Ask John: When Will The Harem Anime Genre Die?

Question:
Between the recent release of When They Cry, plus the upcoming Shuffle, the harem anime has once again reared it’s ridiculously cliched head. When will this old, tired and overused genre which, in my mind, peaked with Tenchi Muyo! almost 15 years ago, be finally put to rest?

Answer:
Before approaching a direct answer I feel compelled to point out that doubtlessly there are devoted fans of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni who will vehemently argue that the series is not a “harem” anime because it’s not a romantic drama or romantic comedy. However, psychotic tendencies notwithstanding, the show does revolve around a single male character living amidst numerous girls. So it does fulfill the fundamental characteristic of a “harem” anime. Both Higurashi ~ When They Cry and Shuffle are upcoming American releases. Titles including Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo and Nagasarete Airantou represent contemporary Japanese harem anime. So there’s definitely no lack of harem anime available.

I’ll be the first to admit that my knowledge of anime is incomplete, but with my limited knowledge I’ve been unable to think of any established anime genre that has peaked then expired. The 1980s were a peak period of anime that emphasized style over substance, but in the context of this discussion, I don’t think that stylistic presentation counts as a genre. There haven’t been any motorcycle themed anime in recent memory. Past examples include Bobby ni Kubittake, Pelican Road, Baribari Densetsu, Shonan Bakusozoku, and Samuraider. Many of these type of anime are concentrated in the 1980s and early 90s, but I don’t think they’re frequent enough to really constitute a trend in the style of harem anime. In other words, I can’t think of any precedent for an anime genre ever having appeared then disappeared.

Foreign, as in outside of Japan, anime fans, I think, are used to encountering monumental changes and evolutions in the development of anime as historical facts. The most influential and ground breaking anime titles – Tetsuwan Atom, Tetsujin 28, Mobile Suit Gundam – are series that predate foreign fandom. Likewise, foreign fans think of Japan’s long-running titles that span generations of viewers, like Doraemon and Sazae-san, as events that occurred long ago. We forget that anime is still developing, and evolutionary, impactful landmarks in the history of anime can and do occur right under our noses. I have the impression that many Americans presume that the harem genre, the narrative concept of featuring one male protagonist surrounded by adoring females, is a passing phase that the anime production industry will eventually tire of and stop producing. Similarly, I think that American fans presume that characteristics like “moe” and “tsundere” are fads that will eventually run their course and evaporate. And Americans widely presume that Pocket Monster is a temporary phenomenon rather than a new entry in the roster of Japan’s perpetual anime franchises.

Japanese animators can easily vary the conventional harem formula. The original To Heart anime avoided being a harem show by adding a second male character. Himawari avoids being a harem show by marginalizing the primary male character. Series including Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star simply discard the male character entirely. While it’s easy for manga and anime creators to compose stories that avoid the conventional harem formula, typical harem anime are still made because the concept remains entertaining. Even within the confines of the harem formula, differences in execution and details still distinguish shows from each other, and give individual titles uniqueness. Furthermore, veteran anime fans may have been introduced to the harem genre 15 years ago with Tenchi Muyo, but there are doubtlessly fans whose first encounter with the genre will be titles like the American releases of Rozen Maiden, Utawarerumono, Suzuka, and Shuffle! or Japanese titles like Nagasarete Airantou and the upcoming Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho, Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei, and Kimikiss. Americans take for granted that anime genres like sports anime, magical girl anime, and shounen adventure anime are established and permanent. So why not also accept the possibility that harem anime may be a new staple genre of anime which was born under our observation? I can’t predict with any certainty that themes like harem anime, “moe” and “tsundere” will or won’t become permanent establishments in the lexicon of anime, but I don’t believe there’s any reason to assume that they’re temporary trends with a specific expiration date.

On the American front, similar to the Japanese market, we’ll continue to see harem anime licensed for domestic release as long as they remain popular. Even if America’s veteran fans become bored with the recycled formula of harem anime, there are always new viewers entering the American fan community for whom the harem anime genre is not cliché. There’s no certainty that contemporary American viewers watching Higurashi ~ When They Cry and Shuffle! are familiar with older anime titles like Tenchi Muyo and Love Hina. Consumers do always have the option to choose what they do and don’t buy. And American fans that are sick of the harem genre can stop supporting domestic harem anime releases. But I think that as long as the American fan community continues to attract new viewers, there will be a constant stream of interest in new titles and new examples of established genres.