Arch9CivilReactor
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2021
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There is a trend I’d like to call a sub-genre of Isekai where you specifically fall into a novel read beforehand. After reading a lot of then I find myself feeling there is always something missing to the format. Hard to figure out exactly what.
Normally, remembering this is a novel gives the main character an excuse to give a quick rundown on the plot and the big bad. That’s fine and all, but the ‘Big Bad’ becomes less threatening when you have prior knowledge on their moves and how to deal with them.
This also makes it so the only ones capable of stopping the MC being either plot points outside the reaches of the novel they read or similarly reincarnated/transmigrated individuals. Making the story format become a bit repetitive in a way.
Themes also become hard to really pin down.
An example of this is in, ironically, The Novel’s Extra, where there are times the MC will feel like he’s not part of the ‘Main Story’ because he’s an extra. Which is hard to believe when he has cheats and how regular extras die brutally in the story to the point you’d feel annoyed by the MC (I know I did when a honest security guard died to the ‘quirky and petty battle maniac’ who isn’t described as an evil entity).
It’s hard to really feel what the story is about when most of the time the power fantasy of being knowledgeable of the future takes over. If not, then they become pushed around by the setting. Making you question what was the point of reincarnation.
What feels like a more complete ending for these types of stories? You can either ‘ascend’ (The Novel’s Extra in a way not exactly a spoiler since I’m leaving it vague), return (like in Kill the Villainess), or die as a character of this novel.
Maybe perfection is unattainable and creativity can make stories like Omniscient Reader Viewpoint, but I’d like to think there can be better templates to start with than random person being in a random character.
Normally, remembering this is a novel gives the main character an excuse to give a quick rundown on the plot and the big bad. That’s fine and all, but the ‘Big Bad’ becomes less threatening when you have prior knowledge on their moves and how to deal with them.
This also makes it so the only ones capable of stopping the MC being either plot points outside the reaches of the novel they read or similarly reincarnated/transmigrated individuals. Making the story format become a bit repetitive in a way.
Themes also become hard to really pin down.
An example of this is in, ironically, The Novel’s Extra, where there are times the MC will feel like he’s not part of the ‘Main Story’ because he’s an extra. Which is hard to believe when he has cheats and how regular extras die brutally in the story to the point you’d feel annoyed by the MC (I know I did when a honest security guard died to the ‘quirky and petty battle maniac’ who isn’t described as an evil entity).
It’s hard to really feel what the story is about when most of the time the power fantasy of being knowledgeable of the future takes over. If not, then they become pushed around by the setting. Making you question what was the point of reincarnation.
What feels like a more complete ending for these types of stories? You can either ‘ascend’ (The Novel’s Extra in a way not exactly a spoiler since I’m leaving it vague), return (like in Kill the Villainess), or die as a character of this novel.
Maybe perfection is unattainable and creativity can make stories like Omniscient Reader Viewpoint, but I’d like to think there can be better templates to start with than random person being in a random character.
