I  prune this list often with  better replacements. Last page has the "updates"... more>>

1. Charm of the soul pets 2. Mechanic 3. Overlord 4. Throne of magical arcana 5. Mage Adam 6. shrouded sea scape <<less

Sturgeon's law: 99% of everything is terrible.... more>>

I know many people say that there are no good novels on this site, and it oftens feels like the top lists are filled with overpowered MC's, undeveloped harems, 2D characters, and lacking plots.

There are some novels that stand out, however, whether that be for their plots, characters, or translations.

This is a list for my personal 1%. It is ranked in order. <<less

(There's a second list, just add a 2 to the name of this list and you'll find it) ... more>>

There are too many novels with cliché romance and harems with annoyingly useless girls. Reading them gets extremely tiring. There are too few novels with absolutely no form of romance or harem. Here are some novels I've found to not have romance/harem or have an harem/romance theme that didn't affect the plot of the novel to the point of it being annoying. 

Feel free to recommend novels that fit the criteria, arigatou^o^

P. S. I haven't read all the novels in this list so I might not be accurate in judging them. And there are some I've read but didn't finish and the novel ended up having romance or harem elements in a later chapter, please feel free to correct me anytime you see that I wasn't accurate. Arigatou minna-san <<less

I'll be adding my own ratings for each novel on this list. The core of this list is the [S] rating. The rest are just additions.... more>>

[S]: Masterpiece

[A]: Very Good

[B]: Good

[C]: Normal <<less

I've read novels over the years, and I guarantee you won't regret diving into them.... more>>

No BL, GL. Sorry that's not my type of novels. 

Other novels from another websites (webnovel, scribblehub..)

Time emperor (fanfic)
https://www.webnovel.com/book/time-emperor-(champion)_17500339706298405

Fox in a inverted world 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/fox-in-an-inverted-world_19203318006781205

Author POV 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-author's-pov_20524563005115705

Administrator
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/94510/-the-administrator-/

School idol (yandere/gore novel)
https://www.wattpad.com/story/296700221-the-school-idols-yandere-harem

Shadow s*ave
https://www.webnovel.com/book/shadow-s*ave_22196546206090805

A Budding Scientist in a Fantasy World
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/256241/a-budding-scientist-in-a-fantasy-world/

The Reincarnation of Alysara 
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/278151/the-reincarnation-of-alysara/

Nanomancer reborn 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/nanomancer-reborn---i've-become-a-snow-girl_14064812306272705

Mother of learning 
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21220/mother-of-learning

My vampire System
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-vampire-system_16709365405930105

Library of Rain
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/858447/library-of-rain/

For more recommendations, check out my next list: https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/83142/ <<less

Sequence is CN- JP- KR- Fluffy- (Comedy)- Exceptions- To-reads. Not ranked by number. 
My descriptions varies greatly from a gist, polished review, impressions, or explains key points.        ... more>>

[Flexible Preferences] 
A. Protags are somehow mostly male but I read both!- interesting, has compelling qualities, flawed with development
B. Entertaining, Distinct, & Creative
C. Steady premise, no TERRIBLE plot hole 
D. Romance: good execution, pacing, build-up, & evokes emotion; no bullsh!t drama & brain-dead denseness
E. Vital, relevant, fleshed-out characters
F. Comedic & Fun
G. Danger, Wars, Battles, Strategy, Tactics, Trials, Fights, Thriller, Suspense
H. Lore, Culture, Kingdom, Worldbuilding 
I. Political Intrigue, Schemes, Mind Games, Manipulation, Mystery
J.  Pure tragedies rarely - it hurts!
K. No BL/GL(yet?)
L. Can be R-18 
M. Polygamous-like IF great story | even if you're averse consider my recs. ;)

[Criteria]
1. These are (mostly) 4/5 stars in story, translation and enjoyment according to my flawed evaluation that is mainly 3/10 objective, 7/10 subjective.
2. I have perused the novels or adaptation before sharing my thoughts.
3. Writing must be consistent, coherent and engaging and the ending must at least not be sh!t. Clichés to a point are fine however it needs to be purposeful & executed well. 
4. I will keep adding books that are promising, satisfying, translated.  <<less

50+ High Quality Novels.... more>>

read untranslated novels using ChatGPT, superior to Mtl. <<less

Caution: bear the risk of having your taste being too sky-high standard.

A list of all the things I’ve read since I made a NU account. Most of them ended up being mid. If you want my recommendations, see my other list “The stuff you binge read all night”... more>>

What I tend to like: Strong Characterizations, Character relationships, good world building, excellent writing, great dialogue, realistic romancing (basically mature, not in hs anymore romance)

What I tend to dislike: Shounen (too formulaic and limiting on the stories they’ll tell), Harem (if not for realistic/fit into the story reasons), Romance where the reasons the characters like each other are unrealistic/wish fulfillment/s*upid (I’m looking at you, popular/hot/charismatic girl dates the wet mop of a child cause the plot needs to happen)

Current tropes I have beef with:

1. Girl was protected/saved/impressed once by wet noodle mc in early elementary school, so she’s obsessed with him in high school. Such a lazy plot device and it feels like every damn KOREAN/JP novel has some variation of this. These authors need to talk to real women instead of writing this elementary crap. <<less

Novels that have no lasting romance or love interests. There will be no smut, harem (if MC attracts some people, I don't mind until it becomes a major part of the story or MC becomes interested in them), or ecchi, and BL/GL also count as romance. The list includes a personal rating and (often rambling) review/description.... more>>

Of course, it's also about my tastes, so this list will be mostly fantasy and action novels (op mc will be a common feature). I am a wordy person so I also don’t mind wordier books, too... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The list is in no particular order, but novels with <100 chapters and on hiatus/slow updating (less/around as often as 1 chap/month) will go in the back, starting at #33. This is because I assume people are looking for binge reads like me.

DISCLAIMER: The list is subject to change and revision - my impression changes as I think about them/read more. I cannot guarantee a novel has no romance later. I'll try to update this rec list as I read. No promises though, so my descriptions may be outdated.

~
Similar lists (insert after the "viewlist/" in the URL): 68396, 3797, 46727, 20556, 7097, 25820, 47958, 19335, 48107, 50847, 29345, 44031 <<less

When the protagonist is an unfaithful loser, do you have the urge to transmigrate into the novel to give him a good beating? If so, I present to you a list of novels I enjoyed with an overpowered male protagonist and no harem. Featuring:... more>>

- overpowered protagonist
- no harem, preferably no romance
- loner, antihero, or evil protagonist (not a guarantee) <<less

Other Tag: ... more>>

horror game, mystery, mentally ill, organization, police department, supernatural, psychological, psychopath.

Note: I posted Horror & Mystery list. Part 2 to continue. :) <<less

This is it, yal already know... more>>

Webnovels: f*ck WEBNOVEL, sh*t ASS SITE, PIRACY W

Shadow s*ave: "I can't believe I am still finding good novels to read. This is one of the best novels I've ever read and is f*cking well written. Deep plot, good apocalypse setting, characters are incredibly lifelike, interesting and diverse. An actual f*cking masterpiece currently. Enough said." #0.5

Paragon of Sin: "Very very very very good. MC is cool, not very generic, a different feeling all together while still being a cultivation ln. Also dude is just incredibly op but still feels like its deserved idk not for everybody and this is coming from a guy who hates disgusting op mcs off rip. Enough said." #1.5

Birth of the Demonic Sword: "Falls off at the end but rly cool, dark, and powerful mc. Enough said." #10.5

Divine Emperor of Death: "Man has cheats but somehow it doesn't take away from the overall story. Harem as well. Enough said."   #18.5

Blood Warlock: Succubus Partner in the Apocalypse: "Very similar to God and Devil in the beginning but then changes for the worst, it feels like a self-insert type thing. Also the mc is brainless and s*upidly op. Enough Said." #26.5

Chao's Heir: "From the same author of BotDS and it greatly dissapoints. There's so much things wrong with this one that it would take me a day to get into the details. Do not read. Enough said." #40.5 <<less

A list of novels I like so I don't forget. Not in order. I try to not make this similar to FIEND's and other people's list but there aren't that many decent ones with no romance y'know. ... more>>

Some novels : Since The Red Moon Appeared, The Damned, Supreme Grandpa, Is That A Wisp?, Spending My Retirement In A Game.

P.S. I still haven't differentiated quick transmigration and world hopping so I could be mistaken about some. Thank you for understanding. <<less

I dislike ret*rds!!!!! Too much emotional mc is also a big no~~~~~~... more>>

Extremely kind mc is also meh... 

Lets be realistic everything is meh in front of benefit oriented mc.... But they are hard to find......

Ranking after first 3 is useless.  <<less

Here some of my favorite novels, i tend to like novel without romance, harem, ecchi, or tragedy tags. I also like stories with great side characters rather than just focusing solely on MC. So if you look for those harem seeking protag and usual face slapping novel then sorry~ this isn't for ya...... more>>

P.S (edit 12/21) i removed all novel with romance hints, enjoy~ <<less

Here's a list of novels you might enjoy if you, like me, want to read some good stories that don't force an unnecessary & underdeveloped romance subplot where it isn't needed.... more>>

So these stories will have minimal to no romance, and I despise the harem trope in general. On the other hand, I'm a sucker for good bromance/brotherhood/friendship/found family stories. I also won't add any series to the list that I haven't personally read.

I decided to create this list because I've seen many similar 'no romance' lists on the site from which I've gotten many great recommendations to the point they have now become my go-to sources for new novels.

- - - - - - - - - - -

I'll be trying to organize the list based on how good I personally think the books are, but I'm only really certain about the first 4 being my favorites, the list then gets quite ambiguous, but I personally really like everything on the first page.

In the descriptions, I'll include how many chapters of the series I have read as well as how much romance there has been up until where I've read, as well as additional thoughts/opinions/warnings that I might have about the series.

I'll try to update the list whenever I find another good series to add. If you know of any series you think I'd like based on my list I'm more than open to suggestions! 

UPDATED JAN 1ST: Added 'The Nebula's Civilization' to the list. <<less

A list of memorable stories I read on novelupdates that covers mostly survival stories, reincarnation in non-human beings, second chances in other worlds and novels that felt unique in some way.... more>>

More often than not, stories I included had some grim parts to them. Where I find it necessary, I'll put a warning. 

Some stories are simply positive. Not everything needs to be dark. <<less

S tier - absolute masterpiece ... more>>

A tier - excellent

B tier - really good

All of the novels have enough chapters, have something special and are my favourites, therefore there are no bad novels here.

Of course this is purely my opinion. <<less

Here is the list of the best translated novels you can find, be it Japanese, Chinese or Korean. (This list is based on my taste and subjective opinion and our opinions and taste might differ). Although I tried to rank it, but you should READ all these novels nevertheless, that's a MUST. ... more>>

This list mainly features novels from two genres : ACTION (mainly cultivation novels) and ROMANCE (preferably tragic romance which leaves deep impression on you) and excludes YAOI/BL (not a big fan of those)

If any novel isn't on this list, its because :

1. I haven't read it yet. (Believe me, I have read 300+ big-ass novels if not a thousand)

2. I didn't like it. (It may be good, just didn't suit to my taste)

Apart from this, if you are looking for ORIGINAL novels, you should give the following a try :

1. The Beginning After The End - By TurtleMe

2. The Author's PoV - By Entrail_JI

3. Supreme Magus - By Legion20 <<less

I don't like romance and I hate harem with a passion. If you are alike, WELCOME, FELLOW COMRADE!... more>>

Do not worry, I have read all of these either to near completion or TO completion so you can rest assured. I put them here with confidence.

Novels are slightly ranked. The only noteworthy rank you should be paying attention to is the novels on the very top and bottom of the list. Top meaning I love them to death, bottom meaning it's the novel I despise the most atm.

Note; don't worry! My list won't contain even a little bit of romance. Some might have some one sided love for the MC. You don't need to worry though, MC will not ever return feelings even at the end of the novel!

(In desperate need for a female MC with no romance, so if you've got any, PLEASE comment!) <<less

This list contains novels where the Main Character starts out normal or seemingly normal to a deranged or twisted or distorted person in terms of personality, ideals, morality, actions. ... more>>

Some where the MC's normal desires such as "protecting family" is distorted and warped in to the extremes.

Some where the MC starts out already as a bit outside a normal person and gets more and more distorted through the progress of the novel.

Some where the MC starts out as a normal person and ends up completely twisted and warped.

MC's can end up as either righteous, evil, antihero, etc but the character distortion is where this list focuses on.

If there is no english translation, I'll add a link in the comments. Btw this list is made from the novels I have read and I have not read everything, so if you have a novel that I have not read please comment it.

NOTE: Please note that the order has no meaning and is simply the order in which I added them to the list. <<less

these novels aren't ranked. all are good and i recommend all of these for you guys to read. there's no (or some may have a little) romance here,  but no harem. ... more>>

♡ contains action, adventure, fantasy, horror, mystery, cultivation, supernatural, slice of life, world hopping etc...
♡ cn, kr, jp <<less

A hundred and three novels starred by male protagonists that you might like with NO HAREM.... more>>

·····

《 Good 'Male-Protagonist-no-harem' novels but unlisted in NU 》

↠The Beginning After The End

↠The Author's POV

↠ Mother of Learning

 

·····

THIS IS NOT ARRANGED BY RANK

·····

p.s.

I haven't read all of these books and only a few of them. I wanted male pov books that didn't have a dozen of females flocking hence after tons of reading genres and tags and a h*ck amount of reviews making sure there ain't no imposter in here I've finally formed a hundred (and two) "MALE PROTAGONIST WITH NO HAREM" READING LIST!!!! TADA ~ ~~

You're welcome ;D

Oh, and If you guys wanna recommend books and found out there's an imposter among us (diz books) please tell me- tell us! and even more so if you wanna recommend a good book ANY GENRE you know about please please please..? *with sparkling eyes* 

·····

⤜ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ⇻ <<less

i like them for very specific reasons. (i often edit my reviews/switch orders, as a heads up)