The 40 Best Harem Anime, Ranked: Classics, Cult Hits, and Modern Standouts

Updated on June 6, 2026, by Mark Sammut: I've added Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle as a recommendation, especially since season 2 is on the way. I also updated all the subheadings to offer more information.

Harem anime is not for everyone, but it is clearly for a lot of people and, more importantly, fairly popular in Japan. Otherwise, the industry wouldn't produce multiple new shows per season, all the while ignoring genres like sci-fi and horror. I completely understand somebody's perspective when they declare a dislike for these types of stories and the many, many tropes they incorporate. The thing is, harem anime can be fun, and the best harem anime blend drama, humor, and romance to craft the ultimate escapist fantasy. Some even add isekai and action for good measure!

If you are a die-hard harem fan, you should just watch every series you can get your hands on. However, newcomers are a different story entirely. Therefore, this article strives to pinpoint the greatest harem anime of all time, and most of them work well as entry-level shows.

Reverse harem anime have their own discussion.

Also, the rankings of the best harem anime are updated monthly, so things can and do change. Consequently, we also add classic shows that might have missed the cut initially. We have tried to be as thorough as possible, but there are a lot of harem anime.

40 The Testament of Sister New Devil

A Battle Harem With A Lot Of Fanservice And Not Much Else

Generally, I try to avoid directly comparing an anime (or anything, really) to something else, as I prefer to examine how things stand on their own rather than if they can hold up to a genre or medium's masterpieces. However, while rewatching The Testament of Sister New Devil, I just could not shake the feeling that this is just a worse version of High School DxD​​​​​​. The characters have similar designs, and both anime blend fanservice, battle shonen action, and hints of romance. The male lead is not a pushover in either case, and they unlock a strange power while becoming the center of attention for a group of girls who gradually grow to love him. The main female characters are both redheads, too. Both series lean heavily into ecchi content, and they are fairly risqué compared to other harem anime.

While High School DxD is a great harem and a decent action anime, The Testament of Sister New Devil is a decent harem and a pretty poor action anime. So, this anime is only worth watching if you are specifically craving a show that does not hold back on fanservice, as that is where The Testament of Sister New Devil earns all its value. The characters aren't exactly terrible, but they are one-note and a bit too conventional (Basara, the male MC, is just a bit too cool).

39 Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest

An Isekai Harem Anime That Starts Really Rough But Gradually Improves

Shows only get one chance to make a first impression, and Arifureta struggled to hit the mark. While the light novel and manga are well-regarded, the anime notoriously stumbled during its first season, rushing through the story while delivering fairly substandard animation. The sequel seasons somewhat succeeded in steadying the ship, but the adaptation has yet to come close to matching the source material's quality. Still, when viewed in a vacuum, Arifureta is a passable isekai power fantasy.

Arifureta is also kind of a weird harem, mostly because the story takes a while to go in that direction. The early episodes revolve primarily around Hajime and Yue, who build a fun dynamic that makes them seem like soul-mates. Consequently, when the other girls are introduced, they arguably get in the way of the core romance, despite being decent characters in their own right.

38 There's No Freaking Way I'll be Your Lover! Unless...

A Yuri Harem... Yes, One Actually Exists! Pretty Hilarious Too

To be honest, I'm not sure whether to classify There's No Freaking Way I'll be Your Lover! Unless... as a harem or reverse harem. We rarely get yuri harems (or girls' love anime at all), and this one kind of works in both subcategories. Ultimately, I opted to include this anime as I believe fans of male-focused harems will generally enjoy it.

Renako wants to get over her middle-school awkwardness and actually make friends in high school, and she gets the perfect opportunity when she is saved by the popular Mai. The problem is that Mai wants to be more than just friends, a direction that Renako is reluctant to take. They decide to try both types of relationships, and things get even more complicated when other girls start to approach Renako.

There's No Freaking Way I'll be Your Lover! Unless... is pretty darn hilarious, and it is refreshing to see a protagonist who is totally aware that they are being dragged into a harem.

37 Chitose Is In The Ramune Bottle

An Anime That Tries Too Hard, But That's Better Than The Million Shows That Don't Try At All

The thing about harem anime is that, for the most part, they avoid risks. As you almost always know what you are going to get, fans of the genre will most likely enjoy new releases, even if they might not be all that great in the grand scheme of things. Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle is an exception, and I cannot fully recommend it to even the most committed of harem fans. However, as a drama, the show has enough positives to warrant a mention, if not a strict recommendation.

Harem loves its loser protagonist who, eventually, reveals himself to be the coolest, smartest, and most handsome man to ever exist. In this case, Chitose starts at that level; more importantly, he is fully aware of his brilliance. Popular and kind of arrogant, he steps in to help those suffering from depression or other issues, often manipulating them in the process. Honestly, Chitose is simultaneously fascinating and detestable, and his "plans" frequently cross the line of good taste.

Chitose's harem mostly consists of likable enough girls, and each arc tends to promote one of them. They aren't amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but they balance Chitose's more irredemable qualities.

36 In Another World With My Smartphone

A Slow-Life Isekai Harem Anime That Leans Heavily On Tropes (But It Can Be Relaxing)

In Another World With My Smartphone does not excel at many things. As far as isekai premises are concerned, Touya's reincarnation is so generic that it almost ventures into the realm of parody, although it is not presented comedically. The anime does not have much in the way of action, which is perfectly OK; however, it does not really have much in the way of anything. The humor is inoffensive and safe, and that can honestly be said for nearly all the characters.

So, what does In Another World With My Smartphone have going for it? Well, it kind of works as a carefree slow-life adventure that is mostly designed to be an escape from reality. Touya faces almost no hardships, and he accumulates a harem effortlessly and quickly. For their part, most of the girls love him unconditionally, and a harem ending always seems to be on the cards. As long as you go in with the right expectations, In Another World With My Smartphone can be enjoyable.

35 Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls

A Harem All About Monster Girls

Look, there is no escaping that harem anime occasionally cross into the ecchi genre. Heck, some of the most popular releases rely VERY heavily on fanservice, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that when it is done in good taste. Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls is one of the more famous examples of this marriage, although it is not quite as perverse as some other shows that demand to be watched in the dark and with headphones.

As suggested by its title, Monster Musume is about a guy who starts living with a bunch of monster girls in an attempt to help the latter integrate into human society. Rather than cycling through archetypes or hair colors, the anime puts together a roster of fantasy races, including classics like lamia, harpy, and centaur, along with more unusual ones like arachne. While their personalities are not really that atypical for harems, Monster Musume's girls might have the most diverse and unique designs in the entire genre. After a few episodes, I was just having fun seeing what new race the anime would introduce.

34 Tsugumomo

More Battle Shonen Than Harem, But Works As The Latter

Harem has a negative reputation, but you need to know what to expect when going into these shows. While not devoid of mature or ambitious stories, most harem anime present light entertainment with some humor, some action, and some fanservice. They rely on well-established formulas, taking basic comedy or battle shonen routines and then throwing a few extra waifus into the mix. Tsugumomo is like the most "harem" action anime to ever harem, making it an obvious recommendation for people into the genre and an easy skip for everyone else.

All about sentient objects, the show follows Kazuya, who ends up paired with Kiriha, his mother's obi, who takes the form of a girl. Another female character, Kukuri, quickly joins their relationship, and she is hardly the only one. Tsugumomo plays out like a battle shonen, with the main trio taking on different spirits, while also engaging in silly shenanigans. The anime is mostly just passable, although it does lean into fanservice more than the average harem anime. The sequel season is a bit better than its predecessor.

33 Trinity Seven

One Of The Most Popular Battle Harems... It's Pretty OK

Although not as common as rom-coms, the harem genre occasionally crosses over with action, delivering shows that try to blend fanservice with battle-shonen goodness. While High School DxD and Date a Live represent this marriage's ideal, they are exceptions to the rule, with most battle harems falling flat. Anime like Blade Dance of the Elementalers, Demon King Daimao, The Testament of Sister New Devil, and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero are difficult to recommend to anyone but die-hard harem fans, and their action setpieces are arguably their weakest points. Still, they are not terrible, just very niche.

Trinity Seven serves as a better example of this type of show, one that can be enjoyed for both its harem and fights. Now, just to be clear, the action is nowhere near the level of some of that genre's greatest offerings. However, when reviewed within the context of battle harems, Trinity Seven fares better than most of its competitors. The power system is relatively interesting, if a touch convoluted, and the idea of basing the girls on the seven deadly sins is an intriguing one. Arata is a pretty great harem lead who is not afraid to be direct, and the girls are the same to an extent.

32 The Shiunji Family Children

A By-The-Numbers Harem With A Unique Twist – Everyone Involved Used To Think They Were Related

Due to being based on a manga by the author responsible for Rent-a-Girlfriend, The Shiunji Family Children was always destined to attract some attention, especially since the show also revolves around a harem featuring adopted siblings. If you are like me, you might have tuned into this series in the hope of seeing a glorious trainwreck, one that fits comfortably into the "trash" category. Just to be clear, I love a good trashy anime.

However, The Shiunji Family Children is surprisingly tame and, more importantly, ordinary. For the most part, this is a pretty by-the-numbers harem anime, taking very few risks beyond its sibling set-up. Even that aspect is somewhat underplayed, especially since all the girls seem to immediately develop an interest in somebody they believed was their brother for more than a decade.

While not the messy journey that some people might have craved, The Shiunji Family Children is a perfectly enjoyable genre representative. The characters are generally quite likable, and the girls are developed just enough not to fall squarely into archetypes. Arata is also a solid main lead who mostly wants to do right by his family.

31 Oresuki: Are you the only one who loves me?

An Underappreciated Harem Comedy That Maintains Its Momentum Throughout Its Full Run

Harem is such an inherently ridiculous concept that it seems designed to inspire parodies. Shows like Girlfriend, Girlfriend supercharge the male MC's stupidity to the point of absurdity, producing a style of humor that most people will either love or detest. If you are craving a comedy that pokes fun at harem tropes while still delivering the same thrills as the genre's traditional entries, Oresuki is a fantastic option.

Firstly, Joro is a genuinely hilarious protagonist, and his attempts to lead a double life while dealing with a female stalker are a constant blast. Secondly, the anime is just about self-aware enough to avoid melodrama, while still presenting its characters as real-ish people rather than punchlines. Thirdly, the girls are pretty charming, even if there are a few too many of them. As Joro's stalker and the obvious main girl, Sumireko is the star attraction, although she mostly slips into a straight-woman role as the season progresses. Lastly, Oresuki is split into well-defined arcs that keep things relatively fresh.