Explain the appeal of Harem Anime

[Fox12]

I think in sword art it was cause the writer didn't know how to write women that weren't in love with kirito. Hes apparently said as much in an interview.

Jesus, what a cringe fest. I guess that explains the sister.

It's a psychological trick, much like the skinner box, where you create vastly different characters to appeal to different people in order to pit them against each other. This then allows you to drive competition with the fans both internally and externally as a means to substitute time intensive writing with the pandering baked in will they won't they type of writing. It's also why nothing ever happens, other than teasing, because if something happened, you would alienate half or more of your fanbase immediately and then you'd lose the rest because the central conflict is gone.

We all identify with characters, we want the characters we like and identify with to win. The male protaganist remains as vague and nice as possible in order to reduce him to a sort of trophy you can cheer your favorite on to winning. It also doesn't matter why they all want him, it just matters that our like-a-likes have something they want in competition.

The waifu wars are not the main purpose, but are the understandable side effect, being that it was the intent to foment such active engagement in women thus driving long term purchases for little effort.

The content is thus almost never there, but it hooks you until you realize it doesn't matter who wins, who you like, or what the 'crisis' of the week ends up being because there is no change, no development, and an alarming tendency to let nobody win in the end.

Now the ecchi harem titles aren't exactly the same, as they tend to have even lower story standards and try to coast on sexual interest , meaning shallower characters and conflicts.

How do i reach these conclusions? By examining how I felt about Ouran High School Host Club of course! Also believing everything I've heard about how these harem shows are primarily enjoyed by women, because I don't care enough to actually look for numbers, or whether it's true or not cause this is a forum post, not a research document.

Also this. In fact, I would say it's probably more about this then it is about the sexual fantasy of being chased by multiple women. Not that that doesn't play into it as well.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

It's a psychological trick, much like the skinner box, where you create vastly different characters to appeal to different people in order to pit them against each other. This then allows you to drive competition with the fans both internally and externally as a means to substitute time intensive writing with the pandering baked in will they won't they type of writing. It's also why nothing ever happens, other than teasing, because if something happened, you would alienate half or more of your fanbase immediately and then you'd lose the rest because the central conflict is gone.

We all identify with characters, we want the characters we like and identify with to win. The male protaganist remains as vague and nice as possible in order to reduce him to a sort of trophy you can cheer your favorite on to winning. It also doesn't matter why they all want him, it just matters that our like-a-likes have something they want in competition.

The waifu wars are not the main purpose, but are the understandable side effect, being that it was the intent to foment such active engagement in women thus driving long term purchases for little effort.

The content is thus almost never there, but it hooks you until you realize it doesn't matter who wins, who you like, or what the 'crisis' of the week ends up being because there is no change, no development, and an alarming tendency to let nobody win in the end.

Now the ecchi harem titles aren't exactly the same, as they tend to have even lower story standards and try to coast on sexual interest , meaning shallower characters and conflicts.

How do i reach these conclusions? By examining how I felt about Ouran High School Host Club of course! Also believing everything I've heard about how these harem shows are primarily enjoyed by women, because I don't care enough to actually look for numbers, or whether it's true or not cause this is a forum post, not a research document.

You hit the nail on the head.

The scary thing about this is that they apply the same marketing gimmicks to real women as well. thats when you just kinda throw your hands up and walk out

In what way? I just found this comment kinda ambiguous, I don't know what you're referring to in regards to how this is being applied to real women.

 

[Tanis]

It's the same appeal as any over the top, largely, male fantasy.

Be it the DOOM for it's whole 'lol i'm a fucking bad ass mass murder' to the 'literately, god, GoW games', etc.

It's just, instead of violent appeal it's sex appeal.

 

[Tanis]

To be fair...Japan is just fucking weird from a Westerners perspective.

 

[Worgen]

I think in sword art it was cause the writer didn't know how to write women that weren't in love with kirito. Hes apparently said as much in an interview.

Jesus, what a cringe fest. I guess that explains the sister.

Well keep in mind too, the whole thing was written for a writing contest. The only reason he couldn't submit it is that it was too long. He is an amateur writer who got lucky.

 

[Foolery]

Ok so, honestly not sure why this has been bouncing around in my head, I think because I watched Sword Art Online recently, and realized it's basically a mild version of a harem anime.

But, what is the appeal of having a show with all of the members of one gender sexually attracted to the protagonist?

Is it just the ego stroking thing?

...that's not the only thing being stroked, HEYOOOOO!

But anyway, yup. Scantily-clad animu girls. You've got it right, sex sells. You should check out Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist, if you want to see a parody of raunchy anime taken to the extreme.

 

[Worgen]

To be fair...Japan is just fucking weird from a Westerners perspective.

Actually its not really. See Japan is physically small and its got good public transit, which means certain cities can be dedicated to nerd things since nerds can get to them. Its like if the states was defined by Los Vegas.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Modern Harem anime baffles me a bit, but that's probably because the first one I watched was Tenchi Muyo. He had his own opinions, strengths, talents, personality, strong work ethic, etc. He was a legitimately decent human being.

I pine for the days where a harem protagonist was defined by more than proximity.

I think in sword art it was cause the writer didn't know how to write women that weren't in love with kirito. Hes apparently said as much in an interview.

Jesus, what a cringe fest. I guess that explains the sister.

I heard it was because they wanted a waifu with bigger boobs.

And it's okay, because she isn't actually his sister, just a cousin who was adopted by Kirito's parents and became his sister. So that's not creepy at all.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

It's a bunch of needy sexy chicks alone with one guy, what part about that mystifies you?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

It's a bunch of needy sexy chicks alone with one guy, what part about that mystifies you?

That's kinda' my thought as well. Its very clear, very...tame, sexual fantasy. "Oh hey, a bunch of hot women who want to have sex with me! Great!" That seems pretty standard for males to me.

 

[BeeGeenie]

From an evolutionary psychology perspective, harem anime is perfectly natural.

Humans are biologically predisposed to polygamy. A man can reproduce with any number of females at a time, while a female can only get pregnant once every 9 months, ergo, men have a greater biological motivation to have as many partners as possible.

Women tend to be more social and cooperative, which facilitates groups of women being willing to compromise and work together, and overcome jealousy as part of the harem group.

If you need further evidence, you can look at gorilla and chimpanzee social groups to see a similar dynamic in other primates.

In short, the reason harem anime exists is the same reason that harems/polygamous/serially monogamous relationships have existed throughout history: It's nice work if you can get it.

 

[Kyrian007]

Personally the harem anime I watch... I find it funny and I watch it like I do any comedy anime. My usual anime fare tends to be fairly dark, and every once in a while its nice to lighten it up with a comedy. Sometimes even going with a little nostalgia as well (like rewatching Tenchi.) In Tenchi's case that led me to GXP and War on Geminar and I enjoyed those as well. Other times I watch a new comedy anime to take a break from darker fare (hence my Psycho Pass avatar.) Hell, Magica Madoka was dark enough to drive me to finally watching the rest of season 1 of My Little Pony to cheer me up a little. And every once in a while I find a new funny comedy. A lot it turns out I'm not into, most recently Kaijo (although I did laugh at "Shoryucans") and Negima (just wasn't laughing.) But sometimes I'll find a weird diamond, like No-Rin (I come from an agricultural area and background and I find it funny.) And sometimes those comedies have harem elements. So for me, the appeal isn't about whether or not its a harem at all (or reverse harem, Ouran was funny enough I watched through it once) but whether or not I find it funny or entertaining.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Pandering to virgin shut-ins

Which makes it incredibly weird how blue-balling so many of them are - 'oh, here's 18 Amazingly Hot, Super Skilled, Slavishly Loyal Women who are all the Ultimate Submissives, BUT NO SEX, NO SEX FOR YOU, NONONO YOU HAVE SEX YOU DIE HORRIBLE, PAINFUL DEATH but also the girls communicate by rubbing their breasts on your head and having random orgasms BUT YOU CANNOT TOUCH YOUR PEE PEE OR YOU WILL EXPLODE WITH DEATH'.

Like, surely the virgin shut-in otakus would want to see someone like them get all sorts of tail, yeah?

Well, there's always hentai. Where the otherwise unremarkable and wimpy male lead turns out to be a sexual virtuose with infinite stamina, improbably sized dick with non-existant refractory period, and, despite no prior experience in bed, inexplained ability to thoroughly satisfy multiple women (often at once) to the point they become addicted to his cock/pass out from pleasure. This guy doesn't just get to sex all his haremettes, but also their best friends. Their moms. Their older sisters. Their little sisters. His own mom and sisters. Basically anything with a vagina that appears on-page/screen.

As for non-hentai often not including sex, I suppose that's partly because any harem manga/anime that actually has the main character engage in sex with his harem would risk landing it in that hentai section if the act is actually shown, depending on how explicit it is.

Also, I suppose many writers wouldn't want to risk losing fans by having the girl that isn't their waifu 'win' by getting it on with the male lead. Unless of course he gets them all in the end, restoring the status quo harem manga/anime seem to love so much. But again, getting all the girls is more the territory of harem hentai.

 

[WindKnight]

Pandering to virgin shut-ins

Which makes it incredibly weird how blue-balling so many of them are - 'oh, here's 18 Amazingly Hot, Super Skilled, Slavishly Loyal Women who are all the Ultimate Submissives, BUT NO SEX, NO SEX FOR YOU, NONONO YOU HAVE SEX YOU DIE HORRIBLE, PAINFUL DEATH but also the girls communicate by rubbing their breasts on your head and having random orgasms BUT YOU CANNOT TOUCH YOUR PEE PEE OR YOU WILL EXPLODE WITH DEATH'.

Like, surely the virgin shut-in otakus would want to see someone like them get all sorts of tail, yeah?

The point is not 'hey all these girls want to bang me, ORGY TIME!', more ' which of these girls fits my particular fetish and tastes so I can fixate on and imagine I'm actually with'.

Actually having sex in 'canon' means picking someone that may violate a subset of what the audience wants to happen, and risks pissing them off.

Safer to string them all along by not committing, and leave the sexy times to hentai fanart and doujinshi so every viewer can preserve the 'canon' in their head.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I'm not familiar enough with the ins and outs of the genre to comment on specifics, but being surrounded by attractive and eager members of the opposite sex all of whom only have eyes for you is a rather universal fantasy no matter the culture.

But where does this notion that harem fans are female come from? Isn't there tons of shoujo with those improbably hot and perfect super talented bishie boys who are incredibly courteous and chaste, only have eyes for the protagonist, play the violin and piano and take the protagonist on luxurious dinners and I don't even know what I'm basing this on? Wouldn't that genre fit what is considered the equivalent female fantasy to harem far better?

Japanese Idols [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_idol]

Basically, imagine Disney stars but like...taken up to 11. Young girls and singers brought together as bands and given fictional personalities/backgrounds that they have to keep up to entertain fans. Like imagine kayfabe in wrestling except instead of trying to convince the audience that wrestling is real, these girls have to live a fictional life in order to convince lonely men that they're sexually and emotionally available in order to sell more merchandise.

One girl had to shave her head [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/02/pop-star-shaves-head-minami-minegishi-japan_n_2608048.html] and issue an apology video to her fans after she was, gasp, photographed leaving her boyfriends apartment!

you get the (incredibly weird and disturbing) idea

Jesus... shit's fucked, yo. I'd seen the term in the tons of hot sweaty hentai various manga I've read, but I kinda assumed they were like American teen idols you see on magazines aimed at that demographic. Turns out I'd underestimated the weirdness of Japan once again. Is that really the case? As in, they're presented as perfect fantasy girlfriends to the public? 'cause that's jus' wrong, man. Reminds me of that time when Ex Machina had an ad disguised as a Tinder profile for Ava (the AI from the movie). Something about that kind of thing crosses a certain line for me.

 

[WindKnight]

Well, I was going to write an opinion as someone that has enjoyed a couple for non-fanservice reasons but this thread is a mine field. Whatever, I'm gonna go back to work like the shut-in virgin with unfulfilled power fantasies that I am.

Hey, that's exactly what the people making these shows think of their audience, and their A-OK with targeting and exploiting that audience for all the body pillows and waifu figurines they can sell them at a ridiculous markup.

 

[ManutheBloodedge]

Well, like others have eluded to before in this thread, a harem anime is all about the women, not the protagonist. Unlike what half of this tread (and the usual suspects at that) will have you believe, most people watch these shows not because they themselves want to be surrounded by beautiful women all the time, but because they get invested in the characters.

The protagonist becomes a vocal point for the love interest to focus around, he is often the reason they get or stay involved with the plot and already established characters. That's why most harem protagonists are more subdued. This focus on the female characters leads to most harem series having either a strong focus on character relationships within in the harem, or an overarching plot and characters goals aside from romance.

Good harem anime have cleary defined characters with strengths, flaws and goals; the women have more motivation than to get the dude and play off of each other, they have different relationships and chemistry with both the protagonist and the rest of the harem.

So in short, harem shows are the fighting games of anime: flashy vehicles for (mostly female) characters, where the story is not the main reason to watch it.

Granted, there are a LOT of bad harem shows, and they share the problem all bad anime share: formulaic to a fault. This is especially bad for harem shows, because they are all about character, and if you only have stock characters and cardboard cutouts, it is gonna be painfully noticable. But this is no reason to hold this against all harem shows or the people who watch them.

Are there sad, lonely people holed up in their room afraid of women and change? Yes. Are they a majority or the reason these shows are produced? No. I think most people know how emotionally draining it would be to have a constant stream of people around you who demand attention and affection. Saying that harem shows are mainly produced for otaku shut-ins is like saying Doom was mainly produced for people who want hell to invade irl, so they can kill as much as they want with moral justification. Heck, even the mostly ironic concept of waifus runs counter to this, because if it were people's fantasy to contantly be surrounded by the oposite sex, why would they pick favorites?

tldr: Are all harem shows marketed toward otaku shut-ins? No, BAD shows are. But there is crap in every medium, no reason to generalize.

 

[Phasmal]

A little bit of thin skin on display in this thread. To be honest, I wasn't even considering the Western audiences, seeing as I heard that otaku guys are where all these shows make their money from, I imagine most people in the West stream anyway, so they're not making money off of you guys. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I heard.