2 Heroines = Harem?

[AncestorDuck]

When does a "Harem" start.

 

[Gray_Mann]

A harem means 3 or more.

2 is just what they call a Menage-a-trois. I'm not sure if there is an English term for it.

 

[istryj]

2 Heroines = Harem?​

love triangle?

 

[AncestorDuck]

love triangle?

Kind of? More out of necessity. One for political reasons, while the other is the 'true' lover.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

nah, you can start with two if the protagonist ended up with both LMAO

 

[beast_regards]

Love triangle is usually the situation where the two people, usually rivals, are pursuing the relationship with the same person.

Either the target of the romantic feelings is uninterested, undecided, or there is actual adultery involved.

Love triangles are a conflict, which is meant to be resolved once the one partner is selected.

The what we call 'harem' is basically polyamory. That's the proper term for it, because there is not supposed to be any conflict, and it is a pretty much harmonious relationship between three or more people. It could be either polygyny or polyandry (or any-any combination). Most importantly, it is never a conflict, it is either a goal, or a natural way of things within the given setting, never a conflict to be resolved.

 

[Iceheart]

Love triangle is usually the situation where the two people, usually rivals, are pursuing the relationship with the same person.

Either the target of the romantic feelings is uninterested, undecided, or there is actual adultery involved.

Love triangles are a conflict, which is meant to be resolved once the one partner is selected.

The what we call 'harem' is basically polyamory. That's the proper term for it, because there is not supposed to be any conflict, and it is a pretty much harmonious relationship between three or more people. It could be either polygyny or polyandry (or any-any combination). Most importantly, it is never a conflict, it is either a goal, or a natural way of things within the given setting, never a conflict to be resolved.

Harem is not exactly polyamory. A harem usually has a "head", a person the members are attracted to, but not necessarily each other. The members relationship is up for them to decide. Some hate each other, others are also in a romantic relationship with each other, yet others just tolerate the other members so they can be with the one they love.

Or at least that is my experience from the few harem novels I read.

 

[beast_regards]

Harem is not exactly polyamory. A harem usually has a "head", a person the members are attracted to, but not necessarily each other. The members relationship is up for them to decide. Some hate each other, others are also in a romantic relationship with each other, yet others just tolerate the other members so they can be with the one they love.

Or at least that is my experience from the few harem novels I read.

Well, no ...

Yes, and also no.

The anime (manga, light novel) is usually the way you describe because the story is supposed to go one step forward, to step back, without any resolution and the relationship is never supposed to flourish. This is the result of the Japanese traditional romances being tragedies where people automatically assume that when the people get together, someone dies. Wife dies at childbirth. Husband is killed. Husband and children are killed by the wife. That's how those stories go. Of course, everyone dying isn't the escapism, so the relationship is stuck in the strange limbo ... because, well, that's when the curse didn't strike yet.

The western audiences don't like relationship going nowhere and don't assume everyone dies soon after they get together, so there is usually a polyamory.

The situation the OP is more interested in is more the love triangle setup.

Almost all romantic novels about relationship in the circles of nobility are this setup, there is an officially arranged marriage, and the true love, and it is usually about the one person following the true love....

They aren't supposed to end with lover killing the husband, then wife, then children, and then herself ...

Unless it is Japanese, then, of course, that's what happens.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

When does a "Harem" start.

When those 2 heroines started to fight against each other, or forced to share the "Male MC" or "Female MC".

Or in my opinion, it started exactly when the 1st Main MC exist, and the main MC arent those two Heroines.

If the story only revolves around those two female duo, then there's no harem as it is a very strong friendship, besftiendhsip, sistership, or just straight up Lesb-couple.

 

[Daydreamers]

no , harem is an arabic word, plural, and in arabic two isn't plural, so it should refer to at least 3,

 

[AncestorDuck]

When those 2 heroines started to fight against each other, or forced to share the "Male MC" or "Female MC".

Or in my opinion, it started exactly when the 1st Main MC exist, and the main MC arent those two Heroines.

If the story only revolves around those two female duo, then there's no harem as it is a very strong friendship, besftiendhsip, sistership, or just straight up Lesb-couple.

I reccomend making story with couple duo Lesb Protagonist, they're extremely accepted in ENG-US webnovel scene, as it satisfy the feminist, the lgbt, the politic activist, the pervy readers, and general audience.

Unlike Harem story with Male MC that only satisfy fans of japanese light novel harems. Harem tend to piss off feminist, piss off lgbt, piss off politic activist too. Only pervy readers likes Harem.

Unless the harem is reversed, as the mc is female with lots of male harem, or female with lots of female harem, or just femlae mc with harem mix.

Male MC only socially accepted to have one partner, or just die without partner. Female MC however, can make harem as she wish.

Did you hit your head or are you just mixing things up? It's quite the opposite considering the harem scenario. There is a rather small fanbase for reverse harem, while a male MC with a harem is more or less accepted.(no hate)

no , harem is an arabic word, plural, and in arabic two isn't plural, so it should refer to at least 3,

I learned something on scribble? Am I dreaming????

 

[beast_regards]

I learned something on scribble? Am I dreaming????

Yes, you are dreaming :)

 

[Daydreamers]

I learned something on scribble? Am I dreaming????

The only thing you can learn here is = useless knowledge

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

minimum 3 if going by anime logic.

 

[Tsuru]

The only thing you can learn here is = useless knowledge

Hey !
Not all !

At least 1 on 5 in average is decent !

 

[istryj]

Love triangle is usually the situation where the two people, usually rivals, are pursuing the relationship with the same person.

Either the target of the romantic feelings is uninterested, undecided, or there is actual adultery involved.

Love triangles are a conflict, which is meant to be resolved once the one partner is selected.

The what we call 'harem' is basically polyamory. That's the proper term for it, because there is not supposed to be any conflict, and it is a pretty much harmonious relationship between three or more people. It could be either polygyny or polyandry (or any-any combination). Most importantly, it is never a conflict, it is either a goal, or a natural way of things within the given setting, never a conflict to be resolved.

Alright, my assumption was incorrect. However, I found that the term 'harem anime' is used for anime titles that have many heroines. I immediately remembered one anime with two heroines (Photon) – on MyAnimeList, it is not marked as a harem anime.

 

[Kenjona]

A harem means 3 or more.

2 is just what they call a Menage-a-trois. I'm not sure if there is an English term for it.

Menage-a-trois is the American English word for a threesome when we are being "fancy", we tend to use it for the longer living together term and the lets just bang version, interchangeably.

Depending on the way your Harem is written it would then depend on your gender outlook/politics: Tri/Triangle, Vee, Polyamorous/Polygyny/Polyandry group, Bigamy, Big Love, Train/Chain list, Stable, Girl/Boy Circle, Sister/Brotherhood, Family Collective and so many others. All of these I have heard/read for whatever variants people make up or rename so it does not seem like another variation of Harem that has been outed to be bad/good/different.

Kind of? More out of necessity. One for political reasons, while the other is the 'true' lover.

Not unheard of in the "real world" and historically.
Such as:
Supposedly Admiral Horatio Nelson, Emma Hamilton and Sir William Hamilton. Admiral Nelson would live at their estate for periods.
William Moulton Marston, his wife and Olive Byrne. Creators of Wonder Woman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moulton_Marston
Lee Miller had a very adventurous life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Miller
Clint Eastwood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood

Most low key Threes I knew of growing up (Usually well on later in my life). Were either because one of the members was Bi or batted for the same side. So they would keep things in "house" as an agreements between the three.
Over the years many very successful men/women had a work wife/husband or mistress/gigolo and a social wife/husband. Sometimes those even worked together, many they did not and scandals ensued.

Oh and FYI: Queen Elizbeth the First, technically had a harem of the anime version type (3 or more people romantically interested in her and actively pursuing her romantically).

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Back in the sixties, several authors and producers assumed the future would be one of group marriages - Robert Heinlein dealt with this in Stranger in a Strange Land as well as some of the Lazarus Long stories (Time Enough For Love, The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, etc.). Gene Roddenberry also thought it would be the future and kind of tried it (but wound up with "just" Majel) - Hikaru Sulu left a group marriage when he was given a chance to be the navigator on a Five Year Mission in one of the few stories he approved (the official stance on novels while he was alive was "they are not canon, but ones approved by Roddenberry can become cannon if referenced on screen"), Kobayashi Maru - IIRC that marriage had two guys, him and two women (it was kind of implied but never shown that he was bi who preferred women ... quite different from the actor!).

 

[corruption]

A harem means 3 or more.

2 is just what they call a Menage-a-trois. I'm not sure if there is an English term for it.

If you are talking about sex acts, then threesome. Then comes foursome and moresome.
Another term for a number of women active with one male at the same time is "reverse gangbang"
That is for the smut stories, and this is not just for smut.

Harem did originally come from harems with many women servicing one man, but when it comes to stories it means multiple people romantically interested in one person.
It does not mean they get along with each other. How many is needed is unsure.

There is another issue: The term has expanded further.
It can mean other kinds of love than romantic or sexual.
In Tenchi Muyo, one two of the women are actually interested in him that way, while the others are just connected in different ways, yet it is considered a harem comedy.
In the anime Happy Days, the main character is basically adopted by 5 teachers, and the romance is him and a girl who have feels for each other being unable to admit it, and a stalker he has.

The closest definition I can get is a group of people who love the same character.
Just remember here that I am using the word love as in the ancient Greek word for it which had different types. I think unconditional love (agape) would be the best use for it but not necessary.