Thirty years ago, an explosion devastated East Asia, killing over 150 million people. In the present day, such “spacequakes” are now a common occurrence.
One day, Shidou Itsuka races to rescue his little sister from one such spacequake. However, when he is caught in the blast, he discovers a mysterious girl who turns out to be a Spirit. These girls are responsible for the devastation when they come crashing to Earth.
However, when Shidou is rescued by an anti-Spirit team, he discovers it is headed up by his little sister. Recruited in and tasked with neutralizing Spirits with extreme force, Shidou discovers he can come to a more peaceful solution – making the Spirits fall in love.
Well, I guess if you are saving the world, wooing and kissing a bunch of cute girls is a good way to go about it. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Date a Live, head on down below.
Anime Like Date A Live
For Fans of Date The Girl To Save The Girl
The World Only God Knows
Keima Katsuragi is known as the “God of Conquest,” a man that can conquer any girl’s heart, at least in his dating sim games.
However, when Keima arrogantly accepts an offer to prove his dating sim supremacy, he finds himself at the mercy of a demon that forces him to woo over real life girls.
Similarities Between Date a Live and The World God Only Knows
- Both series feature main characters conquering different women by making them fall in love and kissing them
- Those women, for different reasons, are perfectly fine with the main character moving onto the next target
- Both series feature a plot that starts small and straightforward, but grows grander in scale
Differences Between Date a Live and The World God Only Knows
- The World God Only Knows is playing off dating sims while Date a Live a sci-fi action harem
- The women lose their memories after being conquered in The World God Only Knows while the harem in Date a Live knows the main character must woo the next girl for the good of the world
- Date a Live has an action focus while The World God Only Knows is a clever rom-com about manipulating the feelings of women
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
Throughout his middle school career, Rentaro Aijo has confessed to – and been rejected by – 100 girls. After his 100th confession, he visits a shrine and prays to god that he will have better luck in high school.
Suddenly the God of Love appears and declares to him that in high school he will meet 100 soulmates that he is destined to date!
However, the catch is that once he meets these soulmates, the two must date or else the girl will die. Will Rentaro be able to make it through high school with 100 girlfriends!?
Similarities Between Date a Live and The 100 Girlfriends That Really Love You
- Both are harem anime about building very large harems
- All harem girls are predetermined by a sort of destiny or event
- The girls all coexist in their love for the main character rather peacefully
- Both offer some fan service without it dominating the show
Differences Between Date a Live and The 100 Girlfriends That Really Love You
- The 100 Girlfriends That Really Love You is definitely more of a romantic comedy harem than the sci-fi action harem of Date a Live
- There is no action in 100 Girlfriends
- 100 Girlfriends is a very comedy-focused, with the girls having their personalities turned to the extreme to serve that end
If Her Flag Breaks
High schooler Souta Hatate has the ability to see visual novel-style flags above a person’s head. As such, he has the ability to stop events from happening.
Using such a power, he has prevented a few deaths, but after an event that lead to him being the sole survivor, he started to believe he was a curse. Things change when he enters a new school and his classmate Nanami helps him unravel the mystery behind the flags.
Similarities Between Date a Live and If Her Flag Breaks
- Both series feature a main character with a special ability that can save women
- Both series are harem anime with clear inspiration from dating sims
- Both series feature harem slice of life, but also quite a bit of drama
Differences Between Date a Live and If Her Flag Breaks
- If Her Flag Breaks isn’t an action anime like Date a Live is
- If Her Flag Breaks tends to be more dramatic to an almost sad degree whereas Date a Live is dramatic more for the action element
- If Her Flag Breaks focuses more on school slice of life opposed to the split school slice of life/battle focus in Date a Live
Val x Love
The Valkyries are the legendary female warriors of Asgard sent down by Odin to protect Earth from the growing threat of demons. Nine Valkyries have disguised themselves as the Saotome sisters who are told to level up by performing various romantic acts with their official lover, the Einherjar.
Unfortunately for socially anxious Takuma Akutsu, he discovers that Odin has chosen him to serve as the Einherjar. Although reluctant, he agrees to let these nine women move into his large, but empty home for the sake of protecting Earth.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Val X Love
- Both series feature normal male main characters that just wake up to be special and essential one day
- Both are harem anime about a main character supporting his battle harem
- Kisses and feelings of love play an essential role, but huge ecchi fan service is rarer than you might think
- Both series have a big emphasis on action
- Both harems have a seemingly main girl, but do not play her up to be the primary love interest as much
Differences Between Date a Live and Val X Love
- Date a Live is more sci-fi compared to the Norse inspirations in Val X Love
- The main character is quite powerless in Val X Love while Shido can borrow powers from his harem
For Fans of Battle Harems
High School DxD
Average pervert Issei Hyoudou has done nothing productive with his life save for dreaming of attracting a harem.
Things are looking up when a girl asks him on a date, but unfortunately she turns out to be a fallen angel and brutal kills him.
However, he gets a second chance at life when a classmate (and devil) revives him to be her servant.
Similarities Between Date a Live and High School DxD
- Both series are action harem anime
- The main characters start off rather useless in combat, but grow into battle abilities
- Both series are about women with supernatural powers
Differences Between Date a Live and High School DxD
- Date a Live has some fan service, but High School DxD is a full-on ecchi anime with ample booba
- There is a very clear main girl in the High School DxD harem while Date a Live is more ambiguous
- The harem in High School DxD doesn’t like the main character much at first while Date a Live builds a harem out of girls that like the main character
- Date a Live combines sci-fi and supernatural while High School DxD is more supernatural in its battle between devils and angels
Brynhildr in the Darkness
In an incident ten years ago, Ryouta set out with his best friend Kuroneko to find alien life, but an accident happened that left him injured and Kuroneko dead.
In her memory, Ryouta continued his search for aliens until one day a new transfer student showed up named Kuroha Neko, who looks just like his dead best friend.
Despite being dumb as dirt she manged to pass the transfer tests and after saving his life, he also discovers that she has supernatural abilities. Is this really his friend or something else?
Similarities Between Date a Live and Brynhildr in the Darkness
- Both series build harems out of women that are wanted by/enemies of the government
- The government sought to kill these girls, but the main character saved them
- Together they fight back to defend themselves while also enjoying slice of life harem activities on the side
Differences Between Date a Live and Brynhildr in the Darkness
- As several character die, brutally, Brynhildr in the Darkness is quite a bit darker and more dramatic than Date a Live
- Despite the premise, Brynhildr in the Darkness has action, but not a lot of it
- The characters aren’t as creatively designed in Brynhildr in the Darkness compared to Date a Live
Trinity Seven
After the red sun stops shining, Arata Kasuga’s hometown disappeared along with all the people. However, he manages to create an artificial world for himself by using a mysterious grimoire.
One day, his artificial world crumbles and a mysterious girl demands he hand over the grimoire. Instead, he ends up enrolling in a secret magic school with six others.
Together, they bolster each other’s magic as the Trinity Seven.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Trinity Seven
- Both series are action harem anime
- Both series follow a main character that can (eventually) use the abilities of his harem
- Both feature similar types of waifu archetypes
- The plots both start off somewhat basic and straightforward, but do grow surprisingly complex
Differences Between Date a Live and Trinity Seven
- Date a Live has more sci-fi-type powers while Trinity Seven follow magicians and magic
- Trinity Seven takes place in a school full of women
- The main character in Trinity Seven has more power initially than in Date a Live
- While Date a Live has its moments of fan service, Trinity Seven features enough fan service to be classified as ecchi
Chained Soldier
Years ago, mysterious entrances to another dimension called Mato, filled with dangerous monsters dubbed the Shuuki, started appearing throughout Japan. During one such event five years ago, Yuuki Watase lost his sister which inspired him to try to become a hero.
Unfortunately, while there are many who can stem the tide of Shuuki monsters that come out of Mato, they are exclusively women who gained unique abilities from eating Mato fruit.
After graduating high school, Yuuki feels a bit aimless until he is caught up in a Mato event. Just as he is about to meet a grisly end, the chief of the Seventh Unit of the Anti-Demon Corps, Kyouka Uzen, appears. Using her ability, she is able to form a pact with Yuuki that transforms him into a super-powered Shuuki to help her fight back.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Chained Soldier
- Both are harem anime centered around a strong action-focused plot
- While the main character has/gains powers, the women are the primary combatants
- The main character gains different power from different girls
- Both main characters are nice and often get a bit walked all over by their harem
Differences Between Date a Live and Chained Soldier
- Chained Soldier offers ecchi early and often while Date a Live has a lot tamer fan service
- Date a Live is more sci-fi while Chained Soldier is more of a supernatural series
- Date a Live is a school setting outside of the action while Chained Soldier is more of a dorm setting
Infinite Stratos
After engineering powerful exoskeleton suits called Infinite Stratos, they have become a mainstream weapon. Since only women can pilot them, they have now dominated society.
However, when 15-year-old Orimura Ichika accidentally touches one, he is found to be the only known man that can become a pilot.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Infinite Stratos
- Both series are sci-fi action harem anime
- The girls are the dominant fighters in both series while the male main character also possesses abilities that get stronger over time
- Both take place in school settings outside of combat
- Both offer romance, comedy, drama, and action in a pretty good balance
Differences Between Date a Live and Infinite Stratos
- The main character in Infinite Stratos is a bit more of a punching bag for comedy
- Date a Live is about wooing girls to add to the battle harem while Infinite Stratos is about befriending his forced harem over time
- The spirits in Date a Live are just designed to be sci-fi whereas Infinite Stratos is an actual mecha sci-fi action anime
Masou Gakuen HxH
Earth has been attacked by invaders from another universe that travel to our world through portals and wield both science and magic. With traditional weapons useless against them, mankind was pushed back into giant floating structures where they developed the Heart Hybrid Gear, a combat armor, to fight back.
Hida Kizuna was given a Heart Hybrid Gear, but it is not strong enough to be used in combat. Regardless, he is transferred to a strategic defense school after his sister’s request to supposedly train for combat.
However, his sister had other ideas for him. Kizuna is to perform erotic activities with the other girls to replenish their energy and boost their capabilities, and he proves increasingly critical to humankind’s success.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Masou Gakuen HxH
- Both series are sci-fi harem action anime featuring mecha-like costumes for battle
- The main characters have powers, but the women are usually the primary combatants while the main characters serve as support
- Both series put all these characters in a school, only excusing themselves to go fight something
Differences Between Date a Live and Masou Gakuen HxH
- Masou Gakuen HxH is hella ecchi
- Shido can fight using the power of spirits while Kizuna in HxH is really just a support type
Heaven’s Lost Property
Since he was a child, Tomoki has always woken up in tears from a dream of an angel. Worrying for her friend, Mitsuki seeks out the obsessive sky maniac Eishirou Sugata who deems that this dream is a connection to the New World, a floating anomaly that baffles scientists.
With both Tomoki and Mitsuki recruited into the New World Discovery Club, their lives are changed forever when a strange girl falls from the sky and begins to call Tomoki her master.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Heaven’s Lost Property
- Both are sci-fi harem action anime
- The main character pacifies what would otherwise be very dangerous women that are wanted by the government
Differences Between Date a Live and Heaven’s Lost Property
- Heaven’s Lost Property is often most focused on comedy slice of life and ecchi compared to the more serious and/or slice of life Date a Live
- The harem is more compact in Heaven’s Lost Property with a very clear main girl
For Fans of Sealed (Or Unsealed) With a Kiss
Engage Kiss
After discovering a new energy source, Bayron City became a metropolis that works independent of other governments. However, the city is occasionally plagued by the mysterious appearance of large demons that are difficult to deal with.
As such, private military organizations make bids to combat these monsters for the city. Shuu Ogata runs one such small organization that consists of him and his overly clingy demon partner, Kisara.
While she is eager to take care of him despite being chronically poor from all the ways his bids go sideways, using her power comes at a heavy cost to himself.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Engage Kiss
- Both series have powers based around kissing
- The main character is/was in a military organization fighting supernatural threats to the city
- Both series feature main characters with multiple girls that like them romantically in their orbit
- Both series provide interesting action scenes
Differences Between Date a Live and Engage Kiss
- Engage Kiss is more of a love triangle compared to Date a Live’s harem experience
- The main character in Engage Kiss is more comically scummy than Shido in Date a Live
- While the kiss seals powers in Date a Live, it activates powers in Engage Kiss
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
Ryuu Yamada used to be a thug, but he wanted to change his reputation in high school. He went to a school where no one knew him, but by second year he was so bored that he became a slacker again.
One day while on his way to the office, he trips and accidentally kisses a beautiful honor student. In a flash, they switch bodies and Ryuu is soon thrust into the world of school legends where seven beautiful witches can have their supernatural abilities awakened by kissing.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
- Both series are about main characters who will, at some point, kiss all the girls to activate or seal their powers
- Both feature school-set slice of life comedy
- Both offer a semi-supernatural plot
- Both series offer small doses of fan service, but the characters are definitely not designed with ecchi or fan service in mind
Differences Between Date a Live and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
- Unlike Date a Live, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is more romantic comedy than harem
- There isn’t any serious action in Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
- Date a Live is about saving people from destructive events while Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is more about solving a supernatural school mystery
Campione
After 16-year-old Kusanagi Godou defeats the God of Victory in mortal combat, he is stuck with the position of Campione, or God Slayer.
His job now is to defeat any Heretical Gods that try to muscle in.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, he’s also attracted a bevy of female followers that are there to serve him in his duties.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Campione
- Both series follow guys who are, essentially, at the right place at the right time to become a main character through circumstance
- Both series involve powers being activated or sealed through kisses
- Both are action harem anime with pretty unique plots
Differences Between Date a Live and Campione
- In Campione, the main character is very much the main fighter while his harem supports. Date a Live does the complete opposite
- Campione is straight supernatural compared to the more sci-fi experience of Date a Live
- Campione, in essence, is like Date a Live if Shido decided to kill the spirits instead of kiss them
Sekirei
One day, completely useless college student Minato Sahashi collides with a beautiful girl named Musubi. She is a Sekirei, a powerful humanoid that descended to earth.
She is fleeing from two of her own kind and suddenly kisses Minato to awaken her true power. Due to his special genes, Musubi asks Minato to stay by her side and fight in a survival game between the Sekirei.
The winner gets to ascend to the higher sky, but the fate of the Earth might just hang in the balance as well.
Similarities Between Date a Live and Sekirei
- Both are action harem anime
- Both involve sealing or unsealing powers with a kiss
- The main character is predisposed to be able to activate the powers in these girls
- The series slowly adds new enemy combatants into the harem
Differences Between Date a Live and Sekirei
- Sekirei is an ecchi anime while Date a Live is not
- Shido in Date a Live does have some power while Minato in Sekirei is actually, legitimately, quite useless outside his genes
- Date a Live battles to save the world while Sekirei follows a battle royale contest between otherworldly girls.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Date a Live? Let fans know in the comments section below.