The anime is licensed by Aniplex in Japan.
The first 12-episode anime series adaptation produced by the animation studio Seven Arcs and directed by Keizō Kusakawa aired in Japan between July 2 and September 17, 2008.
As the Sekirei fight escalates, five Ashikabi in particular, ascend as the favorites to win the Sekirei Fight, each having winged at least three Sekirei. In the series, the power of an Ashikabi can be determined not only by the number of Sekirei he or she has in his or her disposal, but by the bond between them. Unlike Sekirei, who are mostly buxom women or handsome young men, Ashikabi can be quite innocuous as they can appear in any gender, age, and even status. Through mucous contact (kissing) between a Sekirei and its Ashikabi, a Sekirei without wings can become a 'winged' Sekirei. Ashikabi ( 葦牙) are humans with unique genes that enable them to empower the Sekirei destined to serve them.