Hi! I’m a female romance writer trying to better understand male-targeted power fantasy, especially harem-style stories. Most of my writing background is in emotionally-driven romance, so I’m used to approaching characters and relationships from a very different lens. I want to study how male POV leads are written in power fantasy and what makes them appealing, how wish-fulfillment is structured, and how harem dynamics work for that audience. It's my first time looking for these types but it's kinda important to my own writing. TT I’d really appreciate recommendations for each of the following. “Must-read” or influential harem/power fantasy stories (webnovels, light novels, manga, anime, etc.) Examples of strong vs weak executions? Any stories where the MC really captures the core appeal of the genre? Anything that helped you understand why these stories are satisfying? I'm also curious about how political or “intrigue-heavy” settings (like noble courts, sect politics, academies, etc.) interact with the harem/power fantasy structure. Does it mainly exist to raise stakes and give the MC status progression, or does it meaningfully shape relationships and harem dynamics in most stories? If you’re open to it, I’d also love to hear what you personally enjoy about them especially from a reader perspective. Not here to critique, just trying to understand and learn from a different lens. I'm open to manhua reccs as well as long as they have good art (pls good art reccs only) (^^|I|)
Thanks!