Discussion What makes a story a harem story?

So what exactly makes a harem story a harem story, and do you think all the things that are labeled harem stories really are? Sometimes it seems to me that someone just being very popular is enough to get something classified as a harem story, while other times it's not, which I find a bit confusing. Anyways, what do you think?

 

Fishy seems overly obsessed with harem stories.

 

Maybe a bit, lol.

 

It’s when dem bitches get too horny over the thirsty MC. (Jk).

there used to be a rule of thumb back in the day that harems had to be with 5 or more love interests, but that was mostly to help distinguish love triangle stories from harem stories because there are different dynamics between the two kinds of stories, iirc.

However, I would say anything counts as a harem as long as there are more than 2 love interests vying for the MC’s attention throughout the story. I would say there are different types of harems where they are either smut related, where the MC has relationships with multiple people at once, or just a chasing game of multiple love interests, etc.

 

In my humble opinion, is a harem if all the ones in the relationship acknowledge the relationship. Something like the heroines fighting for the MC isn't a harem for me. They are trying to make the MC to look only at them.....which is nothing wrong but depending of the author's(editor sometimes) intentions the plot wins......for the better or the worse.......
I'm sick of harem stories without harem ending, or rather what's the damn, point in having the harem tag if there is no harem at all?(i think if the harem tag is removed from several "harem" and romcom novels and manga(anime is adapted from the novel) those works will be awesomely popular and will avoid the dissapointment of many)
If the MC is gona choose one at the end then why don't you make it they date from early?(that is one of the reasons i liked Rakudai no kishi in the beginning......seems like the authot lost his/her touch in the last volumes though.....i wonder if it's just me)
I also sick that the main heroine is always so dislikable, i mean, in romcoms and harem novels, anime and manga normally the first girl always win....but i have always found those heroines hateful somewhat(many support my claims too).(ex.: tsunderes)
Why did they introduce other heroines which are way more likeable, better, like the MC more, can make the MC happy and they don't obtain even a piece of the MC(not counting yanderes)?
If the main heroine wasn't so dislikeable maybe i wouldn't feel like this...........maybe?
I also feel bad when the childhood friend doesn't win moreso when she is hundred times better than some girl that appears in front of the MC by plot reasons.

 

• Tier #1 (False Harem): The protagonist is surrounded by multiple eligible partners, but neither side expresses strong or consistent romantic interest. Essentially they are just close friends who happen to be of the opposite sex.
• Tier #2 (Temporary Harem): The protagonist is surrounded by multiple eligible partners that all express some romantic interest in them. The protagonist is indecisive though letting them lead them around by the nose throughout the story. They'll eventually pick one and the unchosen members will hook up with other side characters.
• Tier #3 (Player Harem): The protagonist is surrounded by multiple romantic partners and has an open relationship with all or most of them. While they are acknowledged as lovers and flirt around a lot they are more like friends with benefits. Although it may later evolve into a true harem.
• Tier #4 (True Harem): The protagonist is in a serious relationship with multiple romantic partners. All partners are exclusive and loyal to the protagonist, and have a friendly relationship with the other love interests. They all share a desire to remain with the protagonist permanently, and often wish to get married and start a joint family together.

 

When the MC has several people pining for them, doesn't matter if he gives attention to all or acts all high and mighty, it passed the harem check.

 

The problem is that there are two sources for harem novel on NU and they have nothing to do with each other aside from the name. The first kind, and the one where the harem genre gets it's name, is from Japanese manga and anime from the late '90s. They're exemplified by works like "Tenchi Muyo" and "Love Hina". These stories are not harems in the historical sense; instead they are stories where a bunch of female characters constantly hang around the male protagonist. This creates a harem-like experience for the protagonist; hence the name for this concept. Note that the protagonist's attitudes towards these girls is irrelevant and that they're not necessarily romantically involved with him.

The other kind is the Chinese harem as exemplified by "the Deer and the Cauldron". This is based on the traditional Chinese-styled harem seen in wealthy families throughout history. This kind of harem is very similar to the Persian institution that the name "harem" is derived from so it's a proper harem in every sense of the word. The protagonist in this case is actually married to all the characters in the harem so there is a lot of opportunity for character interaction. I think that most of the confusion of what a harem is comes from the fact that it's describing two quite different situations. In general, it's best to use the Japanese version of the term because it's the one that was first known in the West, and it's the one that NU uses. Also, it may be noteworthy that the Chinese version isn't considered a genre whereas the Japanese one is definitely at least a subgenre.