The harem genre is a controversial one that is either a hit or a miss for anime fans. There are people for whom the idea of having multiple options for romantic partners does not go well, while others absolutely love this kind of setup.
However, one thing more or less remains constant in almost all harem anime; the male lead chooses one girl in the end. There is almost always a clear winner who gets the protagonist and a bunch of losers who miss out on their opportunity.
But with such an ending, a harem anime ironically challenges its own concept of being a ‘harem’ by devolving into a monogamous relationship. Yet, 100 Girlfriends That Really Really Really Really Really Love You or The 100 Girlfriends, has achieved the impossible by promising a true harem conclusion with no losers.
100 Girlfriends That Really Really Really Really Really Love You broke the harem formula
Almost all the famed harem anime like Nisekoi, The Quintessential Quintuplets, etc, follow a set premise. There will be one male protagonist who will have more than one love interest and there will be no clear indication as to whom he will choose in the end. He will also enjoy romantic moments with all the girls, but only one will emerge victorious.
The 100 Girlfriends effectively throws this trope out of the window because, in this show, every girl is the best girl. Right off the bat, the main character, Aijo Rentaro, gets two girlfriends all at once and, from then on, starts to expand his family.
Though Girlfriend, Girlfriend also depicts a story with multiple love interests, unlike them, The 100 Girlfriends does not bother showcasing its polyamorous relationships as bad. No, they own up to the fact that Aijo will have everyone.
Here, there will be no fan wars, no frustrating love triangles, or one-sided crushes as everyone gets a happy ending. Hilariously, all the girls in this show also have no problem with sharing their man. It is almost as if they are lucky to get a man so generously in love with everyone like Aijo.
A self-aware show that knows it is absurd
Not once does this anime take its own themes seriously, and it is obvious from the frequent references to other anime. Apart from that, you also get some really steamy scenes again with a level of self-awareness that makes things more hilarious than weird.
The humor also lands very well because the anime and the characters understand how ridiculous its entire premise is. Perhaps a more outlandish aspect of the show is how good and serious the animation and production quality is, considering it is not a high fantasy or Shonen anime.
This anime is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but if someone watches it with an open mind and without expecting much from the plot, they should definitely enjoy it. It is very honest with its approach and doesn’t fear showcasing itself exactly what it is: a true harem anime.
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byu/etriuswimbleton from discussion
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The massive popularity of this show proves even absurd themes and quirky characters can become very famous if handled correctly. Hopefully, Aijo will be able to keep his promise and manage to love all his 100 girlfriends equally till the end.
Watch 100 Girlfriends That Really Really Really Really Really Love You on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
