24+ Best Anime Like Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

If you loved Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, chances are you'll really enjoy My Dress-Up Darling Season 2, Horimiya and the others too. They share that same energy—whether it's the intense Comedy, Drama, Romance, or just the vibe that keeps you hooked. While you wait for the next episode to drop, it’s the perfect time to explore something new that still feels familiar. These picks aren't just similar—they're fan favorites for a reason, and they might just become your next obsession.

1. My Dress-Up Darling Season 2

Synonyms: Sono Kisekae Ningyou wa Koi wo suru, หนุ่มเย็บผ้ากับสาวนักคอสเพลย์ ภาค 2, その着せ替え人形（ビスク・ドール）は恋をする, Kisekoi 2

The second season of Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru. When Marin Kitagawa and Wakana Gojo met, they grew close over their love for cosplay. Through interacting with classmates and making new cosplay friends, Marin and Wakana’s world keeps growing. New developments arise as Marin’s love for Wakana continues to be filled with endless excitement. In their ever-expanding world, Marin and Wakana’s story of cosplay and thrills continues! (Source: Crunchyroll)

2. Horimiya

Synonyms: 堀与宫村, โฮริมิยะ สาวมั่นกับนายมืดมน, Хоримия

A secret life is the one thing they have in common. At school, Hori is a prim and perfect social butterfly, but the truth is she's a brash homebody. Meanwhile, under a gloomy facade, Miyamura hides a gentle heart, along with piercings and tattoos. In a chance meeting, they both reveal a side they've never shown. Could this blossom into something new? (Source: Funimation)

3. Blue Box

Synonyms: الصندوق الأزرق, 青之箱, 푸른 상자, La caja azul

Do these sports-crossed lovers have a chance? Taiki Inomata loves badminton, but he has a long way to go before he can reach nationals. When Taiki sees upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out on the girls’ basketball team, he falls for her hard. After an unexpected turn of events brings the two closer together, sports might not be the first thing on their minds anymore!(Source: TMS Anime) Note: The series streamed a week in advance on Netflix Japan starting with episode 2 released alongside episode 1.

4. A Silent Voice

Synonyms: The Shape of Voice, A Voz do Silêncio, A Forma da Voz, La Forma della Voce

After transferring into a new school, a deaf girl, Shouko Nishimiya, is bullied by the popular Shouya Ishida. As Shouya continues to bully Shouko, the class turns its back on him. Shouko transfers and Shouya grows up as an outcast. Alone and depressed, the regretful Shouya finds Shouko to make amends. (Source: Eleven Arts)

5. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You

Synonyms: Reaching You, Arrivare a te, Llegando a ti

Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from "The Ring", which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose "100% refreshing" personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. So when Kazehaya starts talking to her, maybe there is hope for the friendships Sawako has always longed for. Maybe...there is even a little hope for some romance in her future.

6. Skip and Loafer

Synonyms: จังหวะวัยรุ่น ว้าวุ่นหัวใจ, В лоферах вприпрыжку, 躍動青春, スキロー

This country girl is ready for the big city! Well, at least she thought she was. Mitsumi’s dream is to attend a prestigious school and make the world a better place. But when she finally gets to Tokyo, it turns out she isn’t exactly prepared for city life. Luckily, she runs into Shima, a sweet and handsome classmate who becomes her first friend! Can she make it in Tokyo with Shima by her side? (Source: Crunchyroll)

7. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

Synonyms: Loving Yamada at LV999!, My Lv999 Love for Yamada-kun, Minha História de Amor com Yamada-kun Nível 999, รักสุดฟินเลเวล 999 กับยามาดะคุง

Akane Kinoshita, a female college student, faces the absolute worst situation when she ends up breaking up with her boyfriend after he has an affair with a woman he met playing an online game. While relieving her stress by rampaging through the open hunting grounds of an online game, Akane spills everything about her heartbreak to “Yamada”, a player she met by chance who happens to be in the same guild. “I don't care,” is his curt reply. But when Akane gets a makeover and joins an offline event to get back at her ex-boyfriend, she hears those dreadful words again. And that was Akane's fateful encounter with “Yamada”─！ (Source: Crunchyroll)

8. My Little Monster

Synonyms: Tonari no Kaibutsukun, The Monster Next Door, My Neighbor Monster-kun, Le Garçon d'à coté

Standoffish, reclusive Shizuku Mizutani cares far more about earning stellar grades than cultivating friendships. But her opinions on friendship and relationships begin to change when she meets habitual truant Haru Yoshida, who happens to have a rather fearsome reputation. Like Shizuku, Haru’s reputation has made it difficult to make friends. And yet through their budding friendship and stirrings of attraction the unlikely pair learns to understand one another, the world around them, and the tenor of their own emotions. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

9. Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible

Synonyms: Kubo Tidak Akan Membiarkanku Tak Terlihat, คุณคุโบะไม่ยอมให้ผมเป็นตัวประกอบ

Junta Shiraishi has just one goal: to experience youth to the fullest! But this is easier said than done. Junta is so socially invisible that people at school would swear he skipped class even when he’s sitting right behind them. Everything changes when Junta meets Nagisa Kubo. She’s the only person who pays Junta any attention, and her constant teasing is sure to turn Junta’s quiet life upside down because Kubo won’t let him be invisible! (Source: HIDIVE)

10. The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Synonyms: BokuYaba 2, 僕ヤバ 2, เธอผู้อันตรายต่อใจผม ภาคที่ 2

The second season of Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu. After an eventful winter break, Kyoutarou Ichikawa and Anna Yamada reunite with a stronger bond. They continue to grow in their own ways, with Yamada taking on more challenging photoshoots and Ichikawa maturing both physically and emotionally as he tackles his affections for Yamada. However, spending time together outside of school allows for their relationship to deepen, and it becomes increasingly difficult to deny their budding romantic feelings. Grappling with these unexpected and new emotions, Ichikawa and Yamada realize that, with the passage of time, their relationship is bound to change—and they must ultimately decide whether they wish to remain close friends or finally become a couple. (Source: MAL Rewrite)

11. The Dangers in My Heart

Synonyms: BokuYaba, เธอผู้อันตรายต่อใจผม, 내 마음의 위험한 녀석, 我內心的糟糕念頭

Fascinated by murder and all things macabre, Kyoutarou daydreams of acting out his twisted fantasies on his unsuspecting classmates — but an encounter with Anna Yamada, the gorgeous class idol, lights a spark in the darkness of his heart. It’s a classic tale of an antisocial boy falling for a popular girl, but neither are who they appear to be at first glance. Will Kyoutarou and Anna defy their expectations of each other — and of themselves? (Source: HIDIVE)

12. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

Synonyms: Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi, 乔西的虎与鱼, Josee, el Tigre y los Peces, Josee, El Tigre i Els Peixos

The story centers on the relationship between Tsuneo and Josee. Tsuneo is a university student, and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee's grandmother taking her out for a morning walk. (Source: Anime News Network)

13. My Love Story!!

Synonyms: Mon Histoire

Takeo Gouda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don't want him! (They always go for his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn! Takeo can hardly believe it when he crosses paths with Yamato again, and he finds himself falling in love with her… But with handsome Sunakawa around, does Takeo even stand a chance? (Source: Crunchyroll)

14. Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus

Synonyms: AoButa, 青ブタ, Rascal Does Not Dream: University Student Arc, Rascal Series: University Arc

Sequel to the film Seishun Buta Yarou wa Randoseru Girl no Yume wo Minai. After encountering various girls going through Puberty Syndrome, Sakuta Azusagawa's high school days have come to a close, and he is now a university student. He enrolls at a university in Kanazawa-hakkei alongside his girlfriend Mai Sakurajima, a nationally famed actress. Off campus, he stumbles upon an out-of-season miniskirt Santa. Precognitive dreams, an anonymous online singer, poltergeists buzzing on social media... A mysterious tale with enigmatic phenomenons surrounding girls with wavering hearts starts again. Puberty continues... (Source: Crunchyroll)

15. Blue Spring Ride

Synonyms: Aoharaido

Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to "reset" her image & life as a new high school student. Because she's cute, she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a misunderstanding, she couldn't get her feeling across to the one boy she has ever liked, Tanaka-kun. Now in high school, she is determined to be as unladylike as possible so that her friends won't be jealous of her. While living her life this way contentedly, she meets Tanaka-kun again, but he now goes under the name of Mabuchi Kou. He tells her that he felt the same way as she did when they were younger, but now things can never be the same again. Will Futaba be able to continue her love that never even started from three years ago?

16. Maid-Sama!

Synonyms: Kaicho wa Maidsama, Kaichou wa Meido Sama, Class President is a Maid!

Being the first female student council president isn't easy, especially when your school just transitioned from an all boys high school to a co-ed one. Aptly nicknamed "Demon President" by the boys for her strict disciplinary style, Misaki Ayuzawa is not afraid to use her mastery of Aikido techniques to cast judgment onto the hordes of misbehaving boys and defend the girls at Seika High School. Yet even the perfect Ayuzawa has an embarrassing secret—she works part-time as a maid at a maid café to help her struggling family pay the bills. She has managed to keep her job hidden from her fellow students and maintained her flawless image as a stellar student until one day, Takumi Usui, the most popular boy in school, walks into the maid café. He could destroy her reputation with her secret... or he could twist the student council president around his little finger and use her secret as an opportunity to get closer to her. (Source: MAL Rewrite)

17. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Synonyms: AoButa, 青春猪头少年不会梦到兔女郎学姐, Негодник, которому не снилась девушка-кролик, Этот глупый свин не понимает мечту девочки-зайки

There's a rumor about a mysterious phenomenon called "puberty syndrome." For example, Sakuta Azusagawa is a high school student who suddenly sees a bunny girl appear in front of him. The girl is actually a girl named Mai Sakurajima, who is Sakuta's upperclassman who is also a famous actress who has gone on hiatus from the entertainment industry. For some reason, the people around Mai cannot see her bunny-girl figure. Sakuta sets out to solve this mystery, and as he spends time with Mai, he learns her secret feelings. Other heroines who have "puberty syndrome" start to appear in front of Sakuta. (Source: Anime News Network)

18. My Dress-Up Darling

Synonyms: Sono Kisekae Ningyou wa Koi wo suru, หนุ่มเย็บผ้ากับสาวนักคอสเพลย์, その着せ替え人形（ビスク・ドール）は恋をする, kisekoi

High schooler Wakana Gojou cares about one thing: making Hina dolls. With nobody to share his obsession, he has trouble finding friends—or even holding conversation. But after the school’s most popular girl, Marin Kitagawa, reveals a secret of her own, he discovers a new purpose for his sewing skills. Together, they’ll make her cosplay dreams come true! (Source: Funimation)

19. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

Synonyms: Quiero Comerme tu Páncreas, Voglio mangiare il tuo pancreas, Je veux manger ton pancréas, Vull menjar-me el teu pàncrees

Spring time in April and the last of the cherry blossoms are still in bloom. The usually aloof bookworm with no interest in others comes across a book in a hospital waiting room. Handwritten on the cover are the words: "Living with Dying." He soon discovers that it is a diary kept by his very popular and genuinely cheerful classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, who reveals to him that she is secretly suffering from a pancreatic illness and only has a limited time left. It is at this moment that she gains just one more person to share her secret. Trying to maintain a normal life as much as possible, Sakura is determined to live her life to the fullest until the very last day. As her free spirit and unpredictable actions throw him for a loop, his heart begins to gradually change. (Source: Aniplex USA)

20. Komi Can’t Communicate

Synonyms: Comi san ha Comyusho desu, مشكلة كومي, Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu., โฉมงามพูดไม่เก่งกับผองเพื่อนไม่เต็มเต็ง

Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends! (Source: Viz Media)

21. Your Name.

Synonyms: Your Name. - Gestern, heute und für immer , Mi a Neved? , 你的名字。, 너의 이름은.

Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl, yearns to live the life of a boy in the bustling city of Tokyo—a dream that stands in stark contrast to her present life in the countryside. Meanwhile in the city, Taki Tachibana lives a busy life as a high school student while juggling his part-time job and hopes for a future in architecture. One day, Mitsuha awakens in a room that is not her own and suddenly finds herself living the dream life in Tokyo—but in Taki's body! Elsewhere, Taki finds himself living Mitsuha's life in the humble countryside. In pursuit of an answer to this strange phenomenon, they begin to search for one another. Kimi no Na wa. revolves around Mitsuha and Taki's actions, which begin to have a dramatic impact on each other's lives, weaving them into a fabric held together by fate and circumstance. (Source: MAL Rewrite)

22. Tsukigakirei

Synonyms: as the moon, so beautiful.

It’s the third year of middle school. Kotaro, a bookish boy aspiring to become a novelist, and Akane, a track girl who loves to run, meet in the same class together for the first time. They’re put in charge of the equipment for the sports festival, and slowly grow closer via LINE. How does Kotaro deal with his growing feelings for her? Meanwhile, Takumi has been in love with Akane since first year, and Akane’s friend, Chinatsu, becomes interested in Kotaro. A refreshing story of young love set in Kawagoe. (Source: Crunchyroll)

23. Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Synonyms: Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To: The Geniuses' War of Love and Brains, קאגויה סאמה, 辉夜大小姐想让我告白～天才们的恋爱头脑战～, 辉夜姬想让人告白

Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. And everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. Pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters? (Source: Aniplex)

24. Insomniacs After School

Synonyms: Insomniaques, ถ้านอนไม่หลับไปนับดาวกันไหม, 放学后失眠的你, Bezsenność po szkole

Ganta Nakami is a high school student who suffers from insomnia. One day, he meets Isaki Magari, a girl with the same condition. A strange, but special relationship forms as they share a secret and catch up on their sleep in their school’s abandoned observatory… (Source: HIDIVE)

25. Boarding School Juliet

Synonyms: To LOVE, or not to LOVE, JULIET NO INTERNATO, รักลับๆ ข้ามหอของนายหมากับน้องแมว, Juliet en el internado

Grigio Academy Boarding School. The students that attend this school come from two countries, and reside in their own dormitories. Inazuka and Persia are leaders of rival dorms, but in secret they love each other. Now, they have to keep their relationship a secret from their dorm mates or else bad things will happen to them.

If you're anything like me, once you finish something amazing like Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, you're left wondering—what now? Luckily, there’s a whole world of stories out there that give off the same energy, whether it’s the intense fights, emotional backstories, or just that feeling of being completely hooked. The titles like My Dress-Up Darling Season 2, Horimiya... I’ve shared aren’t just similar—they feel right. They hit that same nerve that made Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku special in the first place. Of course, everyone’s taste is different, but I really think you’ll find something here that pulls you in. And hey—if you’ve got a favorite that didn’t make the list, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for my next obsession.