In many romance anime stories, the classic trope depicted is where the male main character (MC) falls for the female lead first and spends much time trying to woo her. However, in this particular list, roles are reversed – these are the romance anime where the girl falls in love first with MC first before he realizes his own feelings.
It can be heartwarming to see how the initially oblivious MC starts seeing the girl in a new light as he learns more about her true feelings for him, especially nerds like me. Let’s check out the list of wholesome romance animes.
9: My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 is a recently released rom-com by Madhouse Studios. The story features Akane who has suffered a recent breakup with an Otaku lad. Akane was desperate to abandon the RPG game she was playing just to be in contact with her bf, but now it doesn’t matter.
Giving it as a last shot Akane attended a live concert on this game where she stumbles upon Yamada, a pro gamer and super attractive lad. With just a glance she suddenly falls for his attractiveness but the problem is that Yamada is super focused on gaming as a loner.
This Shoujo romance anime is full of goofy characters, funny gatherings, and a dramatic storyline. As a whole, whether you are looking for a proper rom-com anime or just want to enjoy a romance show where a girl falls in love with MC first, this is a perfect romance anime for beginners.
8: The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You
The story begins with Rentarou Aijou, an ordinary high school boy who is recently rejected for the 100th time. While offering prayer in the shrine after this heartbroken streak, he was told by a god that he was destined to date 100 girls. But there’s a twist, he can’t avoid a relationship with any of his soulmates due to horrible outcomes.
It’s a recently released harem romance anime with a big harem of almost 100 girls. After looking at the description, it’s technically safe to assume this anime is a romance where girls fall in love with MC first.
7: Berserk of Gluttony
Berserk of Gluttony is a fall 2023 adventure romance anime with lots of drama and action in it. It follows a commoner guy Fate Barbatos who usually felt miserable due to his super useless skill “Gluttony.” While guarding the holy gate, he eventually triggers his skill realizing him that his skill is a cheat code and dreadful.
Recently after his power awareness, he is invited by a high-class Holyknight named Roxy. She is a calm powerful soldier from a noble family and thinks of fate as a powerless commoner. Even with flaws she always treats fate as a close one, however, she does not confess early. As a whole, this is action adventure anime with 30 to 40 percent romance in it.
6: Tada Never Falls in Love
Mitsuyoshi Tada was your typical high school photo nerd until a chance encounter changed everything. While snapping pictures around Tokyo one day, he met Teresa – a free-spirited exchange student from abroad. Coming from a small town, Teresa was totally overwhelmed by the big city at first.
But she found comfort in Tada’s gentle and caring nature. As they spent more time together, feelings started to develop. Teresa was definitely falling hard, but Tada was too oblivious to notice at first. However, this romance anime name makes it obvious that the girl will fall in love first.
5: Sing Yesterday For Me
Sing Yesterday for me is the emotional rollercoaster seinen romance anime for mature storyline lovers. This anime revolves around the college graduate Rikuo Uozumi who is struck in the first gear after study completion.
His work life is shaken by the frequent visits of eccentric high school runaway girl “Haru.” Haru is a free free-spirited girl who is more like Rikuo, lives alone, and works as a part-timer in a cafe. She has a crush on Rikuo and confesses openly to him. If you love watching romance themes with unrequited love, you can give this romance anime a shot where a girl falls in love with the protagonist in a wholesome way.
4: Toradora!
Toradora follows the story of Ryuuji and Taiga, two very different high school students. Ryuuji appears intimidating at first glance but truly has a kind heart. Taiga, on the other hand, is quite tiny but packs an explosive temper. In the beginning, they agree to help each other get together with their respective crushes.
However, Taiga soon starts developing deeper feelings for Ryuuji that she tries to hide. Under her rough exterior lies emotions that confuse her. Meanwhile, Ryuuji slowly begins seeing Taiga in a new light as well. Watching their relationship transform is quite adorable as they gradually realize they may have discovered love in an unexpected place.
3: And you thought there is never a girl online
This is a comedic tale of ecchi romance that follows the protagonist, Hideki Nishimura, who believes all his female online friends are male players in disguise. However, he is pleasantly surprised when one of his guildmates, Ako Tamaki, turns out to be a real girl. She harbors romantic feelings for him within the virtual world, even though she struggles with differentiating between the game and reality.
This charming romance anime delivers a super funny tale of young love where a girl falls in love with MC first. If you love lots of fan service and cliche moments under the wraps of comedy, this show is a must-watch.
2: My Tiny Senpai
My Tiny Senpai is a workplace romance anime with slice-of-life settings. The show follows Shinozaki whose office job is made much better by his senior colleague Shiori. Despite being a young, hot grandma type, she totally babies him, which he finds weirdly nice.
At first, he thinks it’s just her being nice as an elder, but it starts to seem like her care for him runs deeper than that. Turns out her enjoyment in always looking out for him is revealing hidden feelings she has. It’s a bit slow-paced romance anime with a very light theme. I don’t know why they have labeled it with a seinen category, but it’s worth watching the show if you have liked a similar show “My Senpai is Annoying.”
1: The Girl Downstairs
The Girl Downstairs is a fabulous Chinese romance anime you should give a shot at every cost. It follows Juntang Yuan, a freshman who has recently applied to the same university where his crush goes. Unaware of destiny, Juntang Yuan decided to stay at the rental property of the popular idol “Shiya Li.”
Shiya Li is a former idol suffering from loneliness for some past events. After stumbling upon this ordinary dude, Shiya Li instantly develops hidden feelings for Yuan. It’s a super relaxing romance anime with 10 to 15-minute shorter episodes and crazy good animations. If you love watching anime shows where rich girls fall in love with MC first, you should watch this one of the best Donghua.
Conclusion:
These are some watchable romance anime where the girl falls in love with mc first. Each of them is good in its own genre with quite good Mal ratings. Whether you love ecchi, fantasy, emotions, or plot twists, these anime shows won’t disappoint you in the least.
