Fraught with endless fan service, the harem manhwa is a popular genre in Korean comics that typically features a male protagonist surrounded by multiple female characters who are romantically interested in him. These stories often involve elements of romance, comedy, and sometimes fantasy or supernatural themes, depending on the central storyline.
Beloved for their numerous love interests, harem anime are eternally popular. These are the best harem animes ever made.
Harem manhwa can be entertaining and engaging reads for fans of romance and slice-of-life genres, offering a mix of humour and drama as the protagonist navigates his relationships with the various female characters interested in him. In this regard, here are the best of the genre for readers whose preferences run along these lines.
Updated on October 16, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Harem manhwa tend to be fairly similar, and this article focuses specifically on the type that centers around a guy. Reverse harems are their own thing; however, Surviving a Harem is a bit of an exception. Read it and laugh.
15
Shadow of the Supreme/Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Anime-Planet Rating: 4 / 5
- Creator(s): Min Yong Ki
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Time Travel
- No. of Chapters: 76+
- Status: Ongoing
- Tapas
Known by two names, Shadow of the Supreme is a relatively new manhwa that debuted in 2024, although the novel has been around for a while longer. Featuring a regression storyline that sees the male MC, Yangcheon Gu, heading back to his childhood after suffering a rather painful death, the manhwa follows the protagonist’s attempts to avoid going down a route that would see him enchained as a patsy for demons (at least, that is the initial impression; in truth, his backstory is quite complex).
Now, I would recommend seeking out Shadow of the Supreme solely for its harem, as it is a relatively minor part of the overall story that takes quite a while to develop. However, the girls are quite fascinating in their own right, particularly the two main characters, who are opposites in many ways. If you want an interesting martial arts manhwa with a decent MC and a few good FMCs, this should get the job done.
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.6 / 5
- Creator(s): Toy Car, Studio Zilpung, Tetsubi Meguri
- Genre: Action, Adventure
- No. of Chapters: 60
- Status: Canceled
Never Die Extra features the somewhat confusing reincarnation tale of the central character, Evan D. Sherden, who suddenly gets reincarnated into the hit fantasy game Demon War 3. In the game, certain characters called extras die in various ways every day.
Unfortunately, Evan D. has just been reincarnated as the extra whose death scene is most cherished by the game’s production team for its exclusively thrilling graphics, making his death a necessity for the game. However, now reincarnated as that particular extra, Evan D. has his heart set on not dying, putting him on a seemingly impossible quest for survival, whatever the cost.
13
Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.8 / 5
- Creator(s): Sikppang, Korita
- Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Isekai
- No. of Chapters: 50
- Status: Canceled
To be honest, I am hesitant to recommend Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel, as the manhwa was seemingly canceled after just 50 chapters. Perhaps the series will return in a second season, but that does not seem likely at this point. Still, the available content is quite good, and if you end up really enjoying it, there is always the option to check out the novel.
Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel has quite a “standard-ish” premise for a harem manhwa, in which a pretty powerful male protagonist finds himself living in the world of a romance book. While that concept is nothing new, this manhwa has a couple of fun twists. Firstly, the protagonist is reincarnated as an original character who is not from the novel, and he has been living in this world for roughly a decade by the start of the story. Seo Tae-pyung is the female protagonist’s brother, and he gradually finds himself drawn into the middle of a harem consisting of royal women, as the manhwa is mainly set in a concubine palace (although not exclusively).
The story is quite entertaining, but Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel‘s strongest element is its likable female characters. The manhwa does a good job of avoiding stereotypes, instead fleshing out the girls enough so they do not come across like they are just there to tick an archetype box. The art is quite good as well, with vibrant colors and well-designed characters. Overall, this is a fun harem manhwa that, well, can be completed quickly due to its short length.
12
Surviving A Harem
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.9 / 5
OK, here is something a touch different. This article does not include reverse harems since those are generally considered a separate genre, even if there is a lot of overlap. Manhwa has plenty of stories that fit that category, but Surviving a Harem is kind of an odd case that can be described as both a harem and a reverse variant. More importantly, it works as a comedy and a parody, making it one of the funnier manhwa recommended on this list. Admittedly, it primarily pokes fun at otome games and reverse harems rather than traditional harems, but it is still worth a read if you are mostly just familiar with the latter.
Jun Yu dies stupidly after a harsh breakup with his girlfriend, but he gets an opportunity to reincarnate. He just has to complete a game. To be exact, an otome game. Yeah, this boxing champion finds himself playing the part of a girl who must attend school and play through the routes of three guys, and he is utterly ill-prepared to take on such a challenge. Not only does his vulgar attitude annoy his supposed partners, but he quickly becomes something of a gang leader.
Surviving a Harem is just funny, plain and simple. Sometimes it is nice to laugh.
11
Valhalla Saga
Anime-Planet Rating: 4 / 5
- Creator(s): Chwiryong
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
- No. of Chapters: 55+
- Status: Ongoing
- Webtoon
Now, this is a fun manhwa. Valhalla Saga follows Taeha, an elite gamer who dies and goes to the warriors’ afterlife. Yes, he ends up in Valhalla, rubbing shoulders with great Vikings and other fighters who died in battle. Naturally, Taeha is not quite equipped to handle his new life’s challenges, at least not initially. With Ragnarok on the horizon, he will need to pick up the slack if he wants himself and everyone else to survive.
Now, Valhalla Saga is still in its relative infancy, with the manhwa gradually making its way through the 2017 novel. The content is, so far, quite good and incorporates humor really well, while also throwing in a bit of action. The harem is still in its infancy, but it is very clearly a central part of Taeha’s journey.
10
I Killed the Main Player
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.9 / 5
- Creator(s): HELP.ME
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- No. of Chapters: 93+
- Status: Ongoing
- Webtoon
I Killed the Main Player has some good ideas and offers a pretty fun twist on the “trapped in a game” concept, with the protagonist reincarnated as an NPC and the villain being the story’s hero. The former travels back three years after learning that the latter is awful (and has a massive crush on him), and he makes it his mission to kill the main player. Cool idea.
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While the manhwa has some issues, the harem is certainly not one of them. In fact, an argument could be made that the harem is the main reason to read I Killed the Main Player, as it is not only central to the story but also revolves around solely likable characters. The girls are all great, and the male lead is solid as well.
9
Demon King of the Royal Class
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.0 / 5
- Creator(s): Geuljaengi S, Ronopu
- Genre: Action, Fantasy
- No. of Chapters: 80
- Status: Complete (Or Ended, To Be Exact)
- Tapas
Demon King of The Royal Class presents the life of the central character, the author of the popular novel The Demon King is Dead. When he dies, his life is suddenly halted, and he is given two choices: to go to hell or be reincarnated into his novel and survive until the end.
Choosing the latter, he is unfortunately reborn as Baalier Junior, a weak demon prince who has just had his realm conquered. Things further spiral out of control as his attempt at escaping gets him enrolled at the prestigious human school, the Gradias Temple, as a student of the Royal Class. Determined to survive, Baalier must navigate his new reality and all the problems that may come with it.
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.1 / 5
- Creator(s): Korita
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
- No. of Chapters: 82
- Status: Season 1 has ended, but there should be a season 2
- Webtoon
A pretty popular magic academy manhwa, The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide is an isekai about a guy who becomes trapped in a game as a secondary villain who is not destined to accomplish much beyond being a minor obstacle during the early parts of the story. Coming from a noble family, Ed faked his way into a prestigious academy, and his world comes crumbling down when he is disowned by his family and thrown out of school. Despite finding himself in extremely dire straits, the protagonist plans to use his knowledge of the game and general intelligence to survive, no matter what.
The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide has way more going for it than just harem antics, but the latter is one of its selling points. Ed fairly quickly finds himself surrounded by potential suitors, with Janica, Lucy, and Lortelle being the main ones. Along with having great designs, the girls are well-written and come across as fully fleshed-out individuals rather than just love interests.
7
Off To An Invincible Start
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.0 / 5
- Creator(s): Bo Yi Dongman
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
- No. of Chapters: 118
- Status: Suspended
Off To An Invincible Start presents a comical tale about the central character, Chen Changan, whose everyday life is disrupted when he is suddenly transported to a fantasy world. In this new world, Chen realizes that his existence comes with a condition that will guarantee his survival—a field of invincibility that ensures he will be unbeatable for as long as he remains within it.
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Chen swears never to leave the field until he gains immortality. Out of boredom, he explores his new world while facing and defeating countless monsters and occasionally raising disciples. Accidentally, Chen raises his disciples into powerful cultivation leaders, ultimately turning the world on its head with their presence.
6
4 Cut Hero
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.0 / 5
- Creator(s): Gojira-kun
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- No. of Chapters: 257
- Status: Complete
An all-around great and frequently hilarious manhwa, 4 Cut Hero is worth reading for the complete package rather than just its harem. That’s not to say the latter is lacking or unenjoyable, but it is ultimately a small part of the experience as this is a comedy-fantasy manhwa with harem elements rather than a full member of the latter genre. After defeating the Demon King, Zeed is kind of struggling to find his place in the world, especially since heroes are not really all that important in normal society. As such, he starts expanding his scope by accepting quests and jobs that are not exactly heroic, all the while engaging with characters that he would have previously fought.
4 Cut Hero has a pretty great cast of characters and a willingness to cycle through them. Zeed glues nearly everything together, but he is hardly the only memorable figure. Girls (and love interests) are introduced sporadically, and they are allowed to exist beyond their romantic potential for the protagonist. Characters like Gyel and Zena are entertaining, while Daru is a fun twist on the typical harem partner.
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