Love stories aren't for me...unless they're anime

I can't think of a single love story movie that I've seen in theaters.  None of them have ever interested me.  Indeed I've seen many love story movies, but that was in the comfort of my own home.  I can't remember picking out love stories to watch specifically, but I know that I've watched a few with friends and family.  I don't know if the ones I've seen were particularly bad, but I felt viewing those movies was pure torture.  If you like them that's fine with me, but they clearly aren't my taste.

That's why it makes absolutely no sense that I actually really enjoy love story anime!  There are plenty of anime features that focus on love stories and budding romances.  Even if I wanted to avoid that kind of content, it was bound to sneak into an anime that I wanted to see.  A large majority of anime features have some sort of romantic element to them, and it honestly doesn't bother me one bit.

I think the romantic anime that really made me turn the corner was Chobits.  I don't remember how or why I checked the series out, but it's absolutely fantastic.  While there's a good dose of humor in the series, there's no doubt that the majority of it is focused on the relationship of the two main characters.  Through and through, Chobits is a sappy love story.  With that said, I really found myself enjoying it.  I'd definitely include it in my list of favorite anime of all time.

I don't know if it's odd, but I think that seeing a relationship story told through anime makes things more believable.  There's a lot more with anime that allows me to use my own imagination.  Traditional live-action love stories seem too perfect in their stories and too unrealistic in their portrayals.  Something about those actors pulls me out of the experience.  With anime, I can let those barriers go and just enjoy the relationship building up in front of me.

How do you feel about romantic anime?  Are you a huge fan or have you not checked any of them out?