What are your honest thoughts on harem stories?

[Coldwarrior12]

Been wondering, how do you guys actually feel about the whole harem genre?

Some love it, some think it’s trash, some say it's only good when it's done right (whatever that means).

I recently published a yuri harem novel, full-on lesbian, no dudes in sight, mostly because I felt like that kind of story is seriously missing out there.
Curious to hear where people stand. Do you read harem for the fantasy, the drama, the comedy, the wish-fulfillment? Or do you avoid it completely?

Let’s talk.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I like harem stories. I read it for anything and everything, sometimes for fantasy, sometimes for drama, sometimes for comedy, sometimes for wish-fulfillment.

 

[Corty]

It all depends on execution. I hate harem stories where nothing really happens.

That's why in mine, the MC already fathered five children from his four wives, so if you are interested, go here and read:

Steel and Mana

Leon was a robotics engineer with a bright future, until he was run over by a military truck and killed on the spot. But death wasn’t the end. Thanks to a cosmic glitch and to an idiot, Leon wakes up in a new world, reincarnated as the son of...

www.scribblehub.com

And yeah, I'm shameless.

 

[naosu]

It just depends on if it sounds realistic to me. You have to still have it be fantasy but still have it sound like, 'this could really happen this way'. When you break reality too much people kind of get to a point where they think... there's no way they'd act like that in that situation.

 

[Deleted member 206441]

*shrugs

It's a thing, it exists.

 

[ChrisLensman]

If I'm perfectly honest, it's mostly spite. I grew up on anime and manga and among those were a lot of harem stories. And I mean the Japanese type of harem, ie clueless dork has fifty women around him who want his babies but he doesn't get it. Worst of all is when the story continues to introduce new "potential love interests" even though we've known from Chapter 1 who the MC is gonna end up with. I just feel bad for those characters.

And so I write stories where the protagonist decides not to break anyone's heart and just dates them all. It is wish fulfillment, it is fun, but it is also because I want to be able to introduce new characters late into a story and have them not completely disregarded by both the readers and the MC.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Oh, forgot to mention that I prefer to write harem because I think it's more interesting. Second reason, I don't have time to write all the pairings if they were to be monogamous.

 

[Coldwarrior12]

If I'm perfectly honest, it's mostly spite. I grew up on anime and manga and among those were a lot of harem stories. And I mean the Japanese type of harem, ie clueless dork has fifty women around him who want his babies but he doesn't get it. Worst of all is when the story continues to introduce new "potential love interests" even though we've known from Chapter 1 who the MC is gonna end up with. I just feel bad for those characters.

And so I write stories where the protagonist decides not to break anyone's heart and just dates them all. It is wish fulfillment, it is fun, but it is also because I want to be able to introduce new characters late into a story and have them not completely disregarded by both the readers and the MC.

Honestly? Respect. That’s kinda why I wrote a lesbian harem too, I was sick of seeing characters get sidelined or exist just to lose. So I made one where everyone matters, emotionally and physically. It’s wild, fun, and just feels more honest.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Don't bother with harem if you are making a collect-them-all.

I would like interactions between harem members and MC and between harem members as well.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

*shrugs

It's a thing, it exists.

Yeah, pretty much this. Kind of abandoned writing a story when I realized reverse harem was the likely outcome once.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

The only time a harem story has felt even remotely realistic to me was in the Wheel of Time series, and even then it felt pretty gross.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

They say more about the reader than the story~.

 

[zephyrtrillian]

I think a lot of harem stories don't know what consent, real emotional depth, or found family really looks like. A lot of times it comes across as a power fantasy -- oh look, eight girls can't get enough of me, how awesome am I?! -- instead of what a good "harem" really would be.

 

[Little-Moon]

I only read harem when there is a legitimate reason for one.

Religious, Political, Circumstancial, I am poly to begin with somethig like that.
Gimme a good reason why there should be a harem in the first place.

But person saves me, I fall in love and forget anything else and don't mind sharing we are now a happy big family. Because, why not?

No. Nope, not for me.

 

[LilRora]

In principle, I do not mind harem. However, the vast majority of stories featuring it portray harem in ways that I don't like from a personal standpoint and/or that don't make much sense from a logical perspective.

I did enjoy some, and as a rule of thumb they attempted a realistic depiction.

 

[Forcalor]

I guess there are existing target audience for this kind of narratives, with all that male loneliness stuff etc.

But it's kinda a predatory thing, right?
A quick fix for those people who want to read something warm and comfortable?
As long as they are aware these kinds of relationships do not properly reflect reality, I guess it's fine.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I personally do not like and actively avoid harem stories. Just not for me. Most feel toxic and/or promote bad relationship ideals that I don't think are good in any relationship.

 

[Kay_Ship]

What bugs me is stories where the harem members are just like a collection. Where a story arc exists just to introduce a new partner only for them to be nearly forgotten about when the next one comes around. If the only point is to introduce a new sex partner then don't write a harem and just have the MC have flings or one night stands.

TLDR - I dont like the "flavor of the day" harem stories.

 

[Eldoria]

Harem is a narrative about how to demonstrate the power of relationships in interpersonal relationships.

"Look, 1,000 girls love me, how great am I?!"

Spoiler: 100% no harem!

The Legion Empress: Iron Lady and Moonlight Princess

Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little Daughter
100% no harem!

 

[Piisfun]

I honesty don't mind a harem in a story as long as:

• It develops from natural feelings. No slavery, no mind control, preferably no politics.
• All of the characters in the harem have an actual functional place in the story beyond simply being love interests. They shouldn't be background characters.
• No boy's love, no girl's love, no smut. This isn't about harems; I just refuse to read any of those. Also, the first two always feel unnatural and forced.
• Reverse harems (1 girl with multiple guys)… it's fine if they are all vying for her hand, but please don't have her marry all of them.

A recent idea of mine: a boy with a skill that his girlfriend knows will result in a harem if she lets any other girl get too close (she's personally already succumbed and she knows it)… until she says "If sharing my boyfriend is the only way to save my best friend's life, then I'll do it!" (This line needs to be delivered with as much emotional impact as possible).