21 Must Watch List of Reverse Harem Anime [Best Recommendations]

If you can not get enough of anime with a good old monoamorous romance or even love triangles, we have great news that will not disappoint you in the slightest! Reverse harem anime is the cure-all remedy you just might need. After all, what is more, exciting than a whirlwind of polyamorous romance? Before we take a closer look at the best reverse harem anime, let’s get familiar with the concept of what it is all about.

What Even Is A Reverse Harem Anime?

In case you haven’t already known, the reverse harem anime is one of the fastest paced sub-genre on the rise. Also known as oiroke gyaku hāremu in Japanese, the plot typically revolves around a female character who has three or more male suitors. As a counterpart of the hāremumono (harem) sub-genre, it sometimes overlaps with several important genres such as action, drama, slice of life, magic, fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, and so on.

Within the ever-growing realm of shoujo, the reverse harem anime generally targets, but is not strictly limited to, the young female audience. Interestingly, the origins of this sub-genre stem from the Japanese Otome games which usually feature a vivacious female protagonist with several male love interests following her every move. It is greatly hyped among players and has gained many fans and followers so much so that it has even visibly influenced Western romance fiction.

Animelovers has collected 21 reverse harem anime especially for you. So take your sweet time to relax and indulge yourself in the endless twists and turns of love in the following top reverse harem anime list:

1. Kamisama Hajimemashita, Also Known As Kamisama Kiss

 

Nanami Momozono, a soft-spoken and kind-hearted girl, loses her home when her father skips town because his gambling habits got out of hand. Nanami is alone and has nowhere to go. While wandering out and about (homeless, mind you), she stumbles upon a man who is stuck on a tree branch while a dog angrily barks at him from the ground. She saves the man on the tree, named Migake who is far from ordinary. As a way of thanking her, the man gives Nanami a mark on her forehead as well as his home after learning about her unfavorable situation.

Unbeknownst to Nanami, the mark on her forehead is a mark of the land god. Migake’s home also turns out to be a shrine filled with the supernatural. She meets Tomoe who is a fox yokai, Kurama, a crow tengu and Mizuki, a snake spirit. All three male characters are enamored by Nanami and are incredibly protective of her. There begins the exciting new life of Nanami.

Kamisama Kiss has an impressive combination of fantasy, supernatural, comedy, and high school drama. The characters are equally lovable and entertaining. The visuals are a sight to behold, and the plot is aptly engaging.

2. Akatsuki No Yona, Popularly Known As Yona Of The Dawn

 

 

Yona Of The Dawn is a coming of age, action-adventure story. Yona is a beloved princess of a kingdom called Kouka. King Il shelters Yona, his sole heir to the throne, in such a way that she is ignorant and oblivious. Yona does not know what goes on beyond the palace walls and the three men in her life- the king, her bodyguard and childhood friend Hak, and her cousin Su-Won, who is also her first love. One day Yona witnesses the murder of her father, forcing her to flee with Hak. To regain her kingdom, Yona begins her journey to find four dragons and her self. Along the way, Yona learns and grows as a person as she strives to reach her goal.

This anime beautifully captures young love, loss, healing, and finding one’s strength. It is easily one of the most well-executed stories that bring together comedy, fantasy, drama, and action. With an impressive animation, the show beautifully showcases traditional vibes heavily influenced by Japanese and Korean cultures.

3. Saiunkoku Monogatari, Also Known As The Story Of Saiunkoku

 

Shūrei Hong is a sixteen-year-old lady of the respectable Hong clan in the Saiunkoku empire. While working as a passionate teacher at the local temple, Shūrei dreams of passing the Imperial Exams. Despite the Hong clan’s status in the realm, Shurei and her adoptive brother Seiran Si have to take up odd jobs here and there to put food on the table. One day, she is approached by a member of the Imperial court who proposes an undeniable offer to become a consort to Ryūki, the young and carefree emperor. The emperor Ryūki has been rumored to prefer men over women, leading everyone to question his sexuality. He shows no interest in government administration, the desire to rule, or the effort to produce a royal heir. Shūrei becomes a tutor to Ryūki in the palace and forges close bonds with multiple young civil servants and military officials in the castle.

The show is a delightful mixture of comedy, growth, and responsibility. It is a slow burn with exciting plot turns.

4. Brothers Conflict, Also Known As, BroCon

 

Ema Hinata is a sixteen-year-old high school student. When her father decides to get remarried to a famous designer who has thirteen sons, Ema moves in with her new step-brothers and grows closer to them. The brothers are extremely attractive, distinctly different from one another, quirky, and achieved in their fields. The newly blended family develops an awkward dynamic when they catch feelings for Ema, who is caught between her desire for a loving family and the brothers’ attempts at vying for her attention.

This show is a generic reverse harem anime that pays close attention to the aesthetic aspects. The visual designs of the characters are intricate, from physical features to fashion, much like the otome game. Although it does not have much to boast regarding plot and character development, it surely is an adorable feel-good anime to indulge yourself in.

5. Kiniro No Corda: Primo Passo, Also Known As La Corda D’Oro

 

Kahoko Hino, a regular student at the Seiso Academy, encounters a music fairy named Lili who gifts her a magical violin and a place in the famous music competition. The music school at Seiso Academy is comprised of extraordinarily talented students who rarely make contact with the General Education section. The Academy occasionally holds a famous music competition amongst its best musicians where the regular students have never managed to get a chance to participate, until now. With the magical violin in her possession, Kahoko learns that she can play any musical piece if she does so with passion even though she has never played a musical instrument before in her life. Kahoko meets six other competitors who are hard working as well as passionate, and romance begins to bloom between the group.

As one of the most popular reverse harem animes, this show is a remarkable combination of slice of life and romance. The character design stays faithful to the otome game and manga, and the soundtrack is something to go back to again and again. It is a bonus for all the classical music lovers out there.

6. Hakuouki

 

Chizuru Yukimura is a young woman disguised as a man who journeys to Kyoto to search for her father, Doctor Kodo Yukimura, whom she believes is in danger. She encounters the wild rasetsu, humanoid demons, who almost killed her. Luckily, Chizuru is saved by the Shinsengumi, a mysterious samurai faction. Coincidentally, the Shinsengumi are also looking for Chizuru’s father. Deciding that she would be a convenient bargaining chip, the samurai faction chooses to let her stay with them. During her stay with the Shinsengumi, Chizuru learns things about her father that she was not aware of. She tries to handle her worries and her budding feelings for the Vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, Toshizo Hijikata who is fiercely protective of her.

This anime draws from real historical facts, proudly displaying the beautiful Japanese culture throughout. The fight scenes are remarkable with a plot that gnaws and demands you to continue watching it.

7. Fushigi Yûgi, Also Known As The Mysterious Play Or Curious Play

 

Miaka Yuki and Yui Hongo are best friends in middle school who stumble upon a magical book called The Universe Of The Four Gods in the library. Upon reading the book, both of the girls are transported in the world of the book. They are immediately met with danger but are saved by a mysterious fighter. Miaka reluctantly becomes the legendary priestess of Suzaku just as the book has predicted, whereas Yui gets transported back to their real world. Miaka is tasked with finding the seven warriors of Suzaku to summon the god Suzaku. In doing so, she would be granted any wish. She sets on a journey to find the warriors, dipping her toes in the waters of love along the way.

With well over fifty episodes, this anime is a classic that overlaps between fantasy, action, and drama with a tinge of romance.

8. Fruits Basket

 

Tohru Honda is an orphaned high school student who lives alone in a tent a forest. Due to the lack of love and support from her blood relatives, she decides to move out of her grandfather’s house. Despite her undesirable situation, she maintains a cheerful and positive attitude. One day, Tohru spots a cabin in the woods which turns out to be the home of Yuki Soma, her classmate, and his cousin Shigure. Tohru loses her tent and is taken in by the Soma family. Due to an accident, she learns their deepest family secrets. The twelve members of the family are cursed to turn into their zodiac animals under certain circumstances.

This anime is a staple of the shoujo anime. The way it shows how one person can be a light for many people who are left in the dark. As one of the most popular anime shows of the early 2000s, it is widely loved for its great characters that can make you laugh and cry at the same time.

9. Hanasakeru Seishounen

 

Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth is a fourteen-year-old, only daughter of an internationally acclaimed businessman. Set in a fictional East-Asian country called Raginei, Kajika is dragged into the confusing world of politics and romance when her father Harry asks her to choose a husband from the three eligible suitors that he has already picked out for her. She enlists the help of her best friend Li Ren Huang to help her make the right decision. She finds herself in the middle of a romantic ground as well as a political debacle. Kajika finds herself painfully torn between the three of her husband candidates.

This anime is a go-to if you are looking for a fancy, lavish drama laced with mystery and suspense.

10. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, Popularly Known As The Wallflower

 

Sunako is a girl who has experienced the most undesirable form of a confession gone wrong. She has confessed to a boy she likes, only to be told that she is ugly. Deeply hurt by the rejection, Sunako decides to abandon the idea of beauty. She is now no longer interested in trying to look beautiful, and she despises the construct of all things that represented beauty. Similar to her exterior appearance, Sunako is equally shabby and unkempt mentally as well. Her aunt grows wary about it and proceeds to take matters into her own hands. Sunako’s aunt gives an ultimatum to the four handsome young men living in her mansion to help Sunako become a proper and acceptable lady. If they succeed, the young men would be able to continue living in the manor. If they fail, the young men would have to pay her up for their stay and leave the premises. Living in a big mansion with four attractive guys who are determined to transform her, Sunako has a humorous adventure while changing not just her appearance, but her heart as well.

11. Vampire Knight

 

Yuki Cross is a girl who is a devoted guardian of the vampire race. Her first memory is one where a pureblood vampire named Kaname Kuran saves her life. Her father dreams of a world where vampires and humans co-exist peacefully. Yuki works hard and dedicates herself to be able to make that dream a reality. However, not everyone desires to realize that dream- some stubborn vampires want nothing but to feed on human blood, and do not care about the consequences of their actions. Similarly, there are vampire hunters who have been affected by their loss of loved ones in the hands of many cruel vampires. There is no trust between the two species even though people like Yuki try to maintain the peace that hangs by a thin thread.

12. Hiiro No Kakera

 

Tamaki Kasuga is a young girl who goes to the countryside to visit her grandmother who is a Tamayori Princess. When she gets down from the bus, Tamaki finds that no one has shown up to guide her to her grandmother’s village as promised. While strolling around, waiting for her guide to show up, she steps on a barrier around the village. She attracts evil spirits but is saved by a mysterious, handsome young man. Tamaki realizes that gods and spirits are real and that they exist. She is told that she is a Tamayori Princess, and her job is to keep the dangerous demon Onikirimaru sealed. She meets five, wonderful guardians of the Tamayori princess who turn out to be spirits. The dutiful guardians protect Tamaki because she is still unable to access her abilities as a Tamayori Princess.

13. Diabolik Lovers

 

Seventeen-year-old Yui Komori is a kind-hearted and clumsy girl. Her father, a priest, leaves Yui to her own devices because he has to attend to his work overseas. Yui is sent to a mansion which is supposedly her new home. There she encounters six brothers who turn out to be vampires. The brothers are predatory towards Yui at best, and they are confused as to why she is here in their home. They decide that she is a sacrificial bride, with each one of them trying to have Yui for himself. In fear of being chased down and killed if she tries to run away, Yui stays in the mansion. Despite the brothers’ mistreatment towards her and her suffering, Yui remains a kind person throughout the show.

14. Uta No Prince-Sama

 

Haruka Nanami is a student at the Saotome Academy, an elite performing arts academy. To graduate from this academy, the trainee idols are required to pick a partner and perform together. Haruka meets six classmates who significantly differ from one another, except for the fact that the guys are all attracted to the naive country girl, Haruka. When it is time to choose her partner, Haruka is caught in a conflict, not knowing which one to pick.

15. Amnesia

 

A young girl awakens from a spill with no memory of her life or even her name. Assisted by a fairy Orion, the girl tries to recover her lost memories. She finds out that she works at a cafe where she has four friends who are beautiful swooning boys. She tries to make unearth the nature of her relationship with her acquaintances, namely Shin, Ikki, Kent, and Toma. In her trial to learn about her past, she wonders which one of the boys her boyfriend is. Here begins her jump to alternate universes where she explores her relationship with each possible candidate.

16. Ludere Deorum, Also Known As Kamigami No Asobi

 

Yui Kusanagi is a normal high school girl who lives with her family in a shrine until one day, sees a glowing sword. Curiosity got the better of Yui, and she touches the strange sword, immediately transported to another world created by the Greek god Zeus. He gives Yui a task to go to a particular school that he has built. The purpose of the school is to mend the weakening bond between the divine and humans. Zeus aims to teach the meaning of love to deities in the school. The quiet, good-natured girl Yui encounters eight gods- Apollon Agana Belea, Hades Aidoneus, Tsukito Totsuka, Takeru Totsuka, Akira Totsuka, Balder Hringhorni, Loki Laevatein, and Anubis Ma’at. She is pulled into a beguiling world of friendship and supernatural romance. The show attempts to stay true to the mainstream mythology of each culture as much as possible.

17. Sengoku Night Blood

 

Yuzuki is a normal, modern-day Japanese girl. The story begins when Yuzuki is unexpectedly transportation to the world of Shinga through her mobile phone. In the strange world, she sees the existence of creatures like the oni, werewolves, and vampires. In Shinga, six powerful armies are at war with each other. Yuzuki finds herself caught in between the ongoing conflict, and finds herself abducted several times. And her blood seems to have a quality so precious that the armies are craving.  Find out by watching the series or by playing the game.

18. Neo Angelique ~Abyss~

 

Angelique, a sixteen-year-old girl, lives a mundane life in Arcadia. Like many other inhabitants of Arcadia, her life has been threatened by the Thanatos, monsters who drain human life sources. The Thanatos have attacked humans for many years now. Angelique, however, is not one to cower and hide as the people repeatedly suffer over time. After witnessing her parents getting injured during a Thanatos attack, she resolves to be helpful for others. Following that, Angelique dreams of being a medical practitioner. However, a nobleman named Nyx has an eye out for Angelique’s potential abilities. He approaches her and invites her to be a part of his organization consisting of various talented men. Together, they aim to extinguish the Thanatos. During another attack, Angelique accidentally unlocks her ability that may change her life and her relationships with her friends.

19. Dance With Devils

 

This show is a musical reverse harem anime, a rare gem! It revolves around a girl named Ritsuka Tachibana whose life is wholly flipped around by angsty supernatural creatures. Ritsuka finds herself wedged between devils and vampires who would do anything to see the forbidden grimoire. Ritsuka is an atypical reverse harem anime protagonist. She does not submit willingly to the extremely assertive devils that she stays with. She uncovers secrets regarding the people who surround her. She tries her best, remains inquisitive and kind throughout, and in return, she is loved and cared for by the cold devils.

20. Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu, Also Known As Ouran High School Host Club

 

Undoubtedly one of the unique and well-loved reverse harem anime, this show focuses on a girl named Haruhi Fujioka. She joins the Ouran Highschool Host Club as a gentleman to repay her debt after accidentally breaking an expensive antique vase. To avoid drama or losing guests, Haruhi and the rest of the club tries their best to keep Haruhi’s true identity hidden. Instead of several men falling in love with the same girl at the same time, this anime breaks away from tradition. Although six men almost always surround her, she blends in well with them by literally being one of the boys. The show overlaps friendship, comedy, drama, and sentimentalism.

21. Boys Over Flowers, Also Known As Hana Yori Dango

 

You must have encountered at least one of the adaptations in live action television and films- whether it is the Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, or Chinese version. It is a story that viewers like to go back to time and again. The story revolves around Tsukushi Makino, a girl from a poor family, who goes to Eitoku Academy, a school only for the elite class. The Academy is run by a group of four guys, known as the “Flower Four” or F-4. Makino is the only girl in the school that doesn’t fall head over heels for the leader of the group, Tsukasa Domyouji. She is, however, charmed by Rui Hanazawa, one of the F-4 members who is quiet and closed off. The other two members of the group Sojiro and Akira are always around to clean up the mess that their leader often makes. Makino attends the academy with her childhood best friend Kazuya, who also has developed romantic feelings for her.

So there you have it! These are the 21 best reverse harem anime that you should most definitely watch before you die. Well, that is, you haven’t already.