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💎18 Gems: Reverse Harem Reads That Shaped Me from 2007-2019 (Manhwa, Manga & Novels)

Hello wallflowers! This is Ayreesa. These 18 titles span 2007–2019, my ultimate scanlation era. I didn't include series that already have anime adaptations and focused on stories I’ve finished or followed through many volumes. They are arranged in the order I read them.

If you are new to reverse harem, treat these as hidden gems of reverse harem, but be warned that some tropes may feel dated or problematic today.

This is Part 1 of 4 of Reverse Harem Garden 18th birthday series. In the Philippines, a debut ball includes dancing with 18 boys who each offer a rose—known as the 18 Roses—and receiving 18 candles and messages from girls. Some even add their own twist with 18 gifts, 18 bills, or even 18 shoes… you get the idea.


1. Hot Gimmick manga by Miki Aihara 
Hot Gimmick, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/42fIZIa
Hot Gimmick S  https://amzn.to/4gJfVij

When she learns that her sister Akane is late with her period, Hatsumi dresses up in disguise and goes to the drug store to get a pregnancy test. A guy tries to help her, but she is too afraid of being recognized and runs away. However, she does manage to get the test and is in the midst of happily returning home when she crashes into the last person she wants to see: Ryouki. To make things worse, she drops the test and he finds it. When Ryouki tells her he knows it's for her sister, she begs him not to tell his mother, Mrs. Tachibana. Ryouki agrees on one condition: that Hatsumi becomes his slave. In that moment, the guy from the drug store reappears, stopping Ryouki, and Hatsumi realizes it is Azusa, her childhood protector. He is back.

Other reverse harem works: From 5 to 9, So Bad!, Honey Hunt and Ouji-sama no Kanojo


2. Merupuri manga by Matsuri Hino 
MeruPuri, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4nRpldF 

On the way to school one morning, Airi loses her mirror—one that had been passed down to her through generations—and suddenly finds herself in a bizarre situation. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Aram, a little boy from a magical kingdom, to have emerged from the mirror in the short time it took her to track it down!

Other notable work: Vampire Knight


3. Tokyo Crazy Paradise manga by Yoshiki Nakamura 

It's the year 2020 AD, and Tokyo II is a city infested with crime. Women can no longer go out in the streets alone without being victimized. Not wanting their daughter to suffer the same fate, Tsukasa Kozuki's cop parents raise her as a boy. When they are suddenly killed by one of the yakuza's in-fights, Tsukasa is left orphaned on the streets along with her three brothers. With no other options, she goes to the only person she can think of for help: pokerface Ryuji Shirogami, her classmate of 8 years and also the head leader of the powerful yakuza group, Kuryugumi. Ryuji, whose father was also a victim of the same yakuza fight, agrees to take her on as his personal bodyguard. As they set out to find their enemy, Ryuji slaps an increasing amount of debt onto Tsukasa, using all manner of ploys to keep the reluctant Tsukasa by his side.

Other notable work: Skip Beat! (A lot of people left comments before that it has also turned into a reverse harem, but I have not picked up the manga after watching the anime.) 


4. The Gentlemen's Alliance† Manga by Arina Tanemura 
The Gentlemen's Alliance †, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/42R7ETs

Haine has been in love with Shizumasa Togu since she read the fairy tale he wrote as a child. However, the Emperor is so well sequestered by the student council that she hasn't been able to speak to him in the three months she's been at the academy. And as rumor has it, he already has a lover...

Oher notable works: Phantom Thief Jeanne, Full Moon o Sagashite and IDOLiSH7

5. Uwasa  no Midori-kun manga by Go Ikeyamada

Midori Yamate is a 15 year-old girl and is very much a tomboy. When she was young, Midori meets a boy called Tsukasa Hino, who came to the island she lives on for a holiday. He teaches her to play soccer and she falls in love with the sport. Midori is inspired by Tsukasa and continues to play soccer in hopes that they would meet again someday. When they do meet again Tsukasa does something unforgivable. Determined to defeat Tsukasa on the soccer field Midori enrolls in an all boy high school.

Other reverse harem works: Get Love!!, Ookami Nanka Kowaikunai, and recently, Makeheroine desu ga Kekkonshimasu Kono Naka ni Watashi no Otto ga Iru!?


6. Diamond Head manga by Setona Mizushiro 

Ichihashi Nanao is an incredibly bright girl and the first to ever transfer into Mehabia Catholic School. The one God here, though, is the "Judicature Club," a school-sanctioned means of resolving student disputes. Its president and judge is the first person Nanao meets--Hanegi Raika, a handsome boy who looks like a girl. This highly selective club wants Nanao as a member, but while she may be unwilling to judge others, she may have no choice when she herself is judged.

Other reverse harem work: See Black Rose Alice at #16


7. I'm no Angel manga by Takako Shigematsu

In the play of life, all Hikaru Takabayashi wanted was to be part of the scenery. Tormented by jealous schoolmates ever since she appeared in a famous commercial in grade-school, Hikaru transfers to a prestigious all-girls' academy where she hopes to settle down to a quiet life of anonymity. But when her new roommate turns out to be the super-popular TV idol Izumi Kido, Hikaru finds herself thrown smack in the spotlight's glare once more! And as if living with a celebrity wasn’t bad enough, Hikaru discovers that there’s more to Izumi than her “good girl” image—she’s a he! And this is only the first of Izumi's many dangerous secrets! Now Hikaru’s the unwilling star player in a madcap tale of deception, abduction, humiliation and blackmail…you know—the usual romantic stuff. 

 Other reverse harem work: Ultimate Venus


8. Crimson Hero manga by Mitsuba Takanashi
Crimson Hero, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4pQKxmb

When fifteen-year-old Nobara Sumiyoshi transfers to Crimson Field High School, she hopes to play competitive volleyball, but her mother will do anything to keep her off the court and working at her family's Japanese restaurant.

Other notable work: Devil Does Exist


9. Red River Manga by Chie Shinohara
Red River (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/46B3a4E

A 3-in-1 edition of the classic romance fantasy series where a modern girl is whisked to ancient times and must navigate a scheming court and warring factions while trying to find her way home. Yuri, a modern teenager, is transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, queen of the Hittites. Only the intervention of Nakia’s stepson, Prince Kail, saves Yuri from the queen’s bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence of the prince’s actions, the people of Anatolia embrace Yuri as the incarnation of the great war goddess Ishtar. Finding herself entangled in the social and political drama of a fractured royal family, Yuri begins to maneuver through their manipulations and learn how to survive while stuck deep in the past.

Other reverse harem work: Yume no Shizuku, Kin no Torikago


10. Happy Hustle High manga by Rie Takada
Happy Hustle High, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/3VDfXys

What happens when the reigning tomboy of an all-girls high school finds out her school is about to be filled with boys!?Hanabi Ozora is a rambunctious 16-year-old tomboy who comes to the rescue of her less assertive friends-sometimes in exchange for food. So what does she do when, all of a sudden, her all-girls school is about to be integrated with an all-boys school?!She meets and falls in love-naturally--with one of the three most popular and handsome boys in the Student Council, Yasuaki Garaku! Unfortunately, Yasuaki doesn't care for girls...and when the girls' Student Council clashes head-on with the boys' Student Council, Hanabi steps in to become a member--hoping she'll change Yasuaki's mind! Hanabi Ozora is a rambunctious 16-year-old tomboy who comes to the rescue of her less assertive friends--sometimes in exchange for food. So what does she do when, all of a sudden, her all-girls school is integrated with an all-boys school?

Other notable works: Punch! and Gaba Kawa


11. 100% Perfect Girl Manhwa by Wann
Available on Lezhin, Toomics, Manta and Renta

Jay Jin is the headstrong teenage rebel, determined to prove she's serious about making art. J. Max is the tall, urban foreigner, in Korea on business, with more--much more--to his background than he lets on. On the surface, it would seem as though Jay and J. have nothing in common... until a chance encounter in a hotel lobby sparks a mysterious attraction. Will true love prove strong enough to overcome the language barrier, not to mention the thousands of miles separating two attractive people? Then there are the interventions of friends and family who think they know best... as well as a disastrous encounter with spicy chicken kebab! A giddy romantic fable for our ever-shrinking world, 100% Perfect Girl demonstrates the power of chemistry to conquer all.

Other notable works: Survival Marriage, Collide, So I Married an Anti-Fan and Can't Lose You


12. A Kiss To My Prince manhwa  by  Hee Eun Kim
A Kiss for My Prince 1 https://amzn.to/42JRXgW

Everyone always says to set high goals for oneself. Sei-Ann, an orphaned young lady who was raised in the care of a noblewoman, does just that when she decides she'll become the prince's bride. With above average looks and ambitions that would rival that of a king, Sei-Ann is determined to leave her social status behind and become the wife of the next Crown Prince. One day, she gets her chance when the prince visits her guardian's residence, and before she knows it, she's invited to work at the Royal Palace as a maid. What's more, one of the Crown Prince's brothers falls in love with her. But suddenly, just as everything seemed like it was going so perfectly, Sei-Ann learns that she may be the last surviving heir to a family which was closely tied to the Royal family but later branded as traitors!

Other notable work: Void's Enigmatic Mansion


13. Strobe Edge Manga by Io Sakisaka
Manga and Live-action Film Reviews| Also an upcoming jdrama 
Strobe Edge, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4gKauQ8

Ninako’s friend Daiki throws her for a loop when he expresses romantic interest in her. She cares for him, but can she return his feelings? As she tries to sort out her confusion, Ninako realizes that there are many different facets of love—strange and wonderful sides…

Other notable works: Ao Haru Ride 


14. The Ghost Bird Series novels by C.L. Stone
Introductions: The Ghost Bird Series: #1 https://amzn.to/4gNugdx

With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone. When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends. Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they've sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she's forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she's traded one house of secrets for another? Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy. The Academy, ever vigilant.

Other reverse harem work: The Scarab Beetle Series


15. Savage Garden manhwa by Lee Hyeon-sook
Savage Garden Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4gGQIEZ | Also available on Azuki

In 18th century England, Gabriel, an orphan girl from a fallen noble family, befriends a young man named Jeremy, who was rumored to be an illegitimate child of a nobleman. After an incident occurs, Gabriel must impersonate her friend Jeremy, taking his place at an all-boys academy for nobles, a place that may seem like heaven to others, but in reality hides a harshness and brutality which she could never have imagined. Savage Garden is a shojo fantasy that carries an eerie and mysterious ambiance, with captivating characters and an art style that perfectly portrays the period setting. A dark, gender bending tale with a romantic triangle that will keep you intrigued ‘til the end. Collecting the first two Korean volumes into English for the first time.

Other notable works: Seduction More Beautiful Than Love and The Flower of Evil


16. Black Rose Alice Manga by Setona Mizushiro 
Black Rose Alice, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4nW1Kc8

Dimitri Lewandoski is a celebrated tenor in early 1900s Vienna. When he is killed in an accident, his corpse is colonized by the seeds of a vampire master. At first, Dimitri denies that anything has changed, but as the people around him start dying, he is forced to accept the ghastly truth. Flash-forward to 2008. In Tokyo, Azusa Kikukawa’s troubled love life comes to an end with a fatal accident. Dimitri appears in her dying dreams with a diabolic proposal he will save her lover if she agrees to become the breeding ground for the next generation of vampire seeds...

Other reverse harem work: See Diamond Head at #6


17. That Wolf-Boy is Mine!  Manga by Yoko Nogiro
That Wolf-Boy is Mine! Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4gPzw0m

MONSTER MISCHIEF After some traumatic experiences, Komugi Kusunoki transferred from the city to start a new life in rural Hokkaido. But on her first day of school, the school heartthrob Yū Ōgami blurts out, "You smell good!" Despite the hijinks, Komugi tries to adjust to her new school, but it's not long before she stumbles across Yū dozing off under a tree. When she attempts to wake him up, he transformed…into a wolf?! It turns out that Yū is one of many other eccentric boys in her class year–and she's the only one who knows their secret…!

Other reverse harem work:  Those Not-So-Sweet Boys


18. The Veil Diaries Series novels by B.L. Brunnemer
Trying To Live With The Dead (The Veil Diaries Book 1) https://amzn.to/3KsLP6p

Hi, I’m Alexis Delaney. I’m your average 17-year-old girl. Except I can see the dead. And talk to the dead. And push them away and, well, help them move on. So..okay, I’m not your average 17-year-old girl. For years I’ve been struggling to survive the souls still roaming around. The shitheads always seem to find me. Moving from town to town every few months never helped either. More dead just always find me. But things are changing for me now. I’m moving in with my uncle Rory and cousin Tara. I’m finally going to be able to do normal teenage stuff I’ve been missing out on. Right? Well, if this one bitch of a ghost could leave me alone on campus that would be great. Especially since I haven’t told my new friends about my abilities. Can you believe this? Five good looking guys practically adopt me on my first day of school, and I still think they’re a bit nuts for it. Now if I can only just keep my life with the dead from mixing with my normal life, everything would be great. Yeah...I don’t see that happening either. But I’m going to give it a shot. Who knows? It might work.

Other reverse harem work: Darkest Whisper Series spin-off

This list makes me want to finally finish the mountain of manga I never completed. There are so many! What are your favorite reverse harem titles from this period?

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