Watched episode 1 of Fushigi Yuugi. It definitely doesn't feel like a high quality story when I compare it to Escaflowne; however, when I compare it to our modern isekai trash like Yakkyoku, it's massive step up. If only because of the superior character designs. Girls have a nose, OMG°!!1

Quote Originally Posted by Kraco View Post
What a thread... Ryll already said as much, but I'll underline it: isekai is trash. That's why people say: isekai trash. All of it. No serious author will touch is anymore, I imagine. It's the epitome of escapism literature because the very core of the setting is an ordinary person from our world getting transported in some way to a fantasy world. How much more directly could an author point at a reader and say: "Imagine this happening to you."
And that is FREAKING EXCITING. That's why I disagree with the whole "isekai is inherently trash". It's not. Those in power make it trash.

The biggest issue with isekai that there IS a template. Let me try:

- teenage hero
- generic medieval world that doesn't matter
- battle and magic not reliant on skill, but videogame-like system, allowing the hero to get powerful without effort
- following from above: being overpowered
- loved by all girls he meets
- shows no attachment to previous life
- over-the-top, often comical, cartoonish feel

Here's the thing: NONE of the above points are required for an isekai story. It doesn't neccesate any of these. Making a great isekai story would be as "easy" (not per se easy, because writing a good story takes actual effort, ofc) as NOT doing the points I mentioned. Just imagine the following:

- adult hero, age 40
- medieval world with rich lore with a couple of peculiarities
- people do battles, but hero needs to learn how to handle a sword, a bow, etc
- he/she's not overpowered, constantly at danger, needs to rely on new found friends
- gets a crush on a girl, but it isn't easily reciprocate; better even: romance interest changes over the course of the story, isn't set in stone from episode 1
- often reminisces about his/her old life, family, friends; actually wants to find a way back
- down-to-earth presentation; cannot defeat opponents by loud screaming and a fullscreen-effect, no singular overpowered characters that only a chosen group of heroes can match

Take this and it'd be a fantastic anime. And none of this took much thinking efforts, I just wrote this down as it came to my mind. Someone actually sitting down to write a story would easily come up with more interesting intricacies even. But nobody tries.

Since you guys seem to know everything about the lightnovel market, can you say who it is that decides which light novels get adapted to anime-form? Surely there are some lightnovels that are closer to what I desire, but those in power keep choosing the same old dreck. Who and why?