Why do people Hate Harem Anime so much?

How do you see it as?

May 18, 2022 2:40 PM

Offline

Aug 2018

8174

I don't mind the harem genre but I don't really like it much either. It's mainly due to the lack of closure. A good one can get you invested in the characters so that you choose a favorite but rarely does the main guy actually choose anyone so it all feels kinda pointless and frustrating in the end. And it's also frustrating to see the one step forward, two steps back progression of the relationships. Can't let them progress too much otherwise the show is over.

But that's not the question, is it? The question is why do people hate harem anime so much? The most vitriolic posts I've seen towards the genre come from people who haven't even watched any.

So if I had to boil down to the purest essence why they "think" the way they do...it's because everyone else is doing it.

May 18, 2022 2:48 PM

#252

removed-user

Offline

Jul 2018

564533

People don't want to feel like the "betas" for identifying with the self-insert male MCs in those harems. I personally don't mind it. I don't try to identify with those characters. I may not have had successful experiences with girls. But my life doesn't suck like theirs.

May 18, 2022 3:09 PM

#253

CuteAssTiger

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Jan 2018

1848

Propably because it's filler coomer bait .
Best case scenario it's really funny .
Worst case it's just distracting.

Just don't put it in anything serious

May 18, 2022 3:12 PM

#254

ateks

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Sep 2010

4750

I think it's just an easy way to push as many female characters into one anime as possible and then chances are high you like at least one of them and continue to watch for her alone. Let's be honest, most harem anime don't have the deepest story anyway and focus more on fanservice and more girls means more boobs and that's good.

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May 18, 2022 4:32 PM

#255

LuckyM

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Jan 2019

atxt said:
I think it's just an easy way to push as many female characters into one anime as possible and then chances are high you like at least one of them and continue to watch for her alone. Let's be honest, most harem anime don't have the deepest story anyway and focus more on fanservice and more girls means more boobs and that's good.

I tend to agree, in all honesty I have watched multiple shows just to drop it bc it turned into a harem. The show would have a lot going for it in terms of possible plot development, but most of the ones I have seen all derailed as soon as the focus moved away from the original plot into look, this guy now has 8 wives, and most scenes in between crucial plot events is just milking that harem for everything it can. If I wanted drama, I would watch a drama, it is frustrating to lose interest in many adventure shows bc they decided to make the story about the harem instead.

May 18, 2022 4:56 PM

#256

Suntanned_Duck2

Offline

Mar 2017

1194

I don't mind them but I have had my moments/series I don't care for. I watch them like any other show. I don't care for inserting at all, I don't even care about shipping/who the protagonist gets with no matter how bad of a a choice. I mean honestly if they picked a girl in the beginning/already had one and the rest is other events I'd be fine with that.

I really think the only benefit of Harem anime is for many female voice acting roles. Otherwise at most they have are pretty generic stories, gimmicks that aren't that effective and obviously the characters, gags and so on are paper thin a lot of the time.

I've mostly found Date A Live, DXD, The World God Only Knows, Saekano which obviously all got at least 2+ seasons to be stand out for a reason because their gimmicks were good and otherwise they had more going on then just the girls falling for the protagonist or in some cases weren't and went with the goal the series was after. I mean The World God Only Knows he just gets the job done but cares about 2D girls and Saekano he literally cares about the visual novel he wants to make and the rest between the characters is good. I mean even the OVAs/Episode 0s parody things and are just really good. Otherwise those with one season could be better if they actually tried rather than just being generic.

To me the reverse harems are kind of more intriguing but I have only seen one. Kiss Him, Not Me! which I found good because it had Fujoshi elements besides the pretty typical romcom like scenes it made the main protag girl interesting even if yes just a one dimensional start I found it was alright at what it tried to do as a gimmick and the other events mixed in over time. It's still not the best thing I've ever seen but it's gimmick was better than most I'd say even though I don't care for Yaoi at all I respect it from a far.

I enjoy Date A Live because of what it wants to be. Sure it's a basic plot that was predictable even before it revealed things in S3/4 and besides reading the light novels for those seasons I already knew where it was going, but I was still fine with the ride. I think Kurumi is a good character not just because she has her powers, is a Yandere and whatever else but because she doesn't follow the harem and is doing background stuff in the story to find the spirit cause not just join the club that easy. Which to me makes her the best character in the series for story reasons not just because of her character's personality, design or anything. There is probably other examples but for a harem at least it stuck out as I don't find really many do that even if a simple thing to not have every girl jump for the protagonist action or slice of life like series of events playing out.

I haven't seen much of Monogatari so can't say how good it is. But I assume it's good for a reason.

Most though I find yes they do pick a bad girl, most girls are one dimensional either once in the harem or before in the harem if their actual reasons to not join are or aren't strong enough, but yes it is annoying with just the archetype to go off of or the 'gimmick' is really weak.

I mean NAKAIMO was bad for not even really having that strong a premise like it wants you to believe. Don't know if I'd say Quintuplets is much better but eh I did watch both seasons and a bit of the manga to catch up to where season 2 is but I still have yet to go further. To me harems I sort of treat the 'moment to moment' stuff more as the reason to care or whatever humourous situation then anything else but when they do overdo it I do not care. I mean if they are going to drag it out the inbetween better be good or otherwise who cares.

Even Date A Live I care for the story not the 'we cut away to fan service' scenes that it infrequently has just to remind people is a harem but it has them like after an arc has ended or once or twice instead of all the time. Even the visual novels balanced it out but as your supposed to get with the characters I think it was fine enough to have the more intimate moments there if it's a dating sim.

That and I found the OVAs (S1 OVA especially, the Kurumi one was fine even if part of the side story novels) actually enjoyable. They flip the usual on it's head instead of it being just another onsen/beach episode they do the reverse of what they are supposed to do and I found it really funny, it was a simple change but even for being a 180 it made things more interesting. I like when things use elements from the universe not just say 'ok onsen/beach episode everyone lets make it quick so we can move on to the next anime because who cares'. Even Isuca I found to be odd where I was like oh the beach episode even though it was a fine even if ruined anime compared to the manga but I still enjoyed what they could put together while the beach episode was forgettable.

It has been pushing the story more 90% of the time which I'm fine with as while earlier seasons were good for harem moments it was pretty weak after a while and the story was the only reason to care I found. It's why I find so many harems get one season is they aren't strong at all with their harem moments or people want more going on not just it being harem moments the whole way through while DXD even for it's ecchi had a fine enough story to continue watching which is why it got as far as it did compared to other more lazy ecchi harem shows.

There is a reason those harems have multiple seasons and the others don't is because they are too weak or only relying on harem moments and they are throwaway or another one comes a season later.

Suntanned_Duck2May 18, 2022 6:11 PM

May 18, 2022 5:11 PM

#257

LuckyM

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Jan 2019

For me, it isn't so much that the genre itself is what I hate, it's when a show turns into a harem that I find repulsive without end. Especially because there is usually one girl that is shown to be the genuine love interest, but no what about the other wifus, if love interest gets with protagonist then all the girls get with the protagonist. If the show itself is intended to revolve around the harem, then I don't care bc i don't watch things like that. But have a hero who is going on a quest and comes back with 12 kids from his 8 wives, fuck that shit.

May 18, 2022 5:16 PM

#258

NinjaFortniteIRL

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Apr 2022

they usually suck and make up for it with putting in cute characters

May 18, 2022 5:40 PM

#259

zaz_a

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Mar 2022

If it's mainly romance, and the mc can't decide his partner, then I dislike it.
If it's mainly comedy, no problems.
If it's not romance/comedy (something like isekai/action), then why should it exists, hate it very much.I hate the harem not the anime, if the story/action is good, then fine, but I hate harem.
(Harem with 3 or more girls)

May 18, 2022 5:51 PM

#260

NinjaNoob18

Offline

Jul 2017

tragedydesu said:
Because the best girl never win

Every harem with a tsundere ending must be burned in hell

That's it. We can end this debate now because the truth is already here :v

May 18, 2022 6:36 PM

#261

Gumdumpster

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Jun 2021

228

I just don't find them entertaining unless there is comedy. Also, seeing a bunch of women go nuts is hella annoying. Reminds me of middle school.

May 18, 2022 7:54 PM

#262

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564533

Mostly because it's a bland self insert mc surrounded by anime girls that never get development and their personalities always fall in cliches. Also it's always full of stupid fanservice and I don't like fanservice.

Reverse harems are actually good though, I haven;t seen a bad one. Yona of the Dawn, Fruits Basket, Ouran Highschool Host club, everyone gets development and isn't restrained by some shitty personality cliche.

May 19, 2022 2:20 AM

#263

Manaban

Arch-Degenerate

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Sep 2015

7666

Because people go into a genre literally called harem, then complain about the girls in the harem getting more attention and being fleshed out more than the dude. It's like the main draw of the genre is in the title of the genre or something.

I don't know what to do with these people other than offer to start helping them find gay porn to watch if they want to go into series like these and focus squarely on the dude. I have a few friends who have extensive knowledge of gay porn, so I can definitely hook you up if you're interested. Porn is for everyone, and I think you're looking for sexualization in the wrong places. That aside, though, I just wish these people would put what they're talking about into context for a bit, because it's honestly ridiculous.

Reverse harems also exist, if you're showing up to harems for dudes. I don't know as much about them as I do gay porn, funnily enough, but it is how it is.

Either way, the best course of action is to treat them like fucking weirdos. Not because they're probably gay, because whatever makes people horny is all cool so long as you're not wanting to boink real life kids or something like that. Just treat them poorly because they're stupid and are somehow convinced this is a substantial point as opposed to the equivalent of buying a rap album and bitching about how it doesn't have enough guitar solos. Simple as.

ManabanMay 19, 2022 2:33 AM

May 19, 2022 2:44 AM

#264

ggultra2764

Offline

Sep 2008

1131

At least as far as the "male lead with female harem" variant goes, harem anime typically get a bad rep because such titles are more focused on the wish fulfillment angle of the whole situation than doing much to flesh out the characters. Enough issues with this as far as depth goes. But far as the genre goes for the most relevant issues:

-Male lead acts too sheepish around girls and/or lacks any fleshing out.
-Girls in the harem are only defined by a simple character type and their single-minded interest in the male lead.
-Too many instances of perverted misunderstandings with male lead and a girl of the harem to be pretty eye-rolling, this leading to cheap drama with the other girls of the harem thinking the lead's getting closer to another girl or "comical" hijinks ensue when all the girls get in an argument over the "accident."
-Good number of harem anime are in the ecchi genre, so title uses this as an excuse to show off the female cast in the nude or various states of undress fairly often, even when irrelevant to the title's story.
-In many instances, male lead's too indecisive on which girl in the harem he wants to commit to a relationship with.

ggultra2764May 19, 2022 2:51 AM

May 19, 2022 2:55 AM

#265

Stacias

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Aug 2021

10439

Nah, I love it so much such as Saekano, Nisekoi, The Quintessential Quintuplets and so on.

Jun 18, 2022 10:51 AM

#266

Synkiiz

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Dec 2019

1037

Most of them have characterization that is formulaic and/or based on stereotypes and the motivations of the girls are not explained, there will be a pretext of "He is kind" though.

Reverse harem, in other hand, most of them have a lady in distress, an example can be Fushigi Yuugi.

Jun 18, 2022 10:58 AM

#267

pasanoid

Offline

Mar 2015

921

people just dont understand whats good for them

Am I a good person? No. But do I try to be better every single day? Also no

Jun 18, 2022 11:11 AM

#268

hiraishinx

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Nov 2016

641

I don't hate them but the main thing I don't like about lots of harem animes is that most of girls are lolies, I'm not interested in watching kids harem...
Except that I have nothing against harem genre and it is higher rated genre in my ranking.
I'm still waiting for harem with milfs or at least more mature girls and not underaged (fake age isn't mature...)

hiraishinxJun 18, 2022 11:14 AM

Jun 18, 2022 11:27 AM

#269

3esa_Saba7

Offline

Jul 2020

289

HAREM ANIME, it's wet dream for every man <3

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