There's no denying that the harem trope, or genre, is incredibly popular in the world of anime. Composed of a central character with three or more love interests, this type of anime often has quite light-hearted and humorous tones behind it. Although it can be problematic, the genre's popularity lies in wish fulfillment. With its relatable protagonists and lovable characters who the audience can root for in "teams," a good deal of anime makes use of the trope to keep viewers interested.
This goes without saying, but not every anime is a harem anime or utilizes the trope. Especially when it comes to anime with serious tones, where the trope simply would not be appropriate. However, this leaves audiences questioning what the characters would be like in other scenarios or worlds. Some characters would likely flourish in harem scenarios, while others would hate every second of it. Either situation would make for hilarious results.
This list contains some spoilers for Assassination Classroom, Danganronpa, and Fairy Tail.
10 Koro-Sensei (Assassination Classroom)
With his eccentric personality and interesting design, it would certainly be interesting to see Koro-Sensei as a harem protagonist. He would probably be overjoyed at the situation too. With his appearance before being turned into an overpowered yellow octopus, it would be easier to visualize Koro-Sensei (or Ryushi Korogane) in a situation where he has three or more love interests. But it would be so much funnier to see it happen in his octopus form.
In any situation, Koro-Sensei as a harem protagonist would be like something straight out of a comedy anime. In particular, it would be the kind of anime that subverts the viewer's expectations, revealing his true form much later on in the series after all the characters have already fallen for him. With his personality, Koro-Sensei would definitely keep things interesting.
9 Saiki Kusuo (The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K)
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is already a comedy and a brilliant one at that. Adding a harem would make it that much funnier. Saiki is known for rejecting any and all romantic advances sent his way, going as far as to change the weather so that he didn't have to walk home in the rain with a girl who had a crush on him. Under the pressure of three or, even worse, more love interests he would certainly be busy trying to avoid all interaction with them.
For a character who thinks romance is a burden, being stuck as the protagonist of a harem anime can only end in catastrophe. It would be incredibly annoying for him. But it would be extremely amusing to watch it happen.
8 Hange Zoë (Attack On Titan)
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Hange is definitely an unconventional character. She is level-headed, calm, and responsible, making her very well-suited for the world of Attack on Titan. But what makes her the well-loved character she is for fans of the show is her unique, fun, and energetic personality. Hange has an odd way of conducting herself and her research. She is unapologetically herself and would be the same in any universe.
Hange as a harem protagonist is hilarious to imagine. She likely would be far too focused on some sort of research to even notice that the other characters in the harem have a crush on her. And even if she did notice, she wouldn't show it. This could definitely lead to some funny situations in the harem anime due to the lack of reciprocation.
7 Jiraiya (Naruto)
Jiraiya would make a fantastic harem protagonist, and certainly a hilarious one too. He is one of those characters who doesn't miss an opportunity to make a scene, with his over-the-top personality and teasing sense of humor. His light-hearted demeanor would fit in perfectly in a harem scenario, and he would certainly enjoy it too.
Throughout Naruto, Jiraiya always had flirtatious, and sometimes rather inappropriate comments to make around women. These comments and his way of conducting himself would make him hilarious in any harem situation, especially as a protagonist. It's definitely easy to imagine him ending up in some very funny and awkward situations.
6 Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia)
Cluelessness takes a human form in Shoto Todoroki. His oblivious personality and a general tendency to take things too literally have made for some pretty funny situations in My Hero Academia. Most memorably, in his fake interview with Mt Lady, she tells him that if he flashed a smile the ladies would "drop dead" and he takes that to mean that they will actually die.
Todoroki can be quite awkward around women and sometimes does not know how to act. These qualities would make him an amusing harem protagonist. His sweet and careful nature along with his aloofness would certainly create some hilarious situations. In fact, Todoroki probably wouldn't even realize the love interests from the harem liked him at all.
5 Minako Aino (Sailor Moon)
Minako Aino, or Sailor Venus, is unsurprisingly associated with love. Venus is the planet of love, after all, and Venus is also the name of the Roman Goddess of love. Minako is a hopeless romantic who wants to find love above all but certainly isn't opposed to a bit of harmless flirtation here and there. In a way, this makes her perfect for the role of a harem protagonist.
Minako is also a bit of a klutz, although she does mean well. She has her fair share of hilarious situations throughout Sailor Moon. Being put at the forefront as a harem protagonist would allow leeway for more of those hilarious situations, mixed with her lively personality, to shine through.
4 Celestia Ludenberg (Danganronpa)
It's what she would have wanted. Fans of Danganronpa are likely familiar with Celestia's dream to own a European Castle filled with handsome male servants dressed as vampires. Although slightly ridiculous, this dream would make for a pretty funny vampire-romance-type harem anime.
As the Ultimate Gambler, Celestia was very good at hiding her emotions behind a perfectly crafted poker face. She was cool and level-headed, right up until the very end that is. Once her plan was revealed Celestia showed her true colors, and this aspect of her personality would make her hilarious in her own anime as a harem protagonist.
3 Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)
Gray already has a hard time dealing with Juvia, imagine him in a situation with three or more Juvias. As a harem protagonist, Gray would have a hard time reciprocating any romantic advancements from his love interests. It would be like a repeat of his relationship with Juvia in Fairy Tail, ramped up to an even higher extreme. And that on its own would be hilarious to watch.
Also, Gray is known for having a pretty absurd habit where he often takes his shirt off for no apparent reason, which comes from his childhood and training to be an ice-make user. Regardless, this habit of his would be very funny to witness around a harem, and Gray himself would make for a hilarious harem protagonist.
2 Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Yuki Sohma starts off Fruits Basket with his very own fan club, which refers to him as a prince. Despite arguments about whether Fruits Basket is a harem, Yuki is not the protagonist in this anime and his fan club is no harem. It would be very interesting to see him at the forefront because every situation involving his fan club is already hilarious, and it would be even funnier from his perspective.
Also, Yuki cannot be hugged, which would make it very difficult for any prospective love interests to try and make any moves on him. A harem protagonist with a massive secret who cannot be hugged? That definitely sounds like an interesting premise.
1 Mitsuri (Demon Slayer)
The Hashira of Love herself. Mitsuri is a very well-loved character in Demon Slayer, and rightfully so. She is sweet, bubbly, and upbeat, with some clumsy tendencies and a lot of energy. Mitsuri finds herself in a number of hilarious situations throughout the anime, and these would only amp up with her at the forefront.
As a harem protagonist, Mitsuri herself would be quite clueless. Her sweet and well-meaning demeanor would land her in a number of funny situations throughout the harem setting, largely due to the lightheartedness of the genre.