alt title(s): Pretty Freeloader
Sometimes
Unwanted Harems become so common that fans see them everywhere. While a
bishoujo series can have one guy and a big female cast, sometimes it's
just for the audience's sake. In romantic
seinen series, the lead might just be interested in one girl from the outset. The other characters' pursuit of him is negligible or nonexistent. Unfortunately, the rest can cause non-romantic trouble rarely doing anything too useful, aside from fixing problems they caused themselves.
The main distinction between the groups is
Pretty Freeloaders treat the lead character as a
resource for comfort (lodgings, emotional support, romantic 'practice'), while
the
Unwanted Harem sees the lead as a goal
unto itself. This essentially defines the
Bottle Fairy, a common sight in the former.
Sitch Sexuality,
Flanderization, and
Misaimed Fandom can blur the line separating a group of
Pretty Freeloaders from being an
Unwanted Harem; usually with the implication (or
Fanwank) that one or more of the Freeloaders would or could be in a
romantic relationship with the male lead, if he wasn't
in love with the female lead already.
Not to be confused with another
pretty freeloader.
Examples:
Anime and Manga
- Jun's living doll troupe in Rozen Maiden.
- Skuld and Urd in Ah My Goddess are initially seen as distractions by Keiichi while he's pursuing Belldandy, but were tolerated because Belldandy enjoyed having them around.
- Tenchi Muyo's treatment of the group as this versus an Unwanted Harem fluctuates depending on continuity. Ironically, Kiyone is the only character who is (consistently) embarrassed at being a literal Pretty Freeloader, as she's initially forced to mooch off the cast after being stranded on earth with Mihoshi.
- This was addressed a little in the Spinoff manga. Mihoshi does give part of her paycheck to pay for rent and all the damage she causes.
- The entire cast of Happy Lesson, who tend to annoy Chitose at the worst possible times, and were once kicked out of his house as a result. this makes the psuedo- Last Minute Hook Up plotline involving one of the teachers all the more unusual.
- The freeloader part may be subverted, considering all the mothers are full-time teachers or a nurse. It's implied they pay the food bill, since they once ask how much Hazuki spends on eating.
- The various tenants of Narutakisou in Mahoraba, who interfere in the central romance incessantly.
- Anna from Shaman King, who takes advantage of her engagement to Yoh in order to do nothing that hasn't been paid for by someone else, usually Yoh or Manta. In the dubbed version of Trey (Horohoro)'s intro episode, she actually tells him "No freeloaders", apparently unaware or uncaring of her own hypocrisy. This, despite being the female lead.
- Wasn't it implied that she considers the Training From Hell menus she organizes for Yoh and making sure he follows it (since she knows Yoh is very lazy) a good enough payment?
- The residents of the Hinata Apartments in Love Hina; Keitaro works as apartment manager, Shinobu earns her keep cooking, while the others are either students or work odd jobs like Kitsune theoretically does. However, Keitaro often ends up maintaining the entire place himself. Most of the residents, however, fall in and out of the Unwanted Harem category at one time or another.
- In the manga at last it is clear they do pay for living there, as they do mention there is no otehr place as cheap. It is not 'free'.
- A sizable portion of the cast of Read Or Die ends up living in Nenene's apartment by the end of the TV series. Any incidental earnings from their detective jobs is mostly squandered on their bibliophile habits.
- Makoto in Kanon starts out as a Pretty Freeloader before becoming an Unwanted Haremette. And Akiko, who is not one of the available girls but the Hot Shounen Mom, lets the girls have the run of the house and talks Yuuichi into helping them out when he doesn't want to; the only thing keeping her from qualifying is that she's the one that technically heads the house.
- In Elfen Lied, the two Diclonius girls are sort-of freeloading. However, their ability to rip humans apart like tissue paper when angry could make them a hell of an anti-burglar system. But more importantly, the guy in charge of the house has good reason to keep an eye on them.
- C.C. from Code Geass loves ordering pizza on Lelouch's dime so much, she's earned the Fan Nickname "Pizza Butt."
- Not to mention she first actually met Lelouch due to the fact she walked into his house while he was gone,and decided to stay there,even going as far as to claim his bed as her own.
- Puni Puni Poemi has the titular character take this role after she "loses" her family.
- Aisha and Suzuka from Outlaw Star. Technically, they're not freeloading as Aisha takes menial jobs to pay her way and both usually end up working the same job as Gene (he's too afraid of Suzuka to actually charge her rent). They're more like unusual roomates.
- To Aru Majutsu No Index: Index, and by the end of the first Story Arc Touma doesn't even remember why!
- Around halfway through the Noein anime Haruka takes advantage of her mom's Parental Obliviousness to let Karasu and the other Dragon Knights crash at her place. She tells her mom they are bird watchers.
- Tsuna from Katekyo Hitman Reborn has this problem. Reborn, Bianchi, I-Pin, and Lambo tended to be the more permanent moochers in his house (at least in the first half). However, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Haru also fit this trope every now and then, at certain points in the story. (And even though Gokudera and Yamamoto are supposed to have the job of protecting Tsuna, Tsuna has shown numerous times that he doesn't actually need their protection all that much).
- The entire female cast of the Hentai manga Slut Girl.
- Not part of a harem, but Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop.
- Not part of a harem? Lies.
- In Dragonball Oolong kidnaps several young girls hoping they will take care of his house but they end up becoming this.
- In Seto No Hanayome, San, Maki, and Lunar all end up living in Nagasumi's house. In San's case it's justified, as she and Nagasumi are engaged, but Maki and Lunar just sort of moved in on their own.
- The eponymous Niea from Niea_7 is an alien girl who decides to live in Mayuko's closet, eating her food and generally being a nuisance with her boisterous attitude.
Live Action TV
- Al Bundy's entire family fits this role on Married With Children. While the kids eventually get jobs when Al forces them to, they continue sponging off him by living at home well into their twenties. For her part, Peg lazes around the house, spending whatever money Al makes on useless junk while not lifting a finger to help out either by getting a job or cooking and cleaning. A rare male example of the Pretty Freeloader is the neighbor Jefferson D'Arcy, Marcy's second husband, who also leeches off Marcy without getting a job, although he manages to earn his keep by serving as Marcy's trophy husband and de facto gigolo.
Music
Webcomics
- In the webcomic Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki, Norse gods Thor, Hermod, and Loki play this role (for certain values of "pretty," anyway) in Yuuki's home. Admittedly, Thor and Hermod are there to prepare Yuuki to be a valkyrie, but Loki hangs around just to spy on Yuuki and act like an all-around pervert. Later in the series, valkyries Otsana and Shebi force their way into a random Japanese guy's house while they search for Yuuki. They do this by alternately invoking Sacred Hospitality and sheer terror
(which the gods also used).
- Rumisiel and Vashiel are Misfile's male equivalent's.
