Nagi Umino, a diligent student, and Erika Amano, a social media star, seemingly have nothing in common until they discovered that they were actually switched at birth. With this suddenly revealed to them, both families agree that in order to not uproot their life, the two of them should get engaged. The pair quickly reject this plan, but neither is really willing to back down either.
The quality of harem anime always depends on the cuteness of its characters, and this one has some gems. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like A Couple of Cuckoos, then head on down below.
Anime Like A Couple of Cuckoos
For Fans of Forced Relationships
Nisekoi
Ten years ago, Raku Ichijou made a promise with a childhood friend to meet again and use the key she holds to open the locket he wears around his neck then be together forever. In the present day, this heir apparent to an intimidating yakuza family continues to wait for his friend’s return while trying to be as uninvolved in family matters as possible. However, when a rival gang invades his family’s turf, the family leaders decide Raku should start a romantic relationship with the other chief’s daughter, Chitoge. While they pretend to be dating to maintain the peace, Raku is almost positive his classmate Kosaki Onodera is the girl he made his promise with.
A Couple of Cuckoos is just Nisekoi come again. They have a very similar set up and a very similar progression. Here is hoping that A Couple of Cuckcoos isn’t quite so wishy-washy with who will end up being the main girl.
Rent-A-Girlfriend
Recently dumped by his girlfriend, college student Kazuya Kinoshita tries to fill the void with an app that lets him rent a girlfriend. While Chizuru seems like the perfect girlfriend, reading the reviews online, he finds out it is an act. He leaves her a bad review and this reveals her more sassy true self when she comes after him for it. Unfortunately, after his grandmother’s collapse, he introduces her as his girlfriend at the hospital, and thus they begin their fake relationship.
Both series involve the main pair being a pretend couple in order to please their loved ones. From there, feelings start to develop between them, but at the same time, the harem grows large with other women. The big difference is that Rent-a-Girlfriend has a bit of a spineless main male.
Oreshura
After being abandoned by his love-addled parents, Eita Kidou is a bit put off by romance. It also causes him to see through the love confession of Masuzu Natsukawa. As it turns out, she just wanted a boyfriend to stop the daily love confessions. While he initially declines, she takes to blackmailing him to be her fake boyfriend.
Both series start off with the couple being a fake couple for their own reasons. However, as things go on, real feelings begin to develop, not to mention feelings from other characters begin to come out. However, Oreshura is more rom-com than harem.
Love and Lies
In order to encourage successful marriages and to combat the low birthrate, the Japanese government now assigns marriage partners at the age of 16. Unwilling to face the severe repercussions that come with denial, Yukari Nejima goes along with it, despite confessing to his long-time crush. However, is his reciprocated love doomed to be crushed when he gets his marriage notice?
Instead of it being suggested by the parents, Love and Lies features a government mandated arranged marriage. Like in A Couple of Cuckoos, the main male is also in love with someone else. Love and Lies is, however, more of a love triangle, and a rather strange one at that.
My Bride is a Mermaid
Michishio Nagasumi is living a normal life when he almost drowns on summer vacation. He is rescued by, of all things, a beautiful mermaid. Unfortunately, she is from a yakuza family that states if a human sees a mermaid, either the human or the mermaid must die. To save her life, Michishio agrees to marry the mermaid and become part of this crazy family.
Both series are about characters that are forced into an arranged marriage by their families. However, while they are both rom-coms in their own ways, My Bride is a Mermaid definitely leans heavier into the comedy of things. It likes to get pretty absurd at times, but it makes for some great laughs.
Engaged to the Unidentified
On Kobeni Yonomori’s 16th birthday, it is discovered that her grandfather arranged for her to marry the mysterious Hakuya Mitsumine. Shocked, she now finds herself living with her future husband, his deceptive little sister, and her own perverted older sister. However, Kobeni takes it in stride, adjusting to her new life and trying to learn more about the new additions.
Both series are are about two people whose families decided that they should get married. Suddenly they are in each others lives all the time and feelings begin to bloom. However, while Engaged to the Unidentified has moments of romance, it is mostly a great comedy show.
For Fans of “Everyone Loves This One Guy For Some Reason” Harems
Bokuben – We Never Learn
In order to help his family out financially, Nariyuki Yuiga dedicated himself to becoming a high achiever in order to get a special nomination that covers future university fees. While he is constantly overshadowed by two other classmates in math and literature, he manages to get the nomination anyway with the condition he tutor these two other students in other academic areas. It turns out that these two girls that excel over him in those two subjects are mediocre at everything else.
Bokuben and A Couple of Cuckoos both star a smart student as the main male lead who finds himself absolutely surrounded by women. However, Bokuben is occasionally about him tutoring them whereas the women in A Couple of Cuckoos fall in love with Nagi due to him just being a good guy.
Girlfriend, Girlfriend
After loving her for years, Naoya Mukai finally confesses his love to his childhood friend, Saki. However, just as he settles into dating her, a girl named Nagisa comes out of the woodwork and confesses her secret love for him. Instead of shooting her down, he is charmed by her feelings, and suggests to both her and Saki that he date both of them.
Girlfriend, Girlfriend takes the harem trope and full on acknowledges the polygamy of it all. Instead of just being liked by many girls like in A Couple of Cuckoos, the main character actually dates several. Girlfriend, Girlfriend is much more of a comedy whereas A Couple of Cuckoos often stays closer to the standard rom-com.
Osamake – Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won’t Lose
Sueharu Maru, once a child actor and now just a normal high school boy, is considered lucky to have the constant company of his beautiful and popular childhood friend, Kuroha Shida. However, when Kuroha confesses to him, he immediately rejects her. He still has his sights set on his first love – school idol and author, Shirokusa Kachi. Despite thinking he still has a chance, he finds out one day that she has a boyfriend which starts him on a complicated path of feelings.
Both of these harem series have women absolutely tripping over a guy whose focus is on something else. Osamake tends to lean more into dramatic serious moments rather than just straight harem romance shenanigans, though.
Saekano – How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Tomoya Aki is your typical otaku who takes on part-time jobs to fund his anime and light novel obsession. However, one day when he was out riding his bike, he catches the beret of a girl and is so captivated by the scene before him that he sets out to create the ultimate dating sim. While he struggles to do so, he eventually recruits three of the school’s most popular girls, who also happen to be good at drawing, writing, and music as well as are otakus themselves. After some debate, each agrees to help make his vision come to life. In this new doujin circle, he also happens across the girl that inspired him, but she was not what he expected and certainly doesn’t stand up to his 2D expectations.
While Saekano has a plot that drives it, like A Couple of Cuckoos, the series is all about the various girls that are in love with this one boy. Of course, the boy doesn’t have eyes for any of them and are instead focused on a completely different girl.
To Love-Ru
Timid Rito wants is to confess his love to a girl in class. However, things quickly become complicated when one night a naked girl comes crashing in on him while he is in the bath. This girl, as it turns out, is an alien princess on the run and she wants to marry him to avoid a political marriage. Thus begins Rito’s endless days of girl struggle.
Both show start off with a suggestion of marriage between the two main characters. However, that marriage doesn’t happen immediately and the series soon devolves into a harem situation. The key differences between To Love-Ru and A Couple of Cuckoos is that To Love-Ru is an ecchi show and the main male isn’t quite as cool.
Do you have more anime recommendations like A Couple of Cuckoos? Let fans know in the comments section below.
