haha nice, that was entertaining to watch in a weird way >_>. i guess it sort of depends on the definition of "harem". For example, when i picture harem, I think one dude with more than 5 girls who are blindly in love with the dude and will do anything for the dude. Usually i don't like watching animes with harems, or really any anime where a girl is blindly in love with a guy, it just comes across as really unrealistic.
Almost Otaku: Harems & Anti-Harems
I think you need to get dial-up connection... at least!
I like Harems some can be over the top and some are treated well. The only one I can think of right now is Please Teacher, that was a complete... harem experience! o_O
but I tend to enjoy harem anime most of the time.
I like Harems some can be over the top and some are treated well. The only one I can think of right now is Please Teacher, that was a complete... harem experience! o_O
but I tend to enjoy harem anime most of the time.
If you look at my list of shows on here that I have watched, I do enjoy the genre in a lighthearted way. I can see why it gets haters. The character archetypes are usually the same, some try to bring in fans based on fanservice alone, a lot of them share the same setting/concepts.
Right now I'm watching Sekirei, which happens to be a harem. It is different though. Kinda has a shounen tournament thing going on. It does have some of the bad archetypes like the main character is just like Keitaro from Love Hina.
As long as you don't take them seriously, they can be entertaining to watch.
Right now I'm watching Sekirei, which happens to be a harem. It is different though. Kinda has a shounen tournament thing going on. It does have some of the bad archetypes like the main character is just like Keitaro from Love Hina.
As long as you don't take them seriously, they can be entertaining to watch.
OOOOO I got mentioned! Oh that's good I'm glad its a platonic harem....I was getting worried there for a minute. I have never heard anyone use harem and evangelion in the same sentence before but yes I can see now how you would call that one a harem but usually a harem anime is a romantic first anime something like fruits basket for example (don't watch it not worth it for you). Reverse harems pretty much I find ridiculous I mean that's just real life as most women I know that are at all attractive have multiple suitors so not much of a fantasy...anywho good and creative as always!
If I'm a member of your "platonic harem," can I at least be on top?
Joking aside, it seems to me that the problem with most harem animu is that the guy gets like four or five different girls who want to ride his dick without doing anything, or in some cases actively rejecting their advances. To use a recent example, there was that boy in Asobi Ni Ikuyo! who did almost nothing until the very end of the show other than be a generic Nice Guy. There were girls with actual skills, backstory and personalities of their own, but all their own plots revolved around trying to get that boy with the glasses even though he never thought about it. Whenever he entered the show, things usually slowed down until they had someone else in the frame.
Maybe there are different relationship standards in Japan, but it seems more likely to me that these stories are just wish fulfillment fantasies of people who haven't talked to that many women in their lives, let alone have meaningful relationships that didn't involve transactions of money.
One interesting subversion IMO would have to be Seitokai Yakuindomo. Sure, it only had one joke that it stretched over 12 episodes, but it took what would be a perfect harem setting (something a few characters in the show even mention) and parodied it into oblivion. The male lead was not interested in sex (at least not more than a normal highschool boy might be) while the majority of the girls in the show made perverted jokes both knowingly and unknowingly.
Joking aside, it seems to me that the problem with most harem animu is that the guy gets like four or five different girls who want to ride his dick without doing anything, or in some cases actively rejecting their advances. To use a recent example, there was that boy in Asobi Ni Ikuyo! who did almost nothing until the very end of the show other than be a generic Nice Guy. There were girls with actual skills, backstory and personalities of their own, but all their own plots revolved around trying to get that boy with the glasses even though he never thought about it. Whenever he entered the show, things usually slowed down until they had someone else in the frame.
Maybe there are different relationship standards in Japan, but it seems more likely to me that these stories are just wish fulfillment fantasies of people who haven't talked to that many women in their lives, let alone have meaningful relationships that didn't involve transactions of money.
One interesting subversion IMO would have to be Seitokai Yakuindomo. Sure, it only had one joke that it stretched over 12 episodes, but it took what would be a perfect harem setting (something a few characters in the show even mention) and parodied it into oblivion. The male lead was not interested in sex (at least not more than a normal highschool boy might be) while the majority of the girls in the show made perverted jokes both knowingly and unknowingly.
I actually just got done watching all of tenchi muyo ryhoki. Probably the best harem I ever seem, though others love hina, mabey tenhjo tenge? mabey. I enjoy em but honestly they are all unrealistic, i mean there is no way tenchi wouldnt hook up with at least one of those women.... except for washu and sasami cause well washu is usually in the form of a child and sasami is a child. Though both are embodiments of actual gods....
I've done a bit of looking around and took multiple views into account when I came up with I believe to be a good dual-definition for harem.
1. A harem can be defined purely as a guy just being surrounded by 2+ girls (love interest is debatable).
2. A harem can also (and more commonly) be defined as a man surrounded by 2+ girls who are in love with him.
A reverse-harem would be the opposite of #2.
Personally, harems are my favorite anime as the make me laugh and fanservice brightens my day. Now, while usually the lead male and his ladies are very much the same from one series to the next, each has a shining moment or element that sets it apart. Most generally also lack a reasonable story but there are some out there (Tenchi Muyo, Love Hina, Sekirei). My other harem suggestions, for those who like the genre, are Maburaho, Samurai Harem, Tenchi Muyo: GXP, and Negima!.
@JJOR64:
Minato from Sekirei is different than Keitaro from Love Hina. Minato is actually really smart and is willing to make bold moves to protect those around him. I find him to be one of the best harem protagonists I've seen.
@Tom_Pinchuk:
Well Tom it seems you still have yet to experience a "real" anime harem. But don't worry, there are classics in that genre as well. A couple examples (that I know and love) are Love Hina and Tenchi Muyo. I did a Beginner's Guide a few weeks back for the reverse-harem Ouran High School Host Club to bring some light the the series (and it's the only reverse-harem I know).
Interesting video.
Anyway as for what I think...
Well, I've seen a few harems and I've never really been too into them...except for one:
Rosario+Vampire
I think what I liked about it was that it didn't take itself too seriously (even breaking the 4th wall at times) and that the characters and setting were pretty unique and interesting. Also I thought it had a lotta funny moments. ^^
As for a reverse harem, I'd say Ouran Highschool Host Club which is another fav of mine.
I also remember another reverse harem...I think it was call Neo Angelique(?), I don't think I finished though.
Anyway as for what I think...
Well, I've seen a few harems and I've never really been too into them...except for one:
Rosario+Vampire
I think what I liked about it was that it didn't take itself too seriously (even breaking the 4th wall at times) and that the characters and setting were pretty unique and interesting. Also I thought it had a lotta funny moments. ^^
As for a reverse harem, I'd say Ouran Highschool Host Club which is another fav of mine.
I also remember another reverse harem...I think it was call Neo Angelique(?), I don't think I finished though.
Maybe I should blindfold when I want to view the web on the go.
Harems before were some what little hearted and more down to earth in some ways but now their starting to be over-the-top and unrealistic. Most harems really do appeal to the lonely Otaku that wish for love and having a main character that is also down in the dumps helps them put themselves in to the show in some ways.
Harems before were some what little hearted and more down to earth in some ways but now their starting to be over-the-top and unrealistic. Most harems really do appeal to the lonely Otaku that wish for love and having a main character that is also down in the dumps helps them put themselves in to the show in some ways.
I think part of the reason harems are so prevalent in anime is that Japanese "sitcoms" tend to deal with characters juggling different aspects of "giri," social obligations, basically, and having multiple romantic entanglements lends itself to that sort of setup. The humor comes as the person in the center of it all is getting pulled in five directions at once and can't seem to catch a break as they try to hold everything together.
As for whether I like it? It depends on how it's handled. It's often handled badly, but that's true of most plot elements, lol. I do tend to enjoy a raucous sex comedy now and then, and those almost always involve harems of one form or another.
The biggest pitfall these kinds of shows have is that typically even if the writer tries to make the protagonist interesting and likable, s/he tends to get drowned by the personalities of the harem members. Another part of it is that the center of the harem pretty much has to always be the "straight man" since if the harem members were the straight man they'd be pretty much indistinguishable from each other, and at that point it would make sense to just collapse them into one character, thereby destroying the harem.
There's a lot more room for interesting leads in harem dramas, but I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, since most harem shows are comedies.
As for whether I like it? It depends on how it's handled. It's often handled badly, but that's true of most plot elements, lol. I do tend to enjoy a raucous sex comedy now and then, and those almost always involve harems of one form or another.
The biggest pitfall these kinds of shows have is that typically even if the writer tries to make the protagonist interesting and likable, s/he tends to get drowned by the personalities of the harem members. Another part of it is that the center of the harem pretty much has to always be the "straight man" since if the harem members were the straight man they'd be pretty much indistinguishable from each other, and at that point it would make sense to just collapse them into one character, thereby destroying the harem.
There's a lot more room for interesting leads in harem dramas, but I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, since most harem shows are comedies.
Well, one can certainly never accuse you of not giving personality to these videos. That's a fact.
Harems have a sort of mixed meaning in manga/anime. They can be a simple theme and a genre. They can be fun, but if a writer is skilled enough. They can give purpose to all these women. Something in him that they find endearing. Some Harems are just called so, because they have a large female cast. Not all the women really need to desire the boy.
They can be fun in comedies, but not so much when forced into drama.
Though, ultimately they are mainly part of building of an ego power trip for most males. Part of what makes them so popular. In the harem genre. You will almost always notice that the protagonist and target of desire is a rather plain or meek male. Though surrounded by a wide variety in unique women.
Even I admit that I'm not above such ideals. I get quite a rush hearing compliments from beautiful women when it comes to my artwork. Positive feedback on my art is always nice no matter the source, but from a lovely lady it always feels different.
Harems have a sort of mixed meaning in manga/anime. They can be a simple theme and a genre. They can be fun, but if a writer is skilled enough. They can give purpose to all these women. Something in him that they find endearing. Some Harems are just called so, because they have a large female cast. Not all the women really need to desire the boy.
They can be fun in comedies, but not so much when forced into drama.
Though, ultimately they are mainly part of building of an ego power trip for most males. Part of what makes them so popular. In the harem genre. You will almost always notice that the protagonist and target of desire is a rather plain or meek male. Though surrounded by a wide variety in unique women.
Even I admit that I'm not above such ideals. I get quite a rush hearing compliments from beautiful women when it comes to my artwork. Positive feedback on my art is always nice no matter the source, but from a lovely lady it always feels different.
Top Editors
-
FoxxFireArt
437 points
- TriforceF 173 points
- HaiducFolken 131 points
- PureRok 38 points
- ethan 36 points
Top Posters
 | hitsusatsu11 93 posts |
 | ReVolutionOfEvangelion 71 posts |
 | FoxxFireArt 47 posts |
 | Tom_Pinchuk 38 posts |
 | Black_Rose 30 posts |
 | OmegaChosen 27 posts |
 | sickVisionz 25 posts |
 | constanzadellarosa 20 posts |
 | cfatalis 15 posts |
 | Whiskeyjack 15 posts |
