Reverse Harem Anime, love it or hate it is a popular genre among female audiences in the anime industry. However, unlike its sister (or in this case, brother) genre, it has a large number of shortcomings. The main characters almost always have no individuality and are written in accordance with gender norm conventions. Harem Anime, on the other hand usually consists of a male lead with a goal or ambition in mind and develops into a more complex character as the story goes on.
Reverse Harem Anime, generally speaking, doesn't utilize its female characters to their fullest potential, rather opting to make them a mere accessories for whatever the attractive suitor of the week is. In addition to this, she will almost always put up with any kind of abuse thrown at her and will play the role of the damsel in distress. Regular Harem Anime on the hand, tend to have more of a diverse set of characters, including the main character. Not only is the male lead given an opportunity to grow, but the others around him have a large contribution to the plot which makes it an all-around enjoyable watch. This is the biggest aspect Reverse Harem anime lacks.
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Chronic Indecisiveness
Arguably the second most frustrating thing about Reverse Harem Anime for female viewers is the lack of a proper conclusion. Most of these Anime leaves off without the main character choosing a suitor, and if she does, it's usually the one that mistreats her the most.
The Reverse Harem genre tries too hard to cater to a stereotypical female audience that is no longer there. Merely taking a regular Harem Anime and literally reversing it, retaining the same tropes as the former would suffice as an affective true "Reverse Harem" Anime. The female gaze is just as valid as the male gaze.
Normalizing Abusive Behavior
An example of a Reverse Harem Anime that suffers from this misgiving is Diabolik Lovers, which tells the story of a young girl named Yui who finds herself forced to live with a family of vampires. Any attempts to tell a compelling story fall flat when each episode only consists of Yui being berated and attacked by one of the Sakamaki brothers.
She also never displays any character growth or desire for independence - her entire character consists of being a conventionally "I can fix him" nice girl with the only known skill she has is cooking sweets. What's more, this is a template for almost every Reverse Harem Anime heroine.
The Exceptions
The genre has potential for success, and it isn't impossible for a good Reverse Harem Anime that doesn't have these frustrating features to exist. In 2016, Kiss Him Not Me was released as a 12-episode series telling the story of Kae Serinuma, an otaku who as a result of a massive reaction to her favorite character's death, becomes the new heartthrob of 5 characters, 4 of which are male, as they all compete for her love. What's refreshing about this is that the main character is multidimensional, each suitor has traits that are specifically unique to them, and a generous amount of fan service to suit.
It could be argued that there simply just isn't enough of an audience for a complex Reverse Harem Anime. Though, it's a possibility that a large audience for it is scarce because of the lack of proper Reverse Harem Anime.