Although romance often ends up as a common plot and sub-plot inanime, it tends to be overshadowed in horror, if not left out entirely. In some cases, this is understandable, given that horror is often dealing with intense moments that need focus and a careful hand.
However, the assumed gentleness of romance doesn’t dull the fangs of horror, and more creators should be willing to lean into how romance can strengthen horror or, perhaps, evolve into it. When the characters demonstrate that they have something to lose, the terrifying moments become palpable with tension. Well-crafted horror-romance anime are often unforgettable for that very reason.
Updated on Jul 13, 2025, by Tallis Spalding: As we round into spooky season once more it’s worth taking a look at what horror-romance anime still dominate the market, even if they’re not explicitly defined as romance. With anime like Elfen Lied or The Future Diary, the “romantic” aspects are pretty clearly defined, which firmly situates them in the horror-romance genre.
But others, like Tokyo Ghoul, utilize romance aspects within the horror - it’s not a central focus of the anime, but it’s pretty clearly apparent as a facet of the characters' lives and their development. The horror-romance genre in anime is difficult to nail down sometimes, but when it does happen and it works well, it leads to some really good anime.
10Devils Line
MyAnimeList Score 6.83
Devils Line is a supernatural romance, and because it deals with topics of vampires and devils, it finds itself fitting in well with the horror-romance category. This series follows the university students Tsukasa Taira and Yuki Anzai, who are half vampire and half human.
The two have an undeniable pull toward each other, but the more time they spend together, the more Anzai has to fight the part of himself that longs to feed on her. Devils Line ran for 12 episodes in 2018, with each one spanning 23 minutes.
MyAnimeList Score 7.79
Although romance is not one of the center sub-genres of Tokyo Ghoul, the thematic elements are undeniably scattered throughout (horror is definitely the overarching genre for Tokyo Ghoul, though). In Tokyo Ghoul, you follow the story of Ken Kaneki, who ends up becoming a half-ghoul after a date gone wrong, which radically changes his life.
Relying on human flesh to survive now, Ken has to learn to fit in with ghoul society and continue to press onward in human society. Originally airing in 2014, Tokyo Ghoul ran for 12 episodes at 24 minutes each.
8Kurozuka
MyAnimeList Score: 6.86
Kurozuka follows the swordsman Kurou in 12th-century Japan, where he eventually stumbles upon Kuromitsu while looking for shelter. After learning that she is a vampire, Kurou dedicates his life to her, willingly allowing himself to be turned into a vampire so that he can love and be with her forever.
Through unfortunate circumstances, Kurou gets decapitated and wakes up centuries later, almost immediately setting out to go and find his lost love. The horror of Kurozuka is driven by this lost-romance plot, even if the romance itself is not painted as inherently terrifying. Kurozuka originally aired in 2008, running for 12 episodes.
7The Future Diary
MyAnimeList Score: 7.39
The Future Diary is one of those horror animes where the “romance” starts to become more questionable as the relationship warps. Part of the horror element stems from the “romance” aspects of The Future Diary.
The plot of The Future Diary follows Yukiteru Amano, whose phone is transformed into a “future diary” that predicts the future. Protected by Yuno Gasai, the character who is an undeniable yandere, obsessed with him, Yukiteru must survive until he’s the last one with a future diary.
This anime ran from 2011 to 2012, spanning over 26 episodes.
6Elfen Lied
MyAnimeList Score: 7.47
Elfen Lied is an anime that’s pretty distinctly for adults, especially given the controversies regarding how explicit it can get at times - and not just with the nudity. This anime deals with difficult and sensitive topics, confronting the darker side of humanity through the story of Lucy, a rare type of human known as a Diclonius.
Although this is not an inherently romantic anime, Elfen Lied does have some romantic subplots that fall in line with that examination of the painful side of human life and it does explore somedistinct and unsettling elements of psychological horror. This anime ran in 2004 for a grand total of 13 episodes and is generally considered a must-see for horror animes with some romance.
5Garden Of Sinners
MyAnimeList Score: 7.56
Although Garden of Sinners spans several movies, with some fans suggesting a watch guide to get the most out of the story - each movie is essential to telling the mystery and making each moment more impactful. The story follows Shiki Ryougi, a teenage demon hunter, and while romance isn’t her sole pursuit, it is incredibly important to the story.
Shiki’s romance doesn’t take the central plot, but it’s important for understanding her character and her character development. In total, there are seven movies that give a long and impactful story to look forward to.
4Blood+
MyAnimeList Score: 7.61
Originally adapted from a manga, Blood+ follows Saya Otonashi as her seemingly boring and average life gets turned upside down. A monster from her past reappears, and through the intervention of a man named Haji, she learns that she not only learns that she can take down these bloodthirsty monsters, but she has a duty to do so.
Blood+ is touted as a great vampire anime that utilizes romance to establish the characters and their motives. It ran from 2005 to 2006 with over 50 episodes to fill your time.
3Ghost Hunt
MyAnimeList Score: 7.75
Often considered to beone of the best horror anime, Ghost Hunt follows the lead protagonist Mai Taniyama as she accidentally stumbles her way into becoming an assistant to Kazuya Shibuya. Kazuya, although only 17 years old, is the president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company and readily participates in and instigates ghost hunts.
The main romantic in this anime is our lead, Mai, who develops feelings for Kazuya - though she hardly lets them get in the way of criticizing him when it’s justified. Mixing both horror and romance in a way that proves romance doesn’t take the edge out of horror, Ghost Hunt ran for 25 episodes from 2007 to 2006.
2Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia
MyAnimeList Score: 7.82
Seikyou Private Academy is an extremely old school with elaborate architecture that has only become more disorienting with time. It functions as the main setting for Teiichi Niiya’s story, a new student to the academy. While lost in the corridors of the academy, he encounters an amnesiac ghost, Yuuko Kanoe, who only knows her name and that she is dead.
Teiichi sets out to solve the mystery of her death, and the deaths of others in the process, making thisanime an absolutely fantastic mysteryin addition to the horror and romance. Originally airing in 2012, both romance and supernatural elements take the lead in this anime, mixing well over the 12-episode run of Dusk Maiden of Amnesia.
1Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
MyAnimeList Score: 7.94
Although romance isn’t usually a central plot point in Vampire Hunter D, in Bloodlust, the romance between Meier Link, a Greater Noble vampire, and Charlotte Elbourne, an aristocrat, is put on center stage. Charlotte’s father offers a sizeable bounty for her return - one that D takes up.
The horror in this movie doesn’t necessarily stem from the romance but from the situation surrounding it, which gives the characters something to lose and the viewers something to root for. This vampiric horror movie originally aired in 2000, running for just under two hours.
