Yandere romance anime serie always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat. I just love watching sweet and loving girls that gradually reveal their obsessive and crazy tendencies.
But what is “yandere”? Glad you ask, it is a term that originated in Japan and is used to describe a particular type of romantic female character sick with love. They can do and use whatever methods they just to be with the one they love. These yandere anime girls are often ready to hurt, kill, and torture in the name of love.
So, I’ve compiled a list of the 17 best romance yandere anime series that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience the rollercoaster of emotions that come with these captivating shows.
17. Golden Time
We begin our list of the best yandere romance anime series with Golden Time. As Tada Banri begins his new life at a Tokyo college, he quickly becomes friends with fellow lost student Mitsuo Yanagisawa. However, their peaceful walk to orientation is disrupted by the arrival of a beautiful girl named Kaga Kouko. She proceeds to punish Mitsuo with a bouquet of roses for leaving her behind, but Tada is fascinated by her devotion to someone who clearly doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.
Despite Mitsuo’s warnings that Kaga is a high-maintenance, crazy girl, Tada befriends her and discovers that they have more in common than he thought. As they grow closer, Tada begins to fall for Kaga, but he struggles with the secret of his past that he knows will be hard for her to accept.
Throughout the romance, Tada and Kaga embark on an unforgettable year together, the ups and downs of college life, and romance.
16. Mawaru Penguindrum
This is the story of the Takakura family, whose fate takes them on a rollercoaster ride of joy and sorrow before moving on to the next wish-maker. After their parents’ passing, twin brothers Kanba and Shouma are left to care for their younger sister Himari, whose declining health is a constant worry.
When Himari is granted permission to leave the hospital for a day, the brothers take her to the aquarium to celebrate. However, tragedy strikes when she suddenly collapses, and the family’s supposed destiny is revealed. But, with the help of a magical penguin spirit, Himari is a revived yandere girl.
In exchange for Himari’s life, the brothers must embark on a journey to find the elusive ‘Penguindrum.’ Along the way, they discover the threads of fate that connect them to other wish-makers who are also searching for the Penguindrum, all hoping to shape their destiny. Despite the challenges they face, the Takakura family is determined to keep moving forward, whatever the cost may be.
15. Momokuri
I recently rewatched Momokuri it is heartwarming and one of the best anime out there. It follows the journey of young love.
Shinya “Momo” Momotsuki, a first-year high school student, has caught the eye of Yuki Kurihara, a second-year student who is head over heels for him. Yuki’s obsession with Momo has led her to take secret photos of him and collect his discarded straws. After finally gathering the courage to confess her feelings and ask him out, Momo agrees to date her, unaware of her unusual behavior.
As their relationship progresses, Momo notices Yuki’s peculiar habits and awkward behavior, but he remains committed to making their relationship work. Meanwhile, Yuki struggles with her yandere tendencies and the challenges of navigating her first relationship.
Despite the difficulties they face, Yuki and Momo continue to explore their love for each other, while also coming to terms with their individual quirks and issues.
14. Hida No Aria (Aria the Scarlet Ammo)
Kinji is just your average anti-social student attending an elite academy that trains highly skilled soldiers known as Butei. He’s been living a peaceful life until a dangerous criminal starts targeting Butei members, and Kinji suddenly finds himself in the crosshairs. Enter Aria, an elite Butei and a yandere girl who saves his life and demands that he becomes her partner after witnessing his true capabilities.
From that point on, Kinji’s life takes a wild turn as he navigates dangerous situations alongside Aria, all while trying to maintain his sanity.
13. Kamigami no Asobi
The unexpected adventure of this fantasy romance yandere anime begins with Yui Kusanagi, a high school student, who discovers a mysterious sword in her family’s storage room. The sword takes her to a mythic world where she encounters Zeus, the king of the gods, and five handsome but peculiar men.
Zeus assigns Yui to teach at the Academy of the Gods, a school he established to improve the deteriorating relationship between gods and humans. Yui must teach the young and inexperienced gods, including the five men she met earlier, about humanity and love in the hopes of reigniting the bond between gods and humans. Failure to do so within a year will trap them all in Zeus’s realm forever.
12. Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son)
Chiba is a yandere-like girl. She is deeply in love with the main character, Shuuichi, and will do anything to protect and be close to him. Despite not being a serial killer, Chiba’s actions are still unsettling.
Shuuichi, a feminine male, and Yoshino, a lanky tomboy who identifies as neither male nor female, are best friends who share a secret. They attend a new school together and navigate the challenges of adolescence, relationships, and acceptance as transgender individuals. Chiba is a fellow classmate who is infatuated with Shuuichi and sees Yoshino as a threat to her relationship with him.
As the story unfolds, Chiba’s obsession with Shuuichi becomes more apparent. She manipulates situations to spend time alone with him and becomes aggressive toward anyone she sees as a potential rival, including Yoshino. Chiba’s possessiveness and jealousy escalate, causing Shuuichi and his friends to fear for their safety.
11. Big Order
Big Order, offers a thrilling mix of action, romance, and yandere elements where one person’s wish can change the world forever.
The power to grant wishes comes with a heavy price. A group known as the “Order Users” possess the ability to grant wishes based on their power. However, the most powerful of them is Hoshimiya Eiji, a young man who caused the catastrophic ‘Great Destruction’ ten years ago by wishing for the world’s end.
Haunted by his past, Eiji lives with his sister Sena and fears that he may have caused her kidnapping by government agencies. But when he discovers his own power to control reality within a set area, he is soon drawn into a rebellion of other godlike beings with powers like time control and future prediction.
However, the problem arises when these elite rebels, who should have no trouble taking over the world, prove incompetent.
10. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri
Gate is an isekai romance anime series that followsYouji Itami, a soldier in the Japanese Self-Defense Force. One day, a mysterious gate appears in modern-day Tokyo, connecting the Earth to a fantasy world filled with magic, dragons, and mythical creatures. The government forms a special military squad led by Youji in order to establish peaceful ties between the two worlds.
During their journey, the squad meets various characters, including the beautiful and deadly Yandere anime girl, Rory Mercury. She is a demigoddess who has lived for centuries, and she becomes fascinated with Youji, following him everywhere and becoming jealous of anyone who comes close to him.
Youji and the others try to survive in a world filled with magic, monsters, and a yandere girl who will stop at nothing to protect the man she loves.
9. Shimoneta
Here’s another good yandere romance anime that follows Tanukichi Okuma, the son of a terrorist who opposed the chastity laws. He just goes to a high school and offers his help to the student council in order to get close to his love interest, President Anna Nishikinomiya.
Anna Nishikinomiya is not only his childhood friend, but she is also the girl that he loves. Little does he know that vice president Ayame Kajou has a secret identity: Blue Snow, a masked criminal dedicated to spreading lewd material among the sheltered public. Tanukichi has caught the girl’s interest due to his father’s notoriety, and she becomes a yandere for him.
He joins an obscene terrorist organization “SOX” bent on the destruction of everything that his new school stands for, the most prestigious public morals school. Tanukichi will have to do the unthinkable when he realizes that their primary target is the person he admires most, and he must also navigate the advances of both Anna and Ayame, the yandere and the lewd criminal, as they compete for his attention.
8. Shiki
In a small Japanese village, Megumi dreams of leaving her hometown for the city. She despises the old-fashioned lifestyle and narrow-minded gossip of the villagers and only finds solace in the mysterious transfer student Natsuno and the grand castle on the hill. However, when Megumi disappears and is found dead, Natsuno starts to experience strange nightmares and a feeling of being watched, despite Megumi’s death.
As the situation in the village worsens, he discovers the true nature of the Kirishiki family who moved into the grand castle on the hill, and their involvement with the Shiki, a group of vampires who live in secrecy, are preying on the villagers and turning them into one of their own.
The romance between Arcueid and Shiki adds a touch of yandere to the mix. While Arcueid may be a powerful demon hunter, she sees Shiki as her own prey and will stop at nothing to protect him. However, Arcueid’s possessiveness takes a dark turn, showcasing typical “yandere” behavior.
7. School Days
School Days is a memorable yandere romance anime about three students who experience the ups and downs of adolescence.
Makoto, Kotonoha, and Sekai are the main characters. The story follows Makoto as he navigates his feelings for Kotonoha, whom he admires from afar on their daily train rides. He believes that setting her photo as his phone wallpaper will bring him good luck in winning her heart. However, things get complicated when Sekai, Makoto’s classmate, discovers his crush on Kotonoha.
As the story unfolds, viewers are taken on a journey of love, jealousy, betrayal, and heartbreak. The anime portrays the joys and hardships of being a high schooler, including the struggles of balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and relationships.
6. Date A Live
Shidou Itsuka lives alone with his younger sister while their parents are away. One day, a sudden space quake occurs, endangering his sister’s life. He meets a spirit girl who has been rejected by the devastated world. The girl’s name is Tohka and she wiped out much of humanity 30 years ago, and now she has returned.
In order to stop her from causing destruction once again, Shidou has to date her. With each date, Shidou must decide whether to kill or kiss Tohka before time runs out and the world ends.
5. Elfen Lied
Kouta and Yuka, university students, come across a mysterious girl named Lucy who seems harmless. However, they learn that Lucy is a Diclonius, a special breed of human born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands as a result of government experimentation.
After confinement and torture, Lucy’s repressed emotions and anger surface, causing her to unleash a violent and deadly rampage to escape. Kouta and Yuka confront the brutal reality that Lucy is not just a cute girl, but a yandere mutant serial killer with a split personality.
Elfen Lied is an intense romance yandere anime series that follows the story of Kouta, Yuka, and Lucy as they navigate through the devastating consequences of government experimentation and the horrors of the human psyche.
4. Renai Bokun (Love Tyrant)
Guri, a pretty but peculiar girl, pays a visit to Seiji Aino at his home, throwing him into a world of romantic troubles. Guri possesses a powerful notebook called the Kiss Note, which can make anyone fall in love with someone else just by writing their names together.
Seiji is in love with Hiyama Akane, a popular girl in their school who turns out to have even stronger feelings for him, bordering on obsessive and psychotic yandere. Guri convinces Seiji to kiss Akane, leading them to become a couple. However, Guri herself starts developing feelings for Seiji, making things more complicated.
Seiji just wants a normal relationship with Akane, but with Guri’s Kiss Note and her own romantic feelings, his life becomes a chaotic mess. He must navigate the ups and downs of dating a yandere and a peculiar girl who can make anyone fall in love at any moment.
3. Bakemonogatari
As Koyomi’s involvement with the supernatural world deepens, he crosses paths with a girl named Kagome who shares his interest in the unknown. Together, they embark on a journey of discovery, encountering strange and dangerous creatures along the way.
Despite the dangers, Koyomi finds himself drawn to Kagome and their shared passion for the unknown. As their relationship blossoms, they uncover secrets about each other that they never expected.
But as their journey comes to a close, Koyomi realizes that the true mystery lies within himself. He must confront his own dark past and come to terms with who he truly is if he hopes to find happiness with Kagome by his side.
In the end, the Monogatari is an intense romance yandere show of self-discovery and the power of the unknown.
2. Shuffle!
Rin Tsuchimi finds himself surrounded by beautiful girls from different worlds, all vying for his affection. However, things take a dark turn when Rin’s childhood friend, Kaede Fuyou, reveals her yandere tendencies due to her trauma from her mother’s death.
Despite the chaos caused by Kaede’s obsession, Rin remains a relatively normal and indecisive male lead. Along with Kaede and the tomboyish Asa, Rin also finds himself caught between a goddess princess, Sia, and a demon princess, Nerine.
Although based on an eroge by Navel, “Shuffle!” stands out with its unique characters and unexpected twists. As Rin navigates the complexities of his relationships with each girl, the series delves into themes of love, loss, and the consequences of obsession.
1. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)
Yuno’s obsessive love for Yuki drives her to protect him at all costs, even if it means killing anyone who gets in their way. Yuki finds himself caught up in a dangerous game of survival as he tries to navigate the twisted world of the diary holders.
As the competition intensifies, Yuki and Yuno’s relationship becomes more complicated. Yuno’s unstable personality and violent tendencies put Yuki in constant danger, but he can’t deny the strange bond that has formed between them.
With each passing day, Yuki and Yuno’s future becomes more uncertain. Yuno Gasai, the yandere girl in question, (Mirai Nikki is not really supposed to be a romance), is a character that is both fascinating and terrifying. Her love for Yuki transcends reason and drives her to commit unspeakable acts of violence to protect him.
