Mark Sammut grew up on the PlayStation 1 and has been playing games ever since, though he's no longer limited to Sony consoles. Be it JRPGs, shooters, platformers, or hack and slash games, Mark's area of expertise covers a wide range of genres, topics and consoles. That goes beyond video games, expanding into mediums like anime and film. Anime, in particular, is one of Mark's biggest passions, and he spends his non-gaming free time catching up on the latest seasonal shows.
New romance anime There is always more coming out, and in 2026 it may not only be the quantity but also the quality. Although the second half of the year is mostly shrouded in mystery, dozens of 2026 romance anime have already been confirmed, many of which are airing during the ongoing winter season. Whether you're craving romcom, drama, fantasy, or harem, you won't be left wanting in the coming months.
Honestly, there are so many romance anime this year that everyone will miss some series that suits them perfectly. While we can't help much in that area, we can at least keep track of all the anime love stories of 2026, including both entirely new shows and sequels to established series. If all goes well, the upcoming lineup could even surpass 2025's strong romance anime slate.
For each season, we've separated out the new romance anime and sequels, to make that distinction as clear as possible. There is also a section dedicated to anime that is targeting 2026 but has yet to announce a season.
I've only included shows that prioritize romance to an extent. Also, no movies or OVAs.
Winter 2026 Romance Anime
New Winter 2026 Romance Anime
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hana-Kim |
January 4 |
Herem vice versa |
Mizuki is so deeply in love with Izumi that she disguises herself as a boy to attend his all-boys school. |
|
To love my dearest brother-in-law, I shall live long!' |
January 6 |
Isekai, boy love |
Reincarnated in an otome game, Alba wants to spend the rest of her life with her favorite character, Orsis. |
|
On a clear moonlit evening |
11 January |
the school |
A school's male prince and female princess come together to create the ultimate IT couple. |
|
Isekai Office Staff: Books from other worlds depend on the bean counter |
January 6 |
Boy love, Isekai |
A salaryman is reincarnated in a fantasy world, and he uses his past life to become a star accountant. He shines so brightly, he catches the cold knight captain's eye. |
|
Tamon's B-Side |
8 January |
Comedy, Idol |
Utage begins to clean her favorite idol's apartment, and she soon learns that Tamon is not as confident and outgoing as his public persona suggests. |
|
The Invisible Man and his soon-to-be wife |
8 January |
imaginary |
Akira is an invisible spy, and he works with the blind Yakou. They are perfect for each other. |
|
There was a cute girl in the hero's party, so I tried to accept her |
January 6 |
Isekai, fantasy |
A reborn demon hero falls for the party's healer, and he decides to accept it and then start a new life as an adventurer. |
|
The prince of the neighboring kingdom likes the villain |
11 January |
Isekai, fantasy |
Lady Tiaros remembers that she is the villain of an otome game, so she decides to turn over a new leaf to avoid a horrible end. She was banished from her kingdom, but she ended up in the arms of a prince. |
|
Tune in to Midnight Heart |
January 6 |
harem |
Arisu wants to find “Apollo”, a radio host he used to listen to. He narrows the choice down to four girls. |
|
You and I are polar opposites |
11 January |
comedy |
Miyu and Yuusuke are complete opposites, but a false confession reveals their feelings and leads them to start dating. |
|
You can't be in a rom-com with your childhood friends! |
January 6 |
harem |
Yonosuke begins to see his childhood friends differently as they grow up. Suddenly, they can be more than friends. |
Where to watch Winter 2026 anime: Every streaming platform's lineup
The Complete Guide to Watching Winter 2026 Anime, with full streaming lineups from Crunchyroll, Netflix, HIDIVE, Hulu, Amazon, and more.
Winter 2026 Romance Anime Sequels
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anyway, I'm falling in love with you. Season 2 |
January 9 |
Herem vice versa |
Mizuho is reminiscing about her relationships with her childhood friends. |
Spring 2026 Romance Anime
New romance anime for spring 2026
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Always a catch! |
April |
Comedy, Romance |
While she spent her life training to be her father's successor, Maria's life changed when her younger brother was born. Now, she needs to get married, because she goes abroad and catches the prince's eye. |
|
Gals can't be kind to Otaku!? |
April |
comedy |
Takuya learns that the popular girls in his class might be into the same anime as him. |
|
Haibara's Teen New Game + |
April |
comedy |
Natsuki travels back in time, giving him a chance to fix his wasted high school years. He finds a girl named Hikari at the center of that process. |
|
I became friends with the second cutest girl in the class. |
April |
comedy |
Maki befriends Umi, a very 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 called “I Love You” hoping to humiliate each other. However, now that they already are, maybe the goal is starting to change. |
|
Kamina botan, the intoxicating form is the lily flower |
April |
Girls love, slice of life |
College life depicted through the lens of a girl named Botan, and (girls) love must be part of her experience. |
|
Killed again, Mr. Detective. |
April |
the secret |
A young, budding detective seems to die in every situation he takes on, but he always rises with Lilithia to guide him. |
|
Kirio Fanclub |
April |
comedy |
Nami and Amy are big fans of a boy named Ken, and their friendship will be tested through their rivalry. |
|
Mrs. Kanan is devilishly easy |
April |
Comedy, Supernatural |
Kanan is a demon who comes to earth to feast on human souls. However, she ends up romantically involved with her first boyfriend. |
|
Province of Ice |
April |
Comedy, slice of life |
Koyuki is a loner in high school, but things start to change when a boy named Minato wants to befriend her. |
|
Warrior Princess and Barbarian King |
April |
imaginary |
The warrior princess, Seraphona, is held hostage by the barbarian king, Veor; But, to her surprise, he wants to marry her instead of killing her. |
|
Though I'm an Unworthy Villain: The Story of a Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in Maiden Court |
April |
Fictional, villainous |
A proper villain story, where the evil Keigetsu switches bodies with the kind Reirin. Romance is still central, as they are both imperial companions. |
|
Yowayowa teacher |
April |
comedy |
A romance between a student and a teacher. |
Spring 2026 Romance Anime Sequels
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mission: Yozakura Family Season 2 |
April |
work |
Taiyou tries to become a strong and capable detective to protect Mutsumi. |
|
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Season 2 |
April 3 |
the school |
Mahiru and Amane grow closer as they spend more time with each other. |
The best harem anime, ranked: classics, cult hits, and modern standouts
Beloved for their numerous love interests, harem anime are endlessly popular. These are the best harem anime ever made.
Summer 2026 Romance Anime
New romance anime for summer 2026
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Invisible love under the clear night sky |
July |
drama |
A university cast about a boy who is inspired to try harder by a blind girl who embraces life with everything she has. |
Summer 2026 Romance Anime Sequels
|
Anime |
Start date |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Detective is already dead season 2 |
July |
the secret |
A complicated relationship between a dead detective and his sidekick. |
2026 romance anime no season
|
Anime |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Are you a Jirai girl, Chihara-san? |
drama |
As he settles next to Mai, Kuroki learns that her “dangerous” reputation isn't remotely accurate. |
|
A replicant can also fall in love |
Drama, Supernatural |
Sunao has a replicant that only she knows and takes her place when she is sick. A replica begins to fall for a classmate of Sunauka. |
|
Firefly Wedding |
drama |
Satoko comes from a wealthy family, but she is looking for her perfect husband. When she is kidnapped, she claims to have fallen in love with her captor to save herself. It works. |
|
Goodbye, Lara |
supernatural |
An anime sequel The Little Mermaid. |
|
Hanori-san wants to fight even if she is reincarnated |
Reverse Isekai, comedy |
Narukami is a neet these days, but he was a demon king. Her killer, the protagonist, is also living as a “normal” high school girl. |
|
Kaiju Girl Caramelise |
supernatural |
Kuro falls for Arata, and she feels really awkward around him. Only one problem – she turns into a kaiju when she feels embarrassed. |
|
Marika's love meter malfunction |
comedy |
MC can see people's love meters, and he realizes that his crush, Marika, doesn't really seem to like him. |
|
My Fiancé's Observational Archives: The Abuse of a Self-Proclaimed Villain |
Isekai, comedy |
Prince Cecil is fascinated and confused by his fiancée, Bertia, who claims that their world is actually an otome game. |
|
Sorry to intrude, I'm home! |
comedy |
Rinko's apartment is connected to her two neighbors, both of whom are mysterious boys. |
|
Please forgive my younger brothers |
comedy |
When his mother remarries, Ito gets several new half-brothers, and it takes some time to bond with one of them. |
|
Siren |
action, supernatural |
Agesha helps everyone for a fee. However, he finds a mysterious card that eventually leads him to a classmate named Sakura, who asks him to save her. |
|
The clean and pretty girl at my new school was my childhood friend who I thought was a boy and I used to play with |
comedy |
A self-explanatory title, Hayato realizes that the new girl in his life is his old childhood friend, whom he mistook for a boy. |
|
Ogre's Bride |
imaginary |
Both demons and humans exist, and Yuzu becomes a demon's wife. |
2026 romance anime season without sequels
|
Anime |
subspecies |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Alia sometimes hides her feelings in Russian season 2 |
comedy |
Alyssa and Masachika continue their sweet relationship as they help each other through high school. |
|
Blue Box Season 2 |
Sports |
Taiki continues to try and make it into the citizens so he can ask Chinatsu out. |
|
Rent Girlfriend Season 5 |
Comedy, harem |
Chizuru and Kazuya's iconic (and polarizing) relationship continues. |
|
100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 3 |
Comedy, harem |
The most bizarre and over-the-top harem returns. |
|
Trapped in a dating sim: The world of otome games is tough for Mobs Season 2 |
Isekai, Harem |
More of a love triangle than a traditional romance, but this anime revolves around Leon's relationship with Angelica and Olivia. |
Every new Isekai anime announced for 2026
2026 will be filled with otherworldly adventures, as this year is full of isekai anime trying to entertain or amuse viewers.
