Why Isekai?

[CinnaSloth]

I'll probably get in trouble by asking this question, call it rage bait, or ignorance, or whatever, but in my personal opinion.. Isekai are dumb, the premise, not the story after, because..

Here's the question:
Why do you need to kill the boring MC just to bring them into another world to suddenly make them fun, and interesting with new abilities, and skills?
Why not just start there? Skip the "OH, I was a lame, stupid, useless accountant, and suddenly crossed a black cat that tripped me into traffic." prologue..
It's a story.. you can start with these powers, start with a good character, and start with whatever personality you want. What's the point?

It's dumb.
Change my mind.


Edit:
And to anyone who is writing or have written Isekai. I'm not talking about anyone specific. I don't hate your story, nor do I dislike the genre.
Like i said, The premise, not the story after, is what i think is dumb. The term Isekai as a genre is dumb, not the stories themselves.

 

[Alski]

Hey, black cats don't trip people up to isekai them.

 

[Cipiteca396]

It's so the reader can imagine themselves in the same situation. OR, so that you can mix things up by bringing modern knowledge/morals/whatever to a typical fantasy. The second one is so cliche that it's barely a functional trope at this point though, so mostly the first one.

Sometimes it's just used without thinking (ie cliche), or as a convenient excuse for why the MC is different from other characters in the setting- though that's basically just an extension of the above so...

Oh right, I mentioned this recently: Pioneer fantasy. You get to explore more stuff if you get isekai'd.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I'll probably get in trouble by asking this question, call it rage bait, or ignorance, or whatever, but in my personal opinion.. Isekai are dumb, the premise, not the story after, because..

Here's the question:
Why do you need to kill your boring lame MC just to bring them into another world to suddenly make them fun, and interesting with new abilities, and skills?
Why not just start there? Skip the "OH, I was a lame, stupid, useless accountant, and suddenly crossed a black cat that tripped me into traffic." prologue..
It's a story.. you can start with these powers, start with a good character, and start with whatever personality you want. What's the point?

It's dumb.
Change my mind.

Killing the character in the original world before bringing them to the other world is a sad JP thing. Because suicide is a thing and folks want to be away from the place (OG world) that caused them such grievance.

Also, death in OG world forces closure as the characters are less likely to go "oh, I should go back to my OG world" because already being dead.

And yes, Japanese do have this culture to just uproot and leave, known as jōhatsu or evaporated people.

As to why start with such people, because reader association. This is to help readers and authors themselves to easily self insert into the work. For those who seek such fantasy at least.

@Cipiteca396 already wrote what I had struck through,

 

[Alski]

Here's the question:
Why do you need to kill your boring lame MC.

You don't need to, but ways to get from 'real world' to 'isekai world' are limited for living people, most of the time its just going to be a summoning circle for regular transmigration and death for being put in another body.

 

[NotaNuffian]

You don't need to, but ways to get from 'real world' to 'isekai world' are limited for living people, most of the time its just going to be a summoning circle for regular transmigration and death for being put in another body.

There is also "wrongful death" where ROB (Random Omniscient Being) said some BS and yeeted the person, body included and healthy, to otherworld.

Hey, black cats don't trip people up to isekai them.

No, you speak sassily at young witches

 

[Alski]

There is also "wrongful death" where ROB (Random Omniscient Being) said some BS and yeeted the person, body included and healthy, to otherworld.

No, you speak sassily at young witches

Oh noes mah lightning bolt killed you, I can't resurrect you in this world but I can yeet you in to an isekai world and resurrect you for shits and giggles.

 

[Eldoria]

Isekai is indeed designed as a wish-fulfillment fantasy. This genre was born from the Japanese hikomorri culture, where many people isolate themselves socially due to the pressures of life. Why is the MC killed only to be sent to another world with a cheat? The short answer is because it's the fantasy of (Japanese) authors who want to escape their hard lives and go to another world to fulfill their desires. So it's no surprise that the worldbuilding of isekai is designed to be subservient to the MC. The stories are light, easy, and enjoyable. They even forget the logic of cultural reality, especially foreign languages. In essence, isekai MC = author (or readers) fantasy.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Oh noes mah lightning bolt killed you, I can't resurrect you in this world but I can yeet you in to an isekai world and resurrect you for shits and giggles.

you sound cockney

 

[StenDuring]

Here's the question:
Why do you need to kill your boring lame MC just to bring them into another world to suddenly make them fun, and interesting with new abilities, and skills?
Why not just start there? Skip the "OH, I was a lame, stupid, useless accountant, and suddenly crossed a black cat that tripped me into traffic." prologue..
It's a story.. you can start with these powers, start with a good character, and start with whatever personality you want. What's the point?

It's dumb.
Change my mind.

Er, because you don't need to? I know it's depressingly common but far from all isekai kill their main characters.

One better question, which you touch on would be, why move a character between worlds to begin with? There are several reasons. Plain old escapism, reader substitute but, on a more constructive note, culture substitute. Drop someone from 'here' and you have someone who acts and reacts like someone from here (preferably).

We take a lot of sensibilities for granted. That's why we have all the 1980s and 1990s fantasy with farmer boys in a dirty world who never even heard the word 'education' before the story starts leave the village and behave like your average white male bachelor level academic from the get go. So, I guess, that's one point.

If you want to write a 'use modern knowledge to change the new world' then it's kinda hard doing it with a native.

The second better question would be why write a power fantasy at all? Because virtually every isekai (and a lot more sub-genres) are power fantasies. Because it's fun to read I guess.

 

[Envylope]

It's escapism. As Cipi already said, reader can imagine themselves in a new world. A lot of people imagine themselves changing from a boring person to someone amazing over night.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Here's the question:
Why do you need to kill your boring lame MC just to bring them into another world ?
.... What's the point?

In my opinion, The point is that many "fantasy" powers and abilities make more sense and more 'plausible' in Isekai world than in our "modern world".

In my opinion, Many people have the opinion that "magic" and "Fantasy Creatures" make more sense in "Fantasy world" than our "Urban fantasy".

That is one of the point.

More of my opinion :

Spoiler

I'll probably get in trouble by asking this question...

No you won't.

Many writers have been expressing these opinions over the years, it's practically the common popular opinion nowadays.

Change my mind

I dont think I can yet.
In my opinion, My opinions may actually reinforce your opinion.

The whole genre were kickstarted with Mushoku Tensei webnovel, which features a dead end 40yo fat NEET with zero future, after getting kicked out of his home, then sacrificing himself to save somone from being hit by truck, before getting himself killed and reincarnated into a baby in "magical land", giving him a second chance for showing bravery of selfless sacrifice.

That's why the webnovel trend follows sending people and "isekai" them there.

Of course, many following Isekai work become "better" or "worse".

For example,

My first foray into Isekai genre was Re:Zero and Konosuba back in 2016-2017. It was practically the deconstruction and parody of said genre, except that I never see the Isekai work themselves.

Then after finishing both matserpieces, I watched my first isekai slop: "In another world with my smartphone". It was horrible experience, especially after watching Rezero and Konosuba. I can't stand more than 1 episode.

In Rezero, thugs of magical world can easily kill modern people, and Subaru was "athletic" 180cm/5' 10" student. He's a Jock genius NEET. Subaru's life is "suffering".

In Konosuba, even if Kazuma not "suffering" that much in comparison to Subaru, because he didn't try to fight people above his weight, he's still having a very rough life and horrible experience, while living way worse than average modern laborer.

Meanwhile "In another world with my smartphone", it was absolute cringe story. People in Isekai DO NOT act that way! The MC outfit is being bought by Noble on the street ? Kazuma's and Subaru's outfit are just considered "strange", not "special" nor "expensive".

He can just save ladies from thugs, even tho he's just a damn guy with a smartphone ? How? Why?

Then I watch many isekai, altough they have easier life than Rezero or Konosuba, they make sense because the protagonist is powerful. Magical things make sense if you can brute force them with plain old magical firepower and skill.

Death march to another world rhapsody was the other slop, but it make more sense than isekai smartphone. Yes the protag is not morally the best according to western moral standard. But IT MAKE SENSE. He has the POWER to steamroll his enemies. The people close to him are basically sheltering under him.

Not like Isekai Smartphone where people just suddenly be kind to Protagonist for no reason, even tho the world is the "Might Makes Right".

Tensei slime was one of the good ones in 2018. Yes he's OP as hell. But the progression make sense as he's OP.

Then Goblin Slayer, where non isekai realistic native protag in isekai world, which turns out to be basically DnD world afterall.

He's weak in comparison to many strong protagonist, but he's methodical and effective. He even acknowledge that he's no hero, he can't fight hundreds of enemies in open field, and has to ask for help.

Isekai is basically a powerfantasy in a world where power fantasy are not just possible, not just plausible, but common as well.

Of course, the irony is that you have to be born or sent into the right place and time with right opportunity as well, just so you can live a worse society than modern world with all the ancient inconveniences and ancient suffering, just for a chance to get the "magic powahh".

 

[Arkus86]

It's escapism incarnate, born of the depression of the Japanese target audience and designed to let the reader self-insert into something grander and more interesting than their bland, empty and/or soul-crushing daily life.

Killing the MC lets the character (and reader) escape from their old life and start anew, in a colourful and interesting fantasy world, with abilities and knowledge that make them someone in this new world, rather than just another drone, one out of millions in a megacity. A hero granted great power or potential right from the start. A darker figure with a hard-earned power, out for revenge against those who wronged them. Or just some rando with a wikipedia in their head, building a kingdom from nothing.
The specific brand does not matter, but moving the "lame, stupid, useless accountant" to another world, one way or another, and letting them become someone is the main point of the genre. If you skip that, you are left with regular fantasy (which I personally prefer most of the time, but it misses the point of isekai).

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I use isekai. I didn't kill my character off, actually really don't like that. The idea of them dying in general. I don't think anyone should die to be able to live a better life. Just my opinion. lmao

Transported mine to another world for a simple reason. It's just symbolism about escaping to another world when shit in life sucks ass. In my case, I chronically daydream due to stress/anxiety. So, my character gets to experience a cool, fictional world that uses most of the genres I like reading about myself.

We love escapism in this household.

 

[JayMark]

Good Isekai is good.
I liked Isekai before Isekai was cool and will continue to like the good ones well after it fades in popularity.
You know what makes Isekai bad.
The same thing that ruins everything.
Normies making it 'relevant'.

 

[Kenialy]

Isekai give you freedom of imagination too. You can literally do anything with isekai unlike when simply writing a story about someone.

As for me I still prefer isekai who grew stronger normaly and not sudenly become the most op character in their story that will make the story boring later on.


The system of the isekai should have alot of restriction earlier, just giving the MC enough to survive as backup untill he fully realise his potential.

Also copying ability should be limited.

Or you endup with an MC who pocess so many ability he barely use any of them.

Its better if the MC pocess 1 ability in each discipline and their cartegory and for the rest author could just work on his aura Or energy control untill he break all limit and change between discipline when facing powerfull foe to make him super strong.

Coupled with his prior knowledge of that world and vast experience in his former life the transmigrant would be basically invincible.

Im currently writing one isekai in case anyone is interested.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

Pioneer fantasy. You get to explore more stuff if you get isekai'd.

Unfortunately, this mostly wasn't the case for most authors. The whole pioneer stuff is quickly getting overshadowed by the usual suspect which is POWER FANTASY! So yeah, good luck finding anything in Scribble Hub that fully contains exploring without flaunting their bloated stats
Anyways, making a second comment because I was slow af:

Isekai can be good if you really like to challenge the concept itself, like what are you going to do with this character, how the world will treat the character, and many many many more questions you had to ask yourself.

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

I shall write one where the hero gains his powers from being bitten by a radioactive gamma ray-stricken black cat that escaped his exploding planet after criminals shot his mom... instead of dying. Mild-mannered bumbling accountant by day, anime hero at night!

Checkmate, guys! I have an original story idea now!

Pls do not steal.

 

[Avarice_Of_The_Seven]

That's not the point of an isekai. you can use the reincarnation trope to introduce environment and situation change to trigger character development more easily. for example, xyz had xyz past so his personality was xyz. but after he got reincarnated, he got character development due to new and different environment he was placed into. this justifies character development without structuring the story too much and thus it is easier to create and imagine. you don't need a premise for character development since reincarnation itself can be the trigger for character development.

you also have a lot of options to create your character and don't have to consider the narrative or plot while you create your character. for example, you want to have a character that has xyz personality then just give him xyz past and reincarnate him in another world and bam! you have both your character and narrative of your choice with zero effort and no logical flaw.

there are many other merits as well but the conclusion is that isekai can give you more options and reduce rigidity while you are creating a story. simply put, isekai gives you more imaginative freedom with less effort.

I'm writing an isekai, by the way. you can check it out if you want.

 

[Alski]

The whole genre were kickstarted with Mushoku Tensei webnovel,

Many of the things you listed were written (and published) before mushoku tensei, even SAO was before MT and probably had a bigger effect on kickstarting the craze.