I just finished watching Tenchi Muyo, an incredible anime! Even though I started watching it by chance, I enjoyed it and chose to explore the same genre more. Unfortunately, after doing plenty of research, I discovered it was a harem.
There are countless harem anime that are worth seeing. I, therefore, decided to introduce harem anime to my readers. In this article, we will discuss what is harem anime, what harem anime means, what is considered a harem, and what popular harem anime to watch.
What Is Harem Anime?
In harem anime, a single male protagonist has romantic connections with so many beautiful girls. Therefore, multiple girls are attracted to the male main character and want a romantic relationship with him simultaneously.
In other words, the male character in harem anime is the focus of attention and is surrounded by many attractive girls. There is no specific number of girls, but typically more than three girls are vying for a boy or male.
Despite the fact that the harem style (sometimes known as male Harem) is occasionally harshly condemned for its explicitly erotic themes and objectification of women. However, this is not consistently the case, and harem anime is still growing in popularity.
Note: Do not misinterpret the meaning of Harem with ‘Polygyny.’ Where Harem means a boy surrounded by multiple girls, polygyny means a man having two or more wives.
What does Harem mean in anime? Meaning of Harem in anime
Above I have shared with you what is harem anime, but where does the word Harem come from? What a harem is and what it means, people and academics have diverse viewpoints (in terms of anime).
The Arabic word “Hareem,” which denotes a gang of women, is where the name harem originates. Harem anime frequently adopts the polyamorous style and includes additional imagination and homoerotic aspects.
Male princes who kept a ‘hareem‘ full of spouses and concubines are another group of people who frequently use the term. It must be noted that Harem has multiple meanings in the Islamic community, including Walls Of House Of Kabba and popular girls’ names.
- Also Read – What Does Nya Mean In Anime?
What is reverse Harem anime?
If you understood well what is harem anime, then you can guess what is reverse Harem in anime. Indeed, the reverse Harem is antipodal to the Harem. If three or more male characters who are romantically attracted to the female protagonist constitute a reverse harem.
In this scenario, the female character is the center of attraction, and she is more and more approached by the male characters. Some of the perfect examples of the reverse Harem are The Wallflower and Brothers’ Conflict. Remember, there could be female characters (lesbians) who are attracted to a single female in harem anime.
Is the Harem a romance anime category?
By the definition of what is harem anime, you can itself answer this question. Even if harem anime is not classified as a romance genre, when we look at the plot and narration, it’s always in the romance anime category. I hope you understand my point and do not get confused!
In Harem and reverse harem anime, either a boy or a girl is surrounded by characters of the opposite gender. And apparently, this is intended to be a love relationship, which is why I believe it is always in the romance genre, though not intentionally.
5 Best harem anime to watch
I have shared everything with you about what is harem anime, the definition of harem anime, and what is considered a harem in anime. Now I am going to leave you with the 5 most popular harem anime that you must watch. I hope this article will be able to resolve your queries; if yes, then please share the article.
1. Girlfriend, Girlfriend
Naoya, the main character, is a freshman in high school. Saki, a girl he has fallen in love with, accepts his request to go on dates with her and become his girlfriend. Then one day, a stunning woman named Nagisa approaches Naoya and requests to hang out with him. But this is not the end; there are a few more girls on his love list. You must watch how he handles them all.
2. The Familiar Of Zero
The primary characters of the novel are the incompetent sorceress Louise and her phantom from Earth. The story takes place in a fictional magical realm and contains various individuals from the 2nd year class of a wizardry academy. Unexpectedly transported to the enchanted country of Halkeginia, Saito, a regular Japanese teenager, transforms into Louise’s dependable servant.
3. The World God Only Knows
Keima Katsuragi prefers to dedicate his time to go after virtual women in the 2D world. But after responding to an enigmatic email, he discovers that he is obligated by a contractual agreement to work with the demon Elsie to bring back “lost souls” from the afterlife. He now must seduce these real-life women in order to heal the emptiness that these spirits have created in their hearts, freeing the souls and enabling their apprehension.
4. Nisekoi: False Love
High school student Raku discovered Chitoge Kirisaki, a stunning new girl, in his class. They are more than just off was their relationship and fought constantly. There was never a break in it. But in an odd twist of fate, Raku and Chitoge decide to pose as lovers. Despite having feelings for his classmate Kosaki Onodera, Raku must keep acting the part of Chitoge’s lover.
5. Rosario + Vampire
Tsukune Aono, the main character, enrolls in Youkai Academy because of his frugal parents, but he quickly learns that it’s really a school for supernatural creatures including succubi, werewolves, and vampires. Fortunately, he meets Akashiya Moka and other monster ladies, who treat him like a dear friend because he is the only person in the academy who is not a monster.