You probably think you know the story. Boy meets girl, families hate each other, everyone dies in a tomb. It’s the classic tragedy we all had to suffer through in high school English class. But honestly? Gonzo’s 2007 series Romeo x Juliet flips the script so hard that it barely feels like the same play anymore.
Imagine Neo-Verona. It's not a dusty Italian city. It’s a floating continent in the sky. There are flying horses called Ryūba. There’s a girl named Juliet who spends her days dressed as a masked vigilante named the Red Whirlwind.
It sounds absolutely wild. Because it is.
But here’s the thing: despite the dragons and the magical trees, this version of the Romeo x Juliet anime captures the emotional core of the source material better than almost any live-action movie I’ve ever seen. It’s dramatic. It’s loud. It’s unapologetically "anime." And yet, it respects the Bard in a way that feels surprisingly sophisticated.
Forget the balcony—let’s talk about the revolution
Most people expect a scene-by-scene remake. You won't get that here. In this version, the Capulets weren't just "at odds" with the Montagues; they were freaking slaughtered.
A young Juliet survives the massacre and spends years hiding in a theater, pretending to be a boy named Odin to avoid being hunted down by Lord Montague’s goons. It’s a bit like Twelfth Night meets V for Vendetta. She isn't some passive girl waiting for a guy to show up. She’s a revolutionary leader.
When she finally meets Romeo, it isn't just a "love at first sight" moment at a party. It’s a collision of two people trapped by their fathers' sins. Romeo is a sensitive kid who hates his dad’s tyranny. Juliet is a girl carrying the weight of a fallen dynasty.
The music is basically cheating
I have to mention the soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he did the music for Final Fantasy XII and Valkyria Chronicles.
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The score is orchestral and massive. It makes every single scene feel like a cinematic event. And then there's the opening theme. They used a Japanese cover of "You Raise Me Up" by Lena Park. On paper, that sounds incredibly cheesy. In practice? It’ll make you want to run through a brick wall for love.
Why the Romeo x Juliet anime actually works as a retelling
Purists usually hate it when people mess with Shakespeare. But the writers of this show understood that the original play was a "pop" story of its time. It was meant to be visceral.
By adding the fantasy elements, the Romeo x Juliet anime externalizes the internal conflict. The decaying world of Neo-Verona represents the decaying morality of the ruling class. The Great Tree Escalus, which keeps the continent afloat, is literally dying because of the hatred between the families.
It’s high stakes.
- The Red Whirlwind: Juliet’s alter ego isn't just for show. It gives her agency. She sees the suffering of the poor in the Iris district and actually does something about it.
- The Montague Tyranny: Lord Montague isn't just a grumpy dad. He’s a full-blown dictator. This makes Romeo’s rebellion against his father feel much more earned.
- The Side Characters: Tybalt is a moody, long-haired anti-hero who rides a cool horse. Even the minor players get more depth than they do in the original five-act structure.
Honestly, the middle of the series drags a little bit. There’s a whole arc where they go to a village and do some soul-searching that feels a bit like filler. But the ending? The ending is a freight train.
Let's talk about the Shakespeare cameos
The show is meta. Very meta. There’s a character in the anime literally named William Shakespeare. He’s a struggling playwright who provides comic relief and meta-commentary on the events.
He’s constantly looking for "inspiration" while his mother nags him. It’s a fun nod to the audience, acknowledging that yes, we know this is based on a play, and no, we aren't going to follow the rules.
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The controversy of the "Happy" vs "Sad" ending
I won't spoil the literal last five minutes, but I will say this: it stays true to the spirit of tragedy.
A lot of anime adaptations of classics try to "fix" the ending to make it a generic happily-ever-after. This show doesn't do that. It understands that for the world to be saved, something has to be sacrificed.
It’s about the legacy of love versus the legacy of hate.
The animation by Studio Gonzo was top-tier for 2007. Sure, some of the early CGI for the Ryūba looks a bit dated now—sorta clunky and PlayStation 2-ish—but the character designs by Hiroki Harada are beautiful. Juliet looks like a warrior. Romeo looks like a prince who's never seen a day of hard labor in his life.
How to watch it today without getting confused
If you’re looking to dive into the Romeo x Juliet anime, you should know there are two ways to experience it.
The English dub by Funimation is actually legendary. Brina Palencia (Juliet) and Chris Patton (Romeo) deliver performances that rival any stage actors. They even adapted the dialogue to include some pseudo-iambic pentameter and "thees" and "thous" without making it sound like a Renaissance fair gone wrong.
If you prefer subs, you get the original Japanese intensity, which is also great, but the dub feels more "Shakespearean" in its rhythm.
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Why you should care in 2026
We live in an era of endless remakes. Most of them are boring.
This series is the opposite of boring. It takes a story we’ve heard a thousand times and asks, "What if there were flying horses and a magical tree at the center of the earth?"
It’s a masterclass in how to adapt a classic. You keep the themes—the forbidden love, the generational trauma, the youthful impulsiveness—and you wrap them in a completely new package.
Actionable steps for the budding fan
If you want to get the most out of this show, don't just binge it in the background while you're on your phone.
- Watch the first two episodes back-to-back. The first episode sets the world, but the second episode sets the stakes.
- Listen to the lyrics of "Inori ~You Raise Me Up~". It’s the emotional anchor of the entire series.
- Pay attention to the flower symbolism. The Iris and the Rose aren't just there to look pretty; they represent the bloodlines and the inevitable clash.
- Compare it to the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film. Both are "stylized" versions of the play, but the anime goes deeper into the political fallout of the feud.
You can usually find the series streaming on Crunchyroll or Funimation, depending on your region. It’s 24 episodes long. That’s about nine hours of content.
It’s the perfect weekend watch for anyone who likes a good cry and some epic fantasy action. Just make sure you have tissues ready for the final act. It’s a heavy hitter.
Practical Next Steps
To truly appreciate the Romeo x Juliet anime, start by watching the first three episodes to see if the "Neo-Verona" aesthetic clicks for you. If you’re a fan of the original play, keep a notebook handy to spot the clever references to other Shakespeare works like Hamlet and Macbeth that are sprinkled throughout the dialogue. Finally, check out the official soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto on Spotify or YouTube; it’s widely considered one of the best orchestral scores in anime history and stands alone as a great piece of music even if you never watch the show.