Harem anime
Encyclopedia
Harem, , broadly speaking, is a loose subgenre of anime
and manga
characterized by a protagonist surrounded, usually amorously, by three or more members of the opposite sex. The most common and practically tantamount scenario is a male surrounded by a group of females; when this is reversed it is informally referred to as a reverse harem . More recent variants include removing the protagonist's opposing sex to allow for yuri harems and yaoi
harems (as with Gakuen Heaven
). The term is derived from the Arabic
"harem
", originally defined as a private sanctum for women where men were forbidden but, modernly defined outside its original meaning as "a group of women associated in any way with one man or household".
. Additionally, it is not essential for there to be one exclusive boy; many can exist as long as they are given less attention or the story calls for an unusually obscure sex ratio.
. The unrest has been seen particularly in the United States
.
Harem is also criticized for often excessive use of cliché
s and stock characters as well as obvious use of wish-fulfillment fantasies
. Common criticisms also stem from the tendency to portray female characters very negatively often having little depth beyond their attachment to the male lead and their tendency towards unnecessary violence and jealousy which is often seen as repetitive and sexist.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
characterized by a protagonist surrounded, usually amorously, by three or more members of the opposite sex. The most common and practically tantamount scenario is a male surrounded by a group of females; when this is reversed it is informally referred to as a reverse harem . More recent variants include removing the protagonist's opposing sex to allow for yuri harems and yaoi
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
harems (as with Gakuen Heaven
Gakuen Heaven
is a popular franchise that is based on the PC game Gakuen Heaven: Boy's Love Scramble, originally released by the company SPRAY. The franchise gradually expanded to include three PlayStation 2 games, two PlayStation Portable games, drama CDs, manga, and anime.A Boys' Love manga adaptation series...
). The term is derived from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
"harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
", originally defined as a private sanctum for women where men were forbidden but, modernly defined outside its original meaning as "a group of women associated in any way with one man or household".
Structure
Because romance is rarely the main focus of an entire series, harem structure is ambiguous. The most distinguishable trait is arguably the group of girls who accompany, and in some instances cohabitate with the boy, and while intimacy is just about customary, it is never necessary; when it is present, there must be a minimum of three girls who express it, otherwise two is a love triangleLove triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
. Additionally, it is not essential for there to be one exclusive boy; many can exist as long as they are given less attention or the story calls for an unusually obscure sex ratio.
Controversy
Given the archetypical ratio and content of harems, the genre is often criticized in the West for its almost inviting but unnecessary sexual references, known colloquially as fan serviceFan service
, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...
. The unrest has been seen particularly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Harem is also criticized for often excessive use of cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s and stock characters as well as obvious use of wish-fulfillment fantasies
Fantasy (psychology)
Fantasy in a psychological sense is broadly used to cover two different senses, conscious and unconscious. In the unconscious sense, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy".-Conscious fantasy:...
. Common criticisms also stem from the tendency to portray female characters very negatively often having little depth beyond their attachment to the male lead and their tendency towards unnecessary violence and jealousy which is often seen as repetitive and sexist.
Further reading
- Drummond-Mathews, Angela (2010) "What Boys Will Be: A Study of Shonen Manga" in Johnson-Woods, Toni (e.d.) Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives Continuum International Publishing GroupContinuum International Publishing GroupThe Continuum International Publishing Group is a publisher of books, with its editorial offices in London and New York City. It had been owned by Nova Capital Management since 2005...
pp. 69-70. ISBN 9780826429384