Summary
B are often associatedwith frisky fan serviceand harmless love debacles, treating emotions as an excuse for a string of raunchy affairs. However, the very same affection can lead to some macabre conclusions, with some characters going a bit too far in their pursuit of love. The essence ofdark haremrevolves around this very concept, featuring narratives filled with grim themes that, more often than not, spring from the harem itself.
Some dark harem manga are naturally set in grisly settings, while others are a result of characters giving in to their carnal desires. These narratives know no bounds in terms of incorporating all manner of mature elements, ranging from trauma and abuse to straight-up murders and killing sprees — all in the name of love.
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Author
Matra & Milan
After being bitten by a vampire, Saya remains locked up inside her home, fearing that she will end up feasting on innocent humans. The only thing she looks forward to in life is getting to see her brother, Shou,a once-gentle big brotherwho now hunts pure-blooded vampires in the dead of night.
However, Shou and Saya’s relationship isn’t that simple, as turning into a vampire led to her primal instincts taking over. With Saya being part of Shou’s harem,Sister Blood: Gensou no Tsuki to Furueru Chitrudges towards a few controversial elements, though the manga balances out its scandalous side with a very intriguing setting.
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Overflow
School Daysis the quintessential dark harem manga, notorious for its macabre ending. The manga primarily follows Makoto and his love triangle with Kotonoha and Sekai, with the latter helping Makoto with his crush on Kotonoha. As the two finally begin to date, Sekai reveals her true intentions — keeping Makoto all to herself.
Love triangles often end upleaving behind broken hearts, yet this one ends up leaving a trail of blood. With multiple on-screen and video game adaptations,School Days’premise certainly has merit, though the horrid nature of this dark harem manga is sure to take readers by surprise.
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Touka Takei
On the surface,Mousugu Shinu Hitoseems like any other harem manga, covering all the bases, with a male protagonist being the target of attention of the childhood friend, the popular girl, and the transfer student. However, the initial facade of a rom-com harem is immediately shattered after the first chapter, revealing the true nature of the premise.
Riku Kominato may have women vying for his affection, yet he has an even bigger murder-mystery plot looming over his head. As Riku and his harem begin receiving threatening messages regarding their dooms, the lives of this unfortunate group are forever upended.
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Japanese Title
Renai Harem Game Shuuryou no Oshirase ga Kuru Koro ni
True to its namesake,Harem Royale: When the Game Endsis a literal battle between a group of girls, and those that fail to win over the protagonist will end up dying. After releasing a demon, Kohinata Asanaro’s life is turned upside down, as a harem suddenly surrounds his everyday life, fighting for his attention.
For the oblivious protagonist, his sudden harem of babes might seem likesomething out of a rom-com. The same can’t be said for the victims of this curse, as those who fail to make Kohinata fall for them will meet their demise. While this dark harem manga has some semblance of comedy within it, the suspense of their eventual fate keeps the setting dark and grim.
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Satoshi Urushihara
Vampire manga are all the ragein the harem landscape, though most of these narratives are often heavy on the fan service side of things, forgoing the plot entirely.Vampire Master Dark Crimsonmight be a vampire harem manga, yet the main premise takes center stage in this suspense-laden dark manga.
‘Crimsons’ and ‘Clients,’ two opposing forces, have always been at odds with each other, and Shion is at the center of this conflict as he battles Clients, despite bearing half of their blood inside him. With a loyal sidekick and a new follower, this vampire fights monsters on the daily, all while harboring a burgeoning harem by his side.
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Seigai no Majo
Set in 15th-Century Rome, the human world is at war against witches, and one man discovers he is fated to be the key in ending this conflict. Nikola bears the power to revive fallen witches to fight for humans, essentially ending the enemy’s onslaught once and for all.
There’s a catch, however, as Nikola must enter a marriage contract with every witch he revives as an ally. With beautiful witches and gore-filled scenes,Holy Corpse Risingperfectly captures the essence of dark harem manga.
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Haruaki Katou
Despite harboring a strong dislike for women, Shinya ends up getting entangled in an eccentric bunch of girls, each with a personality that representsoverly-exaggerated harem tropes. However,Abnormal-kei Joshiisn’t a typical flimsy harem manga, as things turn dark with murders, psychological horrors, and suspenseful drama taking hold of the narrative.
Unlike regular harem protagonists, Shinya is rather calm and calculated, a refreshing change from the usual airheads featured in these manga. The same can’t be said for his peculiar harem, as each member brings something more bizarre than the previous one, ranging from a delusional fantasy enthusiast to a wanna-be vampire who wants to suck Shinya’s blood.
