5 New Heartwarming Shoujo for All the Lovesick Weebs
Looking for non-frustrating, easygoing, and warm love stories within a cute and visually appealing anime? Here are some easy watches!
Words Andrea Erin Brigino
Photo courtesy of Netflix Anime
June 18, 2024
With all the long, intense, and lore-heavy shonen dominating the sphere right now, it can be pretty daunting to get into any new anime where you can watch casually or in one sitting. Frustrating, repetitive romance tropes can deter a lot of people from getting into shoujo, unlike the heavily popular likable characters within popular shonen anime. However, 2023 brought a surge in both fresh premises, as well as the reprise and adaptation of beloved comfort classics. If you just want to sit back and watch a concise, wholesome love story without needing to understand worldbuilding or worry about manga spoilers involving character deaths, here are some anime that will have you believing in love again (or setting your standards too high for real life).
A Sign of Affection
"A Sign of Affection" follows a college slice-of-life storyline (which should be more commonly used) of a young deaf girl, Yuki, and her slowly budding world through her social life, meeting upperclassman Itsuomi. With its release in early 2024, it started this year’s shoujo run with a light and wholesome character dynamic while also covering a realistic but non-dramatized representation of its deaf protagonist.
This series has been praised for its sweet romance without relying on angst or miscommunication tropes, allowing Yuki to gradually navigate her feelings as Itsuomi’s travel-heavy life slowly expands her initially sheltered world. If you’re looking for a cute show with lovable protagonists, different side couples, and especially good communication within an exciting love story, this is the one to start with!
A Condition Called Love
If you’re feeling hesitant about intense, in-your-face romance tropes, this anime would be a good start with its main protagonist Hotaru’s similar indifference and inexperience with the concept of love. She starts off thinking she was not meant to fall in love, being content with her friends and family. Even when receiving the affection of schoolmate Hananoi after an act of kindness, she goes about their relationship still not feeling the butterflies and still trying to understand what it means to be in a romantic relationship.
It’s a refreshing take on the typical high-strung or pining high school relationships in shoujo and brings an adorable dynamic with the male love interest sweetly courting the protagonist. It also captures a relatable feeling within Hotaru of not knowing how to navigate love as a teenager, reflecting the uncertainty about love that exists at all ages, especially during our teen years.
My Happy Marriage
While there are many sweet and wholesome shoujo that have come out in the last two years, if you’re looking for a heavier or more melancholy romance in your anime, you certainly can’t miss "My Happy Marriage." It follows Miyo, who initially comes from an abusive household and is married off to Kiyoka, a member of a powerful family.
Based on a novel instead of a manga, it explores much more complex themes in its storytelling, and the main characters have a much more layered introspection to replace the usual anime spoofs typically found in manga. Even with its heavier subject matter, viewers can still expect a hopeful and fulfilling love story, with Miyo finding love and kindness through her life with Kiyoka, and discovering her identity and potential in this new environment.
From Me to You
With the release date of the first season of a beloved classic’s anime dating all the way back to 2009, "From Me to You" finally returns for a third season on Netflix in 2024. This high school slice-of-life follows main character Sawako, who was originally ousted in her social circle for having a name and visual resemblance to the horror figure Sadako. Her social life takes a positive turn when she becomes familiar with popular boy Kazehaya, and through this, she meets and befriends several other schoolmates. Slowly, she gets a new perspective on not only her peers but also her changed self around her peers.
It follows a sweet story of self-identity, friendship, and love in a high school setting, with a wholesome story of a lonely girl finally being surrounded by people who don’t misunderstand her and see her for who she is. This fulfilling story gets its third season after over a decade on Netflix this August, so be sure not to miss it.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lvl999
Releasing in late 2023, this story follows college student Akane, freshly heartbroken from her boyfriend cheating on her with a woman he met online. Wanting to seek revenge at an event for a game they used to play together, she seeks the help of gaming pro Yamada to help her get better at the game (as well as have a shoulder to rant to about her ex-boyfriend). Slowly, as Akane begins to improve and level up in the game, her dynamic with Yamada also develops.
This eventual setup of two opposite people begins to develop into something sweeter the more they spend time together. If you’re looking for a quick watch and love both romance, anime, and gaming, this easy-to-digest gaming romance is something you should be sure to check out!
