The Anatomy of Harem Anime
Harems are a fairly pervasive trope in slice-of-life and romance anime, but their use extends beyond the boundaries of genre. There are harems in various kinds of anime; however, it is especially prevalent in anime that are romantic slice-of-life titles, ecchi, or both.
It has origins in various kinds of Japanese media, but it has also enjoyed a strong presence in visual novels and videogames in addition to anime and manga. Here's a run-down on some of the elements that make up the quintessential harem anime.
The Best Harem Anime Of All Time
«Harem» in Japanese media refers to stories in which a protagonist is surrounded by three or more romantic interests. Generally, the focus is heteronormative, with the average harem featuring a male protagonist who is either desired or pursued by multiple female characters; or in romantic or sexual relationships with several other characters.
Harems featuring female characters, as well as harems featuring various sexual orientations and relationship configurations also exist, but are far less prevalent. The harem can feature in a story of any variety; however, they are often the very subject of entire anime plots, as seen in titles like Rent-A-Girlfriend; Girlfriend, Girlfriend; and Ken Akamatsu's Love Hina.
While there will always be variation and deviation from the basic idea of what constitutes the use of a particular trope or genre, there are still features of harems that are applicable universally, or in some of the most quintessential harem anime. Some characteristics of harem anime won't fully apply, or be exhaustive in terms of the anime to which they apply in reality.
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