The Summer season is nearing its end, but are you still craving more? Discover the best anime to watch next based on your favourite Summer 2026 titles.
Summer 2026 is coming to an end, and with it, the finale episodes of refreshing new titles that make us want more. Whether it was a charming romance, a dramatic fantasy, or a surprisingly intense hobby anime, saying goodbye to a series you’ve grown attached to is never easy.
Thankfully, the end of the season doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to those stories just yet. From beloved classics to hidden gems, here are some older anime to watch next based on your favourite Summer 2026 titles.
Goodbye, Lara → Princess Tutu (2002)
Starting right off the bat with Goodbye, Lara. If you're wanting more of that fairytale angle with a darker, emotional edge, then the 2002 shoujo anime, Princess Tutu, might be right up your alley.
Princess Tutu is a fantasy romance anime lightly inspired by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake, which in turn was partly inspired by European myths about bird women.
In this anime, a writer named Drosselmeyer had the power to make his stories come to life. However, he passed away without ever finishing his last story, “The Prince and the Raven," which left the titular prince, Siegfried, trapped in a never-ending battle with the Raven (fans of the original ballet may allude this character to the evil sorcerer, Rothbart).
At some point, however, the Raven escapes into the real world, with Siegfried in pursuit. As a bid to seal away the Raven's evil power, Siegfried shatters his heart with his own sword, losing his emotions and memories in the process.
Drosselmeyer, who preserved his consciousness within “The Prince and the Raven”, laments at the fact that his story as reached a standstill after Siegfried's sacrifice, but finds a way to restart it with the help of a duck who had fallen in love with Mytho, the empty remainder of Siegfried. He provides the duck with a pendant that allows her to change into two forms: Ahiru, a simple human girl, and Princess Tutu, a magical ballerina, tasking her with finding the shards of Siegfried's heart.
Princess Tutu is every bit as magical and as mystical as Goodbye, Lara, and also asks heavy questions about love, self-sacrifice, and accepting yourself. The visuals also hold a similar nostalgic charm.
Princess Tutu is unfortunately not easily available to watch given that it's an older anime, but if you're curious enough, a VPN can help you access the title in Japanese streaming sites.
(Look, we're not encouraging piracy, but there are some Youtubers out there who upload older anime titles with all the episodes. Sure, it's at 360p, but what's a little compromise, ahem, ahem.)
Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky → Plastic Memories (2015)
Next up is Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky. If you're looking for another romance that balances its sweet moments with a looming sense of heartbreak, then you might want to check out the 2015 anime, Plastic Memories.
Plastic Memories is a sci-fi romance set in a world where androids known as Giftia have become a normal part of everyday life. However, these androids have a limited lifespan, and once their expiration date approaches, they must be retrieved and retired.
The story follows Tsukasa Mizugaki, a young man who joins the Terminal Service Department, a division responsible for recovering Giftia nearing the end of their lifespan. There, he is paired with Isla, a Giftia who is approaching her own expiration date.
While the two initially have a professional relationship, their partnership gradually develops into something more. But with Isla's limited time left, their growing feelings come with the painful knowledge that their time together is never going to last forever.
Like Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky, Plastic Memories knows how to make its romance feel all the more precious by putting an expiration date on the happiness at its centre. It's a sweet, emotional watch that isn't afraid to remind you that sometimes, knowing something can't last is exactly what makes it worth cherishing.
Plastic Memories is available to stream on Crunchyroll, so if you're looking for something to fill the void left by Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky, this might be worth adding to your watchlist.
The Duke's Son Claims He Won't Love Me Yet Showers Me with Adoration → Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion (2023)
Moving on to The Duke's Son Claims He Won't Love Me Yet Showers Me with Adoration. If you're wanting more of that fantasy romance with a fake relationship and a seemingly cold duke who slowly falls for the heroine, then the 2023 anime, Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion, is the next title to watch.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion follows Rinko, a young woman who suddenly finds herself reincarnated as Raeliana McMillan, a minor character in a novel she had read. Unfortunately, Raeliana's fate in the story isn't exactly a happy one, as she is destined to be murdered by her own fiancé.
Desperate to avoid her predetermined death, Raeliana approaches Duke Noah Wynknight, the male lead of the novel, and proposes a fake engagement. In exchange for helping him maintain his own public image, Noah agrees to protect Raeliana from her original fate.
What starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement soon becomes much more complicated as the two spend more time together. Noah may insist that their relationship is nothing more than a contract, but his actions often tell a very different story.
Like The Duke's Son Claims He Won't Love Me Yet Showers Me with Adoration, Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion has plenty of romance, scheming nobles, and a male lead who isn't nearly as indifferent to the heroine as he likes to pretend. If you're already missing that push-and-pull dynamic, Raeliana is definitely worth checking out.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
The Ogre's Bride → My Happy Marriage (2023)
Next up is The Ogre's Bride. If you're wanting more of that fantasy romance with a dashing male lead, plenty of female lead suffering, parental trauma, and lots of main character growth, then My Happy Marriage is basically the title you'd want to see next.
My Happy Marriage follows Miyo Saimori, a young woman born into a family with supernatural abilities. However, Miyo is treated as little more than a servant by her family after her mother's death, especially by her stepmother and stepsister.
Things change when Miyo is told that she is to marry Kiyoka Kudou, the head of a powerful family known for his cold and ruthless personality. Having heard the rumours surrounding her future husband, Miyo expects the worst when she arrives at his household.
Instead, Kiyoka gradually begins to show Miyo the kindness and affection she has been denied for most of her life. As the two grow closer, Miyo also begins to uncover the supernatural secrets surrounding Kiyoka and the world they live in.
My Happy Marriage has many of the same elements that make The Ogre's Bride such an enjoyable watch, from its arranged marriage and supernatural setting to a romance built around two people slowly learning to trust one another. It also explores themes of family, trauma, and finding a place where you can finally feel loved and accepted.
My Happy Marriage is available to stream on Netflix.
Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games → Rock is a Lady's Modesty (2025)
Moving on to Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games. If you're wanting more of that unlikely combination of elegant young ladies and an unexpectedly intense hobby, then the 2025 anime, Rock Is a Lady's Modesty, is the next best thing.
Rock Is a Lady's Modesty follows Ririsa Suzunomiya, a girl who transfers to an elite girls' school after her mother remarries into a wealthy family. Having been raised to act like a proper lady, Ririsa does her best to maintain her refined image at school.
However, she soon meets Otoha Kurogane, a talented drummer who has no interest in following the same social expectations. The two eventually discover their shared passion for rock music, leading Ririsa to pick up the drums and form a band with Otoha.
Much like Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games, Rock Is a Lady's Modesty gets plenty of mileage out of watching seemingly proper schoolgirls completely lose themselves in their chosen hobby. Beneath the elegant uniforms and refined surroundings are girls with plenty of passion, competitiveness, and a willingness to get surprisingly intense when it comes to the things they love.
If the contrast between ojou-sama aesthetics and girls getting way too invested in their hobbies was what made Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games so much fun, Rock Is a Lady's Modesty is definitely worth checking out.
Rock is a Lady's Modesty is available to watch on HIDIVE in select territories.
Red River → Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play (1995)
Last but not least, we have Red River. If you're wanting more of that historical fantasy adventure where a modern girl finds herself transported to an ancient world, then the 1995 anime, Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, might be right up your alley.
Fushigi Yugi follows Miaka Yuki, a teenage girl who discovers an ancient Chinese book called The Universe of the Four Gods. However, she soon finds herself pulled inside the book, where she is transported to a world inspired by ancient China.
Miaka learns that she is destined to become the Priestess of Suzaku and must gather the seven Celestial Warriors in order to summon the god. Along the way, she becomes entangled in the political conflict between the kingdoms of Konan and Kutou, while also developing feelings for Tamahome, one of the warriors she meets.
Like Red River, Fushigi Yugi combines its historical setting with fantasy, adventure, political intrigue, and romance. Both stories follow a young girl thrown into a dangerous ancient world, where she becomes much more deeply involved in its conflicts than she ever expected.
Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play is a classic shoujo isekai for a reason, especially if you enjoy stories where romance is only one part of a much larger adventure. Just be prepared for plenty of drama along the way.
Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play is available to stream on Crunchyroll in select territories.