Having watched this great rom-com, it is no surprise that you are looking for similar anime like Tonikaku Kawaii. Here are some recommendations that might be of interest to you.
Horimiya (Anime Like TONIKAWA)
On the surface, the thought of Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura getting along would be the last thing in people’s minds. After all, Hori has a perfect combination of beauty and brains, while Miyamura appears meek and distant to his fellow classmates. However, a fateful meeting between the two lays both of their hidden selves bare. Even though she is popular at school, Hori has little time to socialize with her friends due to housework. On the other hand, Miyamura lives under the noses of his peers, his body bearing secret tattoos and piercings that make him look like a gentle delinquent.
Having opposite personalities yet sharing odd similarities, the two quickly become friends and often spend time together in Hori’s home. As they both emerge from their shells, they share with each other a side of themselves concealed from the outside world.
Comments:
- Both light hearted
- Both protagonists are fun to watch
- Easy to consume
- Both will make you shudder from the love
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
Yuu Izumi leads a high school life filled with one mishap after another. No matter how improbable the situation, unfortunate events strike him at every turn. In possession of such terrible luck, Izumi enters his second year with a single wish in mind—to spend more time with his affectionate girlfriend, Micchon Shikimori.
Cute, athletic, and caring, Shikimori is immensely popular at their school. But since they began dating a year ago, Izumi has witnessed a surprising side to his otherwise adorable girlfriend: when the need arises, she turns incredibly cool!
His misfortunes are easily avoided when she is there to protect him with an awe-inspiring look on her face. Charming in every way, she never ceases to make his heart skip a beat. Unfortunate as he may be, Izumi is sure to see his days of bad luck end thanks to the cute yet cool Shikimori.
Comments:
- Both shows have similar comedy and cute romance moments of the main couple. Coincidentally, both of the male MCs have purple hair, and the female MCs have pink hair. Both are very fun to watch if you love wholesome, slice-of-life romcom.
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale
Self-styled pessimist Tamahiko Shima lives alone in the mountains of Chiba after losing the use of his right hand in the same car accident that took his mother’s life. Deemed incapable by his father and other wealthy relatives, he has been forced into exile; he experiences idle days of reading and sleepless nights of irrepressible angst. True to the Shimas’ famous pride and determined not to disgrace his family, Tamahiko is resigned to his new duty—stay in the mountains and wait for death to put an end to his suffering.
However, on one snowy night, Tamahiko’s insomnia is interrupted by someone knocking at the door. He then meets the 14-year-old Yuzuki Tachibana, who announces that she has come to be his future wife! Suddenly, Tamahiko remembers his father promising to send him a bride to assist him with impediments to his daily life.
Although she was sold as a bride to repay her family’s debts, Yuzuki proves to be thoughtful, diligent, and dedicated to Tamahiko. Will the world-weary teenager prove insensitive to the rare breeze of kindness her presence brings to his monotonous existence?
Comments:
- Sweet & wholesome romance with cute and extremely love-able character
- A lot of heartwarming moments
- Sound track is actually pretty damn good + The two basically married in the first episode which is pretty rare in anime (an extra point if you’re into that)
Tsuki ga Kirei
With a new school year comes a new crowd of classmates, and for their final year of junior high, aspiring writer Kotarou Azumi and track team member Akane Mizuno end up in the same class. Though initially complete strangers, a few chance encounters stir an innocent desire within their hearts. A yearning gaze, a fluttering heart—the hallmarks of young love slip into their lives as fate brings their paths to a cross.
However, though love is patient and love is kind, Kotarou and Akane discover it is not always straightforward. Despite the comfort they find in each other’s company, heartache and anxiety come hand in hand with pursuing the feelings in their hearts. With the uncertainty of how the other truly feels as well as the competing affections of those around them, the road ahead is unclear. Even so, under the shining light of a beautiful full moon, Kotarou gathers his courage to ask Akane a single question, one that forever changes their quiet relationship.
Comments:
- both are wholesome romance anime
- shy male protagonists
- a lot of drama and comedy
I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying
Though they couldn’t be any more different, love has managed to blossom between Hajime Tsunashi, a hardcore otaku who shuts himself in at home while making a living off his blog, and his wife Kaoru—a hard-working office lady who, in contrast, is fairly ordinary, albeit somewhat of a crazy drunk. As this unlikely couple discovers, love is much more than just a first kiss or a wedding; the years that come afterward in the journey of marriage brings with it many joys as well as challenges.
Whether due to their quirky personalities or the peculiar people surrounding them, Hajime and Kaoru find themselves caught up in a variety of baffling and ridiculous antics. But despite the struggles they face, the love that ties them together spurs them to move forward and strive to become better people in order to bring their partner happiness.
Comments:
- Both are a wholesome romcom about a married couple with many meta anime jokes
Teasing Master Takagi-san (TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You)
Having a friend that knows you inside out should be a good thing, but in Nishikata’s case, the opposite is true.
His classmate Takagi loves to tease him on a daily basis, and she uses her extensive knowledge of his behavior to predict exactly how he will react to her teasing, making it nearly impossible for Nishikata to ever make a successful comeback.
Despite this, Nishikata vows to someday give Takagi a taste of her own medicine by making her blush out of embarrassment from his teasing.
Comments:
- Cuteness overload
- Sweetness overload
- Make you smile 20 minutes straight every episode
Momokuri (TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You)
After taking one hundred secret photos and observing him from afar for months, second-year high schooler Yuki Kurihara has finally mustered up the courage to ask out her first-year crush Shinya “Momo” Momotsuki. Although taken by surprise, the bashful Momo accepts; however, he does not know the profoundly abnormal truth. As her strait-laced friend, Norika Mizuyama, has observed, Yuki has developed some unnerving—but nonetheless sincere—habits: taking pictures of Momo in secret, doing extensive research into his personal life, collecting his used straws, and even going “Momo watching.”
Though Momo remains blissfully unaware of his new girlfriend’s peculiar habits, he does notice some oddities in their daily conversations. Still unsure and nervous about his first relationship, Momo finds himself regularly getting into awkward interactions due to his inexperience, but nevertheless resolves to make his new girlfriend happy.
Momokuri follows Yuki and Momo as they shyly explore their newfound love, and also deal with the problems that arise from it.
Comments:
- Both begin with the pair becoming a couple at the beginning, and either one or both of them don’t know anything about the other, other than that they’re cute. They gradually learn more about the other in lovey-dovey, light-on-the-plot ways and grow closer to each other.
References: https://myanimelist.net/anime/41389/Tonikaku_Kawaii
Read also: Anime Like Dr Stone