Discussion What defines the genre Harem?

The broadest definition of it as a genre don't even require them to be love interests.
And for that matter, real historical harems included servants that didn't necessarily have any sexual relationship with the owner.

 

1st like: That makes it even worse.
2nd line: That's kind of arguing semantics and thus relatively pointless. When you think harems, you dont instantly think of the servants.

 

True Harem all the way

 

You do realise that this whole thread is arguing semantics right?...

 

Yeah, i know. but, it's fun XD

 

I would define harem as a situation where the protagonist of a series has at least three love interests. A situation where the protagonist only has two love interests would be considered a love triangle and not a harem. Furthermore, whether the protagonist has feelings towards his love interests is irrelevant to whether a series can be considered a harem. The only thing that is needed for a series to be considered a harem is that the protagonist needs to have at least three love interests.

 

all that talk about multiple sexual partners and polygamy yet NU is insistent on including novels where it ends as monogamy, as long as there are more 1 girls accompanying the MC or showing some sort of interest in him.

 

To be fair, the ending of a harem series is not a factor in determining whether a series can be considered as a harem. After all, a harem is basically a situation where the protagonist of a series has at least three love interests. Whether he achieves a harem end is a non-factor as long as the aforementioned condition is fulfilled in a series. Besides, polygamy has a separate tag for itself anyway and I believe that the tag itself is adequete for those who are looking for stories involving such a element.

 

simple version, multiple love interests go after the same person. Whether they are competing or coexisting to have the persons love it is still a harem with one character at the center of their attention.

 

NU borrows "harem" from the way it's used in anime and manga, and this definition has nothing to do with the real definition of what a harem is.

 

a Genre is not about how a story or a relationship ends. a story can end up with its mc being #foreveralone while still being having a Polygamy tag, or a Harem genre.

'just interest in mc' or 'accompanying' is not enough for a story being genred Harem. that's why Coiling Dragon or ISSTH didn't have it. there are at least two occasions in CD where linley was accompanied by girls who have interest in him, yet CD doesn't belong to Harem genre.

it has been explained to you multiple times. at this point in time it is not that you don't understand. it is more like you don't want to understand.

 

More than one girl or guy being interested in the the said character. If she or he has affairs with more than one in bed then that's already polygamy.