Having the possibility to travel through time and influence the past or the future is an undeniably fascinating perspective.
Many anime tried to take this concept and integrate it into their plot, using it to give more variety to their story.
In this article, we list the best time travel anime that we think uses this plot device in the most effective way.
The specific ranking of every anime you’ll find in this listicle is based on our personal preferences.
Table of Contents
24. Sandglass of Summer Colors
This anime was released in 2004 and revolves around a boy called Makimura Koutarou who finally works up the courage to confess his feelings to the beautiful Serizawa Kaho.
The night before he meets a strange girl that sends him several years into the future. Here he learns that his beloved girlfriend-to-be will die in a tragic accident.
This shocking discovery will propel the events of the show, during which Makimura will try to change the future to find a way to save Serizawa’s life.
Even if it’s not the best in this category, it still has a lot of redeeming qualities that will keep you entertained.
The main one is surely the tension derived by not knowing if the actions of Makimura will save the life of his loved one, or if it will all end in tragedy again.
23. Occult Academy
Occult Academy is a short anime that came out in 2010 and it is one of the few examples where the anime came first and inspired a manga adaptation.
The story revolves around a girl called Maya, the daughter of the former Headmaster of Waldstein Academy, and Fumiaki Uchida.
The year is 2012 and the planet has been invaded by aliens, so time travelers are been sent back to 1999 to find the Nostradamus Key and avoid the disaster.
To find the Nostradamus Key, time agents were given special cell phones. When a traveler finds an object of interest he takes a photo and if the resulting image is that of a peaceful world, then the subject is the Nostradamus Key.
Maya and Fumiaki will join forces to find the artifact and prevent the apocalypse.
A classic story where the protagonists try to go back in time to save the world from a tragic future, perfect for you all that are watching this list.
22. Buddy Complex
Aoba Watase is a regular high school student living peacefully in Chiba, that is saved by one of his classmates from the attack of a giant robot.
The girl later turns out to be from the future from 70 years further back, returned to the past to save Aoba, and after saving him, brings him into the future to fight an ongoing war.
Here Aoba shows high compatibility with a pilot named Dio Weinberg. The two boys perform a successful coupling, and this allows them to share experiences and subsequently increase their capabilities and skills.
As you may have guessed, this anime is heavily centered around battles with robots, making it perfect for all the mecha fans that are searching for something new and some cool anime set in space.
21. Summer Storm!
Summer Storm premiered in the spring of 2009 and tells the story of Yasaka, a 13-year-old boy who is spending his summer vacation at his grandpa’s house.
He meets a girl called Arashi in a cafe where she’s working as a waitress. Yasaka will fall in love with the girl who doesn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings.
This is until she accidentally touches his hand and realizes that she has a connection with Yasaka. Arashi is not just a regular girl, but a ghost of a teenager who died in World War II.
By connecting with Yasaka, she is able to travel back to her time, so she asks Yasaka to help her in her quest to save as many people as she can. The boy will of course agree, not fully realizing what he is getting into.
A perfect story if you are searching for a simple and light story with some sad undertones.
20. Kimagure Orange Road
This is a cult anime from the ’80s and is one of those romcoms that inspired many other future works and is based on the love triangle trope.
Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama are best friends and in love with Kyōsuke Kasuga, and the boy will play along with this dangerous game.
The protagonist Kyōsuke Kasugaiss is also able to use psychic powers to modify reality to his needs.
Orange Road’s plot isn’t based on time travel as the others from this list. It’s present near the end, leading to some interesting revelations.
Nonetheless, we highly recommend it as it’s still a great classic that everyone should watch at some point.
19. Hello World
Hello World is a movie from 2019 that takes place in Kyoto in the year 2027. The plot focuses on Naomi Katagaki, a socially awkward boy with a love for books.
One day Naomi sees an aura piercing through the sky and he has a vision of a three-legged crow and a hooded man who turns out to be him 10 years in the future.
The mysterious figure explains that he has come to change an imminent tragic event that happens to his friend Ruri shortly after they start dating.
At first, Naomi doesn’t believe him but he will eventually follow his future self’s advice to try and save Ruri.
The mystery around what will happen to Ruri makes the film engaging from the get-go, resulting in a brief but surely compelling story.
18. Zipang
Zipang is an anime TV show broadcast from 2004 to 2006 and it takes inspiration from a seinen manga of the same name.
The plot revolves around a group of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force led by Capt. Umezu Saburo and Executive Officer Kadomatsu Yosuke.
While running some scheduled training their ship encounters a storm that transports them back to 1942 during the Battle of Midway in World War II.
This battle marks a crippling defeat for the Japanese Navy by the hand of their U.S. counterpart
The crew will try to not change anything and let history take its course, but when they’ll find a dying Lt. Commander Kusaka Takumi, they will be convinced to save him changing history forever.
The main selling point of this anime is its historical setting because it explores WW2 and the danger of time paradoxes.
17. Nobunaga Concerto
This 10-episode anime from 2014 revolves around Saburou, a high school student who finds himself thrown back in time to the Sengoku Era.
Here he will meet legendary general Nobunaga Oda who is frail and on the run. The general will try to teach Saburou to take his place, given that the two are physically very similar.
Saburou will find himself in the position to be a replacement for a man that he doesn’t even know and will have to pose as the legend who united all of Japan.
Nobunaga Concerto is a very underrated show and we think you should give it a chance if you enjoy the peculiar art style and the unusual premises.
16. Charlotte
The scenario presented by Charlotte is that of a world in which a small percentage of the teenage population can develop special powers.
Among them is Yuu Otosaka, a high school student, who keeps his mind-control power hidden. One day, he will be approached by Nao Tomori and taken to a special school for empowered boys like him.
One of the factors that make Charlotte interesting is the inclusion of special powers but in a very limited way. So it retains a fair degree of realism when compared to other similar series.
Time travel is managed by the so-called Time Leap ability, which allows many characters in the show to travel back in time.
15. Thermae Romae
Thermae Romae in a brief anime aired in 2012. It is composed of only 3 episodes and is inspired by a manga series written by Mari Yamazaki.
The plot revolves around Lucius Modestus, an ancient Roman architect who lost faith in himself and his work so his friends decide to take him to a bathhouse to cheer him up.
He is unable to relax and while dipping his head in the water, he finds a secret tunnel that transports him into modern-day Japan.
Lucius will be baffled at first but he will focus on how to find new inspiration in this new timeline. This will help him regain his confidence and reputation as an architect.
This is a genius setup for a fun short experience that you should try for yourself.
14. Iroduku: The World in Colors
Iroduku: The World in Colors is a short 13-episode anime that came out in the Fall of 2018.
It tells the story of Hitomi Tsukishiro, a girl who lives in 2078 and whose life is deprived of colors and feelings.
This obviously takes a toll on her, so one day her grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school.
Hitomi will find herself in a world filled with colors that she had never seen before, and this will take her by surprise because she hadn’t seen anything like it.
Hitomi will also meet an artist called Yuito Aoi and his drawing will have a deep impact on her. Nonetheless, she will struggle to realize what’s the point of her being there and what the focus of her mission might be.
In this anime, time travel is not used as a way to change the present or the future, but to explore a forgotten past. An interesting twist to the standard formula of this narrative topos, and a great pick for a good anime set in the future.
13. Ya Boy Kongming!
Ya Boy Kongming! is a short anime that came out in 2022 and takes inspiration by a manga written by Yuto Yotsuba
This anime tells the story of Zhuge Kongming, one of the greatest tacticians of the Three Kingdoms period of third-century China.
He falls gravely ill and regrets having never seen the end of the war, so he wishes to be reincarnated in a more peaceful time.
His wishes are granted by being reincarnated in present-day Japan where, after meeting Eiko Tsukimi by chance, the two work on launching their music career.
Ya Boy Kongming! is one of the most underrated music anime in recent years. We recommended this if you want good character development and something different from the average isekai.
12. Dragon Ball Z
Another iconic show that was a staple for anyone growing up in the ’90s is Dragon Ball Z. Of course, Time travel is not the main topic of the show, but it’s still something that comes up fairly frequently.
Dragon Ball Z is a legendary anime that tells the story of Goku, a man who discovers to be part of the Saiyan race and decides to put use his powers to protect humanity and Earth.
This anime tv show tells lots of stories with many compelling characters that make it stand out and be remembered as one of the most successful shounen of all time.
The concept of time travel is introduced with the creation of the Time Machine by Future Bulma, one of the protagonists, from a future timeline.
This will allow her son Trunks to travel back in time to prevent the victory of the Androids that will destroy the world.
11. Your Name
Your Name is a movie from 2016 that’s been a real media phenomenon since it came out.
Mitsuha is a high school student living in a rural town nestled in the mountains who dreams of life in Tokyo.
Taki is a student living in downtown Tokyo that juggles his studies and his part-time job. One day, they both will find themselves in each other’s bodies and their respective timelines.
For the whole movie, they will try to communicate and try to unravel this mystery.
Even if the plot will not be the most consistent you’ll find around, It’ll still be pretty decent if you are searching for a love story that involves time travel.
10. Tokyo Revengers
Tokyo Revengers is a recent anime that was released in 2021 and is inspired by a manga series written and illustrated by Ken Wakui.
The anime show tells the story of Takemichi Hanagaki, a young man that has hit a low point in his life and keeps thinking about his much happier past.
He also finds out that Hinata Tachibana, his ex-girlfriend, was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang, a criminal gang that is terrorizing Japan’s capital city.
After almost getting hit and killed by a train, he finds out that he can travel through time and decides to travel back to when he was still in a relationship with Hinata.
Takemichi joins the Tokyo Manji Gang and rises to the ranks of the organization to try and save his ex-girlfriend, in a story full of twists that will satiate all of you action fans.
9. Doraemon
Doraemon has been one of the best-known mascots in Japan and beyond for as long as we can remember.
The anime, which began in the late 1970s, now has well over 1,700 episodes to its credit, earning it the title of one of the most influential anime ever.
The iconic show tells the story of Nobita Nobi, whose descendants are still impoverished because of his behavior in the 20th century.
The family robot cat from the 22nd century decides to travel back in time to help the progenitor of the family to make something of himself.
Doraemon doesn’t need introductions, and even if it’s targeted at children, its many positive messages and morals will always be useful for people of every age.
8. Re:Zero
Re: Zero tells the story of Subaru, an introverted guy who suddenly finds himself in the mysterious magical world of Lugunica.
He will make the acquaintance of Emilia, a half-elf with whom he falls in love from the start.
Following an unfortunate accident in which they will both lose their lives, the protagonist will realize that he can come back to life, traveling through time.
From that point on, he will try to unravel the mysteries of this new magical world he lives in.
This ability will be the real strength of the narrative of Re: Zero, which allows the protagonist to continuously change his future.
The implications also affect other characters, giving the plot completely unexpected turns.
7. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
This is a short 14-episode anime that came out in 2006 and it takes inspiration from a light novel by Nagaru Tanigawa.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is the true precursor of school anime with supernatural elements. You should watch it if you are a lover of the genre.
Kyon was just an average high schooler who one day meets the eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya, who’s completely bored with everyday life.
Kyon mentions to Haruhi that since she’s so bored with everything she should found her own club, so she does and drags him along.
She is interested in finding supernatural creatures like aliens, espers, and time travelers, so she founds the SOS Brigade (Save our world by Overloading it with fun Haruhi Suzumiya’s Brigade).
The plot will unravel from there and we will be treated as a light-hearted story about supernatural powers and creatures.
6. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an anime that came out in 2006 and is inspired by a science fiction novel written by Yasutaka Tsutsui
The plot revolves around Makoto Konno, a girl in her last year of high school that doesn’t know what to do with her life. She also feels very much the pressure from her teachers and her parents that keep asking about it.
One day her life changes when she accidentally discovers that she is capable of leaping through time.
She plays around with her newfound power, however, she will soon learn that every choice has a consequence, and time is a lot more complicated than it seems.
A story with simple premises but a well-narrated plot, that will surely take the attention of every fan of light-hearted comedies in search of something new.
5. Inuyasha
Everybody knows Inuyasha, a big classic of the shonen genre and anime in general.
The story stars Kagome, a young girl who, as a result of an accident, will fall a well and is catapulted into Sengoku-era Japan.
Here she will discover to be the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, having also inherited her task to protect the four winds’ sphere with the help of Inuyasha, a canine-like demon.
Inuyasha is undoubtedly one of the greatest cult greats ever, and there must be a reason for that. It’s a simple but solid story, its excellent settings, and its character design is always on point.
Extremely peculiar is also the contrast between modern-day and Sengoku-era Tokyo, which will be shown every now and then throughout the series.
4. Orange
Orange is a Sci-Fi themed anime combined with romance and the usual psychological elements characteristic of this list, such as depression and social anxiety.
Naho Takamiya receives a letter from her 10-year-old self in the future. At first, Naho thinks it’s a joke, but changes her mind when the events in the letter happen, including the transfer of a new student Kakeru Naruse.
The boy himself is the main theme of the letter, as the protagonist from the future asks her past self to treat him with as much love as possible because 10 years from that time he will lose his life.
As you may have already well understood, this is a real punch in the gut, especially if we consider how it ends.
3. Erased
Erased is a pretty recent anime that counts just 12 episodes. The plot merges mystery with supernatural elements while keeping all of its romance.
The main character is Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old mangaka without any success, mostly due to suffering from the notorious “writer’s block”.
However, following mysterious happenings, he obtains a power called Revival that allows him to go back in time just enough to save people’s lives.
During his far-from-a-happy childhood, one of his classmates had been murdered, and this is where his mission begins.
As you may have guessed, this series will contain a whole lot of investigations, making it perfect for thriller and mystery fans.
2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
A 2011 short anime produced by Shaft and Aniplex, Puella Magi Madoka Magika is a masterpiece that has affected how Majokko is perceived.
The protagonist Madoka Kaname is shy and indecisive and will quickly get dragged into a much worse reality.
Even though the plot starts as stereotypical, the atmosphere starts changing from Episode 3, quite early considering that it’s 1/4 of the length of the series.
The relaxed and playful atmosphere is just a facade, as the focus is on dark and deep themes. As the plot thickens, you will get to learn many gloomy details and the plot can only get darker.
As with Orange Road, the time travel part comes only later during the plot, but it will have a much bigger impact on the story, making it a perfect entry for this kind of list.
In general, watch it if you are searching for a sinister and unique series that gives a unique spin to the genre.
1. Steins;Gate
Steins; Gate is an animated adaptation of the visual novel that premiered in the spring of 2011 and the best sci-fi anime you can find at the moment in our opinion.
The plot follows Rintaro Okabe, a boy who with his two childhood friends runs the so-called Futuristic Gadget Laboratory. The only notable gadget the trio has created is a microwave that has the mystifying power to turn bananas into green goo.
Okabe, who is also a big fan of time travel, happens to be at a conference on it one day. It is here that he will find the dead body of Makise Kurisu, and from which everything will begin.
The group will discover that the microwave is more powerful than it seems. Apparently, it is able to send text messages in the past.
Rintaro dabbles further with the time machine, attracting the ire and attention of the mysterious organization SERN.
Another mystery anime that will surely be interesting to all fans of conspiracy theories, considering all the moving parts that are influencing the plot.
Don’t expect a light comedy with some sad moments here and there though, as the story proceeds, the tone will get darker and darker with each episode.
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