The harem genre is an interesting subgenre very specific to anime and its viewers. It’s a kind of fantasy in which a young man who’s never had luck with women and knows more or less nothing about the process or the steps involved ends up with a collection of beautiful women bounding around him, often times romantically pursuing him (though not always the case). The results are usually painful for the young man and involve endless comedic vignettes. The genre isn’t completely limited to one perspective though as there are gender reversed versions of the same concept.

Tenchi Muyo –probably the best known of all the Harem anime, Tenchi Muyo tells the story of a meek but kind male character surrounded by women from outerspace, all of them eager to get in his good graces. The show was never a series, but three OVAs and three specials which eventually aired on American television in syndication. The popularity of the series allowed for the eventual successes of other shows from the same company like El Hazard and Oh My Goddess! and prepared American audiences for other shows like Love Hina

Love Hina – Love Hina is the manga creation of Ken Akamatsu, later turned into a one season television series followed by three specials. It’s actually a shonen in the way it presents it’s story, a goofy kid who goes to live with his grandmother, who just so happens to run a girls dormitory in place of the hot springs where he spent his childhood. The girls there eventually except him and make his life a living hell, all the while he falls in love with Naru and ridiculous, outlandish capers ensue. The show was an enormous success in Japan and in the states, partially because of its absolute crossover appeal into almost every genre.

Mahoromatic – Talk about a genre bender here. Mahoromatic is about an ex female combat android who feels guilty for what she’s done and dedicates her life to serving the son of her ex-commander. She’s a wonderful cook and helps with everything around the house but anything even remotely ecchi (perverted) angers her immensely. The general story then is comedic in nature and about him, the junior high student getting into embarrassing situations with her, the ex combat android.

Ai Yori Aoshi – Kaoru is a typical college student who just so happened to have been betrothed to marry Aoi, but he walked out of the arranged marriage. She however shows up and forces her presence upon him and when he eventually moves into her residence, her sisters and other family proceed to make his life ever so much fun. The typical routine, but this one is a little more serious besides its jokes, making sure to not take the plight of its protagonists too lightly.