Whether you're craving a romance of epic proportions or a teen romantic drama, Japanese romances are always moving. These Japanese romance movies are full of longing looks, unlikely lovers, and a profound belief in the power of love.
My Little Monster
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- Photo Credit: Toho
Haru is an academic deadbeat whom most teachers have dismissed as a lost cause. Shizuku is the opposite, an academically-driven teenager with no friends and a reputation as being 'cold.'
When a chance encounter allows Haru and Shuzuku to see behind each other's public masks, they develop an unlikely friendship that evolves into something more.
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Your Name
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- Photo Credit: Toho
Your Name was a critical and popular success in Japan when it was released in 2016. A live-action remake is being developed in the U.S., but much of the romance of this fantasy anime seems like it might be lost in the transition to live-action.
Mitsuha is a high school student in a rural town who fantasizes about living a life of excitement. Taki, a teenager in Tokyo, has exactly the kind of fast-paced lifestyle Mitsuha covets.
When the two opposites begin to spontaneously switch bodies, they grow to know each other through notes they leave behind in their suddenly-shared worlds.
A magical meditation on missed connections and identity, Your Name will capture your heart even if you're not usually an anime fan.
Crying Out Love in the Center of the World
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- Photo Credit: Toho
First, a warning: this is not a movie with a HEA. Crying Out Love in the Center of the World is a bittersweet movie about grieving, and celebrating, a lost love.
When Saku was 17 years-old, he had an impactful romance with Aki, a popular girl. After Aki's death from leukemia, Saku has never truly moved on.
Now 34-years-old and engaged, Saku must confront his past when he listens to audio-diaries Aki recorded during their romance.
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Our Meal for Tomorrow
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- Photo Credit: Asmik Ace Entertainment
A sweet tale of will-they-won't-they young love, Our Meal for Tomorrow centers around introvert Ryota and the outspoken Koharu.
The movie spans their seven-year-romance, using the food which has influenced their courtship as a way to mark their progress from meet-cute to marriage.
Wolf Girl and Black Prince
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- Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Japan
On her first day of school, Erika lies about having a boyfriend to impress the other girls. She even shows the girls a picture of an attractive boy on her phone, and claims he's in love with her.
Unfortunately for Erika, that attractive boy goes to her school, and he's keen to use her lie to his advantage. Kyouya agrees to pretend to be in a relationship with Erika, but their fake relationship becomes more complicated than either predicted.
Featured still from "My Little Monster" via Toho
