What is a Harem?

Anime and manga’s harem subgenre doesn’t share many links with historical harems once you get under the surface. The genre features a group of love interests which surround the protagonist. More specifically, a harem story features a male who is surrounded by females, and a reverse harem features a female who is surrounded by males. Sometimes you will find harem stories with gay or lesbian or even bisexual protagonists, but these tend to be less common. The dynamics of these stories fall into a...