30+ Popular Gender Bender & Body Swap Anime

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Anime & manga expert Cedric Han shares his favorite body swap anime rec
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Gender bender anime features characters whose gender is swapped, transformed, or presented differently than usual. While this usually involves boys turning into girls—often for comedic reasons—gender bending is a trope found in many different genres. We chatted with an anime & manga expert to help us compile a list of some of the most popular gender bender anime of all time. Keep reading to see if your favorite made the list.

Gender Bender Anime Recommendations

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An illustration of the covers for popular gender bender anime.

Anime & manga expert Cedric Han says that Ranma ½ is one of the best known gender-bending anime. Other options include Your Name, Cheeky Angel, and Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister! Popular isekai options include From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!, A Wild Last Boss Appeared!, and Saga of Tanya the Evil.

1

Ranma ½

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  1. Ranma ½ is one of the best known gender bender anime, says Han.[1] It follows a male martial artist named Ranma Saotome, who falls into a magical spring and is cursed to turn into a girl whenever he is splashed with cold water. Many hilarious misunderstandings follow.[2]

    Meet the wikiHow Expert

    Cedric Han—or cedgehog as he’s known online—is an anime and manga enthusiast who’s been making anime-themed content on social media for the past four years.

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2

Your Name

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  1. This critically acclaimed movie follows a city boy named Taki and a country girl named Mitsuha who both wish to live different lives. After making their wishes, they begin to swap bodies while they sleep. They leave notes to help each other pretend to be the other person, which in turn helps them bond and form a deep connection.[3]
    • Genre: Romance, drama
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: HBO Max
3

Cheeky Angel

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  1. Often considered one of the best gender bender anime, Cheeky Angel follows Megumi, a high school girl who used to be a boy until a genie turned her into a girl after misinterpreting her wish to become manlier. Now, Megumi must adapt to life as a girl while trying to track down the genie’s book to reverse the wish.[4]
    • Genre: Comedy, romance
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming, but can be watched on YouTube
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4

Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!

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  1. When shut-in Mahiro Oyama’s scientist sister, Mihari, injects him with an experimental serum, he is transformed into a young girl. Mihari’s goal is to help Mahiro start over, become more social, and step out of his comfort zone.[5]
    • Genre: Comedy, slice-of-life
    • Type of gender bender: Magical/scientific transformation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
5

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

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  1. This supernatural anime follows high school boy Ryuu Yamada, who can body swap with anyone he kisses. He then discovers he’s not the only one with kissing powers—there are 7 witches, all of whom have different powers that are activated by kissing.[6]
    • Genre: Supernatural, romance, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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6

Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl

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  1. After being rejected by his crush, Hazumu Osaragi is killed by an alien spaceship. The aliens bring him back to life but unintentionally turn him into a woman. Now, Hazumu must navigate life as his new gender, all while getting involved in a love triangle between him, his crush, and his childhood friend.[7]
    • Genre: Yuri, romance, comedy, sci-fi
    • Type of gender bender: Magical/scientific transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
7

No Doubt in Us

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  1. In No Doubt in Us, Emperor Xiao Jinyun and Empress Xu Yu are married, but that doesn’t mean they like each other. When they fall into a magical pond, they swap bodies. Now, they must learn to act like each other and, in the process, fall in love again.[8]
    • Genre: Romantic comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: Rakuten Viki
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8

Kokoro Connect

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  1. Kokoro Connect follows a group of 5 high school students who belong to their school’s Cultural Research Club. A strange entity known as Heartseed decides to test them by forcing them to undergo different supernatural phenomena, including body-swapping. As they experience what it’s like to live as their friends, they begin to understand each other better.[9]
    • Genre: Supernatural, romantic comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
9

Ouran High School Host Club

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  1. Ouran High School Host Club is a classic cross-dressing anime. When scholarship student Haruhi Fujioka enrolls in a prestigious high school, she accidentally breaks an incredibly expensive vase. To pay off her debt, she joins the all-male Host Club and uses her androgynous appearance to pass as a boy.[10]
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10

Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout

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  1. This isekai anime follows Tachibana, a man who wants a girlfriend but is overshadowed by his more attractive friend. But instead of wishing for better luck with the ladies, Tachibana wishes he was a beautiful woman. The Goddess of Love then grants his wish by sending him to a fantasy world, where he becomes a gorgeous woman… who his friend starts to fall for.[11]
    • Genre: Isekai, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
11

Maria Holic

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  1. Maria Holic centers on Kanako Miyamae, a high school girl who is scared of boys and literally breaks out in hives if one touches her. Wanting a romantic partner, she transfers to an all-girls school in hopes of finding one. When she meets Maria, she’s immediately enamored, but it turns out Maria is actually a boy named Mariya. Kanako must now grapple with her attraction and her fear of boys.[12]
    • Genre: Romantic comedy, parody
    • Type of gender bender: Cross-dressing
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
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12

From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!

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  1. If you’re looking for a hilarious isekai gender bender, check out Dad’s Been Reincarnated! It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like—a middle-aged father gets reincarnated as the villainess of his daughter’s favorite otome game after getting in a traffic accident. Now, he tries to play the role correctly, but he’s simply too polite.[13]
13

Gonna Be the Twin-Tail!!

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  1. This magical girl parody follows Souji, a boy who loves girls in pigtails. When a strange woman named Twoearle reveals that aliens are attempting to steal the hairstyle from humans, Souji is granted magical powers to become Tail Red, a magical girl with red pigtails, and fight the aliens.[14]
    • Genre: Magical girl, parody
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
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14

.hack//Sign

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  1. This is one of the earliest “trapped in a video game” isekai anime series. It follows An, a female gamer who creates a male avatar in the game The World. When an AI known as Morgana traps An in the game, her memories are altered so she believes she’s actually a man in the real world as well as in the game.[15]
15

Magical Girl Ore

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  1. When Saki Uno becomes a magical girl to save her crush, Mohiro Mikage, she expects to look like Sailor Moon, not a big, buff man in a frilly dress. What’s even more surprising is that her best friend Sakuyo also transforms into a muscular man… and has feelings for Mohiro.[16]
    • Genre: Magical girl, parody, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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16

Kämpfer

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  1. In Kämpfer, a high school boy named Natsuru Senou randomly wakes up as a girl. His plush tiger then comes to life and informs Natsuru that he’s been chosen as a Kämpfer, a female warrior who fights other female warriors. He then learns that many of his female classmates are also Kämpfer as he learns to balance his school life with his new identity.[17]
    • Genre: Comedy, harem, action
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: HIDIVE
17

Ayakashi Triangle

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  1. Ayakashi Triangle follows best friends Matsuri Kazamaki and Suzu Kanada, who can both see spirits known as ayakashi. Matsuri intends to become an exorcist like the rest of his family, but his life is upended when the King of Ayakashi turns him into a girl.[18]
    • Genre: Comedy, action/adventure
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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18

Maze: The Mega-Burst Space

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  1. This ‘90s isekai follows Maze, a girl who is transported into another world and transforms into a perverted man at night. Maze has no recollection of how she ended up in this world, but she gets swept into its conflicts when she unintentionally saves Princess Mill from the Jaina Holy Group.[19]
    • Genre: Isekai, mecha, comedy, fantasy
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
19

A Wild Last Boss Appeared!

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  1. When a gamer gets reincarnated into the video game Exgate Online, he discovers that he’s been reborn as the villain, Lufas Maphaahl, who was defeated 200 years ago. He must now figure out how to survive in a world that wants him dead, as well as how he ended up trapped in the game in the first place.[20]
    • Genre: Isekai, action/adventure
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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20

Himegoto

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  1. Himegoto is similar to Ouran High School Host Club, but with reversed genders. Hime Arikawa is a high school student who inherited a massive debt from his parents. When his school’s all-female student council saves him from loan sharks, he agrees to crossdress as a girl and be their servant to pay off his debt.[21]
    • Genre: Comedy, slice-of-life
    • Type of gender bender: Cross-dressing
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
21

Princess Princess

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  1. When Toru Kono enrolls in an all-boys school, the last thing he expects is to become a princess. These princesses are male students who are chosen to dress up as girls throughout the school year. Unable to refuse the position, Toru then joins two other princesses and learns to embrace the role.[22]
    • Genre: Comedy, slice-of-life
    • Type of gender bender: Cross-dressing
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming, but can be watched on YouTube
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22

Gintama

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  1. Body-swapping isn’t the focus of the whole anime, but it is the focus of the Soul Switch Arc (episodes 287-289). This arc follows Gintoki and Hijikata, two characters with very different personalities, as they swap bodies after encountering a cursed sword. Now, they must learn to adapt to each other’s lifestyles.[23]
    • The overall plot of Gintama follows Gintoki, a war hero turned freelancer, as he takes on jobs in an alternate Edo-period Japan that was conquered by aliens.
    • Genre: Action, comedy, sci-fi
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+, Netflix
23

Space Pirate Mito

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  1. Space Pirate Mito follows a teenage boy named Aoi who discovers that his mother is a space pirate who is being hunted by the Galactic Patrol. His mother’s species is genderless until they mature, and in order to save the universe, Aoi permanently transforms into a girl.[24] ​
    • Genre: Sci-fi, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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24

Cinderella Boy

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  1. After detectives Ranma and Rella get into an accident, they’re forced to share a body. Each person appears as their own gender when they’re in control of the body, but at midnight, they lose consciousness as the other person takes over. They must continue crime-solving while attempting to navigate their new, bizarre situation.[25]
    • Genre: Action, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Body sharing
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
25

When I Woke Up I Became a Bagel Girl

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  1. This South Korean anime follows Jeong Bong-gi, an otaku who suddenly wakes up as a “bagel girl,” Korean slang for a beautiful woman with a baby face. In an attempt to learn how to live as a girl, Bong-gi befriends a gamer girl named Han Se-mi who helps him adapt to womanhood.[26]
    • Genre: Comedy, drama
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Tubi
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26

To Love-Ru

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  1. To Love-Ru follows a high schooler named Rito Yuuki who ends up marrying an alien princess named Lala after she crash-lands in his bathtub. Though body-swapping isn’t the focus of the anime, it’s a notable plot device, as Lala invents a machine that unintentionally causes people to swap bodies while exploring each other’s dreams.[27]
    • Genre: Sci-fi, romantic comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
27

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire

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  1. Reborn to Master the Blade follows King Inglis, who asks the goddess Alistia to reincarnate him so he can become a martial arts master. She grants his wish, but things aren’t exactly as he imagined: he’s reborn as the daughter of a noble family. Now, she must set out to learn to become a knight.[28]
    • Genre: Isekai, fantasy
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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28

Birdy the Mighty: Decode

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  1. Birdy the Mighty: Decode is a unique take on the body swap trope. When intergalactic space officer Birdy is chasing a criminal, she accidentally kills a teenage boy named Tsutomu. To save him, she merges his consciousness into her body. Now, the two must share a single body while attempting to balance her life as an officer and his as a high school student.[29]
    • Genre: Sci-fi, comedy, action
    • Type of gender bender: Body swap (kind of—two characters share the same body)
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
29

She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man

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  1. This isekai anime follows gamer Sakimori Kagami as he finds himself trapped in the video game Arch Earth Online. But instead of being his mage avatar, he discovers he’s in the body of a young woman named Mira. As Mira, Sakimori claims to be his mage’s pupil to prove himself.[30]
    • Genre: Isekai
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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30

Simoun

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  1. Simoun isn’t a typical gender bender. On the planet Daikuriku, all people are born female but can choose to change their gender later on, mainly for reproductive reasons. The story follows a group of priestesses who fly airships known as the Simoun to fight battles among 3 warring nations.[31]
    • Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy, war drama
    • Type of gender bender: Gender transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
31

Our Home’s Fox Deity

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  1. Our Home’s Fox Deity follows a yokai named Kuugen Tenko, who is summoned to act as a bodyguard for the Takagami brothers, Toru and Noboru. As a fox spirit, Kuugen is able to change their gender at will. They must now use their powers to protect the brothers from other spirits and monsters.[32]
    • Genre: Supernatural, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Magical transformation
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
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32

So I’m a Spider, So What?

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  1. So I’m a Spider, So What? is a fun and unique take on the isekai genre. When a class of high school students is killed in a disaster, they’re all reincarnated into a fantasy world. The main character, Kumoko, is transformed into a spider, but the majority of the other characters are still human. Some, like Kumoko’s friend Kanata Oushima, undergo a gender swap.[33]
    • Genre: Isekai, fantasy, comedy
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+
33

Saga of Tanya the Evil

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  1. When a salaryman dies, God chastises him for not being more spiritual during life. To teach him a lesson, God reincarnates him as Tanya, an orphan growing up in WWI Germany. If Tanya dies before she’s supposed to, she’ll go to Hell for the sins of her past life. Thinking she’s damned either way, she decides to become a cruel soldier and commit even more sins.[34]
    • Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy, drama, isekai
    • Type of gender bender: Reincarnation
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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34

Le Chevalier D’Eon

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  1. This historical mystery is loosely based on the real-life spy, Chevalier D’Eon. In the show, D’Eon and Lia de Beaumont are siblings who work as agents for King Louis XV. When Lia is murdered, D’Eon is determined to track down her killer. It turns out Lia’s spirit is still lingering, and she possesses her brother’s body to help him with the case.[35]
    • Genre: Historical fantasy, supernatural mystery
    • Type of gender bender: Possession
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming

Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Can a shape-shifting character be gender-fluid?
    Dianté Richard
    Dianté Richard
    Anime Expert and Cosplayer
    Dianté Richard (D-Rich) is an anime expert and cosplayer based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. For the past 6 years, D-Rich has created content online, specializing in TV, film, and anime commentary. With more than 300K followers across social media platforms, D-Rich leverages his interest in literature and storytelling to post insightful movie and TV reviews, analyze the latest industry updates, and share his thoughts on popular media discourse. Some of his favorite animated shows include Adventure Time, Gurren Lagann, Attack on Titan, and Soul Eater. In addition to his usual social media presence, D-Rich is also a cosplayer, a convention panelist, and a podcast host.
    Dianté Richard
    Dianté Richard
    Anime Expert and Cosplayer
    Expert Answer
    I would say yes, and a great example of that is Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist. They are gender-fluid because they can shapeshift and be whoever they want. You also have Morph from the X-Men series as well.
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References

  1. ↑ Cedric Han. Anime and Manga Expert. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  3. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  4. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  5. ↑ https://oniichan-wa-oshimai.fandom.com/wiki/Onimai:_I'm_Now_Your_Sister!_(anime)
  6. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  7. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  8. ↑ https://screenrant.com/best-gender-bender-anime-and-manga/
  9. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  1. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  2. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  3. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  4. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  5. ↑ https://gonna-be-the-twin-tail.fandom.com/wiki/Gonna_be_the_Twin_Tail_Wiki
  6. ↑ https://dothack.fandom.com/wiki/SIGN
  7. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  8. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-gender-bender-anime/
  9. ↑ https://screenrant.com/best-gender-bender-anime-and-manga/
  10. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  11. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  12. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  13. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  14. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-body-swap-anime/
  15. ↑ https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/SpacePirateMito
  16. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  17. ↑ https://koreanwebtoons.fandom.com/wiki/When_I_Woke_Up_I_Became_a_Bagel_Girl
  18. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-body-swap-anime/
  19. ↑ https://reborn-to-master-the-blade-from-heroking-to-squire.fandom.com/wiki/Light_Novel
  20. ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/best-body-swap-anime/
  21. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  22. ↑ https://fictionhorizon.com/20-best-gender-bender-anime/
  23. ↑ https://dengeki.fandom.com/wiki/Our_Home's_Fox_Deity_(Anime)
  24. ↑ https://screenrant.com/best-gender-bender-anime-and-manga/
  25. ↑ https://gamerant.com/isekai-anime-manga-gender-bending-protagonists/
  26. ↑ https://screenrant.com/best-gender-bender-anime-and-manga/
  27. ↑ Cedric Han. Anime and Manga Expert. Expert Interview

About This Article

Cedric Han
Co-authored by:
Cedric Han
Anime and Manga Expert
This article was co-authored by Cedric Han and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA. Cedric Han is an anime and manga expert based in Los Angeles, CA. For the past 4 years, Cedric has been an anime-based content creator delving into the deeper moral, psychological, and cultural influences of anime. From examining hidden political commentary to highlighting queer characters across the medium, Cedric shares his insightful analysis with more than 400k followers across platforms. This article has been viewed 2,558 times.
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