What is this genre all about? The main protagonists in this anime have a very hard time trying to express their feelings to each other. They simply will not finally confess their love.
In some cases this romance element is based on unrequited love, or an absurd amount of shyness.
We present you the list of Slow When It Comes To Love anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Slow When It Comes To Love anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Darling in the FranXX
- 19. My Little Monster
- 18. Nisekoi
- 17. 5 Centimeters Per Second
- 16. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime
- 15. Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.
- 14. Sukitte Ii na yo.
- 13. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren
- 12. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
- 11. Nisekoi:
- 10. Dagashi Kashi
- 9. Nagi no Asukara
- 8. Oreshura
- 7. Isshuukan Friends.
- 6. Rosario to Vampire Capu2
- 5. Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
- 4. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. Movie
- 3. Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai
- 2. Hori-san to Miyamura-kun
- 1. Aquarion Evol
20. Darling in the FranXX
The distant future: Humanity established the mobile fort city, Plantation, upon the ruined wasteland. Within the city were pilot quarters, Mistilteinn, otherwise known as the “Birdcage.” That is where the children live... Their only mission in life was the fight. Their enemies are the mysterious giant organisms known as Kyoryu. The children operate robots known as FRANXX in order to face these still unseen enemies. Among them was a boy who was once called a child prodigy: Code number 016, Hiro. One day, a mysterious girl called Zero Two appears in front of Hiro. “I’ve found you, my Darling.”
DARLING in the FRANXX has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス, Darling in the FranXX
19. My Little Monster
Shizuku Mizutani is apathetic towards her classmates, only caring about her grades. However, her cold view of life begins to change when she meets Haru Yoshida, a violent troublemaker who stopped attending class after getting into a fight early in the school year. He is not much different from her, though—he too understands little about human nature and does not have any friends. Much to Shizuku's surprise, he proclaims that she will be his friend and immediately confesses his feelings towards her upon meeting her.
Because of her lack of friends and social interaction, Shizuku has a hard time understanding her relationship with Haru. But slowly, their friendship begins to progress, and she discovers that there is more to Haru than violence. She begins to develop feelings for him, but is unsure what kind of emotions she is experiencing. Together, Shizuku and Haru explore the true nature of their relationship and emotions.
My Little Monster has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, となりの怪物くん, Tonari no Kaibutsukun, The Monster Next Door, My Neighbor Monster-kun
18. Nisekoi
Raku Ichijou, a first-year student at Bonyari High School, is the sole heir to an intimidating yakuza family. Ten years ago, Raku promised his childhood friend that they would get married when they reunite as teenagers. To seal the deal, the girl had given Raku a closed locket, the key to which she took with her when she left him.
Now, years later, Raku has grown into a typical teenager, and all he wants is to remain as uninvolved in his yakuza background as possible while spending his school days alongside his middle school crush Kosaki Onodera. However, when the American Bee Hive Gang invades his family's turf, Raku's idyllic romantic dreams are sent for a toss as he is dragged into a frustrating conflict: Raku is to pretend that he is in a romantic relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the beautiful daughter of the Bee Hive's chief, so as to reduce the friction between the two groups. Unfortunately, reality could not be farther from this whopping lie—Raku and Chitoge fall in hate at first sight, as the girl is convinced he is a pathetic pushover, and in Raku's eyes, Chitoge is about as attractive as a savage gorilla. Nisekoi follows the daily antics of this mismatched couple who have been forced to get along for the sake of maintaining the city's peace. With many more girls popping up his life, all involved with Raku's past somehow, his search for the girl who holds his heart and his promise leads him in more unexpected directions than he expects.
Nisekoi: False Love has finished airing and it has 20 Episodes. It is also Known as: ニセコイ, Nisekoi
17. 5 Centimeters Per Second
Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara, two very close friends and classmates, are torn apart when Akari's family is transferred to another region of Japan due to her family's job. Despite separation, they continue to keep in touch through mail. When Takaki finds out that his family is also moving, he decides to meet with Akari one last time.
As years pass by, they continue down their own paths, their distance slowly growing wider and their contact with one another fades. Yet, they keep remembering one another and the times they have shared together, wondering if they will have the chance to meet once again.
5 Centimeters Per Second has finished airing and it has 3 Episodes. It is also Known as: Byousoku 5 Centimeter, 秒速５センチメートル, Five Centimeters Per Second, Byousoku 5 Centimeter - a chain of short stories about their distance, 5 Centimetres Per Second, 5 cm per second
16. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime
Although her name means "snow white," Shirayuki is a cheerful, red-haired girl living in the country of Tanbarun who works diligently as an apothecary at her herbal shop. Her life changes drastically when she is noticed by the silly prince of Tanbarun, Prince Raji, who then tries to force her to become his concubine. Unwilling to give up her freedom, Shirayuki cuts her long red hair and escapes into the forest, where she is rescued from Raji by Zen Wistalia, the second prince of a neighboring country, and his two aides. Hoping to repay her debt to the trio someday, Shirayuki sets her sights on pursuing a career as the court herbalist in Zen's country, Clarines.
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime depicts Shirayuki's journey toward a new life at the royal palace of Clarines, as well as Zen's endeavor to become a prince worthy of his title. As loyal friendships are forged and deadly enemies formed, Shirayuki and Zen slowly learn to support each other as they walk their own paths.
Snow White with the Red Hair has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 赤髪の白雪姫, Akagami no Shirayukihime
15. Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.
Office worker Yoshida has been crushing on his coworker, Airi Gotou, for five years. Despite finally scoring a date with her, his confession is promptly rejected. Drunk and disappointed, he stumbles home, only to find a high school girl sitting on the side of the road. The girl, needing a place to stay the night, attempts to seduce Yoshida. Despite rejecting her advances, he nevertheless invites her into his apartment.
The next morning, the girl, introducing herself as Sayu Ogiwara, reveals that she has run away from Hokkaido all the way to Tokyo. During her six-month spree, she continually traded sexual favors for a roof over her head. Yoshida, however, remains unswayed by her seduction. Instead, he has her do a different kind of work—one that entails washing dishes and doing laundry. And so, a touching relationship between a heartbroken adult and a runaway high school girl begins.
Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ひげを剃る。そして女子高生を拾う。, I Shaved. Then I Brought a High School Girl Home., HigeHiro, What Happened When I Shaved My Beard
14. Sukitte Ii na yo.
Mei Tachibana was once a regular girl who enjoyed hanging out with her friends. But after a traumatic incident where all her so-called friends suddenly turned their backs on her, Mei's idea of friendship changed forever. In order to stop herself from ever going through the same awful experience again, she decides to stay away from people as much as possible, and ideally, to never make any friends ever again. This tactic seems to have worked relatively well in her current high school life, and she didn't at all mind being thought of as gloomy and strange. However, the appearance of Yamato Kurosawa—one of the most popular boys in her high school—shakes her stable foundation of an introvert, and makes her question whether or not her choices were indeed the right ones.
Not only does Yamato not ignore her like everyone else seems to be doing, he also decides to freely give her his phone number! As their relationship slowly develops, and is marked with an unexpected kiss, Mei is finding it very hard to adapt to this new life style, and hardest of all, to express her true feelings towards Yamato. Sukitte Ii na yo. follows their developing relationship, as well as their frequent disagreements, to portray how difficult it can really be to say "I love you."
Say "I Love You". has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 好きっていいなよ。, Suki-tte Ii na yo., Sukinayo
13. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren
Due to various events, Yuuta and Rikka are living together. This secret co-habitation is so exciting for the two lovebirds! Or so it should be...
Is having a chuuni girlfriend too high of a hurdle for Yuuta, who never even went out with a normal girl?! Yuuta worries about how to advance his relationship with Rikka. And then everyone else, Nibutani, Kumin, and Dekomori, have powered up by advancing a grade. Furthermore, the cause of his chuunibyou outburst in middle school, the girl who calls herself Sophia Ring Saturn the 7th, Satone Shichimiya appears...
This is the long-awaited second season of the adolescent romantic comedy revolving around chuunibyou that makes you laugh and cry.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!: Heart Throb has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 中二病でも恋がしたい！戀, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 2, Chu-2 Byo demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren
12. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
You know how the story goes: girl crushes on guy, girl confesses feelings to guy, guy mistakes confession for a job application. Okay, maybe that's not how it usually goes, but that's what happens when Chiyo Sakura finally gets up the nerve to tell her classroom crush Nozaki how she feels. Since she doesn't know that he's secretly a manga artist who publishes under a female pen name, and he doesn't know that she doesn't know, he misunderstands and offers her a chance to work as his assistant instead of a date! But while it's not flowers and dancing, it is a chance to get closer to him, so Chiyo gamely accepts. And when Nozaki realizes how useful Chiyo can be in figuring out what girls find romantic, he'll be spending even more time with her "researching" while remaining completely clueless. Could Chiyo's romantic frustration possibly get any more drawn out of proportion? The answer will be profusely illustrated in MONTHLY GIRLS' NOZAKI-KUN!
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 月刊少女野崎くん, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
11. Nisekoi:
Despite having seemingly quelled the war between their respective gangs, Raku Ichijou and Chitoge Kirisaki still carry on with their fake relationship. Eventually, as Chitoge's perception of Raku slowly changes, she even begins to see him as a little charming.
Chitoge struggles to come to terms with her newfound feelings for Raku, as a new girl joins the slew of Raku's admirers and the competition among those vying for the yakuza heir's attention grows even fiercer. And amidst all this, Raku's search for his first love and the contents of the mysterious sealed locket continues in Nisekoi:, which picks up where the first season left off.
Nisekoi: False Love has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ニセコイ:, Nisekoi 2nd Season, Nisekoi Second Season
10. Dagashi Kashi
Out in the countryside stands a sweet shop run by the Shikada family for nine generations: Shikada Dagashi, a small business selling traditional Japanese candy. However, despite his father's pleas, Kokonotsu Shikada, an aspiring manga artist, adamantly refuses to inherit the family business.
However, this may start to change with the arrival of the eccentric Hotaru Shidare. Hotaru is in search of Kokonotsu's father, with the goal of bringing him back to work for her family's company, Shidare Corporation, a world famous sweets manufacturer. Although the senior Shikada initially refuses, he states that he will change his mind on one condition: if Hotaru can convince Kokonotsu to take over the family shop. And so begins Hotaru's mission to enlighten the boy on the true joy of delicious and nostalgic dagashi!
Dagashi Kashi has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: だがしかし, Dagashikashi
9. Nagi no Asukara
Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called "Ena" which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed.Nagi no Asukara follows the story of Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea.
Hikari and his friends' lives are bound to change as they have to deal with the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the people of sea and of the surface, the storms in their personal lives, as well as an impending tempest which may spell doom for all who dwell on the surface.
A Lull in the Sea has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 凪のあすから, Nagi no Asu Kara, Earth color of a calm, Nagiasu
8. Oreshura
It is often said that events of the past shape what you become in the future. For Eita Kidou, a studious, hard-working student aspiring to earn a scholarship so that he can become a doctor, this is an undeniable truth after being abandoned by his love-addled parents. This event left him jaded to the notion of romance, seeing it as only a distraction that gets in the way of studying.
Unfortunately for Eita, his efforts hit a snag when he receives a confession of love from Masuzu Natsukawa, a transfer student with platinum hair and blue eyes. Eita sees through the confession, causing Masuzu to admit that she only did so because having a boyfriend would stop people from asking her out daily. She finds love to be just as much of a hindrance as he does, so by pretending to date, they can stave off advances from everyone else.
Eita refuses on the grounds that his classmates will be jealous, but Masuzu blackmails him by revealing that she has his journal and will post it online for everyone to see if he betrays her. Thus begins Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, a story that follows Eita coping with his new "relationship" and the complications that arise from it.
Oreshura has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる, Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru
7. Isshuukan Friends.
Sixteen-year-old Yuuki Hase finally finds the courage to speak to his crush and ask her if she wants to become friends. The object of his affection, Kaori Fujimiya, is a quiet and reserved girl who cuts herself off from everyone and does not spare him the same blunt rejection she gives everybody else.
Some time after, Yuuki finds her eating lunch on the roof where she secludes herself during break. He decides to start meeting with Kaori every day in the hopes of beginning to understand her better. The more time they spend together, the more she begins to open up to him. However, nearing the end of the week, she starts to push him away once more. It is then revealed to him the reason for Kaori's cold front: at the end of the week, her memories of those close to her, excluding her family, are forgotten, as they are reset every Monday. The result of an accident in middle school, the once popular and kind Kaori is now unable to make friends in fear of hurting the people dear to her.
Determined to become more than just one week friends, Yuuki asks her the exact same question each Monday: "Would you like to be friends?" Because he knows that deep down, Kaori wishes for that more than anything.
One Week Friends has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 一週間フレンズ。, Isshuukan Friends.
6. Rosario to Vampire Capu2
A year has passed since Tsukune was sent to the Youkai academy. Tsukune has gotten used to life there, or so he thought. As a second year, he and the girls are looked up to by the juniors. On the first day back to school, a sudden encounter with Shuzen Kokoa, takes a turn for the worst. What Adventures or should we say, misadventures await our human, vampire and friends?
Rosario + Vampire Capu2 has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ロザリオとバンパイア Capu2, Rosario + Vampire Season 2, Rosario and Vampire Capu2
5. Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
Akira Tachibana is a soft-spoken high school student who used to be a part of the track and field club but, due to an injury, she is no longer able to run as fast as she once could. Working part-time at a family restaurant as a recourse, she finds herself inexplicably falling love with her manager, a divorced 45-year-old man with a young son.
Despite the age gap, Akira wholeheartedly embraces his mannerisms and kind nature, which is seen as spinelessness by the other employees, and little by little, the two begin to understand each other. Although unable to explain why exactly she is attracted to him, Akira believes that a concrete reason is not needed to truly love someone. On a rainy day, she decides to finally tell her manager about how she feels...but just how will he react?
After the Rain has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 恋は雨上がりのように, Koi wa Amaagari no You ni, Love is Like after the Rain
4. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. Movie
The TV series is retold through the different main characters' points of view with new additional material from their childhood, during the original series, and one year after the conclusion of the series.
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day The Movie has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 劇場版 あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。, AnoHana Movie, We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day. Movie
3. Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai
"This is the last time I’m going to practice…
Natsuki Enomoto, a third-year student at Sakuragaoka High School, has feelings of unrequited love for her childhood friend, Yu Setoguchi.
Unable to be true to her own feelings, Natsuki tells Yu that she is merely using him as a stand-in to practice confessing her love to.
As Natsuki continues to pretend not having any feelings for Yu, her classmate Koyuki Ayase asks her out on a date.
Will Natsuki ever be able to stop “practicing” and actually confess her love to Yu?"
I've Always Liked You has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: ずっと前から好きでした。～告白実行委員会～, I've Liked You Since Long Ago, I've liked you for a long time.: Confession Committee, I've had feelings for you since a long time ago.: Executive Confession Committee, HoneyWorks: I've Liked You Since Long Ago
2. Hori-san to Miyamura-kun
People say that the youthful days are always bittersweet, but maybe it's just bitter?
Kyouko Hori is a flashy high school girl, who, despite her ostentatious appearance, excels in academics and has a family-loving character. Izumi Miyamura is a bland high school boy, who, despite not wanting to stand out in class, secretly wears piercings outside of school and has a large body tattoo.
One day, Miyamura finds Hori's little brother injured and helps him back to Hori's house, where the relationship between Hori and Miyamura begins with Hori's discovery of Miyamura's secret.
Hori-san to Miyamura-kun has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: 堀さんと宮村くん, Horimiya
1. Aquarion Evol
After accidentally forming the legendary mecha "Aquarion," Amata finds himself at a pilot-training academy where the girls are flirty and the boys seem more interested in exploring holes and big bangs than harnessing their Elemental superpowers. When a mysterious megalomaniac plots interplanetary disaster, the fate of the galaxy depends on whether or not the hormone-fueled coeds can come together.
Aquarion Evol has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: アクエリオンEVOL, Aquarion Evol
