If life teaches us anything, it is that love sometimes happens in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of people. Koshiro is a run-of-the-mill salaryman who has recently been dumped by his partner. With his heart broken and hope lost, he soon comes to realize that he can love again, once he sets eyes on a beautiful young schoolgirl riding the train. However, there is one catch -- this girl named Nanoka is his sister, who he has not seen in years. Knowing that their forbidden love will always be scrutinized by society; will Koushirou and Nanoka be able to resist the temptation?
Kazuna is a young man with a fairly normal life. He attends high school, lives with his surrogate family, and models for his somber love-interest Yaegashi's paintings. But recently, he has suffered several crippling attacks at the sight of blood -- attacks which leave him incapacitated and out of control. Kazuna must now reunite with his sister who he has not seen in years, and discover the truth behind his family name and vampiric genes, before his bloodthirsty desires destroy himself, or others close to him.
A brooding, serious minded drama, Hitsuji no Uta uses its vampire premise to explore a subtext of a weird, symbiotic take on incest. Koi Kaze gives a far more upfront and nonsupernatural portrayal of incest; but if you're looking for fairly solid dramatic portrayals of this subject, either series serves reasonably well.
Art college: cradle of romance, home of bittersweet moments. Takemoto is struggling to find his direction in life, while his roommates Morita and Mayama are moving confidently - or recklessly - towards their goals. Enter Hagu-chan, the childlike and beautiful prodigy whom everyone admires; and thus the love triangles begin. Together, the trio explore the pain of first love, the trials of romantic conflict, and our loyalty to those annoying people who happen to be our closest friends.
With a past shrouded in mystery and a blank memory, Shiki Tohno seems to be just another "average high school student". That is, until he nearly kills a female vampire with his secret deadly ability to "see the lines". His journey to unlock the secrets of the Tohno family and unbury his own lost memories has only just begun, and now he must also help the woman, Arcueid Brunestud, find a lethal phantom named Roa, and kill it using his ability.
Fumihiko Matsumaru is a salary man who works in the marketing department of a snack company. As a bachelor, he tried to date a girl from his company; but coincidently, he met Aka Onda, a rookie voice actor, instead. Through another stroke of fate, Aka’s house burned down that very night. With nowhere to stay and no family to aid Aka, Fumihiko took her in; and the next day, Fumihiko’s new marketing idea was accepted, and Aka’s being hired for the product’s voice actor! As the relationship of Aka and Fumihiko deepens, the more difficult their relationship becomes. Can they live together under the same roof while keeping the secret of their relationship safe?
Koi Kaze and REC are hyper-realistic romance series (starring at least one adult) that offer a welcome respite from the oodles of angsty/vapid romances set in high schools. The male lead from each is especially similar.
At the end of the 19th century, in a time when social classes dominate society, a woman named Emma serves as a maid for a retired governess. One fateful day, a man named William from the upper class arrives at the mansion to visit the governess, and leaves having fallen in love with the young maid herself. In a time of such prejudice, love between the classes is frowned upon; but for William and Emma, their hardships are just beginning. Can the two break free of the bonds society has forced on them, or will they succumb to the pressure and banish each other from their hearts?