@@The_Loose_Fool So if you could, you wouldn't choose to be an overpowered one man army with atleast 3 10/10 Women simping over you while you save the world by destroying great evil amassing fame and riches in a world where magic exists? If you answer anything but Yes, you are a liar.
Truly one of the best media analysis i have ever seen. Absolutely astonishing how thoughtful and accurate you have been. This has totally given me a whole new perspective on the Isekai genre (and on japanese socio economics lol) This surely deserves more views. On a separate note, I'd also like to add that not all the isekais are centered around the "power fantasy". Some, like Re: Zero, have actual good plot and deep character development, while others, like Overlord, center more on the exploration of the setting and the politics of the fantasy world.
I think there's a general intuition for why one may feel that Isekai has blown up as much as it has, it's easy to just say, power fantasy or wish fulfilment, but, the amount of research and tackling the topic from within and breaking it down into its parts here really makes it all the more convincing and compelling. Well appreciated the work that went into compiling the research and presenting it all here!
wow this video is dense compared to your other ones. it's interesting seeing the academic basis for the general vibes i had as to why most isekai stories are carbon copies of one another and yet still so popular: partly cause of psychological reasons and but mainly due to socio-economic realities of the contemporary world. the technological dimension part is especially facinating, since although i'm well aware of Shousetsuka ni Narou and the many works that came from it, the concept of participatory culture is fresh and i can see why the genre has become a semi-seperate entity altogether in the anime medium and gained its cult fandom.
I feel as if it's also important to apply theory of mind to the authors and creators of these stories. Yes, we should criticize isekai, but we should acknowledge that many of these stories come from amateur writers competing in popularity polls. I wasn't really interested in Reincarnated as a Vending Machine, but learning how the author made that story changed my perspective a bit.
Isekai has best and worst that anime has to offer in my opinion... It has anime that has changed my life forever(mainly re:zero) and also such copy pasted unoriginal crap that makes me want to stop watching anime altogether... Take your pick🙌
Good points overall, but can't help it but feel like the tone is bit contemptuous towards the genre. And it's honestly understandable, because I felt the same contempt for the genre in the past, before I began really engaging with the source material (Web novel and light novel). The very format of the web novel coincidentally became an attractive part of the genre regarding how the writer can play the long game. While initially many of the isekai titles rely on the cheap gimmicks (The very parts usually adapted in anime that feel unimaginative), good writers are able to gradually build the engaging world at their own pace and reach an impressive heights at times. Unfortunately these "good parts" are rarely adapted since the novels are so long-running. I think, out of long running isekai novels from the "golden age of isekai" only Overlord got more than the half of the story adapted as anime. There are many isekai/fantasy titles that are trash, but I eventually had to admit that was wrong about a solid number of them because of the preconceived notions.
I think the isakei genre can be cool, the idea of someone being taken to a new world is neat, what I don't like are uninspired stories that don't actually know what story they want to tell so they instead use it as a fallback since it's the easiest thing to coast on with a lot of tropes to use. If an isekai has a character that starts off in an adventurers guild, has XP, quest points or some kind of overdone game mechanic then you can pretty much tell that the writer will have absolutely no idea where to take the story when those tropes can't be used. If an isekai has a character get taken to a world without the real world having any plot relevancy then there really is no point in having that isakei name to it, there are animes like kemono michi where the real world actually stays relevant all throughout the show or dr stone has the past world be extremely relevant to the show so it needs to be there, I don't think the reincarnated as a slime one needed to be that. Isekai's that have a story to tell are good, isekais that use tropes and only tropes or gimmicks aren't good.
I like isekai, even some of the "bad" ones. Even though I'm a girl it doesn't bother me if the MC is a guy, I can still relate to them well enough. My next life as a Villainess was also quite good though. In general I like stories that have a more happy/light tone so I don't mind OP main characters. Depressing stuff like Re Zero or dumb stuff like Konosuba is not my cup of tea though.
Japan is not as monopolized as the USA so the Anime has more choices. There is a lot of Anime I don't like but enough I do. On the other hand I am alienated by what little choice the USA provides.
With isekai having such clear videogame influences, I figured it was influenced by the rise of the Soulsborne genre of punishingly hard games. Most isekai is played on easy mode by overpowered main characters. Most of the lazier isekai series are simply continuations of the battle harem genre considering how quickly the main character gets his harem. Even limiting to the 3 episode rule, the MC probably has 5 women following him around.
Many people want to have a fresh start again. It's a fantasy that isekai genre provides.
Because we all want to be "That Guy" and start a new life.
Not all. I'm pretty satisfied with my life full of flaws i'm getting rid off and unpredictable outcomes
@@The_Loose_Fool So if you could, you wouldn't choose to be an overpowered one man army with atleast 3 10/10 Women simping over you while you save the world by destroying great evil amassing fame and riches in a world where magic exists? If you answer anything but Yes, you are a liar.
@@The_Loose_Fool Good for you I guess
Most isekai have people who had many failures, who feel like if I had another chance in life I would do x and y better
Truly one of the best media analysis i have ever seen. Absolutely astonishing how thoughtful and accurate you have been.
This has totally given me a whole new perspective on the Isekai genre (and on japanese socio economics lol)
This surely deserves more views.
On a separate note, I'd also like to add that not all the isekais are centered around the "power fantasy". Some, like Re: Zero, have actual good plot and deep character development, while others, like Overlord, center more on the exploration of the setting and the politics of the fantasy world.
I think there's a general intuition for why one may feel that Isekai has blown up as much as it has, it's easy to just say, power fantasy or wish fulfilment, but, the amount of research and tackling the topic from within and breaking it down into its parts here really makes it all the more convincing and compelling. Well appreciated the work that went into compiling the research and presenting it all here!
wow this video is dense compared to your other ones. it's interesting seeing the academic basis for the general vibes i had as to why most isekai stories are carbon copies of one another and yet still so popular: partly cause of psychological reasons and but mainly due to socio-economic realities of the contemporary world. the technological dimension part is especially facinating, since although i'm well aware of Shousetsuka ni Narou and the many works that came from it, the concept of participatory culture is fresh and i can see why the genre has become a semi-seperate entity altogether in the anime medium and gained its cult fandom.
This video was surprisingly good, keep up the great work!
I feel as if it's also important to apply theory of mind to the authors and creators of these stories.
Yes, we should criticize isekai, but we should acknowledge that many of these stories come from amateur writers competing in popularity polls.
I wasn't really interested in Reincarnated as a Vending Machine, but learning how the author made that story changed my perspective a bit.
Isekai has best and worst that anime has to offer in my opinion... It has anime that has changed my life forever(mainly re:zero) and also such copy pasted unoriginal crap that makes me want to stop watching anime altogether... Take your pick🙌
Our world is hell and we all want out of it.
Good points overall, but can't help it but feel like the tone is bit contemptuous towards the genre. And it's honestly understandable, because I felt the same contempt for the genre in the past, before I began really engaging with the source material (Web novel and light novel).
The very format of the web novel coincidentally became an attractive part of the genre regarding how the writer can play the long game. While initially many of the isekai titles rely on the cheap gimmicks (The very parts usually adapted in anime that feel unimaginative), good writers are able to gradually build the engaging world at their own pace and reach an impressive heights at times. Unfortunately these "good parts" are rarely adapted since the novels are so long-running. I think, out of long running isekai novels from the "golden age of isekai" only Overlord got more than the half of the story adapted as anime.
There are many isekai/fantasy titles that are trash, but I eventually had to admit that was wrong about a solid number of them because of the preconceived notions.
I think the isakei genre can be cool, the idea of someone being taken to a new world is neat, what I don't like are uninspired stories that don't actually know what story they want to tell so they instead use it as a fallback since it's the easiest thing to coast on with a lot of tropes to use.
If an isekai has a character that starts off in an adventurers guild, has XP, quest points or some kind of overdone game mechanic then you can pretty much tell that the writer will have absolutely no idea where to take the story when those tropes can't be used.
If an isekai has a character get taken to a world without the real world having any plot relevancy then there really is no point in having that isakei name to it, there are animes like kemono michi where the real world actually stays relevant all throughout the show or dr stone has the past world be extremely relevant to the show so it needs to be there, I don't think the reincarnated as a slime one needed to be that.
Isekai's that have a story to tell are good, isekais that use tropes and only tropes or gimmicks aren't good.
I like isekai, even some of the "bad" ones. Even though I'm a girl it doesn't bother me if the MC is a guy, I can still relate to them well enough. My next life as a Villainess was also quite good though.
In general I like stories that have a more happy/light tone so I don't mind OP main characters.
Depressing stuff like Re Zero or dumb stuff like Konosuba is not my cup of tea though.
Can't wait you make a similar video about the harem genre.
Japan is not as monopolized as the USA so the Anime has more choices. There is a lot of Anime I don't like but enough I do. On the other hand I am alienated by what little choice the USA provides.
whew! that was a deep dive.
I hated it a ton then fell in love with it. So many good manga out there
With isekai having such clear videogame influences, I figured it was influenced by the rise of the Soulsborne genre of punishingly hard games. Most isekai is played on easy mode by overpowered main characters.
Most of the lazier isekai series are simply continuations of the battle harem genre considering how quickly the main character gets his harem. Even limiting to the 3 episode rule, the MC probably has 5 women following him around.
Most of them always tend to fizzle out quickly for me.
wagie lmfao
I need variety not isekai😢
I need variety not battle shounen, oh wait! Maybe I should JUST WATCH MORE ANIME! WHAT A NOVEL IDEA
@@akiradkcn I'll watch anything but isekai these days... boring
Good work! This needs more likes