Anime Like Chivalry of a Failed Knight
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
After a botched demonic summoning ritual brings Takuma Sakamoto into the fantastical game world of Cross Reverie, he is transformed from a lonely shut-in into the powerful Demon Lord Diablo.
Or at least, he’s changed on the outside. On the inside, he’s still a self-conscious mess with social anxiety and little to no experience with women.
Regardless, he sees this new twist of fate as an opportunity and decides to dive full-in on his new demon lord persona. He’ll take on any challenge, and with luck, will help his two would-be summoners with the problems they summoned him to solve.
A surprise hit of 2018, How Not to Summon a Demon Lord blends the harem and isekai genres beautifully. Its characters will have you laughing one minute and heartbroken the next, all the while building up a world you won’t soon forget.
Anime Like Chivalry of a Failed Knight
High School DxD
Issei Hyodo is an everyday high school student before a date with another student leaves him at death’s door. Unknown to him, his high school was home to angels, fallen angels and devils, all vying for power and even preying on the human students.
Before he can die though, a third year named Rias Gremory revives him with her demonic power, turning Issei into her demonic servant as a result.
Now, Issei must adapt to his new life in the school’s dark underbelly. Danger lies around every corner as angels and other devils try to eliminate him in battles of magic and hand-to-hand combat.
He’ll have to master his own demonic powers if he’s going to survive, and with luck he’ll make some allies along the way as he does.
A hallmark of the harem genre, High School DxD is also host to some over the top and entertaining battles. Check it out for something that leans more toward action.
Anime Like Chivalry of a Failed Knight
KonoSuba
After a less-than-ideal encounter with a tractor leaves him dead, life-long nerd Kazuma Satō is granted the chance to return to life in a new world with a gift of his choosing.
Unfortunately, this offer comes from a god named Aqua who mocks him for his embarrassing death, so much so that he demands to drag her down from heaven into this new world with him.
As such, the two find themselves in a new life they’re utterly unprepared for. Any chance at improving their circumstances is ruined by their selfish tendencies, and even when they gain some new allies, their fortunes always seem to turn sour.
All the same, the two press onward, determined to make something good out of their new lives. It’ll be a rough road forward, but they just might accomplish it if they can learn to work together.
More of a satirical take on harems and isekai shows, Konosuba is still a blast and has some characters that fans can’t stop falling in love with. Its two seasons will fly by as the party embarks on their doomed exploits for self-improvement, only to fail gloriously.
Anime Like Chivalry of a Failed Knight
Is it Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Outlandish names aside, Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has plenty of heart and more than enough to love for any fantasy adventure lovers.
Bell Cranel, a young adventurer out to make a name for himself, finds his fortunes turn for the better when he becomes a member of the goddess Hestia’s Familia, or blessed guild of adventurers.
This grants him not only a God’s protection, but the chance to become a strong and renowned adventurer in his own right capable of taking down bigger and badder threats.
The only problem is, he’s the only member of Hestia’s Familia, and as such must venture into dangerous dungeons alone. Doing so ensures he’ll make ends meet for himself and Hestia, but also keeps his progress moving at a snail’s pace.
All the same, he continues on with his exploits, drawing the attention of several female adventurers as a result. With luck, he may convince some of them to aid him in his quest and build up a truly formidable Familia in the process.
Anime Like Chivalry of a Failed Knight
A Certain Magical Index
In a world where magical abilities are readily obtainable through birth, scientific enhancements and rigorous study, Tōma Kamijō is an Academy City student who wields the ability to cancel out any other ability with his right fist, albeit at the cost of his luck.
He enjoys a peaceful, if unfortunate, life before he encounters Index, a young girl with the knowledge of over 100,000 forbidden magical tomes stored inside her mind.
This makes her a target for those who wish to learn more of the world’s magic, and before long Tōma finds himself facing down several shady and powerful magic users to protect her.
What follows is a new life for Tōma where he must protect Index from the world’s many nefarious magic user factions. Doing so is sure to be dangerous, but it may also bring him together with new friends and turn his fortunes around for the better.
One of the few series on this list to get a new season in the past year, A Certain Magical Index is host to one of the most well-realized worlds and casts in the Harem genre.
It’s a blast to lose yourself in the lore and setting across its 61 episodes, and it’s more than likely you’ll be ready for more once the final credits roll.