Yahallo,
back in ye olde place I posted my pet peeves as one of the early posts but it didn't really spark any ~~joy~~ discussions, so I thought I give it another try here in the shiny new home. Maybe we could make a weekly "Midweek discussions" thread until I run out of ides ;)
So for this week, I ressurect an old post about my pet peeves with LN writing in particular. I am averaging at about 150-200 per year and after all this time I often see some things that are starting to bother me. Here's an unordered list of the most annoying in my opinion:
- Extremely oblivious main characters: There are so many main characters, especially in isekai stories, that are ridiculously overpowered but somehow still behave like timid little lambs that are scared of every random trash mob. I have no idea why this is something I see so often. My working theory is that it is something related to Japanese culture where assertive personalities are generally disliked. Especially by the default target audience of those types of power fantasies. This would also explain my second pet peeve…
- Extremely passive main characters: I hate the terms “alpha and beta males” with a passion, but why oh why are so many light novel protagonists such hopeless omega males? Are authors really so scared to lose their audience if their main character doesn’t let everyone trample all over them? I don’t mind it if a character has a timid disposition but the extremes in which some characters are portrayed in this regard are just beyond the pale. I simply cannot fathom how anyone can enjoy reading from such a character’s point of view. To me, it’s just infuriating.
- Isekai element not used as a plot device but a narrative crutch: A.k.a. “Isekai for isekai’s sake”. Let me explain what I mean. Every now and then I read a isekai light novel and wonder why the hell it is an isekai in the first place. The only way they use the isekai element is as a crutch for newbie authors to help explain the world to the reader. Writing good exposition prose seems to be a hard problem to tackle. But instead of trying to write some good exposition I often get the feeling many authors just go the isekai route instead. After all, if the protagonist doesn’t know anything about the world it’s normal to have him question even the most mundane (mundane to the inhabitants of the isekai world) things. It’s also easier to say “The monster was as large as a bus” than to explain it in fantasy-appropriate terms. Compare this to something where being from another world is used as a major plot device instead. For example, Myne used her knowledge to create printing presses in Bookworm. But this is also something that can backfire, which would bring me to my last point…
- Protagonists somehow having extensive knowledge about things outside their sphere of expertise: One example would be a isekai lightnovel (was so utterly forgettable that I can’t even remember its name anymore) where some high schooler (obviously) could recreate modern weaponry and car engines from memory. Authors often think having a general knowledge of how something works is enough to recreate it with no problem. Using Bookworm again as a positive example I’d like to point out how much time is spent by her and the other characters in this story on R&D to turn her general knowledge into something actually actionable. But no, some protagonists can apparently just recreate a pump action shotgun because they’ve seen in movies how they are used. Who cares about the workings of the mechanical parts of the loading mechanism, the chemical compounds of the black powder (and how to get those in the first place) or how to create a firing cap? I mean, this is a fantasy story, why not come up with some random shit about why it works? Like in Average abilities for example with the magic system built on sentient nanobots that figure out the pesky details for the protagonist instead of trying to sell me that a high schooler would have the knowledge to create something from scratch.
- Fantasy World building that mimic Japanese cultural behaviour: With that I mean stuff like making a huge deal out of using the first name. Or fantasy languages having a distinct casual and polite variant. Stuff that is ingrained into the Japanese authors as "normal", but would be nice if they could come up with some more fantasy-esque world building.
So those were my usual offenders. Do you agree? Disagree? Am I too nitpicky? What are yours? Have at it!
Oh man, you hit on some of mine as well. The having knowledge about things is a big one for me that, if it were actually depicted realistically, would basically ruin so, so many isekai stories. I have a PhD in physics, so I understand, better than your average person, the principles about how a lot of stuff works: engines, tools, medicines (my professional field), etc. However, if I were suddenly transported into a medieval setting, I wouldn't be able to reproduce basically any of it because the requisite knowledge to enable that technology isn't there.
Let's look at an example, the engine. Did you know that the Romans had developed a basic steam engine back in the late BCE? It's true! So, why didn't the Industrial Revolution kick off until 1900 years later? Well, industrial steam engines require a ton of other accompanying technologies to work. Two of the most complicated and latest to reach maturity were pressure seals and strong enough metal alloys to hold up to the pressure. Now, I can, with my knowledge, sketch out the basics of how a steam engine works, but hell if I know the detailed metallurgy required to create the iron and steel alloys or the vulcanization process to create high-strength rubber seals that are needed to make it all work. Yet, knowing less than I do, plenty of fantasy protagonists are able to create things as complex as this. Sometimes this is hand-waved away with magic or fantasy materials, but sometimes isn't and the protag is simply deemed a genius. In any case, yes, this is one that bothers me too if you couldn't tell.
Another, related one for me has to do with food. A recurring theme in a lot of this type of Japanese media is the depiction of how much tastier and world-changing their food and cooking techniques are. I am somebody that likes to cook, and do it often. I just can't buy that there are these fantasy worlds that have civilizations that have been built up, but nobody has thought of seasoning what they eat? I'm sorry, adding spices to a stew-like thing is not revolutionary, even if you call it curry. The value of spices were understood even in antiquity in our civilization, whole wars were fought over them and peoples were colonized to ensure access to spices. Similar with cooking techniques. It turns out that the Japanese did not invent techniques like deep frying. That has been around since...(checks wikipedia)...2nd millenium BCE. I could go on a similar rant about fermentation and how that isn't as revolutionary as is often depicted in this media.
Thanks. On the flip side I give absolute bonus points and thoroughly enjoy it when protags struggle and bumble through R&D. Especially when they bring in outside help because they realize that the lack necessary skills. Maybe that's why a certain community mascot is my favorite. She has basic knowledge and works through a believable R&D process with other specialists brought into the fold.
I'm currently reading the Isekai Tensei and there is a part about rice. Every fantasy world somehow needs to have rice (and miso and soy sauce) even if the climate isn't remotely appropriate. Some series jump through some hoops to have them imported from some far off land. That's enough for me to let it slide.
One of my favorite series is Cooking With Wild Game and this series is skirting the line with the city people having a sophisticated haute cuisine while the tribal people of the forest living by the "nutrition is everything" dogma. That made this just believable enough for me with just that particular small group of people not having a food culture. It got build upon later on a bit in the world building when it became clear that they were living under some restrictions and rules that further cemented this. But even there it was in firmly the grey zone of believability. If I liked the prose and characters a bit less I would probably be less forgiving.
Yeah, I wrote a big post complaining, but, like you, I still read and watch a lot of this stuff. So, it isn't a dealbreaker most of the time. I just wish that authors would be more creative with some of these things.