Top Gender Bending Anime Recommendations

NARUTO

Also known as Naruto.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

Naruto Uzumaki, a hyperactive and knuckle-headed ninja, lives in Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf village. Moments prior to his birth, a huge demon known as the Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed Fox, attacked Konohagakure and wreaked havoc. In order to put an end to the Kyuubi's rampage, the leader of the village, the 4th Hokage, sacrificed his life and sealed the monstrous beast inside the newborn Naruto.

Shunned because of the presence of the Kyuubi inside him, Naruto struggles to find his place in the village. He strives to become the Hokage of Konohagakure, and he meets many friends and foes along the way.



Tags: Ninja , Shounen , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Super Power , Cultivation , Revenge , Martial Arts , Orphan , Anachronism , Primarily Child Cast , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Shapeshifting , Bullying , Kaiju , Slapstick , Estranged Family , Demons , Travel , School , Gender Bending , Unrequited Love , Assassins , Love Triangle

ONE PIECE

Also known as ONE PIECE.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Gold Roger was known as the Pirate King, the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the location of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece (which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame), and quite possibly the most coveted of titles for the person who found it, the title of the Pirate King.

Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy that defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate who ransacks villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder; the thought of an exciting adventure and meeting new and intriguing people, along with finding One Piece, are his reasons of becoming a pirate. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach One Piece.

*This includes following special episodes:
- Chopperman to the Rescue! Protect the TV Station by the Shore! (Episode 336)
- The Strongest Tag-Team! Luffy and Toriko's Hard Struggle! (Episode 492)
- Team Formation! Save Chopper (Episode 542)
- History's Strongest Collaboration vs. Glutton of the Sea (Episode 590)
- 20th Anniversary! Special Romance Dawn (Episode 907)

Tags: Pirates , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Travel , Super Power , Found Family , Male Protagonist , Ships , Conspiracy , Slapstick , Time Skip , Tragedy , Anthropomorphism , Slavery , Politics , War , Fugitive , Crime , Dystopian , Gods , Prison , Lost Civilization , Swordplay , Food , Samurai , Monster Boy , Henshin , Medicine , Shapeshifting , Cyborg , Robots , Artificial Intelligence , Primarily Adult Cast , Desert , Animals , Guns , Skeleton , Anti-Hero , Dragons , Anachronism , Marriage , Post-Apocalyptic , Espionage , Asexual , Monster Girl , Fairy , Philosophy , Drugs , Kuudere , Assassins , Clone , Battle Royale , Aromantic , Trains , Ninja , Adoption , Revenge , Female Protagonist , Mermaid , Gender Bending , Time Manipulation , Musical Theater , CGI , Angels , Unrequited Love , Zombie , Body Swapping , Acting

Kimi no Na wa.

Also known as Your Name..

Studio: CoMix Wave
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Supernatural

Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl, yearns to live the life of a boy in the bustling city of Tokyo—a dream that stands in stark contrast to her present life in the countryside. Meanwhile in the city, Taki Tachibana lives a busy life as a high school student while juggling his part-time job and hopes for a future in architecture.

One day, Mitsuha awakens in a room that is not her own and suddenly finds herself living the dream life in Tokyo—but in Taki's body! Elsewhere, Taki finds himself living Mitsuha's life in the humble countryside. In pursuit of an answer to this strange phenomenon, they begin to search for one another.

Kimi no Na wa. revolves around Mitsuha and Taki's actions, which begin to have a dramatic impact on each other's lives, weaving them into a fabric held together by fate and circumstance.



Tags: Body Swapping , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Philosophy , Tragedy , Urban , Gender Bending , Time Skip , Rural , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Environmental , Mythology , Alternate Universe , Trains , Shrine Maiden , School

NARUTO: Shippuuden

Also known as Naruto: Shippuden.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

Naruto: Shippuuden is the continuation of the original animated TV series Naruto. The story revolves around an older and slightly more matured Uzumaki Naruto and his quest to save his friend Uchiha Sasuke from the grips of the snake-like Shinobi, Orochimaru. After 2 and a half years Naruto finally returns to his village of Konoha, and sets about putting his ambitions to work, though it will not be easy, as he has amassed a few (more dangerous) enemies, in the likes of the shinobi organization; Akatsuki.



Tags: Ninja , Shounen , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , War , Revenge , Martial Arts , Coming of Age , Orphan , Conspiracy , Cultivation , Ensemble Cast , Necromancy , Anti-Hero , Politics , Time Skip , Gods , Swordplay , Fugitive , Terrorism , Military , Anachronism , Travel , Unrequited Love , Aliens , Kaiju , Shapeshifting , Nudity , Gender Bending , Slapstick , Estranged Family

Steins;Gate

Also known as Steins;Gate.

Studio: White Fox
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou lives in a small room in Akihabara, where he invents "future gadgets" with fellow lab members Shiina Mayuri, his air-headed childhood friend, and Hashida Itaru, an otaku hacker. The three pass the time by tinkering with their latest creation, a "Phone Microwave" that can be controlled through text messages.

The lab members soon face a string of mysterious incidents that lead to a game-changing discovery: the Phone Microwave can send emails to the past and thus alter history. Adapted from the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb. and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate takes Okabe to the depths of scientific theory and human despair as he faces the dire consequences of changing the past.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Alternate Universe , Conspiracy , Time Loop , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Urban , Primarily Adult Cast , Dissociative Identities , Philosophy , Chuunibyou , Tsundere , Otaku Culture , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Suicide , Amnesia , Ensemble Cast , Transgender , War , Gender Bending , Post-Apocalyptic , Maids , Shrine Maiden , Cosplay , Trains

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

Also known as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Studio: 8-bit
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

Lonely thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is stuck in a dead-end job, unhappy with his mundane life, but after dying at the hands of a robber, he awakens to a fresh start in a fantasy realm...as a slime monster! As he acclimates to his goopy new existence, his exploits with the other monsters set off a chain of events that will change his new world forever!



Tags: Isekai , Found Family , Reincarnation , Magic , Super Power , Shapeshifting , Kingdom Management , Ensemble Cast , Alternate Universe , Economics , Clone , Politics , Henshin , Monster Boy , Monster Girl , Fairy , Demons , Agender , Goblin , Male Protagonist , Gender Bending , Travel , Swordplay , Acting , Shounen , Dragons , Cannibalism , Female Harem , Gore , Elf , CGI

Fruits Basket: 1st Season

Also known as Fruits Basket (2019).

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tohru Honda thought her life was headed for misfortune when a family tragedy left her living in a tent. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!



Tags: Found Family , Female Protagonist , Family Life , Shoujo , Fairy Tale , Mythology , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Orphan , Shapeshifting , Rehabilitation , Animals , Primarily Male Cast , School , Episodic , Slapstick , Bullying , Heterosexual , Male Harem , Unrequited Love , Denpa , Kuudere , Memory Manipulation , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Homeless , Yandere , Agriculture , School Club , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Femboy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Body Horror , Gangs , Gender Bending , Delinquents , Amnesia , Suicide , Nudity , Chibi , Card Battle

Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu.

Also known as Komi Can’t Communicate.

Studio: OLM
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!



Tags: School , Kuudere , Disability , Female Protagonist , Episodic , Slapstick , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Shounen , Agender , Meta , Yandere , Femboy , Gender Bending , Transgender , Crossdressing , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Chuunibyou , Maids , Unrequited Love , Gangs , Bullying

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season

Also known as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2.

Studio: 8-bit
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

The second season of Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken.

Now that the Jura Tempest Alliance is growing even further, they will now be meeting the animal kingdom of Eurazania, reuniting with King Gazel, rising tensions between monsters and humans, and Rimuru encountering the strongest enemy he’s ever faced.



Tags: Kingdom Management , Reincarnation , Isekai , Magic , War , Demons , Ensemble Cast , Politics , Revenge , Found Family , Shapeshifting , Super Power , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Agender , Dragons , Shounen , Goblin , Female Harem , Clone , Monster Girl , Anti-Hero , Monster Boy , Ninja , Gender Bending

Jigokuraku

Also known as Hell’s Paradise.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Mystery , Supernatural

The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life... as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive?



Tags: Survival , Swordplay , Gore , Ninja , Body Horror , Samurai , Shounen , Historical , Battle Royale , Anti-Hero , Travel , Tragedy , Religion , Gods , Super Power , Heterosexual , Philosophy , Primarily Adult Cast , Gender Bending , Fugitive , Martial Arts , Crime , Death Game , Orphan , Primarily Male Cast , Cultivation , Cosmic Horror , Cannibalism , Cult , Nudity , Amnesia , Bisexual

Kuroshitsuji

Also known as Black Butler.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Fantasy , Mystery , Supernatural

In Victorian-era Europe, a young boy loses everything he once held near and dear to a vicious plot. In his moment of death, he strikes a deal with a demon: his soul, in exchange for revenge. Ciel Phantomhive is now the head of the Phantomhive corporation, handling all business affairs as well as the underground work for the Queen of England. His new partner is a demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, whose powers as a butler is only surpassed by his strength as a demon.

The story follows the two along with their other servants, as they work to unravel the plot behind Ciel's parents' murder, and the horrendous tragedies that befell Ciel in the month directly after.

Tags: Butler , Crime , Tragedy , Demons , Revenge , Historical , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Foreign , Gender Bending , Detective , Assassins , Mythology , Food , Kuudere , Transgender , Angels , Primarily Male Cast , Episodic , Shounen , Agender , Crossdressing , Ninja , Chibi , Ghost

Youjo Senki

Also known as Saga of Tanya the Evil.

Studio: NUT
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Fantasy

The novel series centers on a young girl who fights on the frontlines in war. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and nearly transparent white skin, and she flies through the air and mercilessly strikes down her opponents. Her name is Tanya Degurechaff, and she speaks with a young girl's lisp and commands the army. Tanya used to be one of Japan's elite office workers, but because of a wrathful god, was reborn as a little girl. Tanya prioritizes optimization and career advancement above all, and she will become the most dangerous entity among the Imperial Army's sorcerers.



Tags: Military , War , Anti-Hero , Female Protagonist , Revenge , Primarily Adult Cast , Isekai , Reincarnation , Gods , Magic , Religion , Historical , Foreign , Guns , Gender Bending , Politics , Philosophy , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , CGI , Tanks , Episodic

Dragon Ball Z

Also known as Dragon Ball Z.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy , Supernatural

Goku is back with his new son, Gohan, but just when things are getting settled down, the adventures continue. Whether he is facing enemies such as Freeza, Cell, or Boo, Goku is proven to be an elite of his own and discovers his race, Saiyan. He meets many new people, gaining allies as well as enemies, as he still finds time to raise a family and be the happy-go-lucky Saiyan he is.



Tags: Shounen , Super Power , Henshin , Martial Arts , Male Protagonist , Cultivation , Aliens , Space , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Mythology , Afterlife , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Dragons , Time Manipulation , Robots , Gods , Reincarnation , Cyborg , Anachronism , Gore , Revenge , Gender Bending , Body Swapping , Dinosaurs , Battle Royale , Dissociative Identities , Rural , Memory Manipulation

Kakegurui ××

Also known as Kakegurui xx.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological

At Hyakkao Private Academy, Yumeko Jabami’s star rises just as the student council’s reputation starts to dim. In the shadows of the council’s dwindling power, discord reigns supreme. In a bold effort to rebalance the social scales, student council president Kirari Momobami intends to place her bet on the election for the council’s next president. Everyone starts with a single chip, and at the end of 30 days, the whoever holds the most becomes the president of the Momobami Clan. But chips aren’t the only things students can wager as they fight tooth and nail to ascend to the council presidency, and Yumeko Jabami intends to clean house no matter the prizes she must risk in the betting pool.



Tags: Gambling , School , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Revenge , Anti-Hero , Twins , Primarily Teen Cast , Yandere , Villainess , Yuri , Death Game , Slavery , LGBTQ+ Themes , Ojou-sama , Shounen , School Club , Gender Bending , Idol

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Also known as Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

You know how the story goes: girl crushes on guy, girl confesses feelings to guy, guy mistakes confession for a job application. Okay, maybe that's not how it usually goes, but that's what happens when Chiyo Sakura finally gets up the nerve to tell her classroom crush Nozaki how she feels. Since she doesn't know that he's secretly a manga artist who publishes under a female pen name, and he doesn't know that she doesn't know, he misunderstands and offers her a chance to work as his assistant instead of a date! But while it's not flowers and dancing, it is a chance to get closer to him, so Chiyo gamely accepts. And when Nozaki realizes how useful Chiyo can be in figuring out what girls find romantic, he'll be spending even more time with her "researching" while remaining completely clueless. Could Chiyo's romantic frustration possibly get any more drawn out of proportion?



Tags: Parody , Slapstick , Drawing , Ensemble Cast , School , Otaku Culture , Unrequited Love , Female Protagonist , Work , Gender Bending , Heterosexual , Tomboy , Primarily Teen Cast , School Club , Shounen , Tsundere , Educational , Crossdressing

Kokoro Connect

Also known as Kokoro Connect.

Studio: SILVER LINK.
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The five members of the Cultural Research Club - Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, Himeko Inaba, Yui Kiriyama, and Yoshifumi Aoki - encounter a bizarre phenomenon one day when Aoki and Yui switch bodies without warning. The same begins to happen to the other club members, throwing their daily lives into disarray.

At first the five students find some amusement amidst the confusion, but this unwarranted connection also exposes the painful scars hidden within their hearts. As their calm lives are shattered, the relationships between the five students also begin to change...



Tags: School , Coming of Age , Body Swapping , School Club , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Age Regression , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Heterosexual , Gender Bending , Philosophy , Tsundere , Ensemble Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes

Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo

Also known as Yamada and the Seven Witches.

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

Ryu Yamada is a second year student at Suzaku High. Ryu is always late for school, naps in class and gets abysmal grades. His life is a dead bore. The beautiful Urara Shiraishi, on the other hand, is Suzaku High's brightest student. One day, without explanation, their bodies are swapped! Ryu ends up in Urara's body, and Urara in Ryu's.

Tags: Witch , Body Swapping , School , School Club , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Urban Fantasy , Amnesia , Gender Bending , Heterosexual , Shounen , Primarily Teen Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Mixed Gender Harem , Episodic

Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san

Also known as Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The ultimate "heartthrob girlfriend" appears! Naturally unlucky high school student Izumi's girlfriend is his classmate Shikimori. She has a beautiful smile and kind personality and always seems happy when she's with Izumi. She's a pretty, cute, and loving girlfriend, but when Izumi's in trouble… she transforms into a super cool "heartthrob girlfriend!" The fun lives of the cute and cool Shikimori, Izumi, and their good friends never end!



Tags: Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Tomboy , School , Episodic , Coming of Age , Athletics , Kuudere , Tsundere , Shounen , Meta , Basketball , Gender Bending , Love Triangle , Football , Martial Arts

Fruits Basket: 2nd Season

Also known as Fruits Basket Season 2.

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

A year has passed since Tohru Honda began living in the Souma residence, and she has since created stronger relationships with its inhabitants Shigure, Kyou, and Yuki. She has also grown closer to the rest of the Souma family and has become familiar with their ancestral secret, having helped them with many of their personal issues. The closer Tohru gets, however, the more she begins to realize that their secret holds a darker truth than she first presumed.
Summer is approaching and Tohru is invited to spend her days with the Soumas, mainly Kyou and Yuki. Tohru wishes for an easy-going vacation, but her close relationships with the two boys and the rest of the Soumas may prove to cause trouble. As they grow more intimate, their carefree time together is hindered by older hardships and feelings from the past that begin to resurface. The Eternal Banquet also dawns on the members of the zodiac, and they must tend to their duties alongside the unnerving head of the family, Akito Souma.
With the banquet approaching and a plethora of feelings to be solved, will Tohru's life with the Soumas remain peaceful, or will she find herself in a situation from which she cannot escape?

Tags: Family Life , Female Protagonist , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Mythology , Found Family , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Urban Fantasy , Animals , Rehabilitation , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Femboy , Heterosexual , Bullying , School , Primarily Male Cast , Love Triangle , Orphan , School Club , Shapeshifting , Yandere , Incest , Memory Manipulation , Tsundere , Kuudere , Gender Bending , Body Horror , Age Gap , Bisexual , Unrequited Love , Crossdressing , Nekomimi , Kemonomimi , Suicide , Work

Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2

Also known as The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Season 2.

Studio: J.C. Staff , EGG FIRM
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The disastrous life of the gifted psychic Kusuo Saiki continues, despite his utmost effort to live an ordinary life. Although he has certainly grown accustomed to dealing with his troublesome friends—who are his biggest hurdle to achieving a peaceful life—he still has a long way to go. Also joining the usual oddballs are a few new faces whose shenanigans add to Saiki's misery, making his dreams of a hassle-free life a distant fantasy.

Tags: Surreal Comedy , Super Power , Parody , Meta , School , Satire , Male Protagonist , Asexual , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Urban , Shounen , Chuunibyou , Time Manipulation , Ghost , Gyaru , LGBTQ+ Themes , Heterosexual , Tsundere , Gender Bending , Post-Apocalyptic , Memory Manipulation , School Club , Superhero , Bisexual , Love Triangle , Otaku Culture , Transgender