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.
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While these shows are not as upbeat or funny as romcom 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.
A few notes and criteria:
- Only anime that emphasize romance to an extent will be included. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion's Asuka and Shinji have an awful relationship, but the show cannot be described as a romance.
- That said, if a series revolves around a relationship but is not a conventional romance, we will consider it.
- Most of these anime are purposefully dark, but we will include anime that are unintentionally dark.
- Although their quality is not relevant to this discussion, most of these dark romance anime are worth watching.
Updated on November 13, 2025, by Mark Sammut: The Fall 2025 season is well underway, and the lineup has a pretty great option if you are looking for a romance anime with a sinister twist. We have added this series as a recommendation, and it is a rare example of a girls love anime that is purposefully dark.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me
A Monstrous Love Story
This Monster Wants to Eat Me
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 2, 2025
- Japanese Title
- Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi
- Studio
- Studio Lings
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator(s)
- Sai Naekawa
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Now, here is an anime with a strong premise. Hinako has a scent that seems to attract youkai, all of whom want to eat here. Fortunately, she is saved from a watery grave by Shiori, a mermaid; unfortunately, the latter's actions are entirely driven by a desire to consume Hinako, although she wants to wait until the girl is at her tastiest. In the meantime, she will protect her, regardless of whether Hinako wants her to or not.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me is a girls love anime, albeit one that offers a pretty singular take on romance. In her own twisted way, Shiori loves Hinako with every fiber of her being; conversely, Hinako slowly begins to feel something for her killer, as Shiori is the only one who recognizes Hinako's depression and promises an escape through death.
Scum's Wish
Navigating Love And Lust Makes For Dark Drama
Scum's Wish
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2017 - 2017-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Kuzu no Honkai
- Studio
- Lerche
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Mengo Yokoyari
- Streaming Service(s)
- HIDIVE, Amazon Prime Video
Scum's Wish is an underrated romance anime with mature themes and a story that explores love and lust. The series has a brilliantly crafted story as well as realistic characters who might not be sympathetic but feel real. Its story follows two high school students, Mugi and Hanabi, who are the seemingly perfect young couple.
However, no one around them knows that secretly they're both longing for someone else. Scum's Wish's story is more than just another fake-romance anime since it gives an in-depth look into the complexities of unrequited love, desire, jealousy, and relationships, and how people can turn destructive and selfish when they feel lonely.
I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons
Welcome To Stockholm
I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2025 - 2025-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Kisaki Kyouiku kara Nigetai Watashi
- Studio
- EMT Squared
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Izumi Sawano
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Some suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy fantasy romance anime, as quite a few of them revolve around less-than-great relationships. Even if they feature questionable power dynamics, most shows minimize the importance of that element, making it relatively easy for viewers to go with the flow and accept that they are just watching something that is meant to serve as an escape from reality. However, sometimes that is not possible.
I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons is about a girl, Leticia, who is held captive by Prince Clarke. She spends the first half of the series trying to escape and regain her freedom/life, an effort that spans years within the context of the show. Unfortunately, she is always dragged back by Clarke, who gradually breaks her spirit. After roughly a decade, Leticia falls in love with her captor.
Just to be clear, this is not the story's subtext but the actual plot, and it is all framed like a lighthearted romcom. The anime is not a deconstruction of these types of narratives either, nor is it darkly comical, and Leticia's fate is presented as a positive thing.
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
Love, Obsession, And The Yakuza
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
- Studio
- Studio Deen
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Asuka Konishi
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
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 fiancée. 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.
School Days
Proof That Being In A Love Triangle Can Have Deadly Results
School Days
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2007 - 2007
- Studio
- TNK
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Based On
- Visual Novel
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
There are plenty of romance triangles in the anime world, but School Days has one of the deadliest ones out there. Makoto dates 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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School Days is not necessarily a great anime, but it is unique and unforgettable. At this point, the ending is infamous and known by pretty much everyone, and it overshadows what is otherwise a pretty interesting look at twisted teenage love.
Happy Sugar Life
Being Obsessed With Someone Can Make One Act Erratically
Happy Sugar Life
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2018 - 2018
- Network
- TBS, MBS
- Directors
- Ryosuke Shibuya, Fumihiro Ueno
- Studio
- Ezola
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Tomiyaki Kagisora
Ah, one of the most famous dark romance anime, Happy Sugar Life might be flawed, but damn is it fascinating. Sato becomes entirely obsessed with a girl named Shio to the point of wanting to be her entire world. Leaning into horror territory at times, the series is unapologetically dark and willing to feature almost exclusively unlikable characters, with Shio being the exception. Sato might be extremely dangerous, but she is also incredibly charismatic and enigmatic.
Happy Sugar Life is essentially a mystery thriller, so I would recommend trying to go into the story blind as that is half the fun. That said, the anime is heavy, visceral, and uncomfortable, so it is definitely not for younger viewers who are looking for a traditionally entertaining twisted love anime.
Kurozuka
A Vampire Seeks His Long-Lost Lover
Kurozuka
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 7, 2008
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Based On
- Novel & Manga
- Creator
- Baku Yumemakura
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.
Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive?
The Manipulative Childhood Friend
Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive?
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2025 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX
- Directors
- Shuuji Miyazaki
- Japanese Title
- Danjo no Yuujou wa Seiritsu suru? (Iya, Shinai!!)
- Studio
- J.C.Staff
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator(s)
- Nana Nanana
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Well, this one came a bit out of nowhere. During the first two episodes, Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? Comes across as a by-the-numbers romcom with a love triangle hook. Himari and Yuu are childhood friends, and the former has a habit of teasing the latter about taking the next step. However, Himari has to reconsider what she wants from their relationship when Yuu's first crush, Rion, shows up.
On paper, this premise seems to suggest an anime with mostly fluffy content, but something unexpected happens: Himari becomes really unlikable. From episode 3, she becomes possessive, using her insecurity as an excuse to manipulate Yuu by threatening to move to another city and trying to make him feel guilty. Considering she jokingly flirts with him during the opening two episodes, her change in demeanor suggests that she sees her friend as a backup option whom she could use if nothing better comes along. Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? Ends up introducing a few more awful characters in the second half of the story, and by the end of the series, Himari's brother is the only remotely likable character.
Wolf Girl & Black Prince
The Ultimate Toxic Relationship Romance Anime
Wolf Girl and Black Prince
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 5, 2014
- Japanese Title
- Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji
- Studio
- TYO Animations
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Ayuko Hatta
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
There are a lot of romance shoujo manga and anime about lousy boys and the girls who adore them. My Little Monster, Itazura na Kiss, and Maid-sama are popular shows with polarizing male leads, but they are at least balanced out by female protagonists who are not complete doormats. Wolf Girl & Black Prince takes this classic dynamic to its darkest endpoint, all the while still maintaining a lighthearted romantic comedy tone.
Erika is so desperate to be liked at school that she lies and says that she has a boyfriend, but accidentally nominates her idol-ish classmate Kyouya for the role. While he agrees to go along with the ruse, Kyouya demands that Erika become his pet, and he treats her accordingly. Naturally, she falls in love with him almost immediately. With a core relationship built on blackmail masquerading as a favor, Wolf Girl & Black Prince seems like it should be about a toxic relationship, but the story never genuinely dives into the couple's horrid power imbalance. Erika just follows Kyouya around like a love-sick puppy dog, while the latter only starts to treat her somewhat better when another guy begins to show interest in her.
Orange
A Girl Must Decide Between Losing Her Friend Or Losing Her Future
Orange
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- 2016 - 2016
- Studio
- Telecom Animation Film, TMS Entertainment
- Number of Episodes
- 13
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Ichigo Takano
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
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.