Darkest Romance Anime

While most of the best love stories feature happy couples and fairy-tale-like narratives, there are also quite a few heartbreakingly dark romance anime. Some of these romances are downright scary and deal with adult themes about sexuality, mental health, and loss. Even some of the feel-good romantic anime have surprisingly dark moments as well as dangerous and scary characters.

While these shows are not as upbeat or funny as rom-com anime parodies, they do provide a more meaningful experience and tell important stories about the darker sides of love and lust. Thanks to these hauntingly brilliant anime shows, anime lovers could meet some of the most terrifying characters while going on highly emotional and heart-rending adventures with them.

Updated on February 15, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Winter 2025 mostly has wholesome and fluffy romances. However, the season has one surprisingly dark romance anime.

Darkest Romance Anime Of Winter 2025

The Winter 2025 anime season is roughly halfway done so far, and it contains quite a few enjoyable romance stories. Most of them are relatively lighthearted or built around wholesome relationships that will make audiences feel the power of love.

For example, My Happy Marriage goes to some pretty uncomfortable places, but Kiyoka and Miyo’s relationship is the shining beacon that breaks through the darkness. Consequently, it is a dark anime with romance but not a dark romance anime. I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class uses a pretty messed up method to bring together its main couple, with Saito and Akane being forced to marry by their grandparents. As manipulative as this moment is, the anime is primarily a silly comedy that leans heavily into tropes like tsundere characters. I Have a Crush at Work and Honey Lemon Soda are mostly cute.

However, Winter 2025 has one rather dark romance anime, although it seems to be a bit unintentional.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons

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Release Date

January 5, 2025

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Forced to become Prince Clarke’s fiancé, Leticia has resisted this marriage from the very start. For years, she went along with her princess lessons, all while waiting for a day when the Prince found somebody he preferred, allowing her to regain control of her life. While this moment comes to pass, her newfound freedom proves to be short-lived and her temporary escape causes Prince Clarke to fall properly in love with her. Now, he plans to keep a tighter leash on Leticia.

I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons follows a typical routine for historical manga built around political marriages. The characters initially feel nothing towards each other, but eventually discover common ground and begin to realize they might be compatible. However, Prince Clarke is extremely unlikable and controlling, which has added an element of tragedy to this relationship. After being held hostage for five episodes (and years in-universe), Leticia’s attraction to Clarke seems like a result of Stockholm Syndrome rather than natural affection.

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The Winter 2025 anime season has many huge shows, and they are spread across Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Netflix, Hulu, and more.

21

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii

Love, Obsession, And The Yakuza

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Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii

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Release Date

October 7, 2024

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Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii serves as a clear example of an anime built on a relationship unquestionably meant to raise red flags. The granddaughter of a mob boss, Yoshino is forced to become the fiancé of another heir to a powerful family, Kirishima. She wants nothing to do with this violent thug, but she has to stay a year with him.

Initially, Kirishima finds Yoshino boring, but that changes after she challenges him directly; after that point, he becomes pretty much obsessed with his reluctant fiancé​. Despite fairly frequent gestures from Kirishima, there is nothing especially romantic about this relationship, except for maybe the fact that they are often dragged into high-stakes situations due to their connection to the Yakuza.

20

Kurozuka

A Vampire Seeks His Long Lost Lover

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Kurozuka

Release Date

October 7, 2008

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Kuro is a young swordsman who’s on the run from his older brother who wants him dead. When he and his servant, Benkei, seek shelter in a forest, they meet the mysterious Kuromitsu. She offers them shelter but warns them not to go into her room. When Kuro does, he discovers that Kuromitsu is a vampire who’s been feasting on the dead soldiers. Kuro dedicates his life to her and turns him into a vampire, but Benkei betrays and beheads him before the transformation is complete. Awakening in modern-day Japan, Kuro sets out to find Kuromitsu and get revenge.

A dark and twisted vampire love story full of betrayal and blood. There is no shortage of action and violence, as well as complex characters. It’s far from a typical vampire romance and there’s even a bit of sci-fi that makes it visually appealing.

19

Domestic Girlfriend

A Messy Anime About Messy Relationships

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Domestic Girlfriend

Release Date

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2019 – 2019

Network

TBS, MBS

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Directors

Ageha Kochouran

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Domestic Girlfriend is kind of a weird one to describe as a dark romance anime, mainly due to the show’s soap opera-style writing and tone. This series is “trash” in the best possible way, revolving around a peculiar love triangle that does not bring out the best in any of the characters involved. Basically, Natsuo has a thing for his teacher, Hina, and he also sleeps with a girl his age named Rui. One day, he learns that his father is remarrying and that he is gaining two step-sisters, who happen to be Rui and Hina. Thus, starts a pretty awkward dynamic that involves a lot of fighting, flirting, and physicality.

While a bit too silly to be 100% dark, Domestic Girlfriend generally explores toxic relationships quite well, making for an awkward but enticing watch. The anime is certainly not for everyone, and the manga is somewhat better despite also being controversial; however, anyone craving a mess should check both of them out.

18

Orange

A Girl Must Decide Between Losing Her Friend Or Losing Her Future

Naho Takamiya is just starting her sophomore year in high school, but it’s off to a rough start. She receives a mysterious letter one day and finds out it’s from herself in the future. Her future self tells her of her regrets revolving around the new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. However, Naho must decide between saving Kakeru from a devastating event or losing her future family with their friend Hiroto Suwa if she saves him.

Orange might seem like a typical time-traveling slice-of-life romance, but there are some pretty dark undertones to it. Naho and Hiroto are forced to make decisions that not only affect their futures but also the future of their best friend. It’s a pretty heavy thing to have on their minds at such a young age, especially knowing that their future selves have a child together.

17

School Days

Proof That Being In A Love Triangle Can Have Deadly Results

There are plenty of romance triangles in the anime world, but School Days has one of the deadliest ones out there. Makoto did date a lot of girls under the notion that he was just “gaining experience” for his one true love, Kotonoha. However, he left a trail of broken hearts and one of them just happened to be his classmate, Sekai. She became obsessed with him and tried everything to get Makoto to be with only her, but he didn’t want to since he was dating Kotonoha.

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Unfortunately for Makoto, his decision to break things off with her results in her killing him in a gruesome fashion. After learning this, Kotonoha snapped and killed Sekai to avenge Makoto.

16

Happy Sugar Life

Being Obsessed With Someone Can Make One Act Erratically

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Happy Sugar Life

Release Date

2018 – 2018

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Network

TBS, MBS

Directors

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Ryosuke Shibuya, Fumihiro Ueno

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Sato comes off as being super friendly and sweet, but she’s hiding a very dark secret that she’s willing to kill for. After befriending and falling in love with Shio, a missing eight-year-old girl, Sato is more than fine with killing anybody, even her friends and family, to keep the girl to herself. She killed her best friend, Shoko, when she learned that Sato had Shio with her.

Shio didn’t know about Sato’s dark side and was ignorant of her actions until later in the series. After Sato dies, Shio believes she’s Sato and claims that she’s been “reborn.”

15

Elfen Lied

A Love-Hate Relationship Makes Things Very Complicated

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Elfen Lied

Release Date

2004 – 2004

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Network

AT-X

Directors

Keizo Kusakawa

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Lucy and Kouta’s relationship was doomed from the start. Having seen the worst sides of humanity and being bullied, Lucy’s way of handling her problems became deadly for everyone around her. Though Kouta showed her some kindness and how there are good things in life, it wasn’t enough to calm Lucy’s violent tendencies. After seeing Kouta at a festival with his family, Lucy killed his sister and father while claiming Yuka was next.

After Kouta regained his lost memories of this, he admitted that he hated Lucy for what she did to his family, but couldn’t deny his love for her. Lucy doesn’t ask for forgiveness and the two share one kiss that’s filled with affection and regret for what could’ve been.

14

Devils’ Line

A Romance With A Vampire Is Usually Hard To Manage

Devils’ Line

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Release Date

April 7, 2018

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Being in a relationship is going to have its fair share of problems, but being in a relationship with a half-vampire is even tougher. Though Anzai has his vampiric nature under control for the most part, he still has a little trouble controlling his urges when he’s around Tsukasa. The two of them are pretty mature when handling their issues, though, and have a pretty healthy relationship that grows stronger as time goes on.

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It’s everything around them that threatens to tear their relationship apart. From Anzai’s job as a police officer who handles issues with vampires to Tsukasa being in danger just because she knows about the supernatural, it’s honestly amazing that these two remain as strong as they are.

13

Basilisk

Warring Families Is A Recipe For Disaster And Tragedy

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Basilisk

Release Date

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April 12, 2005

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Though they tried to end their families’ centuries-long feud, Gennosuke and Oboro’s efforts were for naught. They truly loved each other and wanted to marry, but their loyalty to their clans outweighed everything. With both of them leading their clans, it was only a matter of time before they met each other on the battlefield.

Oboro was a gentle soul who hated fighting but was very talented. When she and Gennosuke met on the battlefield for the final fight, Oboro chose to take her own life rather than fight him. Gennosuke claimed the Iga clan was victorious and took his own life to join Oboro in death, the only place where they could be together.

12

Kemonozume

The Hunter And The Hunted Become An Odd Couple

Kemonozume

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Release Date

August 5, 2006

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Toshihiko Momota is a man who hunts Shokujinki, a race of flesh-eating monsters. Ironically, he falls in with one named Yuka Kamitsuki and instead of fighting, they run away from their past lives to be together. But their past isn’t quite ready to let them go, and many obstacles are in the way of their happily ever after.

Things get very complicated once it’s revealed that Yuka is pregnant, and it’s never revealed if it’s Toshihiko’s or Yuka’s former partner. They’re supposed to be enemies, but Toshihiko and Yuka are determined to raise their child away from their families and give it a happy childhood.

11

Phantom: Requiem For The Phantom

Two People With No Memories Somehow Find Love

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Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Release Date

April 3, 2009

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Both characters have no memories of their lives and only of their time in Inferno. Ein was actually the one who captured Zwei and brought him to the organization after he caught her assassinating someone. It’s obvious pretty early on that their relationship is going down a dark path from which they probably won’t survive. Though they know nothing of their pasts, the two of them grow to care and love each other.

As memories come back and reveal the truth of some things, their love can only carry so much when they live in a world where lies and deception are the norm. After learning about their pasts, Zwei is killed by an assassin and Ein takes her own life by eating a poisonous flower petal.

10

Another

Fighting A Curse Adds A Deadly Element To A Relationship

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Another

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Release Date

January 10, 2012

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Another is a perfect choice for those fans who are looking for a darkly atmospheric horror show with mystery and romance. The series is about a new transfer student named Koichi who befriends a mysterious young girl named Mei at her new school.

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Soon Koichi realizes that his seemingly ordinary school is hiding a chilling secret that has been haunting both students and teachers for many decades. Another is not a simple ghost story that builds on jump scares but an engrossing psychological horror that explores the impact of fear.

9

Plastic Memories

Facing Memory Loss Makes For A Hauntingly Beautiful Tragedy

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Plastic Memories

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2015 – 2015

Directors

Yoshiyuki Fujiwara

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Writers

Naotaka Hayashi

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Plastic Memories is one of the most hauntingly beautiful doomed romance anime shows with a heartbreaking story. This heart-rendering sci-fi anime explores themes about love, connections, and loss through a brilliantly crafted story. The series revolves around Tsukasa’s experiences at his workplace, the SAI corporation.

SAI is creating humanoid androids called Giftia who are indistinguishable from humans. However, Giftia has a pre-determined lifespan, after which they must be retrieved and their memories wiped. Despite all that, Tsukasa soon finds himself falling for Isla, one of the Giftia who also works at the company.

8

White Album 2

Young Love Is A Tricky Road To Walk

White Album 2 is one of the most nuanced and realistic romance anime shows with a bittersweet story about young love and heartbreak. The story follows Haruki, a young boy who is torn between his childhood friend, Setsuna, and his love for a music prodigy named Kazusa.

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White Album 2‘s emotionally charged story is complex and riveting, and it explores the pain of longing, jealousy, as well as guilt. While it’s a more mature anime it’s perfect for those fans who love stories that help them understand the complexities of relationships and self-understanding better.

7

Fruits Basket

Even A Slice-Of-Life Anime Can Have Dark Elements

Fruits Basket

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Release Date

April 6, 2019

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Even though Fruits Basket is one of the most popular slice-of-life anime shows with positive messages and a sweet lead, it still is one of the darkest anime romances. This seemingly feel-good anime show has some surprisingly aggressive and sadistic characters who not only mentally but physically abuse their friends and family in the name of love.

Even Tohru had to deal with not only mental abuse on multiple occasions but even got hurt a couple of times while others were fighting or trying to deal with their anger and frustrations. Fruits Basket is a great choice for anime fans who are looking for a dark romance anime that deals with serious and dark themes but does it in a motivating way. Its story follows Tohru’s adventures after the young girl moves in with some of the members of the Sohma family and finds out about their dark secret.

6

Nana

Realistic Situations Are Sometimes Very Grim

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Nana

Release Date

2006 – 2007

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Directors

Morio Asaka

Writers

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Tomoko Konparu

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Nana is one of the best music anime that deals with real-life issues including romantic love as well as self-love and friendship. It’s the ultimate anime story about how hard it is to choose between one’s passion and their true love. This classic anime explores the realities of relationships and how they can negatively affect someone’s life even if the love is real.

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Nana is a great choice for anime lovers who are looking for a beautiful but dark and emotional anime that depicts young adulthood and romantic relationships in a heartbreakingly realistic way. Nana follows two young girls’ adventures as they try to build their lives in Tokyo.

5

Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia

A Romance Between A Human And A Ghost Is Never Easy

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is one of the saddest supernatural anime series with a dark romance story between a ghost girl and a human boy. It’s a heartbreaking story about two high school students who try to figure out what happened to Yuuko and how to save her soul.

Teiichi soon finds himself falling for Yuuko and tries to do everything in his power to make sure that people will not forget her. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia has a gloomy and atmospheric vibe that perfectly matches its sad ghost story. It follows the story of Teiichi who after enrolling at the Seikyou Private Academy befriends a young girl and soon finds out that she’s a ghost without memories.

4

Flowers Of Evil

Not All Desires Are Lighthearted

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Flowers of Evil

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Release Date

April 5, 2013

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Flowers of Evil is one of the best choices for adult anime fans who are looking for a dark romance story that explores the dark sides of sexual desire and romantic love. It’s one of the most thought-provoking anime based on novels since both the manga and the anime were based on Charles Baudelaire’s controversial poetry book, The Flowers of Evil.

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Flowers of Evil‘s story follows a young boy’s life after Takao steals the gym clothes of a girl he’s crushing on. However, when he finds out that another classmate named Sawa knows about it, he soon finds himself forced into increasingly disturbing activities, so Sawa can bring her darkest fantasies to life.

3

Future Diary

Obsession Can Lead To Horrific End For Some

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Future Diary

Release Date

October 10, 2011

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Future Diary has one of the bloodiest and darkest romance stories that terrifies most of its viewers. Thanks to the horrifying acts Yuno does in the name of love she quickly became one of the most known yandere girls in the world of anime.

While Yukiteru and Yuno look like a perfectly cute anime couple, in reality, Yuno is dangerously obsessed with the young boy, and soon she starts mercilessly murdering anyone who is standing in the way of their love. She even kidnaped Yukiteru at one point so the two of them could have a romantic time together. Future Diary‘s story follows Yukiteru’s horrifying adventures after the young boy discovers that his cell phone’s diary can tell him the future and gets caught up in a deadly game.

2

Vampire Knight

A Love Triangle With A Vampire Rarely Ends Well

Vampire Knight has one of the darkest love triangles in anime. The romance between Yuki, Kaname, and Zero explores various versions of love and as the story progresses the romance gets increasingly dark too. This dark romance fantasy anime has surprisingly great character development and shows the many faces of romantic love.

Vampire Knight also has a gloomy and darkly atmospheric art style that further immerses viewers in its hauntingly beautiful world filled with dark secrets. Its story follows Yuki’s adventures as she tries to help her childhood friend Zero fight his bloodlust after his inevitable transformation into a vampire.