9 Most Oblivious Harem Anime Protagonists, Ranked

Harem anime are usually comical in nature, centering around the idea of a bunch of women being interested in one guy. For the most part, it is simply fan-service, but things can go a step further when the protagonist has absolutely zero idea of how the girls around him actually feel.

Depending on the viewer, this could be either really funny or really frustrating. That said, even in the realm of oblivious harem characters in anime, some stand out even more than most.

9

Naofumi Iwatani (The Rising Of The Shield Hero)

Naofumi Was Too Busy Licking His Wounds To Notice Raphtalia And Everyone Else

Naofumi Iwatani is a famous anime character due to the controversy following the first episode of The Rising Of The Shield Hero, which saw Naofumi accused of assault by another character, Malty.

What followed was Naofumi’s descent into despair, and while banished, he gathers a team around him, and each member just so happens to be a woman. They all love Naofumi, with Raphtalia’s feelings being especially strong. However, Naofumi is hell-bent on revenge and hardly takes notice.

8

Issei Hyoudou (Highschool DxD)

Issei’s Trauma Doesn’t Allow Him To Respond To The Feelings Of Those Around Him

Issei is a perverted anime character who would probably be less liked in the world of today than he would have been back in 2012. However, in Highschool DxD, he is the harem protagonist that all the girls flock to.

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But due to a traumatic event involving a woman (demon), Raynare, Issei becomes quite despondent and is unable to respond to the feelings of the girls around him. He typically assumes he is being teased or even led on. He does seem to like Rias quite a lot, though.

7

Raku Ichijou (Nisekoi)

Raku’s Sweet Personality Gets Women To Fall For Him

The heir of the Yakuza clan, Raku, only wants to live a normal life, but things are turned upside down when he is forced to date Chitoge in order to keep the peace between clans.

Raku is a sweet guy and is shown to care deeply for those around him. This gets girls to really fall in love with him, but Raku is driven by a promise he made to an unknown girl when he was younger. He is dense when it comes to most romantic situations, and that makes up part of the show’s humor.

6

Goblin Slayer (Goblin Slayer)

He Has Only One Thing On His Mind: Slaying Goblins

Goblin Slayer is a harem anime. Naturally, there might be some dissent towards this, but the ultra-violent dark fantasy anime, which features an incredibly controversial pilot, has its fair share of women fawning over the main character.

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The stoic Goblin Slayer, who wants nothing more than to kill the small green gremlins, has both Cow Girl and Guild Girl vying for dates with him. Then, there is his relationship with the priestess, the Sword Maiden, and even the archer Elf, but Goblin Slayer only cares about slaying goblins.

5

Keitaro Urashima (Love Hina)

Keitaro’s Tokyo University Dream Might Hinge On Him Not Facing Romance

Keitaro Urashima wants to go to Tokyo University, but he doesn’t seem to have the academic chops for it and has failed twice so far. He is sent to live in his Grandmother’s hotel, but it is now a girls’ hostel.

Keitaro is a typical harem protagonist and is even considered in some quarters as the original harem MC. He has a lot of girls interested in him, but with being a timid character and needing to pass his exams, he doesn’t seem to have any idea of the feelings of those around him.

4

Tatsuya Shiba (The Irregular At Magic High School)

The Genius Character Doesn’t Seem Concerned With Anyone But His Sister

The Irregular at Magic High School features Tatsuya as an overpowered character who has everything, ranging from talent to girls fawning all around him. But his character is played as a straight-laced leader who simply cares for those around him.

Of his many love interests is also his sister, Miyuki, who is obsessed with him. While Tatsuya is clearly protective of Miyuki and cares for her, it doesn’t seem like he grasps the romantic aspect of her attention.

3

Catarina Claes (My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!)

Catarina Is As Dense As They Come

The premise of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! sees the protagonist, Catarina Claes, realizing that she has lived a life as a normal Japanese otaku and that she is doomed to now play the role of a villainess in a video game.

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Catarina becomes a kind, thoughtful individual who values hard work. However, one of her glaring personalities, which has ironically endeared her to many, is just how dense she is. Catarina is loved by many – men and women alike, but she is completely oblivious to this. It can be very amusing to watch as she completely misinterprets when people are fighting over her.

2

Cid Kagenou (The Eminence In Shadow)

Cid Seems To Only Love Only One Person: Himself

The Eminence In Shadow is a show that plays up to all its tropes unabashedly, featuring an overpowered protagonist and a dizzying harem, with everyone being ready to do Cid’s bidding, no matter what it is.

In the midst of all this, it is quite funny how Cid has no idea as to the feelings of those around him. Obsessed with his fantasy of being a supervillain who skulks in the shadows, Cid only cares for himself, and this makes him unable to respond to those who show interest in him.

1

Ichika Orimura (Infinite Stratos)

The Most Oblivious Of Them All

Ichika Orimura is by far the most oblivious character to the feelings of others that one could imagine. Found to be the only male who could pilot in Infinite Stratos, Ichika is enrolled in an all-girls school of IS pilots, and the normal harem hijinks ensue.

Ichika doesn’t seem to notice any of the feelings that come his way and is instead bothered by whether he would be able to pilot the IS properly. Ichika’s obliviousness is mostly used for comedic effect and is easily one of the most engaging parts of the show.

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