Apart from animes sharing the most fascinating and unique stories, these Japanese shows are also all about the wide selection of their genres.
If you are yearning to watch stuff about love, you can head to romance animes. If you want to laugh, go watch comedy animes. For those who want some chills down their spine, horror animes are the place to be.
But there’s another trending anime genre that deserves your attention: harem animes. This list shall explore the best and must-watch harem animes. Are you ready? First, let’s discuss what this genre is all about.
Genre: Harem – What Are Harem Animes?
Harem is a genre in anime that focuses on polyamorous relationships. Polyamory pertains to the desire for or practice of romantic relationships with more than one partner simultaneously. And not only that but all partners involved consent to the setup. Ooh, spicy!
The genre originated in Japan in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the late 1980s and 1990s that its popularity soared, boosted by the advent of dating simulator games.
Now, let’s proceed to the list.
The Greatest Harem Animes Of All Time
1. ‘Girlfriend, Girlfriend’
First on the list is “Girlfriend, Girlfriend.” Now that title may sound innocent, but this anime is a certified harem anime. Well, actually, it also considers itself to be a rom-com.
The story of “Girlfriend, Girlfriend” starts with Naoya Mukai, a freshman in high school. He asks out Saki Saki, a girl he has been in love with, who then agrees to be his girlfriend.
But, another pretty lady named Nagisa Minase comes into the scene one day, telling him she wants him to date her. The whirlwind of romance has never been this exciting, so be sure you watch this anime.
2. ‘Amagami SS’
It’s also very interesting how several animes are set in schools and within the characters’ student lives. After all, many of their fans are students. This is evident in “Amagami SS.”
The story of this harem anime follows Junichi Tachibana, a high school student who ventures into love once more despite his heartbreaking experience last Christmas. “Amagami SS” follows his romantic endeavors in six different arcs, each involving a distinct heroine.
3. ‘Saber Marionette J’
No, it’s not the lightsaber from “Star Wars.” But somewhat related. “Saber Marionette J” is set in Terra II, a planet inhabited only by men, except for the only females there but which are robots called “marionettes,” serving as workers and soldiers. The gender bias is there, so you must get used to that plot if you want to love this good anime.
You will see how their lives will intertwine as they face hurdles coming along their way.
4. ‘How Not To Summon A Demon Lord’
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” “How Not to Summon a Demon Lord.” You can already say that this anime is interesting from that title alone.
It tells the story of its protagonist, Takuma Sakamoto, indulged in an MMORPG game called “Cross Reverie,” where he is so great that his fellow players call him “demon lord.”
One day, he is summoned to another dimension in his avatar form from the game, then meets two girls who both insist they are the ones who summoned him. The ladies then cast a spell to enslave him. But, later on, the girls end up being the ones enchanted by the magic. The roller coaster emotional ride begins.
5. ‘Lord Marksman And Vanadis’
Next is “Lord Marksman and Vanadis.” It’s not just a harem anime but also filled with action, adventure, and romance.
A young lord of a remote region far away from the center of the kingdom, Tigrevurmund Vorn, is summoned by the king to wage war against the kingdom’s neighboring country.
Vorn must face Eleonora Viltaria, the leader of the kingdom’s enemy, who is also among the seven Vanadis endowed with supernatural arms from a dragon. The epic story unfolds as archer boy Vorn meets with the war maiden with silver locks.
6. ‘Rent-A-Girlfriend’
What a playful title. The story of “Rent-a-Girlfriend” starts with Kazuya Kinoshita, whose life in the beginning you don’t want to be in, as though he manages to kiss his girlfriend once, he gets dumped after a month.
But he wants to change the course of things. He examines a specific method to date a girl. And it works. A gorgeous girl with long, black hair smiles at him. She is Chizuru Mizuhara, and the rest is history.
7. ‘A Couple Of Cuckoos’
“A Couple of Cuckoos” starts with Nagi Umino and Eriko Amano, an intelligent high school pupil and a social media icon, respectively, who have nothing that links them together until they find out one day they were swapped at birth.
This news is revealed to their families, so their parents propose they get engaged to bring them back to their rightful families and address the problem. But this decision from their parents is against Umino and Amano’s will, and this is where the whirlwind commences.
8. ‘The Café Terrace And Its Goddesses’
Set in the Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, “The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses” follows Hayato Kasukabe, who gets orphaned by his grandmother, who ran their family’s coffee shop business. But, he wants to save his grandmother’s legacy, so he decides to re-open the café with the help of the five dedicated women who had been working there.
9. ‘We Never Learn: BOKUBEN’
The anime begins with Nariyuki Yuiga, in his last and most painful year in high school. He wants a full scholarship in college, his next chapter in life, but to win this, he must tutor his classmates for the entrance exams.
But there are two students in the tutorial group who gain his attention, “the Sleeping Beauty of the literary forest,” Fumino Furuhashi and Rizu Ogata, “the Thumbelina supercomputer.” Beauties and brains. Will Yuiga fall in love with them? Find out on “We Never Learn.”
10. ‘To Love Ru’
Last but not least is “To Love Ru.” Set in the fictional city of Sainan, this anime chronicles the life of Rito Yuuki, a high school student who gets engaged to alien princess Lala Satalin Deviluke by accident.
“To Love Ru” is actually a pun phrase on the English loan words “toraburu,” which means “trouble,” and “rabu,” meaning love.
Conclusion
While the concept of harem animes may appear a little odd and controversial for some — unless they are used to multiple relationships, or practice Islam or Hinduism — it is this very idea that makes these animes trendy. What you learned above are some of the best harem animes out there. Go ahead and include them on your list of animes to watch.
