AnimeSuki Forums

Fireminer · 2017-02-09, 07:11

As the title said. What would be the best number of girls in a harem, so that each of the girl has enough screen time and is well-developed?

In my opinion, if the anime is a romance, then the number can be as big as the author can imagine. But if harem is only a side-element, then maybe we should return to the number 3 of the old day (such as in Saber Marionette).

Akito Kinomoto · 2017-02-09, 11:40

Eight haremettes, but only if the staff is up to the task

Archon_Wing · 2017-02-09, 20:21

It is 1.5*(traps+1)

Those that don't stand a chance and are merely here to extend the length of the series such as overly shy with a crush that never amounts to anything or standin childhood friend count that doesn't do anything as -0.5. Unless they are crazy; then they count as 1.5

Triple_R · 2017-02-09, 20:33

It depends on how deserving of all that harem love/attention the lead character is. So in the specific case that Akuma linked to, I agree with 8!

And maybe even 9 if you factor in a certain green-eyed girl, lol.

But seriously, if you're going for a solid mix of semi-serious romance drama and comedic harem hijinks, probably the ideal amount is 2 serious contenders, 1 semi-serious contender, and a pretender or two for a total of 4/5. Any more than 4/5 is seriously pushing it, and starts to make it look a little ridiculous, unless the lead character is genuinely someone very cool and/or successful.

The 4/5 girls should, of course, represent a good range of personalities and/or archetypes.

Kanon · 2017-02-10, 11:53

It depends on the what the work wants to accomplish. If it's a harem series with a strong and serious focus on romance, I'd say three is the ideal number. You can add in a few extras that can work as comic relief or filler if the work is long enough.

If it's a harem series more focused on slice of life and the girls themselves rather than actual romance, then you can bring in as many as you can so long as characters don't start to overlap. To love-ru Darkness has 10+ girls, and I wouldn't want to erase any of them. None of them is unique in the medium (when was the last time we saw a completely new archetype anyway?), you have the airhead, the shy girl, the tsundere, the kuudere, the schemer, etc... what matters is that they're distinct from each other they're all likable in their own way. Everyone can have a favorite and it therefore appeals to a broader audience.

IceHism · 2017-02-10, 13:46

4 or 5 for a action harem.
Doesn't matter for SoL.
3 for drama. Less is better in this genre. In fact I'd scrap all the harems and replace them with love triangles here.

Also, make sure there is more than 2 important guys. It's not fun if the MC has no male friends.

felix · 2017-02-10, 13:48

It's less about what the maximum is and all about what you can do with them and if you can give them enough attention to matter. It's no different then having X "important character," the fact it's a "harem" makes little difference to the equation. In general I'd say 2 then 3 then 5 then 7-8 then 9, is not a bad progression (yes avoid 4 and 6, don't ask why). As for a stopping point, the sky is the limit, though at some point you'll either want to group them and have them act as a group or have most of them act as a group with some of them tacking turns to "solve" the plot points. And the group parts thus have to happen almost as often as the individual parts, so your "group character" better be worthwhile and have some impact otherwise you'll have failed.

In the special case of romance, it depends. You can for example just make a character who's personality quirk is he likes saving damsels in distress and tacking them as wives, and then just fill your work with a lot of damsels in distress... preferably spread apart, so they don't interact with each other much if at all. Voila, infinity harem.

Hakai · 2017-02-10, 15:42

Over 9000

Depends on the series as others said, if writer(s) aren't annoyingly partial to any heroine(s) I think 8-10 works depending on how long the story is.

2017-02-09, 07:11	Link #1
Fireminer Lumine Passio Author Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Hanoi, Vietnam Age: 18	The best number of girl in an Harem Anime? As the title said. What would be the best number of girls in a harem, so that each of the girl has enough screen time and is well-developed? In my opinion, if the anime is a romance, then the number can be as big as the author can imagine. But if harem is only a side-element, then maybe we should return to the number 3 of the old day (such as in Saber Marionette).

2017-02-09, 20:33	Link #4
Triple_R Senior Member Author Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Age: 42	It depends on how deserving of all that harem love/attention the lead character is. So in the specific case that Akuma linked to, I agree with 8! And maybe even 9 if you factor in a certain green-eyed girl, lol. But seriously, if you're going for a solid mix of semi-serious romance drama and comedic harem hijinks, probably the ideal amount is 2 serious contenders, 1 semi-serious contender, and a pretender or two for a total of 4/5. Any more than 4/5 is seriously pushing it, and starts to make it look a little ridiculous, unless the lead character is genuinely someone very cool and/or successful. The 4/5 girls should, of course, represent a good range of personalities and/or archetypes. __________________

2017-02-10, 11:53	Link #5
Kanon Kana Hanazawa ♥ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: France Age: 37	It depends on the what the work wants to accomplish. If it's a harem series with a strong and serious focus on romance, I'd say three is the ideal number. You can add in a few extras that can work as comic relief or filler if the work is long enough. If it's a harem series more focused on slice of life and the girls themselves rather than actual romance, then you can bring in as many as you can so long as characters don't start to overlap. To love-ru Darkness has 10+ girls, and I wouldn't want to erase any of them. None of them is unique in the medium (when was the last time we saw a completely new archetype anyway?), you have the airhead, the shy girl, the tsundere, the kuudere, the schemer, etc... what matters is that they're distinct from each other they're all likable in their own way. Everyone can have a favorite and it therefore appeals to a broader audience. __________________

2017-02-10, 13:48	Link #7
felix sleepyhead Author Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: event horizon	It's less about what the maximum is and all about what you can do with them and if you can give them enough attention to matter. It's no different then having X "important character," the fact it's a "harem" makes little difference to the equation. In general I'd say 2 then 3 then 5 then 7-8 then 9, is not a bad progression (yes avoid 4 and 6, don't ask why). As for a stopping point, the sky is the limit, though at some point you'll either want to group them and have them act as a group or have most of them act as a group with some of them tacking turns to "solve" the plot points. And the group parts thus have to happen almost as often as the individual parts, so your "group character" better be worthwhile and have some impact otherwise you'll have failed. In the special case of romance, it depends. You can for example just make a character who's personality quirk is he likes saving damsels in distress and tacking them as wives, and then just fill your work with a lot of damsels in distress... preferably spread apart, so they don't interact with each other much if at all. Voila, infinity harem. __________________

2017-02-10, 15:42	Link #8
Hakai Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Age: 25	Over 9000 Depends on the series as others said, if writer(s) aren't annoyingly partial to any heroine(s) I think 8-10 works depending on how long the story is. __________________

2017-02-10, 13:46	Link #6
IceHism Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014	4 or 5 for a action harem. Doesn't matter for SoL. 3 for drama. Less is better in this genre. In fact I'd scrap all the harems and replace them with love triangles here. Also, make sure there is more than 2 important guys. It's not fun if the MC has no male friends.