There are many fantastical and bizarre situations that appear in the media, but none as strange as the concept of body swapping. Whether it's a permanent change or a temporary transition, being in someone else's body can lead to a lot of crazy shenanigans.
Body swaps have appeared in all kinds of anime, whether high fantasy or modern, but only as brief escapades that usually don't last long. However, some shows focus entirely on the concept itself. As a result, here Best body swap animation.
To be considered, both characters must be from the same world. Therefore, there is no reincarnation or isekai anime where the main character takes over someone else's body.
Updated on October 6, 2024 by Mark Sammut. This article has been updated with specs for all body swap animations included, and also includes an introduction to the new Very Long Shonen series, which explores the concept in one of its arcs.
12 atashinchi movie
A decent classic take on the body swap formula.
Atashinchi It is a long-running manga and anime series that follows the adventures of a lifetime for the Tachibana family. The main character of the series is 17-year-old Mikan, but her mother, father, and younger brother Yuzuhiko are also central to the series.
Atashinchi Although it itself has nothing to do with body swapping, the movie released in 2003 tells a different story. In the film, when Mikan and her mother are struck by lightning, their bodies switch, forcing the two to live each other's lives while the other family members search for a way to get them back. This movie is a classic body swap story that any fan of the trope should appreciate.
11 A legendary hero is dead!
A mixed bag comedy with a polarizing protagonist who swaps bodies for a corpse.
Touka Scott is a farmer with a fetish for thighs and stockings and a love of setting traps. When one of his traps accidentally kills the legendary hero Shion, Touka finds herself inside the hero's rotting body. If Touka wants to return to her original body, she must finish Sion's work and seal the Gates of Hell.
A legendary hero is dead! A fantastic twist on the classic body swap story with a bit of dark humor. The Spring 2023 anime is quite polarizing, mainly because of the main character. Touka's antics and perversions make him difficult to like, and his humor is off-kilter.
10 One Piece (Punk Hazard)
A fun gag in a long and divisive saga.
Considering that it has a history of approximately 25 years, one piece We were planning to introduce body swap elements in the near future. This situation occurs during the Punk Hazard Arc, where Law uses his Devil Fruit to cause Sanji and Nami, Franky and Chopper, and Smoker and Tashigi to swap bodies.
Although important in the grand scheme of things, Punk Hazard isn't generally considered a high point in music. one pieceIn the anime adaptation, the saga overstayed its welcome. That said, the body swap gag leads to some pretty funny moments. This is especially true in the scene where Robin gets angry when he sees Chopper's loveliness distorted by Frankie's personality.
9 Gintama (Soul Switch)
A short but fun Gintama episode in which Gintoki and Hijikata switch bodies.
Gintama Due to its primary status as a comedy series, it is well known for parodying and lampshading various tropes, clichés, and archetypes. Although it may not be consistently focused on the subject, Gintama It also did its own spin on the body swap trope from the Soul Switch Arc, where Gintoki and Hijikata's souls end up in the wrong bodies.
actually Gintama Fashion, the madness doesn't end here. It turns out that half of Gintoki's soul was possessed by a dead cat, turning him into an amnesiac monster. The Yorozuya and other members of the Shinsengumi also fall into disarray, and soon almost all of the main characters have their bodies swapped. The result is one of the best examples. Gintama You can take a concept and have it spiral out of control in a matter of minutes.
8 Cocoro Connect
Body swapping is a small part of the overall great coming of age anime.
All five high school students are members of the Student Culture Research Group, I suddenly noticed my body changing.. After trying to find out what is happening to them, they discover that they are test subjects for an unknown entity called Heartseed. Their bond as friends will be tested as they try to adapt to changing circumstances.
Cocoro Connect It's a very dramatic series that focuses on the bonds of friendship and the emotional bonds people have. As they go through these challenges together and rise to the top, the group slowly comes to understand each other in new ways. While body swapping doesn't remain at the core of the series' main issue, it still plays a large role in much of the series.
7 punch line
Play silly pranks in the best way possible.
After the bus hijacking incident, Yuta Iridatsu realizes the truth. He was expelled from the body.. I learned that she has various powers, including possessing and gaining power whenever she sees a woman's underwear. More importantly, he learned that he must find the sacred book to regain his body.
punch line It's a wild supernatural series with bizarre settings and increasingly strange situations. The variety of strange situations Yuta has to deal with are something to behold, and the ridiculousness of the series tells viewers not to take everything too seriously. The script for this series was written by Kotaro Uchikoshi. zero escape A visual novel based on the series and anime was later produced.
6 murder princess
A lesser known OVA series that has a lot of fun with the body swap formula.
After a rebellion breaks out in the Kingdom of Forland, the dying king sends his daughter Alita to find her brother Kaito. While fleeing into the woods, she falls off a cliff and is approached by bounty hunter Palis. The two somehow survive, But when they wake up, they find that their bodies have changed.. Now Falis must pretend to be Princess Alita. Defend her kingdom from any threat.

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murder princess This is a short comedy series that utilizes the conventions of the high fantasy genre. The image of a meticulous and upright princess who acts like a rough warrior stands out. It's not high concept, but fantasy fans will definitely find some interest in this.
5 charlotte
More than just body swap animations
Every 75 years, a strange comet called Charlotte passes over Earth, and children who inhale its dust develop supernatural powers during puberty. When Yu Otosaka becomes a high school student You gain the ability to possess other people.And when his powers were revealed, he was forced to transfer to Hoshinoumi Academy by Nao Tomori to protect those with such abilities.
charlotte It will appeal to fans of shows featuring supernatural powers, and while body swapping isn't the main focus of the story, it is the main character's signature power. The series contains a lot of drama and fast-paced action. It's more serious than most anime about body swapping..
4 Buddy the Mighty: Decode
A cult classic worth seeking out.
One day, while walking outside at night, Tsutomu Senkawa is mortally wounded in a fight between Buddy Sepon Altera and an intergalactic criminal. To save his life, Birdy decides to fuse with him and keep him alive. Until Tsutomu's body is rebuilt, The two are forced to share one body..
Buddy the Mighty: Decode is classic body swap animation It's the story of an ordinary high school student sharing a body with a powerful superhero-like warrior. Although the series is mostly based on action and intrigue, the dynamic has many comedic moments and it's fun to watch the two characters interact.
3 Kaiba
Forgotten Sci-Fi Gems
In a world where memories can be stored on memory chips, Transferring one's mind into another person's body Memory theft is becoming increasingly common. A man named Kaiba wakes up in a room with no memory and in a locket containing a picture of a girl. Kaiba goes out to explore the world and regain his memories, and meets the girl in the rocket.

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22 animations with unique art styles
Anime is known for its striking art and diverse styles, but select anime have some more unique art styles.
Kaiba is a unique series with a classic art style that is very reminiscent of '60s and '70s animation aesthetics, despite coming out in the 21st century. It may not necessarily appeal to fans of modern animation, but fans of cyberpunk and sci-fi may enjoy this somewhat erratic series.
2 Yamada-kun and the seven witches
Very fun animation that emphasizes body swapping (to a degree).
Ryu Yamada, a bully, accidentally falls on top student Urara Shiraishi on the stairs and discovers that their bodies have switched. After trying to pretend to be someone else at school, he eventually figures out the problem. When two people kiss, they exchange bodies with each other.
Yamada-kun and the seven witches It starts off with a fantastic premise, and it only gets weirder when more characters and abilities are involved. while Body swapping is just part of the craziness. The series still stands out to this day. The series is a fun romantic comedy full of supernatural hijinks.
1 your name
Authentic body swap animation
Mitsuha Miyamizu, bored with country life, wishes to become a Tokyo boy in his next life. suddenly, She starts changing bodies randomly With a boy named Tachibana Taki. Unsure of how to deal with their new situation, the two must slowly get to know each other and learn how to live within each other's bodies.
your name is a dramatic romance film directed by Makoto Shinkai. It is a work that adds some fantasy elements and is gaining great popularity in that regard. The film remains one of the most famous anime films of all time and Makoto Shinkai's best work, and anime fans are still raving about it to this day.

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