Well, here it is...post-phoned as a worth project for analysis. And incomplete. But I'm sure y'alls know about your terminology and archetypes.
Harem Anime, a popular import, and specific genre of Japanese Anime, here among my peers. My decision to make this is out of simple acknowledgement of it's popularity and out of a known recognition of a painfully precise structure that seems abhorrent. At first, it is a well-known marketing gimmick for teenage boys visually pleased by a considerably over-sexualized visual setting, but given a new look it is a rigid and self-repeating puzzle waiting to be constructed. It's abundant in messages, and it proves as much of a reflection of the makers as it is a mirror of the viewer. The appropriate method, or the one I preferred, was Claude Lévi-Strauss' structuralist approach. The previously mentioned structure and the abundance of archetypes only strengthen this resolve. The main point, once again taking Lévi-Strauss as support; what precisely are the logical prepositions within the structure?
To briefly explain structuralism, we must examine culture. Culture, the human work of abstracted thought and perception of their environment to properly function at best with it. It's everywhere, from social relations and customs to material creations of human societies. A human society, like an individual being has a constant need to reflect the whole of itself and inevitably does it when perception gets put to work. In this case, it's framed in cels of animation that eventually form part of telecommunications. But, it's a story nonetheless, a creation abundant in archetypes: Binary Opposites. Binary Oppositions that serve as the intangible organizer of social relations in this case. But it is always the filling element wherever it is.
Cultural Backround
Japan has been historically prone to isolation, it retained much of it's customs (most of which were heavily influenced by mainland East Asian influences) until the end of the Second World War, causing a blend and an aspiration of order between modernity and traditionalism.
In a traditional sense, for a long time Japanese society has been full of rigid social hierarchies within interpersonal relations, patriarchy is the norm. In the family setting it is no different. A family is a monogamous unit where a patriarch has heavy influence, though it doesn't necessarily have to be the husband. Younger generations are obedient onto their elders, and women are submissive unto the men. A patriarch was traditionally necessary to maintain the family though the responsibilities of managing it and maintaining the cult of honor to departed ancestors since ancient times.
Since these remote times, there has always been a separation between eroticism and conjugal union. The objective of the latter to make descendants.
In modern times, there is a general dislike to feelings of love, considered a disruptive condition full of passions and emotional inconveniences.
Review
In order to have made this a possibility, I watched KissxSis, Love Hina, and Zero no Tsukaima. Using the previously mentioned structuralism as a theoretic method, I hope to identify the logical prepositions (in this case a culture's ideology) within the format of this particular genre as it reflects the functions of gender roles within Japanese society. The logical prepositions are the perfect base for the values and beliefs of a society applied to reality.
Genre
The generalized classification of anime series with similar characteristics identify harem anime as a series generally dedicated to demonstrating the relationship dynamics of a sole male protagonist and a group of female pretenders. The female protagonists are in essence a raw archetype. The male protagonist is often flawed in personality and reacts unto his harem in varied forms, be it avoidance, acceptance, or outright participation.
General Narrative Structure
The narrative structure is the medium in which the logical prepositions are conveyed. Where the Binary Oppositions are subconsciously put to work. Where the abstract is hoped to be put to applied concrete work in reality. For that to work, the viewer must feel identified in some extent or other to the work displayed. All the series started with a titular introduction in a rather colorful fashion and with cheery or upbeat music, save for the "tender" one of Aoi Yori Aoshi. A basic introduction for the protagonists with text applied to their names appeared in all the series. An ending is generally the same. Series have a middle interlude, in which time for commercials occur and occasionally serve as a brief re-cap of what previously occurred, endings have a brief glimpse of the next episode for added suspense. The series have from a dozen to two dozen episodes, generally.
Archetypes and their Opposites
Tsundere---Yamato Nadeshiko/Maid/Nanny/Motherly-type
Bokuko---Kuudere/Shrinking Violet
Genki Girl---Kuudere/Shrinking Violet
Sexually Provocative Character---Generally all the above mentioned
Protagonist---Romantic Pretender (occasionally)
Protagonist---Romantic Rival (sometimes a more successful person or a lesbian)
Protagonist---Lecherous Friends
The Protagonist
The protagonist is made to be identifiable to the viewer, he is generally a regular person with nothing special. Most of the times he even has personal flaws and factors involving some varying degree of social stigma. He is a nobody, until he meets the main female protagonist who also generally has an edge in the "competition" for him against other female protagonists (Love Hina, Zero no Tsukaima, Ai Yori Aoshi) or alternatively there is no defined preference (KissxSis).
He is bestowed with a specific bond to the female protagonist in all cases, be it by circumstances or by chance. Then a gradual harem forms as girls get drawn by him for some arbitrary reason. He is generally well-meaning in all aspects of his being, at times he can be perverted, he gains self-assurance and firmness to his decision making eventually in most cases. In the case of Hiraga Saito (Zero no Tsukaima) it happens fairly quickly.
The Main Female Protagonist
The idealized romantic partner for the protagonist. The series seen had a preference to the Tsundere-type (Love Hina, Zero no Tsukaima) or the Yamato Nadeshiko (Ai Yori Aoshi). But in all, these archetypes at one point competed to please the protagonist; be it with food, affection, or some sort of sexual proposition (less common with the Yamato Nadeshiko). In most cases, they're desired by the men of the series and are often seen as ideal within their setting (save Louise).
Protagonists listed as tsundere are Naru Narusegawa and Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valerie. Aoi Sakubara is a Yamato Nadeshiko, as is Ako Suminoe.
Other Protagonists
Lesser protagonists often serve as support for the couple. In the harem they can lead to help in solving problems or often times foment them (especially the female archetypes, be it accidentally or purposely) as they surge misunderstandings though sexually compromising situations, or some other form of obstacle for the main couple if there is one. Male supporting staff occasionally give advice to the protagonist which has the same results or is alternatively there so he could act as a foil to what the main protagonist is.
Antagonists
The protagonist is faced with a rival to his beloved's love at times, these are socially more well-off the protagonist (Kaoru's half-brother, Lord Wardes, etc.) or they're a member of the opposite sex who desire the female protagonist. Possibly out of fanservice, or a repression of "unproductive" homosexuality.
Conclusion
Harem anime serves as a reflection of a patriarchal Japanese society and exalts it no-mater what romantic partner is chosen in the stories. In the case the chosen character is not an Ideal Japanese woman, she often tries to be and that's the logical preposition waiting to be put to practice. Protagonists in all cases, obtain success by sticking to social norms and conventional gender roles.
The puzzling show of affection and love could be seen as a simplification of interpersonal relations, or it could be seen as a form of fictionally 'letting off steam', a way of crossing taboo, an escapism in a society known to repress certain degree of sentimentality.
It is a mere mirror of what the viewer is, what they want to be (Big Brother figure or reformed protagonist), and what they don't want to be (loser protagonist and BF).
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Crooks, Robert & Baur, Karla. "Nuestra Sexualidad" (Our Sexuality).Thomson. 7th Edition. Mexico, 2004 (p.43)
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Sorry If I got lazy translating ALL the titles...oh, and I forgot to write down in my special notebook which page I used in the psychology book, but it mentioned that Japanese students (compared to Western ones) have a negative outlook on love.
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:38 pm