See? You don't dislike harem. You dislike lazy writing.
Oh I certainly hear that one. Just look at the works of Rumiko Takahashi, the undisputed mother of the Harem genre, and how absolutely fantastic her works were. I mean, freaking Ranma 1/2. Everyone knows that series is a legend among anime and manga, and the funny thing is that very few people talk about the fact that it was a freaking huge tripple-harem series, with Ranma having both normal and reverse harems in their respective male and female forms, and Akane also being in a love-triangle position on every member of fem-Ranma's harem. And yet, despite fully half the episodes in the series being about Ranma being chased by his/her harems of both genders, most people remember it more for it's gender bender and martial arts aspects. Although they'll admit it's a harem, anyone will tell you that didn't detract from it in the least and likely even enhanced the series.
Then look at Love Hina, the first sign the West got of how Harem had all too quickly fallen down a very dark path. It is the earliest I care to look to find the early versions of just about every one of the tired old Harem tropes, and the genre has only gotten worse from there. (EDIT: Also, why did that series have TWO girls in the harem list who were in Junior High school? A lot of the series now will throw in one just for filling the quota, which is also a practice that needs to die. And if you ask which practice between including token lolis and following a quota of rolls to toss into the harem just because they are on the list? The answer is yes. But, anyway, back to the subject. Love Hina had TWO middle schoolers!)
I don't think I'd give Harem the 10 foot pole treatment, but if I ever were to approach it I'd either emulate Rumiko Takahashi's model and really put actual effort into the dynamics of the whole thing, skipping the tired old tropes and going back to before they were established with just writing characters that are good, and preferably funny for reasons that have nothing at all to do with abusing the MC (because abuse is never funny anyway, and it's even worse in text than it is in manga or anime).
Or, if I don't go that route, while still not a 10 foot pole, I'd at least go in with gloves and approach it in something like the Mushoku Tensei angle. Actually really consider whether or not the girls are alright with it, and explore the emotional turmoil created by a dynamic like that.
Either way, if I ever approach the harem concept, it will not be anything like the standard Harem genre as we know it today.
EDIT: Oh, 3rd lower-case h harem option that is nothing like the capital H Harem genre of today. One could also approach harems via the route of Ascendance of a Bookworm. I don't think anyone in their right mind would try to argue that is a Harem series, but there are quite a number of guys among the nobles in that series who have 3 wives each. In fact, it seems to be something of a cultural expectation among the nobles for any guy to take on 3 wives. Usually not more, but if you only have one or two wives then you will be just as pressured to add another one as you would if you had no wife.
They are annoying.
