Isekai

Last updated

Isekai (Japanese: 異世界, transl. "different world" or "otherworld") is a genre of speculative fiction—both portal fantasy and science fiction are included. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a displaced person or people who are transported to and have to survive in another world, such as a fantasy world, virtual world, or parallel universe. Isekai is one of the most popular genres of anime, and Isekai stories share many common tropes – for example, a powerful protagonist who is able to beat most people in the other world by fighting. This plot device typically allows the audience to learn about the new world at the same pace as the protagonist over the course of their quest or lifetime. [1] If the main characters are transported to a game-like world, the genre can overlap with LitRPG.

Contents

The concept of isekai started in Japanese folk tales, such as Urashima Tarō. However, the first modern isekai works were Haruka Takachiho's novel Warrior from Another World and Yoshiyuki Tomino's television series Aura Battler Dunbine .

Characteristics

The genre can be divided into two types "transition into another world" (異世界転移, isekai ten'i) and "reincarnation into another world" (異世界転生, isekai tensei). [2] In "transition into another world" stories, the protagonist gets transported to another world (E.g by traveling into it, or being summoned into it). [2] In "reincarnation into another world" stories, the protagonist is sent into another world after dying in the real world. A common method of death is being run over by a truck and dying, spawning the meme of "Truck-kun", a truck which appears in many isekai series that kills the protagonist and the protagonist reincarnates into a different world. [3]

In many examples, the main character is an ordinary person who thrives in their new environment thanks to modern things in the real world being seen as "extraordinary" in the other world. This can be physical characteristics, such as hair or eye color, or normal everyday skills they learned in their previous life such as cooking, engineering, basic education, or medicine, which are far more advanced in the modern, real world than in the world they are sent to. [4] In Sorcerous Stabber Orphen , an entire population of humans appeared in the magically created world, transported from Earth, and were partially mixed with local dragonlike Heavenly Beings. [5]

While the protagonist of a classic isekai work is usually a "chosen hero", there have been a number of alternative takes on the concept. One trend is the protagonist reincarnating into the body of an unimportant side character, or even a villain (as in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ). There are even instances of protagonists becoming inhuman creatures, such as in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime , where the protagonist reincarnates as a slime with special abilities rather than a human, or even inanimate objects, like a magical onsen. [6]

Others, known as "reverse isekai" follow beings from a fantasy universe who have been transported to or reincarnated into modern-day Earth, including the anime Laidbackers and Re:Creators . [7]

An offshoot of the isekai genre is the "second chance" or "reincarnation" genre, where a protagonist who, upon dying, finds themselves transported, not to a different world and new body, but into their own younger self. With their new knowledge and older intellect, they are able to relive their life avoiding their previous pitfalls.[ citation needed ] Another offshoot of the genre include the "slow life" approach, where the protagonist was overworked in their previous life, so decides to take it easy in the next. [4] Another offshoot is where the protagonist uses the new world to explore an interest, hobby, or goal they had in the previous world but were unable to achieve, such as studying or opening a business, like in Restaurant to Another World . [4]

In many works, isekai overlaps with the harem and LitRPG genres, where the protagonist gains the affection of several potential love interests, who may or may not be human. One example of this is Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World . [8]

Writing for the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, Paul Price in his article "A Survey of the Story Elements of Isekai Manga" argues for the existence of four kinds of isekai, based on Farah Mendlesohn's framework of organizing fantasy: "portal-quest", where the protagonist enters the isekai via some kind of portal (Price cites Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody as an example); "immersive", where no such portal exists and all the action takes place in the other world ( Slayers ); "intrusion", which are akin to reverse isekai in which the fantastic enters the real world ( The Devil Is a Part-Timer! ); and "liminal", where the portal becomes a liminal space where the real world and the isekai mix (Restaurant to Another World). [9]

History

The concept of isekai has antecedents in ancient Japanese literature, particularly the story of a fisherman Urashima Tarō, who saves a turtle and is brought to a wondrous undersea kingdom. After spending what he believed to be four to five days there, Urashima returns to his home village only to find himself 300 years in the future. Other precursors to isekai include portal fantasy stories from English literature, notably the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), Peter Pan (1904) and The Chronicles of Narnia (1950). [10] [ unreliable source? ]

Modern media

The earliest modern Japanese isekai stories include Haruka Takachiho's novel Warrior from Another World (1976), Tatsunoko Production CBN collaborative Christian anime Superbook (1981), and Yoshiyuki Tomino's anime Aura Battler Dunbine (1983). [11] [12] [13] The earliest isekai anime to involve the protagonist being trapped in the virtual world of a video game was the film Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (1986), based on the hit video game Super Mario Bros. (1985); the anime film adaptation involves Mario playing a video game that comes to life, making it an ancestor of the "trapped in a video game" subgenre of isekai. [11] [14]

Other early anime and manga titles that could be classified as isekai include Mashin Hero Wataru (1988 debut), NG Knight Ramune & 40 (1990 debut), Fushigi Yûgi (1992 debut), El-Hazard (1995 debut), and The Vision of Escaflowne (1996 debut), in which the protagonists stayed similar to their original appearance upon entering a different world. [15] [16] Other 1990s titles identified as isekai include the novel and anime series The Twelve Kingdoms (1992 debut), [17] the manga/anime/game franchise Magic Knight Rayearth (1993 debut), [17] the visual novel adventure game YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (1996), [18] [19] the manga and anime series Inuyasha (1996 debut), and the anime series Now and Then, Here and There and Digimon Adventure (both 1999 debut). Spirited Away (2001) was one of the first isekai anime films known worldwide, although the term "isekai" was not commonly used at the time. [16] [12]

The role-playing adventure game Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (1997), [20] and the Digimon Adventure (1999 debut) and .hack (2002 debut) franchises, were some of the first works to present the concept of isekai as a virtual world, with Sword Art Online (2002 web novel debut) following in their footsteps. [21] Another isekai anime series from the 2000s is Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (2002). [16]

A popular isekai light novel and anime series in the 2000s was The Familiar of Zero (2004 debut), where the male lead Saito is from modern Japan and is summoned to a fantasy world by the female lead Louise. [22] The Familiar of Zero popularized the isekai genre in web novel and light novel media, along with the website Shōsetsuka ni Narō ("Let's Become Novelists"), known as Narō for short. The Familiar of Zero fan fiction became popular on Narō during the late 2000s, eventually spawning a genre of isekai novels on the site, which became known as Narō novels. The Familiar of Zero fan fiction writers eventually began writing original isekai novels, such as Tappei Nagatsuki who went on to create Re:Zero (2012 debut). The 2012 anime adaptation of Sword Art Online popularized the isekai genre in anime, which led to more isekai web novels being published on Narō and a number of Narō novels being adapted into anime. It was around this time that the term "isekai" was coined. [23]

Later titles such as Knight's & Magic and The Saga of Tanya the Evil (both 2010 debut) involved their protagonists dying and being reincarnated in a different world. [15] [24] The most influential isekai novel in that regard was Mushoku Tensei (2012 debut), which began as a Narō novel and popularized the reincarnation sub-genre of isekai while establishing a number of common isekai tropes. Mushoku Tensei was the most popular Narō novel for a number of years, and thus served as a point of reference for numerous isekai writers that followed. [23]

The isekai genre became so popular during the early- and mid-2010s that it started to generate backlash, both in Japan and overseas, from those who felt that it was overcrowding the greater manga & anime market. In 2016, a Japanese short story contest organized by Bungaku Free Market and Shōsetsuka ni Narō placed a blanket ban on any entries involving isekai. [25] The publisher Kadokawa banned isekai stories as well in their own anime/manga-style novel contest in 2017. [26] In May 2021, Kadokawa announced they would open an "Isekai Museum" in July of the same year. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Mushoku Tensei</i> Japanese light novel series and its franchise

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is a Japanese light novel series by Rifujin na Magonote and illustrated by Shirotaka. The series is about a jobless and hopeless man who dies after having a sad and withdrawn life and reincarnates in a fantasy world while keeping his memories, determined to enjoy his new life without regrets under the name Rudeus Greyrat.

<i>Restaurant to Another World</i> Japanese light novel series

Restaurant to Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Junpei Inuzuka, with illustrations by Katsumi Enami. Shufunotomo have released five volumes of the series since February 2015. An anime television series adaptation produced by Silver Link aired from July to September 2017. A second season by OLM aired from October to December 2021.

<i>That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime</i> Japanese light novel series and its franchise

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, also known as Regarding Reincarnated to Slime and short name TenSura (転スラ), is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Fuse, and illustrated by Mitz Vah. The story is about a salaryman who is murdered and reincarnates in a sword and sorcery world as a slime with unique powers and gathers allies to build his own nation of monsters.

<i>New Life+: Young Again in Another World</i> Japanese light novel series

[New Life+] Young Again in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by MINE and illustrated by Kabocha. The series is licensed in English by J-Novel Club. A manga adaptation by Satoru Abou was serialized from 2016 to 2021, and an anime television series adaptation by Seven Arcs Pictures was scheduled to premiere in October 2018, before it was cancelled on June 6, 2018. Following the announcement of the anime adaptation, the series and its author began to face criticism for controversial material in the novels and in Twitter posts that MINE had made between 2012 and 2015.

<i>Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy</i> Japanese light novel series

Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Kei Azumi and illustrated by Mitsuaki Matsumoto. It began serialization online in 2012 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō, and it moved to the AlphaPolis website in 2016. It was also later acquired by AlphaPolis, who have published the series since May 2013. A manga adaptation with art by Kotora Kino has been serialized online via AlphaPolis' manga website since 2015. An anime television series adaptation by C2C aired from July to September 2021. A second season has been announced.

<i>My Isekai Life</i> Japanese light novel series

My Isekai Life, short for My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World!, is a Japanese light novel series written by Shinkoshoto and illustrated by Huuka Kazabana. It began serialization online in October 2017 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by SB Creative, who has released the series since May 2018 under their GA Novel label.

<i>The Worlds Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat</i> Japanese light novel series and its adaptations

The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat, also known as The world's best assassin, To reincarnate in a different world aristocrat, is a Japanese light novel series written by Rui Tsukiyo and illustrated by Reia. It was serialized online from July 2018 to October 2021 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Kadokawa Shoten, who have published the series since February 2019 under their Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint.

<i>JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World</i> Japanese novel series

JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World is a Japanese novel by Kō Hiratori, first published in Japan as a web novel from October 2016 to August 2017 on the website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Hayakawa Publishing, who published it in December 2017 with cover art by shimano. The novel follows the high school student Haru Koyama, who is transported to another world after her death, where she begins work as a sex worker.

<i>Cheat Slayer</i> Japanese manga series

Killing the People Reincarnated into the Other World: Cheat Slayer is a Japanese isekai manga written by Kakegurui author Homura Kawamoto and illustrated by Aki Yamaguchi. The action is set in a parallel fantasy world, and revolves around a boy who confronts characters who have been abusing supernatural powers ("cheats"), which they gained after dying and being reincarnated as his world's new inhabitants. The series debuted on June 9, 2021, in Fujimi Shobo's shōnen magazine Monthly Dragon Age. However, the series was cancelled after just one chapter when readers highlighted the similarities between the villains in Cheat Slayer and heroes in similar works.

<i>Parallel World Pharmacy</i> Japanese light novel series

Parallel World Pharmacy is a Japanese light novel series written by Liz Takayama and illustrated by keepout. It began serialization online in July 2015 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Media Factory, who have published eight volumes since January 2016 under their MF Books imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Sei Takano has been serialized online via Kadokawa Shoten's ComicWalker website since November 2016. It has been collected in eight tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Diomedéa aired from July to September 2022.

<i>Summoned to Another World... Again?</i> Japanese light novel series and its franchise

Summoned to Another World... Again?! is a Japanese light novel series written by Kazuha Kishimoto and illustrated by 40hara. It was serialized online between March 2015 and December 2016 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō, followed by nine epilogue chapters between February 2017 and October 2020. It was later acquired by Futabasha, who have published five volumes from October 2015 to July 2017 under their Monster Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Arashiyama has been serialized via Futabasha's digital publication Web Comic Action since June 2018. It has been collected in nine tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Studio Elle premiered in April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudeus Greyrat</span> Fictional character from Mushoku Tensei

Rudeus Greyrat is the main protagonist of Rifujin na Magonote's novel series Mushoku Tensei. An unnamed 34-year-old Japanese NEET is kicked out by his siblings following his parents' death and his absence in their parent's funeral. Upon some self-introspection, he had concluded that his life was ultimately pointless, but still intercepts a speeding truck heading towards a group of teenagers in an attempt to do something meaningful for once in his life and manages to pull one of them out of harm's way before dying. Awakening as a newborn baby, he realizes that he's been reincarnated in a world of sword and sorcery and resolves to live his second life to the fullest as Rudeus Greyrat. Due to inherited affinity and early training, in addition to his mother's influence, Rudeus becomes highly skilled at magic, and sets out to enjoy life and overcome his past.

<i>The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World</i> Japanese light novel series

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Kiichi Kosuzu and illustrated by Shiso and Kihiro Yuzuki. It began serialization online in December 2018 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Futabasha, who have published five volumes since July 2019 under their M Novels imprint. They later republished the series with Yuunagi as the new illustrator since July 2022 under their Monster Bunko label. A manga adaptation with art by Toshinori Okazaki has been serialized online via Futabasha's Gaugau Monster website since May 2020. It has been collected in six tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Studio Blanc aired from January to April 2023.

<i>My One-Hit Kill Sister</i> Japanese web novel series

My One-Hit Kill Sister is a Japanese web novel series written by Konoe. It began serialization online in December 2019 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. No printed version of the novel series has been published yet. A manga adaptation with art by Kenji Taguchi has been serialized online via Shogakukan's Sunday Webry website, as well as the seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X, since March 2020. It has been collected in nine tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Gekkō premiered in April 2023.

<i>Farming Life in Another World</i> Japanese light novel series

Farming Life in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Kinosuke Naito and illustrated by Yasumo. It has been published online via the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō since December 2016. It was later acquired by Enterbrain, who has released fourteen volumes since October 2017.

<i>Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill</i> Japanese light novel series

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill is a Japanese light novel series written by Ren Eguchi. The series originated on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in January 2016, before being published in print with illustrations by Masa by Overlap beginning in November 2016 under their Overlap Novels imprint. As of December 2022, thirteen volumes have been released.

<i>Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World</i> Japanese light novel series

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Yashu. The series originated on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in October 2016, before being published in print with illustrations by Mo by Hifumi Shobō beginning in June 2017 under their Saga Forest imprint. As of December 2019, six volumes have been released. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Nini, began serialization on Mag Garden's Mag Comi manga website in March 2018. As of December 2022, the manga's individual chapters have been collected into nine volumes. An anime television series adaptation by EMT Squared and Magic Bus premiered in April 2023.

<i>Sweet Reincarnation</i> Japanese light novel series

Sweet Reincarnation is a Japanese light novel series written by Nozomu Koryu and illustrated by Yasuyuki Shuri. It began as a web novel that is published in the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website since February 2015. It was later acquired by TO Books, who have published twenty-three volumes in print since October 2015. A manga adaptation, written by Midori Tomizawa and illustrated by Seriko Iida, has been serialized in the Nico Nico Seiga-based Comic Corona manga service since December 2017, with its chapters collected into nine tankōbon volumes as of January 2023. An anime television series adaptation by SynergySP is set to premiere in July 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Mendlesohn, "Introduction: The Portal-Quest Fantasy"
  2. 1 2 "「異世界転生」「異世界転移」のキーワード設定に関して". Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ Heath, David (August 25, 2022). "8 Anime Characters That Were Victims Of Truck-Kun". Game Rant. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Best (and worst) Isekai Light Novels". Anime News Network. April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ 秋田禎信 (October 1, 2003). これで終わりと思うなよ!. 富士見書房. ISBN   9784829115619 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Japanese novel stars boy reincarnated as hot spring that beautiful women want to get inside of". SoraNews24. February 6, 2017. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Chapman, Paul. "Heroes Take it Easy in LAIDBACKERS Original Anime Theatrical Film". Crunchyroll. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Isekai Meikyū de Harem o Light Novels Listed With TV Anime". Anime News Network. December 10, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  9. ↑ Price, Paul (November 29, 2021). "A Survey of the Story Elements of Isekai Manga". Journal of Anime and Manga Studies. 2: 57–91. doi: 10.21900/j.jams.v2.808 . S2CID   244748444 . Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Why Are There So Many Parallel World Anime?". Anime News Network. January 31, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  11. 1 2 "The Mike Toole Show Old School Isekai". Anime News Network. January 21, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Villacin, Paige (April 15, 2022). "What Makes Older Isekai Anime More Unique Than Their Modern Counterparts". CBR. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  13. ↑ Greenall, Jonathon (December 4, 2021). "Sword Art Online's Predecessor, the First Isekai Anime, Is Still Worth a Watch". CBR. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ Peters, Megan (July 11, 2022). "Classic Super Mario Bros. Anime Previews English Dub". Anime. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Hacking the Isekai: Make Your Parallel World Work for You". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Loveridge, Lynzee (August 19, 2017). "The List - 8 Anime That Were Isekai Before It Was Cool". Anime News Network . Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Amaam, Baam (April 18, 2018). "The 15 Greatest Isekai Anime as Ranked by Japan". GoBoiano. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ↑ Beckett, James (August 30, 2020). "YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world. Part 2 BD". Anime News Network . Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  19. ↑ Dennison, Kara (July 30, 2019). "YU-NO Goes Full Isekai with New PV and Cast Additions". Crunchyroll .
  20. ↑ Kim, Matt T.M. (September 5, 2019). "Cult Classic PS1 'Anti-RPG' Moon Is Coming to the Nintendo Switch in English". IGN . Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  21. ↑ Kamen, Matt (October 2, 2017). "Anime: the 10 must-watch films and TV shows for video game lovers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  22. ↑ "10 Anime Like Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?". MANGA.TOKYO. May 12, 2018.
  23. 1 2 Morrissy, Kim (March 19, 2021). "Mushoku Tensei Is Not the Pioneer of Isekai Web Novels, But..." Anime News Network . Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Knight's & Magic| MANGA.TOKYO". MANGA.TOKYO. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Short Story Contest Bans 'Traveling to an Alternate World' Fantasy". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Anime-style novel contest in Japan bans alternate reality stories and teen protagonists". SoraNews24. May 22, 2017. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  27. ↑ Morrissy, Kim (May 4, 2021). "'Isekai Museum' Featuring Re:Zero, Overlord, Konosuba, Saga of Tanya the Evil Releases PV". Anime News Network . Retrieved May 4, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.