The Structure and Collapse of Harem Romantic Comedy

In the end, a harem romantic comedy is nothing more than a story in which readers feel good by seeing a protagonist loved by many heroines.

Therefore, the more heroines there are, the better.

When the protagonist becomes more popular, people around him start recognizing him as a fantastic person, and even more girls flock to him.

This is the structure of a harem romantic comedy.

In other words, the protagonist's worth lies solely in being "loved”.

That's why the protagonist must not be "hated”.

For example, let's say that a heroine hates the protagonist.

--Is it possible for another heroine to remain in love with the protagonist who is the cause of her disapproval?

This would cast doubt in the reader's mind, and it's definitely not a good thing.

This is why Ryoma Ryuzaki should take for granted that he is loved.

Otherwise, he loses his value.

And in this story, due to the fact that he was hated by Shiho, who was supposed to be the main heroine, the structure of the harem romantic comedy collapsed.

Because Shiho did not behave as the main heroine, he was perceived as "just someone disliked by a childhood friend”.

Consequently, he became unfit to be the harem romantic comedy protagonist.

So, he clung to Shiho to regain his worth.

If he could win her over, he could once again prove his worth as the harem protagonist.

However, isn't this mindset similar to treating oneself as a mere accessory?

The higher the value, the more people will flock to it.

In this regard, harem romantic comedy heroines are treated similarly to accessories.

If the heroine is just a "symbol," it might be acceptable. "Childhood friend", "sister", "gal”, "shy girl", these symbol-like characters with thin personalities can be casually handled without raising any questions.

　--Because we're childhood friends, I'd love the protagonist no matter what his personality is like.　

    --Because I'm the little sister character, I'd love the protagonist as if he were a brother no matter what.

　--Because I'm a gal, I'd love the protagonist no matter what his personality is like.

　--Because I'm a quiet girl, I'd accept the protagonist no matter what his personality is like.

If the character is simple, you can justify your feelings of love in this way.

But as Ryoma lost his protagonist status and the heroines lost their symbolic aura, they could no longer tolerate being treated casually.

"Something like... ownership is wrong. That's absolutely... That's absolutely..."

Of course, Ryoma himself was probably unaware of this.

In a sense, he can be seen as a victim.

He simply had a distorted perception as a harem protagonist; there was no malice behind it.

Nevertheless, not being aware of it might make it even worse.

"If you didn't know, you can't be blamed."

This excuse can be made.

Unfortunately, as Kotaro once said, ignorance is not an absolution.

Just because you didn't know. Just because you didn't realize.

It doesn't absolve you.

"Then, if you didn't see me as property, that means you understand what kind of person I am, right? If you saw me as one of your close friends, that means you understand my personality, right?"

Kirari didn't allow him to escape.

She could have made excuses and pretended not to see Ryoma's distortion, but she had become more than just a character.

Staying foolish and ignoring it had its limits.

"Try to explain what kind of person I am. If you can understand me, you can say it, right?"

"Of course I can."

With a discouraged attitude, Ryoma talked wildly about Kirari.

“Kirari is bright, carefree, knowledgeable about fashion, and seems like an outgoing girl... a gal, right?"

However, those words were just surface-level information.

He had never truly looked at Kirari's essence.

"--Nyahaha."

Unintentionally, Kirari burst into laughter.

She had deliberately adopted this distinctive way of laughing because she wanted Ryoma to find her even a little bit cute.

Even in text, her laughter made it clear that it was "Kirari's dialogue" to differentiate her character.

She wanted to be special to Ryoma, but he didn't seem to see her at all.

"Come to think of it, Kirari, your way of laughing is weird, isn't it?"

Added almost as an afterthought, it made Kirari sigh.

"...I guess this kind of laughter is silly, isn't it?"

Realizing that her efforts had been in vain, Kirari suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.

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