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Supernatural Romance Anime That Puts Twilight to Shame

Supernatural Romance Anime That Puts Twilight to Shame

10/16/2015 9:29:56 PM

While there is no shortage of generally sparkly guys in romance anime, at least we’re lucky enough to avoid a particular class of broody vampires from the aforementioned book title. This October, as we celebrate the pending arrival of such otherworldly creatures, let’s offer a tribute to the supernatural romance anime that make the genre worthwhile.

Inu x Boku SS

 

No one ever said supernatural romance anime was exclusive to vampires. Anime has a wealth of otherworldly hotties, and Soushi from Inu x Boku SS takes the whole, “I’ll protect you with my life” concept to the next level. His complicated romance with reclusive half-oni Ririchiyo is simultaneously volatile and heart achingly awkward-cute. It’s so much more comforting than playing the childish, “I love you, but I’m dangerous, so I’m going to avoid you” game.  

Beyond the Boundary

 

In this supernatural romance, the progression is as follows: boy who loves glasses meets a girl in glasses. Girl drives blood sword into boy’s chest. Boy is immortal because he’s half yomu, and girl tries to kill him again. Girl eventually realizes that boy genuinely respects her and cares about her. With the romance carefully sprinkled between all the humor and action, Beyond the Boundary is anime storytelling at its finest without the whining tone of a middle school diary filled with self-pity and indecision.

Hiiro no Kakera

 

The heroine in Hiiro no Kakera, Tamaki, meets five powerful guardians, most of which are descendants of powerful oni. She eventually ends up juggling with the affections of her guardians and awakens as the powerful Tamayori Princess to save the one she loves. This refreshing take on the typical reverse harem pairs well-rounded bishounen with a heroine who can actually hold her own… instead of a heroine who seems to be more interested in playing the victim while struggling to figure out which guy loves her more.

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

 

One day, high school student Teiichi meets Yuko, a young woman in one of the school’s old buildings. She’s beautiful, mysterious… and she’s a ghost. Teiichi wants to figure out what is keeping Yuko on the mortal plane, even founding the Paranormal Investigations Club to help her. Yuko can get a little mischievous and possessive, but it makes her all the more human. Despite her grim circumstances, Yuko tries her best to take her destiny into her own hands, and the romance between her and Teiichi takes a back seat to the allure of solving supernatural mysteries, especially her own.  

Maoyu

A hero on a quest to slay the demon king storms into the enemy castle only to find that the king… is actually a lovely, busty (and very economically-savvy) demon QUEEN. Set against the backdrop of a sweeping fantasy countryside torn by war, their blossoming romance is rooted in a desire to make their world a better place. They’re well-rounded characters who develop a strong connection after numerous adventures, instead of being “star-crossed lovers in a perpetually foggy town.” On top of that, she’s brutally honest and straightforward, and she’s able to casually drop lines like, “I want you, all of you” and “I won’t touch you without your permission” without coming off as a two-bit cougar (she also looks good for being over 100 years old).

BONUS: Love, Chunibyo, & Other Delusions

Chunibyo, for those who did not know, is a Japanese slang word for a condition that hits at about the second year of middle school. These pre-teens, caught on the cusp of childhood and adulthood, develop illusions of grandeur, ranging from feigned antisocial behavior, to all-out occult practices.

The main character in Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions, Rikka, certainly thinks the world around her is supernatural, with secret organizations and supercharged ladle-guns. Instead of a tumultuous, wishy-washy, sparkly romance, Rikka and the passionately ANTI-chunibyo, Yuuta, develop a mutual understanding of each other and their feelings.

Find Otherwordly Love with Sentai Filmworks

With the Fall 2015 season just starting to kick off, who knows what supernatural romances might happen?Celebrate every side of this season with Sentai Filmworks, and share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr!