Best Vampire Romance Anime

Key Takeaways

• Vampire romance anime challenges clichés with unique twists and tropes that resonate with fans of the genre.
• “Vampire Dormitory” offers a new take on the human x vampire relationship with heartwarming moments and character growth.
• “Strike The Blood” features a strong female lead and a male vampire protagonist who defies expectations in this atypical romance.

Vampire romance is a popular subgenre that swept the world in the 2000s and 2010s with titles like The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries, and True Blood. It has been less popular in the 2020s, but it’s still a fan favorite among many. Vampire romance anime is slightly more niche, but it’s abundant enough in its production to keep audiences busy for a while.

While the live-action stories of vampires falling in love are fraught with clichés, many anime titles challenge this. With that being said, some of these tropes are welcomed by fans and hold a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts. So, many vampire romance anime are a new interpretation of old stories and themes, with much of the content following the human x vampire outline provided by its predecessors.

Updated November 18, 2024 by Mark Sammut: The Fall 2024 anime season does not have any vampire romance stories, so fans will need to look to the past to get their fill. While not an extremely common theme, there are quite a few options out there, some of which provide unique takes on vampiric lore. Two of these series have been added as recommendations.

A 2018 series has also been added to this article to provide another viewing option.

15 Vampire Dormitory

MyAnimeList: 6.18

Mito’s life is tough, and that is an understatement. With no support system or a place to call home, the teen girl’s future seems so bleak that she temporarily considers committing suicide. After changing her mind, Mito accidentally slips off a bridge, forcing Ruka – a vampire – to come to her rescue. This peculiar encounter sparks an unorthodox relationship between the two, with Ruka drinking Mito’s blood in exchange for bringing a touch of light and love to the latter’s life. As great as all that sounds, Ruka accidentally believes that Mito is a guy, a situation mostly stemming from her fashion sense rather than a desire to fool her new partner.

Despite featuring a key image that shows Mito surrounded by five guys, Vampire Dormitory is not a reverse harem but a traditional romance. Mito and Ruka are firmly presented as the main couple, with the other characters supporting the leads (or providing some narrative tension). The only small exception is Ren, but even he is not a contender for the female lead’s affection. So far, the anime has not explored “vampire” culture all that much nor has it presented a unique twist on the general formula, beyond the idea that the taste of blood varies depending on the host’s mental and emotional state. Still, it is heartwarming to watch Mito’s gradual growth as she starts to believe that she has finally found a place that (mostly) accepts her. Ruka is mostly a decent male lead as well.

14 Dance With The Devils

MyAnimeList: 6.20

When Ritsuka’s mother is kidnapped, and she’s attacked by men looking for a grimoire she’s never heard of, she is saved by the student council president Rem. Unfortunately, Rem is looking for the same grimoire, and his intentions with Ritsuka are not as honest as they seem. That is, until he starts to care for her.

This reverse harem features the affection of devils, vampires, and exorcists, and is as epic as it is absurd. It features a strong musical element as well, and the Dance with Devils series was followed by an enjoyable movie called Fortuna.

13 Rosario + Vampire

MyAnimeList: 6.74 (Season 1)

Well, harems are romances too. The Rosario + Vampire anime is hard to recommend when the much-superior manga exists, but it can be a fun watch if treated like mindless fluff powered by fanservice. Long story short, Tsukune is a normal human who ends up attending a high school for monsters, where he gradually amasses a harem of girls who cover a spectrum of species. That said, his main partner is Moka, a vampire who shares almost nothing in common with traditional examples.

Rosario + Vampire never really tries to be anything more than a low-stakes harem with throwaway action sequences and characters who are mostly just happy to exist. Moka and Tsukune’s relationship gets highlighted a bit more in the sequel season, although it remains fairly static.

12 Karin

MyAnimeList: 7.10

Karin is mostly just cute, which is far from the worst thing to be. Now, to the original author’s credit, the manga offers a pretty unique subversion of vampire lore. Rather than sucking blood, Karin overproduces it, forcing her to bite into “victims” to inject her blood into them. While a pretty straightforward reversal of standard practices, this twist is still fresh, and it is enhanced by nosebleeds to inject a stronger touch of manga charm.

Karin’s life becomes very complicated when Kenta shows up at her school, as his presence is enough to supercharge her blood production. Obviously, the two characters slowly start to get closer, although their romance takes a very long time to reach its boil and hits a few road bumps like the introduction of a love triangle.

Novel premise aside, Karin is otherwise a pretty straightforward rom-com with a supernatural edge. It does not take all that many risks nor does it tell a story that requires 24 episodes. Still, it is decent.

11 Vampire Knight

MyAnimeList: 6.86

Vampire Knight is a classic shojo manga adaptation about Yuki, a human, her childhood friend Zero, and the vampire Kaname. This love triangle is a classic for a reason, as it depicts the budding romance between Yuki and Kaname, as well as the jealousy and loathing of vampires from Zero.

The story takes place at Cross Academy, a boarding school with a day class and a night class. The humans in the day class idolize the night classes, not knowing that the night class is filled with vampires. While the show has not aged especially well, it is still quite entertaining in a car-crash type of way. Yuki can be a bit too passive at times, but she works for this type of narrative.

10 Strike The Blood

MyAnimeList: 7.03 (Season 1)

Strike The Blood is an atypical vampire romance as its female lead is a strong human mage, and its male vampire lead is afraid to drink human blood. Kojo Akatsuki is alleged to be the 4th Progenitor, a powerful vampire that must be watched and potentially feared. However, he refuses to drink human blood, and thus, is weaker than his title sounds. Yukina Himeragi is an attack mage, tasked with the job of watching Kojo’s every move. Naturally, the two begin to rely on each other as they get closer.

This anime adaptation of the light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo is an action-packed romantic dramedy. It features a strong female lead and is an excellent choice for shonen fans looking for a vampire sci-fi storyline.

9 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

MyAnimeList: 7.93

For fans of morally gray vampire romance, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is an excellent option. It is a classic anime sequel film to the even more classic 1985 OVA, Vampire Hunter D. Bloodlust details the life of Charlotte Elbourne, who is suspected of being abducted by the vampire nobleman, Meier Link. Vampire hunter D is hired to bring back Charlotte, but will Charlotte go willingly after her bond with Meier grows strong?

This is a dark romance that emphasizes the complexity of human-vampire relationships. As awesome as Madhouse’s movie is, romance is not the focus, with action and even horror taking precedence. As such, Bloodlust cannot be recommended if someone is primarily craving a love story.

8 Ms. Vampire Who Lives In My Neighborhood

MyAnimeList: 7.09

Sophie Twilight is an otaku vampire living in a mysterious house in the forest. Akari Amano is a girl who went looking for Sophie after hearing about her doll-like appearance. The two meet one night and immediately become friends, as Sophie helps Akari find her way when she’s lost in the woods.

Ms. Vampire Who Lives In My Neighborhood is a debatable romance title with many fans interpreting the core duo’s relationship as flirty and friendly rather than downright romantic. Others see this story has obvious yuri subtext. Either way, this show merits a mention.

7 Actually, I Am…

MyAnimeList: 6.84

When the class “leaky basket”, Asahi Kuromine, decides to tell his crush about his feelings for her, he walks in on her at the wrong time and discovers that she is a vampire. Instead of being afraid of the winged vampire he sees before him, Asahi finds it cute and decides to keep Youko Shirgami’s secret. Unfortunately, Asahi is easy to read, and bad at keeping secrets, so an assortment of hilarious situations arise out of his promise to keep Youko’s true identity hidden.

Actually, I am… is a laugh-out-loud cute romantic comedy about supernatural beings secretly existing in everyday life, and one high schooler tasked with the job of keeping them a secret.

6 Diabolik Lovers

MyAnimeList: 5.19

This anime adaptation of the popular visual novel series is an otome game-inspired reverse harem that follows Yuki Komori as she moves in with a group of brothers who all happen to be vampires. At first, the brothers are quite abusive to Yuki, taking her blood without her consent and being generally mean to her, but as time passes they see that she is a pure-hearted girl who is worthy of their protection.

This reverse harem vampire romance is steamy and brutal at times. Yuki has no other place to go, and the way the boys treat her in the beginning might be unsettling to some viewers. However, it is a classic of the genre for a reason, as it depicts a slightly harsher reality of the vampire(s) and human trope.

5 Devils’ Line

MyAnimeList: 6.83

The title aside, Devils’ Line‘s “monsters” are effectively vampires, even if they are described as devils. While not quite reaching the same heights as its source material, Platinum Vision’s anime adaptation serves as a competent companion piece to Ryo Hanada’s manga, and its success mostly comes down to Anzai and Tsukasa’s romance. After the latter is saved from a vampire serial killer by the former, the two quickly hit things off, with Tsukasa specifically falling head-over-heels for Anzai. However, things are complicated by the male protagonist’s half-devil status, which is the main reason he works for an organization that exists to take out vampires who have given in to their desire for blood.

Devils’ Line focuses a lot on its core romance, to the point of treating it as the main attraction rather than just a side quest used to add spice to the action or drama. Anzai struggles a lot with his half-human status, and he fears that he could put Tsukasa in danger. Despite this situation, the latter refuses to step down, and she is willing to accept the risk that comes with sticking by her partner.

4 Sweet Bite Marks

MyAnimeList: 6.54

In a world where humans are subservient to vampires after losing a war between the species, Xiao Xing Du feels like the only one who loathes her position in the world. After watching her parents get murdered by vampires, she hates vampires and everyone who has accepted the current hierarchy. One day, when she is asked to deliver something to Luo Yi, he tries to take her blood. This enemies-to-lovers vampire romance ONA is sure to make fans swoon.

Sweet Bite Marks is a donghua adaptation of the popular manhua by Rui Si and Yi Kai. The manhua is completed now on its 186th chapter.

3 Mignon

MyAnimeList: 8.03

Mignon is a short, original ONA that was first released on Vimeo in the summer of 2023. It is a modern-day BL, depicting the romance between an underground cage fighter, Mignon, and a doctor who is secretly stealing blood from unconscious boxers, Oh Young-one. At first, Dr. Oh is reluctant towards Mignon’s feelings, but as time passes he warms up to the idea of sharing a life with him.

This is an 18+ title that features gore and sexually explicit content. That said, it’s a great pick for fans of BL and vampire romance fans alike. If fans want to skip the sexually explicit content, and just focus on the vampire-human romance, they can avoid the final episode.

2 Hakuoki

MyAnimeList: 7.36

During the Bakumatsu Period in Japan, Chizuru Yukimura is on a mission to find the whereabouts of her father who’s gone missing. She disguises herself as a man and treks to Kyoto, only to be chased down by two ronin. The ronin are then killed by man-like beasts with fangs who are imperviousness to blades. Just when she thinks she’s about to be killed by a demon, she is saved by a shinsengumi named Toshizo Hijikata.

Hakuoki is a romance action anime about vampire hunters. Although it may seem like a reverse harem, the romance is mainly between one of the shinsengumi and Chizuru. The show does a great job of balancing a plethora of different genres, offering genuine drama along with an engaging historical epic mixed with supernatural themes. Although not always taking center stage, romance develops naturally as the anime progresses.

1 Call Of The Night

MyAnimeList: 7.98

Based on a popular manga, Call of the Night has an almost dream-like feel, largely stemming from its nighttime setting. Suffering from insomnia, Ko spends his nights exploring the empty streets, a pastime that causes him to meet a mesmerizing woman named Nazuna. Enigmatic and free-spirited, she represents Ko’s ideal, and that does not change when he learns she is a vampire. In fact, Ko asks Nazuna to turn him into a night-walker, a process that requires a human to fall in love with a vampire to work. Therefore, they set about accomplishing just that, all the while trying to keep their endeavor a secret from other vampires.

Call of the Night is a bizarre romance since Ko is actively trying to fall in love with Nazuna, but he is not quite sure what that emotion feels like. Nevertheless, the two characters have great chemistry, and they are both extremely likable. The anime also sets up an interesting world that will hopefully one day be explored further in a sequel season.