is a genre of

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

s, manga,

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

, hentai, and

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...

originating in Japan in the 1970s but exploding late 1980s and 1990s with

dating simulator Dating sims, or , are Video game genres, video game subgenre of Simulation video game, simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and m ...

games and focused on polygynous or

polyandrous Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wive ...

relationships, where a protagonist is surrounded by three or more androphilic/gynephilic love interests or sexual partners. Harem works are frequently comedies that rely on

self-insertion Self-insertion is a literary device in which the author writes themself into the story as a fictional character. Forms In art, the equivalent of self-insertion is the inserted self-portrait, where the artist includes a self-portrait in a pain ...

protagonists allowing the audience to project themselves unto, and on having relatable and interesting ensemble cast of characters. A story featuring a heterosexual male or homosexual female protagonist paired with an all-female/

yuri Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...

harem series is informally referred to as a or , while a heterosexual female or gay male protagonist paired with an all-male/

yaoi ''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the '' wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created ...

harem series is informally referred to as a , , or . Although originating in Japan, the genre later inspired variants in Western media.Mel Gough interview: Reverse harem an old fantasy turned on its head, Romantic Novelists Association
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Structure

A harem structure is ambiguous. The most distinguishable trait is the group of polyamorous females or males who accompany the protagonist and, in some instances, live with the protagonist. Intimacy is customary but never necessary.

Key characteristics

Typically, harem fiction fixes on key characteristics. First, the main protagonist, typically a young man, has very little characterization other than being nice, reacting passively to his surroundings. This can let the readers insert themselves in the character’s stead or develop sympathy for the character. Secondly, all his love interests have low self-esteem, falling for the main character because of his nice personality and kindness. The main character often spends time with them just to see their efforts to prove themselves to him.

''"Reverse"''

A reverse harem is the gender opposite of a "straight"-harem, wherein a harem is directed towards male protagonists with women and/or gay men courting the protagonist. In a reverse harem, it focuses on female protagonists who are being courted by males and/or lesbians, usually seven or more.

Ending

Harem endings typically follow two different routes, the main character ends up with one or more of the women. Occasionally, a "harem ending" occurs where the main protagonist ends with all of the women, but this is more common in works intended for older audiences.

LGBT

Although traditionally the harem is considered to be one of the most

gender binary The gender binary (also known as gender binarism) is the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary ...

and

heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" ...

genres of anime and manga, this condition is not mandatory, and work in the genre can contain characters of very different

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

gender identities and sexuality, or even concentrate fully on characters of the one gender. "Reverse harems" garner popularity, as they sometimes have the harem's genders mixed up without regard for the protagonist's sex or gender. Thus, harem work in the genres of boys love or girls love is not something impossible, although they are much less common than the classic heterosexual examples.

Criticism

Harem anime has come under criticism for a multitude of reasons. First, it promotes a false expectation of relationships, claiming that being nice will kickstart a relationship with someone, and eventually, the love interest will demonstrate their affection for the protagonist. Often, real-life relationships require active participation from both parties, and waiting for the love interest to make the first move can lead to complaints about being "friendzoned". Secondly, the way female characters are written draws criticism and controversy. Female characters, especially, are written with a singular goal to get with the main protagonist, often sexualized for the reader’s satisfaction, and any character development is put off to the side in order to advance the plot. In real life, women have social lives and other friends, participating in social events with multiple people. As such, it can lead impressionable male readers to react negatively to being rejected by women when they follow the harem anime route in order to build a romantic relationship.

Structure

Key characteristics

''"Reverse"''

Ending

LGBT

Criticism

See also

References

Further reading