The 10 Most Controversial Romance Anime That Take it Too Far

The romance genre in anime has always been known for pushing boundaries, but some series might push them a bit too far. Out of all the genres in the art form, romance might be one of the most consistent. It’s always been one of the strongest and most popular genres around, and over the past few years, it’s only gotten bigger. While the genre is expanding, it has started to include romantic subgenres of all types, for better or for worse.

Romance anime series in general can consist of a wide range of series. Some shows are vanilla and straightforward, showing two characters learning more about each other, about themselves, and eventually, falling in love with one another. Other series look to add a few taboo elements to the mix, creating an altogether unique series that can’t be replicated. These series might go a bit too far though, as taboo topics are taboo for a reason.

10

My Little Monster

Animated By Brain’s Base, Based on the Manga By Robico

Out of all the controversial romance anime series, My Little Monster isn’t the most controversial, but it still has a few questionable elements. The series stars Shizuka Mizutani and Haru Yoshida. They’re two antisocial, highly intelligent people who would rather do their own thing than spend time with their friends and family. As the series progresses, they start to bring the best out of each other, teaching one another the value of the people in their lives.

My Little Monster is one of the more controversial romance series because of the amount of violence in it. It’s not abnormal for the male protagonist to get into a fight or two, but there are a few occasions in which Haru accidentally hits Shizuka. It happens relatively frequently, making this a romance series not for the faint of heart.

9

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride

Animated By Brain’s Base And Produced By TMS Entertainment, Based on the Light Novel Fuminori Teshima And COMTA

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride is an adorably controversial romance anime. At its core, there isn’t much controversial about the series. It features the immensely powerful sorcerer Zagan as he learns how to love his new elf bride, showing her the brighter sides of life she hasn’t seen in a long time.

The most controversial element of the series is how the pair meet. One day, at an auction, Zagan purchases his future elf bride Nephelia after falling in love with her at first sight. While she eventually comes around to Zagan, it’s a rough start that is less than noble for the sorcerer. He treats her to a better life than anyone else would have, but it doesn’t make their initial relationship any better.

8

After the Rain

Animated By Wit Studio, Based on the Manga By Jun Mayuzuki

After the Rain is one of the most complicated, beautifully animated romance anime out there. It can’t exactly be considered one of the most realistic romance anime around, but there’s no denying the time and effort that went into this series. The two main characters of After the Rain are Akira Tachibana and her boss, Masami Kondo. A boss-employee relationship is already taboo, but their age difference pushes boundaries too far.

Akira Tachibana is a 17-year-old who is still in high school. Her manager is a 45-year-old divorcé with a son closer to Tachibana’s age. Kondo does a great job of respecting Tachibana’s feelings for him without him reciprocating them, but it can still be an uncomfortable watch for anyone who reasonably doesn’t like their whopping 28-year age difference.

7

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii

Animated By Studio Deen, Based On The Manga By Asuka Konishi

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii is controversial from the very first episode. The series puts a spotlight on Yoshino Somei, a high school girl raised in a yakuza family. Her grandfather forces her to marry the grandson of another yakuza family, Kirishima Miyama. Their arranged marriage is already a tough spot, but the series takes the controversy much further as it progresses.

Kirishima is a sociopath. He can barely relate to the people around him and instead sees them as tools to accomplish his goals. He initially sees Yoshino in the same light, before falling in love with her after she becomes the first woman in his life to stand up to him. It’s an interesting story filled with violence, making it a romance anime mainstream viewers might not enjoy.

6

Rent-a-Girlfriend

Animated By TMS Entertainment, Based on the Manga By Reiji Miyajima

The title Rent-a-Girlfriend does a pretty great job of letting potential viewers know that this romance anime isn’t going to be like many others. The series features one of the most unlikable characters in anime in Kazuya Kinoshita. He’s a college student who just got dumped by his girlfriend. He turns to a rent-a-girlfriend service to fill the hole in his heart, and the series gets worse from there.

He eventually falls in love with Chizuru Mizuhara, the rental girlfriend he’s been hiring. It’s sad for both Kazuya to be renting a girlfriend and for Chizuru to put herself up as a rental service, and the series doesn’t change from there for a long time,

5

School Days

Animated By TNK, Based on the Visual Novel Game By 0verflow

School Days is one of the most unhinged anime series of all time. It started as a visual novel that had a couple of brutal endings, and the anime series brought that brutality to the screen once again. The series stars Makoto Itou, a high-school student who falls in love with Kotonoha Katsura. He meets Sekai Saionji, a friend who wants to help unite Makoto with his crush.

She eventually develops romantic feelings for Makoto, and the series only gets more complicated from there. The series itself isn’t the most controversial, but its ending takes it to a completely different level.

4

Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Animated By Arms, Based on the Light Novel Series By Tetsuto Uesu

Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero can barely be called a romance anime, and for some people, that’s exactly what they’re looking for. Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero is about Akatsuki Osawa, the titular Rogue Hero returning from the land of Alayzard with amazing powers and a beautiful princess named Miu.

On paper, it seems like a normal enough romance anime, but it’s a little different from what it seems. Akatsuki’s main form of defense is to take his female enemies’ underwear, making this a relatively controversial romance anime, especially for anyone looking for something a bit more family-friendly.

3

Girlfriend, Girlfriend

Animated By Tezuka Productions, Based on the Manga By Hiroyuki

Girlfriend, Girlfriend is a fairly typical harem anime series that masquerades as a romance anime. It follows Naoya Mukai as he gets one girlfriend after another, and unlike the hilarious The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Girlfriend, Girlfriend takes itself entirely seriously.

Harem animes aren’t bad, but Girlfriend, Girlfriend is marketed as a traditional romance anime series, and it’s anything but. Rika Hoshizaki, a girl obsessed with Naoya, is also incredibly problematic and controversial, taking Girlfriend, Girlfriend to new lows.

2

The Ancient Magus’ Bride

Animated By Wit Studio, Based on the Manga by Kore Yamazaki

Somehow, there are a few people who consider The Ancient Magus’ Bride to be one of the best romance series of all time, but there are too many controversial elements to give it such a high ranking. The series is problematic from the moment it puts its premise forward.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride shows main character Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old girl, getting purchased and engaged to a much older mage, Elias Ainsworth. It’s a weird relationship that the series acts is totally normal, and it couldn’t be anything further from the truth.

1

Domestic Girlfriend

Animated by Diomedéa, Based on the Manga By Kei Sasuga

Domestic Girlfriend is the most controversial anime series of all time. The story centers on Natsuo Fujii, a 17-year-old high school student who has feelings for his teacher, Hina Tachibana. He goes to a mixer to get his mind off of her when he meets a girl named Rui. He loses his virginity to Rui, only for his father to announce that Natsuo’s new stepmom will be moving in the next day.

Her daughters are none other than Hina Tachibana and Rui. Domestic Girlfriend would be a great series if it didn’t take its plot so seriously, but because it does, it feels incredibly uncomfortable. It’s a brutal series that only gets more cringy the longer it’s watched.