Having multiple spouses is normal and accepted to some religions and cultures. This is especially true for the royal families during the olden times. Nowadays, harems are far and few between, since it’s frowned upon by modern society for several valid reasons. Nonetheless, such a topic is still widely tackled in manga and anime. Of course, it’s mostly done in unrealistic settings and whatnot.

Discussion Time

The story begins when the second prince of the filthy rich country of Armadia needs to be smuggled out of a hotel. He enlists, for a price, our protagonist Sanagi to sneak him out rolled up in a carpet. The reason he wants to escape is so he can commit suicide, an attempt foiled by Sanagi and before she knows it prince Liu falls madly in love with her changing her fate forever.

1. Not-really-a-harem Harem

Honestly, the title is misleading, which results in a pleasant surprise. Even though it suggests that Liu, the Sheikh, has a harem, the reality is far from that. True enough, Sanagi claims to be part of Liu’s harem, however, she is the only one in it. Liu said that he only needs Sanagi in his harem. As long as he has Sanagi, he doesn’t need anybody else. Yeah, that line got us too! If you’re not much of a harem fan, then don’t go counting this series out of your reading list yet. Just ignore the title and give it a try.

2. A Look Behind a Cult?

The kingdom of Armadia is quite unique. It’s not just a country, but also a religious cult. The way it’s run is similar to Vatican City, but instead of the pope, the royal family is seen as the divine. This is quite interesting as the series portrays Armadia’s constituents as devout followers that both fear and admire the royal family. In fact, there’s a scene where Liu easily makes a merchant confess simply by staring at him. On Liu’s defense, he does possess the unique red eyes that only the males of the royal family possess, and we can definitely see how red eyes can be terrifying.

1. A Bit Difficult To Get Giddy

Admittedly, the series has multiple squeal-inducing scenes and lines. However, the fact that Sanagi only agrees to marry Liu out of financial burden kind of spoils the mood. Even though Liu doesn’t intend to manipulate or harm Sanagi by unconsciously putting pressure on her, we still find his mindlessness a bit bothersome. On his defense, though, he is still a seventeen-year-old child. Nonetheless, Liu can be unintentionally obnoxious and unwitting at times.

Final Thoughts

Just like most romance series, both Sanagi and Liu’s lives change the moment they meet each other. Liu saves Sanagi and her family from financial hardship, while Sanagi saves Liu’s life. Overall, fans of similar series may find With the Sheikh in His Harem interesting. After all, there are multiple cute scenes. However, the series comes short in terms of wow factor and can even come off as average.

Writer

Author: Christian Markle

I am a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. I love watching anime, reading manga, and writing my own stories. Watch out in the future as you may see one of my works one day. Manga and anime were big parts of my childhood. I grew up watching Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Those were probably one of the happiest and most carefree days of my life. In fact, most of my values are probably molded by manga. No, that's not an exaggeration.

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