Mysterious Thief Saint Tail is a cute and wholesome anime by TMS Entertainment Studio that aired during fall 1995. It’s based on the manga with the same name, by the mangaka Megumi Tachikawa. In this anime, we follow the incredible adventures of a 14-year-old girl who is secretly a hero, stealing goods back from phantom thieves and returning them to their original owners. She lives a double life as a normal student at school and as Saint Tail in the morning. Her bright, but frail classmate, Daiki Asuka, tries to catch Saint Tail. If you fell in love with the wholesome romance between this unlikely couple and are looking for animes similar to Mysterious Thief Saint Tail, you’ve come to the right place.
10. Phantom Thief Jeanne
- Episodes: 44
- Studios: Toei Animation
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
- Aired: Feb 13, 1999, to Jan 29, 2000
Yet another romantic shoujo with a phantom thief female protagonist, this anime has a very similar feel to that of Mysterious Thief Saint Tail. It tells the story of Kusakabe Maron, who is tasked by an angel to help God accumulate his powers. She has to seal the Demons inside various paintings that harm the hearts of its artists. However, when she seals a demon, it results in the disappearance of the painting, and soon, the girl is labeled as a phantom thief.
She begins to lead a double life at school but soon discovers she isn’t alone. A new classmate and neighbor seems to be leading a double life as well, and he is the thief Sinbad, her rival. Her night job becomes even more complicated when her best friend, Miyako, is tasked with capturing her and Sinbad.
9. Cardcaptor Sakura
- Episodes: 70
- Studios: Madhouse
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Aired: Apr 7, 1998, to Mar 21, 2000
Sakura comes across a mysterious book with a set of cards. When she uses a card unknowingly, it ends up summoning a strong gust of wind, which spreads all the other cards around different parts of the world. With this, a seal is broken, and the guardian of the cards, a beast named Keroberos, is released.
He explains the power of these cards to Sakura, leading her into a world of adventure as she searches for all the cards. While she tries to handle her real-life issues, she must try and manage these added responsibilities. However, she isn’t alone. Her friend, Tomoyo Daidouji, will also assist her on her quest.
Like Mysterious Thief Saint Tail, we have cute characters, a wholesome and heartwarming romance, and a double life in Cardcaptor Sakura.
8. Magic Kaito
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: TMS Entertainment
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Apr 17, 2010, to Dec 29, 2012
Kaito’s father was a world-famous stage magician who died mysteriously. He has taken after his father and is also great at sleight-of-hand and deception. He often uses his abilities to trick and prank his friends and classmates. However, his life takes a sudden turn when he finds a dark link to the probable death of his father.
He finds the outfit of a phantom thief from eight years ago, Kid. With this revelation, Kaito begins to search for an important artifact, the Pandora Gem, that is said to grant immortality to its user. But he isn’t the only one trying to find the gem. The more Kaito searches, the closer he gets to the mystery surrounding his father’s death as well.
7. D.N.Angel
- Episodes: 26
- Studios: Xebec
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- Aired: Apr 3, 2003, to Sep 25, 2003
This anime follows the age-old battle of two families, the Niwa’s and the Hikari’s. The Niwa’s have dark-winged angels, Dark, in their bloodline, who are tasked with protecting the world by stealing artwork. They are constantly at the battle against the Krad, the Hikari’s angel.
We follow the journey of Daisuke Niwa, a clumsy middle school student who doesn’t have many abilities to speak of. He has a crush on his pretty classmate, Risa; however, she rejects his proposal. Soon though, unexpected events start to occur in Daisuke’s life- he transforms into a famous phantom thief- Dark Mousy, whenever he thinks of Risa.
D.N. Angel delves into Daisuke’s internal and external growth as he deals with the duties of being an angel and tries to handle his relationship with his family, friends, and classmates.
6. Jing: King of Bandits
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Studio Deen
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
- Aired: May 15, 2002, to Aug 14, 2002
While he may seem like your average teenage boy, Jing is actually a widely feared thief. If you’re looking for more thieving tales, and shoujo isn’t entirely your cup of tea, this anime will be just right for you.
Watch as Jing steals artifacts no matter where they’re hidden, or how secure they’re kept. Along with his feathered accomplice, the crow named Kir, Jing is able to get himself out of any troubles that come his way, earning the title, Jing: King of Bandits.
5. Cats Eye
- Episodes: 73
- Studios: Tokyo Movie Shinsha
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Romance
- Aired: Jul 11, 1983, to Jul 8, 1985
In the day, the three sisters, Rui, Hitomi, and Ai, run a cafe called Cat’s Eye. However, at night, they are thieves, robbing art from various galleries in hopes of finding a clue to the disappearance of their artist father.
The police inspector Toshi is determined to catch the thief, called Cat’s Eye. However, he is unaware of the fact that the girl he is dating, Hitomi, leads a double life and is the thief he is after.
4. Wedding Peach
- Episodes: 51
- Studios: OLM
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Apr 5, 1995, to Mar 27, 1996
When the evil queen of the Devil Wrld seeks to destroy the Angel World, the Goddess Aphrodite sends an angel to the human world. She must now call upon the three love angels. Three high school girls who become Angel Lilly, Angel Daisy, and Wedding Peach.
Together, the girls must not only stop the attack from the Devil but also handle the challenges with their own hectic lives, their relationships, and school work.
3. Sailor Moon
- Episodes: 46
- Studios: Toei Animation
- Genre: Romance
- Aired: Mar 7, 1992, to Feb 27, 1993
When the clumsy high school student Usagi Tsukino saves a cat named Luna with a crescent-moon shape on its forehead, she finds out that she is actually a Planet Guardian with the power to protect Earth. She has a special brooch that transforms her into Sailor Moon. Now, she must find all the other guardians, protect Earth, and handle the responsibilities of her life as usual.
With a pleasant and calm story, cute characters, magical and supernatural elements, and its own serious arcs, Sailor Moon is very similar to Mysterious Thief Saint Tail.
2. Princess Tutu
- Episodes: 38
- Studios: Hal Film Maker
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
- Aired: Aug 16, 2002, to May 23, 2003
Here’s a lighthearted anime about a duck that is turned into a human girl by a mysterious man named Drosselmeyer. With the help of an egg-shaped pendant, she can transform into a magical girl called Princess Tutu. In this form, whenever she performs a ballet dance, the audience is relieved of all their worries.
Princess Tutu is put up to an important quest, as she must find and gather the lost shards of her prince’s heart. With a spark of romance and magic, this warmhearted story is sure to remind you of Mysterious Thief Saint Tail.
1. Gakuen Alice
- Episodes: 26
- Studios: Group TAC
- Genre: Comedy
- Aired: Oct 30, 2004, to May 14, 2005
Mikan and Hotaru have entirely different personalities but are still close friends. Mikan is energetic and sweet, while Hotaru is bright but cold-hearted. When Hotaru shifts schools to go to a prestigious school called Alice Academy, Mikan is left devastated.
When Mikan hears rumors of the school being horrible, she can’t help but rush to Alice Academy. Upon reaching here, she learns that the school is made for individuals with supernatural abilities, called Alices. In Gakuen Alice, we follow the exciting adventures of these two girls as they uncover more about their magical world and also deal with a seemingly dangerous fire-wielder, Natsume Hyuuga.
Honorable Mentions-
- Kamichama Karin
- Red Riding Hood Chacha
- Kaito Reina
- Super Pig