Oroka na Tenshi wa Akuma to Odoru

Shounen, Seinen, and other romance anime that's aimed at a male audience:

(I am only putting the first season here and I will specify if there are more seasons/spinoffs)

Anime with romance as a main or relevant part of the plot, but also a "bigger plot" going on.

I'm talking actual romance, more than just "two characters happen to like each other". Something that is relevant, and ideally progresses through the show (note: also includes some incomplete adaptations with more romance past anime content).

As for the bigger plot, it can be anything from fantasy, adventure, mystery, sci-fi, etc. Check my notes for details.

Harem are mostly ignored as they are usually lacking in actual romantic progress, unless there is a clear main love interest.

Hard to find good romance anime which isn't filled with stupid and boring cliches, so here's my attempt to list the best shows, or at least the ones I found entertaining enough to bother watching.

My slice of life anime list https://myanimelist.net/stacks/23190

This is a stack of comedic and light-hearted romance shows. These shows will stay light-hearted throughout the series, avoiding most sad or drama-related undertones.

If you liked the concept of this stack, you might be interested in a very similar stack, but for manga, titled: Unadapted Light-Hearted Rom-Com Manga (No GL/BL or Fantasy). So feel free to give it a look if these types of series interest you.

work in progress

Update:
-- added Glass Reflection, Gigguk
-- added AH Brandon Reviews season playlists - each list will accumulate the weekly episode reviews as the season goes by

Update:
-- started adding first impressions: AH Brandon Reviews, Mother's Basement, Otaku Spirit
-- caught up with some pre-season entries, including some hashtags


This stack consolidates watch recommendations for the Winter 2024 season from several YouTube critics/commentators. Stacked in alpha order.

Solo Leveling definitely led the way with the most pre-season hype, but out of nowhere, Gushing Over Magical Girls has produced a ton of reaction after the first episode aired.

------------------------------< Pre-season >------------------------------

These are recommendations based on hype, buzz, trailers, and sometimes the reputation of the creative team.

We're only half way through Fall 2023 and videos looking forward to next season have already started to appear. Like last season, ViniiTube is first out of the gate.

ViniiTube 1.07M subs: "Top 10 Most Anticipated Anime of Winter 2024". Covering new and returning shows. VT doesn't rank his picks so I'll just note they are anticipated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9RqJYs51oA

GiggukVODs 78.2K subs: "Picking EVERY Anime I Watch in Winter 2024". 3 hours, 47 minutes. If there's an edited version, I'll take a look but no way I'm working my way through nearly 4 hours of YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTUzuAzQbkw

Probably Pretentious 11.9K subs: "Every Anime You Need To Watch | Winter 2024". A general run-down of new and returning shows that they are watching this season. I'll note any pithy comments on the appropriate show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx2SFfM97lM

------------------------------< First Impressions and Episode Reviews >------------------------------

AH Brandon Reviews - added Episode 1 initial impressions.

Gigguk 3.56M subs: "Winter Anime 2024 in a Nutshell". G comments on selected anime from this season. Not ranked or rated. He doesn't explain how or why he chose the shows to comment on, but I think it is because he had something amusing to say, not because they are somehow "good". No chapter markers so I guesstimated time hacks from the transcript.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCKFrMoOsqQ

Glass Reflection 584K subs: "I Watched EVERY SINGLE NEW ANIME of the Winter 2024 Season..." Covering new seasonal anime. No sequels. No continuing or returning shows. Rating: KEEP, GR will keep the show on his watchlist. Rating: TOSS, GR will toss the show from his watchlist. Rating: HOLD, GR will keep the show on his watchlist for at least a few more episodes, the implication being unless it does something worthwhile, it will get TOSSed. GR didn't cover "Fluffy Paradise" and "The Unwanted Undead Adventurer".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm8e5FtYEm8

Mother's Basement 1.34M subs: "The BEST Anime of Winter 2024 - Ones to Watch". Ten shows worth watching, plus the Bargain Bin (anime with a couple bumps and bruises on them). The list is not ordered or ranked. [aside] MB explains a couple of terms I have to take note of: "real robot" anime imagine mecha as mass-produced tools of warfare in contrast to the more fantastical, often sentient "super robots" that come from space to protect earth from aliens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMWYSzYcWak

Otaku Spirit 21.9K subs: "Top New Anime So Far After Watching Everything!". Top 19 new anime after watching the first three or four episodes. "Oh my gosh, the thirsty anime fans are winning, winning, winning, winning, winning, winning, winning."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ0G5aUy9cQ

------------------------------< Mid- and Post-season Reviews >------------------------------



Updates to this stack will continue as more videos covering next season are released.

Anime that in some way include scythes as a weapon - this list is always being updated

No drama or heavy plots. Catered to tired brains. Here is some anime to shut it all off and cover up your worries with some light, fun, and entertaining series to stop thinking and just enjoy. <3

I watched all of these anime during Winter 2024

Top anime (in my opinion)
New in Winter 2024:

1. YUBISAKI TO RENREN, The story between Yuki (FL) who is deaf and Itsuomi (ML) who likes traveling around the world. They get to know each other and learn a new world
Adapted from a manga, the conveying of the meaning, atmosphere, character traits are well depicted in the anime

2. SOLO LEVELING, MC is the weakest hunter, one day he was trapped in a double dungeon, when he died, he was given the choice to become a player. When he got out of the dungeon and woke up in the hospital the quest window appeared, slowly he became the most feared and strongest hunter.
Adapted from a popular manhwa and novel that has been completed, the animation and soundtrack are good

3. MAJO TO YAJUU, MC is cursed by a witch, to be free from the curse, MC and his partner look for the witch who cursed him
on their journey they meet humans, other wizards, other sorcerers

Sequel:
1. MASHLE S2, Holy visionary candidate exam arc
2. AO NO EXORCIST S2, Illuminati arc
3. BOKU NO KOKORO YABAI YATSU S2

Completed Series: Liang Bu Yi (Donghua)

Movie: Natsume Yuujinchou ishi okoshi to ayashiko raihousha, consists of 2 arcs, the first arc is about Natsume who helps a small demon to complete his task, the second arc Natsume helps his friend but he is visited by a strange stranger

Top Anime Opening Songs of Winter 2024
1. "Yuki no Ne” by Novelbright (Yubisaki to Renren)
2. "LEveL" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:TOMORROW X TOGETHER (Ore dake Level Up na Ken)
3. "FLY" by MADKID (Sasaki to Pii-chan), MC is an office employee and meets a bird in a pet shop, it turns out the bird is "mahardika" who comes from another world, since then MC has moved between 2 worlds (the modern world and isekai historical), and it turns out that these two worlds contain magic

Top Anime Ending Songs of Winter 2024
1. "Hakuchuumu" by Raon (High Card S2), a continuation of card collecting where users can use the power of the cards, revealing the past of the characters and the origins of the cards
2. "Gift" by Kaori Ishihara (Oroka na Tenshi wa Akuma to Odoru) ML is a devil and FL is an angel, since their fight made ML lose, he has become FL's slave/servant
3. "My Factor" by Kento Itou (Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu S2) Continuation of MC's journey, in this season he becomes a teacher and there are problems related to the anti-goddess group

Link to Part 1 - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/12572