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TIL that Isekai genre actually has some hidden gems
I used to think all Isekai was just the same OP hero in another world with a harem and no real stakes. But after my buddy forced me to watch Ascendance of a Bookworm last month I had to eat my words. That show is all about a woman who just wants to read books and uses her knowledge of stuff like papermaking and washing to get ahead. It was so grounded and felt real even with the magic parts. I binged all 3 seasons in like a week and now I'm checking out stuff like The Faraway Paladin too. Anyone else find an Isekai that surprised them after writing the whole genre off?
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adam_robinson2mo ago
Hold up, I gotta push back on this. Those "hidden gems" get hyped up exactly the same as the OP power fantasy stuff, just with a different coat of paint. Bookworm is still about a main character who basically knows everything modern and solves all problems with modern knowledge. It's just another power fantasy where being superior to everyone around you is the whole point. Real stories have characters who fail hard and stay dead, not ones who accidentally invent the printing press in a medieval world. The whole genre is built on the same wish fulfillment, no matter how grounded it seems.
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abby_robinson584mo ago
wait wait papermaking? like she actually figured out how to make paper in another world???
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