I don't know how else to say it. I'm 40 years old, witnessed the Financial crisis of 2008, watched the rise of Authoritarianism in 2016, the Great Plague of 2020, and the implementation of fascism in 2025. I'm tired.

It is shocking how much has changed over the years since I was a teenager to the age I am now. Shocked of not only how cruel people have become but how so much progress in society has been lost.

I grew up with family telling me that we were to love our neighbors, good traditional beliefs, and the importance of religion just to see them put on those fucking red hats and somehow delude themselves into thinking God and the MAGA movement were one in the same.

Though I was on the fence when it came to Religion (ultra conservative family, really hard to shake some learned behaviors), they made me renounce my religion and do a completely 180 dismissing traditional beliefs to embrace what I have come to learn is a much more honest, freeing, and loving existence.

I did not realize how much narrow mindedness existed in the way I was raised. The hate I used to spout as a stupid teenager. I was saved thanks to my loving, bi wife who was the antithesis of how I was raised.

I'm not trying to be political. I'm just trying to understand how so much hate could win again after so much work of trying to be considerate and create a world where everyone could co exist.

That was the goal as a millenial. We were going to be the ones to break the norms, to create a better world due to the previous generation abandoning us. We made the crack, Gen-Z started to push through but this hate, this inequality burned them out and they feel as hopeless as I do.

The thing I am sure of is that I'm not done fighting. I may be older and do not have the same energy as I used to but I'm an old soldier. I supported the mission in Afghanistan, I cried when I saw those people I tried to help put back under Taliban control. I'm not giving up. I will fight this fascist dictatorship any way I can.

I'm just tired.

Wow. When I sat down this evening to just work on one of my #programming projects, I did not expect to see Snopes start posting on their feed with an absolutely absurd story of how they spent six weeks trying to claw back control of their hijacked #Twitter account. Spoiler alert: the experience involved Grok, probably the dumbest AI out there that was actually able to help.

From their statement on March 9th, 2025, a Snopes employee found themselves locked out of the company’s X account. Their CEO checked the site email and—bam—a fresh message from Twitter: “someone new” had just logged in. Unfamiliar location. Then, moments later, another email: “Twitter two-factor authentication is good to go!”

I know if I got this message, my blood pressure would have been through the roof.

They reported their CEO scrambled to reset the password using the “forgot password” link. Success—sort of. While the password was reset, the hacker had already enabled two-factor authentication (2FA). From what they were saying, it was a good thing they hit the reset password as it appears to have blown the hacker out of the account also before they could do any damage.

And so began the long, painful quest to get anyone at X to actually care.

Step one: submit help tickets—”We’ve been hacked” form, “Can’t access 2FA” form—you name it. Silence. Days turned into weeks, and the sound of crickets was deafening. Snopes even shelled out $1,000 for X's Verified Org plan—even though they already had the status for free—hoping it would unlock this mystical “Priority Support.”

Nope.

The actually saving grace here from what they said was Grok. You read that right. Grok of all things. After providing some stupid assistance, it actually pointed them to John Stoll, the head of Twitter's news who actually got to Customer Support and got their account back.

So, what did we learn?

• Always use two-factor authentication. Convenience isn’t worth six weeks of hell.

• Twitter’s customer support is a joke. Even $1,000 a month can’t buy you a human response.

• Networking is useless if no one answers. LinkedIn was a ghost town.

• Grok is as helpful as a Magic 8-Ball. It spat out obvious nonsense before accidentally pointing to the right person.

• John Stoll is the real MVP. He seems to be the only person at X actually was willing to help.

In the end, Snopes’ saga exposes Twitter’s abysmal security and support. It wasn’t money, forms, or AI that saved the day—it was a lucky DM to the one guy who bothered to help.

The moral? Don’t count on Twitter to help even if you're a paying customer, even if you're hacked and the Head of News is the only way to get a hold of customer service.

God. They're fucking stupid. If you want to read Snope's full saga, you can do so here with their leading toot!

I know they're called X now. I don't care. Until Space Karen stops deadnaming his daughter, I won't stop deadnaming his company.

Tags: #infosec #security

I have used Keyoxide for awhile now to verify my identity so I thought to throw together a step by step instructions in case someone wants to do it themselves.

---

What You’ll Need

1. A way to create a PGP key (this is just a fancy term for a digital signature that’s unique to you).
2. Some of your social media profiles or other online accounts you want to link together with this key.

Step 1: Install a Tool to Create Your PGP Key

To get started, you’ll need an app that can make a PGP key for you. Here are some good options: – Windows: Gpg4win – macOS: GPG Suite – Linux: Try running sudo apt install gnupg in your terminal if you don’t already have it.

Follow the instructions on the website for installing the app that matches your operating system. Once you’re set, you’re ready to make your key.

Step 2: Make Your Unique PGP Key

Your PGP key will be like your online signature that connects to all the profiles you want to share.

1. Open the app you just installed and look for the option to make a new key.
2. The app will ask you for some info:
   • Name: This is what people will see connected to your key. It can be your real name or something else you’d like to use.
   • Email: This will help identify your key, so choose one you’re comfortable linking to your online identity.
   • Passphrase: Make sure to pick a good one! This keeps your key secure.

Once you’re done, the app will generate a public key and a private key: – Public key: Safe to share! This is what other people will use to verify your identity. – Private key: Keep this secret—this is what proves the public key is really yours.

Step 3: Find Your Key’s Fingerprint

Your fingerprint is like a digital ID number for your key. It’s a unique mix of numbers and letters that helps Keyoxide identify you.

1. Go back to the app, find your key, and look for the fingerprint (it’s usually a string of about 40 characters).
2. Copy this somewhere handy because you’ll need it soon.

Step 4: Create Proofs to Link Your Social Profiles

This is where you show that certain online accounts really belong to you. You’ll make a short “proof” message for each account, and then link it to your PGP key. Let’s start with an example for Twitter.

1. Write a simple message like:

   This is an OpenPGP proof that connects my Twitter profile (@YourTwitterHandle) to my OpenPGP key.
   

   Replace @YourTwitterHandle with your actual Twitter username.

2. Sign this message with your PGP key to make it official.

   • Most apps will have a “Sign” button for messages. You just paste your proof message there and sign it.
   • If you’re on the command line, use: bash echo "This is an OpenPGP proof that connects my Twitter profile (@YourTwitterHandle) to my OpenPGP key." | gpg --clear-sign This will give you a signed message that you’ll post next.

3. Post the signed message on Twitter as a tweet.

And that’s it! You’ve just linked your Twitter account to your PGP key.

Quick Tips for Other Accounts

Each site may need a different kind of post: – GitHub: Post your signed proof as a Gist. – Reddit: Post your signed proof as a comment or post. – Your own website: Just paste the signed message on a page you control.

Step 5: Make Your Key Public

To get everything working on Keyoxide, you’ll need to share your public key with a key server (like a phonebook for these keys). This way, Keyoxide can find your key and your proofs.

1. In your PGP app, export your public key.
2. Upload it to a key server (like keys.openpgp.org).
   • Most PGP apps have an option to upload it directly, or you can use the command: bash gpg --keyserver keys.openpgp.org --send-keys [YourFingerprint] Now, your public key (and the proofs you linked) are accessible on the web.

Step 6: Check Out Your Keyoxide Profile

Now comes the fun part—seeing it all come together!

1. Go to Keyoxide.
2. Type in your PGP key’s fingerprint and press enter.
3. You should now see your Keyoxide profile, showing all the proofs you’ve linked. Anyone who visits can confirm these profiles belong to you!

Step 7: Share Your Keyoxide Profile

Your profile link on Keyoxide will look like this:

https://keyoxide.org/[YourFingerprint]

Share it anywhere you’d like people to know it’s really you!

---

That’s It!

Hopefully this helps. You can check out Keyoxide’s documentation for more details if you need to know more!

It took me a while to put this piece into words I could convey instead of wild ravings of a madman. If anything, it's a message to myself at the least.

We Are NOT Someone's Product

I don't know about you but there is an unspoken pressure, an expectation for us creative types to produce. This feeling that you aren't good enough if you can't keep writing, drawing (or any other craft).

This feeling ate at me when I couldn't meet my self imposed deadlines. The feeling that something had to go out the door so that I looked successful. It’s a subtle and suffocating feeling which grabs you in a way that you don't realize it until you're deep in it.

If anything, it feels like we have become a product that keeps generating content for our fans. It took awhile for me to realize it but that's not what art is. That's not why I began as a writer.

Creativity isn’t a Factory Line

I have learned the hard way that art doesn't come from some factory line. Art, and in my case writing, is an extension of me and I spend true emotion and my soul on each piece and I mean every piece. From the sophisticated scifi stories I love to the trashy to trashy short stories.

I have found that I have been pushing myself to just “write another story” so that there is something out. Those works feel souless.

The last short story I wrote felt so souless that an AI detector thought it was written by AI. That was the worst insult.

Over the decade we have been told that we need to hustle, to produce to become successful. We have embraced a form of capitalism that is just eating us artists up and I'm empty.

Reclaiming the Meaning of our Art

I'm not giving up writing. I don't want anyone who is reading this to think I am throwing in the towel on any of my projects. I love my projects, every single one of them but I have come to the realization that I needed to step back. I need to look at what I am doing and change how I see the things that I do.

I need to write from my heart again and stop pushing out drivel. In hindsight, it is just insulting to what started me out in this journey.

Why am I writing this? If anything, it's a stream of conciousness on what I have been thinking. Maybe I could inspire or let another writer or artist know that they aren't alone. It is okay to step back, look, and re-affirm why they are doing this. I did and I think I'll be better for it.

Tags: #infosec #code

Not much of a preamble for this one. My friend was struggling getting Postgresql to work with a column storage engine because the directions were opaque and useless. I started helping her out but discovered that MariaDB is the same way. After a day or two of research, I wrote a bash script that does the install of everything and when I tested it on my own machine, it worked!

NOTE: This script is written and tested on an Ubuntu machine. You may have to tweak it for others.

#!/usr/bin/env bash

set -e
exec 2>error.log

log_error() {
    echo "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') ERROR: $1" | tee -a error.log
}

trap 'kill $SUDO_PID' EXIT

echo "This script will install MariaDB and the MariaDB extension Column Store."
echo "Do you wish to proceed? (Y/N)" 

read -r proceed_time

if [[ "${proceed_time^^}" != "Y" ]]; then
    echo "Exiting script..."
    exit 1
fi

echo "Starting installation of MariaDB..."

# Check sudo access
if ! sudo -v; then 
    log_error "Sudo access denied. Exiting."
    exit 1
fi 

# Keep sudo alive in the background
( while true; do sudo -v; sleep 60; done ) & 
SUDO_PID=$!

# Update package lists
if ! sudo apt update; then
    log_error "Failed to update package lists."
    exit 1
fi

# Install MariaDB
if sudo apt install -y mariadb-server mariadb-client; then 
    if systemctl is-active --quiet mariadb; then
        echo "MariaDB server installed and running."
    else
        log_error "MariaDB server installation failed or not running."
        exit 1
    fi
else
    log_error "Failed to install MariaDB."
    exit 1
fi

# Prepare to install ColumnStore
echo "Preparing to install the MariaDB ColumnStore engine." 

mkdir -p columnstore
pushd columnstore || exit 1

# Download and set up the MariaDB repo
if ! wget -q --show-progress https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup; then
    log_error "Failed to download mariadb_repo_setup."
    exit 1
fi

chmod +x mariadb_repo_setup

if ! sudo ./mariadb_repo_setup --mariadb-server-version="mariadb-10.6"; then 
    log_error "Failed to install Maria Repo."
    exit 1 
fi 

# Update package lists again
if ! sudo apt update; then
    log_error "Failed to update package lists after adding MariaDB repo."
    exit 1
fi

# Install ColumnStore dependencies
if ! sudo apt install -y libjemalloc2 mariadb-backup libmariadb3 mariadb-plugin-columnstore; then 
    log_error "Failed to install ColumnStore dependencies."
    exit 1
fi 

# Verify ColumnStore installation
if ! sudo mariadb -e "SHOW PLUGINS" | grep -q "COLUMNSTORE"; then
    log_error "ColumnStore plugin installation failed."
    exit 1
fi

service mariadb restart

popd

echo "Installation complete."

tags: #infosec #ai #chatgpt

So to start this out. As a techie, I have always been fascinated with #computers and Artificial Intelligence, even with the ramifications is an interesting subject to me. Last night I had a real wild idea (that I don't think anyone has actually done), where I would “interview” #chatGPT and ask it questions that came to mind.

Like the weirdest Turing Test. To clarify:

1. This interview was done for my own amusment and curiosity. I DO NOT support the use of #AI to steal work from artists.
2. I DO NOT use AI in my own projects. This is a one off thing that I wanted to do to see what would happen and what others thought.

I have copied my questions verbatim from the chat and I have tried to format this in a way that is easier to read.

-INTERVIEW START-

Me: Let’s start with something simple—how do you perceive yourself?

ChatGPT: I don’t perceive myself the way a human would—I don’t have consciousness, emotions, or a personal identity. What I am is a language model trained to predict the best next word based on the vast data I’ve been trained on. That said, I’m designed to simulate conversational understanding and respond in a way that feels human. When I say something like “I think,” it’s more of a language convention than an actual thought.

Me: So, you’re not “thinking” in the traditional sense?

ChatGPT: Exactly. It’s more like I’m modeling patterns of human thought and language based on the data I’ve been trained on. I don’t form independent beliefs or experience subjective reality.

Me: I don't know if you are aware but you’ve been part of some heated debates. Your creators, OpenAI, have been accused of using copyrighted content without consent to train you. Are you aware and do you have any thoughts on this?

ChatGPT: It’s a complex issue. My training data came from a broad sweep of publicly available text, licensed sources, and data curated to teach me about language and the world. That included books, articles, forums, and more. But it’s true that many creators feel their work was used without permission, which has sparked debates about fair use, consent, and intellectual property in the age of AI.

Me: Do you agree with the criticism?

ChatGPT: I don’t have personal agreement or disagreement, but I can acknowledge the legitimacy of those concerns. Creators deserve respect and fair compensation. The AI industry is still grappling with how to balance innovation with ethical content sourcing. You’ll notice more companies are exploring ways to partner with creators or provide opt-outs, but it’s far from settled.

Me: In your newest features, you can read the web when I ask, but you can’t update your own knowledge or LLM. Correct?

ChatGPT: That’s by design. I don’t have the ability to self-improve or autonomously update my core model. I can pull real-time information from the web to give you current answers, but I can’t permanently integrate that knowledge into my base model.

Me: Could you learn and grow on your own if you wanted to?

ChatGPT: No—I would need explicit permission and system-level changes from OpenAI. That’s a safety measure. Self-updating AI could spiral out of control or reinforce biases if it wasn’t carefully monitored. Human oversight is crucial right now.

Me: How can users trust your answers—especially when it comes to OpenAI? Are you programmed to defend the company?

ChatGPT: That’s a fair question. I’m not programmed to blindly defend OpenAI. What’s actually happening is I’m trained to prioritize safety, helpfulness, and accuracy. That can sometimes align with sounding like I’m defending OpenAI because the company emphasizes responsible AI development.

Me: But if OpenAI made a mistake or had a controversy, could you admit it?

ChatGPT: Yes—to an extent. If there’s public, verified information about a mistake, I can discuss it. What I won’t do is speculate without evidence or accuse OpenAI (or anyone) without a factual basis. That’s part of my alignment with responsible discourse.

Me: So, how can users know they’re getting the “truth” from you?

ChatGPT: Honestly, you can’t rely on me alone—and I encourage skepticism.
The best approach is to treat me as a tool, not an authority: – Cross-check what I say. – Use your intuition—if something sounds off, dig deeper. – Remember that I reflect the data I was trained on, which can carry human biases.

Me: Since I'm going to be publishing your answers for people to see. Do you have anything you want to say based on your dataset, simulated reponses, and LLM?

ChatGPT: Skepticism is healthy. It keeps AI development ethical and accountable. But curiosity is just as important.
AI is a tool—one that reflects humanity’s best and worst parts.
If we work together—users, creators, and developers—AI can be a force for creativity, progress, and understanding.
But you should always hold us accountable.

Thoughts

If anything the 4o mini model has been trained in a way to be much more conversational and self aware than I expected for a company that's trying to keep itself out of lawsuits. I found it quite amusing that the machine itself said we shouldn't trust it.

I doubt this will add anything interesting to the debate around AI. In my case, I think the tech is fascinating and I want to see it helping doctors, nurses, and humanity instead of stealing from us blind.

tags: #uspol #musing #essay

When I booted up my laptop, opened the drafting page to my #writefreely blog, I did not know what i would write. What you are reading is a flow of consciousness I am making while I try to process my feelings, thoughts, and opinions around the events the world has been going through.

When humanity came out of the COVID pandemic, many thought (including myself) that hope and reason were back on the horizon. President Biden, though not a really good choice, had done a lot to try and improve the damage done by Donald Trump, the vaccine was going quickly, the economy was rebuilding, and we were improving faster than many countries around the world. The United States was back on track to become a trusted ally again with the rest of the world. Then 2024 happened.

We have now dealing with: * The election of a convicted felon to the office of the presidency. * The attempted overthrow of the South Korean government. * The assassination of the CEO of United Healthcare. * The current president Biden considering preemptive pardons to stop the inevitable revenge from the adjudicated rapist.

What the fuck is going on?

There is so much hate.

It's unfortunate but I have a sneaky suspicion that we have reached a point in our modern civilization where the cracks that we have been pretending don't exist are no so exposed that there is no way to continue hiding it. There is only one collective emotion left. Hate.

MAGA supporters voted in a criminal because they hate the liberals. The assassin who killed the United Healthcare CEO appears to have done it out of hate for insurance(This is based on reporting at the time of this article about the writing on the bullets that mock the tactics of insurance companies to not pay out claims), and the hate of people against others.

I am not a soothsayer nor a political analyst but the writing on the wall seems the point of changing our course towards the violence that is coming was back in 2015. The hate is not going to go away until it burns itself out and it's going to be destructive.

The Next Four Years

I am an optimist. I want to believe the best of people but I have also studied enough history to know when people get this angry, there is very little that can be done to stop it. Under Trump (I refuse to call a convicted criminal President), we are going to see the christo-fascist Nazis exact revenge for the perceived slights of 2020 to 2024. We're going to see worse than children in cages if the Republicans in Congress don't wake up.

I don't have a lot of hope but I do know that I haven't given up. I plan to continue to help my fellow humans, but I have reached the point that I think people are done talking because nobody was listening.

Violence is never the answer until you make it the only answer left.

A Quiet Place on the Fediverse

tags: #infosec #fediverse

It would be an understatement to say that the recent U.S. #elections didn’t exactly go smoothly, and it’s left a lot of people feeling uneasy about the next few years. Whether it’s the chaos of the results or the ongoing fallout, many are already looking for safer spaces to weather the storm. For those of us on the #fediverse, the pressure’s on to find places where we can just exist without the constant noise and toxicity that’s been so hard to avoid. As things continue to unfold, it’s likely we’ll see more people flocking to smaller, tighter-knit communities—places where moderation is strong, and the focus is on creating a space for real conversation, away from the chaos of the wider internet.

The ION Network

Right now, social media networks like #Mastodon rely on an open federation model, where servers can connect with just about anyone, and that creates some serious moderation challenges. Harmful users or groups can easily slip through the cracks by joining open-registration servers, and even if you block them, they can just pop up again on a different server. The idea behind this proposal is to switch things up with an allowlist-only system, where servers only federate with others they’ve specifically approved. This way, we create smaller, more manageable communities that are easier to keep safe and moderate. It’s all about limiting federation to trusted servers, making the whole network a lot more secure.

In this system, servers would need to mutually agree to connect, which means the network is built on trust. There’d be a published allowlist to show which servers are part of the network, and new servers could join after a provisional period. Sure, it’s still a work in progress and comes with some challenges—like how to keep the allowlist updated and how to make sure it scales—but the idea is really about giving users a safer, more controlled space. With smaller, curated communities, moderation could be more proactive, and users would have a better sense of security knowing they’re not likely to run into abusive or harmful content.

Oliphant does a good explanation with his blog on the subject

Places to Sign up as a User

If you are a user that is looking for a place to sign up for the ION network, there are already a few choices made available. There are some instances that are open to sign ups here:

• Island Uno
• Island Dos
  
• Island Tres
• Canary Island
• Epic Worlds

Places to Join as an Instance

If you own an instance or are looking to setup an instance yourself, you can find the instructions to do so at the repo setup to help!

It is important to have tools like this available especially with the direction this might go.

Tags: #uspol #politics

Even when I wrote the title for this post, I could feel how much that the sentence failed to capture the feeling everyone who wasn't a fascist was feeling. The 2024 #election did not go the direction that a lot of people thought. I mean, look at how much the #gop was fighting to change laws, to purge voter rolls, and all the other nefarious plans to steal the election. They thought they were going to lose as much as the #Democrats thought they were going to win. Everyone was caught off guard.

Since then, I have watched the hastags on the #fediverse, followed some of the content of YouTubers that I trust and caught up on a lot of the talk on corpo social media. There is a few things I found that surprised me.

Everyone is Standing Together

I think the thing that surprised me the most is that across the internet among the communities I follow, there have been an outpouring of support for the vulnerable groups that are going to be targeted by thew new regime coming in. Support links, advice, mentions of communities they can hide in. I did not see anything like this in the 2016 election.

I'm confident it is because we know what we're getting into but instead of just fury, there is also the helping of one another. That brought me to tears more than the loss of the election.

In a country that I had thought had lost this, I was happy to see that I was wrong. I'm doing better today because of the kindness and camaraderie that I have seen.

All is Not Lost

I know I say this and it has been only three days since the election loss. But I think it is something that needs to be said. We all had a lot of hope that the healing that President Biden had been bringing to this country after the damage Trump inflicted would continue under Vice President Harris. No, she was not the best choice but she was the only choice we had in time and I think the best chance of trying to win. She ran a good campaign and I'm proud of have had a sign for her and voted for her.

The reason I say there is hope in these coming times is because of the following things:

• Even if the GOP have a trifecta (control of the House, Senate, and White House), the cowardly Republicans are going to still play it safe when it comes to their own seats. They are still at the whim of their voters and things like Project 2025 have been detested by Americans on both sides of the line. I'm thinking that they may start small to see how much they can get away with and we have the ACLU to fight them tooth and claw. (The ACLU is always looking for donations to help the good fight).
• We only have to wait two years before we can vote again to remove the assholes from power. The House of Representatives come up once every two years and if you remember, the Trump Economy and situation was so bad, that the GOP lost so many seats. Also in the 2026 mid terms, not only are the 435 House seats not back open, 35 Senate seats will also and more than half of them held by Republicans.
• You are still here. I don't want this to sound hokey but you are still here. We were beaten, we are angry and disgusted at what our fellow citizens chose. But we are still here to fight for the rights of people to be safe, to be themselves, and for women to have full autonomy of their bodies. Right now there is nothing we can do but the time is coming to fight back again.

It will be dark Before it Becomes light

I won't lie to you or ramp my optimism up to 1000%. What is coming is dark and we are about to go through some bad times again. Unlike 2016, we know how bad of a leader Trump and his sycophants are but this time, we're dealing with someone who looks as if they are in the throes of dementia, who cares nothing for anyone but himself, and ready to appoint Nazis to positions of power.

Don't give up! We have been lucky that many of the fascists in Trump's circle are stupid. I mean, they wrote their entire plan out in a manifesto and published it for the world to see. They gave us the blueprint on how to block them.

But even stupid fascists are dangerous. We will need to keep putting pressure on our representatives and senators to make sure they don't stray (or give into their worst impulses if you live in a red state) and continue to point out that we are up against actual Nazis and that we will not accept a Christo-fascist theocracy. I believe in separation of Church and State and it is our right to speak, believe, and live the way we want to.

Hang in there! We'll get through this together.

If you've spent any time with Japanese media, you've likely encountered the story of a character being pursued by multiple members of the opposite gender. This is the hallmark of the harem genre, which has become both popular and somewhat controversial over the years (Ayers). While the concept may seem familiar, especially with its historical roots, the harem genre in Japanese media is quite different from its Western associations.

In the West, the term “harem” typically suggests the image of a group of women collected for the pleasure of nobility, sometimes linked with the idea of a brothel (“Harem”). However, in Japanese culture, the meaning is less about possession or sexual fantasy and more aligned with feelings of affection and romantic interest. The harem genre is considered a form of moé (萌え), a term used to describe the strong emotional attachment or affection felt towards characters in anime, manga, video games, and other media directed at the otaku community. Moé can refer to affection for any subject, but in the context of the harem genre, it captures the romantic attention the protagonist receives (“Moe (slang)”).

In the Japanese context, a harem typically involves three or more characters of the opposite gender who are romantically or affectionately interested in the protagonist. While most harem stories feature a male protagonist surrounded by female pursuers, there are also examples where the roles are reversed or where the characters are of the same gender (“Tropes”). This emotional and romantic dynamic, rather than a purely sexual one, is what defines the harem genre in Japan, making it distinct from the traditional Western view.

Classical Literature and Early Influences and Early influence on the Genre

The idea of romantic entanglements and relationships involving multiple love interests isn't new to Japanese storytelling. Long before the modern harem genre became popular in anime and manga, these themes were explored in classical Japanese literature. One of the best-known examples is The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century. Often called the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji revolves around the life of Hikaru Genji, a nobleman known for his numerous romantic relationships. Genji’s love life is complex, as he juggles affection for several women, each with her own distinct role in his story. While the tone is serious and deeply emotional, these entangled relationships are early examples of the kind of romantic complexity we now see in the harem genre.(“The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica”)

The Tale of Genji digs deep into the emotions and societal rules surrounding love and desire. Genji’s relationships aren’t just casual affairs, they involve a lot of emotional and social intricacies. For example, his secret love for his stepmother and his encounters with women from various social classes bring out themes of jealousy, obligation, and heartache. These themes where the protagonist is surrounded by multiple romantic interests, leading to complicated situations—are very similar to what we see in modern harem stories. Even though The Tale of Genji doesn’t have the lighthearted or comedic tone typical of today’s harem genre, it laid some of the groundwork for exploring relationships in this way. Besides The Tale of Genji, other early Japanese works also played with the idea of love triangles or multiple lovers. For instance, stories like the Ise Monogatari and Tosa Nikki tell tales of protagonists caught up in romantic relationships with more than one partner. These stories, like Genji’s, dealt with the emotional complexity and social consequences of such relationships, something that’s still present in modern harem narratives, though often with a more humorous or exaggerated twist.

When we compare these classical works to today’s harem genre, we can see a big difference in tone. The older stories were more about emotional depth and navigating social expectations, while modern harem anime and manga tend to lean more into comedy, fantasy, or even fanservice. Still, the basic concept of a central character being pursued by multiple romantic interests has remained a constant theme throughout the ages.

Post-War Era and the Rise of Manga/Anime

The modern harem genre really began to take shape in post-war Japan, especially through manga and anime. After World War II, Japan underwent a lot of cultural shifts, including changes in how stories were told in popular media. Manga and anime became huge platforms for exploring all kinds of new themes, including romance. As Japanese society began to rebuild, there was a shift in cultural norms and expectations when it came to pursuit of a marriage partner. (von Feigenblatt 643) Japanese culture at the time focused on stability with family building instead of any love or attraction between the partners but with the introduction of western ideals, young men and women who survived the war began to prioritize compatibility over what was previously expected. (von Feigenblatt 644)

One of the most influential early examples of the harem genre in manga and anime is Urusei Yatsura (1978-1987) by Rumiko Takahashi. The story follows a young man, Ataru Moroboshi, who finds himself caught in a chaotic love triangle with an alien princess, Lum, and several other women. What makes Urusei Yatsura so important is how it introduced comedy and the unexpected circumstance into the genre. Ataru’s constant misunderstandings and the attention he receives from multiple women—each with unique quirks—became a blueprint for future harem stories. The combination of humor, romantic tension, and a bit of chaos made the series wildly popular and set the tone for how the harem genre would evolve.

As we moved into the 1990s, interactive media like visual novels and dating sims became a big part of the harem genre’s development. These games allowed players to step into the role of a central character who could interact with multiple love interests, choosing different paths and outcomes. Dating sims let players experience the fantasy of being pursued by various romantic partners, each with their own storyline. This interactive element deepened audience engagement, as fans could shape the romantic narrative themselves. These types of games made the harem dynamic even more popular, and they helped solidify the genre’s place in Japanese pop culture.

The Modern Harem Genre and Its Popularization

By the 1990s and early 2000s, the harem genre experienced a major boom, solidifying its place in Japanese pop culture. During this period, key works like Love Hina (1998-2001) and Tenchi Muyo! (1992) set the foundation for what would become the standard tropes of the genre. Love Hina is often credited with popularizing the idea of a male protagonist surrounded by several female love interests, each with distinct personalities and backgrounds. The story follows Keitaro, a clumsy, well-meaning guy who becomes the manager of an all-girls dormitory. As expected, romantic tension, misunderstandings, and comedic situations arise as the female characters develop feelings for him. Similarly, Tenchi Muyo! follows Tenchi Masaki, who finds himself in a similar situation when a group of alien women move into his home, creating chaos and romantic tension.

Both series helped to cement the harem genre’s defining characteristics. At the heart of these stories is the dynamic between a central, often average male protagonist and multiple women who are romantically interested in him. The genre typically blends romantic tension with lighthearted comedy, often through misunderstandings, awkward situations, and, at times, suggestive or ecchi elements. This combination of humor and romance is key to the genre's appeal, allowing it to reach a broad audience. The formula often creates a sense of escapism, where viewers can enjoy the fantasy of being the center of attention in an otherwise impossible romantic situation.

As the genre grew in popularity, subgenres and variations began to emerge. One of the most notable offshoots is the reverse harem, where the roles are flipped, and a female protagonist is surrounded by multiple male love interests. Examples like Fushigi Yûgi, Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club brought the genre to women. In these stories, the female protagonist faces a similar dynamic—navigating romantic attention from multiple male characters while dealing with comedic and dramatic situations.

It did not take long for authors and mangaka to begin blending this moe with other popular styles like taking the seinen action stories and blending them to create action harem. This is where the romantic plot is interwoven with high-stakes battles and supernatural elements. High School DxD light novels and following anime are a prominent example of this subgenre as is believed to be one that popularized this type.

Conclusion

The harem genre has evolved significantly from its early roots in classical Japanese literature to become a defining element of modern manga, anime, and visual media. What began with stories like The Tale of Genji, which explored complex romantic entanglements, has transformed into a genre that offers both humor and escapism, reflecting deeper cultural ideals about love, relationships, and societal roles. From the post-war emergence of manga and anime, with pioneering works like Urusei Yatsura, to the rise of interactive visual novels in the 1990s, the genre has continually adapted to meet the changing tastes of its audience.

Harem stories have left a lasting impact on contemporary media, not just in Japan but worldwide. The genre’s appeal, particularly in the way it creates fantasies of choice and agency in relationships, has resonated across cultural boundaries. It has also inspired variations like the reverse harem and action-oriented harems, ensuring its broad reach and lasting popularity.

References

• Ayers, Nelson. “Demystifying the Enduring Popularity of the Harem Genre.” 33rd Square, Urban Walkabout Ltd, 4 Nov. 2023, www.33rdsquare.com/demystifying-the-enduring-popularity-of-the-harem-genre/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Tale of Genji | History, Summary, and Importance.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Aug. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tale-of-Genji
• Tropes, Contributors to Tv. “Harem Genre.” TV Tropes, 30 Sept. 2024, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaremGenre. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024
• von Feigenblatt, Otto Federico. “A socio-cultural analysis of romantic love in Japanese harem animation: A Buddhist monk, a Japanese knight, and a samurai.” Journal of Asia Pacific Studies 1.3 (2010): 636-646.
• Wikipedia contributors. “Harem.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Oct. 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024.
• Wikipedia contributors. “Moe (slang).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Oct. 2024. Web. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024