Harem and reverse harem stories in anime and manga are fun to read and watch, because they often highlight a cast of characters rather than just the protagonist. It’s important for each love interest to be unique and advance the story in some way so that no single person is above the others.
It can be difficult for a creator to properly use the harem/reverse harem tropw without making the story too cheesy, boring, or predictable. These issues are usually less of a problem in an isekai setting because of how much the genre provides.Fantasy elements and otherwise impossible plot linescan all make a harem story more enjoyable, and these anime are great examples.
8100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams
MyAnimeList Score: 5.91
This anime is actually based on a mobile game that was released in 2015, and it’s very apparent. The main character wakes up in a dream world and is immediately given a task to awaken the princes, who were sealed away to fight dream eaters.
While the premise is interesting, the show itself follows the formulaic storytelling typical of a mobile game. It’s a fairly simple anime that can be enjoyed without thinking too much. If the characters were a bit more unique, it would be better, but it’s still enjoyable for a casual watch.
7The Black Healer
MyAnimeList Score: 6.88
Isekai protagonists are notorious for being incredibly strong, and inThe Black Healerit’s no different. Kanzaki Misuzu gets pulled into another world, finds out she can use magic, and begins improvising spells immediately. Just by visualizing whatshe wants, she can make it happen.
The story mostly follows Misuzu’s life as she works as a healer for knights and experiences her new world. It focuses more on the slice-of-life aspects more than the romance, but the reverse harem themes do happen. They’re just a subplot.
6The Life Trajectory of an Evil Queen
MyAnimeList Score: 6.07
One day, Mari Toujo is suddenly taken to a battlefield where she is being called “queen.” Later she finds outshe inhabited the body of an actual queen,and now she has to deal with the consequences of the recent civil war.
This manga offers an exciting premise, in which the main character is at the mercy of the world around her. She has no powers, so she can’t do much on her own. While this is a great setup for the reverse harem romance, it can also be a bit boring when the protagonist can’t act freely.
5Kamigami no Asobi
MyAnimeList Score: 7.01
This anime was adapted from a PSP game that was released in Japan in 2013. The story revolves around Yui Kusanagi, who is transported to a magical school for gods and tasked withteaching them the value of humans and love.
From the beginning, each character has a unique personality and visual design, making it easy to identify each one. Since it was based on the visual novel, each episode seems to explore a different route from the game. It might sound predictable, but this show has some great twists in the story.
4My Lady Just Wants To Relax
InMy Lady Just Wants to Relax, the protagonist is reincarnated as the child version of Ronia Gavisera, the villainess in a novel series. After her relationship ends, as determined by the plot of the novels, she runs to a remote town to open a café.
This manga changes the usual villainess story by making it more slice-of-life. With no death flags, Ronia is able to live peacefully, which is what she wants. The harem theme comes in the form of a group of mercenaries who are also beastmen. The romance is light, but still enjoyable.
3The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess To Savior
MyAnimeList Score: 7.09
Most villainesses are just bulliesat school who do mean pranks, but sometimes they’re actually evil masterminds. In this anime, the main character inhabits the body of the final boss, Pride Royal Ivy. Instead of looking for death flags, she tries to prevent accidents and harmful events the original character orchestrated.
It’s a unique perspective of a villainess who feels guilty over what happened in an alternate timeline. Her efforts toward a happy ending are what draws everyone to her and creates a pseudo-harem.
MyAnimeList Score: 7.46
When it released,My Next Life As A Villainesshelped to popularize the villainess genre. Its comedy, storytelling, and relationships were all done very well. The story revolves around Catarina Claes, thevillain of the game"Fortune Lover," trying not to die. In actuality, she’s a young girl from Japan in who has been reincarnated in the villainess’s body.
This anime doesn’t take itself too seriously and plays with common tropes in both isekai and reincarnation stories in a fun way. It also earns big points for being a harem story where the love interests are of all genders.
1Fushigi Yuugi
MyAnimeList Score: 7.61
Also known asMysterious Play,Fushigi Yuugiis one of the original isekai stories that aired in the 90s. A girl named Miaka Yuuki gets transported into a book set in ancient China. While looking for a way out, she meets many martial artists who help her. This is where the reverse harem aspect comes in.
With the mix of action and romance, this anime is never that boring. Even the slow parts are energized by the animation style and sound design of the time. It’s anepic story full of drama and adventuresimilar to the classicInuyasha.
