Reverse Harem anime mix up the usual formula. These shows are sure to leave an impression on viewers.
It’s not fair that only guys get all the fun and options in harem-themed anime. Hence, the reverse harem genre exists, and it’s usually made solely for the female gaze. Truth be told, it’s more sensible compared to the usual offering of the harem genre, with less pandering to the ecchi-oriented audience. That makes reverse harem anime selection quite a daunting process; most of them have decent narratives and are family-friendly.
Picking favorites can be even more difficult because of all the good choices. On the other hand, one can only iterate plain-jane-protagonists-and-their-orbiting-boy-band stories so many times before the formula gets too predictable. So it’s high time to take a good look at the pioneers and heavyweights in the reverse harem genre. These are the ones that started it all or the ones that kept the flame going.
Updated March 31st, 2023, by Sid Natividad: Reverse harem anime are typically overshadowed by their more popular harem counterparts, but by no means are they inferior as stories. There have been many reverse harem animes in existence, after all, despite the rather repetitive formula and format.
So it’s about time for fans of the genre to add more of the best reverse harem anime to their list of must-watch titles. Five more entries have been added, and some of them have included some whackier twists to their template.
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20 Vampire Knight
- Release date: April 8, 2008
- Other themes/genres: Drama, mystery, romance, supernatural
Vampire Knight offers something more than other reverse harem anime: mystery and action. It follows the story of Yuuki Cross, who thankfully isn’t a clueless human girl; she’s a fully-fledged vampire after being rescued from death by Kaname Kuran, a vampire.
Ten years later, she then acts as a peacekeeper at Cross Academy, which has both a day class for humans and a night class for vampires. Despite being one of the vampires, Yuuki still refuses to see humans as prey which makes her one-of-a-kind among her peers, most of which are enigmatic vampire males with sharp fangs and even sharper bangs.
19 Kamigami No Asobi
- Release date: April 6, 2014
- Other themes/genres: Fantasy, romance, supernatural, isekai
This time around, the protagonist isn’t a destitute homeless girl with no choice. Yui Kusanagi is a cushy high school student who pulls a sword in her family’s storehouse unironically expecting nothing to happen despite the pop culture suggestion. Lo and behold, she gets transported into another realm.
It’s not just any realm, but rather a god academy that Zeus (Greek mythology) himself created to teach five handsome, lean young god men into getting in touch with humanity. And what better way to reconnect them to their human side than introducing a high school girl to them? It’s up to Yui to teach the five divine wayward gods some human manners.
18 La corda d’oro: primo passo
- Release date: Oct 2, 2006
- Other themes/genres: School, comedy, music, drama
Here’s another romance anime that takes place in a music school, specifically Seiso Academy. Main girl Hino Kahoko wasn’t meant to be meant for great things in the music academy, but she joined a school-wide music competition. Luckily, a fairy gave her a magic violin so she could compete against the male heavyweights of Seiso.
As ridiculous as it sounds, that’s really what happened. But anyone who likes a dash of classical music to go along with the usual reverse harem shenanigans will find La corda d’oro a satisfying serving and a bit of an odd cocktail.
17 Meiji Tokyo Renka
- Release date: Jan 9, 2019
- Other themes/genres: Supernatural, historical
Yet again, another average and ordinary high-school girl named Mei Ayazuki is in the spotlight in this anime. She literally gets whisked away to the Meiji era by a handsome self-proclaimed magician, and to her surprise (or delight), a group of handsome historical Meiji figureheads were expecting her.
Apparently, she could see ghosts, and this made her automatically more attractive to the aforementioned men (totally not because she was a high-schooler and they were adults). In any case, this wholesome take on a relationship dynamic like that is worth watching for the character designs alone.
16 Pretty Boy Detective Club
- Release date: Apr 11, 2021
- Other themes/genres: School, crossdressing
There was bound to be a reverse harem story like this at some point in the genre’s history. But it’s not like most reverse harem where the romance is painfully obvious and is being dangled like sweets at the viewer’s faces. Pretty Boy Detective Club is too innocent.
Because it involves a young girl who gave up on her dreams of becoming an astronaut (at 14), she ended up getting invited to a detective club instead, where she was tasked to help the boys find a star. But she must follow the rules first, which is she has to dress as a boy. A bit cliche as per reverse harem standards, but the animation and visual style are quite superb.
15 The Story of Saiunkoku
- Release date: Apr 8, 2006
- Other themes/genres: Adventure, fantasy, historical
For a refreshing change of pace, this time around, the main girl in The Story of Saiunkoku isn’t a plain Jane with self-esteem issues. She’s the daughter of a noble family who dreams of becoming a government official— in a time when women weren’t even allowed to pick their husbands.
Shuurei Kou, the main girl in question, found an opportunity when the new and lazy emperor asked her into a six-month fake marriage so she could handle his government responsibilities in his stead. Together with the emperor’s all-male retinue, they transform the monarch into a responsible man, and whatever romance blossoms along the way is counted as bonus pay.
14 Fena: Pirate Princess
- Release date: Oct 3, 2021
- Other themes/genres: Action, adventure, fantasy, historical
For those who prefer their reverse harem main girls to be more awesome or special, Fena: Pirate Princess offers more of that in spades. It’s about the titular princess, Fena, who is doomed to an arranged marriage, but lucky for her, her hot male childhood friend and a couple of other warriors rescue her from such a predicament.
What follows afterward is a swashbuckling tale as Fena and her boyband male bodyguard group jump from one adventure to another in search of a place called Eden, her father’s legacy. It’s similar to tales like Fushigi Yuugi, one of the more popular reverse harem staples.
13 Uta No Prince Sama
- Release date: July 3, 2011
- Other themes/genres: School, comedy, music
For a music-themed reverse harem anime, one cannot go wrong with Uta no Prince Sama. It’s about the goals and aspirations of protagonist Haruka Nanami. As usual, she’s a country girl with big dreams, and she plans to get her senpai idol to notice her. The only problem is that the guy is an elite rockstar and musician. That doesn’t deter Nanami one bit.
She enrolls in a music and arts academy with her goal of being a great composer. To her surprise, however, everyone else in the academy was either an idol, composer, or poet. Of course, the most handsome among them gravitated toward Nanami’s awkward provincial girl mannerisms.
12 Yona Of The Dawn
- Release date: October 7, 2014
- Other themes/genres: Drama, action, historical
The beauty in Yona of the Dawn, apart from the main character and her male warrior entourage, is that it subverts some prevalent reverse harem tropes. Yona herself is far from a stuttering and helpless girl. She’s a budding warrior and an inheritor of the throne.
The anime also doubles as a coming-of-age adventure where Yona embarks on an epic journey to reclaim her kingdom after her father, the king, gets murdered. She’s naive and sheltered at first but quickly adjusts to her new life thanks to her brave escorts.
11 Hanasakeru Seishounen
- Release date: April 5, 2009
- Other themes/genres: Drama
Hanasakeru Seishounen is a lovely and idyllic tale of another rich girl who must choose a husband in a coming-of-age story. Unlike the other reverse harem anime, there’s no pretense or pretext here, as picking a lifelong partner is Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth’s mission from the get-go.
She’s tasked with this seemingly monumental goal after her rich industrialist father shelters her on her own private island, only to be yanked out of her bubble after she turns fourteen. Everything about her and her father’s life now hinges on how well Kajika can choose a husband.
10 Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits
- Release date: April 2, 2018
- Other themes/genres: Drama, gourmet, supernatural
Aoi Tsubaki from Kakuriyo has always had a special vision where she can see and communicate with man-eating spirits. For fear that these spirits might consume her, she regularly feeds them and has honed her cooking skills well enough to keep the dangerous souls fed.
Her life takes a twist when a violent king of the spirits suddenly wants to marry her as some kind of debt settlement. What does Aoi do? She vehemently refuses the proposition and instead tells the spirit king that she will open up a restaurant instead to pay off her debt. Her customers? Man-eating souls. Oh, and some of them are hot bachelors who are into the furry scene.
9 My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!
- Release date: April 5, 2020
- Other themes/genres: Comedy, fantasy, isekai
It’s rare to find a reverse harem anime set in an isekai world, but My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! takes on that challenge. It’s similar to something like Re:Zero, where the main girl has died and gets resurrected as a character in her favorite dating sim game.
The catch is that she’s the villain in the game she used to play. To make matters worse, most of her actions accelerate her in-game death. She must tiptoe around her interactions with the characters in the game so that she gets a chance to live longer and also find some prospect among the slick and handsome bachelor selection.
8 Fruits Basket
- Release date: July 5, 2001
- Other themes/genres: Comedy, drama, romance, slice of life, supernatural
Those who have seen this anime back in its original release are probably feeling the pressure to get married or start a family right now. It’s a warm and fuzzy reverse harem classic where an innocent and kind girl named Tooru Honda finds herself reluctantly living with an old family of brothers.
The catch is that the brothers are “cursed” to transform into their zodiac sign animals if ever they’re hugged by someone of the opposite gender. From there on, Tooru’s life was never the same, especially after she keeps meeting more of the family members and learning of their dark past.
7 Kamisama Kiss
- Release date: October 2, 2012
- Other themes/genres: Comedy, fantasy, romance, supernatural
Anyone looking for a spiritual successor to Fruits Basket will find Kamisama Kiss, a reverse harem contender. In fact, it incorporates a rather similar promise for the protagonist. Girl (named Nanami here) becomes homeless due to financial issues and gets “adopted” by a slender and feminine-looking man.
The man turns out to be a fox god of some sort, and she gets bound to him by accident which inadvertently turns her into a deity. Now, her life is never the same as she tries to live with her newfound life as a god of some sort as she fends off a snake man who wants to marry her, monsters who want to eat her, and also managing her feelings for her fox god familiar.
6 Brothers Conflict
- Release date: July 2, 2013
- Other themes/genres: Romance
Most reverse harem anime usually just introduce a single-digit number of potential suitors or orbiters, Brother’s Conflict isn’t having any of that timidity; it gives the protagonist 13 step-brothers to choose from! So who’s the lucky girl? That would be Ema Hinata.
Ema’s widowed father recently remarried, which is how Ema got into the situation. The other family has an army of 13 brothers, all slim, graceful, and, more importantly, vying for her attention as if she’s the only woman in the world. However, will she choose?
5 Code: Realize – Guardian Of Rebirth
- Release date:
- Other themes/genres:
Code: Realize – Guardian of Rebirth has one of the most outlandish and ridiculous plots ever in a reverse harem anime. Its heroine, Cardia Beckford was born with what can only be described as an atomic bomb in her heart. Now, a terror organization, as well as the army, wants to keep her because she’s a weapon.
Moreover, her heart makes it so that everything organic gets melted in contact with her skin. Still, that didn’t prevent a dashing thief from stealing her, who also promised that he would steal Cardia’s heart, both literally and figuratively. Now, thousands of men are chasing her, but mostly because she’s a walking time bomb.
4 Hakuouki
- Release date: April 4, 2010
- Other themes/genres: Historical, action, drama, supernatural
Tired of the usual hapless schoolgirl getting in debt or servitude to several gorgeous guys? Then Hakuouki is a breath of fresh air as it picks the Edo era of Japan (the 1600s to 1800s as the setting. In it, Chizuru Yukimura is looking for her missing father when she gets entangled with the Shinsengumi, Japan’s special police force.
Turns out they are also looking for her father. Hence, she now has to work with them, which isn’t too bad considering how some of the members were single and ready to mingle. It also helps that they all represent several shades of masculinity with little to no physical imperfections. Who knew looking for one’s father could be a fun dating opportunity?
3 The Wallflower (The Seven Metamorphoses Of Yamato Nadeshiko)
- Release date: October 4, 2006
- Other themes/genres: Comedy
Now, back to something more palatable for the contemporary audience but a classic reverse harem anime nonetheless. The Wallflower is quite the riot as it compels four physically near-perfect shoujo anime male stereotypes to live with the Japanese version of Ugly Betty.
The girl’s name is Sunako Nakahara, and it’s intentional that her name is quite close to a horror movie staple, Sadako (Samara in the US) from The Ring. Why must they live with her? Because her filthy rich aunt wanted to teach Sunako how to be a woman, and apparently, the best way to do that is by introducing her to four men who are clueless about feminity. Ignore the logic; one doesn’t watch a harem anime for a brain exercise anyway.
2 Ouran High School Host Club
- Release date: April 5, 2006
- Other themes/genres: Comedy, romance, school
For an even wackier and more dysfunctional enrollment into high school, Ouran High School Host Club is quite the ride. It starts off when the protagonist Haruhi Fujioka gets admitted to an elite school. Too bad she gets her first taste of the school’s snobs, the Host Club, in the wrong way: by breaking a vase worth several millions of yen.
Thus, she became a gender-bent literal errand boy where she essentially became a slave for the all-male Host Club so as to pay for the vase she broke. This anime is also one of the hard-to-replace classics of its genre, on top of being an awesome comedy.
1 Fushigi Yuugi
- Release date: April 6, 1995
- Other themes/genres: Adventure, drama, romance, fantasy, isekai, comedy
Fushigi Yuugi is one of the most fun reverse harem anime in existence. A young high school girl named Miaka Yuuki gets transported to a mysterious fantasy world where she turns out to be a prophesized priestess who has the power to summon a god that will grant three wishes.
Before that, though, she must find her bodyguards or celestial warriors to protect her. Unsurprisingly, they’re all spindly male soldiers, and two of the most attractive ones want Miaka for themselves. The others are just there for flings or to add up to the conundrum.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
