Tomoyuki Wow what an incredible answer. I really agree with you and you really opened my eyes to what it is to write a story. I really really appreciate your answer. I didn't actually expect anyone to answer this question tbh.

I guess I really need to plan my characters out really well before I write my story, seems like I'm a bit influenced by all the harem novels I have read X) I will try to incorporate all of your tips into my story and hopefully make a really good harem story that actually has great depth in both plot and story.

      Tomoyuki
      So, um, after reading that quite long answer, I just want to ask, any good Harem story that could fit the criteria for that great answer?

          GegeSadewa I honestly have no idea. Haven't read a good one. Hmm, I do like Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni natte kuremasuka? That one was hilarious. I also like Gotoubun no Hanayome, because each of the five sisters have their own distinct personalities and don't necessarily depend on the protagonist (Futaro) like a crutch.

              Tomoyuki
              I could find "Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni natte kuremasuka?" ( https://www.novelupdates.com/series/kawaikereba-hentai-demo-suki-ni-natte-kuremasu-ka/ )
              But I could not find "Gotoubun no Hanayome".
              I'm guessing that both are Japanese Novel.
              Have you read "The Black Card" ? ( https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-black-card/ )
              I've just read your definition of good harem, and I compare it with most harem I already read, and they are not fit with you criteria. But then I read "The Black Card" and wondering is it good enough or not.
              So maybe if you could also give opinion on the one inside that story? I just want to know other opinion.
              ( http://gravitytales.com/novel/the-black-card/tbc-chapter-1 )
              Thank you.

                  Harem stories suffer from pretty much everything the wall of text said. Harem:ish situations, however, aren't entirely unrealistic though.

                  The girls were friends to begin with and the setting was naturally shared. That also means a more homogenous group (which would be 'less interesting' to read about), and the situation petered out into nothing as soon as that natural setting was no longer shared a year later. In the end there was nothing even resembling a lasting relation.

                  University party group, which makes it less strange.

                  Now, how to translate into existing fiction? I'd argue the Japanese manga centered around a high school club or university circle are reasonably realistic in terms of setting. Especially if that group doesn't interact with their environment all the time (which we did since it's hard to party with only five people).

                  Notably there were other girls present as well, but since they didn't belong to the existing group of friends they stayed the hell away from the hornets nest, so no introduction of new girls halfway through the story.

                  There is no true love, harem or warfare -route. When the setting dissolves the situation does as well. I'd say this kind of ending is pretty uncommon in the manga I read. Usually good stories with just about every reader comment screaming bloody murder since the ML didn't end up with anyone. Sorry to rain on your parade -- that's life.

                  My two cents on harem.

                  GegeSadewa Gotoubun no Hanayome is a Japanese manga, not a novel. It's serialized weekly. And I have not read The Black Card, so I'm afraid I don't know what it is about. Sorry.

                      GegeSadewa

                      It's usually written as "5-Toubun no Hanayome", since Go is Japanese for 5. Try searching for that. You shouldn't have a hard time then.

                          As with all things in stories, you write what you understand.

                          Most harem stories are written by and for horny teenage boys who fantasize about a collection of girls who will accept him, not matter how useless or awful he is, and never love with anyone else or ever get bored of or criticize him. They basically want a spineless mom who is also a fleshlight. That's what they understand. So that's what they write.

                          Most people you see criticizing the harem genre are basically everyone else who see most examples of it for the pandering, softcore pulp trash it is. And I say this as someone who has a "harem" in one of their stories. Harems are super hard to get right, and super easy to get wrong.

                          Done right, a harem isn't a harem, but rather a collection of interesting people who have legitimate reason to be interested in the MC, and legitimate aspirations of their own that can and should take precedence over their romantic interest in the Mc when the time comes. You know, like normal relationships.

                            If u care for my opinion, hey everyone, I personally dig the harem stuff. They usually dig into my heart. The story plot mostly is OK, with a big twist at the end and the graphics... worth it. But I guess we are talking about harem female personalities, well... if u see my profile pic, it's one of the heroines of a certain harem anime, and was she bland?!

                            If you say yes, then you truly know nothing.

                            Mostly, I guess harem is mostly for boys, so they make the girls exotic, with different types of personalities. Not exactly bland, because they are different than a fingerprint and they are damn pretty.

                            Running the gamut of personalities from heroic to anti-hero, I have to admit that some harem female personalities are damn obvious although different, but at least they are interesting.

                            And the hero, boring, same old. Those heroic types. So, you should be asking more about the hero than the heroines. That's my opinion anyway. N if you like personality type shows, harems are a good watch. So, in the end, I guess I disagree with bland.

                              LadyKCH
                              Well, I think there are two situations that are greatly different but can both be resumed by calling the personalities of the harem female bland. And you only focused on 1 of them.

                              The first is, like you said, plain, old and same boring stuff that is just a random name picked here and there. A woman that has strictly nothing to bring to the story, not even some good sentences here and there and just is present to say "Look, the MC has another member in his harem." But if it was just someone here and there, it could have been boring to read, but relatively fine. You spot them quite easily, and you just make up your mind to erase their existence the moment they are gone.

                              However, there is a second situation. Which really, really, really piss off most readers. The 200 IQ character that suddenly lose 90% of her intelligence when entering the harem. Like seriously, that is the worst thing that could happen. Especially when that heroine escaped the harem for a long time and survived a few of her good sisters. At that point, it is like "Doesn't matter Lu, Fu and Xu fell for the MC, at least there is still Zu, the good Zu." And then BAM! No more Zu.

                              During all this time, Zu was the equal of the MC. She was saved by him most of the times, but she saved him once or twice. She lost most of their fights, but she still won a few. When there was a competition she was second when he was first. But then, the author decided that since she was popular, she had to enter the harem. And after that, Zu was never the same. She couldn't qualify to enter the competition, at the first problem she had to call the MC. She was suddenly kidnapped but couldn't escape by herself (thing she did a lot of times before). That's when the "bland" personality kicks in. And a horrible one.

                              And that's without talking about all the love/rape, the dual cultivations bullshit, the trap in a motel by drugging the MC ect ect. But for me, the moment the female second MC is no longer considered as a MC but as love interest, that's the moment I drop the novel. Each time there is that slight hope that it won't be the case, but each time, it doesn't matter if it takes 100 chapters or 500, it always comes. And it is a bit sad.

                                  7 days later

                                  Innovation

                                  Hmm... when the gal becomes immediately worthless to fall in with the MC. Yeah... I kinda agree with you at that point. I guess it could be said that it's the MC's fault that the girls become lovey dovey to the point of being bland.

                                  However, I still do not agree that much about the heroine's personality being bland even from the MC. I mean, like... my fave personality, that of an anti-hero, that will NEVER be removed by the MC, NEVER.

                                  Mostly, maybe we just need to find the perfect harem and if u do, can u recommend me? TTYL.

                                      Write a Reply...
                                      Web Novel Novel Ask