SAOII episode 10

So, I had just finished watching episode 10, Sword Art Online season 2, and decided to browse through the comments abit. And one comment that really set me thinking was about Kirito trying to hit on yet another girl, and BUILD ANOTHER HAREM, which I think is so not true.

Not the first time I'm hearing this criticism of SAO (well actually it's gotten rather stale), but for the first time I strongly disagreed with what was being said.

I believe that many people are being misguided by the "harem" tag on SAO, and all the hate surrounding the genre, to become irrationally prejudiced against the show. SAO is definitely a Harem, but two things, firstly, it's not Kirito trying to be a mega playboy, and secondly, SAO is a show with a predominantly male demographic. Live with it.

What people need to realise is that Kirito is just the Standard Shounen Protagonist, who is always too caring for his own good, and can't leave people in trouble alone. Unfortunately, circumstances always result in the protagonist meeting new people and getting close. Most people simply dismiss this as the excuse for Harem, and why it always ends up with the main character being surrounded by girls. You may not notice it, but essentially Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, IT'S ALL THE SAME. Luffy busts into Impel Down for his brother, into Enis Lobby for Robin, and beats the hell out of any "bad guy" on whatever island he's on. Naruto explodes into nine tails for his friends, takes on the world for his friends. Ichigo can die and come back 5 times (actually maybe more) for his friends, for soul society, whatever. It's the same for things like PERCY JACKSON, because HARDWORK + FRIENDSHIP ALWAYS = VICTORY. What works is that whoever fights for their friends will win. 

The aforementioned examples are more focused on the fighting and wtv, but between helping friends and helping friends (who are female), for most shounen protags, it really doesn't matter. It's what the readers think, and harem is simply a result of authors trying to appeal to readers.

Often, harem series have a bunch of girls who exist for no other reason than to add variety to the options the main character has. And usually the main character can never decide which one to be with (The author doesn't want to establish a pairing, and cut off future possible routes. Or for some mega-harem like negima, ichigo 100, cage of eden, they simply keep the bastard indecisive so he can have ecchi scenes with every girl, and which is primarily what drives the story.) SAO CLEARLY DIFFERS FROM THIS, in that there is 60% or more focus on the fighting and the story, than on the girls. IN FACT, RIGHT FROM THE START Kirito is already with Asuna, and the anime makes it even clearer that it's about the romance between the two. 

Granted, SAO is still a harem, some of those girls have no reason to actually exist (Silica, Liz), adding nothing substantial to the story. But unlike other harems stories more deserving of hate, SAO doesn't mess around with them too much. (Also if you put up with it for the first season, and not let that affect your bias, you'll realise that GGO onwards, Sinon is the only other girl Kirito gets close to, and she doesn't simply exist to pander to fans. In Mother Rosario, it's mainly between Asuna and another girl; in the Underworld Arc, Kirito is with a guy.) 

So SAO, Harem? Yes. Kirito building Harem Kingdom? No.

Then, WHY DO THEY ALL GOTTA BE GIRLS???

Well, this brings me on to point 2.

Why don't you try, for one moment, to imagine the "damsel in distress" being a guy, say Klein for example. 

Pretty sure you can't find any way for Klein to be haunted by his trauma, be so wimpy, cry and confide in Kirito as naturally as Sinon did. The author simply conformed to gender stereotypes. Not discussing whether this is good or bad (gender equality wtv bullcrap), but it's EASY, and it works. Pretty darn well. Nuf said.