Discussion What defines the genre Harem?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Aerogfl, Oct 10, 2018.

  1. Aerogfl

    Aerogfl Well-Known Member

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    So a common genre for a CN is Harem, but what defines a harem novel?
    Is it multiple love interests?
    Is it multiple official relationship such as marriage or fiancee?
    Or is it just as simple as love?

    I read quite a lot of harem novel, few are hidden gems, and mostly just a bad Harem. I've also seen novel that classified as Harem, but the romance goes as far as love interests only, does that really count as Harem?
    In my opinion, it counts as Harem if the love goes both way between the MC and other party, this include marriages, but not love interests. As I see love interests as love interests, instead of Harem.
    What do you guys think? Please enlighten me :)
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2018
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  2. Ddraig

    Ddraig Frostfire Dragon|Retired lurker|FFF|Loved by RNG

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    what defines a harem novel?
    -A novel where mc has a harem
     
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  3. runsing

    runsing status : bleeding, health -10/s Novel Updates Staff

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    as far as 'Harem as a Genre' is concerned, yes. (in asian literature, at least)

    if the relationship involves multiple matrimony (marriages), then we futher complement it by adding Polygamy tag to the novel (or polyandry, whichever is suitable).

    we also have Reverse Harem tag, btw.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2018
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  4. tahzib1451

    tahzib1451 Title?is it food?

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    when girls follow the MC like a brainless bimbo we have a harem on our hands......hmmmm.....then The Pied Piper was a pedo makin a kiddie harem?:hmm::hmm::blobthinkingsmirk:.....what a nice revelation....:blobdizzy::blobdizzy::blobdizzy:
     
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  5. Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale | Sublime Goddess Of Chance |

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    Isn't it also one male to many females? If you want the other way around, it's Reverse Harem.

    Also there is like exclusivity, whoever is in the harem cannot have anyone but the main character.... I'm pretty sure this is also true.

    [edited]
     
  6. Soren59

    Soren59 MTL Shill

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    Is there a tag for 2 love interests? Also, would be helpful if the genre description on NU was more specific with the number, as it just says “many female characters”.
     
  7. Fluffy Jellyfish

    Fluffy Jellyfish 『Number 1 Lolicon under Heaven』

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    Harem by far and the most correct one is 'Surrounded by girls'. Doesn't matter if it is only slaves, love interests, fiancees or any kind of relationship.
     
  8. criticalmind

    criticalmind Enter Chunni Name Here

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    Harem in general means multiple love interests for whom the author will never provide another viable partner besides the MC
     
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  9. CyberCypher

    CyberCypher Air Breather

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    2 love interests is considered a love triangle. I do not know if there is a love triangle tag in NU
     
  10. alamptr

    alamptr What should i put here

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    As long as there is multiple girl interested to the male mc it is harem.

    If you want to search story that mc married multiple girl better search in polygamy tag instead. Yes, it is harem, but polygamy tag is more specific.
     
  11. Harry

    Harry Now you see me

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    My definition of harem is, MC has "real" love relationship with at least 2 love interest
    So harem novel must have those element above to be worthy called harem novel otherwise is fake
    If you see beta MC surrounded by unwanted harem, your luck is bad because the ending has high probability will turn into either open ending or OTP ending which defies the concept of harem itself
     
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  12. Harem_lover

    Harem_lover Loves Spice, and works with Spite

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    People always make this make this mistake that harem somehow "needs" romance which is absolutely false,Harem is basically the idea of one man and multiple women, nothing about romance between them or anything,so if you see Harem as a genre don't expect something like twilight or the titanic as Harem members can join the mc for a plethora of reasons like wealth,strength,security,inner family politics or simply because he is alpha AF,so at most you can expect 'romantic sub-plot' from most novels.
    if you think about it this way then most the discomfort with the harem genre goes away.
    :blobokhand::blobokhand:
     
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  13. SoulZer0

    SoulZer0 Heaven Refining

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    Based on your definition, if you have a single mom and 3 other siblings who are females and you are the only guy then you have harem which is not only totally not true but also disgusting.
     
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  14. Aerogfl

    Aerogfl Well-Known Member

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    That's what I thought too, hmmm, but I guess different people have different take on harem, so it could be define just as simple as

     
  15. sealteam14

    sealteam14 Your friendly HI3 SEA monkey farmer

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    Harem Genre define by several factor. These are the list belows:
    - A protagonist have specific quality( ussually more than 3) that can attract specific type of opposite gender.
    - Side harem member that gripped on those attractive values which can be satisfy by some( or most) interactions with Protagonist.
    - Emotion value emerge within Protagonist line of value and willingly follow around with weak( or sometime none) gesture of the Protagonist.
    - Harem member have skinships in some way that ensure ( or expose or explode) their emotional unstable states with the protagonist, and gains back temploral balance afterward.
    - Protagonist have some disablity in emotion( in some cases, flags) regconition, but yet fufill the need of emotion support for the harem member without realizing it. On other hands, Protagonist have some kind of power that attract both rivals & harem member attention, intetionally or unintentionally, ussually both.
    - Protagonist are smart enough to sovle Physical or problematic things for other, but kind of dense in Psychological measuring of those who close to them.
    - Frustration of harem member when being ignored( in some way) or outburst of emotion when the need of emotions was taken by other, i.e jealousy, overdose skinship or sometime outright seduction of the protagonist for attention.
    If i missing something, you can quote this & add more below. But i thinks that's it for now. If u find it correct, nail me some like, it' free & lemme know someone still watch this thread.
    :3
     
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  16. runsing

    runsing status : bleeding, health -10/s Novel Updates Staff

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    yes.

    btw, if the 2 love interest are bonded by marriage to the MC at the same time, Harem as a Genre should still be a valid application.
     
  17. Aerogfl

    Aerogfl Well-Known Member

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    Do we have polygamy tag on NU? As sometimes im looking for romance with serious relationship and not just as love interests
     
  18. runsing

    runsing status : bleeding, health -10/s Novel Updates Staff

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  19. ZeroBlink

    ZeroBlink Well-Known Member

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    many co-existing sexual partners going for one male or female
     
  20. Sabruness

    Sabruness Cultured Yuri Connoisseur

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    i suppose the general, broad recognition of harem is love interests (even if unrequited by dense d-bags) but quite a few, myself included, prefer and seek the narrower, clearer and (arguably technically) the more historically similar to reality definition of a true harem being only mutual, requited relationships (whether love or sexual based). Polygamy is what you want, my friend.