Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita - Ch. 79 - Evil One

[RogueKnight]

Fran expression at the end the best

 

[Swagner]

RPG fantasy takes some time getting used to it, unless you are an RPG player yourself.

I am an RPG player (both videogames and ttrpgs). It doesn't make "every single isekai shoehorns game mechanics into their sorry excuse for worldbuilding" any less ridiculous. If you want an example of RPG-inspired fantasy done well, see Dungeon Meshi. Even most fantasy videogames don't treat the stats and game mechanics as "real" in-story; they're an abstraction for the sake of simplifying gameplay and programming.

But once you're used to it, it is no more ridiculous than shounen battle anime. "His power level is over 9000!"

I mean, assigning numbers to "power" is objectively ridiculous, which is why few shounen express it in such explicit terms, let alone make it the backbone of the entire series. IIRC Dragon Ball only brought up "power levels" a handful of times, particularly before/during the Frieza arc where they had scouters that read them, but Vegeta straight-up threw his away because Goku's varied so wildly based on his techniques.

 

[KoriCongo]

I am an RPG player (both videogames and ttrpgs). It doesn't make "every single isekai shoehorns game mechanics into their sorry excuse for worldbuilding" any less ridiculous. If you want an example of RPG-inspired fantasy done well, see Dungeon Meshi. Even most fantasy videogames don't treat the stats and game mechanics as "real" in-story; they're an abstraction for the sake of simplifying gameplay and programming.

I mean, assigning numbers to "power" is objectively ridiculous, which is why few shounen express it in such explicit terms, let alone make it the backbone of the entire series. IIRC Dragon Ball only brought up "power levels" a handful of times, particularly before/during the Frieza arc where they had scouters that read them, but Vegeta straight-up threw his away because Goku's varied so wildly based on his techniques.

LitRPGs are a valid form of storytelling, though. Sure, it is pure number autism and leads into the silly powerscaling arguments that ruined 40 years of Dragon Ball discussion, but people like the integration between mediums. Look at stuff like Order of the Stick, So I'm A Spider, So What?, The Hero, the Dragon, & the Courier, Fate/ and the servant system, card game anime like Yugioh or Cardfight! Vanguard, or plenty of stuff on Royal Road.

Just because you shouldn't doesn't mean people don't do it. People like it when they see tangible universal laws in action and how people under them interact with it.

 

[XNFEdayo]

Lol, good point. I've heard it said that Divergent was the straw that broke that particular camel's back, I wonder what the tipping point for isekai will be?

The tipping point would be some other craze taking people attention. tbh, I thought isekai themed stuff would die off (or at least die down) before 2020 and yet it's still the most made themed LN/manga.

But I personally think that desire to be in a world that's not your own is the main thing fueling isekai.

 

[Swagner]

LitRPGs are a valid form of storytelling, though.

In the same sense that there's no such thing as an "invalid" form of storytelling. Doesn't mean they aren't schlock.

Look at stuff like Order of the Stick

Literally a parody of D&D, and also to my knowledge has never actually made the characters' exact stat values a direct part of the narrative (because that would be boring to read).

So I'm A Spider, So What?, The Hero, the Dragon, & the Courier, Fate/ and the servant system, card game anime like Yugioh or Cardfight! Vanguard, or plenty of stuff on Royal Road.

You've successfully listed most of the reasons I consider this a bad form of storytelling employed by talentless hacks (the yu-gi-oh manga quit being good the instant it started focusing on the card games halfway through the first volume, for example); the real question is, is it possible to do well?

The tipping point would be some other craze taking people attention. tbh, I thought isekai themed stuff would die off (or at least die down) before 2020 and yet it's still the most made themed LN/manga.

But I personally think that desire to be in a world that's not your own is the main thing fueling isekai.

Agreed. I just think it's kinda sad that their sights are set so low.

 

[satorukun101]

they can't think of a good name ? wtf is "evil water"

 

[Hounder]

That last panel with Fran and the pouty face, precious.

 

[Carn109]

THE POWER OF CURRY COMPELS YOU

 

[OogieBoogie]

"Ah yes! We, the Bad Guys, of the Evil organization, have made Evil men, using Evil water, activated by Evil techniques, to summon a part of Exodia- I mean, the Evil God!"

I wonder if these guys are evil?

 

[999kirby]

I just didn't know how to reply to you Swagner, and I failed apparently, by hitting reply to one of your messages and erasing all the words... That said while I can't comment on the Yugioh manga specifically, I do think the series is good and the series is about the game mostly specifically, sure you can probably get a version without the game, but it would be quite short.

I think you rather dislike the overuse rather than the use of stats and as you said most series stop at a point, even Kumo Desu stopped when they met Ariel with almost all stats capped at 99999 since some stats were a bit off since it didn't matter there wouldn't be anything "stronger" except for the oni with wrath on who was actually capped. Bofuri it's been a while after the start where they stop mentioning how high her defense is, and even here the MC just told Fran that "evil guy" had high stats, he saw the skills, but didn't mention anything about the stats, so yeah many use numbers and yes it transitions.

As for the word repetition, someone above mentioned how the kanjis repeat a lot too, so it has at least in part to do with the language, I for once after a bit tended to just ignore the word, I feel others do the same with what they don't like, and that way you can more easy concentrate on the story, also, at least it isn't an evil organization called "Lovemuffin" or "Evil (Every Villain is Lemons)"...

 

[Swagner]

I just didn't know how to reply to you Swagner, and I failed apparently, by hitting reply to one of your messages and erasing all the words...

No worries.

That said while I can't comment on the Yugioh manga specifically, I do think the series is good and the series is about the game mostly specifically, sure you can probably get a version without the game, but it would be quite short.

So, that's the thing: IMO the series was most interesting when it essentially centered around Yugi was possessed by a Pharaoh acting as a vigilante whose gimmick was turning scenarios into "games" like "air hockey with nitroglycerin" and "find the tazer in the rain" (seriously, check out that first volume-and-a-half, it's very different from where it ended up going). They could have kept it up, but it would have required more creative writing, and would have had fewer merchandising opportunities, so I'm not surprised it became all about card games, just kinda disappointed.

I think you rather dislike the overuse rather than the use of stats and as you said most series stop at a point...

I mean, it's both. The overuse makes it worse, to be sure, but I think the core of my gripe is that, in videogames and TTRPGs, stats have a purpose. They're how the game determines the outcome of player actions: in D&D, if you have a high STR, and you make an attack using that stat, it's more likely to hit because you're adding a larger number to a dice roll. In fire emblem, if your ATK is not greater than the DEF of your opponent, you simply can't hurt them with a normal attack, and so on.

But in a written narrative, none of that actually exists. The "stats" are just window dressing, which is why so many stories end up dropping them anyways; in the end, they're forced to admit "yeah, none of those numbers actually meant anything, it was all a waste of time".

As for the word repetition, someone above mentioned how the kanjis repeat a lot too, so it has at least in part to do with the language, I for once after a bit tended to just ignore the word, I feel others do the same with what they don't like, and that way you can more easy concentrate on the story, also, at least it isn't an evil organization called "Lovemuffin" or "Evil (Every Villain is Lemons)"...

I mean, yeah, this could certainly be just a case of needing localization (or at least a thesaurus) more than literal translation, but given the slave-rape-murder scene last chapter, IMO it feels like it probably is coming from the same place (lazy writing). To quote a few others with the same sentiments:

It benefits the author with readers hating the villain more and being more invested in the story.

It doesn't work that well if it's too over the top. It's a short throwaway scene that only serves that specific purpose. It's as subtle as the use of the word Evil in this chapter.

it was a one-off throwaway panel; only used as cheap shock factor to establish the bad guy (who has already been established as the bad guy) is, in fact, the bad guy, and you shouldn't like him because he does this.
Might as well have named him 'Evil McEvilface'

I might actually prefer a comedic or self-aware evil organization, because at least that way they feel like characters instead of just flimsy obstacles for the MC to walk all over.

 

[AnotherDuck]

I might actually prefer a comedic or self-aware evil organization, because at least that way they feel like characters instead of just flimsy obstacles for the MC to walk all over.

It depends on story and execution. I think it works a lot better in Combatants Will Be Dispatched! for instance, since it's both more comedic and more self-aware. For this one it's less of a good match.

 

[eviljackspicer]

"Ah yes! We, the Bad Guys, of the Evil organization, have made Evil men, using Evil water, activated by Evil techniques, to summon a part of Exodia- I mean, the Evil God!"

I wonder if these guys are evil?

AHHH! EXODIA! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO SUMMON HIM!!

 

[R4nd0mGuy]

I'm no translator, but surely "evil" can be replaced with another word? "Dark/black" probably a no go depending on the series, which can vary from "curse, corrosion & necromancy is dark" to "anything offensive in nature is dark, while heal & support is white".

Corrupt magic, corrupted human sound way better. Not sure if it can directly translate to that though.

 

[Pietje013]

Curry is good, curry saves lifes.
So Evil Human isn't a proper evolution, otherwise turmeric can't turn them back to Human

 

[tyrpios]

this chapter was too evil for me.

 

[residentFATBOY]

If you haven't quite noticed, we are in something of a bubble. A lot of TV production companies worldwide are struggling to find the next big hit or pad out their run times. It isn't just the US suffering from the rise of streaming, every country is struggling. Combine with the loss of talent in the anime production field (deservedly, given how they treat their animators and directors through the 90s and 2000s) and low pipeline to replace such, the country is trying their damnest to keep as much of their hires or even outsourced people occupied and their TV timeslots filled. Combine this with there no longer being the INFINITE BATTLE SHONEN SERIES to adapt ala Dragon Ball or Naruto and people disgust with filler, you need something to hold the line and get streaming rights.

This is why we are getting stuff like Spice & Wolf and One Piece remade, as much as we are getting a Re: Monster adaption of all cursed things. Just make what seems popular and get a lot of money for the season. Quantity over quality. It doesn't help Kadokawa, one of the big light novel publisher brands (since they are basically a mini-JP Tencent in terms of otaku stuff), also double dips and produces anime for this stuff, hence the pipeline in action.

Precisely why my love for the medium has been waning since the mid-2010s. Well, this coupled with the total reliance on digital animation and CGI, which is more a symptom of the issue you described. There's a drought of talent in the field that I don't think can be replaced with the safety most committees, publishers, and license holders want to play by now. That and it's difficult to move up in the industry today, nor is there much incentive to considering low wages.