Any good non-harem romance/romantic comedy titles?

Lately, I'm in a mood for watching some romance, but I'm kind of tired of watching harem shows. So are there any good romance titles out there (or in the future) that are worth a look at?

"Romance" titles I've already seen (harem & non-harem):
Ah! My Goddess
Ai Yori Aoshi
Ceres
DearS
DNAngel
DNA^2
Fushigi Yugi
Hana Yori Dango
Here Is Greenwood
His and Her Circumstances
If I See You In My Dreams
Love Hina
Marmalade Boy
Midori Days
Please Teacher
Please Twins
Pretear
SaiKano
Tenchi Muyo! OAV
Ultra Maniac
World of Narue

[itsuka]

You've already seen most of what I would recommend. Let's see what I can find that remains (you might have seen some of them but wouldn't list them for lack of romantic core content perhaps). I'll be broad in my definition of what I consider to have good romantic content:

Boys Be - TRSI is currently releasing it. It's a 13 episode series about school boys and their romantic explorations. It's not harem at all, it's more slice of life/romantic.

Please Save my Earth - an OVA series (the manga is longer and more complete, since the ending of the OVA is somewhat rushed. This is a beautiful reincarnation love story.

Koi Kaze - Beautiful love story, but of a brother and sister attracted to each other. It's very tastfully done, but the subject matter divides the audience between A's and F's. I'm an A person myself.

Fruits Basket - This should be in your list. You simply forgot to mention it /images/graemlins/happy.gif. While the core romance isn't totally resolved in the anime, it's still beautiful.

Angelic Layer - It's not a romance anime, but it has some 3 romance subplots between various characters.

Crest/Banner of the Stars - Science fiction series, but foremost a love story between the two leads.

Gankutsuou - This is really a tale of revenge, and I'm only half way, but it's so good, and the romantic relationships involved are a core part of the tale.

Cardcaptor Sakura - The love relationships are subtle, but a core part of the story. You'll have to wade through a lot of episodes, but somehow they're very satisfying.

Escaflowne - Lots of romance in this SF/Fantasy/mecha series.

RahXephon - the mecha with the most beautiful love story at its core.

Gravitation - This is one of the best romance anime about two people trying to understand each other in their relationship. The fact that they're both male however turns some people off. Don't, it's not graphic.

Here is Greenwood - An OVA shonen comedy, but it has a nice love story in the later episodes.

Video Girl Ai - Also a shonen OVA, but it's not harem at all, just a love triangle story.

Princess Nine - a sports anime about girls playing baseball with lots of romance woven in between.

Kodocha - Another one of those that should already be in your list. Described as Marmalade Boy on acid, this is one of the better love stories around, even if the protagonists start out in grade school.

Magic User's Club - a bit ecchi at times, but very romantic.

Mobile Suit Gundam 8th MS Team - The best romantic Gundam of the bunch. But still a mecha series of course.

Piano It's slow and slice of life kind of romance.

Planetes - In this realistic SF show relationships are at the core of the series.

Revolutionary Girl Utena It's very shoujo romantic, but also with lots of surreal imagery.

Shura no Toki - Samurai drama with lots of fighting, but several happy romantic endings included.

Stellvia Cute SF, with romance and the development of a relationship playing an important part in the series.

X TV Highly dramatic/gothic, and the romances / relationships are very dramatic as well, but so beautiful. Sniff.

[Yukino Miyazawa]

Kodocha is very funny and heartwarming.

Kimagure Orange Road has a good love triangle. The TV series drags on a bit too much, but the movies pack quite an emotional punch when you watch them after the series.

Some others not available on R1 DVD yet are Paradise Kiss, Gokinjo Monogatari, and Mizuiro Jidai.

[ape2020]

Well not exactly a comedy and it is a little inncomplete but I loved Please Save My Earth.

-chimp1010

[frijoles]

'Maison Ikkoku' and 'Urusei Yatsura' are awesome. For some shorter shows there is 'Buttobi CPU' and
'My Dear Marie'.

[DanielJr]

Nice list Itsuka. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

I'll definitely second Planetes and RahXephon. They have some good romance stories in them, and arguably even better than the titles where romance is the main plot!

You also need to check out Maison Ikkoku! /images/graemlins/happy.gif

Thanks Itsuka and everyone else so far. Itsuka's list is a definitely a good list to start on. And you're right, there are some shows you listed that I have seen, but did not put them on my list because I didn't consider romance as the core.

Seen:
Fruits Basket
Angelic Layer
Cardcaptor Sakura
Escaflowne
Gravitation
Princess Nine
Magic User's Club
Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team
Here Is Greenwood (this one was actually on my list already) /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

I have seen some of Please Save My Earth many years ago (back in 1997 or 1998?) but I couldn't get into the story then. Maybe I was too young then.

I've read the Kodocha manga, and it wasn't that great to me. Is the anime very different to span 101 episodes?

I'm interested in Boys Be since I'm definitely leaning towards a more "slice of life" romance, but I heard that it focuses on many different characters. I'm afraid the romances may not have enough time to develop.

[raence]

One that keeps coming to my mind is aquarian age. Somehow they managed to make an anime based on a card game rather decent. Problem is it does have some of the harem equation but it didn't over emphasize on it. In all I guess it depends on how you view it. After all you could always shove nadia or 3xe eyes in there and talk about pai and the main male character or Jean and Nadia. (In truth I just think I have a warped sense of what romantic is.)

[DKL]

[ QUOTE ]
SuzakuSeikun said:

I've read the Kodocha manga, and it wasn't that great to me. Is the anime very different to span 101 episodes?



[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen all of the anime, but I think that you should give it a try anyway given that Daichi does take a somewhat different approach with the humor and drama (from the manga)...

Who knows, you might be surprised

[JackProton]

Another plug for Maison Ikkoku. The slow build up makes it all the more sweeter as the characters get closer and closer over time. A very natural romance.

I'm hoping what the other poster said about the Kimagure Orange Road movies is true since the romantic aspects in the TV series teased viewers but never quite paid off.

I'll add some bishoujo shows to the mix. Interlude is intriguing and more than a little mysterious keeping me glued to my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Tsukihime, Lunar Legend is another intriguing show, this one gothic and moody and rather dreamy. Although not available in R1, check out Kanon if you get a chance.

[treatment]

hmmm

--- romantic-comedy ---


Maison Ikkoku (R1)
Kimagure Orange Road (R1)
Urusei Yatsura (R1)
I'm Gonna Be An Angel (R1/incomplete)
REC (R2)
Mahoraba (R2)
Futari H (R2/softcore-hentai)
UG Ultimate Girl (R2/ecchi-loli)
School Rumble (R2) (mostly comedy, but some find it romantic, too)
Touch (R2) -- more old-school than MI in animation. Sports-background.


--- romance/drama ---


Video Girl Ai (R1)
I''s Pure (R2)
Air movie (R2)
KimiNozo/Rumbling Hearts (soon to be R1)
KonoMini/This Ugly and Beautiful World (soon to be R1)
Memories Off franchise: original/2nd/3.5/5 (R2)
Lamune (R2)
Canvas 2 (R2)
Refrain Blue (R2)
Sentimental Journey (R1)

That's all I can remember right now.

[nakimushi]

[ QUOTE ]
DKL said:
[ QUOTE ]
SuzakuSeikun said:

I've read the Kodocha manga, and it wasn't that great to me. Is the anime very different to span 101 episodes?



[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen all of the anime, but I think that you should give it a try anyway given that Daichi does take a somewhat different approach with the humor and drama (from the manga)...

Who knows, you might be surprised

[/ QUOTE ]


Personally, I think that Kodocha is one instance where the anime far surpasses its manga source (in quality, not just quantity).

It is a great show.

[Rev. Doc]

Newly released volume 1 of Diamond Daydreams. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

[Yukino Miyazawa]

[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:

I'm hoping what the other poster said about the Kimagure Orange Road movies is true since the romantic aspects in the TV series teased viewers but never quite paid off.



[/ QUOTE ]
While the TV series only strongly implies who Kyosuke's final choice will be, the first movie, KOR: I Want To Return To That Day, provides definite closure to the triangle. The second movie, KOR: Summer's Beginning, takes place a few years later, and heals some of the painful emotional fallout from the first movie.

Some KOR fans dislike the movies because of the serious tone of the first one, and the different character designs of the second one. To me, these are just quibbles. I think they provide a perfect end to the story.

[JackProton]

That sounds good to me. Thanks, Yukino. Will make a point to catch the KOR movies.

[Yukino Miyazawa]

[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:
That sounds good to me. Thanks, Yukino. Will make a point to catch the KOR movies.

[/ QUOTE ]
Cool. Hope you like them. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

[rpmurray]

[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
RahXephon - the mecha with the most beautiful love story at its core.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember there being all that much romance among the filler that takes place between the first and last episode. But there was that stuff that came out of left field in the final episode.

[Teiresias]

[ QUOTE ]
EmptyWallet said:
[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
RahXephon - the mecha with the most beautiful love story at its core.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember there being all that much romance among the filler that takes place between the first and last episode. But there was that stuff that came out of left field in the final episode.

[/ QUOTE ]

***Itsuka shields eyes from the glare of the smoking hot love interest as the core plot elements sail over EW's head***

[itsuka]

[ QUOTE ]
EmptyWallet said:
[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
RahXephon - the mecha with the most beautiful love story at its core.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember there being all that much romance among the filler that takes place between the first and last episode. But there was that stuff that came out of left field in the final episode.

[/ QUOTE ]

Out of the left field? Not if you're paying attention to the details. I saw romance between the first and the last episodes, even if lots of other things were going on as well.

[Nylock]

[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
[ QUOTE ]
EmptyWallet said:
[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
RahXephon - the mecha with the most beautiful love story at its core.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember there being all that much romance among the filler that takes place between the first and last episode. But there was that stuff that came out of left field in the final episode.

[/ QUOTE ]

Out of the left field? Not if you're paying attention to the details. I saw romance between the first and the last episodes, even if lots of other things were going on as well.

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm surprised that someone can watch RahXephon and completely miss the love story. Did the episode with the gloves not mean anything to EmptyWallet? Was Haruka's pining not obvious enough? As Itsuka says, if you're paying attention then you'll see it all developing. "Out of left field" I disagree with - by that point in the series it was what I was expecting to happen.

Anyway, I recommend RahXephon. It's an excellent story with great depth, and has great replay value - everytime I watch it I spot something new, make connections that I'd missed before etc.

[ADC]

[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:
Another plug for Maison Ikkoku. The slow build up makes it all the more sweeter as the characters get closer and closer over time. A very natural romance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Concur. Probably the best animé romance I've seen, and its 96-episode length gives it plenty of time to breathe and get the story constructed without overwhelming the viewer with its many characters. Absolutely delicious. (And it's all 40 percent off, praise be to the Dark Lord! Yeah, I put in my order for boxsets 7 and 8.)

I think that Chobits might fit what you're looking for as well. Lots of interesting romances in that one, regardless of whether the romancers are human or machine, and, like Maison Ikkoku, even though there are a lot of people involved, there isn't really a harem aspect to it.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the rock'n'roll romantic comedy Black Heaven, which has some really beautiful stuff to it (cameos by Mulder and Scully and a Mr T lookalike being the least of it).

[jejune]

Everyone except for me seems to dislike this show, but Psychic Academy is one of my favorite romantic anime. It is a little haremish as there are definitely two girls the main lead is trying to decide between, but it is the only one I've ever seen where there wasn't an obvious choice.

You know how it always is in these shows, there's the girl that any sane man would choose, that you know the guy is going to end up with, and then there is the other girl that's tacked on for the drama and kept around by a combination of the lead's indecisiveness and by just how easy she makes herself. In Psychic Academy that wasn't the case, I found myself rooting for both girls, and actually dreading any resolution because I didn't want to see either of them hurt.

Any show that draws you in that much must be worth recommending.

[Njr Scrawl]

[ QUOTE ]
Yukino Miyazawa said:
[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:

I'm hoping what the other poster said about the Kimagure Orange Road movies is true since the romantic aspects in the TV series teased viewers but never quite paid off.



[/ QUOTE ]
While the TV series only strongly implies who Kyosuke's final choice will be, the first movie, KOR: I Want To Return To That Day, provides definite closure to the triangle. The second movie, KOR: Summer's Beginning, takes place a few years later, and heals some of the painful emotional fallout from the first movie.

Some KOR fans dislike the movies because of the serious tone of the first one, and the different character designs of the second one. To me, these are just quibbles. I think they provide a perfect end to the story.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't have said it better. /images/graemlins/happy.gif The KOR OVAs are worth buying as well.

A R1 title not mentioned is Marriage.
R2J "Miyuki" is a comedy-romance series from Adachi Mitsuru I can reccommend.