The summer of 2020 brought to our screens one of the best harem animes, Rent-a-Girlfriend. The anime was adapted from the manga of the same name by Reiji Miyajima. Whether it’s the abundance of cute girls or Kazuya’s stupidity, this anime was a hot topic of discussion. If you’re looking for another rom-com anime with a harem, and a cute waifu like Chizuru Mizuhara, here are the best animes similar to Rent-a-Girlfriend.
10. Nisekoi
- Episodes: 20
- Studios: Shaft
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Jan 11, 2014, to May 24, 2014
Raku Ichijou and Chitoge Kirisaki loathe each other from the moment they meet. However, since both belong to rival yakuza clans, their families force them to be in a fake relationship together in order to decrease the enmity between the two clans.
On the other hand, Raku actually has a crush on his classmate, Kosaki Onodera, and is also searching for his childhood friend, a mysterious girl whom he had promised to marry as a child. He holds a pendant with a lock that can only be opened by the key that the girl has. We follow the hilarious adventures that Raku gets into with his classmates, his so-called girlfriend, and his search for his friend.
9. The Quintessential Quintuplets
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Tezuka Productions
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Jan 11, 2019, to Mar 29, 2019
In Quintessential Quintuplets, we follow an intelligent high school student named Fuutarou Uesugi, who lives a hard life with his debt-ridden father. When Fuutarou gets a chance to earn lots of money by tutoring the daughter of a wealthy man, he is overjoyed. However, when he arrives at his new job, he finds out that the girl he must tutor is Itsuki Nakano, a girl he has previously had an unpleasant encounter with, leading to each of them hating the other.
His problems, however, do not end here. Fuutarou now learns that he actually has to tutor her four siblings as well. What’s more, all of these girls absolutely abhors studying and don’t wish to learn. How will Fuutarou now manage to make an earning by teaching these quintuplets?
8. Kanojo mo Kanojo
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Tezuka Productions
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Jul 3, 2021, to Sep 18, 2021
Yet another anime with a very extraordinary relationship, Kanojo mo Kanojo, or as it is known in English, Girlfriend, Girlfriend, tells the story of Naoya Mukai, who finally gets to be in a relationship with his childhood friend, who he always had a crush on, Saki Saki.
However, just when their relationship is becoming serious, he is also asked out by Nagisa Minase, his classmate. Unable to refuse her, he makes a decision- he decides to date both of them. Thus form a fascinating love triangle, as the two girls move into Naoya’s house, and face several challenges to their relationship, in school and outside.
7. Domestic Girlfriend
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Diomedéa
- Genres: Drama, Romance
- Aired: Jan 12, 2019 to Mar 30, 2019
Rightly termed the “Dumpster fire” anime of 2019, Domestic Girlfriend takes the concept of ecchi, incest, tough love, crush, and drama, and mixes them together in an absolutely “stunning” anime. We follow Natsuo Fujii, who has a crush on his teacher, Hina. However, he is aware that hers is a heart he will never be able to win, considering their ages. One day, after going out to karaoke with his friends, he ends up bored and exits but finds another girl who is just as uninterested. Instead, the two decide to find out what intercourse feels like and end up sleeping together.
Later, Natsuo finds out that his father (a widower) has decided to remarry, and the woman he is going to marry has two daughters. The first is his teacher, Hina, and the second is the girl he had sex with, Rui. The three of them soon end up in many situations together and must find a way out of these challenges. But that’s not all, as soon, Natsuo begins to develop a harem of his own.
6. Golden Time
- Episodes: 24
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Aired: Oct 4, 2013, to Mar 28, 2014
After Banri is injured in an accident, he suffers from amnesia and forgets everything before the accident. When he meets Mitsuo Yanagisawa, the two become close friends and attend a law school in Toko together. However, their time here is going to be very extraordinary. They realize this as soon as they enter the campus to find a pretty girl with a bouquet in her hand, who smacks Mitsuo with her bouquet.
In this school, Banri learns that he will gain a new life and many new memories. However, some connections of his past still linger behind. How will he deal with his new, bright future, and the knowledge of his past?
5. Gamers!
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Pine Jam
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Aired: Jul 13, 2017, to Sep 28, 2017
Keita Amano is a high school student who lives and likes his ordinary student life. He spends his free time enjoying and playing video games. However, when the popular and beautiful student, Karen Tendou, learns of his hobby, she decides to recruit him into the video game club.
Seeing the competitive nature of the club’s members related to gaming, Keita declines the offer. However, this leads to events that will change the course of his life, bringing in more shenanigans, misunderstandings, and awkward situations into his life. How will Keita manage to maintain stability in so much chaos?
4. My First Girlfriend is a Gal
- Episodes: 10
- Studios: NAZ
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Ecchi
- Aired: Jul 12, 2017, to Sep 13, 2017
Junichi Hashiba is worried that he will die a virgin while all his classmates are getting girlfriends. After being led on by his friends as a prank, he foolishly decides to confess his love to Yukana Yame. While she realizes that he is asking her out only to lose his virginity, she accepts nevertheless.
We follow their adventures as Junichi learns to keep his sexual urges at bay, and begins to form a harem with many cute girls. As he matures, however, Yukana begins to actually grow feelings for him.
3. Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Seven, GEEK TOYS
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Ecchi
- Aired: Jul 8, 2019, to Sep 23, 2019
Keiki Kiryuu is a typical high school student, and like any teenager, he eagerly hopes to have a girlfriend someday. However, his prayers seem to be fulfilled one day, when he receives a mysterious letter with a pair of panties.
Thus begins Keiki’s adventure to find out the identity of the sender. He targets many female classmates in hopes of uncovering the truth. On the way, he finds out that each of these girls had a perverted side to them, despite the innocence they seem to feign externally.
2. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: CloverWorks
- Genres: Comedy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, School
- Aired: Oct 4, 2018, to Dec 27, 2018
Bunny Girl Senpai tells the story of Sakuta, your average high school boy who finds his third-year classmate, Sakurajima, in a library, wearing a bunny costume. Nobody in the library or at school seems to be paying attention to her.
When he approaches the peculiarly dressed girl, he learns of her predicament. She is going through something called Puberty Syndrome. She was once a well-known actress who slowly faded from her on-screen fame due to mysterious reasons. Now, she faces extraordinary consequences of her decisions, as she seems to be fading from existence, invisible to everyone around her. We follow Sakuta as he helps her and other girls who are also going through the mysterious syndrome.
1. TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Seven Arcs
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Shounen
- Aired: Oct 3, 2020, to Dec 19, 2020
We follow a guy with a bright future, Nasa Yuzaki. He is determined to leave a mark on the world. He certainly seems to have a bright future, what with him coming first in the national mock exams, his goals appear to be clearly mapped out right before his eyes.
However, one snowy evening, his eyes fall on a beautiful girl across the street from him. While he’s left astounded by her beauty, he overlooks an oncoming truck, getting himself injured. While the girl’s swift action saves his life, he is still in bad condition. When the ambulance arrives, and the girl walks away from him, Tomikawa can’t help but rush towards her in his crippled state. He asks her out. Watching his brave and selfless but dumb love for her, she is impressed and accepts his proposal on one condition. They can only be together if they marry!
Honourable Mentions-
- My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
- Maison Ikkoku
- Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
- Toradora!
- Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
- Oreshura