15 Best Time-Loop Anime, Ranked (2024)

Time loop anime refer to shows where a character or group of characters re-experience a period of time they have already lived through. These setups make for very exciting scenarios and developments, even though each is an altered iteration of a fixed timeline. Anime under this category also tend to have psychological themes, as repeating the same outcomes over and over again places a significant toll on the mind.

RELATED: The Best Anime That Deals With Time Travel

They have been explored in different ways by different anime, and as a result, there is a lot of variety in how the theme is approached. Each anime on this list has something different to offer, giving them a special appeal despite their similarities.

Updated on August 13, 2024, by Emedo Destiny: Using the time-loop theme in anime has yielded rather exciting results in the anime community, and expectedly so. For better context, time-loop anime shows are shows where either the main character or main characters re-experience a particular period or specific periods of their lives repeatedly, similar to a deja-vu experience, only much more realistic. However, the time-loop effect is not the only thing that gives these shows a thrilling edge, as often, in combination with their time-loop theme, they often employ psychological and even supernatural tropes, which ultimately end in varying exciting outcomes and experiences. Therefore, here are some of anime's best time-loop series.

15 Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.1 / 5

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
• Release Years: 2021
• Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song tells its tale in a futuristic version of Earth where AI and robots are rampant. The series kickstarts when the more advanced AI robots decide to eliminate humanity and ultimately succeed in their mission.

However, hope for humanity is not lost when the central character, Vivy, humanity's first-ever autonomous AI, is sent back a century when humans and AI coexist peacefully. Vivy is tasked with preventing humanity's impending destruction; however, as Vivy soon realizes, history is more challenging to rewrite.

14 Iroduku: The World In Colors

Anime-Planet Ratings: 3.9 / 5

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
• Release Years: 2018
• Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Iroduku: The World In Colors presents a fantasy tale of a futuristic world where magic and its practices are the norm. The series focuses on the central character, Hitomi Tsukishiro, who comes from a lineage of mages. At an early age, Hitomi loses her ability to see colors, ultimately making her devoid of emotion.

Hitomi's grandmother, concerned for her granddaughter, conjures up a spell that takes Hitomi back into the past, specifically the year 2018, hopeful that Hitomi will come to understand her reasons. In 2018, Hitomi's life and eyes are opened to a world of colors beyond her imagination.

13 Occult Academy

Anime-Planet Ratings: 3.5 /5

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
• Release Years: 2010
• Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Supernatural

Occult Academy focuses on the relationship between the central characters, Maya Kumashiro and Fumiaki Uchida, a self-proclaimed time-traveling agent. Upon the death of her father, the former principal of the Waldstein Occult Academy, Maya returns to take up her father's position as the institution's principal.

Due to her hatred of the supernatural, Maya intends to run the academy to the ground. However, her plans are halted when she meets the new teacher, Uchida Fumiaki, who claims to be from the future and learns of the Prophecy foretold. Despite not trusting each other, the duo decide to look for the Key of the prophecy to save humanity.

12 Charlotte

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.1 / 5

Charlotte follows the seemingly ordinary life of high schooler Yuu Otasaka in a world where very few teenagers develop special abilities and powers. Yuu can possess the body and mind of anyone he looks at. However, Yuu can only do so for five minutes. With his powers, Yuu lives a relatively comfortable but dishonest high school life as he cheats his way to the top of his class and earns himself entry to a prestigious high school.

However, Yuu's antics are suppressed by Nao Tomori, the student council of Hoshinoumi Academy— a secret institution created for special adolescents with super abilities. Nao convinces Yuu to switch to Hoshinoumi Academy and join the student council. However, Yuu's involvement with Nao will alter their lives and the lives of those they seek to protect.

11 Link Click

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.4 / 5

Link Click implements the time loop rather interestingly— through pictures. The series revolves around the main characters, Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi, who operate a photo studio together. They provide special services to clients to grant their wishes. The pair is capable of entering pictures and, through the eyes of the photograph, experiencing the events that take place when the picture is taken.

However, their abilities come with risks, as a single alteration of the events within the photograph could mean a total disruption of the timeline they leave behind in reality. The pair must resolve themselves to avoid getting personally involved and not alter reality. However, not getting involved is much more complicated than they think.

10 Summertime Rendering

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.3 / 5

Summertime Renderingis an exciting anime set on the mysterious Hitogashima island. The protagonist, Junpei, is faced with the island's absurdities firsthand after returning for the funeral of his childhood friend Ushio. After learning of mysterious beings called shadows and their role in taking the lives of people on the island, Jupei resolves to do something about it and stop the phenomenon from occurring ever again.

Though it seems like a great task, he is aided by some resourceful characters, as well as his handy ability to travel back in time to a certain point after being killed. Using this special ability, Junpei struggles bravely against the shadows and does everything he can to find out the truth about his friend’s death.

9 In Search Of The Lost Future

Anime-Planet Ratings: nil

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
• Release Years: 2014
• Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

In Search of the Lost Future is an anime with great mystery that tells of the adventures of Uchihama Academy’s astronomy club and their different activities over the course of the series, such as following up on ghost stories, preparing for the cultural festival, and dealing with agitation between other clubs.

The central event of the anime forward is the death of club member Kaori Sasaki, who is involved in an accident after confessing to the protagonist Sou Akiyama. That is not the end of her story, however, as she arrives at school in perfect condition the next day, with many seemingly unaware of her tragic fate. This sets the tone for a series of mysterious events that, though they occur in isolation, are actually more connected than you think.

8 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.0 / 5

is arguably Kyoto Animations' most popular work from the mid to late 2000s. It is centered around a self-centered tyrant named Haruhi and her clubmates, who were mostly coerced into joining.

Though the main focus of the anime doesn’t involve time travel, it is famous for a stretch of episodes occurring in its second season dubbed the Endless Eight. During this period, the characters were stuck in a time loop that all but one of them was initially aware of, and before they could break out of it, they had to repeat the same events for eight episodes in which they looped 15,532 times.

7 Sakurada Reset

Anime-Planet Ratings: 3.4 / 5

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
• Release Years: 2017
• Genre: Mystery, Supernatural

The time loops in Sakurada Reset are mainly conducted by a girl named Misora Haruki. Like many others in her city, she possesses a special ability and is able to reset time up to three days prior. Unfortunately, even she is unaware of the times she makes use of this power and has to be made aware by Kei Asai, the main protagonist with a photographic memory.

Due to his ability, he is able to retain information before she loops, and together they join the Service Club dedicated to helping people around them. After joining, however, they are employed by the Administration Bureau and end up getting caught up in a larger, more complex scheme that could have significant consequences on the fate of their town.

6 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.2 / 5

• Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video, AppleTV
• Release Years: 2006
• Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a classic directed by Mamoru Hosoda about a girl who comes across a device that allows her to travel back in time after jumping in the air with some momentum. Released in 2006, it was animated by Studio Madhouse and tells of the grave consequences of time travel and the unfortunate events that can occur if abused.

Though the protagonist, Makoto, doesn’t put the world in danger or cause an apocalyptic event, she endangers the lives of her friends by trying to solve every trivial problem by going back in time. Her growth is put on full display, however, as character development see’s her learn from her actions and take the necessary steps to correct her mistakes.

5 Tatami Galaxy

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.1 / 5

is a more lighthearted part of the genre which focuses on university life with a romantic subtext. The main protagonist, usually referred to as “Watashi” and not by his actual name, is a disgruntled third-year Kyoto University student whose life at the university is examined under different circ*mstances.

Though not a traditional time loop, Tatami Galaxy tells the story of what would happen to Watashi’s university days if he belonged to a different student society in his freshman year. This occurs over multiple iterations across the 12-episode anime, and Watashi is initially unaware that he is looping through different experiences. The anime has a unique art form and is famous for its fast-paced dialogue, also animated by Madhouse.

4 Higurashi: When They Cry

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.0 / 5

is one of anime’s most iconic series in the horror and mystery genre. The story is centered around an ominous and mysterious village called Hinamizawa. A curse is believed to plague the area, and it is known as the force responsible for a series of murders and deaths that have been occurring for some time.

The main character Keiichi Maebara is a relatively new inhabitant who initially got used to the peaceful life the village had to offer. However, after getting caught up in the curse and the town’s twisted nature, he is sent down a path of paranoia and bloodshed, set to repeat itself whenever a set of conditions is met.

3 Tokyo Revengers

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.2 / 5

is a more recent addition to the genre and has seen great success over the past few years. The main protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki is an unemployed 26-year old who most likely had his best years behind him. However, after learning of his past girlfriend’s death and being pushed in front of a train, he travels back in time to the highest point of his life and is given a small window of opportunity to save her.

After trying to influence events as much as he can, he returns to the future and finds out that his actions are capable of changing the timeline. He also discovers that he can make this jump multiple times and, as a result, moves between the past and the present in order to save his middle school sweetheart and prevent other tragic events.

2 Re: Zero

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.2 / 5

is an isekai with multiple subplots and a diverse cast of interesting characters, with the protagonist Natsuki Subaru at the center of it all. What makes Subaru special is that he has the useful yet painful power of returning to a certain point in the past whenever he dies.

His power, however, is limited by the fact that he is not allowed to tell anyone of his abilities. This makes navigating through death flags very difficult, as he can sometimes be seen as crazed when trying to convince others to take certain actions. The ability also takes a great toll on his mental state as he has been forced to watch many of his comrades die repeatedly in gruesome ways. He has also been put through many painful ordeals himself.

1 Steins;Gate

Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.4 / 5

is one of the most highly acclaimed anime ever released, and its focus is on time travel, giving special attention to the consequences of changing the past and the paradoxes that arise from it. The protagonist, Okabe Rintarou, is a self-proclaimed mad scientist, and after discovering that he can send messages to the past, Rintarou finds himself in a large conflict with different parties attempting to acquire the device he uses.

After some modification which allows him to send memories to the past, it essentially becomes a time travel device. With these capabilities, Rintarou uses it to prevent tragic events, such as the death of Kurisu Makise, from occurring. However, after failing repeatedly, he finds himself in a complex loop with tragedy at every corner.