The 15 Best Omnibus Format Anime
The Omnibus format gives viewers a chance to explore different paths and different endings. Typically in an Omnibus anime, a male character has a few love interests. Given their own arcs, each girl follows her own love story with the main character, each finding their own happy ending with him. The next episode resets and gives the next girl her own story and feature. It is a great watch for those who like to enjoy different endings, and why not explore all the possibilities out there?
1. Amagami SS
Amagami SS is as Omnibus format styled as they come. It is the first series to have brought out the Omnibus format, and it really does it well. The story follows Junichi who was stood up for a date on Christmas eve. As a result of this, he is fearful of rejection from girls. However, he soon finds himself the interest of a few different girls. All these characters are different, unique in their own right, and each holds a romantic interest for Junichi. Following the Omnibus format, Junichi gets to explore each pathway of love with the different girls, and hopes that the next Christmas eve will not be spent alone and stood up, but with the one he truly loves.
2. Seiren
If you are a fan of Amagami SS, then Seiren is a great choice for you. It was written by the same author of Amagami SS. The series explores the idea of love, and finding love at a young age. Shouichi Kamita is ready to take his university entrance exams and is focussing on his future, but there are three girls that he could see himself spending his life with. He is new to love, and a little hopeless at it as well. The series follows each arc of Hikari Tsuneki, who relentlessly teases Shouchi, Tooru Miyame who is a competitive gamer, and Kyoko Touno, a manga enthusiast. Shouichi explores love with each one of these potential partners in each arc, and love and feelings blossom into what could be something more meaningful and lifelong.
3. Koitabi: True Tours Nanto
This is a shorter anime series, only 6 episodes long, but it covers three different love stories that are all unique. The first story follows Youiji ad Chiaki’s long term relationship, that is turned upside down by an announcement made by Youiji. Second up is about the childhood friends Aoi and Haruki who go through a series of events that trigger new and unexplored feelings, and then the third story is about Takumi and Natsuko who meet on a ski lift in the Nanto mountains. The omnibus format is a little different with this series, but it does follow three different love stories independent of each other, each with their own arc and story to tell.
4. In Solitude, Where We Are Least Alone
For something a little darker, this is the Omnibus series to watch. It is a romance series that follows different girls finding their happy ending. Time resets after each happy ending and the next turn at finding love. The series does have a high age rating as it does feature some graphic scenes, and one love story is centered on incest. Twins move back to the countryside after the tragic death of their parents. They meet up with their childhood friends Noa Yorihime and Akira Amatsume, as well as newcomer Kazuha Migiwa. Supressed emotions come to light and memories bring feelings of love, as well as dark secrets, to light. The series explores the darker connection between the twins, and whether or not their love is socially acceptable to others.
6. Photokano
The first few episodes of Photokano do not follow an Omnibus format, but the show does switch over after a while. Kazuya is a sophomore in high school and lives a fairly average, boring life. One day, he is gifted with a digital single-lens reflex camera and it changes his life completely. He soon figures out that this little contraption can break down some barriers and improve his social and romantic life. The story follows his interactions with different girls, starting off with how he sees them through the lens of his camera. Each girl he comes across has her story told, and how love and romance is born from his new obsession.
7. Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate offers a different play on the Omnibus format. Mad scientist Rintarou Okabe, along with friends and lab members Mayuri Shiina, Hashida Itaru and Daru, create a machine called the Phone Microwave which turns bananas into goop. With the help of some mysterious happenings, the four discover that the invention can actually send emails to the past, and thus alter the flow of history. The series follows the journey from past to present and back again, and builds on the responsibility Rintarou feels while knowing he holds the key to altering time, and pushing reset on everything we know.
8. Amnesia
This is an Omnibus for the ladies. The series follows a woman who has many choices of young, handsome suitors. The series follows a young lady who faints at work and wakes up with no memory of her life at all. She is looked after by her two friends, Toma and Shin. She soon meets a spectral boy who claims her memories are lost by his chance to be in her world, and he says he will help her regain her memories. Along with Toma and Shin, she comes across different men who all serve a purpose in her journey, no matter how mysterious. Each character gets the chance to experience a love story with her, as she regains her memory and remembers who she is.
9. Tatami Galaxy
Tatami Galaxy is a fun play on the Omnibus format. The main character meets the god of matchmaking, who allows him to travel back in time to his freshman year where he is able to join different clubs and take different paths than he did before. As an adult, he was not lucky in love and he spent most of his time breaking up other couples. Each new episode explores him joining a new club and going on new adventures. The romance factor is not as obvious as other Omnibus series, but it does play a huge role in the series and makes the story interesting and captivating.
10. Higurashi: When They Cry
This is a different Omnibus series, as it isn’t a romance at all. Higurashi: When They Cry, is a horror story, and it is a pretty hardcore one at that. The story resets back to the beginning when the old story is over, but often the story starts off differently or the story is told from a different character, which can make it quite confusing. Rika lives in a small village in Hinamizawa. Underneath the peacefully picture of the village is a dark truth and unspeakable horror. Rika is stuck in an eternal summer, and each time the clock resets, she needs to find the villain responsible for the senseless deaths occurring, stopping it from happening time and time again. Each time she tries to put things right, even when believing she will win, things fail and fall back into disaster and terror. She needs to stop her despair before the annual festival approaches, and find a way for good to trump evil.
11. A Bridge to the Starry Skies
This is an innocent story of mishaps and circumstance. Kazuma Hoshino and his brother are travelling to their new school in a rural town, but the brothers catch the wrong bus and land up in the middle of nowhere. Kazuma finds himself lost in the woods and happens upon a young girl Ui. He falls and kisses her accidently, which is witnessed by her friend Ibuki, who happens to be Kazumas new classmate, along with Ui. The Inn where they are staying is perpetuated with bad luck thanks to the landlady who has a perverted sense of humor, and this only adds to the brothers journey, meeting new girls and finding friendship and more in their new lives.
12. Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo
Wataru Hoshino wakes up one morning to find a girl asleep next to him, wearing nothing but her underwear. Upon waking, she punches him in the face and quickly escapes out the room. As it turns out, she is Rinna Sawaki, a transfer student from his school, and she has just moved into his dormitory. Wataru shares his home with four other girls and even their school teacher. The Temizugawa Heavy Industry cancelled the aviation branch, and because of this the four girls and Wataru need to leave within a year. Rinna refuses to become friends with Wataru due to this impending separation, but love is always stronger and Wataru tries to show Rinna that they can be more than roommates.
13. The World God Only Knows
Keima Katsuragi is a “God of Conquest” online when it comes to dating-sim games. He is challenged to prove his title, and accepts the challenge, but what he doesn’t know that he is in fact helping a demon from hell, Elucia. One thing leads to another and Keima finds himself shackled to this evil demoness with a deadly collar around his neck. He now has to help her return evil spirits back to hell, all by conquering their hearts. He needs to take his skills from online to real life in order to achieve this. Each love story is reset after one love is conquered, starting over with a new lady and a fresh adventure. It is everything a romantic comedy needs to be, even featuring a tsundere, an introvert and a sporty girl.
14. Erased
This series rewinds to a previous point in time a couple of times. It is more time travel, but with a twist. The character gets to play out a time line and if it doesn’t work out positively then it rewinds back to the starting point. Satoru Fujinuma finds himself in a tragic situation, but is sent back a several minutes before the incident. He uses this new phenomenon which he calls “revival” to save many different lives. However, he is accused of murdering someone close to him, and finds himself once more sent back in time, but 18 years back. He soon realizes the murder might be connected to an abduction and murder of his classmate that happened when he was a child. Satoru needs to solve this murder while in the past, all while saving those he loves in the present.
15. Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (Love, Election and Chocolate)
Yuki Ojima is a slacker. He only joins the Food Research Club to get away from the strains of other more active clubs. In a twist of fate, he realized the candidate running for school president wants to abolish the club, so he sets out to run against her. It is similar to Amagami SS and has humor and romance to keep viewers entertained and coming back for more.
These are the 15 best Omnibus format anime to watch. While most are romantic and follow stories of love and heartache, there are some that dabble in the realm of the superficial, science and time travel itself.
