[RANT] Immediately turned off by Isekai that have character status

[Skcyte]

I just

Spoiler

fucking

hate it. 90% of Isekai manga I've read have this BS, like why? Why they need to be in this "game like" environment? Looking at wikipedia, Isekai genre is not exclusive to transport to video game. Am I the only one who's got this feeling everytime I read Isekai?
And plus I feel like the plot of Isekai is immediately thrown away after a few chapter. Basically the MC doesn't need Isekai backstory for the story going forward.

 

[ABCsOfLife]

While I do see what you're getting at, what other things are you trying to do here?

Asking to turn off "Video Game" tags by default?

 

[sterven]

@ABCsOfLife pretty sure he/she is just ranting I mean it is in the title of the thread

At this point the vast majority of people who actively read Isekai just tone that shit out man. I for one know that if i'm reading an isekai its gonna be thrash and i'm just there for the comment section the rare times it isn't i'm honestly fucking surprised.

 

[Skcyte]

@ABCsOfLife Just make a good isekai without that aspect. A good example for me is Takarakuji de 40. It doesn't have the video game character status aspect and it uses the plot for being from another world. If you wanna to make in video game story just make one, what's the point using isekai plot? Then what's the difference if the isekai plot is removed? Overlord for example I only watch the anime and pretty much if you remove it's a person stuck in video game the story just the same.

@sterven Yea pretty much, I read in hope of finding a good one to read.

 

[FireFish5000]

@Skcyte Just... stop reading game ones?
I mean, what are you doing? Looking at all the covers and titles and instinctively clicking RPG themed ones?
There are plenty of others, and it looks like you have discovered that. So... Be free! Escape the shoen adventure isekai hellhold and follow decent series!

Isekai is just fantasy anyways, with the addition of 'I came from another world' added into the first chapter. There are no limits here other than the authors imagination, and your capacity to distinguish a work you would like from one you would not. Your halfway there already

If your into romance at all, click my profile and there should be a few shojou 'reincarnated into a book/otome game as the villainess/2nd princess and I am too dense to fall in love' isekai linked in there. My favorite series are unfortunately, not available on MD (bc official english translations only)

Spoiler

Isekai is not inherently trash. At least, not anymoreso than fantasy is. Its just... for some reason... people are entertaining these crap authors who have no plan for their series past the first page....
To me, it generally seems easy to tell when you have one of them. Lack of foreshadowing, failure to create distinguishable character traits, cookie-cutter storyline with no deviations....
All good signs that your reading crap.
Slightly better crap will have some sort of backshadowing, where instead of hinting about things that will happen in the future, they go back a couple chapters in a flashback and add details in so they can pretend they actually planned to write this crap.
The worst crap will have no facial expressions of any sort.... Its like the author and artist are simultaneously asking 'why the hell are you reading this? We aren't going to get any better, so... just stop'

At this point in time, my main issue is I can find authors who are capable of writing good stories, but give in ~10-15 chapters in. It is like they had a good premise ready, but were unable to keep traction with it so quality drops until we are back to crap. This hurts a lot more than just reading crap though, since they actually draw you in.

 

[Xzayer]

Have you tried far away paladin its isekai. Don’t recall there being a video game plot. But for every good isekai there will be one that are basically copy pastas of each other. I accepted that most are trash and just live with it.

 

[pesimus]

@Skcyte
have you watched Log Horizon?
it's an Isekai with game element yes, but it's the only Isekai I know that the characters are trying to make senses all the question of the Isekainess and the game system they are in, and pobably my favorite Isekai so far

 

[GreyZone]

I disagree. Having "Status Screens" by itself isn't a problem. The problem is an author whose writing is terrible and is unable to make good use of such an aspect of the world. But it can be great if the author knows how to utlize it well.

Take "Kumo Desu Ga, Nani Ka?" for example. It's seemingly a case of an "isekai with game system", but the truth is much more complex than that. If you read the Web Novel version you will eventually find out the truth about the "System". Instead of being just some quantitative expression of the characters' abilities, it's actually

Spoiler

a system made by "Administrator D" that barely keeps a dying world together but is doomed to collapse at some point anyway.

There are several instances of characters surpassing the limitations of the systems, escpacially with the so-called "Ruler Skills" and some other exceptions like Kumoko's mental attacks using her split conciousnesses. All of that gets foreshadowed early on too, so it's not like the author just pulled any of that out of nowhere.

So yea, it's possible to have "game elements" for the sake of more things than just OVER 9000! memes.

 

[sterven]

Well seeing as people are starting to throw in series that they like i'm gonna do the same.

Lets see here out of the top of my head I remember these two
https://mangadex.org/title/16105/tsuki-ga-michibiku-isekai-douchuu
https://mangadex.org/title/15359/isekai-tensei-soudouki
not sure if you have read them before if you haven't give them a try just do keep in mind their not going to be masterpieces.

Oh and of course you should watch (if you haven't already because lets be honest who the fuck hasn't) KonoSuba it has everything you hate but makes it hilarious.

 

[zalagires]

isekai genre without game screen will be too dark and heavy
try grimgar of ash, isekai black company

 

[Skcyte]

@firefish5000 I did if I see a bad one. I'm just ranting to the industry for seems like pushing the Isekai genre to the mainstream like a lot. Why they're green lighting so many of this. And yes Isekai is subgenre from fantasy but what's the purpose if the "I came from another world" aspect is removed there's nothing much the difference between the two.

@Xzayer No I haven't. Added to reading list, thanks.

@pesimus No, I stopped watching anime now but back then I just don't.

@GreyZone I'm not an expert in term of judging how's the writing, but as long it keep me going I'm in. It's just a turned off for me. The Isekai genre did not specifically says that. Yes I know they're not take place in video games but there's no need of that aspect to make it works, in most cases. Absolutely there's a good one, but it's just that there's a lot of it now.

@zalagires I heard Grimgar of Ash is good, but I haven't seen it. But that's the thing just make a video game story then. .hack// for example I only played the game and watch a few of the anime and the 2012 movie. I'm not sure if it fits the Isekai genre but most the story takes place in a video game. And what I like about it is that they're incorporate the video game world with the real world with the AIDA virus etc.

@sterven Thanks for the recommendation. Hey I like KonoSuba, AFAIR it doesn't use the character status pretty heavy and doesn't use the Isekai plot. But it's comedic centric and just having fun. I loved it. They're not "I'm A GOD" then saving the world or getting banished because they sucks and then got stronger in like few days.

 

[Xzayer]

@Skcyte

Hopefully this helps. Yes isekai is being pushed a lot. Until something else comes along we will keep seeing a lot of trashy ones that use video game rhetoric. Isekai doesn’t require a lot of creativity to start a story. It all depends on how the author fleshes things out. //hack would count as isekai by today since one main character is literally stuck in the game and can’t log out. Personally didn’t like the anime. But loved the video games especially GU.

 

[Kaarme]

Games are a big deal these days. Far bigger business than movies. Light novels (which most isekai are based on) aren't any great literature. They are specifically written to cater to the expectations of the target audience, kind of like a poor man's version of Harry Potter, and they are utterly shameless about copying each other when some element has been proven to be a hit among the readers. So, all in all, the game elements appearing in isekai light novels is unavoidable for two reasons: 1) Most readers are familiar with games to some extent, 2) It makes far easier to write a flimsy story with stiff, transparent mechanics like that.

Isekai itself as an idea is as old as boots. I imagine it's used to draw the reader in more easily: This could happen to you. When it's a modern joe or jane in the new world, it may be easier to sympathise with the MC and most certainly easier for an author of limited skills to avoid rethinking values, morals, and motivations.

 

[BzzBzz]

No one forces you to read something if you don't like it. There's thousands of other things.

More news at 11.

 

[Skcyte]

I guess submitting a title seems more easy than I thought it would be. If there's only a series that represent this .

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@Skcyte The video game aspect is just a quick and easy shortcut for authors to visualize character progression using numbers; yes it's possible without it but it's much tougher. Call the authors lazy but it works and it just works.

People has put in their fav isekais here so Imma go out of the norm and put in a regular fantasy. I watched Danmachi the other day and holy crap it's fantastic. It is a fantasy, not an isekai, that is 100% a video game world. But the author used their status system to efficiently that it boosts the characters personality and development for the far better.

Spoilers below. I advice you to watch it instead of reading my spoilers, I can guarantee you that it's worth it and an amazing series to binge.

Ep 1

Spoiler

In the beginning, when Hestia the goddess updates Bell's status - the MC, she finds that he received a brand new skill that she has never heard of before. This is because he has feelings for another character and wants to surpass her, bla bla bla plot tools.

Because of this, you will immadietely know that this is a powerup fantasy where we will want to watch the MC gets stronger - and become stronger he did.

Ep 2

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Hestia strikes a deal with another goddess to get a powerful weapon for Bell, another setup for the powerup

Ep 3-6

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Then we meet another member to MC's harem a new character, Lili. Using her, the story dives deep into adventurers and their personalities, the good and the bad.

We also see Bell's backstory and a glimpse at how the Familia system works, the story's version of guilds or clans, with the god/goddess as their leader.

Ep 7

Spoiler

We see Bell defeats a powerful Minotaur. This is a really monumental moment. I'm not gonna spend my afternoon explaining why, just know that this scene is goosebump-inducing and extremely well-written.

Throughout this first arc we also see Bell level up into a level 2 in record-breaking time which sparked jealousy and attention everywhere.

Ep 8-13

Spoiler

The second arc in the anime. It talks about the dungeon's middle layer, more of the bad side of adventurers, some side characters' backstories, MMORPG mechanics like "pass parade" where a team passing powerful monsters to another team, and even more foreshadowing that Bell will get even more powerful

Looking forward to season 2.

 

[Kaarme]

@DANDAN_THE_DANDAN Is there a person who's not familiar with Danmachi already?

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@Kaarme I didn't know about anything until I watched it lol

 

[Sem]

@Skcyte
Wanna try the opposite (?) problem?
Try some Korean webtoons like Hardcore Leveling Warrior. There's a status menu but it's not an isekai. He's just actually playing a video game.

Honestly I used to dunk on SAO a lot but it at least had that going for it. Having both a game world and a real world gives the characters a definitive goal (returning to real world), and keeps the stakes high. Being able to swap between them freely like HLW is even more interesting because the main character has two concurrently running conflicts that he has to manage and make sure he's never in either the game or real world for so long that the conflict on the other side escalates too far while he's gone.

 

[Skcyte]

@DANDAN_THE_DANDAN yea I watched danmachi and it's OK I guess, first few episodes was really exciting then the rest kinda slowly going down for me.

@Sem I mainly don't watch overrated show. But I'll take that recommendation.