Loser + Vampire: The Anatomy of a Harem

After watching most of the first season of Rosario + Vampire, my thoughts on harem series have become fleshed out. While the most obvious feature of the harem is the number of femmes throwing themselves at the hero, the other key feature of the harem genre is the "zero" hero, where the viewer can insert himself into the unfolding events. From this starting point, the actions of the lead throughout the series and at the end must also fit in the scope of this everyman aspect. Much of these thoughts probably apply to otome (2) series; however, my experience with the reverse harem is mostly confined to Fushigi Yuugi (3).

In both Rosario + Vampire, the lead Tsukune Aono is too stupid to get into high school after graduating from middle school. He played some soccer in school. He does not have any outstanding abilities, unique appearance, driving ambitions, or dearly held beliefs. From what I saw of the series, his hobby disappears from the story. Also, little is said about Tsukune's families or their friends from before the story starts. As far as I know, none of his pre-Yokai High relationships, past, or interest influences his decisions or provides a jumping point for advancing the plot or a hook for a side story. Tsukune serves as placeholders for the otaku viewer. Though the story is told from a 3rd person perspective, the thinly detailed leads counts more like a 2.5 person perspective.

With the blank slate of a lead, the question usually arises about what the females see in him. The answer is that there really isn't much to see. In Rosario, Tsukune forms a bond with Moka through their shared loneliness as he does with Yukari the witchling. His simple openess to and belief in Shirayuki wins her devotion. Similarly, in the now-venerable Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi wins over Ayeka by being sympathetic to her after she finds that she is stranded on Earth. Meanwhile, her bond with Ryoko the Space Pirate is established, because Ryoko observed him over the years as he grew up. She is the childhood friend in a one-sided way.

These good intentions and coincidences are within the reach of the otaku's abilities and preserve the ability of the otaku to continue inserting himself in the main character's shoes. This is in sharp contrast to the sports hero who must improve himself to strive to be the best. The sports hero usually tries to inspire the fan to strive. The epic or traditional hero transforms himself through his journey. There is an aspect of growth in these other types of heros. Not the harem lead. What is required of him is the continuance of his devotion and good intentions to the women around him.

After the bond is established, it is passionate and nigh unbreakable. Mako et al. end up defending Tsukune from monsters week in, week out. They also fight each other over him, though his actions make it clear that his bond with Moka is the strongest. Such is the devotion of the harem. This all-consuming and slavish devotion marks the bond between the harem and the lead.

The end of the tale comes when the main character must choose. Part of the lead's good intentions is the unwillingness to cut ties with any of the harem girls. To shed the girl's devotion is to hurt her. So the lead is forced to enjoy her devotion (4). I haven't seen the end of Rosario, So I'll need to draw on other works.

In the Shuffle! anime, the long relation between Rin and Kaede is a stark illustrator to this. As children, Kaede grew to hate Rin, to the extent where she drops an exacto knife on his face from the top of a stairway. When she realizes that the root of the hate is a lie, she devotes herself to him unconditionally. When Rin chooses another girl, the crap hits the fan and crazy Kaede comes back out, showing the psychic shock that comes with severing a harem bond.

Throughout the Tenchi series, this attempt to do no harm leads Tenchi to maintain the untenable equilibrium between the girls. Indeed, Tenchi the Movie 3 starts with Tenchi attempting to flee the bickering over him and is lured away by the phantom Haruna. During the protracted chase, Ayeka and Ryoko make it clear that their romantic feelings drive them rather than a sense of justice or platonic friendship or fellowship. The long standing rivals become allies and bolster each other when hope fades. At the end, Ayeka gives in during a bittersweet scene and asks Ryoko to bring him back. Severing ties is serious business in a harem, because it also disentangles the underlying weave of the story's central conflict.

Still, the choice is within the otaku's grasp (5). The otaku may make a different choice from the placeholder, but the story clearly leads to happily ever after (6). And the key to the placeholder is to keep most of the main character's action within the scope of the otaku from the begininng, to the middle, and to the end.

Notes:
(1) translation at www.baka-tsuki.net.
(2) one female, many men.
(3) and (parethetically) my friend the Polish "Ponytail girl" was accused of having a harem of her own. During her first weeks at college, she befriended a group of computer geeks: a jewish genius, a gay guy with a 'fro, a guy obsessed with poneytails, and the silent one. I was declared an honorary member at one point. Her relationship to all of us, save one, was strictly friendship. But that's neither here nor there and is, therefore, confined to the footnotes.
(4) Again, something the otaku consumer can do.
(5) That is where the safe habor of the fanfiction comes in to safely shelter his favorite 'ship.
(6) for every rule, there is the exception that proves it. School Days with the bloody "nice boat" ending is a parody with the main character sleeping around (and violating the harem trust) and caring only about his own convenience and pleasure. He basically gets what he deserves at the end. The appeal of School Days is partly in the shocking break from the harem pattern.