Mark Sammut grew up on the PlayStation 1 and has been playing games ever since, but he's no longer limited to Sony consoles. Whether it's JRPGs, shooters, platformers or hack and slash games, Mark's specialties span a wide range of genres, topics and consoles. This extends beyond video games to media such as animation and film. Animation in particular is one of Mark's biggest passions, and he spends most of his free time outside of gaming watching the latest season of shows.
new romance animation is coming out all the time and in 2026 there may be quality as well as quantity. While the second half of the year is largely shrouded in mystery, dozens of 2026 romance anime have already been confirmed, many of which are airing in the ongoing winter season. Whether you're craving romantic comedies, dramas, fantasy, or harems, you won't be left wanting for months to come.
Honestly, there are so many romance anime this year that everyone might miss out on a few series that are perfect for them. While we can't help you much in that department, you can at least keep track of all the anime love stories of 2026, including both brand-new shows and sequels to existing series. If all goes well, the upcoming lineup could even surpass 2025's strong romance anime slate.
We've separated the new romance anime and its sequels for each season to make the differences as clear as possible. There is also a section dedicated to anime that are targeting 2026 but have not yet announced a season.
I only included shows that prioritized romance to some degree. Also, there are no movies or OVAs.
2026 Winter Romance Animation
New romance animation for winter 2026
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hanakimi |
January 4th |
reverse harem |
Mizuki is so in love with Izumi that she disguises herself as a man and attends his boys' school. |
|
I will live long to love my dearest brother-in-law!' |
January 6th |
Isekai, boy love |
Alba, who was reborn as an otome game, wants to spend her life with her favorite character, Orsis. |
|
In the clear moonlight twilight |
January 11th |
school |
The school's male prince and female prince meet and make the best IT couple. |
|
Isekai Salaryman: The book of this world hangs on the bean counter |
January 6th |
Boy Love, Isekai |
A salaryman is reincarnated in a fantasy world and uses his past life to become a star accountant. It shines so dazzlingly that it catches the cold knight commander's attention. |
|
Tamon's B-Side |
January 8 |
comedy, idol |
Utage begins cleaning his favorite idol's apartment and quickly realizes that Tamon is not as confident and outgoing as his public persona suggests. |
|
The invisible man and his wife-to-be |
January 8 |
fancy |
Akira is an invisible detective and works with Yako, who is visually impaired. They are perfect for each other. |
|
There was a cute girl at the warrior party, so I confessed to her. |
January 6th |
Isekai, Fantasy |
A reincarnated devil falls in love with the hero's group healer, and he confesses and decides to start a new life as an adventurer. |
|
A wicked woman loved by a prince from a neighboring country. |
January 11th |
Isekai, Fantasy |
Lady Tiararose remembers that she is the villain of an otome game and decides to start a new life to avoid a terrible ending. She is exiled from the kingdom, but is taken into the arms of a prince. |
|
Listen to Midnight Heart |
January 6th |
harem |
Arisu wants to find ‘Apollo’, the radio host he enjoys listening to. He narrowed his choices down to four girls. |
|
you and i are opposites |
January 11th |
comedy |
Miyu and Yusuke are polar opposites, but a wrong confession reveals their feelings and they begin dating. |
|
You can't just be in a rom-com with your childhood friends! |
January 6th |
harem |
Yonosuke begins to see his childhood friends differently because they have grown up. Suddenly they might become more than friends. |
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2026 Winter Romance Animation Sequel
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anyway, I'm in love with you. season 2 |
January 9th |
reverse harem |
Mizuho continues to reminisce about her relationships with her childhood friends. |
Spring 2026 Romance Animation
New Romance Anime for Spring 2026
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Always a catch! |
april |
Comedy, Romance |
Maria's life, which had been training all her life to become her father's heir, changed when her younger brother was born. Now that she has to get married, she goes abroad and catches the attention of a prince. |
|
Women can't be kind to otakus!? |
april |
comedy |
Takuya discovers that the popular girls in his class may be as interested in animation as he is. |
|
Haibara's Top 10 New Games+ |
april |
comedy |
Natsuki travels back in time and gets a chance to fix her wasted high school years. He learns that a girl named Hikari is at the center of the process. |
|
I became friends with the second cutest girl in class. |
april |
comedy |
Maki develops a friendship with Umi, a fairly popular girl who is slightly overshadowed by her best friend. |
|
I want to end this love game |
april |
comedy |
Miku and Yukiya play a game where they say “I love you” to embarrass each other. But now that that's already happened, the goals may be starting to change. |
|
Kamiina Botan, drunk looks like a lily |
april |
Girls' love, slice of life |
College life and (girls') love, portrayed through the lens of a girl named Wotan, must be part of her experience. |
|
Murdered again, detective. |
april |
mystery |
The young, budding detective seems to die every time he takes on a case, but he always wakes up with Lilithea to guide him. |
|
Kirio fan club |
april |
comedy |
Nami and Aimi are big fans of a boy named Ken, and their friendship is put to the test through competition. |
|
Mistress Kanan is ridiculously easy |
april |
comedy, supernatural |
Kanan is a demon who came to Earth to eat human souls. However, she eventually enters into a love contract with her first son. |
|
wall of ice |
april |
comedy, slice of life |
Koyuki was a loner in high school, but things start to change when a guy named Minato wants to be her friend. |
|
warrior princess and barbarian king |
april |
fancy |
The warrior princess Serapona is taken hostage by the barbarian king Beor. But surprisingly, he wants to marry her rather than kill her. |
|
I am an incompetent villainess, but the story of the butterfly-mouse body swap in the virgin palace |
april |
fantasy, villain |
A true villain story where the evil Keigetsu and the kind-hearted Reirin switch bodies. Since both are imperial consorts, romance remains central. |
|
Come on, come on, teacher |
april |
comedy |
A romantic comedy between a student and a teacher. |
Spring 2026 Romance Animation Sequel
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mission: Yozakura Family Season 2 |
april |
action |
Taiyo strives to become a strong and capable spy to protect Mutsumi. |
|
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Season 2 |
April 3 |
school |
Mahiru and Amane are becoming closer as they spend more time with each other. |
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2026 summer romance animation
New romance animation for summer 2026
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Invisible love under the clear night sky |
July |
drama |
A college cast that tells the story of a man who tries harder from a blind girl who accepts everything she has in life. |
2026 Summer Romance Animation Sequel
|
japanese cartoon movies |
start date |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Detective Is Already Dead Season 2 |
July |
mystery |
The complex relationship between the dead detective and her assistant. |
Romance animation without a season in 2026
|
japanese cartoon movies |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Are you a Jirai girl, Chihara? |
drama |
Kuroki ends up sitting next to Mai and realizes that her “dangerous” reputation is not at all accurate. |
|
Even clones can fall in love |
drama, supernatural |
Sunao knows that only she exists and has a clone who takes her place whenever she is sick. Clones start falling on one of Sunao's classmates. |
|
firefly wedding |
drama |
Satoko comes from a wealthy family but is looking for the perfect husband. After being kidnapped, she claims to have fallen in love with her captor to save herself. It works. |
|
Hello, Lara |
supernatural |
animated sequel Little Mermaid. |
|
Even if Hanaori is reincarnated, she still wants to fight. |
Reverse Isekai, Comedy |
Narukami is a NEET these days, but he used to be a demon lord. The main character who killed him also lives as an ‘ordinary’ high school girl. |
|
Monster Girl Caramelize |
supernatural |
Kuroo falls in love with Arata, but feels really awkward around Arata. The only problem is that when they feel embarrassed, they turn into monsters. |
|
Marika's Love Meter Malfunction |
comedy |
MC looks at people's dating quotient and realizes that his crush, Marika, doesn't seem to like him very much. |
|
Fiancé's Observation Record The Misadventures of a Self-proclaimed Villain |
Isekai, Comedy |
Prince Cecil becomes fascinated and confused by his fiancée Bertia, who claims that his world is actually an otome game. |
|
Please forgive the intrusion. I'm home! |
comedy |
Rinko's apartment is connected to two of her neighbors who are mysterious men. |
|
Please forgive my brothers |
comedy |
When his mother remarries, Ito gains new stepbrothers, and it takes him some time to connect with one of them. |
|
siren |
action, supernatural |
Agesha helps everyone for a fee. However, he eventually discovers a mysterious card that leads him to his classmate Sakurako, who asks him to save him. |
|
A neat and beautiful girl who came to her new school played with her childhood friend, whom she thought was a boy. |
comedy |
A self-explanatory title, Hayato realizes that the new girl in his life is his childhood friend whom he had mistaken for a boy. |
|
Ogre's Bride |
fancy |
Demons and humans exist at the same time, and Yuzu becomes the wife of a demon. |
Romance anime sequel without a season in 2026
|
japanese cartoon movies |
subgenre |
explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Alya sometimes hides her feelings in Russia Season 2. |
comedy |
Alisa and Masachika continue their cute relationship by helping each other through high school. |
|
Blue Box Season 2 |
sports |
Taiki continues to try to make his way to the people so he can ask Chinatsu. |
|
Rent a Girlfriend Season 5 |
comedy, harem |
Chizuru and Kazuya's iconic (and polarizing) relationship continues. |
|
Season 3 of 100 Girlfriends I Really Really Really Love |
comedy, harem |
The most bizarre and extreme harem is back. |
|
Trapped in a Dating Simulation: The World of Otome Games Is Tough on Mobs Season 2 |
Isekai, harem |
Although it's more of a love triangle than a traditional romance, this anime centers around the relationship between Leon, Angelica, and Olivia. |
All New Isekai Anime Announced in 2026
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