10 best anime shows like My Happy Marriage

My Happy Marriage was one of the best series of Summer 2023, so here’s a list of 10 similar light-hearted romance anime series.

My Happy Marriage is a historical romance-themed anime show that is set in the 19th century, where every human is acknowledged based on their supernatural abilities. The main female lead, Miyo Saimori, experiences an abusive childhood since she doesn’t possess any power. Moreover, to make her life even more miserable, she is sent to Kiyoka Kudou’s house following a marriage proposal.

Kiyoka is rumored to be a cold-hearted person, but when Miyo starts living at his place, she learns how pure-hearted he actually is. The decision Miyo takes after giving up on her luck turns out to be the door to her happiness.

My Happy Marriage has grabbed a lot of appreciation from the community since its premiere – thanks to the emotional story and captivating animation by Kinema Citrus. So, if you’re looking for something similar, we have listed the 10 best anime shows that are a must-watch for every My Happy Marriage fan.

1. Kimi No Todoke

Netflix

Kimi No Todoke follows a 15-year-old girl who often gets humiliated by her batch mates because of her resemblance with The Ring’s Sadako. Like Miyo Saimori from My Happy Marriage, Sawako is also a kind-hearted loner who has very low self-esteem. Despite all the humiliations, she never backed out from lending a helping hand, even to the bullies.

Things start to change around her when the popular boy of the school, Kazehaya, befriends her. Even though several rumors are out there about Sawako, Kazehaya finds out who the “real” Sawako really is and ends up falling in love with her.

2. Romeo X Juliet

Crunchyroll

The inspiration for Romeo X Juliet was taken from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but it comes with an entirely different storyline. Like Miyo from My Happy Marriage, the female lead, Juliet, also loses her family at a very young age. However, unlike the latter, she becomes a fighter who cannot tolerate anything wrong. She operates as a masked vigilante named The Red Whirlwind.

One day, she comes across her only enemy’s son, Romeo, and after learning about his selfless character, she falls in love with him. However, their love story was just the beginning of a foreseen rebellion.

3. A Galaxy Next Door

Crunchyroll

A Galaxy Next Door is an extraordinary love story that revolves around a manga artist, Ichiro and a mysterious girl, Shiori. Like Miyo, Ichiro also gets abandoned by one of his parents after the death of the other one. His survival depends on his manga drawing work, and things worsen for him when his assistant resigns.

He gets a new assistant in the form of a beautiful girl named Shiori, but soon, he gets to know that she is from a different galaxy. Shiori also reveals that as Ichiro has touched the stinger on her back, he is bound to marry her. Due to the strange incident, Ichiro and Shiori’s lives get connected forever.

4. Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Crunchyroll

Kaichou wa Maid-sama is far from a straightforward romance-themed story as it hails several complexities. The plot revolves around Misaki, a student council president of Seika High, who prefers staying distant from the boys of her school. Her life is not as simple as it seems; she works as a maid at a café to support her remaining family after her father.

One day, Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in her school, comes to know about her secret. Instead of exposing her, he continues visiting the café often. Eventually, both of them get into a romantic relationship. However, they have to go through many trials before ending up together.

5. Horimiya

Crunchyroll

Horimiya’s plot follows 17-year-old Kyouko Hori and Izumi Horimiya, who have different in-school and after-school personalities. The former appears to be a socially active and bubbly girl at school, but at home, she is completely opposite, whose priority is only his younger brother. In contrast, Horimiya seems to carry an introverted personality at school, but outside of school, he is someone who can make anyone fall for his good looks and bright personality.

After finding out about each other’s double lives, they decide to keep it hidden from their classmates. Moving forward with time and keeping each other’s secret safe, the duo comes closer and develops a life-lasting bond.

6. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

Crunchyroll

Like My Happy Marriage, My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 also amassed huge popularity in no time, and that’s the reason it sits with a 4.9 rating out of 5 on Crunchyroll.

This anime show features the heartbroken Akane, who continues playing a video game she used to play with her former lover. When she goes to a gaming event, she meets Yamada, who is also a part of her troop of the same game she plays. Yamada is considered a hardcore gamer who officially gets sponsorships from gaming companies. After their first encounter, Akane becomes real-life friends with every member of the troop, including Yamada.

7. Blue Spring Ride

IMDb

The storyline of Blue Spring Ride sheds some light on the self-discovery of its main characters, Futaba Yoshioka and Kou Mabuchi. In fact, some of the moments that happen between them are inspired by the true-life events of the manga’s illustrator.

Just when Futaba wishes for a change in her boring life, Kou returns to her life, but this time with a totally different nature. Futaba tries to help him out, but when all her attempts fail, she backs out. She also gets a boyfriend but never genuinely moves ahead with him, as she never leaves behind her feelings for Kou. So, she eventually breaks up with him. Futaba and Kou’s lives get back on track when the latter realizes his mistake.

8. Emma- A Victorian Romance

Crunchyroll

Similar to My Happy Marriage, Emma- A Victorian Romance also features the 19th-century setup. This is a story in which a house helper falls in love with a rich young man, William. However, her feelings are not one-sided; William also falls deeply and madly in love with her. Their romance couldn’t get any respect for a long time, as back then, people used to keep their social status as a top priority.

The duo was kept separate for a long time, but neither of them succumbed to their fate, and eventually, William was able to persuade his family.

9. TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You

Crunchyroll

The main protagonist of this anime show is named Nasa Yuzaki, who is often teased by his classmates because of his weird name. Despite that, he was leading a peaceful life, keeping his career goals as his primary concern. However, things start going south when he runs into an adorable girl at a bus stop.

Before he could confess his liking for her, he met with an accident. After returning to consciousness, he finds himself at a hospital with no clue about the whereabouts of the girl. On Nasa’s 18th birthday, the girl appears at his doorstep out of nowhere with a marriage contract.

10. Say I Love You

Crunchyroll

Say I Love You features Mei Tachibana, who spends her school life alone, without any friends. Due to a childhood accident, she has been in trauma for years and has lost the ability to interact with people around her. One day, a popular boy named Yamato Kurosawa starts showing interest in her.

Getting to know him, she discovers that not everyone will judge her. Soon, the duo starts getting closer. Kurosawa had such a good influence on Techibana’s life that she gradually came out of that trauma and started making new friends.

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

Most, if not all, of these animes can be watched on streaming service Crunchyroll.

Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.

If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:

1. Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world
2. Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica
3.  Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched

Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference. For example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.

You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan. Or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.

Many of these anime can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix. You can also check out our other anime coverage here.

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