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A harem anime or (more accuratly) harem comedy is a term for an anime or manga story wherein usually one male character is surrounded by — often living with — several female characters. The term is a creation of Western fans, the Japanese simply calling such shows lovecomi (love comedies), although the concept is well known to Japanese fans as well. It describes a situation where a lead male of a 'generic' quality cohabits with many pretty girls, who through the course of a storyline show varying degrees of affection towards him. In many cases, such series are adaptations of dating simulation games, or designed to appeal to a similar audience, especially seinen publications. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Coming from the Arab tradition, the harîm حريم (compare haram) is the part of the household forbidden to male strangers. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ... Dating simulations (or dating sims) are a genre of computer and video games, usually Japanese, with romantic elements. ... Seinen (Japanese: 青年, not to be confused with seinen (成年; adult)) is a subset of anime or manga that is generally targeted at an 18 - 25 year old male audience, but the audience can be much older with some comics aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. ...

The original use of the term arguably began in the U.S. with the success of Tenchi Muyo!, and since then has typically had negative or satirical connotations. The discontent usually stems from several tropes used, such as accusations that male leads are blatant audience surrogates (or self inserts) who would never attract any sort of attention from women. More generally, many fans feel the premise itself is overused and typically fallen back upon when writers run out of ideas or are reluctant to pursue a romantic decision that may upset fans. Tenchi Muyo! ), is an anime, light novel, and manga series about a boy named Tenchi Masaki and the alien women that love him. ... In literature, a trope is a familiar and repeated symbol, meme, theme, motif, style, character or thing that permeates a particular type of literature. ... In the study of literature, an audience surrogate is a character who expresses the questions and confusion of the reader. ... Self-insertion is a literary device in which the real author of a work of fiction appears as a character within that fiction, either overtly or in disguise. ...

Design and criticism

The prototypical harem anime features a number of characters, usually with a minimum of one boy and three or more girls whose personalities are often stock characters popular in moé fandom. The term does not necessarily imply sexual connotations. Most members of the "harem" have some level of emotional attachment to the lead, ranging from romantic interest to casual friend to a sibling figure. Overall, many casts are depicted as a family/friend unit and the seriousness of romantic entanglement can vary considerably. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Common look for characters that an otaku might consider Moé Moé (萌え pronounced mo-EH, literally budding, as with a plant) is a Japanese slang word originally referring to fetish for or love for characters in video games or anime and manga. ... Coming from the Arab tradition, the harîm حريم (compare haram) is the part of the household forbidden to male strangers. ...

Fandom sometimes complains that most females in harem comedies tend to be -- or at least, have become -- stock characters with little or no originality to their designs. Many harem comedies build tension on humorous misunderstandings, typically with female characters lashing out emotionally for no good reason, causing some fans to complain that this cartoonish humor is at best repetitive and at worst sexist and violent. Most also have a remarkable lack of male characters besides the lead, which is explained by the author either wishing to control the size of an already large cast, or having no particular desire to design other male characters the (male) fandom will not be interested in. Many shōjo works have equivalents to harems, but shōnen and seinen are perceived as more overtly sexualized than shōjo. Reverse discrimination is a colloquial term used to describe discriminatory policies or acts that benefit a historically sociopolitically nondominant group (typically minorities), rather than the historically sociopolitically dominant group. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Shōjo or shoujo (少女 lit. ... Shōnen or shounen (å°‘å¹´) is a Japanese word usually translated as young boy, although it is commonly used to refer to males of up to high-school age as well. ...

Some fans argue that the various girls create a better chance that for audience members to find a girl appealing to their tastes, and the male character is someone they can directly relate to in a humorous fashion. Also, the lead's interest is often concentrated on one particular girl, thus negating the "harem" accusation" - unless the writers have decided to keep their options open. This may happen if writers wish to assess a female character's popularity with fandom before advancing the plot. The bishōjo style of drawing uses large, limpid eyes for increased cuteness, as in the character of Nyū from Elfen Lied. ... Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ...

Male characters

Male characters are few and usually invoked only when necessary, but harem series are generally believed to need at least one audience surrogate. The Male Lead is usually at least of high school age. His parents and family are either very tolerant of his situation or not present at all (he has moved out, parents have died, etc.). One archetype of the male lead in this genre is a wishy-washy Everyman character. Thrust into compromising situations, his responses are restrained by varying degrees of "loser" attributes. This can include simple bad luck, extreme shyness and awkwardness with girls in general, or being a complete nerd. Leads may have female friends on occasion, but in a strictly platonic fashion. They also bear the brunt of any of a series' humor, especially the physical. In the study of literature, an audience surrogate is a character who expresses the questions and confusion of the reader. ... In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances. ... “Nerds” redirects here. ... Platonic love in its modern popular sense is an affectionate relationship into which the sexual element does not enter, especially in cases where one might easily assume otherwise. ...

Another archetype is the opposite on the first. Instead of being a loser with no self-confidence, he has way too much confidence and deals with girls in a rather macho man fashion, (Example: Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½) although at times he can be sweet. Ranma Saotome (早乙女 乱馬 Saotome Ranma) is a fictional character in Rumiko Takahashis anime and manga series Ranma ½. // Spoiler warning: Ranma Saotome, the son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome, was taken from his home at an early age by his father on a decade-long training trip to perfect his martial... Italic text Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday Original run 1987 – 1996 No. ...

Other optional males include the Rival, a polar opposite of the lead who is designed for the audience to dislike, or the lead's non-descript friends, who serve as an envious peanut gallery oblivious to his troubles. Another option is a capable, older male whom the lead looks up to and wishes to emulate. Look up peanut gallery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Female characters

This list is intended to give common examples found in harem series, but in many stories these traits are mixed or fused.

• The Lead Girl is a prominent female character implied to have the "best chance" of ending up with the lead male, often by simple virtue of being the first member of the cast the Male Lead meets. A common debate amongst fans is whether the existence of this character negates the concept of a "harem", which is perhaps one reason the resolution in her relationship with the lead is usually delayed extensively. (Love Hina's Naru Narusegawa is a prime example.) She also tends to be a broadly drawn character (but see Magical girlfriend). She may, in contrast, be a member of another stereotype in addition. (For example, Akane Tendo from Ranma ½ is also a Tomboy) She may share many of his worries, but is usually much better at disguising insecurities, consequently seeming more confident and capable. Her clumsiness can be a source of embarrassment, resolved with the quick and infamous use of over-the-top slapstick. A good example would be Yuzuhara Konomi from ToHeart2.

• The Housewife usually has a demure personality and quiet graceful bearing, doting on other characters. They are more frequently outside the main harem situation, perhaps because they are usually guarantees in shipping. (e.g., Aoi Sakuraba in Ai Yori Aoshi, Kasumi Tendo in Ranma ½, and Konoka Konoe in Negima this which also has the following role)
  • A Princess role is similar but can take a satirical tone, implying a stuck-up, snotty attitude and a scheming nature. They usually do not get along with tomboys. (e.g., Princess Ayeka from Tenchi Muyo!)

• The Tomboy (bokukko) is often depicted as refreshingly frank and direct compared to the other girls. She is often identified as a roughneck with a love of parties, sports, drinking, and fun in general -- or alternatively, rude, messy, obnoxious, and destructive to peace in the household. Her relationship with the lead male is sometimes a simple friendship with the occasional teasing. Tomboys are usually sexually aggressive, if only playfully, towards the lead or even the other girls. Many speak with an Kansai accent (considered rougher by Tokyo standards), or even with masculine pronouns. (Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo! and Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno from Love Hina are good examples.)
  • Some less easygoing tomboys are Warriors, who have a strict and well-honed dedication to sword fighting or martial arts, usually to the detriment of their social lives. They are often overly serious for their age, have problems making friends and identifying with their peers, and have such a lack of experience dealing with boys (who sometimes fear them) that they have an extreme aversion to guys in general. (Love Hina 's Motoko Aoyama and "Maburaho" 's Rin Kamishiro is another good example.)

• The Foreigner is a good-natured caricature of a non-Japanese person (usually Chinese, European, or American Caucasian), with some knowledge of Japanese culture to make them easier to write. Ensuing culture shock is often source of humor. Many of these characters are also biracial or bilingual as a result, although the latter is sometimes only referred to rather than depicted. This avoidance is slightly more common in anime, since textual translations in manga are easier than finding a seiyuu who can portray a convincing accent. The Foreigner usually plays a "sisterly" role - fond of the Male Lead, but without any sexual or romantic desire, as opposed to the stronger romantic interest of the Little Sister type. (e.g., Kaolla Su, from Love Hina). However, the Chinese Shampoo from "Ranma 1/2" is portrayed as one of the more sexually aggressive (and sexualized) characters.

• The Competitor is a character whom the male might consider more attractive in some ways than the Lead Girl, but who has a serious drawback in her personality. The Lead Girl knew her before the story begins, and had fights with her at that time. The top example is Ran from Urusei Yatsura; also, Peorth from Oh My Goddess!.

• The Rich Girl is mostly a parody of a wealthy girl, similar to the American "Archie Comics's" Veronica. Her wealth is displayed in ludicrous vehicles, in her large house and its many antiques, and in displays of ritualized obedience by her many servants. Obviously she does not move in with the male, and she is the least likely to end up with the male lead (e.g., Ayaka Yukihiro from Negima!: Magister Negi Magi) The male character can also be blamed by the rich girl's accidents, as Yuma Tonami from ToHeart2 does to all of her run-ins with Takaaki.

• The Carefree Girl is a character who doesn't feel the anxieties that the others do. She is stereotypically a girl whose life and personality are sunny, and who relaxes in the sun. Very often she is blonde and tanned, though she speaks Japanese fluently. Either she has hidden wealth which plays no part in the story, or is a fool. She is very often quite clumsy, making mistakes which the other characters have to fix. The top example is Mihoshi from Tenchi Muyo, who is both a fool and the daughter of an important personage of the galaxy. Karin Aoi in DNA² is trying to set herself up as carefree, but she's the main source of the problems in the story. (Example: Mutsumi Otohime from Love Hina.)

• The Monosyllabic Girl is a derivative of the mascot animal, such as Mokona from Magic Knight Rayearth, who is capable of saying only one syllable (Puu) in varying intonations to express emotions. Chi from Chobits is the prime example; almost all she says episode after episode is "Chi". Such a character need not literally say only one syllable; Mone from Yumeria only says "Mone". These characters are extremely attentive to the male lead, and aren't really social. Their debility adds mystery, but it dehumanizes them as well.

• Little Sisters are the youngest female characters, usually seeing the lead character as a big brother (sometimes with frequent use of the title 'oniichan') or a nonthreatening crush object. Interestingly, this character is one of the most variable types. On one extreme, she may be a painfully shy, self-conscious wallflower, while on the other she is upbeat and immensely cheerful. These characters may be controversial because their frequency in doujinshi is sometimes perceived as a deliberate appeal to lolicon (e.g., the female characters from Sister Princess, Shinobu from Love Hina, Fuka and Fumika from Negima (Who, ironically, are both older than the male lead) or Tenchi Muyo 's Sasami).

• The Slightly Older Woman appears in the story because harem shows focus on the teenage male audience, who notice that teenage girls have not yet reached their peak of attractiveness. When set in a high school, there may be a member of the faculty or service personnel who is in her twenties and drop-dead gorgeous. Her part in the story is to gently put down all instances of attentiveness by the teenage boys. An early example of this type is Sakura, from Urusei Yatsura; also, Urd from Oh My Goddess! and Bloodberry from the Saber Marionette series.

• The Mother A recent and increasingly popular variant of "The Slightly Older Woman" archetype, who is more often than not the mother of the main love interest, like Minase Akiko of Kanon, or failing that, the mother of the "Little Sister" archetype. In most cases, she often acts as a moral compass and center of emotional support for the cast in question. Please note that she does not necessarily have to be a biological mother to qualify, as long as she takes the responsibility of one, like Kurosaki Sayoko of Mahoraba. The appeal of this archetype ranges from the maturity, elegance and benign loving warmth of motherhood to the implied sexual experience that comes along with it. Most of the time, the "mother" archetype is either ferociously sexy (Kamio Haruko of Air) or painfully cute (Shigure Ama of Shuffle! ) and is almost always single, to dispel audience anxieties and character possibilities towards infidelity. (See also: Kasumi Tendo of Ranma ½ and the cast of Happy Lesson)

• The Android is, as in the direct translation from the Japanese term, a man-made living creature. She has neither any family history nor expectation of continuing the extended family herself. Since she has not learned to display feminine graces, either, she represents the difference between the sexes without any superficialities, as perceived by adolescent males. It is the void in her personality that is attractive to some of them, who feel they could do anything with her. Some literal Robot women also appear, and can serve as any of the other types. Some merely represent the duties and obligations in society by their programming, while others are designed to learn and evolve. Because of potential misunderstandings, this is another potentially 'serious' archetype that is often the focus of parody. Rei Ayanami is an excellent example of this archetype, although any harem elements in Evangelion are mostly superficial.
  • The Mystic is a similar character, with an otherworldly or offbeat personality, with supernatural overtones instead of scientific ones. Both are often uses as vehicles for off-hand self-parody or black humor (e.g., Chachamaru Karakuri from Negima, Yayoi from Happy Lesson).

• A Nanny is a capable, wise adult character (preferably female) who serves as the final authority figure of the group, perhaps a landlord or more distant relative (e.g., grandfather Yosho in Tenchi Muyo or Haruka Urashima in Love Hina). Although these characters may intervene in extreme circumstances, they are usually relaxed and uncritical to the point of near-irresponsibility.

• The typical Genius is extremely skilled in the sciences, and consequently is often depicted as a cute version of a mad scientist, usually with the associated lack of tact and foresight with her creations. Her abilities allow for more fanciful plot devices. This archetype is often associated with Washu in Tenchi Muyo.
  • In contrast, the Prodigy or Otaku can be a satirical depiction, since these characters usually display great skill only in a certain hobby or interest while being woefully inept at most others (e.g. Hakase Satomi or Haruna Saotome from Negima).

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Ai Yori Aoshi (藍より青し) is a manga by Kou Fumizuki (文月晃 Fumizuki Kou) released in 1998 on Hakusenshas Young Animal, a magazine for young men. ... Kasumi Tendo (天道 かすみ Tendō Kasumi) is a fictional, important supporting character in Rumiko Takahashis anime and manga series Ranma ½. // Spoiler warning: Kasumi is the eldest daughter of the Tendo family. ... This is a listing of the students in Mahora Academy Girls Junior High Class 3-A, as taught by Negi Springfield in 2003 in the manga Negima!: Magister Negi Magi and associated anime series. Spoiler warning: // Student Number 1: Sayo Aisaka ), the hapless and meek yurei (ghost). ... Ayeka (阿重霞 Aeka, spelled Aeka in Singapore), is a key character in the various Tenchi Muyo! anime series by AIC. While details of her character differ between the various series, Ayeka is typically shown as the beautiful first princess of the planet Jurai who has fallen in love... 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My Goddess, is a seinen manga series by Kosuke Fujishima currently serialised in Kodanshas monthly Afternoon magazine first published 1988-08-25 (was the September issue however). ... Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe Jughead Jones characters created by Bob Montana. ... Spoiler warning: // Student Number 16: Makie Sasaki ) Birthday: 7 March 1989. ... DNA² (Dokokade Nakushita Aitsuno Aitsu) is a 15-episode anime series based on the manga written by Masakazu Katsura. ... This is a list of characters in Love Hina Spoiler warning: (Where ages are quoted these are the ages at the time the character appears in the story - the story moves through a year fairly quickly so ages change quite fast) Names are in Western order, with the surname after... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Magic Knight Rayearth ) is a magical girl manga, anime, and console game series by CLAMP, whose credits also include Cardcaptor Sakura, Angelic Layer, and Chobits. ... Serialized in Young Magazine Original run 2001 – 2002 No. ... Dōjinshi (; also romanized as doujinshi) are self-published Japanese works, including but not limited to comic books (manga), novels, fan guides, art collections, and games. ... Lolicon art often depicts childlike characteristics with possible double meanings. ... Sister Princess is an anime television series, based on the manga and video game series of the same name. ... This is a list of characters in Love Hina Spoiler warning: (Where ages are quoted these are the ages at the time the character appears in the story - the story moves through a year fairly quickly so ages change quite fast) Names are in Western order, with the surname after... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine Original run 1998-10-21 – 2001-10-31 No. ... Spoiler warning: // Student Number 16: Makie Sasaki ) Birthday: 7 March 1989. ... Spoiler warning: // Student Number 16: Makie Sasaki ) Birthday: 7 March 1989. ... Sasami Masaki Jurai ) is a fictional character in the anime series Tenchi Muyo! and its various spin-offs. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday Original run 1978 – 1987 No. ... Saber Marionette is a group of anime series. ... This article is about the Japanese series. ... Mahoraba ) is a manga series by Akira Kojima, which was later adapted into an anime. ... Shuffle! ) is the first computer game made by the visual novel making company Navel. ... In a religious context, infidelity is an absence of faith in the beliefs or teachings of a religion, such that one who lacks such faith is an infidel. ... Kasumi Tendo (天道 かすみ Tendō Kasumi) is a fictional, important supporting character in Rumiko Takahashis anime and manga series Ranma ½. // Spoiler warning: Kasumi is the eldest daughter of the Tendo family. ... Italic text Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday Original run 1987 – 1996 No. ... Happy Lesson is a comedy anime released in two sets of television series and two set of OVA series, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five beautiful teachers. ... Rei Ayanami (綾波レイ Ayanami Rei) is a fictional character from the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the films Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ... Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996 No. ... This is a listing of the students in Mahora Academy Girls Junior High Class 3-A, as taught by Negi Springfield in 2003 in the manga Negima!: Magister Negi Magi and associated anime series. Spoiler warning: // Student Number 1: Sayo Aisaka ), the hapless and meek yurei (ghost). ... Happy Lesson is a comedy anime released in two sets of television series and two set of OVA series, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five beautiful teachers. ... This is a list of characters in Love Hina Spoiler warning: (Where ages are quoted these are the ages at the time the character appears in the story - the story moves through a year fairly quickly so ages change quite fast) Names are in Western order, with the surname after... Caucasian, male, aging, crooked teeth, messy hair, lab coat, spectacles/goggles, dramatic posing — one popular stereotype of a mad scientist. ... Washu Hakubi (白眉 鷲羽 Hakubi WashÅ«), the self-proclaimed greatest scientific genius in the universe, is a fictional character in the anime and manga Tenchi Muyo!. Her character differs depending on the continuity, though she sometimes displays a number of innate powers which she rarely uses, preferring to solve problems with reason... Spoiler warning: // Student Number 16: Makie Sasaki ) Birthday: 7 March 1989. ... 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Examples often cited by fans

• Ai Yori Aoshi is a recent anime going for a dual concept of both magical girlfriend and pseudo-harem anime. While the two leads are clearly in a relationship early in the story, they do live with a cast of other girls from whom they must keep the relationship a secret.

• Dual! has its harem mixed in with a Mecha parody.

• Eiken is one of the more outrageous examples of harem anime. Just about every girl in the series has a large bust size, and the male lead Densuke frequently has perverted thoughts.

• Elfen Lied is probably the most violent anime that one would put into the harem category. Despite the blood and gore accompanying most episodes, there is plenty of romantic play and jealousy to go around.

• Futakoi innovates the harem concept by implementing a handful of twin sisters, which all (or most of them) compete for the love of the male lead.

• Galaxy Fraulein Yuna is a variant on the harem anime archetype; the main character is a schoolgirl, and her extensive list of unusual admirers are also girls.

• Geobreeders somewhat counts as a harem anime where a newly hired salaryman works with an all-female squad to rid the world of phantom cats and make a profit out of it.

• Girls Bravo features scenes in which the male lead is transported to a mysterious planet that has a population of 90% female. When his lady-interest follows him back to Earth, a couple of other females join in the fracas and contribute the aspects of their varying personalities to the main story.

• Green Green is an etchi harem anime with a lead girl, Midori, a tomboy, Futaba, a little sister, Sanae, and a slightly older woman, Chigusa.

• Hanaukyo Maid Tai is generally considered to be a blatant, albeit tongue-in-cheek maid-harem anime.

• Hand Maid May is a similarly blatant maid-harem anime. With servant-androids similar to Chobits, the anime is much more light-hearted. Kazuya Saotome is surrounded by the real life girl-next-door Kasumi Tani, and the Cyberdolls May, Sara, Rena, Kai and Mami.

• Happy Lesson has few romantic elements at all, and female characters who dote on the lead are (from their viewpoint) mother figures.

• He is My Master is also a Maid Harem, where a rich male hires 3 maids that do his bidding, which includes wearing clothing he designs, which are usually too sexy. He is My Master also contains a lot of Ecchi and fanservice and can be one anime considered to be in the Lolicon category.

• Ichigo 100% is another recent example of the harem anime archetype. While its classification is sometimes questionable due to the male lead's primary fixation on the (apparent) female lead, his wishy-washiness and his apparent reluctance to make a firm commitment (spurred, it seems, by his attempt to avoid hurting any of the girls), combined with his attraction to all the main female characters, makes this a de facto harem anime.

• Kage Kara Mamoru is a Harem anime where the male lead is a ninja who carries a mission to protect his neignbor Yuna. There are 12 episode to this anime.

• Love Hina is a very famous series which, in recent years, has supplanted Tenchi Muyo!'s title as the Typical Harem Anime.

• Midori Days is 13 episode series about a clueless and violent (though only to protect those who are getting picked on) high school delinquent who wakes up with a girl named Midori where his right hand should be. Much to our main character's surprise, Midori had been infactuated with him (from afar) for three years and was happy to finally be close to him. The series revolves around the awkwardness of the situation. It contains nudity but only in tasteful doses. Though the main character is incredibly inept at approaching girls and usually clueless about other's feelings towards him, Midori Days can be considered a harem due to the fact a majority of the cast either idolize him or end up falling for him.

• Maburaho is an interesting example in which three females, all gifted in magic, are after the same boy who can only use magic a limited number of times.

• Negima!: Magister Negi Magi with a cast of more than thirty girls, is still thought as a harem anime, although the male lead is only ten years old.

• Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru is an anime about a feminine boy who goes to an all girls school to carry out his late grandfather's last wish. He is surrounded by girls who are attracted to his feminine form.

• Ranma ½ takes the simple harem idea and makes it far more complex. Since the lead male character is also female, his/her main harem members consist of four females and one male, with many other potential candidates of both genders appearing episodically. In addition, the lead female, who is also a member of the first harem, has a harem of her own consisting of at least three males, one of whom is also a member of the first harem. Two of the other females in the first harem also have their own small harems. When you include rivals, the situation becomes even more convoluted.

• Shuffle! - both the game and the series contains all the elements of a typical harem, with a unique group of characters to hold viewers' interest. Originally a bishoujo game, the anime stands on its own with one male surrounded by 5 females characters.

• Sister Princess is the first popular harem anime which made sole use of the 'sister' concept to the extreme. Based on a popular serialized manga which later evolved into a bishoujo game, the anime is very much moé but doesn't stray into any sort of lolicon-type situation.

• Tenchi Muyo!, especially the later television series, contains most of the common elements. Although certainly not the first, is considered by many American fans to be the prototypical (or at least most famous) harem anime.

• ToHeart, where a lazy and carefree 2nd-year high school student Hiroyuki Fujita hangs with a lot of girls, however he is closest with Akari Kamigishi, a girl that he helped in kindergarten when she dropped her books in the rain and Hiroyuki offers her his dry books. This is followed by its sequel, ToHeart ~Remember My Memories~, which takes place a year after ToHeart where the entire cast (with the exception of Serika Kurusugawa, who is older than Hiroyuki by a year) is in their final year, and ToHeart2, which takes place another year after the graduation of Hiroyuki.

• ToHeart2, the sequel for ToHeart and ToHeart ~Remember my Memories~ in both the game and the anime has Takaaki Kono dating a whole bunch of females in the series, with Konomi Yuzuhara, the main female protagonist, have the best chance of ending up with Takaaki.

• Yumeria is a harem anime in which the main character, Tomokazu goes into a dream world with his love interests. There is a lead girl, Mizuki, tomboy, Kuyo, Monosyllabalic girl, Mone, mother/ slightly older woman, Nanase, and little sister, Noneko.

Ai Yori Aoshi (藍より青し) is a manga by Kou Fumizuki (文月晃 Fumizuki Kou) released in 1998 on Hakusenshas Young Animal, a magazine for young men. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure (Japanese:デュアル!ぱられルンルン物語) is an anime distributed by Geneon, and created by Kajishima Masaki at AIC who also made the Tenchi Muyo series. ... For the fictional robot, see Mecha. ... Eiken ) is a heavily fanservice-themed manga/anime created by Seiji Matsuyama, which depicts the life of schoolboy Densuke Mifune after he is forced into the mysterious Eiken Club, which is populated by females only, several of which have enormous breasts. ... Elfen Lied ) is the title of a Japanese manga series originally created by Japanese author Lynn Okamoto as well as a TV anime series based on it. ... Futakoi (双恋) is an anime series that aired in Japan in 2004. ... Galaxy Fraulein Yuna, is a series of video games, anime, and other media from Japan. ... Geobreeders ) is an OVA anime based off the manga by Akihiro Ito. ... Salaryman (Japanese: サラリーマン, sararÄ«man) is a Japanese term for a white-collar worker. ... Girls Bravo ) is a bishōjo manga (2000) and anime (2004) created by Mario Kaneda ). The anime series is licensed and distributed in North America by Geneon Entertainment, while TOKYOPOP publishes the manga. ... Green Green (グリーングリーン) is a 12-episode anime series based on a H-game of the same name. ... Hanaukyo Maid Tai (Also Maids in Hanaukyo Or simply Hanukyo Maids) is an anime and manga bishoujo series about a young boy who has inherited a vast family fortune and, more importantly, the near hundreds of employees working at the family mansion. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Hand Maid May ) is an anime series released in 2000 in Japan, directed by Shinichiro Kimura, written by Kazuki Matsui and Jyuzo Mutsuki, and produced by Pioneer Animation (now Geneon Animation). ... Happy Lesson is a comedy anime released in two sets of television series and two set of OVA series, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five beautiful teachers. ... He is My Master ) is a gag comedy manga which ran in Monthly Shonen Gangan, later spun off into a television anime series. ... Fanservice or fan service (Japanese simply saabisu, service), is a vaguely defined term used in visual media — particularly in anime fandom —to refer to elements in a story that are superfluous to a storyline, but designed to amuse or excite the audience. ... Lolicon art often depicts childlike characteristics with possible double meanings. ... Ichigo 100% ) is a 167-chapter manga by Mizuki Kawashita ) that was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 2002 volume 12 to 2005 volume 35, and collected in 19 tankōbon volumes between August 2002 and December 2005. ... Cest une histoire dun ninja, il y a plusieur centaines dannées, qui a fait une promesse éternelle. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine Original run 1998-10-21 – 2001-10-31 No. ... Midori Days , Days of Midori or Midoris Days) is an 85-chapter manga and 13-episode anime series created by Kazurou Inoue ). The title is a pun referring to Greenery Day ), a Japanese holiday formerly part of Golden Week (Japan). ... Maburaho ) is a romantic school comedy light novel series by Toshihiko Tsukiji, illustrated by Eiji Komatsu and serialized in Gekkan Dragon Magazine. ... Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru lit. ... Italic text Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday Original run 1987 – 1996 No. ... Shuffle! ) is the first computer game made by the visual novel making company Navel. ... Sister Princess is an anime television series, based on the manga and video game series of the same name. ... Common look for characters that an otaku might consider Moé Moé (萌え pronounced mo-EH, literally budding, as with a plant) is a Japanese slang word originally referring to fetish for or love for characters in video games or anime and manga. ... Lolicon art often depicts childlike characteristics with possible double meanings. ... Tenchi Muyo! ), is an anime, light novel, and manga series about a boy named Tenchi Masaki and the alien women that love him. ... ToHeart (トゥハート) is a visual novel by Leaf/Aquaplus released in 1997 for the PC. It was later ported to the PlayStation and given voice acting. ... Akari Kamigishi, voiced by Ayako Kawasumi, is a main character in the ToHeart series. ... ToHeart ~Remember My Memories~ is a sequel to the original ToHeart anime. ... ToHeart2 is a PlayStation 2 love adventure visual novel by Aquaplus. ... Yumeria is a video game by Namco released for the PC and PlayStation 2 and is an anime produced by Studio DEEN. A benchmark program called Yumebench was released as freeware for the PC that uses the character models from the game. ...

Gender variants

Series like Fruits Basket, Ouran High School Host Club, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, La Corda D'Oro, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de,Saiunkoku Monogatari, Pretear,Busou Renkin, Fushigi Yūgi, and Love Monster could easily be considered female-oriented harem animes, each having a fairly ordinary female lead surrounded by a number of handsome, talented men who are devoted to her. There are also examples in obscure BL and Shoujo titles. This phenomenon is often referred to as "reverse harem" (note that in Ouran High School Host Club, Nekozawa's sister actually uses this exact term to describe the host club upon her entering it). Fruits Basket ) is a shōjo manga series created by Natsuki Takaya (pseudonym) serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams) magazine, which is published by Hakusensha. ... Ouran High School Host Club ) is the title of a Japanese fiction series created by Japanese author Bisco Hatori centering around a group of high school friends in the same club - the Host Club. ... Serialized in Bessatsu Friend Original run 2000 – No. ... Original run October 1, 2006 – On going No. ... Harukanaru Toki no Naka de ) is an anime series. ... Saiunkoku Monogatari (彩雲国物語; lit. ... Prétear is an anime and manga series. ... Busō Renkin (武装錬金 literally Weapon Alchemist) is a manga series made by Nobuhiro Watsuki. ... Fushigi YÅ«gi (ふしぎ遊戯; literally Mystery Game but usually rendered Mysterious Play) is a Japanese manga (later an anime) created by Yuu Watase and serialized in the manga magazine Shōjo Comic. ... Love Monster ) is a manga by Riko Miyagi. ... Cover of Fake by Sanami Matoh as published by TokyoPop. ...