Does this bother you?

[CarburetorThompson]

Occasionally I’ll come across a story with a title like ‘The indomitable swordsman’ or ‘The invincible master mage’ some shit like that. I’ve read a few of them, but noticed that despite the titles the mc will often still lose, or be defeated (I’m sure that’s not the case with everyone story titled like this, but it does exist in a few).

Now whilst I think a mc that always wins is boring, I also feel like calling your story ‘invincible x’ and then having your mc be vincible is kinda false advertising, and despite the fact I like mcs that can fail, still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I feel like I might be the only one with this issue? Am I alone on this?

 

[melchi]

I have found worse oximorons out there.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Occasionally I’ll come across a story with a title like ‘The indomitable swordsman’ or ‘The invincible master mage’ some shit like that. I’ve read a few of them, but noticed that despite the titles the mc will often still lose, or be defeated (I’m sure that’s not the case with everyone story titled like this, but it does exist in a few).

Now whilst I think a mc that always wins is boring, I also feel like calling your story ‘invincible x’ and then having your mc be vincible is kinda false advertising, and despite the fact I like mcs that can fail, still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I feel like I might be the only one with this issue? Am I alone on this?

Or you know, go for Invincible's marketing. Mark Grayson does gets his ass handled even though he is called Invincible, but he is Invincible not because he is unbeatable, rather because he always gets back up from where he falls.

 

[John_Owl]

Occasionally I’ll come across a story with a title like ‘The indomitable swordsman’ or ‘The invincible master mage’ some shit like that. I’ve read a few of them, but noticed that despite the titles the mc will often still lose, or be defeated (I’m sure that’s not the case with everyone story titled like this, but it does exist in a few).

Now whilst I think a mc that always wins is boring, I also feel like calling your story ‘invincible x’ and then having your mc be vincible is kinda false advertising, and despite the fact I like mcs that can fail, still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I feel like I might be the only one with this issue? Am I alone on this?

nah, I feel it's weird too. But I usually think of it more as the title is the MC's goal. Something like, he wants to be the Invincible Swordsman. There's also the option that the MC isn't the one the title is named after.

 

[NotaNuffian]

nah, I feel it's weird too. But I usually think of it more as the title is the MC's goal. Something like, he wants to be the Invincible Swordsman. There's also the option that the MC isn't the one the title is named after.

Then the argument can be made to put the prefix "Path to" on the title.

Also, the authors could do some handwavey thing and make MC lose not because of own strength, but rather some BS if they want to.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

For you see, all those failures were but a passing dream of his enemies.

 

[NotaNuffian]

For you see, all those failures were but a passing dream of his enemies.

Bruv, we ain't in the realm of urreliable narrator mate.

 

[corruption]

"Indomitable" can be unable to be subdued.
Maybe Something like "The Rise of the . . . ." tells the story of how they became so powerful.

Still, have the story make sense. Heck, even having a title that they bear being something like "The undefeatable swordsman" would make sense, even if they get their buts kicked.

Fun fact: The Persian Empire had an elite military group called "The Immortals" All members would wear special helmets that hid their features. If some died, another soldier was meant to immediately take up the helmet in order to preserve the illusion that they were actually immortals. A bit of a mind game on their enemies.

Edit: Immortal sometimes mean unaging and resistant to sicknesses and poisons. Sometimes it means unkillable. Such multiple meanings for terms can cause confusion. Which can be fun if uncovered in the story.
"But officer, I did not mean to kill him. Everyone was boasting about him being immortal."

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Yep.

I feel the same about many stories with the title "slow life" and it turned out the overall story was not "slow life" at all.

Only "slow life" at the beginning until the author decided that MC gonna go a grand cliche shounen adventure in some chapter or so, for the sake of making easier to progress stories, then ditch the premise entirely but keep the old title for the sake of baiting more reader.

One of the only exceptions are "Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai". It's a true slow life story with slow life pacing.

 

[MasterY001]

It only takes one loss for an invinvible champion to become "vincible." And usually that only happens once in a blue moon or by some grace of God. But that doesn't mean said champion would stop self-promoting.

Ali had a Leon Spinks, Tom Brady had an Eli Manning, Batman had a Bane, and the Death Star had a small thermal exhaust port

 

[Arkus86]

I usually take that as the end-goal, rather than what the MC is from the start. That said, my expectations for novels with that kind of pretentious wuxia/xianxia titles are fairly low from the start.

 

[Tsuru]

Yep.

I feel the same about many stories with the title "slow life" and it turned out the overall story was not "slow life" at all.

Only "slow life" at the beginning until the author decided that MC gonna go a grand cliche shounen adventure in some chapter or so, for the sake of making easier to progress stories, then ditch the premise entirely but keep the old title for the sake of baiting more reader.

One of the only exceptions are "Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai". It's a true slow life story with slow life pacing.

+1
I love this series so much.

I found the WN so long ago, before it even had a manga. During the pre-isekai-boom, when isekai trend began to bloom, before the "long sentence title" was a even a thing.
I felt like the only one that liked to go read them.

Ty for reminding me of this series.

 

[unlaumy]

 

[Tsuru]

I usually take that as the end-goal, rather than what the MC is from the start. That said, my expectations for novels with that kind of pretentious wuxia/xianxia titles are fairly low from the start.

Yep. (though its mostly KR ones)


Funnily, in CNs (chinese novels)
sometimes its the contrary. You get a trashy title, but the inside is a masterpiece. Or great quality. Sometimes*

 

[GlassRose]

Yes, but not for the reasons you describe. That kind of title is just the most meaningless, generic, boring-ass title that I can think of. Not a speck of soul that could make me interested in reading it.

 

[beast_regards]

I hope you won't complain about the sentence long title that explains what the story is going to be about.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Yes.