If harem stories are rare, then reverse harem anime are endangered. Despite being common enough in the manga and light novel industry, these types of romance stories tend not to receive adaptations. Most years might produce two or three shows that fit the reverse harem descriptor, and even that minuscule supply is not guaranteed. In fact, 2024 ignored this subgenre almost entirely, and 2025 is only marginally better.
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Even if the options are not abundant, there are still enough reverse harems to keep fans busy for a while. They might not all be great or complete, but there are plenty of gems out there. Consequently, let’s take a look at the best reverse harem anime ever.
Updated October 17, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Fall 2025 is underway, but does it have any reverse harems?
Does Fall 2025 Have Any Reverse Harem Anime?
A new season has arrived, and like always, reverse harem anime are not a focus of Fall 2025. Why are these types of shows so hard to come by? Harems are fairly niche in general, but we still get at least a couple per month. Most reverse harems are shojo by nature, and the anime industry does not seem to prioritize that demographic, at least nowhere near the same level as shonen and seinen.
The thing is, Fall 2025 has one of the better recent shojo lineups. Pass the Monster Meat, Milady, A Star Brighter Than the Sun, and With You, Our Love Will Make It Through are all shaping up to be fun romances; meanwhile, Mechanical Marie is pretty funny. None of these have harems, though.
Fortunately, the season has two reverse harems, although one of them (Let’s Play) has been disappointing so far. That series focuses on a developer who has to co-exist with her biggest critic. While the source material is quite good, the adaptation leaves a bit to be desired. Still, check it out if you are a completionist.
The other reverse harem is a touch more interesting.
The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess
An isekai villainess anime where the protagonist gets reincarnated into her own adolescent story, Konoha initially hoped she would become her self-insert female protagonist, rather than the prologue baddie, Iana. As the latter, she really has to work hard to survive. The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess has not developed into a full reverse harem yet, but it has laid the groundwork to go down that route. Iana’s main love interest, Sol, has already been established, while a few other guys are part of the equation.
To be honest, The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess has not been amazing so far and is comfortably the weaker isekai villainess anime of the two airing in Fall 2025 (A Wild Last Boss Appeared is the other). However, if you are generally a fan of villainess stories, I would still recommend giving this one a go.
Now, onto the best reverse harem anime ever…
24
Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You
An Interesting Take On The Reverse Harem Premise, Albeit With A Mixed Execution
Considering reverse harem anime are so rare nowadays, newcomers should be celebrated since they are such a rare treat, particularly ones that confirm they will be returning for a sequel season. Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You is, arguably, 2025’s most “traditional” entry in the genre, in the sense that it revolves around a high school girl and four guys who may or may not be interested in her. The story has no fantastical elements and, refreshingly, opts for a purposefully slow and melancholy pace. The latter fits the framing device, which involves an adult Mizuho, the female protagonist, reminiscing about her teenage years. The anime is even set during a pandemic, serving as a rare example of a show that directly references 2020.
Even the characters’ dynamics are interesting, as Mizuho has been friends with the four guys since childhood. They arrive pre-installed with history, and the inciting incident sees one of the boys reveal that he is romantically interested in Mizuho. The latter struggles to process this information as she has always just seen him as a friend rather than anything else, and she fears that this revelation will change the whole group’s relationships.
Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You is an acquired taste, way more so than the typical reverse harem. The anime’s slow pace could be seen as both a blessing and a curse, as there are fairly long stretches when nothing seems to happen. The framing device arguably undermines one of the main appeals of these types of stories: learning who will win. Finally, the story does not make particularly great use of the pandemic setting.
Season 2 is on the way, so things could certainly improve. Could it jump up to be among the best reverse harems of all time?
23
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
Interesting Premise, Flawed Execution
La storia della Arcana Famiglia should have been better. Derivative as it is, the story has potential since it revolves around a mafia-run tournament to determine the female main character’s partner; understandably, Felicita also enters the competition to claim her hand and destiny. The rest of the contenders are all attractive male gangsters with fun designs, cool outfits, and either stylish or strange hair (Exhibit A: Dante). J.C.Staff was a good pick for this visual novel adaptation, and the studio’s resume is packed with fantastic anime (Bakuman and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.).
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Everything sounds wonderful on paper, but La storia della Arcana Famiglia does not come together satisfyingly. For one, a 13-episode cour is way too short for this type of narrative, especially when one of them is an OVA that mostly adds nothing. More importantly, the series wastes a shocking amount of time messing about with silly antics and banter, none of which is all that funny or entertaining. To be fair, reverse harem anime should prioritize relationships over action, but the former relies on three-dimensional characterization to work, something that is mostly absent in La storia della Arcana Famiglia. Honestly, a harem anime revolving around the mafia should be a blast, and this series just seems like it’s playing dress-up.
22
Yona Of The Dawn
Fantastic Anime, But The Reverse Harem Is A Very Minor Part
Yona of the Dawn
- Release Date
-
October 7, 2014
- Directors
-
Kazuhiro Yoneda
- Writers
-
Shinichi Inotsume
The beauty in Yona of the Dawn, apart from the main character and her male warrior entourage, is that it subverts some prevalent reverse harem tropes. Yona stars off as a naive and vulnerable person who needs to be regularly protected; however, she refuses to remain that way for long, and she works hard to try and change. She’s a budding warrior and an inheritor of the throne, one that has been usurped by an uprising driven by someone Yona believed to be a friend.
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The anime also doubles as a coming-of-age adventure where Yona embarks on an epic journey to reclaim her kingdom after her father, the king, gets murdered. Her sheltered nature makes sense considering her upbringing, and her development naturally stems from the grave situation she finds herself in. Unfortunately, the anime only scratches the surface of the source material’s content, making it little more than a footnote in the overall franchise.
Yona of the Dawn does not prioritize its reverse harem aspect.
21
Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits
Primarily A Great Slice Of Life Anime, But A Decent Option For Romance Fans
Aoi Tsubaki from Kakuriyo has always had a special vision where she can see and communicate with man-eating spirits. For fear that these spirits might consume her, she regularly feeds them and has honed her cooking skills well enough to keep the dangerous souls fed.
Her life takes a twist when a violent king of the spirits suddenly wants to marry her as some kind of debt settlement. What does Aoi do? She vehemently refuses the proposition and instead tells the spirit king that she will open up a restaurant instead to pay off her debt. Her customers? Man-eating souls. Oh, and some of them are hot bachelors who are into the furry scene.
Kakuriyo has elements of romance as expected for the genre, but the show’s selling point is arguably its slice of life tone. The anime moves at a slow pace, allowing the audience to soak in the atmosphere as they gradually watch Aoi develop friendships with her patrons.
20
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
A Unique Take On Isekai Reverse Harems
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
- Release Date
-
January 10, 2025
- Network
-
TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
OK, this one is kind of a stealth reverse harem. Continuing the modern trend of each season including a villainess isekai anime, From Bureaucrat to Villainess shakes things up by casting a reincarnated dad as the eponymous baddie. Knowing very little about otome games in general, Kenzaburou has no choice but to rely on his experience as a father (who loves otaku culture) to try and embody Grace, a noble girl who is meant to make the heroine’s life a living hell. Despite occasionally attempting to play the part of a villainess, Kenzaburou is too much of a good person to fulfill that role, and he ends up becoming the heroine’s best friend.
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More importantly, Grace and the heroine, Anna, join their school’s student council, which consists solely of male love interests. While none of the guys are romantically interested in the girls at first, Kenzaburou cannot help but inadvertently (or, at times, intentionally) trigger flags, both for Grace and Anna. So, technically, From Bureaucrat to Villainess could have multiple reverse harems, along with a potential yuri romance as Anna also falls for Grace.
Due to being a parody of villainess isekai stories, From Bureaucrat to Villainess is mainly comedic in tone, so it might not satisfy viewers looking for genuine romances.
19
Cheeky Angel
A Gender Bender Reverse Harem Anime
While not a hard rule, most reverse harem anime are based on shojo properties; however, a few exceptions exist. Cheeky Angel is a minor cult classic that was quite envelope-pushing for its era, especially when it comes to gender norms. A boy named Megumi transforms into a girl thanks to a trickster genie, and they remain that way for years. As they enter high school, the protagonist quickly finds themselves attracting the attention of nearly every guy around, be it delinquents or straight-laced students. Eventually, a proper relationship develops, but Cheeky Angel has the foundation of a reverse harem anime during its earliest chapters.
Aged as it might be in places, Cheeky Angel is still a fun watch all these years later. While primarily a comedy, the anime leaves a good account for itself when shifting focus to romance; more importantly, the story does not rush this element, allowing any relationships to strengthen naturally.
18
Code: Realize – Guardian Of Rebirth
Unapologetic Over-the-Top Premise And Steampunk Setting
Code: Realize – Guardian of Rebirth has one of the most outlandish and ridiculous plots ever in a reverse harem anime. Its heroine, Cardia Beckford was born with what can only be described as an atomic bomb in her heart. Now, a terror organization, as well as the army, wants to keep her because she’s a weapon. Moreover, her heart makes it so that everything organic gets melted in contact with her skin. Still, that didn’t prevent a dashing thief from stealing her, who also promised that he would steal Cardia’s heart, both literally and figuratively. Now, thousands of men are chasing her, but mostly because she’s a walking time bomb.
Based on a visual novel, Guardian of Rebirth has a cool steampunk aesthetic that sets it apart from the crowd, along with an over-the-top premise that produces quite a few exciting moments. That said, the anime is inconsistent, and plenty of episodes drag.
17
Angelique Franchise
An Oldie That Has Its Moments, Even If The Anime Adaptation Is Not The Best
|
Angelique |
Loving Angel Angelique: When Hearts Awaken |
Neo Angelique Abyss |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Japanese Title |
Angelique: Shiroi Tsubasa no Memoire |
Koisuru Tenshi Angelique: Kokoro no Mezameru Toki |
Neo Angelique Abyss |
|
Release Date |
March 25, 2000 |
July 8, 2006 |
April 7, 2008 |
|
Genres |
Romance, Fantasy, Drama |
Romance, Drama |
Action, Fantasy, Romance |
|
Studio |
Yumeta Company |
Satelight |
Yumeta Company |
|
Number of Episodes |
16 |
25 |
26 |
|
Based On |
Game by Ruby Party |
Game by Ruby Party |
Game by Ruby Party |
|
Where to Stream |
N/A |
N/A |
Crunchyroll |
|
MyAnimeList |
6.27 (Final OVA Season) |
6.81 (Season 1) |
6.79 (Season 1) |
Ah, Angelique, a franchise that seems to have been forgotten over the last decade, at least when it comes to the anime. Starting as visual novels, the games eventually received an OVA adaptation, producing multiple fairly weak seasons that are difficult to recommend to anyone but reverse harem completionists. That said, these episodes have a certain charm to them and do a decent job of establishing Angelique‘s central concept, which is generally fascinating. Basically, this is a multiverse story where each universe is governed by a queen, who is aided by nine male guardians. The OVA follows two girls who have been picked to become queens, chronicling the relationships they develop with their handsome support figures.
Now, to Angelique‘s credit, the anime adaptations generally improve with each new season. Apart from tracking down the far-better visual novels, Loving Angel Angelique is the best entry point for newcomers, and the TV series shifts focus to a new female protagonist, serving as something of a fresh start (the guys carry over from the OVAs, though). The animation is decent for the era, and Ange (the new MC) develops quite a bit throughout the two seasons.
Neo Angelique Abyss largely does its own thing and shares very little in common with its predecessors, including a shift towards action and a story revolving around Purifiers charged with eliminating monsters. While watchable, this spin-off is a bit more generic than Loving Angel Angelique.
16
Tricks Of The Gods
Elevated By A Good Female Lead And A Fun Greek Mythology Premise
In Tricks of the Gods, the female protagonist isn’t a destitute homeless girl with no choice. Yui Kusanagi is a cushy high school student who pulls a sword in her family’s storehouse, unironically, expecting nothing to happen despite the pop culture implications. Lo and behold, she gets transported into another realm.
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It’s not just any realm, but rather a god academy that Zeus (Greek mythology) himself created to teach five handsome, lean young men how to get in touch with humanity. And what better way to reconnect them to their human side than to introduce a high school girl to them? It’s up to Yui to teach the five divine wayward gods some human manners. Yui is a likable main character in general as she constantly tries to solve her own issues rather than settling into the damsel-in-distress role.
15
La Corda D’oro: Primo Passo
A Touch Of Musical Harem Magic
Here’s another romance anime that takes place in a music school, specifically Seiso Academy. The main girl, Hino Kahoko, wasn’t meant to be meant for great things in the music academy, but she joined a school-wide music competition. Luckily, a fairy gave her a magic violin so she could compete against the male heavyweights of Seiso.
As ridiculous as it sounds, that’s really what happened. But anyone who likes a dash of classical music to go along with the usual reverse harem shenanigans will find La corda d’oro a satisfying serving and a bit of an odd cocktail.
