Dhruv Sharma
Video games and anime are two Otaku staples and that’s probably the reason why so many anime shows revolve around games or gamers. There’s also this sub-genre of anime shows that create a unique blend of rom-com and gaming. And as weird as that may sound, it works really well, especially with the involvement of the good tsundere character trope.
Animated by J.C Staff, ‘High Score Girl‘ is one such anime which revolves around Haruo Yaguchi, a sixth-grader who rules the local arcades with his undisputed mastery of Street Fighter 2. But all of his dreams of becoming a professional gamer are shattered when fellow classmate, Akira Oono, defeats him with ease. Although he hates the fact that there’s someone better than him out there, he also feels unusually drawn to Akira as she is the only one who has managed to give him some competition.
‘High Score Girl’ is sweet, simple and a delight for anyone who enjoys romance anime. If you, too, had a great time watching it, let us walk you through other heartwarming rom-com anime shows that are very similar to ‘High Score Girl’. You can watch most of the anime listed below can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, or Crunchyroll.
6. ERASED! (2016)
‘ERASED‘ is about loss, grief, confusion, and more than anything else, time travel. It narrates the tale of a 29-year-old man named Satoru Fujinuma, who works as a pizza delivery boy. To most people, he’s just an ordinary man who’s trying to stay afloat with his not-so-great job. However, only he knows that he possesses a strange involuntary ability that allows him to turn back time whenever something bad happens to him or anyone around him. Without his consent, he often finds himself going back a few minutes in time to ultimately save the day.
One day, when he gets wrongfully accused of murdering his own mother, he finds himself going 18 years back in time. With the body of an 11-year-old and the mind of an adult, he now has to unravel a mystery that gripped his town and with this, he’ll not only end up saving his mother but might save a few other people as well. The world of anime is full of shows that brim with all kinds of time travel tropes. However, ‘ERASED’ uses it in a very unique style that almost evokes a sense of realism. Highly Recommended!
5. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (2013-)
Almost like ‘High Score Girl’, at first, you’ll initially believe that there’s nothing unique about ‘My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU‘. But with time, it slowly turns into this deep rom-com that strays away from the norm and surprisingly, even offers some social commentary.
For the most part, its didactic themes only manage to scratch the surface, but its well-developed character and brisk pacing make it one of the best offerings of the genre. If at some point in your life, especially in high school, you’ve felt like a misfit, you’ll notice that you have a lot in common with the main character of ‘Oregairu.’
4. Toradora! (2008-2009)
Ryuuji Takasu has an intimidating face and that’s the reason why he is labeled as a delinquent by almost everyone in his high school. On the other hand, there’s Taiga Aisaka, who almost looks like a doll, but is commonly known as the “Palmtop Tiger” because of her feisty personality and short temper. She even carries a wooden katana at all times to beat up anyone who bothers her.
Being the polar opposites of one another, when they cross paths, they end up forming an unlikely alliance which later leads to a relationship they had never anticipated. As typical as its characters may seem, ‘Toradora!‘ fleshes out the perfect romantic comedy which not only makes you laugh but also leaves you with a tear or two.
3. Skillful Teaser Takagi-san (2018-)
‘Teasing Master Takagi-san‘ presents itself as a game; pretty much like ‘High Score Girl‘. A kind of rivalry ensues between the two main characters of the series, who try to get each other into embarrassing situations. Although Takagi always manages to stay ahead in this game, Nishikata vows to himself that someday he’ll make her pay for everything she has done to him.
With each episode, the anime brings in new shenanigans of the two characters and keeps you entertained with their eccentric personalities. From a storyline standpoint, some viewers might find it a little dry, but it still manages to make up for it with its great character chemistry and comedy.
2. Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions (2012-)
Produced by KyoAni, ‘Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions‘ takes place in a typical high school setup where a character named Yuuta Togashi once suffered from a serious case of “Chuunibyo”, better known as “Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome”. To put it simply, anyone who suffers from this disorder often believes that he/she possesses a special supernatural ability, which makes them superior to other seemingly “mortal humans.”
After he swears to leave his old, embarrassing chuunibyo life behind and decides to get a fresh start in a whole new school, his past catches up with him when he meets another girl who suffers from the same disorder. With this, his chuunibyou-free life takes back seat and he is forced to help the girl who reminds him of his own dark days.
1. Gamers! (2017-)
As the name suggests, just like ‘High Score Girl’, ‘Gamers!‘ is another anime that revolves around Otaku characters obsessed with video games. Keita Amano is an ordinary high school kid who keeps his head low, minds his own business, and only focuses on further honing his gaming abilities. But one day, the school’s idol, Karen Tendou, discovers that Amano is an exemplary gamer and makes him a part of the gaming club. As a result, Amano is forced to bid farewell to his previous peaceful life and adapt to all the mayhem and chaos that Karen now brings to him.
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