wattstax Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I am confused why there is no general anime recommendation thread here. So I am sorry beforehand for starting a new topic. I just discovered the anime Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata. THIS I call a Harem Anime to my liking! Why? Because in contrast to ones like Love Hina there is no main girl AND it isn't already clear with whom the main guy character will end with. I hate that! Even better. Here the ending gives no conclusion just that every girl is kind o in love with him. So far the only comparable animes in that regard were Haganai and School Rumble. What is your take on those kind of harem stories? At least in my perception harem with a fated love story and unrequitted love by side characters are more common. Can you recommend any other similar animes? I only care for slice of life. And it shouldn't have overboarding ecchi scenes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezyo22 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Saekano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abyssal Monkey Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I'm salty about that "true" in the title. Are you saying that DxD isn't a true harem when all the girls freely admit that they like Issei, are are completely fine with the other girls liking him as well? Is that not what a harem actually is? As for classifying Haganai a harem, under a stricter classification it is really only a love triangle. Only Meat and Yozora really have any chance, and all the others are just extras. I don't know anything about School Rumble, so no comment there. Of course these types are going to be more common, as they are easier to tack on a possible ending. Instead of having to fumble between 4 or more characters gunning for the guy, you only have to do the prototypical love triangle. I honestly couldn't care more or less about them, as I don't watch shows generally for this kind of thing. I watch for the events that happen during the show for the most part, so I can pass off everybody as individuals just interacting. Really, asking for a harem with no true outcome or obvious winner is defeating the point of it being a harem in the first place, because as soon as you decide that there is going to be a winner, it's not a harem anymore, and it becomes a race between all possible candidates to get the guy, with all those extra's along the way just acting as lubricant or retardant to either make the process go faster or slower. The only one that even comes anywhere near fitting the bill is Seitokai no Ichizon, but that's probably not dramatic enough for you, and it falls into the romcom category for me. /initiate stalling for Nosebleed who probably has more to say about recommending stuff in this category relative to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwd2 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 like every single anime nowadays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getsuya Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Wouldn't most light novel anime these days fall under that category? I dunno why but light novel authors seem to be terrified of allowing their characters to have actual relationships (yeah there are a few exceptions but still). Plus the series structure for a lot of LNs takes the 'monster of the week' trope and turns it into 'harem addition of the book', with each book just introducing a new girl with a new problem for the protag to solve thus winning the undying affection of the girl. The first thing that came to mind when I saw 'harem' was To Aru Majutsu no Index. Touma ain't ending up with either of the two 'main' girls anytime soon, and every arc just piles more girls on top of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalor Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Warning, this is not a recommendation that will suit your taste: I agree with the general criticism that most harem stories in otaku media tend to be all the same thing just with different characters. The one harem anime I actually really liked was the infamous School Days. It was immensely enjoyable to see a harem anime go where no harem anime has gone before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenshin_sama Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 For the record, I do believe Narusegawa was canon, though the romance progression was virtually non-existent. ;^^ I also thought Love Hina was seriously annoying. You'd be in for a surprise if you decided to watch Shuffle. I'm not entirely sure if it'll be what you're looking for, but this is the only harem I've ever felt content with watching and I do feel it's something that romance fans should strongly consider watching. That's not to say I don't like other harem anime (I actually think they're really fun), but this one has some really good closure. The level of ecchi is roughly the same as Haganai. Sorry it's not slice of life, but the fantasy setting does add a really nice touch to the atmosphere. It is also one of those anime that are a bit slow to start, but it'll be much more enticing in the later episodes. Trust me when I say it'll be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattstax Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 I'm salty about that "true" in the title. Are you saying that DxD isn't a true harem when all the girls freely admit that they like Issei, are are completely fine with the other girls liking him as well? Is that not what a harem actually is? Sorry about the "true" in the title. My intention wasn't to put down other shows. I wanted to emphasise what I consider 'Harem'. How to say... Love Hina was mentioned and this is a good example for the structure of a harem show, I don't like. Already from the start, the main guy was interested in only Hina and no matter what the other girls would do in the show, the viewer knew the outcome right from the start, that the main guy will end up with Hina . This I experienced with many shows. I care more for the option of possibilities. True that Haganai only has two real love rivals, but that is okay. At least there is no focus on just one girl and every outcome is possible. If the conclusion is left open (like in School Rumble) I am fine with it, then honestly no satisfying conclusion for every 'route' would be imaginable there. I started watching Seitokai no Ichizon and I like it so far. Though here the roles are kind of reversed, as the main guy is in love with the girls, not the other way round. Not sure why you assumed it would be too dull for me. The main guy also made a great comment that fits here: He wants a harem ending with the girls in the club for the reason: Because it makes everyone happy. It is something like this that I feel about such stories. I am a great fan of japanese idols. There is the saying 'daredemo daisuki', a person who in most cases loves every member of a group or follows several idols groups equally, without deciding on a favourite. It is similar to what I look for in harem anime. It is one reason as well that I prefer the general arc of visual novels over later character routes. I have no interest in girl's of the week. There should be a focus on a certain cast and that's it. A harem is fine with it. It is not Legend of Galactic Heroes. I hated the main guy in School Days, so pass Shuffle I tried once but it was too, I don't know, 'moe' maybe? Too sweet and cute and nice and all. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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