Isekai Mono: 'Otherworld travels' as a genre
Entry posted by Clephas
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Traveling to other worlds is so common a plot element in otaku media that it has actually become a fantasy sub-genre in and of itself. This is actually one of my favorite plot elements... if it isn't screwed up magnificently (like in RE:Zero) by putting the wrong sort of person into the mess.
The first otaku media that hit me with this was The Vision of Escaflowne, followed by Fushigi Yuugi. The latter isn't one of my favorite anime, but I did like it up to a point. The former is one of my oldest favorites, about a girl named Hitomi who gets sent to another world where she gets wrapped up in a conflict between a massive fantasy Empire and those opposing its might. This is actually the standard for most of the early stories of the type, in this way: Most early anime and manga at the time and up to the turn of the century that used this kind of concept tended to plop a protagonist into that other world either as a virtually helpless piece on the board, acting more as a catalyst than as a true mover and shaker. This is the reason why the concept didn't really take off in the minds of fans until much later.
Another type is based off of the archetype from Maze, an anime where the protagonist gets sent to another world as a 'savior/messiah' character who is immensely over-powered and somehow manages to bumble their way into saving the world. In both cases, about 70% of the anime and manga of this type and the one above have the protagonist choosing to 'go home' at some point, though there are exceptions (such as Maze itself).
The third type is one where the protagonist is thrown into another world with a concrete role... but not necessarily the power necessary to survive on their own. Twelve Kingdoms falls into this archetype, as the protagonist is essentially cast adrift, possessing an important role in her new world but not the power or the personal maturity to carry it out. Twelve Kingdoms is a classic example of the type, in that the protagonist is unable to fulfill her role until she matures greatly in a personal sense and grows into her role somewhat. Depending on the role (ranging from 'hero', to 'dark lord', to 'king') they mostly tend to choose to remain in their new world, because of the sense of purpose it provides them (which is a contrast to the two types above). A more famous and long-running example of the type, with a somewhat lighter air, is Kyou Kara Maou.
The fourth type is the one that has become most popular... 'the comedic traveler'. This type, which began to appear en masse after Zero no Tsukaima initiated the concept, has relatively 'normal' protagonists being sent to other worlds to blunder their way to fame (or not) and generally amuse us with their antics, while also providing a serious story alongside. A more recent example of the type is RE:Zero or Kono Suburashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo. Generally speaking, the protagonists in these VNs are overconfident, vaguely idiotic, and generally ignorant individuals who have just one or two redeeming qualities. Depending on the anime, VN, or game, they can be immensely annoying as characters, too.
Of course, there are ones that don't fall into any of these types... but those are relatively rare. I like this genre, but I'm beginning to grow tired of the comedic traveler type, lol.
- Narcosis, Jade and Darklord Rooke
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