Are you a fan of anime where one lucky guy finds himself surrounded by a bevy of beautiful girls, all vying for his attention and affection? Then you’ll love harem anime – a popular genre that combines comedy, romance, and often a dash of ecchi fanservice.
Harem anime typically feature a male protagonist who, for various reasons, ends up living with or in close proximity to a group of attractive female characters. Hijinks, misunderstandings, and awkward romantic moments ensue as the girls compete for the often oblivious protagonist’s interest.
While the harem premise can lead to frustrating moments where you wish the indecisive main character would just pick a girl already, the genre also allows for fun character dynamics, hilarious comedy, and even genuine romance. The best harem anime strike a balance between humor, heart, and just enough fanservice.
So which harem anime series are worth checking out? Here are our picks for the 26 best harem anime of all time, from classics of the genre to newer hits:
1. Love Hina
One of the most iconic and influential harem anime, Love Hina centers on unlucky student Keitaro Urashima, who becomes the manager of an all-girls dorm while studying to get into Tokyo University. The energetic, eclectic group of girls he lives with include the tsundere Naru, the sword-wielding Motoko, the mischievous Su, and the kind-hearted Shinobu.
Love Hina deftly balances slapstick comedy with touching character-driven moments. While Keitaro remains indecisive, the slow-burn development of his relationships with the girls, especially Naru, is deeply satisfying. With endearing characters and a cozy setting, Love Hina is a must-watch for any harem fan.
2. The Quintessential Quintuplets
The Quintessential Quintuplets puts a unique spin on the harem setup by having the protagonist tutor five identical quintuplet sisters, each with their own distinct personality. Futaro Uesugi is a studious but poor student tasked with helping the quints improve their terrible grades.
The quints are a colorful bunch, from the aloof Ichika to the shy Miku to the outgoing Yotsuba. As Futaro gets to know them and helps them academically, they each start falling for him in their own ways. The fun is in seeing how Futaro handles the chaos of juggling five potential love interests.
With endearing characters and a compelling central mystery of which quint Futaro marries in a flash-forward, this is a smart, well-written harem romcom.
3. High School DxD
For those who like their harems heavy on the action and fanservice, High School DxD is a perfect pick. It follows Issei Hyodo, a lecherous high school student who is killed on his first date – only to be revived as a demon servant by the beautiful Rias Gremory.
Now part of the school’s Occult Research Club, which is secretly a group of demons, Issei gains power based on his pervy desires. Together with Rias and the other sexy demon girls, he battles fallen angels and other supernatural threats, all while working towards his dream of becoming a “harem king.”
With plenty of “plot” alongside the actual plot, High School DxD is an entertainingly shameless ecchi action series. But it also tells a surprisingly engaging story with solid character development and world-building. Just don’t watch it with your parents around.
4. Nisekoi
Nisekoi is a fun, energetic romcom harem about fake love becoming something more. Raku Ichijo, the son of a yakuza boss, and Chitoge Kirisaki, the daughter of a rival gang leader, are forced to pretend to be a couple to prevent a gang war from breaking out.
Of course, Raku already has an unrequited crush on his classmate Onodera, while tsundere Chitoge can’t stand him at first. Throw in other potential love interests like the clingy childhood friend Marika and Onodera’s aggressive younger sister Haru, and Raku’s love life becomes a complicated mess.
With gorgeous SHAFT animation and a killer voice cast, Nisekoi is a feast for the eyes and ears. While the plot spins its wheels at times, the character dynamics are a blast to watch. Though the anime ends inconclusively, the manga provides a satisfying resolution.
5. To LOVE-Ru
Ecchi sci-fi harem To LOVE-Ru is a wild, fanservice-filled ride. Hapless human Rito Yuki’s life is turned upside down when the beautiful alien princess Lala appears naked in his bathtub and decides she wants to marry him. More alien girls arrive to complicate the situation, while Rito still pines after his human crush Haruna.
To LOVE-Ru revels in ridiculous ecchi scenarios, from Rito constantly falling and accidentally groping the girls to inventions that disintegrate clothing. But it also has a lot of goofy alien charm and even some genuine emotion beneath the perverted comedy. While it goes overboard at times, this is an entertainingly shameless harem romp.
6. We Never Learn
In We Never Learn, protagonist Nariyuki Yuiga is a poor but brilliant student offered a full college scholarship – on the condition that he tutor three eccentric female geniuses and help them get into their dream schools. The problem is, each girl is amazing in her specialty subject but terrible at the subject she wants to pursue.
Nariyuki has to deal with Rizu, a literary genius who is awful at math but wants to study psychology; Fumino, a math prodigy who struggles with literature but aspires to be a teacher; and Uruka, a star swimmer who needs to improve her grades to get a sports recommendation.
We Never Learn balances goofy humor with likable characters who each get compelling development. The girls and Nariyuki make for a fun group of lovable dorks you can’t help but root for.
7. Ouran High School Host Club
One of the most iconic reverse harems, Ouran High School Host Club centers on Haruhi Fujioka, a girl who is mistaken for a boy and ends up joining her elite academy’s host club. The club is filled with handsome guys who entertain female clients, each embodying a different romance trope.
There’s the “prince” Tamaki, the cool Kyoya, the mischievous twins Hikaru and Kaoru, the stoic Mori, and the childlike Honey. As Haruhi gets to know the hosts, her blunt personality clashes humorously with their wealthy, eccentric world.
Ouran is a clever, self-aware parody of shojo and harem tropes, deconstructing character archetypes while still making you fall in love with them. It’s a beautifully animated, hilarious, and even poignant series that’s a must-watch whether you typically like harems or not.
8. The World God Only Knows
The World God Only Knows is an inventive, genre-savvy take on the harem. Keima Katsuragi is an otaku who sees himself as the “God of Conquest” for his skills at dating sim games. When a demon named Elsie ropes him into helping her catch runaway spirits that hide in girls’ hearts, Keima must put his gaming talents to use by making girls fall in love with him in real life.
Each “conquest” arc introduces a new girl for Keima to woo, parodying various character archetypes like the tsundere, the shy bookworm, and the pop idol. Keima’s analytical approach clashes humorously with the unpredictable, illogical real world.
Yet The World God Only Knows is more than just a gimmick. It slowly develops its characters and themes, exploring whether a god-like romance gamer can learn to see the girls as more than conquests. While the anime doesn’t adapt the manga’s satisfying ending, it’s still a smart, subversive harem well worth watching.
9. Monster Musume
Monster Musume imagines a world where mythological monster girls like lamias, harpies, and centaurs live alongside humans as part of a cultural exchange program. Kimihito Kurusu ends up as a “volunteer” host for a snake-bodied lamia named Miia, but his house quickly attracts other monster girls who want to live with him too.
The voluptuous Miia is soon joined by the busty centaur Centorea, the petite harpy Papi, the slimy slime girl Suu, the shy fish-person Meroune, and the flirty arachne Rachnera. Kimihito has to survive their clashing personalities and deal with the legal restrictions against human-monster interbreeding.
As an ecchi comedy, Monster Musume has a lot of raunchy, ridiculous “accidents” and fanservice scenes. But it also has creative world-building and monster girl character designs. It’s an entertainingly lewd series that delivers the monster girl goods.
10. Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo! is often considered the prototypical harem anime. Teenager Tenchi Masaki accidentally releases a space pirate named Ryoko, who then takes up residence in his house. More alien girls arrive to complicate Tenchi’s life, including the princess Ayeka and her sister Sasami, the genius Washu, and the ditzy Galaxy Police officer Mihoshi.
The Tenchi franchise spans multiple alternate continuities, but they all share the same basic premise of Tenchi being surrounded by colorful alien girls. The characters play off each other in hilarious ways, with plenty of slapstick comedy and sci-fi shenanigans.
While the original 1990s OVA series is the most iconic, the various Tenchi anime each offer their own charms. If you want to see the roots of the harem genre, you have to check out Tenchi Muyo! in some form.
11. Rosario + Vampire
Rosario + Vampire takes the harem to monster school. Average human student Tsukune Aono accidentally enrolls in a secret academy for monsters, where he quickly attracts the interest of several monstrous but cute girls.
There’s Moka, a vampire who likes to suck Tsukune’s blood; Kurumu, a succubus who tries to seduce him; Yukari, a young witch who wants a threesome with him and Moka; Mizore, a snow woman who stalks him; and Ruby, a masochistic witch who becomes his “servant.”
While it has a lot of silly ecchi comedy, Rosario + Vampire also delivers some decent action and surprisingly dark plot twists. The character dynamics are fun, and Tsukune’s fish-out-of-water status makes him easy to sympathize with. This is a solid harem with a cool monster aesthetic.
12. Infinite Stratos
In the sci-fi world of Infinite Stratos, only women can pilot the titular powered exoskeletons – except for one boy named Ichika Orimura. Ichika’s unique status lands him a spot at the all-girls Infinite Stratos Academy, where the world’s best IS pilots train.
Ichika befriends several talented female students, including the tsundere Houki, the British Cecilia, the Chinese Lingyin, the French Charlotte, and the German Laura. As Ichika learns to pilot an IS, he has to deal with both the affections of his harem and threats to the academy.
Infinite Stratos balances harem hijinks with mecha action, giving Ichika ample opportunity to be a badass in an IS suit. The girls have fun personalities that bounce off each other well, and the IS fights deliver solid spectacle. While it leaves several plot threads unresolved, it’s an enjoyable sci-fi harem adventure.
13. Shuffle!
Shuffle! is an interesting harem anime based on an eroge visual novel. It’s set in a world where humans coexist with gods and demons. The protagonist, Rin Tsuchimi, lives with two girls: Kaede Fuyou, a human childhood friend, and Primula, a young demon girl they’re taking care of.
Rin also attracts the interest of other human and supernatural girls, including the daughters of the king of gods and the king of demons. The girls engage in wacky romantic competitions for Rin’s affection, often leading to slapstick destruction.
What sets Shuffle! apart is that Rin actually makes a clear choice by the end, giving the story a conclusive romantic resolution. The supernatural world-building is also intriguing, even if not fully explored. While it has a lot of silly harem comedy, Shuffle! tells a complete, satisfying love story.
14. Yamada’s First Time: B Gata H Kei
Yamada’s First Time, also known as B Gata H Kei, is an ecchi romcom about a girl who wants to sleep around – but can’t even get one guy. Yamada is a beautiful high school girl who dreams of having 100 casual sex partners. The problem is, she’s still a virgin.
Yamada sets her sights on her plain classmate Kosuda, seeing him as an easy first conquest. But to her frustration, all of her attempts to seduce oblivious Kosuda fail. As she gets to know him better, Yamada starts developing real feelings that get in the way of her promiscuous plans.
B Gata H Kei is a raunchy sex comedy full of lewd humor and fanservice. But it’s also smarter and sweeter than it appears at first glance. Yamada’s brash, perverted exterior hides genuine insecurities and a fear of emotional intimacy. Her evolving relationship with Kosuda is actually quite endearing to watch.
While it’s very explicit in its sexual humor, B Gata H Kei is ultimately more than just a parade of dirty jokes. It’s a funny but heartfelt story about a very horny girl learning to open up to love.
15. Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Saekano is an otaku-centric romcom harem with a uniquely meta edge. Tomoya Aki is an anime-obsessed high school student who wants to create his own “perfect” dating sim game. He recruits several girls to help him: the beautiful but abrasive artist Eriri, the literary prodigy Utaha, and the “boring” but kind-hearted Megumi.
As the group works on the game, Tomoya grows closer to each girl, learning about their hidden depths and insecurities. The anime pokes affectionate fun at otaku culture and harem tropes, with the characters often commenting on how their own story plays out like a dating sim.
Saekano stands out for its clever, self-aware writing and excellent character development. It balances otaku in-jokes with grounded human drama, exploring the line between fiction and reality. A must-watch for harem fans, especially those with an interest in anime production.
16. Trinity Seven
Trinity Seven is a magic school harem with a refreshingly confident protagonist. Arata Kasuga is a high school student whose town is destroyed by a mysterious “Breakdown Phenomenon.” To investigate this disaster and bring his cousin Hijiri back from disappearance, Arata enrolls in the Royal Biblia Academy.
There, Arata meets seven beautiful female mages known as the Trinity Seven, each with their own magical powers and personalities. From the flirty Lilith to the strict Mira to the childlike Levi, the Trinity Seven are a lively, eclectic bunch. Arata must master magic and unravel the secrets of the Breakdown Phenomenon with their help.
What makes Trinity Seven fun is Arata’s laid-back, openly perverted attitude. He flirts back when the girls make advances on him and takes their antics in stride. This makes for a lot of playful, comedic interactions with the harem. The magical world-building is also pretty intriguing. Overall a very entertaining magic harem series.
17. Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends
Haganai centers on the Neighbors Club, a group of misfits who come together to learn how to make friends. The club is founded by Yozora Mikazuki, a sharp-tongued loner, and Kodaka Hasegawa, a guy whose delinquent looks make him hard to approach. They’re later joined by other oddballs like the busty airhead Sena, the perverted genius Rika, and the cross-dressing boy Yukimura.
The series mines a lot of comedy from the characters’ clashing personalities and social awkwardness. Kodaka has to play the straight man to the girls’ weird antics, from Yozora’s barbed insults to Sena’s erotic misunderstandings. But there are also touching moments as the group slowly learns to connect with each other.
Haganai is a funny, often raunchy slice of life harem with a surprising amount of heart. While the characters start out abrasive, they become an endearing bunch by the end. Just don’t go in expecting much romantic resolution – the anime is incomplete on that front.
18. Date A Live
In Date A Live, ordinary high school student Shido Itsuka gains the power to seal the powers of “Spirits” – supernatural girls whose appearances cause spacequakes on Earth. The only way to seal a Spirit’s powers is to make her fall in love with him. So Shido has to take the Spirits on dates while dealing with the anti-Spirit military force and other complications.
The main appeal of Date A Live is its colorful cast of Spirits, each based on a different anime archetype. There’s the tsundere princess Tohka, the yandere idol Miku, the childlike loli Yoshino, the aloof kuudere Origami, and more. Shido’s attempts to win them over lead to plenty of harem comedy and romance.
Date A Live also has some surprisingly intense action, with Shido often having to rescue Spirits from dangerous situations. The sci-fi world-building is pretty interesting too, with the Spirits’ origins and the shady organizations pursuing them providing ongoing intrigue. A fun, well-rounded harem series with a little something for everyone.
19. Mayo Chiki!
Mayo Chiki! has a classic harem setup with a gender-bending twist. Kinjirou Sakamachi is a high school boy with an unusual phobia of being touched by girls. One day, he accidentally discovers that the school’s most popular “boy,” Subaru Konoe, is actually a cross-dressing girl. Subaru’s rich family forces Kinjirou to become her butler and keep her secret.
Kinjirou soon finds himself in close quarters not only with Subaru, but also his tsundere childhood friend Kanade, his sadistic sister Kureha, and the perverted maid Masamune. Misunderstandings and compromising situations ensue as Kinjirou deals with a bevy of cute girls while trying to hide his crippling fear of them.
Mayo Chiki! is a silly, fan service-heavy romcom full of slapstick humor and harem antics. But it also has some sweet character moments as Kinjirou helps Subaru with her gender identity issues and the other girls with their own insecurities. A fluffy but fun harem series.
20. Oreshura
Oreshura, short for “Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru” (My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much), features a harem bursting with romantic rivalry. Eita Kidou is an ultra-serious student determined to get into medical school. He has no interest in romance – until his childhood friend Chiwa suddenly confesses to him.
Eita tries to turn Chiwa down gently by claiming he already has a girlfriend. Cute but devious classmate Masuzu offers to pretend to be his girlfriend – but she has secret ulterior motives. More girls join the fray, including a gloomy sci-fi fanatic and a self-proclaimed “world-class girlfriend,” all scheming to steal Eita for themselves.
Oreshura embraces the love triangle (or rather, love pentagon) aspect of the harem, with the girls constantly butting heads and trying to one-up each other. The schemes and counter-schemes between them are a lot of fun to watch. But the series also has room for character growth and even some poignant drama. A twisty, turn-y harem romcom that keeps you guessing.
21. Kanojo mo Kanojo (Girlfriend, Girlfriend)
Kanojo mo Kanojo is a recent harem anime that gleefully runs with the ridiculousness of its premise. Naoya Mukai is a very committed boyfriend to his childhood friend Saki. But when cute girl Nagisa confesses her love to him, he doesn’t want to turn her down either. So he decides to just date both girls at the same time!
Saki and Nagisa, both enamored with Naoya, hesitantly agree to share him. But more girls enter the picture to complicate this already messy situation, from Naoya’s hot homeroom teacher to a gyaru who likes him to Saki’s little sister. The “solution” is to just add them to the harem too!
Kanojo mo Kanojo is a loud, shameless, in-your-face harem comedy. The characters constantly yell their feelings, the art style is garish and cartoony, and the plot contrivances are completely absurd. But it’s also a lot of fun if you just embrace the silliness. Turn your brain off and enjoy the chaos of this love… hexagon? Octagon? We’ve lost count.
22. Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. (In Another World With My Smartphone)
Isekai wa Smartphone combines the harem genre with another anime staple: the isekai fantasy. Touya Mochizuki is a 15-year-old boy accidentally killed by a stray bolt of lightning thrown by God. As an apology, God reincarnates him in a fantasy world – and lets him bring his smartphone with him.
In this new world, Touya gains magical powers and attracts a harem of cute girls, including the twin princesses Elze and Linze, the samurai Yae, and the busty knight Yumina. His smartphone lets him access Earth’s internet, giving him knowledge that makes him seem like a genius in this medieval world.
Isekai wa Smartphone is a lighthearted, low-stakes isekai harem that’s more interested in slice of life antics than serious plot. The jokes are hit or miss and Touya is a bland protagonist, but the girls are likable enough and there’s some fun world-building. Turn your brain off and it’s a pleasantly fluffy watch.
23. Seitokai no Ichizon (Student Council’s Discretion)
Seitokai no Ichizon is a harem comedy with a heavy meta streak. Ken Sugisaki is the only boy on his school’s student council, surrounded by four cute but quirky girls. There’s the sadistic president Kurimu, the childish loli Chizuru, the bookish fujoshi Minatsu, and the snarky, trollish Mafuyu.
Much of the humor comes from the characters endlessly commenting on harem tropes – and then immediately indulging in those same tropes. They poke fun at anime clichés while embodying them, leading to a lot of self-aware, fourth wall-breaking gags.
Seitokai no Ichizon is a very dialogue-heavy series, full of fast-paced banter and references. The plot is thin but the character dynamics are a lot of fun. It’s a smart, deconstructive take on the harem genre that still celebrates its guilty pleasures.
24. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends)
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, also known as Haganai, centers on the Neighbors Club, a group for lonely misfits who want to learn how to make friends. The founding members are Kodaka, a kind but intimidating-looking boy, and Yozora, an abrasive, manipulative girl. They’re later joined by other oddballs like the busty gamer Sena, the raunchy scientist Rika, and the crossdressing boy Yukimura.
Much of the humor comes from the characters’ clashing personalities and lack of social skills. Kodaka has to play the straight man to the others’ wacky antics and dysfunctions. But there are also heartfelt moments as they slowly open up to each other.
Haganai has a lot of raunchy comedy and mean-spirited jokes, but also some surprisingly poignant character drama. It’s a messy but endearing look at a group of broken people becoming friends.
25. Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko. (The “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat.)
Hentai Ouji is a harem romcom with a supernatural gimmick. Youto Yokodera is a perverted teenage boy who wants to be more honest with his desires. Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi is an emotionless girl who wants to express her feelings more openly. When they pray to a “stony cat” statue, it grants their wishes by magically swapping their personalities!
Now Youto blurts out his perverted thoughts constantly, while Tsukiko gains his ability to hide her true feelings. They have to navigate school life and romance in their new mental states, all while figuring out how to undo the curse. More girls get tangled up in the stony cat’s magic, from a sharp-tongued childhood friend to a shy bookworm.
Hentai Ouji has a lot of shameless fanservice and sex jokes, but also some surprisingly thoughtful themes about honesty and communication. The stony cat’s powers lead to both hilarious misunderstandings and poignant character development. A raunchy but secretly sweet romcom.
26. Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Invaders of the Rokujyouma!?)
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha is a genre-bending harem series that starts out looking like a sci-fi action show before becoming more of a slice of life romcom. Koutarou Satomi is a high school boy who moves into a dirt-cheap apartment haunted by the ghost of a cute girl. That girl is soon joined by other quirky “invaders,” including a magical girl, an underground princess, and a cosplay-loving alien.
Koutarou spends the first few episodes fighting off the invaders, but they eventually call a truce and start living together in the small apartment. The series then becomes a more laid-back slice of life harem, full of goofy domestic antics and gradually developing bonds between the characters.
Rokujouma is an odd duck of a series, with a lot of genre shifts and dangling plot threads. But it’s full of fun characters and creative ideas, even if not all of them are fully explored. Worth a look if you want a harem with a bit of everything.
From classic series that defined the genre to more recent hits that put fresh spins on familiar tropes, the world of harem anime offers something for every taste. Whether you prefer your harems with a side of action, comedy, fantasy, or slice-of-life, there’s bound to be a show on this list that catches your interest.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of the genre or a curious newcomer, we hope this list has given you some great harem anime to add to your watchlist. Happy viewing!
