Question about harem

[NotaNuffian]

Well, as for me? Let people enjoy things, especially fictional stuff.

(I'm a harem story writer, so my views/opinion are naturally skewed towards it.

IRL though, I hated playboys. Lol)

I'm a harem hater, for some strange reason, probably influenced by RL crap, so I'm gonna just stand here silently with my "Down with Phony JP Harem" sign.

Beats me. And they're banning minors (younger than 18 in Japan) from buying porn. It's plain ridiculous. You're allowed to lose your virginity at 13 but you need to wait 5 more years to buy a reference book.

*shakes head*

Although, hmm...

...if I may try to explain why there are some that led to 'harem' situations irl, I guess it stems from the 'indecisiveness' of the person. I mean, before, I was one. See, in my old teaching days, I was the sample of the 'weird teacher' trope, but I did treat my students kindly. And, as my work got contact with people, it's not a surprise that there are cases where I ended up having a student like me (romantically, that is).

Honestly, I don't know what to do. I'm a freakin' 'young adult' and I don't know how to deal with the feelings of teenagers, at least, if it is directed towards me. So, I just tried to ignore those feelings, just like your typical 'dumbass' harem MC.

Well, most of the time it worked. But there was a time it got worse, I had to hire the services of a lawyer (one of the reasons I also took up law later on).

I agree with the sentiment. Indecisiveness might be one of the root cause of the stalement and for most issue, people just goes into a hiatus hell state where they hope that time stands still for them to think.

I for one understand that is not true. In the end, the answer is either a firm "Yes" or "No". There is no leeway for "Maybe" because people only want the absolute.

For me, it cultivated me into a firm and bitter No man. Nothing gets into my life, nothing change, the water still and stale.

As for your case, omg. Because teachers are a crucial yet very easily fucked up job, no matter how much Teacher tag doujinshis and porn are out there, a slip up between student is "ggwp hope for the best OMFG WTF" moment.

Glad that you got out of it.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

I'm a harem hater, for some strange reason, probably influenced by RL crap, so I'm gonna just stand here silently with my "Down with Phony JP Harem" sign.


*shakes head*

I agree with the sentiment. Indecisiveness might be one of the root cause of the stalement and for most issue, people just goes into a hiatus hell state where they hope that time stands still for them to think.

I for one understand that is not true. In the end, the answer is either a firm "Yes" or "No". There is no leeway for "Maybe" because people only want the absolute.

Well, I guess it's a matter of cultural differences too. I'm an introvert, with a history of being bullied (both my older sister and my classmates) because of my 'weirdness', hence I got used to believing I shouldn't hurt anyone willy-nilly. And my people's views on love and relationship tend to lean on the 'borderline simp' side; heck, courting customs here even involved love-bombing, so...yeah.

For me, it cultivated me into a firm and bitter No man. Nothing gets into my life, nothing change, the water still and stale.

As for your case, omg. Because teachers are a crucial yet very easily fucked up job, no matter how much Teacher tag doujinshis and porn are out there, a slip up between student is "ggwp hope for the best OMFG WTF" moment.

Glad that you got out of it.

Heh, this is why I only laugh at those who love to say, "I want a yandere to love me!"

Dood, real life yanderes lean on the creepy, deadly side. The maxim, 'Don't stick your dick into crazy', is true. And I tried to avoid that person, too...

 

[NotaNuffian]

Well, I guess it's a matter of cultural differences too. I'm an introvert, with a history of being bullied (both my older sister and my classmates) because of my 'weirdness', hence I got used to believing I shouldn't hurt anyone willy-nilly.


Heh, this is why I only laugh at those who love to say, "I want a yandere to love me!"

Dood, real life yanderes lean on the creepy, deadly side. The maxim, 'Don't stick your dick into crazy', is true. And I tried to avoid that person, too...

Only those who never suffer would want to.

Like the morons who want communism.

Ffs.

 

[ChrisLensman]

Someone said it's not harem if the MC only married one girl even if he sleep with all of the girls. Is it true?

People will always fight over definitions. But so long as the women don't get with men other than the harem protagonist I think you'll find most people agreeing that your story is indeed a harem story.

As to how you add a girl, I suppose that depends on what kind of harem you're running. If it's just "MC has multiple girlfriends" then you add a girl in the same way that you give a single guy a girlfriend, by showing a budding relationship between the two characters. If it's more "poly relationship between a guy and a bunch of bisexual women" then the fact that the man has multiple women can be a deciding factor in itself, with the harem members actively helping to seduce more women to join and women actively wanting to join because it gets them both male and female companionship. If it's "the story format requires characters to join the harem in order to get stronger" then the juxtaposition between the trust required for a relationship and the ambition required to unlock new powers needs to be teased out.
In the end, no matter what kind of harem you're writing, the new girls you want to add need chemistry with at least the protagonist, if not the entire harem.
A good writing tip would be to do what Yahtzee Croshaw says and think of all characters in pairs and try to find something they have in common. If, for example, harem member 2 and potential harem member 5 have nothing to talk about and no reason to interact then that should make you reconsider adding harem member 5. Or, if you're dead set on adding harem member 5, toss her into a scene with harem member 2 and see what the two of them would talk about other than how much they want the MC.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Oh. I did not know it was that low.

So why the ban on child porn again? I mean, hebe-porn is fine for them, so why do they go all justice af?


I understood that. Which is why my post addressed the original meaning of the word "Harem", which stands for one guy having wives, concubines and female servants.

...ffs I just typed Haram instead of Harem. Hmm, why does these two sound so similar...

Because this is my honest opinion, so I will rant on abit. Why harem if the male MC is just going to leave the girls hanging? I thought that the wet dream of underaged boys, other than Super Saiyan, is to have a high body count? I get that this might be something of unhealthy possessive attitude and Makoto from School Days taught us about "fuck around and find out", so most male MCs just stop before popping the seal but still want to hoard. Thus the entire situation becomes a bunch of girls orbiting around the male and no more further steps are taken, the girls are now ornaments that only focus on a single entity while the dense motherfucker continues his way to pull in more satellites.

It feels odd to me at least. To use the word reserved for a guy having intimate relationships with the surrounding women and Japan sterilized the word into an "will they won't they" issue. It also turns into a selection game for said male, like how the ancient chinese emperor would decide to see who he was "befriending" for the night.

This is just my two cent but a friend-more-than-just-friend situation between a male and a bunch of females fumbling for said male's affection is rather off putting. Either you take the step forward and go "only a child would choose one, I pick all!" or just friendzone, strictly friendzone.

This, my friend, is exactly my thought about the genre.

You have three situations in a harem:
a) You like your girls
b) You like 'one' of them
c) They're just a bother (It can really happen, trust me)

Whichever the case is, it's simple. If you like them all, and you have the monetary power and mental (and physical, wink wink) strength to deal with them all, just do it. Why the hold-up? If you don't, you'll have to choose one. So what? Everyone faces harsh decisions in life. More than once we've all had to pick between to girls, it happens.
If you like only one, just reject the rest of them. Whether you friendzone them or not, it's up to you. If you can't even do that, you're not a man, you're a wimp.
If you like none, tell them to scram.

Whatever the case is, this 'will they won't they' if fine purely on shounen rom-coms for those who want a break from the "I like you, I f*** you" style. Not something to set as the harem standard.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

"I like you, I f*** you" style.

Isekai nowadays: "I enslave you, I f*** you."

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Isekai nowadays: "I enslave you, I f*** you."

You know, you just reminded me of this isekai that I saw a couple of months ago. It was the 'next great promise of Isekai' or something like that.
The name was Isekai Meikyuu de Harem Wo
It was so lame I dropped half way through, and I make a point on seeing things through the end.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

You know, you just reminded me of this isekai that I saw a couple of months ago. It was the 'next great promise of Isekai' or something like that.
The name was Isekai Meikyuu de Harem Wo
It was so lame I dropped half way through, and I make a point on seeing things through the end.

Eh, really. I dropped a lot of isekais nowadays too. Either it's too cliche I can skip 20 chapters and still get it, or it's a power fantasy of a fat, nerdy, virgin man (like me) that it's a pain reading it (mostly awkward).

And yes, I can't remember that title, but prolly read that before. And to think I try to see novels (and mangas) to the end too.

Update: Yeah, I checked it just now, and I'd say I read it before. Dropped it because of the author's way of forming relationships between characters.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Yeah, I checked it just now, and I'd say I read it before. Dropped it because of the author's way of forming relationships between characters.

You mean, the way the MC says "Uhh, I wonder how it feels to f*** this one... I'll buy her!" And for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, she likes MC back? And they f***ed happily ever after? Again, and again, and again, and again?

 

[Deleted member 54065]

And for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, she likes MC back?

Gah! This grinds my gears, really.

Like dood, I worked with women who were victims of SA, and it doesn't f*cking work that way! Well, unless asshole MC got cheat skill that alters their mind, and similar stuff.

Any case, forcing someone to like them (by cheat system or drugs) is a big NO for me, even in literature.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Stuff you said

I agree. I mean, it really gets to my nerves that all girls "magically" like the MC. And I'm not just talking about this series in particular. Anime, and light novels in general nowadays, have an extremely low standard for things like relationship between characters.
It goes like this:
They meet
They fall in love at first sight
They f*ck (optional)
Dude, you're missing more than half the game there.
I'm craving for another Mushoku Tensei, or even The Beginning After The End. Why can't they make a good reincarnation and/or Isekai story? It swear, repetition is the mother of learning, but these people are copypasting more than repeating

 

[Deleted member 54065]

I agree. I mean, it really gets to my nerves that all girls "magically" like the MC. And I'm not just talking about this series in particular. Anime, and light novels in general nowadays, have an extremely low standard for things like relationship between characters.
It goes like this:
They meet
They fall in love at first sight
They f*ck (optional)
Dude, you're missing more than half the game there.
I'm craving for another Mushoku Tensei, or even The Beginning After The End. Why can't they make a good reincarnation and/or Isekai story? It swear, repetition is the mother of learning, but these people are copypasting more than repeating

Well, if I may explain...

I'm also writing a harem isekai, and really, the temptation is strong to just have my characters love the MC for the littlest kindest reason there is. This would not only keep the chapters short, but it would make the novel jump into the interesting parts immediately, which frankly, I love to write.

However, like Mushoku Tensei, Rising of the Shield Hero, and Zero no Tsukaima, writing a good 'harem isekai' will take pages, and lots of investment (and discipline) from both the protagonist and the author, with the risk of boring a lot of raging teenagers (which is the target audience) and making them drop the work.

Well, I took the second route. And, though my work is not that popular, it's got a small loyal base of readers.

Any case, this is just my opinion regarding that matter.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Well, if I may explain...

I'm also writing a harem isekai, and really, the temptation is strong to just have my characters love the MC for the littlest kindest reason there is. This would not only keep the chapters short, but it would make the novel jump into the interesting parts immediately, which frankly, I love to write.

However, like Mushoku Tensei, Rising of the Shield Hero, and Zero no Tsukaima, writing a good 'harem isekai' will take pages, and lots of investment (and discipline) from both the protagonist and the author, with the risk of boring a lot of raging teenagers (which is the target audience) and making them drop the work.

Well, I took the second route. And, though my work is not that popular, it's got a small loyal base of readers.

Any case, this is just my opinion regarding that matter.

Just hearing you say "Rising of the Shield Hero" tells me you're a man of culture. Yeah, even if the anime wasn't great (The 2nd season, the first was awesome) it's the story that inspired me to start writing. (On that note, my first story was called Magatama Champion and the quality was so awful I dropped at the 15k )
And, my friend, if you say you have an Isekai that doesn't immediately jump from Boss Monsters to Hot Chicks, I will more than certainly give it a try.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Just hearing you say "Rising of the Shield Hero" tells me you're a man of culture. Yeah, even if the anime wasn't great (The 2nd season, the first was awesome) it's the story that inspired me to start writing. (On that note, my first story was called Magatama Champion and the quality was so awful I dropped at the 15k )
And, my friend, if you say you have an Isekai that doesn't immediately jump from Boss Monsters to Hot Chicks, I will more than certainly give it a try.

Honestly, my top 3 Isekai are:

1) Zero no Tsukaima (the LN is what made me interested in isekai, really)
2) The Rising of the Shield Hero (I even skipped going to work just binge-read the entire novel in Baka-Tsuki)
3) Mushoku Tensei (though I'm a bit awkward about the sexual parts, which is just my preference, it's one hell of a heart-warming LN to me)

Oh and uh, if you're going to try my work, I suggest you either go to HoneyFeed (for more quality chapters), or Syosetsu (which has illustrations). I also got 14 volumes in that story...with the option for 6 more. There's a version of my novel here, uploaded by my friend Assurbanipal, but its quality is quite dreadful compared to my latest edit.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Honestly, my top 3 Isekai are:

1) Zero no Tsukaima (the LN is what made me interested in isekai, really)
2) The Rising of the Shield Hero (I even skipped going to work just binge-read the entire novel in Baka-Tsuki)
3) Mushoku Tensei (though I'm a bit awkward about the sexual parts, which is just my preference, it's one hell of a heart-warming LN to me)

Oh and uh, if you're going to try my work, I suggest you either go to HoneyFeed (for more quality chapters), or Syosetsu (which has illustrations). I also got 14 volumes in that story...with the option for 6 more. There's a version of my novel here, uploaded by my friend Assurbanipal, but its quality is quite dreadful compared to my latest edit.

Will do, and you have great taste. By the way, I recommend you Demon Lord, Retry, which is kinda like Overlord but with a different style (I personally enjoyed it, awkward parts aside) and DanMachi, which isn't Isekai, but it's probably the only pseudo-Harem story I've liked so far (Nisekoi aside but this one was purely a rom com). Kumo Desu ga, Nani Ka and The Beginning After The End as well.