Best Reverse Harem Anime Of All Time

It’s not fair that only guys get all the fun and options in harem-themed anime; hence, the reverse harem genre exists. While exceptions exist, these series can be more sensible compared to the usual offerings of the harem genre.

Picking favorites can be difficult as there are quite a few good candidates, even if new entries are not as common as they should be. 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. Therefore, it’s high time to take a good look at the pioneers and heavyweights in the reverse harem anime genre. These are the anime that started it all or the ones that kept the flame going.

Updated April 20, 2024, by Mark Sammut: The Spring 2024 anime season largely ignores reverse harems; however, one show might fit the genre.

Does Spring 2024 Have Any Reverse Harem?

A new season brings renewed excitement as the slate is scrubbed clean to make room for dozens of new anime. Fantasy, action, comedy, romance, and sports genres have multiple representatives in Spring 2024, and while they cannot all be masterpieces, most shows are more than watchable.

As with every season ever, Spring 2024 emphasizes a few specific themes and demographics, and the spread is far from even. Shojo and josei stories always get the short end of the stick when compared to shonen and seinen, and the same can be said for reverse harems when compared to the standard variant. This season largely ignores the genre, with only one series coming somewhat close to meeting its requirements. Even then, this exception seems to be more of a romance story with a roster of attractive boys as secondary characters, so it might not even develop into a proper harem. Still, it warrants a mention.

Vampire Dormitory

Vampire Dormitory‘s direction is difficult to predict. The first episode clearly establishes the story’s central romance between Mito, a down-on-her-luck girl who dresses as a guy, and Ruka, a vampire who wants to make her feel loved and also drink her blood. Most harems telegraph who will be the “main” partner, but Vampire Dormitory takes things a step further by tying Mito and Ruka together through a mutually beneficial contract. Consequently, if the show implements reverse harem elements, the other guys will likely only act as foils for Ruka rather than genuine contenders for Mito’s hand.

That said, the second episode focuses entirely on establishing the rest of the characters, all of whom are attractive guys who go to school with Mito and Ruka or work at the same café. Only one character, Ren, has shown any direct interest in Mito, mainly stemming from his desire to protect her from a vampire. The anime will probably highlight the other guys in due time.

As it currently stands, Vampire Dormitory has the building blocks to become a decent reverse harem, but the show might decide to go in another direction. Nevertheless, any fans of the genre should add this series to their watch list since that’s all Spring 2024 has to offer.

Now, onto the best reverse harem anime ever…

21 Brothers Conflict

MyAnimeList: 5.94

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?

While a fun concept, the anime does buckle somewhat under the weight of its massive cast, resulting in an entertaining but overall shallow experience.

20 Vampire Knight

MyAnimeList: 6.87 (Season 1)

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 whom are enigmatic vampire males with sharp fangs and even sharper bangs.

One of the more popular reverse harems, Vampire Knight has not aged especially well, although it works well enough as a romance with some action. Although Yuuki has a more interesting setup than many leads in the subgenre, she can be a bit too passive at times.

19 Yona Of The Dawn

MyAnimeList: 8.03

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 stars off as a naive and vulnerable person who needs to be regularly protected; however, she refuses to remain that way for long, and she works hard to try and change. She’s a budding warrior and an inheritor of the throne, one that has been usurped by an uprising driven by someone Yona believed to be a friend.

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. Her sheltered nature makes sense considering her upbringing, and her development naturally stems from the grave situation she finds herself in. Unfortunately, the anime only scratches the surface of the source material’s content, making it little more than a footnote in the overall franchise.

Yona of the Dawn
does not prioritize its reverse harem aspect.

18 Code: Realize – Guardian Of Rebirth

MyAnimeList: 6.66

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.

Based on a visual novel, Guardian of Rebirth has a cool steampunk aesthetic that sets it apart from the crowd, along with an over-the-top premise that produces quite a few exciting moments. That said, the anime is quite inconsistent in terms of quality, and plenty of episodes drag.

17 Tricks Of The Gods

MyAnimeList: 7.01

In Tricks of the Gods, the female 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 men how to get 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. Yui is a likable main character in general as she constantly tries to solve her own issues rather than settling into the damsel-in-distress role.

16 La Corda D’oro: Primo Passo

MyAnimeList: 7.42

Here’s another romance anime that takes place in a music school, specifically Seiso Academy. The 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.

15 Magic-Kyun! Renaissance

MyAnimeList: 7.01

If someone were to reduce the reverse harem genre to its base ingredients, they would end up with Magic-Kyun! Renaissance. Sunrise’s anime is a quintessential representative of these sorts of stories, to the point of containing most of its basic tropes and character archetypes. As such, it is an easy recommendation for people who are just searching for another reverse harem anime to digest; however, the series will likely not impress anyone who is not already enamored with the genre.

Hoshigei High centers around magic that takes the form of sparkles, and they seem to be tied to the arts. Kohana joins this school to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and she quickly starts a project working with a few of the academy’s most popular bachelors. Naturally, they have some disagreements at first, but the boys quickly fall in love with their female schoolmate.

14 Meiji Tokyo Renka

MyAnimeList: 7.03

An ordinary high-school girl named Mei Ayazuki gets whisked away to the Meiji era by a handsome self-proclaimed magician. To her surprise (or delight), a group of handsome historical Meiji figureheads were expecting her.

Mei learns that she can see ghosts, and this makes her automatically more attractive to the aforementioned men. A decent reverse harem anime that caters to the Josei demographic, Meiji Tokyo Renka benefits from having a fairly unique setting for the genre, along with a solid roster of male leads.

13 Kiss Him, Not Me!

MyAnimeList: 6.96

One of the most popular reverse harem anime, Kiss Him, Not Me! leans heavily into comedy, and the show can be pretty hilarious at times. Obsessed with BL stories, Kae retreats into her shell (and room) when one of her favorite manga characters dies. When she emerges, she looks quite different, a change that attracts the attention of a few guys at school. However, Kae would much prefer to focus on boys’ love than be the center of a harem’s attention.

Kiss Him, Not Me!‘s manga is not only beloved but also generally great, and the anime only scratches the surface of its source material’s content. That said, Brain’s Base still put together a charming and entertaining series that highlights the manga’s positive qualities, even if it is not a complete experience.

12 Fena: Pirate Princess

MyAnimeList: 7.07

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.

11 Uta No Prince Sama

MyAnimeList: 7.02 (Season 1)

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 rock star 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.

Story-wise, Uta no Prince Sama does not offer much in the way of excitement, and it plays things too safe for its own good. However, the show shines in its music and voice acting.

10 Hanasakeru Seishounen

MyAnimeList: 7.70

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.

9 Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits

MyAnimeList: 7.54

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.

Kakuriyo has elements of romance as expected for the genre, but the show’s selling point is arguably its slice of life tone. The anime moves at a slow pace, allowing the audience to soak in the atmosphere as they gradually watch Aoi develop friendships with her patrons.

8 My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!

MyAnimeList: 7.46 (Season 1)

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 prospects among the slick and handsome bachelor selection.

Season 1 is the stronger of the two offerings since it emphasizes Catarina’s life-threatening situation, using it for comedic and dramatic purposes. The characters are allowed to shine beyond their archetypes, and they generally have big personalities. Although not terrible, season 2 is a bit directionless compared to its predecessor.

7 Kamisama Kiss

MyAnimeList: 8.10 (Season 1)

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. A 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.

Featuring lovable leads and an engaging plot that expertly blends comedy and drama, Kamisama Kiss is just an all-around great anime that merely happens to include a reverse harem twist.

6 Romantic Killer

MyAnimeList: 8.04

Romantic Killer is in a weird spot since it is an unapologetic parody of reverse harem, and its shonen-style humor might not hit the mark with everyone. However, the show should still appeal to fans looking for a piece that can scratch their genre itch.

Anzu has no interest in boys, preferring to spend her time on games and junk food; unfortunately, a magical being suddenly appears and flips her life around, casting her as the unwilling lead in a harem universe. Despite initially seeming to mock everything that harems and romance stories stand for, Romantic Killer gradually develops into a surprisingly effective example of both genres. Anzu is a contender for the best female lead in the reverse harem world, and she is accompanied by male characters who have surprising depth. The premise seems uncomfortable at first since the guys appear to be mind-controlled, but this element is eventually subverted.

5 The Story Of Saiunkoku

MyAnimeList: 7.98 (Season 1)

This time around, the main girl in The Story of Saiunkoku is the daughter of a noble family who dreams of becoming a government official. However, the show is set during 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. The Story of Saiunkoku is notable for its proactive protagonist and historical setting, two elements that not only set it apart from many reverse harem anime but also elevate it above many of its contemporaries.

4 Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~

MyAnimeList: 7.37 (Season 1)

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?

Hakuoki puts romance on the back burner for most of its run, allowing the main relationships to develop naturally rather than forcing their growth through melodrama. As a historical series with hints of fantasy, the anime is effective and engaging.

MyAnimeList: 7.72

The Wallflower is quite the riot as it compels four physically near-perfect shoujo anime male stereotypes to live with a girl who has a unique look. 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? 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.

While repetition sets in after a while, The Wallflower is comfortably among the funniest reverse harem anime; more importantly, the characters’ relationship change throughout the series, and it is not love at first sight.

2 Mysterious Play

MyAnimeList: 7.61

Mysterious Play, better known as Fushigi Yugi, 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.

Fushigi Yugi is a cult classic that arguably does not get enough attention in this day and age. Isekai fans should definitely take the time to check out this series as it has aged relatively well, despite feeling a bit rushed in places. The reverse harem aspect is given a fair amount of attention without hogging the limelight from the core story, which is pretty great.