beta
This will include spoilers and is long ASF you've been warned
I made some responses to someone's thread before about the harem and I too was pissed when I learned of it, so I went and spoiled as much as I could and read translation/translated some of the Korean LN after I ran out of those translations as well. Coming back here to relay info that maybe not all of you want to find but still want to know if you want to keep reading moving forward (basically is it worth it?).
I wanna say about the whole harem thing in a general, is that it definitely isn't one dimensional. Since the story is already so good, the characters are also built much better than other Op MC's or reincarnated MC's with basically a large following of girls or guys that then create a harem. I think the power fantasy trope leads people in making pretty bland characters which becomes annoying when you have only built one decent character (sometimes not even that) which is basically the MC. It becomes tough when you can't see a relationship(s) between the MC or characters in general either.
With all that being said, my honest opinion is that the harem is really not that bad. IMO, am I partial to harems...... mmmmm no. Harems are just used to fuel the ego of the reader vicariously through the MC, like these characters are just fodder basically. And most of the time they are annoying because they aren't well developed people! The difference here, is that the harem (which is more like a following to boost the MC, so imo I would call the relationship in Damn Reincarnation more poly or something idk) are all characters that I like or have grown to like (And I think you guys will too). The whole thing is complicated because well first, Eugene is immature and clueless when it comes to love (like to an embarrassing degree). He doesn't know how to reciprocate or really what he's doing. Which makes sense because he spent his last lifetime actively avoiding love. Secondly, Anise/Kristina's personalities are a bit warped. They spent their lives giving everything to the Church and being made to be a perfect vessel/fuel a perfect vessel to serve the Church. Like I said in a previous comment, Anise lived and died in a pretty shit way and Kristina had lived her life that way too. Eugene saving them both and freeing them lets them see the opportunity they have (And for Anise the opportunity she can have in this life), and that opportunity is Eugene. For Kristina Eugene is her savior (which is cliche, ik), but Anise is obviously a little more complicated than that. Since they both have never really gotten to express their desires before and didn't even consider a future with their desires, this is where the warped part comes in. In the LN they're both described as snakes (mainly Anise but later also Kristina). They use that compassion that Eugene has for their circumstances, like Kristina saying she would take no one else but Eugene and if rejected would live with that and with no one else. Some of it is a guilt trip and some of it is them putting pressure on Eugene who is romantically immature, because unlike Senya who is like Eugene, (Shy, awkward, and not upfront because they are embarrassed and both prideful people) Anise/Kristina will do whatever to make Eugene see them in a romantic light (took his first kiss and does other shit in the LN too). Third is the relationship that Senya and Anise have which I think is really important. They are best friends and care about each other a lot. In the LN Anise was aware that Senya like Eugene and she put her own feelings for Eugene on the backburner for Senya. They even wrote that book together about Hamel the Idiot because they were both pissed he died. In the current time period where Hamel was reincarnated, Senya, knowing Anise's feelings for Eugene, has a hard time fighting her best friend for him because she wants her to be happy too, and vice versa. They both give and take a little because they both think they deserve happiness and love that's been long overdue for each of them.
The weird thing is, is that I feel (idk just conjecture) is that maybe the author was going for Senya x Eugene, because it is genuinely set up that way. And then later on felt pressured to add Anise because they felt bad or readers or somebody made them. Cause imo Anise/Kristina deserve happiness too. Honestly one of the most memorable moments in the LN is Eugene rescuing Kristina. I feel like I read somewhere that the author has gotten tired of the series? I don't remember where tf I read that but it would make sense since there are literally so many effing chapters of this series that have not been translated from Korean.
If you guys have any questions also just ask (Like about Ciel since everyone hates her lol) or about other things I will gladly answer if anyone is interested sorry this post is so long too lol