Harem (genre)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As a Harem ( Jap. ハーレム , Hāremu ) is a loosely defined genre of anime and manga called. It is characterized by the fact that the protagonist of the plot is surrounded by several or even a multitude of other characters of the opposite sex who feel drawn to him. In practice, the main character of the protagonist is a male, so the majority of the characters in these works are female. If this scheme, which is regarded as usual, is deviated from, there is no formal reference to a reverse harem ( 逆 ハ ー レ ム , Gyaku-Hāremu ).

Word ancestry

The term itself is derived from the Arabic word " harem " and was adopted in Japanese usage. Here it was used in connection with anime and manga not in its original meaning ("women; taboo, holy"), but expanded to a general relationship situation. Ultimately, the name spread in the English-speaking world and gradually became a genre name.

Demarcation

The term comes from the fan base, so it is only very vaguely defined and so exact definitions either diverge widely, or an exact definition of the genre is avoided. In the case of a male protagonist, it is assumed that in such a work he must be surrounded by at least three female characters with whom a relationship is promised, otherwise a love triangle would result. In addition, the action does not necessarily have to include only one male character, as long as the others are given much less attention or the relationship between female characters is very dominant.

criticism

Manga and anime that use this genre are repeatedly criticized for being cheap “mass-produced goods” because they would copy too much of each other. Many of them are said to be relying on blatant fan service and lacking a polished plot. At the same time, this form should not have a high priority among female consumers, as they see it as a sexist misinterpretation of girls and women. Nevertheless, the reasons for this are not seen directly in the genre, but only in the quality of the works themselves.

Representative

Love Hina is a well-known manga that can be assigned to the genre, also by the same author Magister Negi Magi . Other examples are Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? , Ranma ½ , Rosario + Vampire , Sekirei . In more recent titles, the genre is referenced within the plot itself. Seitokai no Ichizon parodiedthe genre in that the protagonist openly admits that he wanted to found a harem, whereas the female characters know how to defend themselves again and again and let him run into nothing. In High School D × D the protagonist announces that he wants to become a “harem king” and is actively supported by the respective female characters, while in To Love-Ru Darkness one of the female characters works against the protagonist's wish to create a harem for him .

The typical representatives of this genre also include many Ren'ai adventures or eroge and their adaptations, in which the goal is to enter into a romantic relationship with one or even several female characters at the same time, sometimes with a harem ending.

Reverse harem representatives are, for example, Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Robin E. Brenner: Understanding Manga and Anime . Libraries Unlimited, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59158-332-5 , pp. 89 .
  2. ↑ The animation market in Japan. (PDF; 557 kB) In: Japan aktuell 4/2008. Accessed on December 27, 2009 : “In terms of content, as with previous booms, the impression that the traditional richness of the anime is covered by mass-produced goods is increasing, with the producers taking every supposed trend (e.g. harem anime like“ He is My Master "from Studio Gainax) until you are exhausted."
  3. ↑ Ask John: Why Do Americans Hate Harem Anime? In: animenation.net. May 20, 2005, accessed December 27, 2009 .