Anatomy and Physiology of a Harem Protagonist

What makes a Harem protagonist a 'Harem Protagonist'? What makes them different compared to the normal romance protagonists out there?

What kind of qualities do you like in a Harem protagonist? Dense? Pervert? Sousuke Sagara? For some reasons asexual?

What makes a Harem protagonist better than other Harem protagonists? Their attitudes? Their ways of treating their haremettes? Or is there any rare breed of a tsundere Harem protagonist out there? A food for thought.

Let us discuss about this particular brand of protagonists, and try to come up with an ideal type of Harem protagonist!

 

Sheer brute stupidity and a complete and total unwillingness to be anything but generic.

 

The ideal harem protagonist has a rich personal history and strong character traits (both virtues and flaws) that can attract a variety of suitors for a variety of reasons. (In my personal ideal, they are also someone with the wisdom, compassion, and capacity for love to be able to plausibly swing a polyamorous relationship with two or more of said suitors, but that often seems to be asking too much.)

As an example of the first half of that, I submit to you Inuzuka Kōshi, leading man from Sumomomo Momomo.

Spoiler: Inuzuka Koushi at play

 

Most Harem Protagonists follow a simple rule: be worse than the average human being, so that the readers can delude themselves into doing better then him if they were in his place.

My favorite is Tatsuya Shiba from Mahōka Kōkō no Rettousei: he was physically made incapable of feeling anything but platonic love for his sister, and yet a lot of girls flock around him. For a subversion of the genre he's okay in my book.

 

One of the necessary traits of a harem protagonist is indecision. If the protagonist fell for someone and engaged in a healthy, loving relationship there would be no harem shenanigans. If the protagonist decided to leave all the crazy stalkers behind and find someone to enter a relationship with they wouldn't be a harem protagonist. Or maybe their new partner might get shanked in the kidney. Harem shenanigans have escalated over the decades.

 

Either that or not merely indecision but being so caring that he can't deny any of them. He doesn't want to break any of their hearts so he tries to fulfill all of their romantic desires, going out of his way to fulfill all of their needs. There's a reason most people only chose to have one life in romantic relationships, because creating a healthy lasting relationship with a single person is hard enough, five on the other hand is downright insane.

 

Or general disinterest, or practical concerns that interfere with committing to single relationship, or (similar to what Malbutorius said) an inclination toward polyamory. That last is often my preference, particularly for yuri.

 

A Harem Protag MUST be able to take his bumps; those nosebleed, getting hit for opening the door at the wrong time and other "fun" activities require a body of demi-god.

PS:

Monster-Girls harems require superhuman bodies, anyhow. Also, patience and understanding of a God.

 

There is one thing a Harem Protagonist needs more than anything to be successful: a girl who wants the harem as much as he does.

 

More than anything, a harem protagonist must be yandere for himself, willing to wield violent force against any suitors of his.
And all the haremettes must also be yanderes, willing to go to any lengths to take him from himself (and each-other) for themselves.

/jk