If you’re entrenched in anitwt discourse you’ve probably seen or heard of the phrase “Native Isekai”. The phrase has been maligned as simply describing “Fantasy” but for people too stupid to understand that they could just say Fantasy. But I think that Native Isekai could actually be a useful descriptor, maybe not a genre unto itself but still meaningful.
What is an Isekai? Generally it’s an anime or manga where the protagonist is reincarnated or transported to another world. Some gain unfair (cheat) powers just by virtue of being transferred, meanwhile others simply apply modern knowledge and sensibilities, either way the big thing here is power fantasy wish fulfillment.
Though the genre is broader than that, Isekai literally translates to “other world”. By definition classics such as Inuyasha and Digimon are technically isekai, even if they seem much different from the isekai that has saturated recent anime seasons.
This saturation has led to some viewers conflating isekai with Fantasy, and erroneously calling Fantasy series “Native Isekai”. I disagree with this usage since it’s clear that Fantasy works just fine for series such as Frieren or Record of Lodoss War.
But let’s take a look at Frieren. It’s a fantasy series, and yes it’s a power fantasy, but Frieren and Fern’s strength is grounded in their hard work and effort within the context of the setting. They’re powerful individuals, but this isn’t due to some goddess ex machina but by virtue of their own efforts. Let me be clear, this is FANTASY not “NATIVE ISEKAI“.
Native Isekai should be used as a subgenre of fantasy to describe titles that have the trappings of an isekai, but without the other world bit. What does that mean?
- Gameified setting (Fantasy world with skill ranks, levels, jobs, etc)
- Power Fantasy (Power can be earned or fated, either way the protagonist is stronger than the common sense of the setting)
- Wish Fulfillment (The protagonist uses this power to fulfill his desires in a way that’s satisfying for the reader)
The best example I can think of is The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter. It fits all three of my criteria. It has skill ranks and an adventurer’s guild (gameified setting), Noir gains his power by accessing a secret dungeon thanks to his unique skill (power fantasy), lastly he uses his power to protect his love interest and increase his standing (wish fulfillment). In fact, reading my review again I was already questioning the show’s genre and finding a proper term for it:
Now by isekai-adjacent, it’s not accurate to call a series isekai when it doesn’t involve otherworldly transportation or reincarnation. Even so, many series have adopted the same clichés of the isekai genre and simply ignored the requirement of a displaced protagonist. While technically “fantasy”, it feels more apt to call them isekai or isekai-adjacent since they follow similar conventions.
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter is more aligned with the interests of Isekai fans than traditional fantasy fans. Yet, without a proper term to describe it, we could only call it Fantasy. This is why I think Native Isekai should be reserved for this type of series. A few others I can name:
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
- Banished from the Hero’s Party
- The Strongest Tank’s Labyrinth Raids
The heroes of these stories aren’t from another world, but nevertheless they have many of the trappings of isekai. I wouldn’t recommend these to a “Fantasy” fan who enjoys titles like Kemono no Souja Erin or Spice and Wolf, but I would recommend them to an isekai fan.
After reading this, whether or not you agree that Native Isekai deserves to be a subgenre or not, can we at least all agree to stop using it to describe typical fantasy?
