Hey guys, what’s up? Today we will be taking a look at one of my guilty pleasures in anime: harems! I mean, what broski wouldn’t want the attention of a few good looking girls, amirite?

Now, unfortunately not all the titles in this genre have a great story, as they tend to lean towards the ecchi side rather than focusing on an actual storyline. I chose a combination of factors when selecting this list— was there any comedy? How about some legit romance? Did the main character actually have a chance with any of the girls? Is there a front-runner waifu??? So, without further delay, let’s check them out!

5. Haganai

A transfer student, a childhood friend, a well-endowed blonde, and a robot doujinshi-loving scientist all together give you Haganai. When Kodaka Hasegawa transfers to a new school, he has a hard time making friends. Classmate Yozora Mikazuki has the same problem and decides to enroll the both of them in a social club called the Neighbor’s Club. As newer members Sena Kashiwazaki (“Meat”) and Rika Shiguma join in, feelings start to develop as all 3 try their best to show Kodaka who the better female is. As the manga is still on-going, there is no certain winner for Kodaka’s heart.

Whether it’s the cross-dressing maid who idolizes Kodaka as a man, the readings of the Gundam doujinshi, or the fact that Sena’s father’s name is Pegasus (and he can’t stand it), there is a little something for everyone in this one. This is a great series to watch and get a laugh out of.

4. Sekirei



In a game of life and death, anything can happen. In Sekirei, that means romance, true love, and a sweet harem aren’t off the table! Sekirei, a race of aliens, were discovered on an island by a madman who forces them into a competition. This results in a full scale battle called the Sekirei Plan. Only one pair, a Sekirei (the warrior alien) and their Ashikabi (human partner) may stand at the Heavenly Palace as the winner. The romantic twist? A Sekirei must share a kiss with their Ashikabi in order to bond and unlock their true power.

Minato Sahashi happens to get his first Sekirei, Musubi, by chance. He then slowly begins to gather a harem of other Sekirei. As the series continues not only do the Sekirei battle for the final prize, but also battle for Minato’s heart, as each begins to foster love for him.

I do recommend this series to anyone who really—and I mean REALLY—loves fan service.

3. Shuffle

Living with a childhood friend with no parental supervision sounds pretty good to Rin Tsuchimi. But he and Kaede Fuyou won’t get the alone time he was hoping for. Now entering into the shuffle (hahaha) are Sia and Nerine, two transfers students from the world of the gods and world of the devils, respectively. These two also played with Rin as children. This harem also includes Asa, a mutual friend of both Rin and Kaede’s, and Primula, an AI created by the gods and devils.

During the series, all 5 girls engage in friendly competition for Rin’s affection. But when Kaede reveals her feelings, a dark secret from the past surfaces and things get a little intense. The anime actually takes on a darker tone. Out of most of the harems I have seen, this is one that has a true ending in the anime series which helps the romance aspect in the story. This series is also based off a visual novel of the same name in which you do get to choose a character to be with at the end of their story arc.

DISCLAIMER: NOT ALL COPIES OF THE VISUAL NOVEL ARE FOR CHILDREN

Editor’s Note: Also, don’t take your kids to see Deadpool… 🙂

2. High School DxD

One of today’s most popular harems and ecchi animes, High School DxD deals with a battle between Heaven, Hell, and fallen angels. The protagonist, the perverted Issei Hyodo, has no luck with ladies. After scoring his first date ever (yay!), he is quickly murdered by his new “girlfriend” who also happens to be a fallen angel (oh no!). But it doesn’t end for Issei there. He is resurrected by devil Rias Gremory and becomes part of her devil family, taking the Pawn position. Later in the series is when the real harem forms, as each of these girls become attracted to Issei because of his spirit and desire to protect everyone.

In the first season, Issei appears to have won Rias’ hand in marriage, but the second seasons seems to forget this in favor of adding more girls to the harem. My personal opinion is that first season is great, but as the seasons continue, they kind of dumb down the girls. The story itself is pretty good, though, and they really amp up the harem aspect with a ton of fan service. So, hey, if that’s your thing and you haven’t seen this yet, you had better get on it.

1. Tenchi Muyo!

This series is one of my all time favorites. Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki first released is 1992, and it is considered to be one of the original harem anime. The “Tenchiverse” goes in many different paths, as the original work spawned several different series, movies, and OVAs. Each of them bring in different storylines that add in new characters…characters who ultimately join Tenchi’s harem. Some of my favorite members of Tenchi’s harem include Ryoko the space pirate, Ayeka the crown princess of Jurai, and Sasami/Tsunami, the younger sister of Ayeka.

Hilarity and hijinks ensue as Tenchi is quickly surrounded with more girls than he can shake a stick at. Comedy outweighs romance for this series. Depending on the spin-off you watch, it leaves us speculating on which girl he chooses. There’s a lot of variety to spice up the Tenchiverse! If you have yet to see this series, do yourself a favor and give it a chance. as OVA 4 is in the works for Fall 2016!

The harem genre can be great for the ridiculous lengths the characters and story will go. So sit back, enjoy some laughs, and maybe bask in a little bit of jealousy of our main characters. Thanks for reading!

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