There are some love scenes in anime that have so much emotion and chemistry that fans still discuss them years after watching them. When a couple finally confesses their love or gives off a telling glimmer of their feelings, it's a huge moment. Sometimes, the emotional beat takes the audience by delightful surprise, or it's a long-awaited moment that fans worried would never come.
Romance anime like Sailor Moon have many iconic romance scenes. The ones that capture hearts the most are the moments where the characters really show up for each other in treacherous situations. Other enduring scenes, like the ones in Studio Ghibli romances, put so much emotion in just a few whispered, poignant words.
10 The Bookshelf Scene (Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion)
Raeliana aligns herself with a cunning, complex guy in Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion. The series is based on a well-beloved romance webcomic, and audiences are eager to see how Raeliana and Noah Wynknight end up together. Much of their courtship is a dance as Raeliana and Noah figure each other out.
One of Noah's most telling moments is when he confronts Raeliana and maneuvers her against a bookshelf. It's a scene charged with chemistry that would fit in a 1980s romance novel. Raeliana admonishes Noah, but Noah isn't having it, and he's determined to apologize and work out their misunderstanding from the previous night. It's a funny scene that highlights both of their stubborn natures.
9 Howl Wanting To Protect Sophie (Howl's Moving Castle)
Howl Pendragon, the wily wizard of Howl's Moving Castle, isn't known for his bravery. In fact, he poses as several wizard aliases to duck away from responsibilities, which only lands him in more trouble. He has difficulty confronting his past and the people who would try to manipulate him, and he asks Sophie to visit the palace in his stead.
And though Howl is flighty and vain, the more Sophie comes to know him, the more she understands his heart and what he's really capable of. Howl's love confession for Sophie comes when he tells her, "Now I've got something I want to protect. It's you." Sophie is Howl's true north.
8 The Sunlight Scene (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust)
In the world of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, vampires catch fire and die in direct sunlight. Most of them hide away in grand castles and coffins modified with modern technology. The only vampires that can withstand some sunlight are dhampirs, like D.
Meier Link is a full-blooded vampire, and he catches fire in the setting sun trying to save his human lover, Charlotte, from being taken away against her will. It's a scene that really shows that he is no bored vampire seducing and using a naive human woman. Charlotte and Meier Link would do anything for each other — Charlotte would give up her humanity, and Meier would greet the sun for her.
7 Kiss Scene (Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence Of Utena)
There is no doubt that Revolutionary Girl Utena is a romance action anime, but the romance is largely left to subtext in the series. It's debatable whether the movie Adolescence of Utena is considered canon, but it is the anime with their on-screen kiss.
So much drama, strife, and genuine character-building leads up to Anthy kissing Utena. The confirmation of their romance is something some fans have long-awaited by the time they get to the movie. Their scene is so sincere and filled with adoration; it truly tugs at the heartstrings.
6 Tohru's Confession Behind The Curtain (Fruits Basket)
There's so much standing between Tohru and Kyo coming together in Fruits Basket. Not only does the Zodiac curse physically separate them, but their traumatic childhoods inform how they process emotions later in life. Tohru confesses her fraught feelings about her dad and how she thinks of herself as selfish as she hides behind a transparent curtain hanging on a laundry line.
Kyo listens carefully to Tohru and has a deep understanding of her feelings and her loneliness. They understand each other like few other people do. Kyo can't help but pull her in and hold her close to comfort her while still letting her hide behind the curtain. It's such a small scene, but it's beautiful, poignant, and respectful.
5 Striga Hiding Morana (Castlvania)
Some of the most romantic anime couples have been together for centuries by the time their series begins, like Morana and Striga in Castlevania. There's no questioning their devotion to one another. They have different gifts that complement each other.
Morana is smart, patient, and calculating, and Striga is the eternal warrior and war general. Striga would be nothing without Morana, so she will stop at nothing to protect her — even going so far as to obtain and hide away legendary armor as a just-in-case. When humans close in on them in the daylight, Striga already has a plan; she insists on hiding Morana away in a trunk, and she dons the day armor she's hidden away, keeping the army away from her love.
4 Ashitaka Telling San She's Beautiful (Princess Mononoke)
San's wolf mother, Moro, calls her "my beautiful, ugly daughter" in Princess Mononoke. Moro isn't being cruel here; she's pointing out that though her daughter is different, she loves her as she is, every part of her, even the uglier side. Ashitaka recognizes that everyone has an ugly side, and much of the movie details how he confronts and controls his own. It's why Moro is remarkably lenient about Ashitaka wanting to be in San's life.
Ashitaka knows practically from the moment he meets San that they are perfect together and that he would spend his life with her. All other humans fear and revile San. But even when San puts her blade to his throat, all Ashitaka can do is stare up at her and tell her that she's beautiful, even in her pain and anger.
3 Yukimaru's Confession (Fena: Pirate Princess)
Anime audiences tend to lose it when the tsundere finally confesses their true feelings, as stoic Yukimaru does in Fena: Pirate Princess. In true tsundere fashion, Yukimaru is terse and even harsh at times with Fena. But when he confesses his feelings, it's with the fervency of a knight in shining armor.
Fena's so overcome and surprised by Yukimaru's sincerity that she doesn't know what to do with herself. Yukimaru is injured from battle, yet all he can think about is promising Fena that he will strengthen his body so that he can better protect her. He may be quiet most of the time, but when he speaks freely, it's poetry.
2 Guts Bridal Carrying His Battle Buddy (Berserk)
Casca and Guts spend most of their years in the Band of the Falcon bickering in Berserk. At the end of the day, though, they do care about each other and have a unique accord, even if they're loath to admit it. When Casca is sick and in danger on the battlefield, Guts saves her, nurses her, and takes on a hundred-man army to save her.
When Guts wants to leave Griffith's army, Casca asks him to stay, citing their years of fighting together. But perhaps their most romantic moment is one of their quieter scenes. Casca got injured while playing a key role in seizing Doldrey, and she's leaning against a castle wall when Guts finds her after the battle. She asks for his shoulder to lean on and expresses her feelings of alienation. Guts understands Casca; he throws down his sword, lifts her into his arms in a bridal carry, and says, "Let's go. It's time to go and greet your commander."
1 Tuxedo Mask Revives Princess Serenity (Sailor Moon)
In the finale of Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose, Sailor Moon uses all her energy wielding the Silver Crystal to stop an asteroid from hurtling into Earth. An injured Tuxedo Mask rises and transforms into Prince Endymion, placing his hand on her shoulder, showing her that she's not alone. He braces her with his own added strength as she arrests the asteroid.
It takes too much from Sailor Moon, and the light leaves her eyes as she collapses. Tuxedo Mask is left holding the dead Sailor Moon. Then Fiore comes back and offers a gift — a flower whose nectar holds his life force, which Tuxedo Mask drinks and gives to Sailor Moon in a kiss. The nectar and the kiss revive Sailor Moon, much like in the "Sleeping Beauty" fairytale.
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