The harem genre of anime is based around three or more characters having interest in the main character. While that usually involves three or more girls fighting over a male main character it doesn’t necessary mean that is always the case. A combination of males/females trying to win the affection would also be considered a harem. The same as if the main character was female and the suitors where male (however in that case it is considered a reverse-harem).
The genre is often looked down on. As most shows under this genre can offer little to no substance. Instead they resort to ecchi (perverted) plots with half naked or in some cases fully naked characters doing accidentally perverted things. All in the hopes of selling DVD’s that will contain the uncensored scenes. A quick and sometimes easy cash grab by a studio who wants to use the funds to keep afloat or fund an anime that might be less financially successful.
Even with taking out the problem of ecchi that is abundant in these shows the other main issue is the basic premise of this genre. In most cases the girls who fall for the main character do so for no other reason then he was nice to them or in a slight variation that he treated them like normal girls (if a supernatural element is involved). Reducing the females into needy codependent people who can’t function without the main character in most cases.
Which in truth isn’t that big of a problem when you consider the role the main character has to play. Unless the story shoots for a harem end (an ending where the main character get’s with all the girls) he has to spend the entire length of the show outside of the last 1/10 of the story completely dense and unaware of the girl’s feelings. In order to string along the audience waiting to see who ‘wins’.
At the end of the day though this genre is just mindless fun. Most of the time you can turn off your brain and watch the antics of the characters and have zero vested interest in how it ends. Well outside of rooting for who you think is ‘best’ girl.
So with all that said I will now rank the anime’s I have seen based on how I enjoyed them.
1.