It is undeniable that the state of being ‘kawaii‘ is an important marketing tool often employed by the anime industry. That is why you find that there is an endless variety of ‘cute anime girls doing cute things’ if you venture a bit into the world of anime. These cute anime girls are basically called ‘moe‘ and Animelovers have already prepared the top 25 list for these cute anime girls. This time, we have prepared a top 21 Cute Anime Series. Be warned though, you may lose all sense of your masculinity once you are smothered with the overload of cuteness these shows can offer! Here we go!!
Cute Anime Series Recommendation
21. Date A Live
At number 21 and to start off our list we have one of the most popular harems in anime, Date A Live. The show involves a large cast of beautiful, cute girls who are called Celestial Spirits, responsible for creating spatial quakes that cause large scale devastation, incurring heavy loss of human lives and property. These cute girls subconsciously activate these spatial quakes when they are angered or saddened. To make sure that these girls remain in positive mode, Itsuka Shidou has a huge responsibility of dating them to keep their happiness in check. The show therefore, explores these date scenes where Itsuka Shidou has to listen to every whim of these incredibly cute girls, who are all living with him in house. Their daily antics can be quite fun to watch, engaging, comical, and most importantly extremely kawaii.
20. Attack On Titan Junior High
You may wonder how a dark and gritting show like Attack on Titan manages to find its way into a list for the best cute anime series. However, we are not talking about the original series, but an adaptation of the show where all the characters in their ‘chibi’ forms attend the same high school. And we all know that ‘chibi’ immediately translates to cuteness. Attack on Titan Junior High is nothing like the original series. Instead, it is a parody meant purely for humor, and boy does it deliver. Instead of the man-eating titans, we have gluttonous Titans that have a habit of stealing lunch. When Eren’s lunch consisting of his favorite food cheeseburger is stolen by one of the Titans, he flew into a fit of rage, determining to wipe off the Titan from their school campus. When we see our beloved characters in a brighter world, we cannot help but smile at their unexpected cuteness. A definite must watch, especially for fans of Attack on Titan.
19. To Love Ru
The ‘To Love Ru’ series is quite similar to the ‘Date a Live’ franchise. Rito Yuuki, the main character is the love interest of several cute girls in his school who must compete to win his love. Some of these cute girls are Lala, an alien princess and Rito’s fiancé, Sairenji his childhood crush, Yui the strict disciplinarian, and Shizu the ghost girl. In the later seasons, more girls are included into Rito’s harem which includes the cute alien twin sisters ‘Momo and Nana’ along with Rito’s own adopted cousin sister Mikan. To Love Ru is a never-ending series of cuteness overload in each of their episodes. A classic moe show with a huge variety of cute girls, each of them prime waifu material, ‘To Love Ru’ is a series you are bound to get attached to.
18. Itoshi No Muco (Lovely Muco)
Lovely Muco is basically a show about a dog of Shiba Inu breed Muco and her owner Komatsu. Based on a real dog in Japan which has a total of over 175k Twitter Followers, the show is a simple tale, highlighting the daily adventures of Muco and Komatsu. The animation style is rather silly, but it is a show meant for children, which doesn’t mean that adults can enjoy it as well. After all, much of its fan base is made up of adults. Itoshi no Muco is a cute little series that will leave you warm-hearted and entertained. A perfect show to cool oneself after a tiring day.
17. Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls
Who said that monsters cannot be cute? Monster Musume breaks down the barrier which stereotypes monsters as horrifying, repulsive entities. Monster Musume brings the monster genre to its exotic state which then quickly redefines itself to a ‘kawaii’ state. The show features a bevy of cute monster girls who are all living with the main character Kimihito Kurusu and who are all vying for his love. Each monster girl has a unique set of quirks, designed for the sole purpose of exuding cuteness. However, be warned that the show does have a lot of fan service scenes, therefore, the cuteness of these girls are exploited to show off their more sensual and sexual side. Therefore, it is highly advisable that you don’t watch Monster Musume you’re your parents!!
16. Hanayamata
Hanayamata is one of the most flawless examples of the popular trend ‘cute girls doing cute things’. The show exudes cuteness in its raw form, after all. Everything about Naru Sekiya is average – her grades, her athletic ability, and her talents. Her dreams of exoticism upon ascending to high school so far have not been met. When she sees Hana, a transfer student from America dancing her hearts out, Naru assumes she is a fairy. When she realizes that Hana is just an average girl like her who is fascinated by Yosakoi (a form of dance), who comes to Japan with the intention of starting her own club, she is immediately swayed and decides to help Hana. Hanayamata is a bunch of cute high school girls learning to dance the Yosakoi. The visuals are aesthetically pleasing, the soundtracks are beautiful and melodious, but more importantly, the girls are incredibly cute!
15. Hanamaru Kindergarten
Hanamaru Kindergarten is a cute story of three little kids who are trying to get the attention of their caretaker teacher Tsuchida. Anzu the main character, in particular, has developed a crush on Tsuchida, but unfortunately for her, Tsuchida is more interested in his colleague Nanako, who teaches the class next to his. The show mostly involves Anzu trying to get the attention of Tsuchida and Tsuchida trying his best to impress Nanako. Honestly, there are lots of cute stuff in the show, particularly in the kids such as Anzu’s boldness, Koume’s shyness, the eccentricity of Hiiragi or the mutual crushes developing between Hiiragi and Kenji. If you have the sudden urge to have a daughter after watching Hanamaru Kindergarten, please don’t blame us!
14. Clannad
Adapted from the visual novel game by Keys, Clannad and its successor Clannad: After Story is one of the most well-known Slice of Life series in anime. Apart from its ground-breaking story which moves many eyes to tears, Clannad also boasts a series of cute anime girls that are so kawaii you will fall in love with at least one of them. Led by Nagisa Furukawa, the Queen of Kawaii, the show has other insanely cute characters in Fuko Ibuki, Kotomi Ichinose, Tomoyo Sakagami and many others. Although you will get overwhelmed by these cute characters, be prepared to equip yourself with a napkin or two because Clannad is bound to leave you in tears.
13. Toradora!
Toradora is a romantic comedy series that features anime’s favorite Tsundere in Taiga Aisaka. Taiga is rather infamous in her school for her feisty nature and her knack of carrying a wooden katana which earns her the nickname ‘Palmtop tiger.’ Ryuuji Takasu, on the other hand, is often labeled as a delinquent because of his rather scary face. Through fateful circumstances, they both discover that they are in love with the best friends of each other. Forming an unlikely alliance, they spend more time together plotting how they could help each other to romantically entice their respective crushes. Toradora is a cute little series that will keep you laughing endlessly, and in no time, you will grow attached to these cute characters.
12. Cardcaptor Sakura
In an industry which is full of cute magical girls, Sakura Kinomoto stands out in terms of quality and sweetness. At only age of ten, Sakura unwittingly sets free a horde of magical cards which scatters across all the corners of the world from a mysterious book she stumbles upon. Keroberos, a mystical beast emerges from the book which warns Sakura of what she unleashes. The cards turn out to be dangerous, independent, and sentient entities with incredible destructive powers and it falls to Sakura to retrieve these cards before they impose catastrophe upon the world. Sakura is named Cardcaptor by Keroberos and armed with a magical key, she is tasked with the retrieval of the cards. However, things are never so simple and Sakura is immediately met with a huge obstacle – how will she balance her new mission with her daily activities. Cardcaptor Sakura is a great magical adventure story, but it also stands out for its cute traits as one of the top cute anime of all times.
11. Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
Another unique show about cute magical girls, Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya is basically a cute spin-off of the popular Fate franchise. The main character is Illyasviel von Einzbern, who we all know as the foster sister of Shirou and the master of Berserker. The show has a number of cute lolicon characters, a character archetype mostly famous for their cuteness but the show offers more than that. It has lots of good action scenes, a well thought out storyline, some fan service scenes, and the beloved characters from Fate Stay Night and the others. But we are not here for that, are we? We are here for cute things and Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya does not disappoint in delivering. A lot of Ilya’s new friends are just as cute as she is particularly Miyu who later turns out to be her main rival as well. All in all, this series is something you should definitely watch, particularly for those who are fans of the original Fate Series as it is one of the best cute animes you will ever find.
10. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
It is a safe assumption to make that a majority of the anime community likes cute anime girls in a maid costume. But do you know what is better than a cute maid girl in anime? The answer is a bevy of cute maid girls and that is exactly what Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid offers. Not just regular maids but dragon maids too at that. Tohru who is a dragon from another realm is grateful to Kobayashi for removing a sword off her back and as a token of gratitude she offers to be her maid. After Kobayashi reluctantly complies, Tohru’s aura begins to attract a series of other dragon and mythical creatures who all serve as a maid in the Kobayashi household. Each of the dragons has a hilarious and cute story of how they end up in the human realm. Kobayashi is overwhelmed by these cute maids but that only serves to further amplify the cuteness of the show. A comical Yuri tale, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid remains one of the top cute animes of all time.
9. The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou
When Sorata Kanda is kicked out from his dormitory for rescuing stray kittens, he has no choice but to move into Sakura dormitory, a dorm which is a host to various eccentric characters known for making trouble. In order to move back to a normal dorm, Sorata begins to look for adopters who are willing to take care of the many abandoned cats he manages to gather. However, his plans are rendered futile when Mashiro Shiina, a strange girl moves in. Mashiro is actually a world-class mangaka artist with very weird and childlike behavior. It inexplicably falls unto Sorata to act as the caretaker of Mashiro, after she immediately takes a strange liking to him. The Pet Girl of Sakurasou has an exceptional story with exceptional characterization but most importantly, it has exceptionally cute scenes, particularly the various antics of Mashiro Shiina. And we did mention that the series has a number of kittens which Sorata is taking care of. The appearance of cats never fails to propel the cuteness of anime shows after all.
8. The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
In The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, we have another Slice of Life masterpiece, just like Clannad. This show simply cannot be excluded from our list because of three things or rather three characters – the wacky Haruhi herself, the incredibly adorable Mikuru Asahina, and the quiet and reserved Yuki Nagato. These three girls are classic moes, brimming with an aura of indispensable cuteness. Every episode with Haruhi is an adventure which promises a thrilling ride with these three cute girls and it never disappoints. Haruhi and her whimsical behavior are so popular that it basically has a cult following called Haruhism. Not much is needed to be said about Mikuru’s cuteness and Yuki Nagato, in her quiet demeanor, proves equally cute in her own right – especially the scene where she taps Shamisen’s head for talking. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a definite must watch, and if you haven’t already, sit back, watch, and bask in the glory of our God that is Haruhi Suzumiya.
7. Love Live! School Idol Project
Honoka Kousaka, a second-year student at Otonokizaka High School finds herself in a dilemma. Due to the recent decrease in students’ enrollment in their school, it is in danger of being shut down. After witnessing an idol group A-Rise attract a large number of crowd at UTX High School, she decides to employ the same technique to save her school. However, her attempt at starting an idol band is met with fierce resistance, particularly from the Student’s Council. However, through sheer persistence and with the help of her childhood friends, she manages to successfully create a band called μ’s, which is pronounced as Muse. μ’s slowly manages to attract attention in the school and finally, the Student’s Council concedes their resistance and decides to whole-heartedly support the band, with their President and Vice President even joining μ’s. In an event known as Long Live, where idol bands from various part of Japan compete, μ’s manages to win the first prize, after a hard-fought battle. Although the band disbands after the competition, it succeeds in attracting publicity for their school and Otonokizaka High School is thus saved. Long Live! School Idol Project has so many cute girls, dancing and singing their hearts out as idols, which is one of the cutest things you will ever see in anime. As such, we wholeheartedly believe that μ’s not only saved their school, it also warrants the show as one of the top cute anime series ever made, thus occupying a high position in our list.
6. Nichijou My Ordinary Life
Nichijou simply sparkles with humorous, quirky, and super kawaii characters. The eccentric cast is made up of three childhood friends who attained the same high school along with a cute android girl Nano, Hakase a nine years old genius who creates Nano, and lastly, a talking cat Sakamoto. It follows the everyday adventures of these six characters whose days can range from normalcy to insane absurdity in the blink of an eye. You can simply expect something which is super weird to happen out of the blue and boy oh boy their reactions can be priceless. To define them as merely ‘cute’ would be deeply under toning. A good example would be Yuuko’s reaction to witnessing the Principle wrestle a deer. Of course, that is simply one of the many kawaii moments in the show. Contrary to its title, Nichijou My Ordinary Life is nothing short of extraordinary, a master class comedy show that is also one of the very top cute anime series.
5. Kamisama Kiss (Kamisama Hajimemashita)
Ever wonder what it’s like to be suddenly propelled to a Godlike status? Well, that is exactly what happens to Nanami Momozono, the main character of Kamisama Kiss. Nanami is a high school girl who has one of the worst fathers ever possible. Nanami’s father is a gambling addict who has already accumulates large amounts of debts. Frightened of loan sharks, he actually runs away, leaving his teenage daughter piling in debts. Nanami is soon evicted from their apartment since she has no money to pay rent. Homeless and without a single penny, Nanami wanders the street but fate has a different plan for her. The man she saves from a dog’s harassment turns out to be the earth deity, who relinquishes his position, leaving Nanami to serve as the new Land Goddess. Before she starts her duty at the shrine, first Nanami has to convince a hot-headed fox familiar Tomoe to assist her. However, things are never easy as it seems and Tomoe is persistent and stubborn. Kamisama Kiss entails the hilarious and cute tale of the budding relationship between Nanami and Tomoe. The series has many kawaii moments, firmly establishing itself as a top cute anime series.
4. The Monogatari Series
The Monogatari Series is considered by many as the pinnacle of evolutionary anime. One of the best mystery thriller / romantic comedy series of all time, Monogatari certainly have its fair share of kawaii moments. After all, it does host a large cast of incredibly cute characters that are all part of Koyomi’s harem. The cute girls of Monogatari usually have a problem affiliated to supernatural oddities and they would unwittingly seek the help of our main character. Monogatari is a character based show that depends highly on its dialogue and character interactions instead of action. This in no way hinders the cuteness the girls portray, and of course, Koyomi himself can act cute at times too. There are also instances of sexual eroticism in the form of fan service, which also increases the number of cute scenes through blushing and fidgeting, a common anime technique. Although the division of arcs can be fairly confusing, almost every member of the Monogatari series will agree that the show has firmly established itself as part of the top tier anime.
3. K-On!
We have established how cute idol girls can be in Long Live. K-on! does an equally impressive job of exerting the cuteness from its girls who are also members of a musical band. Although Yui has no knowledge whatsoever regarding music prior to her stumbling into the Light Music Club, she is, nonetheless convinced to join the club. Along with Ritsu, Mio, and Tsumugi, they decide to form a band and participate in the school festival, with Yui learning to play the guitar. Before the debut of Violet Evergarden, for a long time, K-on! along with Haruhi Suzumiya were thought to be the masterpieces of Kyoto Animation, and K-on! is fully deserving of that accolade. Not much needed to say here, K-on! is one of the top cute anime series that has ever been made.
2. Sweetness And Lightning (Amaama To Inazuma)
In Tsumugi, Sweetness and Lightning boast the cutest anime character ever made!! Subjective as it is, it is still true that Tsumugi stands out in the show as well for her epic level of kawaii-ness. The singer of the better shark song Tsumugi is the daughter of Kouhei Inuzuka whose wife, unfortunately, passes away, leaving Tsumugi in his lone care. Inexperienced, lack of any cooking skills and his busy job of teaching hampers his ability to feed his daughter, often buying her ready-made meals from the convenience store. When one of his students Kotori offers Kouhei to bring her daughter at their restaurant, Kotori obliges. Since Kotori’s mother is often away, they make up an agreement where the three of them cook delicious home-made meals for Tsumugi at the restaurant. Sweetness and Lightning is a heart-warming tale of family, friendship, and food, one that will bring a smile to your face and one that will melt your heart with Tsumugi’s cuteness.
1. Tsurezure Children
Tsurezure Children has only one major flaw – the number of episodes and the length of each episode is too short! Tsurezure Children is a story of young love among high school students which is literally overflowing with cuteness. All the characters are given equal emphasis and the stories of all the couples are loosely connected to each other. It entails the difficulty of proposing and the fear of being rejected but in a cute manner. It also portrays the difficulty among couples to show more intimacy, but also in a cute manner. It shows an overprotective younger sister who is fearful for her brother, but also in a cute manner. Honestly, there are so many cute instances it can make the head fuzzy. Light-hearted, heart-warming, comical, entertaining, and incredibly cute is still not enough to describe Tsurezure Children. Every second of the show shows something cute, which may be a bit of an exaggeration but you get the gist. Undisputedly and unanimously, we at Animelovers agree that Tsurezure Children is the cutest anime series that has ever been made!!
Do you agree with our list? Are there any more top cute anime shows that we missed? Please let us know in the comment section below. Thank you for reading. Stay kawaii!!
