From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harem is a term used to describe Japanese works wherein a single average male character is surrounded by numerous (usually 3 to 7)^[1] attractive females, most of whom are romantically interested in the main character. According to one reviewer, said average male character is usually depicted as a "lovable loser".^[2] The term 'harem' is generally not used by itself, but as an adjective to the medium—such as harem anime or harem manga.

Harem titles have experienced a backlash from some American anime fans, particularly from females, due to recurring usage of fan service in series with such genre designation.^[3]

The origin of the term is the English adaptation of the Arabic word 'harām', meaning "forbidden".

The prototypical harem anime features a number of characters, usually with a minimum of one boy and three girls whose personalities are often stock characters popular in moe fandom. The term does not necessarily imply sexual connotations. Most members of the "harem" have some level of emotional attachment to the lead, ranging from romantic interest to casual friend to a sibling figure.

Some harem, such as Ai Yori Aoshi, are designed such that the main character focuses only on one of the girls, with the others being mostly just temptation that the character rarely seriously considers. Others, such as the anime and manga adaptations of SHUFFLE!, remain unspecific as to which girl the main character is most interested in until near the end. The latter is especially true of harem anime and manga based on visual novels, as the original work would let the player choose which girl to pursue.

Harem anime often suffer from ending without the romance actually being resolved. This is usually due to adapting a harem manga series which itself has yet to be completed. For example, the Ichigo 100% manga ends with its male protaganist Manaka being in a relationship with one of the girls, while in the anime, which finished a few months before the manga, he does not.

The opposite of the standard harem genre, in which one girl is surrounded by numerous males, occurs more rarely and is sometimes referred to as reverse harem or male harem. An example of this is Fushigi Yūgi.^[4].

Series with shōnen-ai and shōjo-ai same-sex harems also exist. Examples include, respectively, Kyo Kara Maoh! and Strawberry Panic!

The theme has been rather popular among fandom authors, building upon established anime to craft stories featuring a male or female character having relationships with more than one woman/man, sometimes with gravely exaggerated themes.

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