Why Isekai?

[Alski]

xD ...a-are you high? lol
I think you need a nap.

We must be talking about different steves.

 

[Leti]

But why go through the extra steps? Why not just write what you want to write?
What does the explanation of "My character died to get here" serve?
A story is still a story any which way you tell it. Why the addition, pointless blurb of death?

Why? Because it sells. Good authors use the addition to justify how and where the character get their meta knowledge. Assuming the character is reincarnated to a setting they are familiar with. Or how they become suddenly so good at something because of past-life memories.

 

[OniKaniki]

This is quite controversial topic, because not all isekai work like that.

Sometimes, it mark a new beginning for mc, so mc could study from the past mistake and move on his/her new life. (Musoku tensei). Let's said in the old world, you cant move on because many thing linger with you there. But in the new world, you essentially got cut off from the old world, which you can explore emotion stuff and move on.

It also serve a point where mc have more knowledge on things, which can make her/him a bit more unique and survive a bit longer in the new world. I think most isekai explore this, like how he change the kingdom to be better or worse, and misunderstanding trope where ppl think he's a genius, but he's just normal dude.

Lord of the Mysteries is also a great example for this. Mc has great brain and can survive because his cautious attitude, his past as a keyboard warrior make him more funny than expect, and his lost of connection in this new world make him appear lonesome and tragic.

Character also need to be consistent. A native mc in fantasy would be different than a mc from another world. Re:zero, for example, a normal dude somehow isekai into the new world, and has to experience all sort of bs in that world. He somehow gone crazy for that.

I found it hard to read a native mc in fantasy world, because most of them dont have that unique tone, like the way they talk, they act and thinking. Let's talk about tanya the evil. Do you think a native mc in that world will hate god, do you think he can change anything? An orphan girl who likely would get brainwash from the young age. Then ask a similar question, will a modern mc hate god? Can they change anything? Will they get brainwash?

Or overlord. Do you like a normal dude with normal job transfer to the game and become a big op skeleton, then slowly lost his humanity mind; or do you prefer a native op skeleton without any humanity? It would likely change the genre, for sure.

There partly also a reason where we live in the modern world, we like it more when mc has some similarity to us.

And popular trope. Say what you want, isekai still very popular and as an author, they would likely follow the trend for bucks.

Also, i don't think death is nesessary for isekai...but it somewhat the most logical. Death is the easest and fastest work because we can said shenanigan to it, like soul transfer or god call or something.

Idk what kind of shtty isekai you read, but there are many good isekai story out there. i kinda like it more if there is some sort of reason how and why they got isekai, tho. Like a conspiracy again the real world by gods or something.

Also, a "Doom" for you.

 

[CinnaSloth]

to justify how and where the character get their meta knowledge. Assuming the character is reincarnated to a setting they are familiar with. Or how they become suddenly so good at something because of past-life memories.

I think you're the only one that answered with a Real legitimate answer as to "why Isekai". A+ 10/10 you pass.

You didn't change my mind, But that's one heck of an answer.
Giving a character some knowledge they haven't yet experienced, or learned is bad writing.
Allowing them to learn that from sources that wouldn't exist in the next world is valuable insight. Good job.

I would argue though, on the other hand, as an author, you should be able to gain some of those insights by other means, not just prior to dying.

This is quite controversial topic, because not all isekai work like that.

Sometimes, it mark a new beginning for mc, so mc could study from the past mistake and move on his/her new life. (Musoku tensei). Let's said in the old world, you cant move on because many thing linger with you there. But in the new world, you essentially got cut off from the old world, which you can explore emotion stuff and move on.

It also serve a point where mc have more knowledge on things, which can make her/him a bit more unique and survive a bit longer in the new world. I think most isekai explore this, like how he change the kingdom to be better or worse, and misunderstanding trope where ppl think he's a genius, but he's just normal dude.

Lord of the Mysteries is also a great example for this. Mc has great brain and can survive because his cautious attitude, his past as a keyboard warrior make him more funny than expect, and his lost of connection in this new world make him appear lonesome and tragic.

Character also need to be consistent. A native mc in fantasy would be different than a mc from another world. Re:zero, for example, a normal dude somehow isekai into the new world, and has to experience all sort of bs in that world. He somehow gone crazy for that.

I found it hard to read a native mc in fantasy world, because most of them dont have that unique tone, like the way they talk, they act and thinking. Let's talk about tanya the evil. Do you think a native mc in that world will hate god, do you think he can change anything? An orphan girl who likely would get brainwash from the young age. Then ask a similar question, will a modern mc hate god? Can they change anything? Will they get brainwash?

Or overlord. Do you like a normal dude with normal job transfer to the game and become a big op skeleton, then slowly lost his humanity mind; or do you prefer a native op skeleton without any humanity? It would likely change the genre, for sure.

There partly also a reason where we live in the modern world, we like it more when mc has some similarity to us.

And popular trope. Say what you want, isekai still very popular and as an author, they would likely follow the trend for bucks.

Also, i don't think death is nesessary for isekai...but it somewhat the most logical. Death is the easest and fastest work because we can said shenanigan to it, like soul transfer or god call or something.

Idk what kind of shtty isekai you read, but there are many good isekai story out there. i kinda like it more if there is some sort of reason how and why they got isekai, tho. Like a conspiracy again the real world by gods or something.

Also, a "Doom" for you.

First, saying anyone's writing is shtty -in itself is a pretty shtty thing to do.

moving on.
What you're talking about are the stories. the parts that are written after the Mc is transferred to the new world.
I'm talking about the transfer itself. JUST the transfer. Why not start in the new world to begin with?

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Opening the book should be the escapism in my opinion.
Thank you for not murdering your character just to have them find peace somewhere else, but WHY did you have them move, instead of just starting there? Why the whole setup of "we start here, everything sucks.." okay moving on to what really matters!!! "ENTER THE STORY! WOO PARTY!!" Don't you think people would rather skip the boring nonsense instead needlessly dragging themselves along the boring part in order to get to the GOOD part? Wouldn't it be increased engagement if "wow my life sucks already, let me open a book and immediately feeling better!!" instead of.. "dang this is depressing, why the heck did i pick this up again??"

Why did I move them? For storytelling purposes. It's a very short transition to show where my character came from and how she ended up there. More of the reasons why she's there and her original life trickle in through the rest of the story. I don't particularly find it boring nonsense if it serves a purpose and doesn't drag. My character's little teleportation is brief and straight to the point like similar stories in my niche genre. lol

Not defending myself though, we're all different people and like different things. Just hope you'll get an idea of where I'm coming from.

 

[CinnaSloth]

It also serve a point where mc have more knowledge on things, which can make her/him a bit more unique and survive a bit longer in the new world. I think most isekai explore this, like how he change the kingdom to be better or worse, and misunderstanding trope where ppl think he's a genius, but he's just normal dude.

This is one point leti brought up. Which I agree with. but it can or should be allowed to be taught some other way, having one single way to learn something specifically before dying, is distinctly an author's choice..

Why did I move them? For storytelling purposes. It's a very short transition to show where my character came from and how she ended up there. More of the reasons why she's there and her original life trickle in through the rest of the story. I don't particularly find it boring nonsense if it serves a purpose and doesn't drag. My character's little teleportation is brief and straight to the point like similar stories in my niche genre. lol

Not defending myself though, we're all different people and like different things. Just hope you'll get an idea of where I'm coming from.

Oh no no. please do defend yourself. lol it's more meaningful when you explain your own reasonings instead of speaking in a broader, more generic sense.

But I'm curious why the move?
I understand for story purpose, getting her form point A to point B, but WHY was it necessary?
Why build her character elsewhere, to have her suddenly thrust into another completely new?
Why not just start in the new land with whatever mindset she currently has?

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Oh no no. please do defend yourself. lol it's more meaningful when you explain your own reasonings instead of speaking in a broader, more generic sense.

But I'm curious why the move?
I understand for story purpose, getting her form point A to point B, but WHY was it necessary?
Why build her character elsewhere, to have her suddenly thrust into another completely new?
Why not just start in the new land with whatever mindset she currently has?

Lmao, rather than defend, I'll just explain my own reasoning.

I started her in one world and then moved her to another because the contrast matters for her arc. If she began in the new world already, she wouldn’t have the same emotional stakes, the same baggage, or the same earnest strive to find meaning or purpose. Her old life is basically the “baseline” that shows how empty things were for her and why the new world feels like an opportunity rather than just a change of scenery.

It’s not just about getting her from point A to point B physically, but rather, it’s about showing what she’s escaping from and what she’s trying to build. Her desperation, the stuff she clings to, her modern knowledge, all of that only weighs down when seeing the context it came from. I kept the isekai transition bit brief, but it sets the emotional tone I was going for; she’s a character who needed a reset, and this new world becomes the space where she can finally try to find purpose.

If I started her already in the new world, she’d just come across as someone who randomly exists there. The “why she is the way she is” would be way weaker without showing even a glimpse of the life she left behind. So for me, the move was necessary to make her growth feel earned rather than arbitrary. Plus, the way of writing and the meaning behind it, the symbolism, is what resonates with me personally.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Lmao, rather than defend, I'll just explain my own reasoning.

I started her in one world and then moved her to another because the contrast matters for her arc. If she began in the new world already, she wouldn’t have the same emotional stakes, the same baggage, or the same earnest strive to find meaning or purpose. Her old life is basically the “baseline” that shows how empty things were for her and why the new world feels like an opportunity rather than just a change of scenery.

It’s not just about getting her from point A to point B physically, but rather, it’s about showing what she’s escaping from and what she’s trying to build. Her desperation, the stuff she clings to, her modern knowledge, all of that only weighs down when seeing the context it came from. I kept the isekai transition bit brief, but it sets the emotional tone I was going for; she’s a character who needed a reset, and this new world becomes the space where she can finally try to find purpose.

If I started her already in the new world, she’d just come across as someone who randomly exists there. The “why she is the way she is” would be way weaker without showing even a glimpse of the life she left behind. So for me, the move was necessary to make her growth feel earned rather than arbitrary. Plus, the way of writing and the meaning behind it, the symbolism, is what resonates with me personally.

I like that, and sound incredible to read (Which I've saved your book, and do plan to read, not to flatter you, or get off topic)

But- (And I think I'm spoiling myself by asking), what did the transition really do? Getting transported to the new world (I'm assuming) wasn't entirely her doing. She didn't pick up a catalogue and skim through new destinations to pick one she liked. She (again assuming) quite literally stumbled into this new world, so the transition wouldn't really be "Earned" in any way, would it?
Would the story still have made sense if she hated her life so much, she instead saved enough (within the new world) to move further to somewhere she liked (still within the new world), thus earning that new life, and starting fresh? Why the magical transfer element? skipping the "isekai" moment, and only keep the (i'm guessing) romance fantasy genre?

I'm enjoying this banter btw. so cool.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I like that, and sound incredible to read (Which I've saved your book, and do plan to read, not to flatter you, or get off topic)

But- (And I think I'm spoiling myself by asking), what did the transition really do? Getting transported to the new world (I'm assuming) wasn't entirely her doing. She didn't pick up a catalogue and skim through new destinations to pick one she liked. She (again assuming) quite literally stumbled into this new world, so the transition wouldn't really be "Earned" in any way, would it?
Would the story still have made sense if she hated her life so much, she instead saved enough (within the new world) to move further to somewhere she liked (still within the new world), thus earning that new life, and starting fresh? Why the magical transfer element? skipping the "isekai" moment, and only keep the (i'm guessing) romance fantasy genre?

I'm enjoying this banter btw. so cool.

Well thank you XD
You make me feel like I'm actually smart or a good writer somehow! lol

Good question, though, she didn't quite 'earn' the teleport in the sense of choosing the new world herself or having to die to get it. But in my story, the transition isn’t supposed to be a reward or some kind of achievement. It’s more of like an emotional consequence of everything she’s gone through.

And you're right about the potential spoiler. I can’t dive too deep without spoiling big chunks of the plot, but the move is tied to her connection with her younger brother, who passed away, mentioned at the beginning. She makes a desperate wish at her lowest point (quite literally, given the context), and that bond between them is what ends up pulling her into the new world. So it’s not entirely random or a convenient plot shortcut; it’s directly connected to something very personal, which is the direction I wanted to go. Above all else, this story is for me to personally enjoy and feel for. I daydream it almost everyday~

Plus, if she just moved somewhere else within the fantasy world, it wouldn’t hit the same. The magical transfer is what keeps her brother attached to her story and gives her new life some actual emotional roots, instead of feeling like she just packed up and relocated, or truck-kun said OH- HI THERE! ITS ADVENTURE TIME! The magic is basically the thread that ties her grief, her past, and her new purpose together, at least that's how I intended it.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Well thank you XD
You make me feel like I'm actually smart or a good writer somehow! lol

Good question, though, she didn't quite 'earn' the teleport in the sense of choosing the new world herself or having to die to get it. But in my story, the transition isn’t supposed to be a reward or some kind of achievement. It’s more of like an emotional consequence of everything she’s gone through.

And you're right about the potential spoiler. I can’t dive too deep without spoiling big chunks of the plot, but the move is tied to her connection with her younger brother, who passed away, mentioned at the beginning. She makes a desperate wish at her lowest point (quite literally, given the context), and that bond between them is what ends up pulling her into the new world. So it’s not entirely random or a convenient plot shortcut; it’s directly connected to something very personal, which is the direction I wanted to go. Above all else, this story is for me to personally enjoy and feel for. I daydream it almost everyday~

Plus, if she just moved somewhere else within the fantasy world, it wouldn’t hit the same. The magical transfer is what keeps her brother attached to her story and gives her new life some actual emotional roots, instead of feeling like she just packed up and relocated, or truck-kun said OH- HI THERE! ITS ADVENTURE TIME! The magic is basically the thread that ties her grief, her past, and her new purpose together, at least that's how I intended it.

Amazing. I'll be looking forward to reading.

I don't know if you changed my mind about isekai's. But I also don't really know how to feel about the transfer. It's more emotional, and reasonable than truck-kun, or some random mugging gone awry. From the way you describe it, it's... It's... just fantasy. Like all around fantasy. But don't get me wrong! I'm not saying ew fantasy, and you can call it as you want, isekai, or whatever. But in my own thought process, think it just might surpass that trope entirely into something else. I wouldn't call it isekai because there's no real death, or accident, or goddess, or anything about the trope that really says "Isekai", but.. I don't know. I'd call it something different.. Something better? I don't know.. I really don't.

-maybe it is Isekai, and you really did change my mind. *shrug
It really does sound like a good read. I hope it is.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Amazing. I'll be looking forward to reading.

I don't know if you changed my mind about isekai's. But I also don't really know how to feel about the transfer. It's more emotional, and reasonable than truck-kun, or some random mugging gone awry. From the way you describe it, it's... It's... just fantasy. Like all around fantasy. But don't get me wrong! I'm not saying ew fantasy, and you can call it as you want, isekai, or whatever. But in my own thought process, think it just might surpass that trope entirely into something else. I wouldn't call it isekai because there's no real death, or accident, or goddess, or anything about the trope that really says "Isekai", but.. I don't know. I'd call it something different.. Something better? I don't know.. I really don't.

-maybe it is Isekai, and you really did change my mind. *shrug
It really does sound like a good read. I hope it is.

Well shit, now I feel nervous and the pressure to meet expectations. XD
But thank you, though. I'm a fantasy writer, so I'm glad it sounds like fantasy. lmao

There's a bit of an accident, but y'know. I like my magic and my weirdness to actually have reasoning behind it, even if the explanation rolls out slowly. I’m allergic to plot points that exist just because “the genre said so.” I'm also insane, but that's besides the point.

Can’t stand when stories drown you in exposition from page one, so I try to meet somewhere in the middle. Just enough logic to make it feel grounded, but not so much that it turns into a textbook. I’m basically an eccentric gremlin shoving my own sense of humor (and the occasional meme) into a romance/fantasy slop drama that blankets all the emotional symbolism.

Thanks for the fun discussion!

 

[Avarice_Of_The_Seven]

As much as I enjoyed reading, I don't think you answered my question in any of it. BUT you did bring up one good detail I don't even think you realized. In another world with my smartphone, as dumb and as cringy as it is, wouldn't make sense (if it made any sense at all) if they didn't isekai. The smartphone literally being a thing from the other world. but Deathnote did the exact same thing, except better.. in its own way. Deathnote not of this realm dropped and Light learned to use it. could have been the same thing. Smartphone is found in a stupid cookie jar, and user learns to use it. No isekai death needed, or however that anime started.


Exactly my point. Isekai are dumb. NOT the story part. JUST the Isekai part. Isekai isn't a real genre. It steals genres pretending to be one just cause we added a death at the beginning that serves practically nothing to the rest of the story.


Opening the book should be the escapism in my opinion.
Thank you for not murdering your character just to have them find peace somewhere else, but WHY did you have them move, instead of just starting there? Why the whole setup of "we start here, everything sucks.." okay moving on to what really matters!!! "ENTER THE STORY! WOO PARTY!!" Don't you think people would rather skip the boring nonsense instead needlessly dragging themselves along the boring part in order to get to the GOOD part? Wouldn't it be increased engagement if "wow my life sucks already, let me open a book and immediately feeling better!!" instead of.. "dang this is depressing, why the heck did i pick this up again??"


sorry. Modern world uses internet. Everything is now connected whether you like it or not. "Normies" will eventually touch everything. I'd say get used to it cause that's reality. You can always go offgrid, and isolate.

Writing in general gives you freedom of imagination.. It's writing. everything you said can be done in any story, not specifically Isekai.

You're talking about writing in general. Not isekai.
"(Add Genre Here) 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-"

Stats would be a LitRPG thing.


No death, and going planet wide with superpowers. That's Scifi fantasy. Not Isekai. lol But I like yer moxy, kid.


So.. because you're lazy as a writer? That's not a good reason. If you want to write fantasy, just write fantasy. You don't need a reason to write. just do it. My question is... WHY the Isekai? everything you just said can be written in to a character. if they don't have a certain personality is because you written them that way. I don't think blaming the genre substitutes for bad imagination. If you want something, write it in? WHY the transfer from one "realm" to another?

its not about being lazy, its just convenient when you create a plot. for example, your main character has a past trauma related to his family but you don't want for this trauma to be triggered in the story so you will need to adjust your world's settings. like killing his family, having him kicked out from home, making him run away from home, etc. this will create multiple plot holes and inconsistencies within the story and it might affect your plot in some way. bottom line, your progression becomes rigid and these things become more straining on the plot and world building. but in isekai, you can just reincarnate your main character and problem solved! his family exists in different world so they can't affect your worldbuilding or plot. and you don't have to change anything related to plot or worldbuilding since his family exist in another world that's completely unrelated so you still retain your creative freedom and don't need to compromise.

you can make your plot and world building better since the process is less rigid and you have more creativity to spare.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

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.

Reverse the order and I kind of stole it 30 years ago, but for a Champions villain group - The Group of Evil Guys, Inc. (though didn't figure out a way to fit in the "parents killed in front of them" until I added Gun Bunny to the line-up of Tough Guy, Mentalist, Energy Projector, Fast Fellow, The Babe and Kung Fu Guy about six years later).
Without the character death, it's just portal fantasy (well, traditionally; literally portal fantasy is isekai but...).

In mine, the character's death establishes his personality and is a plot point that comes up later. Also, he's sent to a mostly Wild West world rather than a typical fantasy one.

 

[Eldoria]

its not about being lazy, its just convenient when you create a plot.

That's a very subtle difference.

The difficulty of creating a character backstory isn't a valid reason to answer the isekai premise, "Why does the MC have to die first just to be sent to another world and start a new life?" Actually, character backstory isn't that complicated; you can gradually reveal layers of character background and trauma throughout the narrative without relying on the background of the MC from Earth.

 

[Terrate]

No death, and going planet wide with superpowers. That's Scifi fantasy. Not Isekai. lol But I like yer moxy, kid.

I'm sure you just said the GotG was isekai too.

This is a great answer, which I personally relate to, having had my own issues on the topic. But it doesn't explain why it would be needed in cases of being murdered, or because of an accident. Not every Isekai starts off with a suicide. It's the necessary death in order to go into the new world that I think is dumb, not the new start within the story. Moving away, or leaving home to advenure somewhere new, can also give that sense of relief. Why death in particular?

If you want something, write it in? WHY the transfer from one "realm" to another?

The stories aren't the issue. It's the beginning death scene that i think is absolutely pointless, and serves nothing.

My issue is with the beginning of the story that I find unnecessary. The part where X character needs to be transported, killed, committed sudoku, or has a tragic accident --> in order to go into the new fantastic world.
Why not just start with the new world? Why the dragged out prologue? Why does X character NEED to die/ be transferred for the story to start?

Why is reading the transfer from one imaginary place to another so important?
I know I'm being sarcastic, and rude. Which I apologize, I don't mean to come off as a complete b****.

but the whole thing COULD actually start at the beginning of the story.

If you want to get into semantics, Guardians of the Galaxy is an Isekai. Starlord literally gets transported to "another world", and grows up there. Granted it's still Earth's universe. but that's exactly what I mean. Isekai is just a blatant disregard of imagination. ANYTHING can exist anywhere. King Kong? Earth. Godzilla? Earth. MARVEL itself EARTH. superpowers and all. It doesn't need to be focused in New York city or Manhattan Island. Guardians of the Galaxy literally has its own planets!!!

WHY IS DEATH NECESSARY???

Isekai is dumb. NOT BECAUSE OF THE STORIES THEY TELL. but because of the "dies and gets transported", or "fell into a void" or "was kidnapped by aliens and thrown onto a alien homeworld".. okay maybe not that last one, but WHY? WHY the extra steps? you want to tell a fanfic GO for it.. you want to write a fantasy about fireballs and stat levels GO for it.. WHY THE ISEKAI??? it's pointless.

But why go through the extra steps? Why not just write what you want to write?
What does the explanation of "My character died to get here" serve?
A story is still a story any which way you tell it. Why the addition, pointless blurb of death?

But I'm curious why the move?
I understand for story purpose, getting her form point A to point B, but WHY was it necessary?
Why build her character elsewhere, to have her suddenly thrust into another completely new?
Why not just start in the new land with whatever mindset she currently has?

I want to keep it short bro. But Isekai literally means "another world" which would automatically mean that there WAS a world you knew before you got into the next one. Which would literally explain the GENRE itself. That's why I agree with you with GotG can be labeled as an isekai, though we're probably gonna get weird looks if you openly say it in a normie setting.

Also, despite reading the other comments saying that "it doesn't matter" on why the mode of transportation whether it was Death/Teleport/Portal/Whatever reason you can pull out of your ass, I'm going to say that it actually DOES matter. Because in ALL of those scenarios, the Protagonist has knowledge that this "new" world wasn't the thing he remembers or knows.

Now, I'm gonna answer why "they" need to explain the transportation process. As the person on the comments had already said, they would just be a NATIVE of that world, and it would just be a FANTASY genre. You can't just add ISEKAI tag on a purely FANTASY tag. Like, would you tag Frieren as Isekai? VRMMO Genre like, SAO, Shangri-la frontier, Bofuri, which people usually confuse with ISEKAI because the game they're in is basically A NEW UNKNOWN WORLD, shouldn't be labeled as ISEKAI because it's just them in the same world but playing games.

You're questioning the genre too much. As if thinking that ISEKAI = FANTASY when it's not. Like, I could see you questioning ACTION genre as to why people hit or punch each other for the thrill when people could just write a Thriller without the punching or hitting, since, ACTION = THRILLER right? Both gets your blood pumping!

Edit: Just to add, All isekai can be fantasy, but not all fantasy is Isekai.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I want to keep it short bro. But Isekai literally means "another world" which would automatically mean that there WAS a world you knew before you got into the next one. Which would literally explain the GENRE itself. That's why I agree with you with GotG can be labeled as an isekai, though we're probably gonna get weird looks if you openly say it in a normie setting.

If you go by the technical definition of the world ANY story dealing with other worlds, from The Worm Ouroboros (where "you," the reader are transported in spirit alone to E. R. Eddings version of Venus, to watch his characters, called Demons though not supernatural creatures, do something... keep spacing out around chapter five or seven and never get far enough to figure out what the plot is, if there is one), to The Chronicles of Narnia, to some of E. R. Nesbitt's stories about young English children finding a fantasy world, to the modern isekai.
And by that definition, Suicide Squad: Isekai really deserves that name, and Peter Quill's situation makes Guardians of the Galaxy a form of Isekai (at least for Vol. 1 - Vol 2. reveals he's not quite human - and replaces J'Son of the comics with Ego as his "dear old absentee dad").

But by common usage in the last decade or so, the term specifically refers to someone ripped out of the world they knew, usually by death, and placed into another where different rules apply.

I suspect Chalker's Well of Souls series may have been one of the foundational stories - his characters don't die first (the MC comes close twice and has to have his body literally rebuilt after one) but are physically dragged out of their modern Earth and given forms "more appropriate" to their new world. And a sword named Irving. Chalker was a character.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

You're talking about writing in general. Not isekai.
"(Add Genre Here) 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-"

Stats would be a LitRPG thing.

Honestly that's just me being incredibly desensitized by so many Isekai (that isn't Mushoku Tensei, Slime, KageJitsu or KonoSuba) that got those mandatory LitRPG that I can't help but point out one of the reason why Isekai got that bad rep.

I guess it's something Korean novels and web comics does a lot compares to Japanese ones, and the West (especially the Royal Road folks) happens to lump two things together—the Japanese Isekai trope and LitRPG elements in one bowl.

 

[Terrate]

If you go by the technical definition of the world ANY story dealing with other worlds, from The Worm Ouroboros (where "you," the reader are transported in spirit alone to E. R. Eddings version of Venus, to watch his characters, called Demons though not supernatural creatures, do something... keep spacing out around chapter five or seven and never get far enough to figure out what the plot is, if there is one), to The Chronicles of Narnia, to some of E. R. Nesbitt's stories about young English children finding a fantasy world, to the modern isekai.
And by that definition, Suicide Squad: Isekai really deserves that name, and Peter Quill's situation makes Guardians of the Galaxy a form of Isekai (at least for Vol. 1 - Vol 2. reveals he's not quite human - and replaces J'Son of the comics with Ego as his "dear old absentee dad").

But by common usage in the last decade or so, the term specifically refers to someone ripped out of the world they knew, usually by death, and placed into another where different rules apply.

I suspect Chalker's Well of Souls series may have been one of the foundational stories - his characters don't die first (the MC comes close twice and has to have his body literally rebuilt after one) but are physically dragged out of their modern Earth and given forms "more appropriate" to their new world. And a sword named Irving. Chalker was a character.

Well, yeah. Since those are western things, the term "Isekai" would never be used by them, and it would just be blanketed by the genre called "Fantasy" or whatever equivalent of it like transportation or scifi.

Cause, let's be real here, "Isekai" is really only used by nerds like us who are actually exploring all types media. Like, I really doubt those authors you mentioned even knows the word "isekai" when they wrote their own book, but sure as hell they could be classified as one. Also Isekai has been popular in japan for so long, it's only now that death becomes popular as a mode of transfer. The isekai of the old days always had the mc wanting to go back.

 

[Envylope]

Reading any book is escapism, or dissociation, or feeling a sense of freedom. But that's also the story part.
Why is the death necessary?

The death is the killing of their former self, the one that they dislike.

 

[Fairemont]

Most Isekai stories I've read would have been infinitely better if it was not an Isekai at all.

It's a rare gem when I come across one where the Isekai components are actually used or central to the story itself. Those tend to be rather interesting.