So, my thing with manga and anime is that, no matter what genre I pick up, I need it to have some romantic aspect to it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good ship and I like there to be some interesting plot to help build said ship up. Usually, that’s not difficult to find. After all, almost every Shounen has some pairing in it. But action romance manga? That’s in a league of its own!
Some of the best action romance manga out there are currently topping the lists for best manga, period. I mean, thinking about it, it’s easy to see why they tend to be so much more popular nowadays. You get all the excitement of a well-written plot with impeccable world building, and all the fuzzy warm vibes of a consistent love story? It’s the best of both worlds! Like, sign me up.
Action Romance pride themselves on great characterization and a story that is driven forward organically, with the romance being woven into the story rather than standing out as its own thing. And that’s just the way I like it. So today, let’s list down some of the best action romance manga out there, in a round of Get Ranked!
Table of Contents
8. Angel Beats!
We’re starting off strong with Angel Beats! This anime only spanned 13 episodes, but the story still feels like one you can reread over and over again. Involving a sort of after-life for teens that met tragic ends, Angel Beats! centers around Yuzuru Otonashi, a spirit that reaches this high school limbo with no memories of how he died and gets recruited into the ‘Afterlife Battlefront’. His interactions with other souls like him, are what make for a surprisingly emotional setting.
7. Cardcaptor Sakura
Magical Girl anime in the 90s were often equally adventure driven and had a cute romantic pairing. So, it’s no wonder Cardcaptor Sakura is on this list. Cardcaptor Sakura follows Sakura Kinomoto, who has accidentally released the Clow Cards and now has to collect them all. An unexpected ally in this journey is Syaoran Li, the descendent of Clow Reed, who actually starts out a little bit of an enemy. But slowly, the two warm up to each other and begin aiding each other in becoming Card Masters. So, a little fanciful enemies-to-lovers? Yes, please!
6. Spy X Family
If you don’t think Spy X Family is an action romance anime, you are sorely mistaken. I mean, you’re telling me a guy marrying this girl for ‘convenience’, only to become extremely soft and caring around her and their adoptive daughter, is just him ‘doing his job’? Please, I live for Loid Forger and Yor Briar moments. I mean, he proposed to her with the key ring to a grenade that detonated behind them! They work as a family unit and go on dates! It’s perfect, and manga readers know that the romance isn’t one-sided.
5. Blood+
I mean, I am still a Twilight girlie. Of course I was going to bring up a supernatural action romance manga like Blood+. But what I really like about this particular vampire manga is the complexity of the story. Saya Otonashi isn’t just a damsel-in-distress heroine who has no recollection of where she comes from. She’s opinionated and brave, not shying away from probing someone like Hagi, a mysterious man that might hold answers to her powers. Blood+ is haunting, well worth the read.
4. Mo Dao Zu Shi
Mo Dao Zu Shi is honestly the full package. It’s got expansive lore, interesting characters and even an enemies-to-lovers plotline. The story follows the downfall of one Wei Wuxian, a once promising cultivator turned to the dark side, who gets resurrected and found by the last person he could’ve imagined: his old rival, Lan Wangji. And a mystery is afoot, a grand conspiracy that could break the Cultivation world, but might also clear Wei Wuxian’s name for good. Words can’t explain how exciting Mo Dao Zu Shi can get, both with the action and romance.
3. Sailor Moon
I don’t think any manga romance had a stronger chokehold on me than Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon. I mean, they were the blueprint. Star crossed lovers who died and found each other again, reincarnated as Mamoru Chiba and Usagi Tsukino? Only for them to face danger again and make sure Earth doesn’t experience the same fate the Moon Kingdom did, back when they were Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity? Sailor Moon really has the action romance angst down, like it set the standard.
2. InuYasha
Megan Thee Stallion recently said that Kagome is the ‘hot girl’ of anime because she has all these boys flitting around her and like, bet. Inuyasha is for the hot girls, because it has the perfect balance of action and romance. Kagome and Inuyasha’s romance being this centuries long love that never faded, while still going through some absolutely insane stuff involving demons and a whole new world? I fear it’s too iconic to ignore. Also, could we get away with calling Inuyasha an action romance Isekai? You bet!
1. Yona Of The Dawn
There are very few shows that take the concept of coming-of-age and really build upon it, especially with female protagonists. Yona Of The Dawn is one of them, with a fantastical setting and political intrigue weaving together to create a story that is both action packed and romantic. It follows Yona, a princess that has to see her father be murdered by her own crush on the eve of her birthday. And so, she is forced to escape with her bodyguard, Hak, and figure out a new path to life.
I was tempted to put in a few honorable mentions into this list of the best action romance manga, like The Apothecary Diaries and maybe Date-A-Live. But one is less action and more royal court intrigue, and the other is plain harem. So, there is a criteria here.
Still, this is our ranking and we stand by it. But did we miss out on your favorite action romance manga? Sound off below!
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