Updated date:

Aug 15, 2019

Top 10 Best Harem Anime

Author:

Cheeky Kid has been watching anime and reading manga for as long as he can remember. Doing so takes him to different worlds.

What Is Harem Anime?

Harem (HRM) is an anime genre where there’s usually one main character who’s surrounded by multiple characters of the opposite sex (who are usually all potential love interests). As particular as it is and given the fact that it can lead to all sorts of predictable situations (awkward or not), this genre is often mixed in with romance, comedy, and ecchi.

The main character is usually male. If the protagonist is female with multiple male suitors, then the anime is referred to as a reverse harem (reverse HRM).

Since this genre is a fairly popular these days (amassing a huge fan base and producing a lot of titles), I decided to make a top 10 list of the best harem anime you can watch and enjoy. Have fun!

By the way, if you’re also interested in the gender reversal of this genre, check out the top 10 best reverse harem anime.

The Top Ten Harem Anime

To Love-Ru
Date A Live
The World God Only Knows
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai)
Nisekoi
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano)
Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko (The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat)
Grisaia no Kajitsu
Trinity Seven
Nagasarete Airantou

10. Nagasarete Airantou

Nagasarete Airantou is about one guy and a deserted island full of girls. On top of that, all the girls are obsessively curious about the guy (because they’ve never seen one before). So, they try to chase him every minute of every single day. Being chased by a lot of girls might be a dream come true for most guys, but for Ikuto Touhouin, it’s a horrible nightmare. Withholding that fact, this show is legitimately a star of this genre.

The show follows the story of Ikuto Touhouin, a 14-year-old boy who’s at the peak of his youth. After getting into a fight with his father, he decides to run away and go on vacation by boarding a ship. However, it never crossed his mind that his simple vacation would turn into a one-of-a-kind experience. When a storm hits the ship, he gets thrown into the ocean only to wake up on a peculiar island with its population entirely made up of, well, girls.

9. Trinity Seven

It’s one special guy with a cast of several equally special gals. But, that’s not all there is to this series. What marks this anime as special is the main character's unique quality that separates him from other protagonists in the genre. Arata Kasuga gets along smoothly with his entire all-girl troupe, like a conforming wave in the vast ocean. He's not dense at all and is totally aware of everything.

When a black sun shows up in the sky bringing forth a phenomenon called the Collapse Phenomenon, Arata Kasuga realizes that something’s terribly off with the world—his cousin Hijiri Kasuga goes missing and a mysterious magician is after him. After realizing what is happening, and taking the grimoire into his possession, Arata decides to enroll in a mage academy to look for his cousin. There, he meets the best-of-the-best when it comes to magic and skills—the Trinity Seven!

Trinity Seven - Trailer

Recommended Ecchi Anime

The word ecchi comes from how Japanese speakers pronounce the letter H. The H refers to the word hentai, although ecchi refers to a different genre. Ecchi anime typically features fanservice and suggestive themes, although it is still generally suitable for television. Ecchi and harem anime often go together, so here are some recommendations of the genre.

B Gata H Kei
Heaven's Lost Property
High School of the Dead
High School DxD
Ikki Tousen

8. Grisaia no Kajitsu

It doesn't get any more unique than this! Grisaia no Kaijutsu isn’t your standard HRM anime with all the regular tropes and usual elements. For one, this anime is in the psychological genre (a rarity for HRM). Also, it's packed with thrills, serious developments, and a ton of suspense—all qualities that make this one exceptional and different from others. It manages to both contain some of the essential elements of a HRM show and a psychological thriller. It's marvelously tied together.

The story takes place at a special school that’s dedicated to reforming students who are bad apples. There, we'll meet five female students with lives each holding terrible and regrettable secrets. Up until now, everyone attending the school was female. But then, one day, a male student comes in to join the class with them. Despite everyone having dark secrets of their own, the new student Kazami Yuuji might just have the most controversial secret and darkest past of them all.

Grisaia no Kajitsu - Trailer

7. Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko (The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat)

If you think that this is another senseless HRM show with overused clichés and whatnot, then you’re actually right . . . and also wrong! You’re in for a big surprise! Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko might seem pretty average in terms of story and consistency. However, the characters (especially the main character) make up for this, resulting in an above-average HRM. Harem? Check. A bit of ecchi? Check. Comedy? Check. Romance? Check. Cuteness/adorability (Moe factor)? Gazillions of check marks!

After learning about the existence of a stony cat that grants wishes, Youto Yokodera decides to give it a try in order to bring out his true self and show his perverted nature to the world. After always being considered pure and innocent, he’s had enough of not being able to truly represent and express his true self. However, he’ll soon be faced with unpredictable complications in his new life, as well as the new ties he has made with a fellow wisher.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko - Trailer

Harem Girl Archetypes

The girls in a harem anime typically fit an established character mold. Here are some common character types that often appear.

Tsundere: These characters usually put on a tough exterior to hide their attraction to the main character. Their bickering often brings them together, Chitoge from Nisekoi is a good example of a tsundere.
Kuudere: These characters are more colder and have little to no emotions. However, they can have caring personalities.
The Childhood Friend: This character is typically the girl-next-door type. They are often very kind and have known the main character the longest. They may have some frustration over not being noticed by the protagonist.
The Yamato Nadeshiko: This character often has traits that are related to the traditional ideals of Japanese femininity. They are well-mannered and have a strong elegance about them.
The Ojou: This character is often rich and haughty. They are kind of a contrast to the Yamato Nadeshiko in that they often carry more European ideals of beauty.

6. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano)

This is one of the newest anime series in the HRM genre. Even though it's just a few episodes in so far, I'm already struck by the brilliance of this show. So much that I’ve included it on this list—and at number six nonetheless!

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata shimmers with respect to its plot and comical nature. Yes, it’s a standard HRM show, but that’s what actually makes it interesting. I was hooked from the first episode and still am. Every episode so far has been excellent. For a fresh HRM anime show, I must say this has gigantic potential!

The biggest otaku of the school, Aki Tomoyo, stumbles upon a rare moment with what seemed to be his perfect girl. His heart suddenly flutters, causing him to want to create a game based on that special moment (even though he doesn’t know who the girl is). Dead serious about his new project at this point, he enlists two of the most popular students of his school, Eriri Spencer Sawamura and Utaha Kasumigaoka, to help him. Later on that day, he crosses paths again with this seemingly perfect girl. Only this time, to his surprise, she’s not actually who he thought she was.

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata - Trailer

5. Nisekoi

Nisekoi is HRM done right. Yes, done right! It has all the essentials and it even thrives while using all the usual clichés you'll see from the genre. This is because it manages to carry itself in a way that's incredibly effective, so much so that you stop seeing it as just another HRM series. Proper execution and making the most out of the classic tropes are key here, and Nisekoi has succeeded in both.

When he was a child, Raku Ichijou made a promise to a certain girl that when they finally reunited someday, they would marry. Up to this day, he holds on to the pendant that the girl gave to him. Years later, when in high school, he has a crush on a girl named Kosaki Onodera. Due to his family being the yakuza group known as the Shuei-gumi and the fact that he’s the only heir, he is forced to go along with a made-up relationship with a girl named Chitoge Kirisaki, who’s the heir of another group called the Bee Hive Gangsters. Now he has to deal with juggling the made-up relationship and his true feelings towards Kosaki at school.

4. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai)

What makes Boku Tomodachi ga Sukunai stand out the most is the fact that it’s using an interesting premise alongside familiar settings—school and clubs. Also, it delivers so many jokes that it’ll make you laugh out loud every moment you watch it. Believe it or not, the guy-surrounded-by-girls theme works great with this one. All the awkward moments are hilarious. Combine that hilarity with its perfect blend of themes and we have an instant classic.

Kodaka Hasegawa has always been treated as a delinquent because of the color of his hair. In high school, he meets a girl who seems to be talking to nobody, while claiming that it was her friend. He realizes that she also has no friends, which prompted them both to establish a Neighbor Club with the mission of making new friends. As the club jumpstarts, a few other awkward people tag along, joining in on the club activities of what they think friends should be doing together.

3. The World God Only Knows

If the girls in The World God Only Knows remember everything they’ve gone through, Keima would have the biggest harem ever! However, that's not the case. This anime is about Keima, the number of girls he's conquered (making this a true HRM anime), and how they forget everything after he conquers them.

If it’s anything that concerns games (especially dating games), nothing can’t be conquered by Katsuragi Keima. That's all he's prided himself on his whole life—playing games. Then, one day, a demon girl by the name of Elucia seeks him out in order to get him to help her capture escaped souls that now reside in the void of girls’ hearts. So, much like he does with his dating games, Keima only has to make the girls fall in love with him in order to manifest the souls and capture them in the process—all in real life!

The World God Only Knows - Trailer

2. Date A Live

Is this a love quadrangle I smell here? Or is it even more than that? There’s only one thing left for Shido left to do—capture the hearts of those female spirits and get them to love him through sweet talk and charm. Date A Live actually stays true to its name—it’s a date and everyone lives happily because of it. But, the only one left with all the troubles is Shido himself. Then again, he's enjoying it so it's okay.

In a world frequented by space quakes (destructive earthquakes caused by spirits), humanity has suffered countless casualties under the whims of these misunderstood spirits. One day, a plan devised by the anti-spirit organization Ratatosk sets into motion. High school boy Itsuka Shido becomes part of the plan as his sister, Itsuka Kotori, is actually the head of Ratatosk. Now, since brute force isn’t effective, Ratatosk asks Shido to befriend the spirits and win their hearts over with peaceful resolutions.

Date A Live - Opening

1. To Love-Ru

Choosing which series to hand the number one spot to was a no-brainer. After all, when one mentions HRM anime, the first thing that comes to mind (for me and for many) is To Love-Ru! Rito Yuuki is the king of HRM. He’s got a lot of girls around him—even alien ones! Most of the time, it leads to very awkward scenarios which sometimes even escalate further to something unexpected. That’s its own flavor of comedy, and I must say—it’s super effective! To Love-Ru easily knocks all of the competitors out of the park to stand out as the anime befitting of the HRM crown of glory!

Rito Yuuki is struggling with his love life. He can't seem to muster up the courage to confess to the girl he likes at school. Then, one day, everything took a much more complicated turn. While bathing, a girl named Lala suddenly manifested in the same bathtub he was in and claimed that she was an alien from the planet of Deviluke. To make matters worse, she’s being chased by mysterious people from her planet. Rito jumps in to protect her not knowing that what he’s doing shall soon cause a big misunderstanding later on.

Comments

Eliseo Taping on September 09, 2020:

Nice my 2 first anime and favorite was 1st and 2nd

on August 09, 2020:

What about shinmai no testnament

Bruh on July 31, 2020:

Where's monster musume

no. on July 23, 2020:

Zero no Tsukaima isnt on here, therefore this entire list is rendered irrelevant.

cknori95 on July 17, 2020:

Date A Live and To Love-Ru were precisely the first two animes I watched, and they sure did a great job cementing my taste...

Animaniac on July 10, 2020:

I love To Love-Ru more than High school dxd.

Someone on July 09, 2020:

Masou Gakuen HxH is a good harem anime Wink wink.

It is kinda the same as High school DxD

Hestia on June 26, 2020:

Where's danmachi :0

Hi on June 05, 2020:

Why is high school DXD and up there it the best

OnlyFans on May 11, 2020:

All of y’all just watching for them anime titties are fools y’all need to broaden your horizons fr get into the anime and the characters, one of my favorite harem is trinity 7 it’s an awesome anime to love ru is up there as well

YEE on May 09, 2020:

I really don't understand why some ppl say they hate DxD but know the story so well.

I swear those guys are hypocrites.

nekko on May 09, 2020:

dxd is a really good show has some great parts wink wink

U on May 06, 2020:

I think high school dxd should be number one

Maxalexter O'neil on April 21, 2020:

Actually it is on the list but not as harem romcom but ecchi harem romcom. If you read properly. The admin has put as the list of example ecchi

TheWillOfABeast on March 13, 2020:

I can understand why DxD isn't in here. I don't like watching Harem Animes where the main protagonist acts like a shithead, and still gets what he wants. Issei, in this case, is the reason I don't watch that show. All he does is talk about breasts, wants to touch them. It's seriously irritating to witness, especially with that stupid perverted face. What kind of girl would want a boy like him. Sure he does SOME heroic things in the show but, he has nearly no character development in terms of being a pervert. After one of his battles he says "I'm glad I could protect President's Breasts". He's literally acting like he cares more about her breasts then herself in general, and when he stops the wedding he says "Rias's virginity belongs to me."...He's not fooling me with that pathetic nice guy act, he should go for the goal to go home. Todd Haberkorn said it WatchMojo's Top 10 Worst Anime Boyfriends which Issei was in, and I agree 100% with his statement. Then there's the protagonists with there goals:

Goku: To become stronger to protect his loved ones.

Ichigo: To protect those, to not suffer the way he did.

Naruto: To become the Hokage to get acknowledged by those who wronged him.

Luffy: To become King of the Pirates

I respect these goals but, I'm not supporting Issei's ignorant goal. Kiba is more worthy of having a Harem. Even character from other animes deserve Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Asia, and the others. Goku, Naruto, Natsu, Ichigo, heck or even Luffy. Sure, Goku, and Luffy may not know what a Harem is but, that doesn't mean that they don't deserve one. I'd rather take Innocence, and lack of intelligence over, stupid, perverted douchebag-ery anyday.

WWII guy on February 27, 2020:

I like High school dxd it start me to watch anime

The First Progenitor on December 22, 2019:

1.) High School DxD

2.) Strike The Blood

3.) Trinity Seven

4.) Testament Of Sister New Devil

5.) The Familiar Of Zero

oddred28 on October 24, 2019:

Oresuki new released anime totally entertaining and good humor you guys should consider watching this year

zylas on October 14, 2019:

high school dxd should be second at least issei was brave to be so perveted and he's literally the embodiment of hornyness

fake_smile on October 08, 2019:

hey mister author can u please also include "Anime Grisaia no Kajitsu"

by far the anime i could ever watch and one of the best anime for rewatching

oof on September 30, 2019:

where is the quintessential quintuplets

Nickster914 on September 18, 2019:

Where's High School DxD?

R3ZYDNT on August 27, 2019:

Testament of sisters was best

Ralph on August 21, 2019:

Where is darling in the franXX

anam on August 14, 2019:

what the hell man you all forgot about the steatment of the new sister devil and kiss x sis

sTupid_Life on July 14, 2019:

I wonder when they'll release a new season for HighScool DxD, I really like that one

EH? on June 04, 2019:

H.O.T.D is pretty missin' too

Birdy on June 03, 2019:

Not big into romance stuff but Date A Live was outstanding.

No U on March 19, 2019:

No one cares about High School DxD

mm on March 17, 2019:

trinity seven is the best in characters :3

Rangminpizi@gmail.com on March 14, 2019:

High school dxd?

Haremaniac on February 20, 2019:

mdd has a good question, Ecchiguy.

ummmm... on February 10, 2019:

Did u just, forget high school DxD or?...

Ifartradio on January 27, 2019:

Some of these comments are dumb this is a personal opinion on their favorites not yours.

GGEZ on January 26, 2019:

The World only God Knows & Date a Live are almost alike beacuse they need to capture with supernatural stuff with them and they need to make the gals fall for them and kiss them...

Bruh on January 24, 2019:

I literally saw each and every one of them... Ugh! When are they gonna release those ecchi harem anime now that its 2018???

mdd on January 20, 2019:

Ecchi guy...what do you recommend?

Ecchiguy on December 29, 2018:

List isn't great, some good ones on here but it's what isn't on it that makes it poorly made

Byyby on December 29, 2018:

Where's Yuuna and the hot spring

Kizamisku on December 13, 2018:

Nice list glad dxd was not on here lol

AzwarTrap on December 01, 2018:

Highschool dxd where is is it should be number 1 or 2 i mean to love ru is good but not as good high school dxd

Kinkykitten on November 21, 2018:

Nagasarete Airantou cannot even come close in comparison to Love Hina. Love Hina set basic tropes and popuralized a harem concept all while being mainstream for it's time. Love Hina definitely deserves a spot.

fondofwisdom on November 18, 2018:

all these comments make me sad, you all forget that when it comes to harem classics are king, tenchi isnt even on this list and that is sickening

Jeff on November 08, 2018:

High School Dxd is not on this list?!!! NANDATO?!!!

UltraKiller79 on October 31, 2018:

Where TF is Highschool dxd my dude. i mean to-love ru and trinity seven r gud but where is dxd. and why is Trinity Seven number it should be number 1 or 2

Anime Lover on October 29, 2018:

YOU should really put High school dxd on the list.Highschool dxd is my 2nd favoriate anime.You should even put tenchi on the list and even shuffle.Shuffle is my favoriate harem anime.

Over viewer on September 23, 2018:

Dude if I even tried to count how many comments say high school dxd in them it would take me like 10 minutes. High school dxd really does deserve a top spot on this list.

What If... on September 20, 2018:

Anime where main character wakes up with girls sleeping with him???

noone on September 20, 2018:

its sad that its so freaking hard 2 find the to love ru series i still somehow haVE SEEN the first and motto but cant find the others :(

anon on September 20, 2018:

HIGHSCHOOL DXD ISN'T ON HERE? NANI!?!?

Hello on July 30, 2018:

What about one of them is my younger sister?

Harem_Man on June 24, 2018:

Your list is good but I think the Trinity Seven is really popular so I think it deserves at least top 5 and you should mention about the high school dxd because it is really popular among the fan.

URAHARA KISUKE on June 19, 2018:

Man, Zero No Tsukaima, Sekirei, Demon King Daimao, Strike the Blood are way better than most of those on your list.

gia on June 11, 2018:

Isn't The familiar of zero one if this harem anime ?

Arnav on June 09, 2018:

Your article almost correct I am not questioning on this but I think that some anime is much better in story, harem, romance and ecchi like sword art online, sekirei, high school dxd, strike the blood, another world with smartphone, Zero no Tsukaima, cupid's chocolate, campione and so on these are my favorite anime I think some them I am forgeting but ya if some of them are in the list not all I mentioned but if one or two anime that i recomanded so i think it would a good article. You can make top 15 or 20 list article because above anime all good but there rank must be rearrange.

(Arigatou Gozaimasu)

Hito on May 19, 2018:

Wow Amazing Story School Days Animation.............

Monkey D. Dragon on May 19, 2018:

i watch all this anime any thing good anime and where is highschool dxd it has 5 season

Kobayashi Hiro on May 05, 2018:

what about Monogatari series?I think it's a harem anime too

Tenchi on May 04, 2018:

Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar's Kenshi Masaki is the true harem king. Every girl in the show pursued him except for maybe five.

Dark_light on May 03, 2018:

A Harem list without the Monogatari Series?? Lol

light on April 25, 2018:

where the hell is SAO?!?! that is one of the best animes ever written!

Person on April 15, 2018:

Wheres Highschool dxd?

Issei on April 15, 2018:

I think Issei of High-school Dxd is number 1.

Gin on April 14, 2018:

After noticing Haganai is up on the list, I soon realized your standard of what so called "best" harem anime series. Seriously? Haganai? The main protagonist is frickin' useless af.

Fred Heiser on April 04, 2018:

C'mon! Where is Yamada-kun and the 7 Witches?

Vb on March 29, 2018:

Wtf?!!!

Where's baka and test?!!

It's the anime bcoz of which i started watching anime in 1st place

Fred from SoCal on March 23, 2018:

Yamata-kun and the Seven Witches. And where the Hell is Tenchi Muyo, the granddaddy of all harems?

nick on March 02, 2018:

you may hate me for this but have you considered monster musume to be a harem that should belong in this list. (just saying its an interesting harem with a new season coming out this fall 2018)

William Miseria on February 02, 2018:

1. To Love Ru

2. High School DXD

A simple Anime Lover on January 21, 2018:

THX to whom ever made this

Harem Queen on January 12, 2018:

Where is Highschool DxD? That is actually a very accurate question, it is a harem anime but dips into ecchi and sentai groups as well. To be honest, harem anime qualities always reflect back onto the viewers tastes.

X Harem Queen.

(Yes I watch Harem and Reverse Harem... Harem is better and has a better plot tho.)

Dat dude on December 28, 2017:

Dude im telling you in another world with my smartphone is one of the best

SKRAAA PAK PAK PAK PAK PAK on December 02, 2017:

Where the hell is High School DxD?

Harem king on November 24, 2017:

Anime is life by the way i dont see high school dxd

DRAGON SLAYER on November 16, 2017:

Where is High School DxD

shaun on November 08, 2017:

9o% anime fans on earth know about high school dxd ....why shoud be it in the list,.

Xerxes on November 05, 2017:

Where is the Highschool Dxd and Highschool of the Dead tsk...

Liger on October 14, 2017:

Oreshura is one with a lot of heart.

HIGHSCHOOL DXD on September 29, 2017:

WHERE IS HIGHSCHOOL DXD?! IT GOT THEM ANIME TIDDIES!!!!!!!!!!

Jingo on September 23, 2017:

I've watch it all do you had some new anime?

nope on September 07, 2017:

WHERE İS HİGH SCHOLL DXD

biggerdaddy on August 28, 2017:

I 100% agree that "To Love-Ru" is number one. some good original shit that is.

Weaboo on August 19, 2017:

I think IS is in top 3

Opinioner on August 06, 2017:

High school dxd and heaven's lost property deserve a place in this list more than saekano and nisekoi

(Not saying that they are bad anime shows.)

Just a Casual Anime Watcher on August 06, 2017:

Heaven's Lost Property? Isn't that qualified?

nerd on July 29, 2017:

infinite stratos?

Dxdlover on July 27, 2017:

Where tf is high school dxd, this list is fcking incomplete without high school dxd...

anime master on July 23, 2017:

This list is not complete without high school d×d

HAREM_MASTER on June 21, 2017:

Where the f**k is high school of the dead and high school dxd?

Closet otaku on June 06, 2017:

Whereas love hina? If nisekoi made the list where's love hina at? I know it's older but it beat out number 6 by a long way. Other than that I've been working my way through the list and have no complaints

Tony on May 28, 2017:

rosario vampire isn't a good example of a harem but what about IS: Infinite Stratos.

brian on May 28, 2017:

rosario vampire

chivalry of a failed knight

Cheeky Kid (author) from Milky Way on May 12, 2017:

@dominic what I can think of are Great Teacher Onizuka, Onegai Teacher, Negima!?, and Kiss X Kiss.

Firstkill55 on April 05, 2017:

HALP I'VE ALREADY SEEN ALL OF THEM, lol my favorite genre is harem

sean on March 05, 2017:

dxd is great "plot" with actual plot, but it isn't a really goo dhrm anime, since it's mostly Rias

p.s. I like Akeno a lot better