The world of anime has inspired many different stories, and dorm life is one of the more popular settings. From comedy to romance and drama, anime series set in dorms offer a variety of plotlines and characters. It’s easy to think of dorms as just another part of university life – a place where students can come and go as they please, a place for them to make new friends, and an opportunity to experience college life on their terms.
However, dorm life can be so much more than just a place to stay during college. For anime fans, there are a variety of shows that provide an interesting perspective on dorm life. From whimsical slice-of-life comedies to action-packed thrillers, In this article, we’ll explore the 17 best anime about dorm life. Whether you’re a fan of anime or simply looking to learn more about dorm life, this article provides a comprehensive list of the best anime related to dorm life. From light-hearted comedies to intense dramas, there are plenty of choices for everyone.
This list, which includes titles such as “Honey and Clover” and “Pet Girl of Sakura” as well as “Love Hina” and “Strawberry Panic,” presents a comprehensive overview of titles that will appeal to a wide range of viewers. With this article, you can find out which shows are the most entertaining, as well as which characters are most relatable.
17. Love to Lie Angle
- Airing Date: April 4, 2018 – June 20, 2018
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Yuri, Shoujo-ai, Ecchi, Romance
- Studios: Studio Lings, Creators in Pack
On her first day in her new dormitory, Hanabi Natsuno accidentally bars in on a girl with a spacey personality showering after being away for six years. She returns home to attend high school. Afterward, she caught an older resident of the dorm in an embarrassing moment, causing her childhood friend to be jealous of her.
Despite the similarities with Takunomi, Tangubanakan To Lie Angle has its unique art style. In Takunomi, though, drinking was part of what made the story somewhat believable and brought the characters together as they discussed their days, laughed, cried, and drank together. Tachibanakan’s central plot device is lesbianism, and the whole setup feels rushed and forced.
16. Mahoraba: Heartful Days
- Airing Date: January 10, 2005 – June 26, 2005
- Episodes: 26
- Genre: Romance, a slice of life
- Studios: J.C.Staff
You’ll know how appealing a dorm is as a set if you ever lived in one. Opening up the cast to a wide variety of ages and walks of life creates a plethora of opportunities for character clashes and other mischief.
Harem comedies like Love Hina and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs exist alongside sensitive character dramas like Maison Ikkoku and Honey & Clover. Mahoraba lies halfway in the middle, drawing inspiration from its predecessors while adding its spin.
Soon after moving into Narutaki-sou, Ryushi Shiratori meets his second cousin Kozue Aoba, the house manager. Kozue appears to be the ideal woman at first glance: beautiful, happy, and a terrific cook. If she were the only one, everything would be perfect.
However, there are many other residents in the town: Tamami Chanohata, Kozue’s overprotective best friend; Megumi Momono, a drunk college student; Sayoko Kurosaki and Asami; and Yukio Haibara, a novelist whose voice is solely carried out by a dog hand puppet named “Johnny.”
While Ryushi is just trying to get through school, these large personalities come together in a sequence of oh-so-heartwarming misadventures. Because of childhood trauma, Mahoraba’s protagonist has multiple personalities, giving her five equally bizarre personas that make the show’s characters feel grander than before.
15. Pet Girl of Sakurasou
- Airing Date: October 9, 2012 – March 26, 2013
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Romantic comedy
- Studios: J.C.Staff
In the wake of his somewhat accidental acquisition of a large collection of abandoned cats, Sorata Kanda is banished to Sakura Hall, a dorm for weird kids who aren’t suited to normal dormitory life.
As a result, he begins his life living with a bunch of oddballs like Masaki, the boundary-lacking genius animator, and Jin, the man slut. Ryuunosuke, the hikikomori programming savant, and Mashiro, a prestigious artist who is incapable of taking care of herself well.
Although Kanda originally wanted to leave the dorms, he eventually came to realize that being normal is not always the best path. Through spending his time surrounded by so many brilliant and motivated minds, he also began to figure out what he ultimately wanted to do.
14. Honey and Clover
- Airing Date: April 15, 2005 – September 30, 2005
- Episodes: 24 + 4 OVAs
- Genre: Coming-of-age, Romance, Slice of life
- Studios: J.C.Staff
Shinobu Morita shares a dormitory with Y’ta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama, and Takumi Hanamoto at a Tokyo art school, which is based on Musashino Art School. On one occasion, their art teacher introduces them to Hagumi Hanamoto, his relative.
Despite her small size and great talent, Morita falls in love with her immediately. But Takemoto also has feelings for her. Honey and Clover is a good, down-to-earth slice-of-life anime series that will give you an insight into not only how dorm life works but also how other daily aspects of the characters’ lives function.
13. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
- Airing Date: April 4, 2015 – September 26, 2020
- Episodes: 86
- Genre: Comedy, Cooking, Slice of life
- Studios: J.C.Staff
During his time at Yukihira, his father’s bistro, Yukihira, he has dreamed of becoming a full-time chef and surpassing his father’s culinary skills since he was a young boy. To compete with his father, they continue to organize minor cooking competitions for his friends, which the father always wins.
When Sōma completes middle school, his father, Jichir Yukihira, leaves the restaurant and travels to Europe to cook. Sma’s fighting spirit is revived after a challenge from his father. Sma is claimed to be adamant about attending a top Tōtsuki cooking school, where only 10% of pupils graduate.
Initially, he must pass the entrance exam, a task given to him by Erina Nakiri, a high-class student. The Elite Ten is the top ten students. Although he is initially rejected by the school, his court eventually convinces them to accept him.
He hopes to become the best graduate in the school since most of his classmates are from high places but have never served guests like him. In this case, his classmates are envious. Food Wars is a bit specific, but if you’re interested in dorm life in a culinary school, you’ll be able to find everything you need. Plus, you can include some recipes as well.
12. Strawberry Panic
In Strawberry Panic, the plot centers on the lives of teenage girls who attend the same school complex, which consists of three renowned schools St. Miator, St. Spica, and St. Lulim. As well as sharing distinctive structures in a holy location separated from everyday life that is off-limits to men, all three schools developed relatively close to one another.
With its distinctive strawberry shape, the Ichigo Dormitory stands out as the most significant of these buildings. Throughout the narrative, the main protagonist is Nagisa Aoi, a young girl who transferred to St. Miator.
In addition to being one of the most popular and beautiful yuri titles in anime history, Strawberry Panic also provides an insider’s look at how girls live in dorms. Fans of anime who enjoy slice-of-life stories will find Strawberry Panic to be a true delight.
11. Bokura wa Minna Kawai-sou
- Airing Date: October 3, 2012 – March 27, 2013
- Episodes: 25
- Genre: Romantic comedy, Slice of life
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
Kazunari Usa is the protagonist of this anime, who insists on living alone after his mother moves far away from him. Initially, the USA insisted on living alone because he wanted to live an “ordinary” life both at home and at school. His mother arranged for him to live in an apartment called the Kawai Complex.
Unfortunately for him, there are a lot of oddballs living in the Kawai Complex. After witnessing a sadist stick his head in a fence and a loud drunkard, he decided not to live there anymore. As he was about to leave, he turned to see a lady enter the complex and stopped to look at her. His crush is the one who reads alone in the library. It turns out that the female lives there as well.
Every night, Mrs. Ichinose, the drunken party girl, the shameless Akemi Roppongi, and the enigmatic Mr. Yotsuya party loudly in his room, preventing him from revising. That’s more than enough for Usa to suddenly accept his new living arrangements.
Even though living with a bunch of crazy people is a pain, he still gets to spend his days with his crush. The couple can get to know each other better, but nothing is ever straightforward for Usa. Usa has his work cut out for himself to get a rather distant girl to try to get closer to him.
She is a huge loner who rarely socializes and always has her face plastered on a book. Although this one does not depict a dorm in the traditional sense, it does capture the nooks and crannies quite well; the protagonist is a student, so it adds to the realism.
10. From the New World
- Airing Date: October 3, 2012 – March 27, 2013
- Episodes: 25
- Genre: Dark Fantasy, Dystopian, Thriller
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
Saki, a girl from Kamisu’s 66th district, is portrayed in Shinsekai Yori, which takes place in a thousand-year-old Japan. Humans at this time had powerful telekinesis abilities and lived idyllically in rural villages.
At the age of twelve, Saki gains her powers, despite her parents’ fears that she will not be able to do so. At the academy, Saki joins her friends Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, Shun, and Reiko. Kids do not realize that the city council monitors and influences them through teaching. Some students are removed from society as a result of some evaluation criteria, such as those who fail to master the powers, such as Reiko, or who break the rules.
It doesn’t take long for the other children to forget the removed students; Saki and her friends have no memories of Reiko. Later, Saki and her friends encounter a False White Nudibook, a legendary creature that turns out to be an ancient device that contains a library at a camp unsupervised by the professors.
A group of psychically gifted children living in the Sage Academy, where they also live, reveal to the boys the heinous crimes committed by their ancestors and the reasons for their powers in The False Nudibianco. Though everyday life is not the subject of this brilliant anime, the dystopian setting will give you an idea of what dorm life might be like in a grimmer future.
9. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
- Airing Date: October 6, 2004 – March 26, 2008
- Episodes: 180 episodes in (Japanese), and 155 episodes in (English)
- Genre: Adventure, Science fiction
- Studios: Gallop
The events of Yu-Gi-Oh transpired ten years ago, and Jaden Yuki is about to take the exam for entrance to the Duelist Academy, but Yugi Muto, your renowned Duel Monsters champion, gives him the Kuriboh Winged card.
The Society of Light, which uses a satellite controlled by the kingdom of Misgarth to subjugate humanity through mind control, and the Knights of Shadows, who want to revive the Sacred Beasts by concentrating duels on the island, among other dangers. These dangers are faced by the main characters of Duelist Academy during their first two years.
Chancellor Sheppard left the Dueling Academy in season two of the show, Dr. Crowler assumed control, and Bonaparte was named vice-chancellor. To reverse the academy’s dwindling popularity, they are attempting to hire dueling pros. Zane’s professional dueling debut is anything but successful.
In addition to using the same deck as Jaden and making him appear foolish when he loses, Aster Phoenix, Jaden’s first opponent, also declares that he is going to attend Duel Academy. Zane falls into the shadows after defeating Jaden, and the two go without a trace.
Jaden, however, wishes to leave the duel academy first. His boat capsizing causes him to awaken, although he does so randomly. In this instance, a neo-space-dweller has tasked him with protecting the universe from the light. The neo-space-dwellers aid in his confidence restoration and card recognition. From this point on, the neo-space-dwellers fortify their defenses.
According to the plot, Sartorius, the clairvoyant manager for Aster, transforms the blue residence at the Duel Academy into a white building and establishes a “Society of Light” in its place. Despite the game’s theme, Yu-Gi-Oh GX’s setting within a college shows us what living in a dorm is like, with all of the positive and terrible aspects of human connections.
8. Maison Ikkoku
- Airing Date: March 26, 1986 – March 2, 1988
- Episodes: 96
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Boarding House, Coming of Age
- Studios: Studio Deen
The young student Yusaku Godai, who failed his university entrance examination, decides one day to leave the boarding house in which he lives because his roommates, Every night, Mrs. Ichinose, the drunken party girl, the shameless Akemi Roppongi, and the enigmatic Mr. Yotsuya party loudly in his room, preventing him from revising.
The new janitor arrives the same day. She is a widow and only 20 years old. Yusaku immediately falls in love with her. But soon, he will have Shun Mitaka, a handsome and rich tennis teacher, as a rival. There will be plenty of misunderstandings and repeated gags throughout the seven-year run of this sentimental comedy.
Maison Ikkoku is not just an absolute treat for aficionados of traditional anime, but it is also a tale that all anime enthusiasts should watch. In addition to the romance, this animation examines, from the viewpoint of a college freshman, how boarding house life used to run in Japan decades ago.
7. Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler
- Airing Date: July 1, 2017 – September 23, 2017
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Gambling, Psychological thriller
- Studios: MAPPA
As a school for the rich, Hayakkaou Private Academy has a world that is a little different from the average person’s. As a way to prepare students for leadership roles in society, the academy becomes a gambling den after class, teaching them how to handle money and manipulate others. To be the best gambler, you need to have money.
Jabami Yumeko, a transfer student, enters Hyakkaou Private Academy’s gambling world for the love of gambling. Each episode exposes us to a new cast of fascinating personalities at Hyakkaou Private Academy, each of which has quirky characteristics that contrast with our protagonist.
Can her adversaries handle the big stakes? Yumeko’s reputation as a ‘Compulsive Gambler’ grew as she challenged other pupils to gamble games during her school years.
Jabami Yumeko, a transfer student in a gambling-themed high school, swiftly becomes the show’s major protagonist. As a result, she soon established herself as a wildcard in this unique setting. Suzui Ryouta, the male lead, is more of a narrator or fellow spectator than anything else, providing us with a greater perspective on the rest of the cast, which is more intriguing. Yumeko’s demeanor is put up in such a way that we wonder whether she’ll win or what mind games she’s playing on you or your opponent.
These types of shows normally favor the MC, but Yumeko’s demeanor makes us wonder if she’ll win. It may appear strange, given that the show’s gambling premise does not mirror real-world scenarios, but Kakegurui will provide a great insight into modern dorm life.
6. Blue Exorcist
- Airing Date: October 2, 2018 – March 26, 2019
- Episodes: 25
- Genre: Adventure, Dark Fantasy
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
The Blue Exorcist anime encompasses two opposing worlds that mirror each other like two faces of a mirror. Assiah is the world inhabited by people. Gehenna is the realm of the devils. It is normally impossible for the two to travel or simply touch. The god of Demons, Satan, lacks one thing: a container strong enough to hold him in the human realm.
Demons, on the other hand, can invade our realm and take control of every aspect of it. Okumura Rin and Okumura Yukio are his sons, both born from a human woman. However, Yukio couldn’t do it because he was too weak; yet, do they satisfy his objectives, or should they go in another direction?
To prevent Rin from going to the world of demons, Fujimoto murders Rin’s guardian father but grants him a wish: to become an exorcist and defeat the demon lord. Despite some unusual layouts, Blue Exorcist will offer you a good idea of what it’s like to live in a dorm.
5. Backflip
- Airing Date: April 9, 2021 – June 25, 2021
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Sports
- Studios: Zexcs
He joins Soushuukan High School’s rhythmic gymnastics squad after watching it for the first time in middle school. He became captivated by gymnastics after viewing it in his third year of middle school. His schoolmate Ryouya Misato, who was famed as a gymnast in middle school, became his friend.
Both Futaba Shotaro and his plucky, wide-eyed view of the sport aren’t as corny as I make them seem. Since he’s earnest, passionate, and honest, it’s easy for him to see things from his perspective, which is, simply put, that rhythmic gymnastics is the greatest thing in the universe.
Because it’s a sports anime, the majority of the time is devoted to sports action and money shots. Bakuten, in contrast to other sports anime that is a little too kind to their newcomer audiences, shows the routines in their full, creative splendor.
It allows you to soar without heavy criticism, outsider reaction discussion, or technical jargon. It relies instead entirely on feeling and dance, hoping that – to borrow the show’s term – it lets you soar in the air by showing instead of telling. There is no doubt that Backflip is a great sports anime series that will give you a good introduction to the world of dorm life.
4. Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou
- Airing Date: July 5, 2018 – September 20, 2018
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life
- Studios: Silver Link
Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou is about blonde bombshell dot on them day and night would be the dream of every middle school boy. The anime is almost certainly the author’s wish fulfillment, as that is what exactly it turns out to be. Shiina Aki was misidentified as a young girl at home and relocated to Tokyo to grow more manly.
Sunohara Ayaka, a caretaker, also mistakes him for a girl when he meets her for the first time. When the mistake is discovered, Ayaka and the other female residents of the dorm are now assuming responsibility for a middle school boy who is still a teenager.
Besides Ayaka, the other girls are at the peak of puberty and enjoying a rare bit of male attention, making him quite a local celebrity.
It usually ends with them dressing him up or complimenting him on how cute he is, which counters his intention to move. Even though the show is a mix of cute, funny, and abundantly sexy, the young boy is guided through life by the most voluptuous woman he’s ever encountered.
3. Ai Yori Aoshi
- Airing Date: October 12, 2003 – December 28, 2003
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Harem, Romance, Slice of Life
- Studios: J.C.Staff
Ai Yori Aoshi is a harem show, a romantic comedy about a weak-willed male lead who attracts a slew of cuties to his side despite previous utter failures with the opposite sex, and the hilarity unfolds as they all compete for his attention. The program Love Hina is just that, and most people think that it has aged poorly.
Unlike other harem shows, Ai Yori Aoshi allows the relationships to evolve, and in an industry where broadcast standards tend to neutralize such material, it doesn’t shy away from expressing the ribald tone of its source manga.
He is a typical college student, mildly offended by the constant onslaught of happy couples in the world, both in real life and in relentless advertising. Because he has never had a girlfriend, the college photography club is his only source of comfort.
He was engaged to the Sakuraba heir as a youngster to bring the two factions together before he was excommunicated. After fifteen years, everything is brought back to life when his fiancée starts looking for him. Aoi Sakuraba has returned to fulfill their agreement despite Kaoru’s absence.
Even while it might appear like Kaoru would have it all with Aoi, a union between the Hanabishi and Sakuraba groups would be acceptable, but not one involving Aoi and an unknown student. However, in light of Aoi’s resolve, her mother comes to a compromise. It’s a happily ever after as far as coexisting peacefully in a dorm and maintaining secrets for all time.
2. Run With The Wind
- Airing Date: October 2, 2018 – March 26, 2019
- Episodes: 23
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sports
- Studios: Production I.G
Run With The Wind, unlike many other sports anime, focuses on college-level running. It tells the story of Kakeru Kuraha, who used to run in high school and now attends university.
A series of mishaps forces Kakeru to move into a dormitory filled with hopeful runners aiming to compete in the Hakone Ekiden relay marathon. It soon becomes clear that he is the only one with experience. When people come together for a common goal, amazing things can happen in dorm life.
1. Love Hina
- Airing Date: April 19, 2000 – September 27, 2000
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Harem, Romantic comedy, Slice of life
- Studios: Xebec
In the story, Keitaro is a Rounin who dreams of attending Tokyo University to meet a girl he has made a promise to since he was a child. Upon failing his two exams, his parents kick him out, and he ends up living with his grandmother in a boarding house, where she gives him shelter and employment as an innkeeper.
As Keitaro first enters the inn, it seems like a peaceful place where he can relax and do his homework. The dorm is an all-girls dormitory, and its rowdy female inhabitants aren’t too thrilled to have a man as their landlord.
As a manager for the girls, Keitaro now has to balance his new responsibilities with studying for Tokyo University’s university entrance exam. In Love Hina, one of the most popular harem titles in anime history, the dorm setting serves as a source of humor. In addition, everyday situations are depicted fairly realistically, so this title is definitely worth watching.
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