Can Jap Isekai Novels send their MC in a world that is not inspired by Fantasy Medieval Europe?

IamUNKNOWN01nnr · February 17,2025

I'm getting tired of Jap Isekais always being set in fantasy medieval Europe. I know this started because of classic JRPG's usual settings and wanting to evoke that feeling of adventuring like in JRPGs but can't they think of other places to Isekai the MC to? I've seen some old ones in Ancient Japan. Meanwhile cn novels always Isekai their MCs at Fantasy ancient China.

I'm tired of Isekais in general but I doubt this trend will die anytime soon so they should at least try to think of new shit??

HaiikouhF · February 18,2025

That's why book publishing is such a money burning business. You can license books that make no money.
I can understand why platforms like Syosetu are used as content farms or rather colloseums to pick winners

lolbingolol · February 18,2025

Or little girls

Yourbookguy · February 18,2025

That brings back memories to my early anime/manga days. Not a big fan of isekai madness but we have come a long way.

Paradox_Crystal · February 18,2025

I think that they are more familiar with Dragon Quest then other sources like tolkien and D&D, so it has a heavy impact on their mindset. Pig-like orks comes from the Dragon Quest series, and "cute" slimes take a lot form it as well.

Highdaoist · February 18,2025

Oh I've been reading the manga to this, didnt know it had a novel. Thank you.

TomzyGabs19 · February 18,2025

Yeah, that series of books has amazing world building. Older isekai stories like that are completely different from the newer fare; they have very different goals and achieve very different effects. It's crazy how much more effort those writers put in than the current bunch of lazy bums do.

I wanted one which took place in World War II, on the Soviet side (because nothing beats blowing up Nazis), and maybe make the protagonist female. But then I found it, I read it, and it was good.

Fallency · February 18,2025

don't tell me you just realize that~

sigh did you make this thread to remind this topic?

ops sorry I was open your thread while reading this thread

tkya · February 18,2025

Yup, pretty much that.

Picked a sci-fi novel with an amazing premise lately, it's also pretty popular Japan, and yet it's hard as hell to get readers.

CAESAR20 · February 18,2025

It makes you wonder, we already got an isekai Vladimir Putin manga, so when are we getting an isekai Gordon Ramsay manga?

leimrat · February 18,2025

Lordous · February 18,2025

Behold!
Nobunyaga Oda

SurpriseReaderwyJ · February 18,2025

By realistic, I meant characters, their development and plot stuff. Heck, it doesn't even have to be realistic as long as it stops copying what other isekai stories are already doing cause whatever they're doing, there are already some people getting tired of it even in Japan. World-building is more of an afterthought.