So, legitimate question to all writers and/or readers of Isekai, or "in another world", fictions-

[Mekami]

Main point>>> How is it Isekai when the main character has no memories of their past life? Or in other words, "Isekai, but the MC has no memories of their past after they were reborn"

I get it. It's a popular genre. I myself enjoy lots of fictions about Isekai, but I'm getting tired of seeing this kind of synopsis.

At that point, the character might as well be a blank slate. No, I should reword that. It IS a character with a blank slate.

My opinion is that "Isekai but with no memories of past" line that I'm seeing in synopsis is that it is NOT isekai at all. In any way shape or form. It should not have the Isekai tag in the first place, and the story should remove the tag. It is no different than, AS AN EXAMPLE, J.R.R. Tolkein saying: "Bob had a good life, but he died. When he was reborn as a halfling boy named Frodo, he had no memories of his past. His Uncle gave him a mysterious ring that had an old wizard visit his door for. What is so special about this one ring?" What I mean by this, just so I'm clear, is that Lord of the Rings is a Fantasy, just like all the others, but it is not an Isekai in that fashion, but some authors would pretend it is just because of their synopsis. I have read at least 4 or 5 stories on RR or here on SH with synopsis reading something close to that, and not once did their previous life ever matter in any way.

"Well yeah, but," I hear an imaginary person say, "They might have vague recollections of their past, and/or they might be able to invent something the world doesn't have!"

My rebuttal to that previous line would be: That's a contrived plot convenience. A Lazy way of inserting something the author wants or needs at that moment for that character. If you want a character that doesn't have modern world memories, but also want them to invent things, then make them smart. Which, admittedly, can be difficult, but it wouldn't feel like the author cheated.

"But but," the imaginary person continues, "the character did something in the afterlife just before they were reborn! It will change how the world works!"

Then don't put it in the synopsis. Don't tell the reader that. Show it to them. Show how, for some reason, the character might be special. Maybe the character made a deal with a god or something. The main character doesn't know that. Why should the reader? Use it as a deeper plot device so it can be a twist in the future. A tool you can use later on. Surprise the main character, and in turn, surprise the reader. Don't tell the reader something, and then never use it. That's just frustrating.

Quote: "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." -Ernest J. Simmons. Also look up Chekov's Gun.

But that's just my opinion. Anyone else have thoughts on why "Isekai but with no memories" should or should not be a thing? Or am I just crazy for having this opinion?

 

[Alski]

Give them 1 star and move them to your dropped folder, assert your dominance over people who miss tag their work

 

[Eldoria]

The meta explanation for why the synopsis mentions isekai (and its genre) is that the author simply wants to use the isekai trope as a hook to attract potential readers. Honestly, most isekai genres are more gimmicks than story points. Isekai is more like another way to write power fantasy, harem fantasy, or wish-filling. Only a few actually use isekai as the substance of the story (e.g., Re Zero).

 

[JordanIda]

Logical inconsistencies don't matter, because the trope itself is simplistic, linear, trite.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

I never understood this concept much myself. I pass it off as "manga logic".
If you're whisked away into another world but have no knowledge whatsoever of your old world, how in the hell are you able to access some random display, read your stats, and know 100% what all that means...?

Again, manga logic. In truth, if you're "isekai'd" into another world, and have no discernible knowledge of your past life, then logically, if you're given a display with stats on it, you more or less have to be "hand-held" and guided as if you were a total beginner - that means a complete tutorial on everything you ever knew about D&D, AD&D, and their multitude of spinoffs. *^^* When you look at that screen and see "mana points: 100" for example, a.) what is mana? b.) 100 points for what? etc., etc.

So, yes, I don't quite get that whole "forgot my past life" It just doesn't make any sense. And yet, it's become a tried and true staple of the most successful manga and anime ever created.

 

[E.Z.KAI]

I guess it's just to allow the Reader to self Insert themselves.

 

[TheKillingAlice]

Well, I actually wondered about the same thing a few times. It's also bad when they do have memories, but it never matters in the slightest. They could have been a blank slate in a high fantasy setting.
People are just using the tag for views, in my opinion.

 

[beyondthesmoke]

A Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash had a nice way to handle memories

 

[JayMark]

I'm fine with irrelevant isekai if the overall story is good enough. But it really isn't isekai if it's never relevant again. Saying this as a fan of both fantasy and isekai.

 

[Dawnathon]

It's just there to have zero backstory for the protagonist while also being able to use the word "isekai" to attract a certain crowd. It does take actual work to have a protagonist with a compelling background leading up to the events of the main story. It's a lot easier to have someone spawn in as a young adult and skip all the tough questions or past connections that could come up otherwise. Doubly so when it's a power fantasy, so they just appear with all the strength and powers given to them for being the special protag and not having to have trained and made personal sacrifices for their greatness.

Basically, it's a dismissive hand-wave of a premise, not really meant to be given much thought. The stories using it are typically just trying to give a specific kind of fantasy, not trying to be anything fancy or highbrow. A nice word to describe it is "efficient".

 

[Lysander_Works]

In fairness, some only start the MC this way, only for their memories to return, like how it is in my current project. MC gets fragment memories back in CH2, then FULL memories back in CH5.

> But yeah, I get what you mean. Isekai makes no sense if there is no "past life" to recall.

 

[Mekami]

The meta explanation for why the synopsis mentions isekai (and its genre) is that the author simply wants to use the isekai trope as a hook to attract potential readers. Honestly, most isekai genres are more gimmicks than story points. Isekai is more like another way to write power fantasy, harem fantasy, or wish-filling. Only a few actually use isekai as the substance of the story (e.g., Re Zero).

Its a bit annoying that people abuse the "isekai" button so much, but you have a point. It just saddens me that it works. It does get people to look at the story, even for just a bit. It also makes me put it into my "dropped" folder more often than not. (furthering just below)

Give them 1 star and move them to your dropped folder, assert your dominance over people who miss tag their work

Like this person said^ 100% agree

I never understood this concept much myself. I pass it off as "manga logic".
If you're whisked away into another world but have no knowledge whatsoever of your old world, how in the hell are you able to access some random display, read your stats, and know 100% what all that means...?

Again, manga logic. In truth, if you're "isekai'd" into another world, and have no discernible knowledge of your past life, then logically, if you're given a display with stats on it, you more or less have to be "hand-held" and guided as if you were a total beginner - that means a complete tutorial on everything you ever knew about D&D, AD&D, and their multitude of spinoffs. *^^* When you look at that screen and see "mana points: 100" for example, a.) what is mana? b.) 100 points for what? etc., etc.

So, yes, I don't quite get that whole "forgot my past life" It just doesn't make any sense. And yet, it's become a tried and true staple of the most successful manga and anime ever created.

I just wished that more of them would make the "isekai" portion of their story actually matter, ya'know? I get the whole "How do I explain mana?" thing, but a person raised in that world would do just fine in that part. I think I have a story I'm reading right now that has "mana points" and "levels" and "status screens" but the character is native to the world and it's doing just fine as a power fantasy, imo. (Omen of a Bluebell on RR)

I guess it's just to allow the Reader to self Insert themselves.

Just start in a dark dank cave with amnesia then It works just the same. But true, I guess it would help with that in some fashion.
I've run into 1 that's like that, yeah. But it still irked me when I said out loud, "How is this Isekai?" then went on to read it anyways.

It's just there to have zero backstory for the protagonist while also being able to use the word "isekai" to attract a certain crowd. It does take actual work to have a protagonist with a compelling background leading up to the events of the main story. It's a lot easier to have someone spawn in as a young adult and skip all the tough questions or past connections that could come up otherwise. Doubly so when it's a power fantasy, so they just appear with all the strength and powers given to them for being the special protag and not having to have trained and made personal sacrifices for their greatness.

Basically, it's a dismissive hand-wave of a premise, not really meant to be given much thought. The stories using it are typically just trying to give a specific kind of fantasy, not trying to be anything fancy or highbrow. A nice word to describe it is "efficient".

And I am in despair that it works like that. I guess I'm just being too harsh, but still, if a word is used to much, it kind of loses its meaning, ya'know?

In fairness, some only start the MC this way, only for their memories to return, like how it is in my current project. MC gets fragment memories back in CH2, then FULL memories back in CH5.

> But yeah, I get what you mean. Isekai makes no sense if there is no "past life" to recall.

See, this is actually an interesting plot point. If the MC gets them back via circumstances, I can get behind that kind of plot, and is an actual way to make it a part of the story.

Thanks everyone who replied. I feel a bit less lonely seeing that I'm not legit insane seeing all these synopsis and going, "But why tho?"

 

[worldismyne]

I feel like it could work.

For example, if other characters were aware that the person was from another world, and kept it hidden, then when the character finds out it's a whole identity crushing thing.

Or similar to getting shipwrecked on another island, the person waking up in another world doesn't know the language, and has to navigate with no memories of the past and no instincts on how to navigate the world (ex: real life brain injury pts will still remember they have to get up to find a bathroom, even if they can't remember how to walk or talk) You'd basically be discovering a fantasy world from the eyes of someone learning how to exist in it when everyone around them expects them to already know.

A lot of time the isekaied person is supposed to be a hero/priestess. Having an MC who's not spiritual or courageous could sprout conflict about how this 'hero from another world' isn't being the type of person they were counting on. Especially if they wiped the person's memories on person for a 'better transition to the role'.

I can see the escapist appeal of someone wanting to magically fugue to another world with 0 consequences, but a 0 backstory MC has built in conflict right there on the table. Displacement and isolation are some of the juiciest inner conflicts an MC can deal with in an isekai, having no memories should amplify that. Them not having memories should matter y'know.

It unfortunately sounds like the tag is being misused. Blank-slate =/= isekai with no memories. Even if the character doesn't remember they aren't from that world, the world itself should know.

 

[Arkus86]

Main point>>> How is it Isekai when the main character has no memories of their past life? Or in other words, "Isekai, but the MC has no memories of their past after they were reborn"

I get it. It's a popular genre. I myself enjoy lots of fictions about Isekai, but I'm getting tired of seeing this kind of synopsis.

At that point, the character might as well be a blank slate. No, I should reword that. It IS a character with a blank slate.

Sometimes they have no recollection, but their past and how they got into this world still matters. Sometimes they recover bits and pieces of their memories as it becomes relevant. Often they keep at least some knowledge. All of those can be used well for the plot, even if most often they are not.

But talking about those who truly have no memories and no knowledge, and neither is important at any point - there is a major difference between an isekaied character and a native of the world. A native has a history in the world, even if he does not remember it. An isekai protagonist does not have a history.
So yeah, it is still isekai, but in barest definition of the genre.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

I just wished that more of them would make the "isekai" portion of their story actually matter, ya'know? I get the whole "How do I explain mana?" thing, but a person raised in that world would do just fine in that part. I think I have a story I'm reading right now that has "mana points" and "levels" and "status screens" but the character is native to the world and it's doing just fine as a power fantasy, imo. (Omen of a Bluebell on RR)

Exactly, I think the most fun isekai story in the world would be where someone gets launched into another world and, if they have no memory of the world they came from, consider taking steps to solve that dilemma, find out out who they were in the past life gradually through clues and interactions, and then once realizing who they are, finally understand why they were brought to this world.

Everything happens for a reason - especially if you're sucked away into another realm. There HAS to be some logic as to why. That would make a fantastic story, actually. One I would get hooked on.