Harem has long been one of anime‘s trademark narrative themes. So much so that even the romance genre is mostly saturated with harem anime. The reason why it is so popular within the community is also quite self-explanatory. Harem provides a sense of escapism for many viewers, allowing them to explore some of the wildest romantic fantasies that most definitely cannot happen in real life!
A relatively average protagonist surrounded by a group of girls who all see him as a love interest; it can only happen in anime, right? And because of this common premise, all harem anime also bring many character tropes, while blending comedy with peak romantic tension. Now, based on the overall presentation of harem themes, here are the 10 best anime that the medium has to offer.
10. You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!
You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! masterfully explores the “childhood friend” trope, filled with some of the best comedic moments in harem anime. Protagonist Yonosuke Sakai starts to develop feelings for two of his childhood friends, forming a love triangle. But soon, things get even crazier when more candidates are introduced into the dynamic.
However, as it plays around a repetitive trope and doesn’t really do something substantially out of the box, it remains locked at number 10 on this list.
9. Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo! is one of the OG harem franchises and is also a definitive title in this genre. Some of the character interactions in this series have later become certain harem tropes that many anime exploit. Interestingly, the anime has several different storylines within the franchise, while all having the core harem themes. But because of this diversity, for viewers who might only be looking for harem and harem only, this can be a bit overwhelming. Thus, it ranks only 9th.
8. 2.5 Dimensional Seduction
If you think of yourself as a weeb, having a strong interest in not only watching anime but also being a part of the culture as a whole, then 2.5 Dimensional Seduction becomes a must-watch. Despite having a fanservice-heavy harem plot, the anime masterfully explores many sides of otaku culture in Japan. It involves cosplaying, anime conventions, manga creation, etc. All that combined with the harem themes makes 2.5 Dimensional Seduction deserve 8th place on the list.
7. Nisekoi
If we are talking about the classic harem romance anime setup, then Nisekoi would be a prime example. Of course, it has many rival female love interests. There are even mysteries surrounding the protagonist’s past that raise the anticipation of the plot unraveling. This is one of the rare harem anime that has a sharp focus on the mystery aspect. However, there can be a few moments where one may feel like no progress is made in the main storyline. That’s why it only ranks 7th on the list.
6. Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Saekano isn’t simply about “guy gets surrounded by girls.” Here, the protagonist has a rather realistic goal in his life, which is to create a visual novel of his own. And the girls involved in the anime simply happen to be a part of his creative circle. Therefore, the romantic developments with each girl come off naturally, which gives Saekano a more nuanced tone. Still, despite the great plot, Saekano isn’t as generational a “harem” anime as the other entries above on the list are.
5. The Quintessential Quintuplets
Although The Quintessential Quintuplets is also a harem anime with a mystery subplot, its appeal is much greater than that of many others. The MC here is introduced as the tutor for five girls who are literally quintuplets, meaning they all look the same. Their hair, dresses, and accessories are what set them apart. But this creates a very unique scenario where the MC finds it hard to choose one in the later arcs. With that premise, this is a great harem that deserves a spot in the top 5.
4. The World God Only Knows
Not many anime use their harem subplot as creatively as The World God Only Knows does. All of the credit goes to the series’ protagonist and how he handles the whole harem situation. As shown in the anime, the MC is basically a gamer otaku who finds it hard to converse with IRL girls. But his longtime experience playing dating games allows him to treat his romantic conquests as a systematic process. Now, doesn’t this sound so cool? Despite being pretty old, fans hold this anime in high regard. Therefore, it easily claims 4th place on the list.
3. To Love-Ru
You should watch To Love-Ru, but for reasons opposite to those of The World God Only Knows. The plot here is chaotic as hell. In fact, this is one of the OG harem anime that has heavy fanservice. This was the time that set fanservice as an inseparable part of the harem genre. The anime’s chaos naturally works well in a harem setting. Its sci-fi setting further helps the series continue introducing new characters, or love interests, for that matter. Thus, it ranks in the top 3.
2. High School DxD
The MC from High School DxD himself wants his own harem. What else do you need to get convinced? The harem is also an integral part of the entire narrative. Even for fantasy lovers, the series is rich with stuff like devils, angels, fallen angels, dragons, and mythological factions. And all of it blends together exceptionally well with its harem setting. Essentially, High School DxD owns the very definition of an ecchi harem anime. That’s why it wouldn’t be fair to rank it any lower than 2nd.
1. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
The title may sound absolutely stupid (it is), but the narrative makes the anime unconventionally relatable. Like, the MC here doesn’t discard other girls to choose one. He cares about all of them equally. And in fact, he has to. Otherwise, the girl will literally die. That’s the condition here. However, the way the MC approaches each girl with such sincerity makes the girls genuinely fall for him. That’s why The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is at #1.
What are your thoughts on the above ranking?
