Top Body Image Anime Recommendations

Dororo

Also known as Dororo.

Studio: MAPPA , Tezuka Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Supernatural

Dororo, a young orphan thief, meets Hyakkimaru, a powerful ronin. Hyakkimaru's father, a greedy feudal lord, had made a pact with 12 demons, offering his yet-unborn son's body parts in exchange for great power. Thus, Hyakkimaru - who was born without arms, legs, eyes, ears, a nose or a mouth - was abandoned in a river as a baby. Rescued and raised by Dr. Honma, who equips him with artificial limbs and teaches him sword-fighting techniques, Hyakkimaru discovers that each time he slays a demon, a piece of his body is restored. Now, he roams the war-torn countryside in search of demons.

Tags: Demons , Revenge , Disability , Curses , Swordplay , Tragedy , Samurai , Estranged Family , Youkai , Anti-Hero , Orphan , War , Male Protagonist , Parenthood , Historical , Travel , Rural , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Female Protagonist , Philosophy , Crossdressing , Tomboy , Body Horror , Episodic , Kuudere , Shounen , Primarily Adult Cast , Ghost , Primarily Male Cast , Cannibalism , Prostitution , Heterosexual , Nun , Body Image , Martial Arts

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru Season 2

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling Season 2.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

When Marin Kitagawa and Wakana Gojo met, they grew close over their love for cosplay. Through interacting with classmates and making new cosplay friends, Marin and Wakana’s world keeps growing. New developments arise as Marin’s love for Wakana continues to be filled with endless excitement. In their ever-expanding world, Marin and Wakana’s story of cosplay and thrills continues!



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Gyaru , Fashion , Makeup , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Crossdressing , Body Image , Photography , Urban , Modeling , Educational , School , Slapstick , Rotoscoping , Gender Bending , Chibi , Femboy , Mixed Media , Unrequited Love , Seinen , Iyashikei , Puppetry , CGI

Zombie Land Saga

Also known as ZOMBIE LAND SAGA.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Supernatural

A typical morning. The usual music. Their normal lives. The peace these seven girls experience will suddenly be destroyed. By the living dead... zombies. A reality that they never wanted a part of, an amazing and terrifying zombie world. They all share one wish: "We want to live." These girls will struggle through this saga, in order to achieve a miracle. MAPPA, Avex Pictures, and Cygames team up to bring you a juicy, 100% original anime. A timeless shocker for all audiences, a brand new style of zombie anime, will soon rise.



Tags: Zombie , Idol , Monster Girl , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Satire , Necromancy , Parody , Body Image , Ensemble Cast , Amnesia , Dancing , CGI , Transgender , Time Skip , Rural , LGBTQ+ Themes , Oiran , Episodic , Motorcycles , Gangs , Hip-hop Music

BNA

Also known as BNA.

Studio: TRIGGER
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Fantasy

In the 21st century, the existence of animal-humans came to light after being hidden in the darkness of history. Michiru lived life as a normal human, until one day she suddenly turns into a tanuki-human. She runs away and takes refuge in a special city area called "Anima City" that was set up 10 years ago for animal-humans to be able to live as themselves. There Michiru meets Shirou, a wolf-human who hates humans. Through Shirou, Michiru starts to learn about the worries, lifestyle, and joys of the animal-humans. As Michiru and Shirou try to learn why Michiru suddenly turned into an animal-human, they unexpectedly get wrapped up in a large incident.



Note: The TV broadcast ended on June 25, 2020.

Tags: Animals , Shapeshifting , Anthropomorphism , Kemonomimi , Conspiracy , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Politics , Detective , Cult , Class Struggle , Dystopian , Baseball , Lost Civilization , Tomboy , Mafia , Police , Urban , Body Image , Coming of Age , Bullying , Idol

Watashi ga Motete Dousunda

Also known as Kiss Him, Not Me.

Studio: Brain's Base
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Kae Serinuma is what you'd call a "fujoshi." When she sees boys getting along with each other, she loves to indulge in wild fantasies! One day her favorite anime character dies and the shock causes her to lose a ton of weight. Then four hot guys at school ask her out, but that isn't exciting to her at all — she'd rather see them date each other!



Tags: Male Harem , Female Protagonist , Otaku Culture , Mixed Gender Harem , Tomboy , Parody , Femboy , Shoujo , LGBTQ+ Themes , School , Body Image , Ojou-sama , Age Gap , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , School Club , Bisexual , Crossdressing , Boys' Love , Yuri

Cider no You ni Kotoba ga Wakiagaru

Also known as Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop.

Studio: Signal.MD , Sublimation
Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Cherry is a quiet boy who loves to make haikus based off of the things he sees. One summer day in a city in the Japanese countryside…

At a shopping mall, he meets Smile, a beautiful girl in a mask. Cherry has trouble speaking in anything but haikus, and Smile wears a mask to hide her big, braces-covered front teeth. The two of them get closer as the south wind blows. One day, the two of them learn from Old Man Fujiyama, a master of Haiku who’s started going senile, that he’s searching for a certain record.

“If I can hear this record again, I can remember… Something I don’t want to forget, but can’t remember…”

Cherry and Smile decide to help. This is the story of their summer, set in a shopping mall…



Tags: Rural , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Writing , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Calligraphy , Tanned Skin , Body Image , Classic Literature , Philosophy , CGI , Delinquents , Dancing

Uma Musume: Pretty Derby

Also known as Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

Studio: P.A.WORKS
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life , Sports

In a world very much like our own, great race horses of the past have a chance to be reborn as "horse girls"—girls with the ears and tails of horses as well as their speed and endurance. The best of these horse girls go to train at Tokyo's Tracen Academy, hopefully moving on to fame and fortune as both racers and idols.

Special Week, a high school horse girl from the countryside, has just transferred to Tracen, and she's determined to fulfill her promise to her mother to become the best horse girl in Japan. On her way to school, she takes a pit stop at the race track and instantly falls in love with Silence Suzuka's style, becoming determined to race on the same team as her.



Tags: Athletics , Kemonomimi , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Rehabilitation , Gambling , Boarding School , Ensemble Cast , Time Skip , Kuudere , Idol , School , Animals , Food , Body Image , Rural , CGI , Language Barrier

Akebi-chan no Sailor Fuku

Also known as Akebi’s Sailor Uniform.

Studio: CloverWorks
Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

It’s Komichi Akebi’s first year of junior high and she has her heart set on one thing: Robai Private Academy’s sailor uniform. As the next chapter of her life gets closer, she dreams of all the exciting new experiences she’ll get to have—school lunches, classes, club activities, and of course, making lots of friends! With her favorite outfit on, Komichi feels ready for anything.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Female Cast , School , Iyashikei , Rural , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , LGBTQ+ Themes , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Primarily Child Cast , Yuri , Family Life , Seinen , Boarding School , Dancing , School Club , Slapstick , Cheerleading , Swimming , Photography , Tennis , Badminton , Basketball , Body Image , Idol , Tomboy , Volleyball , Fishing , Table Tennis

Zombie Land Saga: Revenge

Also known as ZOMBIE LAND SAGA REVENGE.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Supernatural

From throughout the ages, a group of legendary girls have become zombie idols to save Saga Prefecture. It's the return of the cutting-edge zombie idol anime! One day, Minamoto Sakura lost her life in an unfortunate accident. Then, ten years later… After Sakura wakes up in a strange mansion, mysterious idol producer Tatsumi Kotaro tells her that she will be joining a group of legendary girls to form an idol unit. The seven girls are charged with a quest to save the fading Saga Prefecture and adopt the group name Franchouchou. After overcoming the difficulties stemming from their different ages and different periods of history, their undead zombie bodies allow them to defy expectations of what idols can be. During the final winter of the Heisei era they performed their first featured concert at Karatsu's Furusato Exhibition Hall, Arpino, taking another step towards becoming a legend. Now, in the modern Reiwa Era… The curtain rises on a new chapter in the story of Franchouchou, as they march towards a bright future full of hope.



Tags: Idol , Zombie , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Surreal Comedy , Body Image , Dancing , Historical , Parody , Work , Natural Disaster , Revenge , Monster Girl , Satire , CGI , Oiran , Transgender , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Time Skip , Rural , LGBTQ+ Themes , Bar , Tragedy , Rakugo , Achronological Order , Swordplay , Aliens , Urban Fantasy

Kowloon Generic Romance

Also known as KOWLOON GENERIC ROMANCE.

Studio: Arvo Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Romance , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Welcome to Kowloon Walled City: a dystopian townscape where the people are brimming with nostalgia, and where the past, present, and future converge. Amid the hidden emotions and extraordinary daily lives of the men and women working in its confines, a tale of romance begins to unfold for real estate agent Reiko Kujirai—one that feels as familiar as Kowloon itself…



Tags: Denpa , Conspiracy , Dystopian , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Urban , Heterosexual , Amnesia , Clone , Foreign , Tragedy , Body Image , Seinen , Office Lady , Office , Work , Fashion , Urban Fantasy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Time Loop , Boys' Love , Philosophy , Transgender , Male Protagonist , Food , Drugs , Software Development , Femboy , Mahjong , Nudity , Historical , Agender , Revenge

SANDA

Also known as SANDA.

Studio: Science SARU
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery

In a future where children are few and regarded as Japan's most valuable assets, Christmas has become a mere legend of the past. For the students of Daikoku Welfare Academy—a boarding school where they are educated, protected, and monitored—the mythical Santa Claus is a forgotten character of fiction. For the adults, Santa Claus is a very real menace that needs to be neutralized by the Saint Nick Pursuit Unit in case he makes an appearance.

Shiori Fuyumura, a student of Daikoku Welfare Academy, is determined to find her best friend, Ichie Ono, who has been declared dead after being missing for six months. One morning, Fuyumura summons her fellow class representative, Kazushige Sanda, only to attack the unknowing boy. She is convinced that Sanda is the descendant of the infamous Santa Claus—the only person who can make her wish of finding Ono come true—and is determined to force out his dormant true self by any means necessary.



Tags: Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Henshin , Dystopian , Body Image , Shapeshifting , Shounen , Super Power , Unrequited Love , Urban Fantasy , Magic , Primarily Teen Cast , Guns , Love Triangle , Age Gap , Mythology , Boarding School , Fairy Tale , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gore , Snowscape , Tragedy , Nudity , Tomboy , Bisexual , Swordplay , Yuri , Surreal Comedy

Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi

Also known as This Monster Wants to Eat Me.

Studio: Studio Lings
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

Hinako lives alone by the sea, quietly drifting through life after losing her family years ago. One day, a mermaid named Shiori saves her from a monster and says she’s come to eat her—just not yet. Until then, Shiori will stay by her side and keep her safe. In that moment, a deep hope swells in Hinako: Maybe this girl can finally grant her the ending she’s been waiting for.

Tags: Suicide , Monster Girl , Female Protagonist , Youkai , Primarily Female Cast , Memory Manipulation , Tragedy , Orphan , Mermaid , Coastal , Mythology , Yuri , Interspecies , Rural , LGBTQ+ Themes , Seinen , Gore , Shapeshifting , Body Image , School , Gyaru , Urban Fantasy , Tsundere

Otome Kaijuu Caraméliser

Also known as KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE.

Studio: LIDENFILMS
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Supernatural

Kuroe Akaishi just wants a normal high school life—but that’s impossible with a rare condition that turns her into a giant kaiju whenever her emotions spike! Things get even worse when she falls for Arata Minami, the most popular boy in class. Now every blush, heartbeat, and crush could trigger a monster transformation. Can Kuroe survive high school love before it destroys everything around her?!



Tags: Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Kaiju , Monster Girl , Female Protagonist , Body Image , Heterosexual , Henshin , Urban , Primarily Teen Cast , Interspecies , Urban Fantasy , Tokusatsu , Super Power , School , CGI , Bullying , Tsundere , Gyaru , Seinen , Nudity , Makeup , Love Triangle

NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE

Also known as NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE.

Studio: Yostar Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life

OMGkawaiiAngel, affectionately known as "KAngel", is the top streamer girl with 10 million subscribers, and not a day goes by without seeing her in action. Whether online, on TV, or at a live show, she is always surrounded by her cheering fans.

Striving to catch up with KAngel's popularity is a three-girl streaming unit called Karamazov.

And far removed from the world of these streamers is Kache, a girl who lives with her freeloader boyfriend while working at a theme cafe.

The story of the "Internet Angel" who captivated the world, woven by a girl who shines like a star and girls who reach for that brilliance, and the story of "you" on the other side of the screen, begins here.



Note: Prior to broadcasting, "NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE -OVERTURE-" — a theatrical pre-screening of the first 3 episodes rearranged and edited together— debuted in Japan on March 6, 2026.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Denpa , Otaku Culture , Philosophy , Drugs , Idol , Body Image , Tragedy , Suicide , VTuber , Mixed Media , Yuri , Urban , Bullying , Psychosexual , CGI , Crime , Angels , LGBTQ+ Themes , Work , Disability , Nudity , Masturbation , Polyamorous , Yandere , Tomboy , Video Games

Ashita no Joe

Also known as Tomorrow's Joe.

Studio: Mushi Production
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Slice of Life , Sports

Joe, a teenage orphan in the slums of the Doya streets, meets Danpei, a homeless, alcoholic ex-boxing coach. Danpei, seeing Joe's boxing talent, decides to train him. When Joe is sent to a terrible juvenile home for petty crimes, he meets Rikiishi who becomes his boxing rival. Danpei arrives at the home to help Joe to train in order to defeat Rikiishi. When Joe decides to seriously pursue boxing, Danpei cannot get a coaching license because of his reputation as a drunk.



Tags: Boxing , Coming of Age , Delinquents , Tragedy , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Rehabilitation , Class Struggle , Primarily Male Cast , Orphan , Ojou-sama , Prison , Yakuza , Homeless , Police , Crime , Time Skip , Educational , Gangs , Body Image , Bullying , Achromatic

Hourou Musuko

Also known as Wandering Son.

Studio: AIC
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Fifth grader Shuuichi Nitori is considered by most to be one of the prettiest girls in school, but much to her dismay, she is actually biologically male. Fortunately, Shuuichi has a childhood friend who shares similar feelings of gender dysphoria: the lanky tomboy Yoshino Takatsuki, who, though biologically female, does not identify as a girl. These two friends share a similar secret and find solace in one another; however, their lives become even more complicated when they must tread the unfamiliar waters of a new school, attempt to make new friends, and struggle to maintain old ones. Faced with nearly insurmountable odds, they must learn to deal with the harsh realities of growing up, gender identity, relationships, and acceptance.

Lauded as a decidedly serious take on gender identity and LGBT struggles, Takako Shimura's Hourou Musuko is about Shuuichi and Yoshino's journey to discover their true selves as they enter puberty, make friends, fall in love, and face real and difficult choices.

Note: The full version of Hourou Musuko was originally intended to be 12 episodes, but the programming block it aired on only had space for 11 episodes. Therefore, episodes 10 and 11 were edited together and aired on TV as episode 10. Episode 12 was aired on TV as episode 11. The full versions of episodes 10 and 11 were included on the BD & DVD releases and are included in the Hourou Musuko Specials entry.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , Coming of Age , Gender Bending , Female Protagonist , School , Crossdressing , Primarily Child Cast , Bullying , Family Life , Love Triangle , Seinen , Bisexual , Acting , Iyashikei , Writing , Photography , Basketball , Body Image

Kageki Shoujo!!

Also known as Kageki Shojo!!.

Studio: PINE JAM
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

The curtain rises on the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. Spotlight on Sarasa Watanabe, a starry-eyed 5'10" student who dreams of performing as Oscar, a male lead role. She forms an unlikely friendship with her new roommate, a former idol who now also hopes to join the all-female Kouka Acting Troupe. Together, they’re in for the role of a lifetime.



Tags: Acting , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , School , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Shoujo , Aromantic , Primarily Teen Cast , Musical Theater , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Crossdressing , Body Image , Kabuki , Idol , Work , Otaku Culture , Twins , Age Gap , Yuri

"Omae Gotoki ga Maou ni Kateru to Omou na" to Yuusha Party wo Tsuihou Sareta node, Outo de Kimama ni Kurashitai

Also known as ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!.

Studio: A.C.G.T.
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror

Flum has been chosen by God to be in the hero's party despite having stats of zero across the board. All she has is the "Reversal" ability that she still doesn't fully understand. Predictably, she proves useless in battle, but she refuses to give up and continues to do all she can for the party. Her partymate Jean, a genius and renowned sage, picks on her at every opportunity and eventually sells her off into slavery. Even as a slave, she's treated as incompetent and persecuted, and ultimately thrown to monsters as bait for her master's entertainment. Flum is left with two options: take up the cursed sword that inevitably brings death to its wielder, or be eaten by monsters. The moment she chooses to fight back is when the "Reversal" of her life begins...



Tags: Female Protagonist , Swordplay , Conspiracy , Yuri , Magic , Gore , Religion , Slavery , Medieval , Body Horror , Body Image , Demons , LGBTQ+ Themes , Found Family , Chimera , Disability , Tragedy , Post-Apocalyptic , Zombie , Witch , Age Gap , Spearplay , Werewolf , Foreign

Zutaboro Reijou wa Ane no Moto Konyakusha ni Dekiai Sareru

Also known as Betrothed to My Sister's Ex.

Studio: LandQ studios
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Marie, the second daughter of a poor baron’s household, is treated like a servant by her parents. Even at Marie’s birthday party, her beautiful elder sister, Anastasia, is the star. Outside, Marie bumps into Count Kyuros Granado, who falls for her at first sight. Yet, due to a misunderstanding, the Count proposes to Anastasia. After a tragic accident, Marie must marry the count instead!



Tags: Marriage , Royal Affairs , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Maids , Ojou-sama , Josei , Body Image , Iyashikei

Anne Shirley

Also known as Anne Shirley.

Studio: The Answer Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

On the beautiful Prince Edward Island in Canada, an orphan named Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent to Green Gables, the home of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. They choose to adopt her anyway, as Anne finds friendship, love, and happiness in her new home. Come along for the story of a purehearted and imaginative girl growing up, leaving for college, and returning home a changed woman.



Tags: Orphan , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Parenthood , Classic Literature , Rural , Historical , Iyashikei , Shoujo , School , College , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love , Coastal , Time Skip , Foreign , Adoption , Family Life , Teacher , Body Image , Boarding School , Writing , POV , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Tragedy , Work , Religion , Agriculture , Twins , Elderly Protagonist