Responses
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!! god i hate harems so much... u have no idea how much i curse whenever i see that damn emperor...
Not to take away from you comment on fictional harems, but historical harems were toxic and based on control. That was the whole point, like you’re criticisms of fictional ones is valid but it’s not a “hot take” on history it’s the most basic understanding on the topic.
Honestly, harems in fiction (and historically) just don’t work they’re built on patriarchal control, not love. Even in stories where the female lead is strong or a warrior type, her agency is often crushed by palace politics, jealousy, or being reduced to a trophy. Take the baroness concubine, for example: she doesn’t even seem to love the emperor she’s likely doing what she has to survive in that shitty imperial palace. It’s just another classist, misogynistic piece of world-building. Even the man who's having an affair with a concubine in their pov the two probably had affection with each other but one must survive in a harem through birthing a child while the other is a fallen noble who can't do anything if they are the one doing the pov you'll probably hate the emperor (it's just classist how the emperor must be obeyed like a god)
Reverse harems aren’t much better they fetishize power imbalances and normalize possessiveness under the guise of romance. Romanticizing harems is basically a gooner fantasy: it erases the harm these structures cause and treats women as objects rather than people. Strong, independent characters shouldn’t be sidelined for political drama or turned into punchlines—love in a harem scenario is almost always conditional, performative, and rooted in control.
In short: harems look dramatic, but they’re emotionally, morally, and socially toxic. Fiction that glorifies them ends up reinforcing misogyny and classism under a shiny, romantic veneer. Well it's just a passing thought also disappointing that the fl barely live to the title of the manhwa