<LF isekai that subverts the typical isekai tropes

[Letheliah]

Has the trend come full circle yet? Isekai is a meme, and here I am trying to find the not-memey stories among them? LOL

I've only recently become interested in isekai web/light novels and manga, and I'm not really sure where to look that isn't just "male MC essentially becomes a RPG game character (but it's not a game, this is real life!) and is almost immediately able to form a harem with his Loli party members".
Those kinds of stories annoy me, and I'm completely unable to ingratiate myself as a reader into the copycutout male MC workaholic protagonist role like this genre intends.
Which is a real pity because isekai is a great setting premise and I know there are stories of it that I like that I haven't found or just haven't been written yet.

I adore Re:Zero and Bakarina, and I think there's one with a girl who turns into a spider but I lost the manga page, but what else do you guys suggest?

 

[Archiver]

If you're still not tired of game elements in your stories then Overlord and Log Horizon are good.
If you want wish fulfillment stuff then Gate - JSDF and Risou no Himo Seikatsu.

I'd also recommend Swamp Girl but that's not isekai. It's kinda similar where the guy is dying in a dungeon, took some magic potion and woke up as a girl. It's pretty short too.

 

[SushiBentou]

Bakarina was good.

- https://mangadex.org/manga/18488/honzuki-no-gekokujou
Simple but good

Copy from other thread

I just read up to 171 of -https://www.novelupdates.com/series/kuma-kuma-kuma-bear/
-https://mangadex.org/manga/24244/kuma-kuma-kuma-bear
Liked it

and
-https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-reincarnated-into-an-otome-game-as-a-villainess-with-only-destruction-flags/
-https://mangadex.org/manga/22637/otome-game-no-hametsu-flag-shika-nai-akuyaku-reijou-ni-tensei-shite-shimatta
The character is not OP.

and
-https://www.novelupdates.com/series/evil-god-average/
and
-https://www.novelupdates.com/series/while-killing-slimes-for-300-years-i-became-the-max-level-unknowingly/
-https://mangadex.org/manga/23197/slime-taoshite-300-nen-shiranai-uchi-ni-level-max-ni-nattemashita

and I think there's one with a girl who turns into a spider but I lost the manga page

https://mangadex.org/manga/17709/kumo-desu-ga-nani-ka


- https://mangadex.org/manga/16127/tenseisha-wa-cheat-o-nozomanai
This was good. Unfortunately the manga is probably cancelled.

https://mangadex.org/manga/17720/koushaku-reijou-no-tashinami
Good

https://mangadex.org/manga/23121/sokuhi-shigan
?

There are probably more but I don't know exactly what you want after you mentioned kumo desu ga nani ka. Are you looking for more female writers/style? If so this should be ok too - https://mangadex.org/manga/13959/e-heibon-desu-yo

I'm having a hard time finding more WM/LN/N like kuma kuma kuma bear. Easy to read & good translation. I want more.

 

[Friendly_Ram]

I'd recommend Shieldbro(https://mangadex.org/manga/12672) and the novel is already finished. No harem and main character is a salty bastard.Saga of Tanya the Evil might count as an issekai series if you want a less gamey series.

 

[SushiBentou]

I forgot https://mangadex.org/manga/19454/maid-kara-haha-ni-narimashita

maybe
- https://mangadex.org/manga/15248/bride-of-the-water-god
- https://mangadex.org/manga/19784/yuusha-sama-ni-ikinari-kyuukon-sareta-no-desu-ga
- https://mangadex.org/manga/19321/kochou-no-yumeji

 

[SushiBentou]

Found some more while looking for other things.

Another good one
https://mangadex.org/manga/21055/tondemo-skill-de-isekai-hourou-meshi

For catgirl enthusiasts
https://mangadex.org/manga/20338/tensei-shitara-ken-deshita
Still OP but not harem. My favourite cute cat character. 2nd is Natsuki from Hyper Police but it's better to watch the anime.

https://mangadex.org/manga/16801/in-another-world-i-m-called-the-black-healer
Female writer. OP but can be funny and interesting at times.


Friendly_Ram

Saga of Tanya the Evil might count as an issekai series if you want a less gamey series.

https://mangadex.org/manga/18803/youjo-senki
Yeah, though Youjo Senki does not have the same easy read style as other isekai and newer "fantasy world" series

Risou no Himo Seikatsu

https://mangadex.org/manga/20719/risou-no-himo-seikatsu
No so much different from harem I guess. I do like the drawing and it has the usual easy read style as other isekai and newer "fantasy world" series
Risou no Himo Seikatsu is stretching it a bit and if that's OK then some different kind of OP
- https://mangadex.org/manga/12432/ore-to-kawazu-san-no-isekai-hourouki
- https://mangadex.org/manga/18753/kou-1-desu-ga-isekai-de-joushu-hajimemashita
not isekai but same simple style, Goblin wa Mou Juubun ni Tsuyoi. https://mangadex.org/manga/21177/goblin-is-very-strong
They seem to be written for a younger audience than other isekai.

 

[Nepryu]

https://mangadex.org/manga/19140/maken-no-daydreamer

 

[SushiBentou]

https://mangadex.org/manga/12108/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation
I wish Roxy was always around.

 

[Letheliah]

Y'all are ACE! Thanks for the reccs!

 

[Raycu]

"male MC essentially becomes a RPG game character (but it's not a game, this is real life!) and is almost immediately able to form a harem with his Loli party members". Those kinds of stories annoy me, and I'm completely unable to ingratiate myself as a reader into the copycutout male MC workaholic protagonist role like this genre intends.

>Letheliah

https://mangadex.org/manga/12108/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation

>SushiBentou

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Not all that subversive.

 

[cryum]

>Risou Himo
Haven't read it, but from what I hear it has a proper romance between the main pairing that isn't just "OMG he's so strong and '''''kind'''' and he called me cute once." They go through ups and downs and apologize to each other while making efforts to change.

>Bookworm
Good in several areas. It goes for a good long while without being overpowered or unrealistic in any way, but it remains to be seen if MC's potential for magic trivializes the plot.

>Kuma kuma bear
Does not subvert anything. Have no illusions of this being a "better" isekai, you read this because it has a cute girl in a cute bear suit. Nothing wrong with that though, it's one of the better structured power fantasies.

>Bakarina
Does not subvert anything. It's a silly story and there's nothing wrong with falling into the idiot MC's pace.

>Kumo
It's got fairly good plot twists, but I wouldn't say it subverts anything. "Crapping on the typical hero-like character" is basically an isekai trope at this point.

>tenseisha-wa-cheat-o-nozomanai
it looks cancelled, which is a shame. It had a magic society that was basically slightly less autistic mahouka

>koushaku-reijou-no-tashinami
Doesn't subvert anything. Fairly standard really, in how the "underdog" villainess turns out to be jesus incarnate once you leave the otome game. Most of that character didn't come from the isekai memories.

>jobless growth cheat something something
Actually has sex. Doesn't subvert anything else.

 

[teriguu]

Most isekai reminds me of those assignments in fifth grade where you were were to write a letter about you summer holiday, and then read them out loud to the class. They all rounded up a few places they’d been to, told about something awful that ended up okay, and then ended with “and we all agreed that this was a great trip”.

 

[SushiBentou]

teriguu, yep.
and haters are the ones that think your story is shit but you had a good time so you don't fully understand why they are being narrow minded a'holes. Maybe they get beat up at home?

Another
https://mangadex.org/manga/24988/gyaru-tensei-isekai-seikatsu-majidarui

 

[BluePentagram]

Tsuyokute New Saga is the only Isekai manga that I've read through and enjoyed a little without just wanting to kill time. It could definitely be a lot better if the MC faced more struggles, and slowed down the pacing, but it's decent

The MC of that series does seem to be pretty generic at first, but he does have some depth to him. There's also an actual plot, and an objective to reach.

There's also old-school Isekai like 'Zero no Tsukaima' which is completed and has 22 volumes out. It's fully translated and on Baka-tsuki. ZnT is also pretty basic and shitty, but at least the pacing is okay and the romance is intriguing.

The spider Isekai(Kumo Desu ga) is pretty bad. I've read through the current chapters + the web novel chapters up to about chapter 190-200. It's just boring political drama side stories + bad translation + MMO grinding in story form. Complete waste of time, go read actual literature.

IMO, if you like the Isekai concept, it would probably be best to just read western novels. Even if there's an Isekai novel out there worth reading, it would definitely be hampered by subpar translation.