The best ecchi anime series

Looking for something… suggestive? Ecchi anime walks a fine line between explicit and dirty. And you may already be familiar with some of the most popular series.

The term “ecchi” refers to anime with highly sexual content. These shows usually feature gratuitous fanservice, fetish fuel, and even non-explicit sex scenes. But fondling aside, ecchi isn’t quite as hardcore as hentai. Many ecchi series are actually satirical, poking fun at fanservice or posing larger questions about sexuality’s place in the medium.

Interested in checking out a couple of ecchi series yourself? Here are our top recommendations.

The best ecchi anime series

High School of the Dead

High School of the Dead taps into the evergreen appeal of the zombie apocalypse theme. If you’ve ever wondered what The Walking Dead would look like if it were invaded by the cast of Baywatch, then you’re in for a treat. While the series unabashedly indulges in the tropes of ecchi with its generous helpings of panty shots and physics-defying bounces, it’s the deft blend of adrenaline-filled action and the occasional comedic relief amidst an apocalyptic backdrop that sets it apart. 

High School of the Dead marries the grim survivalist narrative with the high-octane energy of a teenage melodrama. If you’re searching for an anime that will your heart race for more reasons than one, then it’s worth checking out HOTD. Just don’t get too attached – like any good zombie narrative, nobody is safe, and we’re not just talking about the risk of nosebleeds.

Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation

Mushoku Tensei is a standout in the isekai genre. This series manages to simultaneously embrace and subvert the tropes of its genre, resulting in a refreshingly familiar story. An obese shut-in dies in a traffic accident, only to find himself reincarnated in the body of baby in a fantasy world. Now named Rudeus, he retains his mind, which is both his greatest asset and his most profound source of inner conflict. His adult desires juxtaposed with his childlike body lead to inner monologues that walk a fine line between humorous self-awareness and cringe-inducing inappropriateness. 

The series doesn’t play these moments for laughs, though. They’re a mirror reflecting Rudeus’s internal struggle with his past life’s failures and his determination to be better this time around. His knowledge gives him a unique perspective on the dynamic he takes part in, which often leads to moments of introspection that are as satisfying as they are necessary. If you can handle a bit of risqué alongside your fantasy, and enjoy the spectacle of a flawed protagonist striving for redemption, then Mushoku Tensei might just be your next must-watch.

No Game No Life

Have you ever imagined a world where the phrase “it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye” is less of a warning and more like the official motto? In No Game No Life, every conflict is resolved through games. At the heart of the show are the sibling protagonists, Sora and Shiro, a duo who never lose a match. 

The show has some usual ecchi moments, but they’re mild. There are occasional innuendos, especially revolving around the character Stephanie Dola. She becomes the lovable butt of many ecchi jokes throughout the series. From losing games that result in her embarrassment to unwittingly becoming a pawn in Sora’s strategic fan service-laden plans, Stephanie is the comedy heart of the Isekai show. 

My Wife is the Student Council President

My Wife is the Student Council President is about high school student Ui Wakana who instigates a scandalous living arrangement with her classmate Hayato after winning the Student Council election. Ui is as forward as they come and Hayato is trying to uphold some semblance of virtue. It’s the kind of setup where you can’t help but laugh because, let’s be honest, if you don’t laugh, you’ll blush, and there’s no hiding.

The series doesn’t pretend to be a highbrow narrative. It’s rather indulgent and a bit naughty, a perfect series for when you want to switch off the serious side of your brain and enjoy some straightforward, uncomplicated fun. The ecchi aspects are, of course, front and center, but there’s a surprising tenderness to how the relationship between Hayato and Ui develops.

My Dress-up Darling

My Dress-up Darling has a unique balance between its ecchi elements and the genuinely sweet romance at its core.  It features Gojo who has a passion for making costumes for traditional Hina dolls and a vivacious cosplayer, Marin Kitagawa, who owns her sex appeal. The series explores the intimacy and vulnerability of sharing one’s hobbies with another person – even when those hobbies involve lacing up a corset or adjusting a thigh-high stocking.

It’s a celebration of her character rather than an objectification. Unsurprisingly, the anime’s approach to fan service is also refreshingly mature. Unlike the nosebleeds of High School DxD or the accidental pervert trope trotted out in countless romcoms,  My Dress-Up Darling uses its ecchi moments to explore the growth and the deepening bond between two high school students. 

Kill la Kill

High schooler Ryuko Matoi is no average student. She’s on a quest to avenge her late father, and to do so, she turns to the elite Honnouji Academy for answers. Honnouji’s students receive incredible power by wearing Goku Uniforms, and the entire school is dominated by a Goku-centric class structure. In a bid to challenge the school’s student council and its head Satsuki, Ryuko finds a sentient uniform, Senketsu, that gives her incredible power—and proves a little more than revealing.

Kill la Kill is part ecchi, part satire, but has a wonderful message attached to it about female sexual empowerment. Expect a tongue-in-cheek romp with some of Trigger’s most incredible action scenes to date.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Panty and Stocking Anarchy are two angels booted down to Earth due to their indulgent vices: Sex and sweets, respectively. If the two want to return to Heaven, they must venture through Daten City and collect Heaven Coins from demonic entities haunting the city’s residents. The journey back to the celestial realm only seems to enable their antics, however, as Panty soon finds herself bedding one human after another.

Produced by Gainax, Panty & Stocking is best known for one of anime’s most iconic transformation scenes: Panty and Stocking’s strip tease, where they transform their namesakes into holy weapons that can kill demons. Expect plenty more lewd jokes and antics throughout the series, particularly on Panty’s part.

Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist

In a dystopian world where all forms of sexual artwork and public sexual expression are outlawed, a ragtag group of teenagers seek to free Japan from authoritarian surveillance. Led by the charismatic and highly perverted Ayame Kajou, these lewd “terrorists” freely crack lewd jokes, distribute suggestive content, and encourage others to join their ranks as they attempt to sabotage the government’s crusade against all things smutty.

Part satire, part fanservice, and filled with an incredibly dirty sense of humor, Shimoneta is an ecchi with a heart—one that looks at just how terrible life would be if sexuality was repressed on a societal scale.

Interspecies Reviewers

A fan-favorite among monster girl lovers, Interspecies Reviewers poses an intriguing question: What if sex work was decriminalized, and you could visit brothels to hook up with catgirls and elves? Certainly, you would need three intrepid reviewers to take up the task, sacrificing their time, energy, and stamina to check out one species after another. What a brave crew.

Interspecies Reviewers is an erotic comedy that leans into its fantasies, delights in its quirky fanservice, and revels in a raunchy sense of humor. No better example exists than Crimvael, the shy, nonbinary, intersex angel who outranks the show’s men when it comes to size.

Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls

Speaking of anime about monster women, few can match harem ecchi-comedy Monster Musume. This series follows part-timer Kimihito Kurusu, who mistakenly receives a Lamia named Miia as part of a species exchange program. Miia tries in vain to seduce Kimihito, but the program explicitly bans sexual interactions between the two. Tensions only grow as Kimihito meets one species after another, each encounter featuring just as much fanservice and humor as the last.

When it comes to harem anime, Monster Musume is a clever series that builds its harem dynamic through intricate character relationships and personalities. If slice-of-life harem anime is your thing, don’t skip this one.

Food Wars!

Combining food and sex almost makes too much sense. So it’s no surprise Food Wars! is one incredibly popular ecchi series.

When aspiring culinary student Soma Yukihira joins the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, he soon finds himself surrounded by an eclectic group of talented chefs-in-training. These include a number of female characters who really enjoy themselves when they eat incredible food. Really, really enjoy themselves. Expect flushed faces, moaning, and even some nudity at the end of Food Wars!’s intense cook-off scenes.

As far as ecchi go, Food Wars! is easily one of the more tasteful—no pun intended. The series perfectly blends Soma’s journey with a bit of dirty humor and fanservice sure to delight any shonen fan.

Bakemonogatari

Bakemonogatari is a plot-focused anime series first, ecchi second. The series follows Koyomi Araragi, a part-human, part-vampire high school student trying to return to normalcy after surviving a traumatic vampire attack. This proves harder than it may seem, and Koyomi’s life remains intertwined with the supernatural world he’s been thrust into. With class president Tsubasa Hanekawa by Koyomi’s side, Bakemonogatari invests hard in its characters and keeps the ecchi material more akin to occasional fanservice. This keeps the series far more tasteful and subtle than some of the others on this list.

Chobits

Madhouse’s seinen series Chobits premiered in 2002 and inspired much of the 2000s ecchi landscape. The series follows 18-year-old Hideki Motosuwa, a prep school student who yearns to own an advanced personal assistant called a Persocom. When he stumbles across a beautiful female Persocom and takes her home, he soon learns she is one of the rarest around: A Chobit. Naming her Chi, the two bond over the course of the anime as Chi becomes acquainted to human life.

While the ecchi and fanservice in Chobits isn’t quite as blatant as some of the other series on this list, it’s still highly present. Hideki is as perverted as they come, and when Chi stumbles across Hideki’s pornographic collection, she learns more than a thing or two about seduction. Expect plenty of lewd humor, and more than a few suggestive undertones.

Golden Boy

Hilarious and filled with equal parts slapstick and suggestive moments, Golden Boy was the original blueprint for so many modern ecchi anime series. Based on the seinen manga of the same name, Golden Boy follows Kintaro Oe as he falls for one woman after another and tries to gain their affection. More often than not, Kintaro eventually woes their hearts, but not after making a buffoon of himself numerous times.

Golden Boy’s six-part anime series and its OVA paved the way for much of the ecchi genre as we know it today, particularly ecchi’s fanservice and adult sense of humor. While Golden Boy may feel a little dated compared to far more sophisticated contemporary satire anime like Kill la Kill or Panty & Stocking, it’s still worth returning to understand the genre’s roots.

Prison School

Hachimitsu Private Academy is one of the most prestigious all-female academies there is. Recently, the school has decided to let in male students. It’s a nice gesture on paper, but in reality, high schooler Kiyoshi Fujino quickly realizes he’s only one of five boys attending the academy’s first co-ed year. And some of the school’s women aren’t happy about their new classmates. The five boys are soon framed for a voyeurism incident and forced into an on-campus prison, hence the anime’s name. There, the Underground Student Council torments all five men and keeps the school’s women in check, all while Kiyoshi seeks a way out from imprisonment.

Prison School is easily one of the most intense, and hilarious, ecchi anime on this list. The fanservice here walks hand-in-hand with plenty of BDSM play; the series was practically built for sadomasochistic femdom segments, including all the whipping, spanking, and humiliation you can imagine. Expect plenty of dark humor, often at the main characters’ expense.