional chains that are holding them down. It’s sweet, it’s funny, and it’s a great rom-com to binge.

12 The Way Of The Househusband

Unique Relationship Dynamic For Romance Anime

This show immediately stole the hearts of rom-com anime fans across the globe, highlighting a relationship dynamic that has never really been seen before. The story features Tatsu, a former yakuza boss who steps out of his life of crime to be the househusband for his wife Miku.

This hilarious series created the ideal man for many anime fans: a tough, intimidating guy who would do anything to make his wife happy. It’s funny and heartwarming, perfect for fans of the genre.

11 Yuri!!! On ICE

A Sweet Romance

This sports anime has much more in store than just figure skating and competitions. Though the story follows Yuri Katsuki and Victor Nikiforov as they navigate their way to winning gold medals, the romantic relationship that buds between them is enough to make a grown man cry.

The slow, steady burn of their feelings erupting over the 12 episodes while they fight to achieve their career goals is actually relationship goals. This is not an anime to miss, especially for those who love hilarious, relatable characters, amazing soundtracks, and incredible ice skating routines.

10 Toradora!

The Genre-Defining Opposites Attract Anime

The classic frienemies-to-lovers trope is on full display here, and fans are all here for it. Hot-headed Taiga and gentle Ryuji team up as wingman and wingwoman for each other, with the goal of confessing their feelings to their crushes.

They end up spending a lot of time together, resulting in an unexpected outcome. The show is loved by hundreds of thousands of fans all over the world, proving that it’s an anime that deserves its place on everyone’s watchlists.

9 Fruits Basket

A Contender For The Best Romance Anime

Whether viewers choose to watch the modern remake that more closely follows the plot of the manga or stick to the classic 2001 one-season anime, Fruits Basket is a superb choice for an emotional binge. The show follows Tohru Honda, a high school student who gets tangled up in the troubles of the mysterious Sohma family.

After being invited to live at the home of two Sohma relatives, Tohru discovers their unbelievable secret: When hugged by a member of the opposite sex, the Sohmas will transform into an animal of the zodiac. Incredible character development, tear-jerking storylines, and adorable budding relationships are what make this show so amazing.

8 Kamisama Kiss

Charming & Funny

This binge-worthy romance anime will absolutely make viewers tear up if they are looking for shows like Horimiya. The two main characters share a similar dynamic to Izumi and Hori, one being bright and cheery and the other being more independent and a lone wolf.

The two are tied together through their bond to their shrine, and their time together brings them closer in a beautiful way. The OVAs that follow the first season are absolutely necessary to wrap up their ultimate love story, so don’t forget to watch them!

7 Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You

The Ultimate Marriage Anime

Unlike so many romance anime, Horimiya wastes very little time in turning Hori and Miyamura into a couple, allowing them to actually grow throughout the rest of the series. As fast as this relationship develops, it has nothing on Tonikawa‘s Tsukasa and Nasa, who decide to get married after only meeting for the second time. They rush headfirst into the ultimate commitment without really knowing anything about their partner; however, they are dedicated to each other and willing to put in the effort to ensure they are both happy.

Tonikawa is pure unfiltered sugar, to the point of being almost sickly sweet. Stripped of nearly all tension, the two available seasons simply showcase Tsukasa and Nasa’s early journey as they learn more about each other and what it means to be married. They are a great pair together, with both of them being fairly direct about what they want (especially Nasa). Along with romance, Tonikawa should also hit the spot as a slice of life.

6 Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

Hilarious Banter & Touching Romance

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is a fun, laugh-out-loud romance anime for those who adore the “I like you, but I’d die before I told you that” trope. The two main characters, student council president Miyuki Shirogane and vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, both have strong crushes on each other but refuse to be the first ones to say so.

Throughout the show, they grow closer to each other and to their friends, creating bonds that will soon overcome their pride. With three full seasons under their belt, Miyuki and Kaguya’s humourous antics have kept fans entertained and coming back for more!