A harem genre exists in manga and anime. Harem refers to a romantic situation where one person has several lovers vying for their attention.
The lovers come in all shapes and sizes, and can even be of different genders than the main character. The main character almost always is not aware of the other characters’ feelings for them until the end, when a climatic scene unfolds.
Many times, the other characters are aware of each other, and even work together to try and win the attention of the main character. This creates lots of drama between the characters as they fight for the love of the protagonist.
Harem genres can be funny or quite serious depending on what kind of story is being told. The main character usually has to overcome some kind of obstacle or challenge that comes to them via these various romantic partners.
Show how he interacts with his harem
When a gay character has a harem, the writer needs to show how he interacts with the other characters.
If he is friendly with all the characters, then it looks like he is simply using them for sex. This can lead to character development down the road where he realizes he was using people and dislikes that feeling, so he stops.
If he is cold and mean to the other characters, then it looks like he does not like women and that is not good either. He needs to be civil and kind to appear realistic.
Having him be friendly to everyone except one character that he is not interested in or likes back can work. This can lead to character development down the road where one of the characters catches his attention, but he does not like her so he is mean to her.
Explain why the protagonist is gay
A significant part of coming out is explaining why you are gay. It is very important to explain that you are not gay because of who you like, how you like them, or when you like them.
Most people who are straight have experiences with the opposite sex before they realize their sexual orientation. A lot of the time, this realization happens during puberty when there is a lot of physical changes happening.
People can have different moments where they realize their sexual orientation. For some it’s when they realize they find someone of the same sex attractive, for others it’s when they realize they only want to be with someone of the same sex. Both can be valid realizations!
Many people struggle with their sexual orientation for years before coming out. Sometimes people feel like it would be too hard or dangerous to come out, but it’s really important to do so in order to be happy and authentic.
Show how his sexuality affects his life
A notable difference between manga and American fiction is how sexuality is portrayed. In most cases, sexuality is not discussed unless it is relevant to the story.
Many straight characters do not mention their sexual encounters or even their interests in the opposite sex. This can make it difficult to tell if a character is straight or not, especially if they do not show interest in other characters.
When writing a gay character, you should show how his sexuality affects his life. Does he avoid romantic and sexual situations because of his feelings? Does he feel conflicted or unhappy about his feelings? How does he deal with that?
Does he come out publicly or keep it private? These are all questions you can answer to help develop your character.
Finish with a dramatic climax of sexual tension
When the main character finally admits his feelings, has sex with his love interest, and everyone lives happily ever after, the harem manga ends.
Unfortunately, that’s not how reality works. In reality, people don’t always admit their feelings and don’t always have sex. Sometimes people even choose to be celibate or to be in a relationship with someone else.
Sometimes people don’t end up together and it hurts, but it doesn’t necessarily ruin anyone’s life. It might make things awkward or difficult for a little while, but most people get over it and move on with their lives.
The problem is when someone doesn’t recognize that they are in a situation that is hurting them and/or others around them, that is when things can get dangerous.
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