Recently, users on Twitter/X discussed the stress that a harem environment can cause, prompted by comments from Japanese users about the anime series Infinite Stratos. The messages centered between some of the characters in the series, as well as about an image of the anime’s cast and how the discomfort of voice actor Kōki Uchiyama, who played the protagonist Ichika Orimura, can be perceived, highlighting referring to characters within the anime as well as the cast of seiyuus that the series had.
The stress of the harem in Infinite Stratos that the character and the seiyuu had.
Through Twitter/X, several users began to debate on the topic of the stress that a harem can cause, and it all started with the publication of a tweet by the user @deremasu_miho, who expressed his opinion about the harem environment in Infinite Stratos. According to him, the “forced” harem like the one in the series can cause great stress on the male characters, he mentioned that it is natural that, if a kind and attractive character like Charlotte Dunoi arrives, one will actively try to approach him.
In his publication, he also suggested that more time should have been spent on developing the romantic comedy centered on the revelation of Charlotte’s boy disguise, to create a deeper and more meaningful closeness between the characters. Charlotte Dunoi, who was originally introduced as Charles, is one of the characters in Ichika Orimura’s harem; originally, Charles was sent to the same room as Ichika under the assumption that they were both men, with the goal of spying on Ichika.
However, in the Infinite Stratos anime the truth about Charlotte’s gender is later revealed when it is discovered that she is actually a woman, user @deremasu_miho wished to see more romantic moments between Charlotte and Ichika before her true gender was discovered. And that is because this would have added an additional layer of depth to the narrative and romantic comedy, and would have been one of the most engaging moments to watch for fans of the anime.
The post gained further popularity when another user, @VkstfZ, shared a photo of seiyuu Kōki Uchiyama, who voices Ichika Orimura in Infinite Stratos. In the image, Uchiyama is shown surrounded by the voice actresses of the female characters in the series, and his expression of discomfort is evident, the photo includes text in Japanese highlighting the harem situation Uchiyama’s character finds himself in. What’s interesting is how it reflects the tension that can be generated by being surrounded by several female characters in a forced romantic context.
For its part, Infinite Stratos is set in the near future, where exoskeletons known as Infinite Stratos (IS) have revolutionized the world as powerful and sophisticated weapons, being piloted exclusively by women due to a genetic defect that only they can overcome. The plot follows Ichika Orimura, a young man who surprisingly discovers that he can pilot an IS, making him the first man in the world with this ability. Because of his unique talent, Ichika is admitted to the IS Academy, an elite school for IS pilots that until now has been exclusively female.
At the academy, Ichika finds himself involved in various IS-related situations and adventures as he struggles to adapt to his new life and master the piloting of these powerful armors. As he faces the challenges of interpersonal relationships and the feelings that his female classmates begin to develop towards him, the series mixes mecha action, romantic comedy and drama, exploring Ichika’s daily life at the academy.
©Izuru Yumizuru, OVERLAP/Project IS ©2011 Izuru Yumizuru, MEDIA FACTORY/Project IS