Best Gender-Bender Anime

Anime remains one of the most diverse forms of entertainment in terms of animation, as creators in Japan have different takes in terms of genres and tropes. For instance, the gender-bender anime genre remains quite a hit for romance fans. However, while all gender-bender anime share the same basic premise of a person switching genders, the way their stories work is almost always different from one another.

As such, it can be tricky for anime fans to find a gender-bender anime that’s worth the time and investment, especially now that there are so many available to watch. Thankfully, certain shows do end up rising above the competition. Just which gender-bender anime is the best?

Updated on May 27, 2025, by Mark Sammut: As gender-bender anime are pretty difficult to find, two series that have body-swap episodes/arcs have been added. In both cases, male and female characters trade their physiques, and the shows primarily use the situation for comedic effect. While not traditional gender-bender shows, these episodes are pretty good representatives of this sort of premise. Click below to jump directly to these new entries.

27

Ayakashi Triangle

A Fanservice-Driven Action-Comedy That Struggles To Pick Up Steam

To say that Ayakashi Triangle had a troubled production cycle would be an understatement. Despite debuting in Winter 2023, the anime had to wait until that year’s Summer anime season to complete its single cour run. Due to its elongated release schedule, Ayakashi Triangle squandered a somewhat decent start, dooming itself to be nothing more than a footnote in the year’s anime output. Still, there is enough to enjoy here to recommend the gender-bender series.

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The eponymous Ayakashi are essentially spirits, and they can be dangerous if they happen to find someone with a lot of energy. Kanade and Matsuri can both see these creatures, and the latter strives to keep the former out of harm’s way. One day, a cat-like Ayakashi transforms Matsuri into a girl, a change the shinobi takes in her stride.

26

Back Street Girls: Gokudols

Either Hilarious Or Awful, With No In-Between

All things considered, most gender-bender anime do not push the envelope too much. Well, Back Street Girls: Gokudols is an exception that throws any semblance of good taste out of the window, crafting a story designed to push buttons. The result is a polarizing series that can be either painfully funny or nearly unwatchable, depending on the viewer.

The premise revolves around three Yakuza members who are forced into a gender change so they can become idols, allowing them to earn money for their boss. Back Street Girls is at its best when mocking the idol culture or exploring parallels between that industry and the Yakuza; that said, the anime relies on a lot of tired punchlines. Beyond that, Back Street Girls‘ animation is very static, to the point of barely having more movement than just a standard manga page.

25

Cinderella Boy

Body-Sharing Anime Detectives

Based on a one-shot manga by Monkey Punch, the author behind Lupin the Third, Cinderella Boy comes across as a fusion of multiple classics. Besides sharing similarities with Lupin‘s character designs and humor, the male lead is named Ranma, a pretty obvious reference to the most famous gender-bender anime character of all time. The concept is fairly interesting. Two detectives, Ranma and a woman named Rella, get in an accident and are “saved” by a doctor who puts them into the same body. Each day, one person and their associated body come out, swapping at midnight.

Cinderella Boy is a unique gender-bender since Ranma and Rella are presented as different people inhabiting the same body. Technically, they are not swapping genders but instead sharing real estate and time. The 2003 anime is the definition of a mixed bag that never comes close to matching the brilliance of its inspirations. That said, the show has decent comedy and a few fun action sequences.

24

Heaven’s Lost Property (Episodes 11 and 23)

Well, One Anime Had To Do It

Generally speaking, most anime that explore gender-bending feature protagonists who are forced into a new body, and they are just trying to adapt to a tricky situation. However, exceptions exist, and Heaven’s Lost Property‘s Tomoki might provide the most stereotypical comedy harem take on the concept. Through supernatural shenanigans, Tomoki gains the ability to change his gender, becoming Tomoko in the process. Why? Well, he wants to enter public baths that are exclusively for women.

Frankly, at one point or another, there had to be a perverted protagonist who uses the power of anime to gender-bend his way into crossing the line, and Heaven’s Lost Property handles the idea relatively well. Sure, the humor is very “2000s,” but Tomoki receives his comeuppance at the end. Tomoko comes back in a later episode as well, although that transformation is shorter-lived than the original.

23

KonoSuba (Episode 25)

Kazuma Becomes A Princess For A Day

Similar to Heaven’s Lost Property, KonoSuba uses a gender body swap to indulge its protagonist’s unsavory vices. This time, Kazuma swaps bodies with Princess Iris thanks to a magic spell, allowing them to both experience life from a different perspective.

For her part, Iris heads out into the city alongside Megumin, a combination that proves to be pretty explosive since neither girl knows how to defuse potentially tense situations. Conversely, Kazuma uses this gift to live the high life for a while…and to try and take a bath with two girls. Completely in character for the isekai protagonist.

While not painting Kazuma in a great light, KonoSuba never rewards him for his stupid or bad behavior, and the payoff to this storyline is simple but funny.

22

She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man

A Gamer Becomes His OP RPG Character, Albeit In Little Girl Form

An isekai gaming anime that adds a gender-bender twist, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man is mostly just OK, with the adaptation not quite managing to match the quality of the source material or the manga version. Still, if someone is craving a lighthearted OP fantasy with a relatively likable protagonist, they might enjoy this short journey, even if the trip might not linger in their memory for that long.

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Sakimori Kagami is the gamer behind Danblf, one of the most powerful wise mages of Ark Earth Online. Long story short, he falls asleep and wakes up as his character within the game’s world, albeit a few hundred years in the future. However, Danblf’s conventional magician look has been tweaked slightly, and now he resembles a little girl. She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man does not actually make that big of a deal about the gender-swap aspect, as Sakimori does not seem particularly uncomfortable in the new form. As such, this aspect is pretty quickly forgotten, with the anime becoming a fairly typical OP MC isekai story.

21

Kämpfer

Forgettable Fluff That Is Mostly Passable But Struggles To Leave An Impression

Kämpfer is one of those anime that, while enjoyable, will probably not stick in a viewer’s mind for all that long. The series does not excel in any area, delivering middling action, serviceable humor, and inoffensive characters, all things that combine to create an experience that goes in one ear and out the other. Just to be clear, there is nothing wrong with fluff, as long as it is entertaining. Kämpfer is just fun enough to warrant a recommendation, even if it is nowhere near the best gender-bender anime ever.

Essentially, Natsuru becomes a magical girl, albeit one that fits other chosen girls rather than evil monsters. While this situation leads to a couple of notable fights, it mostly culminates in comedic high jinks as Natsuru tries to fit in at school while keeping his dual gender a secret. The story does not build all that much momentum as it goes along, and it kind of peters out at the end; still, Kämpfer is a decent watch.

20

Sket Dance (Episodes 62–64)

Himeko And Bossun Swap Bodies

Coming across as Gintama-lite, Sket Dance is primarily a school-based comedy that, occasionally, gets weird. One of the anime’s more bizarre storylines sees Bossun and Himeko swap bodies during a school trip, a situation that proves to be very difficult for both of them. Himeko, naturally, is not particularly excited by the prospect of Bossun interacting directly with her body during ordinary daily events that will definitely come up, so she takes it upon herself (as Bossun) to handle contact. Things are made even more complicated when another girl, Saaya, approaches Bossun (Himeko) to try and get a read on whether he is interested in Himeko.

Sket Dance is surprisingly dedicated to this premise, with the body swap lasting roughly three episodes. The anime uses this circumstance to further develop Bossun and Himeko’s friendship and (potential) romance, so this storyline ends up being plot relevant rather than just an extended gag.

19

Maze: The Mega-Burst Space

The Most ’90s Anime Ever

Now, here is an oldie but a goodie, at least for people who enjoy over-the-top comedy in the vein of something like Slayers. Admittedly, Maze: The Mega-Burst Space does not reach the same heights as that show, but it is still an enjoyable romp that throws seemingly everything at the wall to see what sticks. An isekai fantasy comedy mecha anime, Maze is a messy, silly, and “of its era” production that, while not amazing, has a ’90s charm.

The protagonist, Maze, has a pretty strange and awkward backstory. During the day, they are in female form; during the night, they become male. Now, this transformation is not just physical but also comes with a significant personality change. These forms are (effectively and literally) different people, which is quite unusual for a gender-bender anime.

18

Magical Girl Ore

A Magical Girl Gender-Bender Twist That Has Decent Moments And Uneven Humor

Magical girl anime parodies are not hard to come by, and there are some great ones out there. While it slips into some other genres and themes, Is This a Zombie? is consistently hilarious; meanwhile, Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! is a decent comedy that pokes fun at classic mahou shoujo tropes.

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Surprisingly (or not), two magical girl anime incorporate a gender-bender twist to their stories, and they are both of somewhat equal quality. Magical Girl Ore centers around a female protagonist who transforms into a buff dude when she becomes a magical girl. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Saki decides to become a magical girl to save her love interest. To her surprise, she transforms into a very masculine guy, all the while still wearing the traditional magical girl outfit. Magical Girl Ore is a strange case as its selling point, the whole female-to-male transformation, is arguably its weakest element. The humor during these moments mostly boils down to gender stereotypes, and Saki’s personality shifts from enjoyably silly to annoyingly bland when she is a guy.

Still, the anime has some interesting points, including a fun supporting cast (including another magical girl).