Are stories becoming just MC OP and pleasure-seeking?

[BrazilianFox]

I don't know if it's just me, I'm looking for something to read and whenever I see something interesting to read it always becomes something of two extremes: Either the MC has something that makes him super OP and a genius from the beginning or it's something that just revolves around sex and conquering the opposite gender.
I'm not saying that they are all like that, but I would say the majority are like this,but those who have a decent development of story and MC are becoming scarce.
It's as if all the stories not only here on SH but also on other sites are slowly just focusing on being successful with these two examples i gave, and stories that have something special are trapped in this sea of self-feeding ego

 

[J_Chemist]

Yesn't.

 

[Heavenlycapybara]

Because people like to read that and write that, escapism is the only solution for many in today's society.

 

[Woolen_Bat_Monkey]

Possible

 

[NineHeadHeavenDevouringSerpent]

The silent majority are who read only to fap i guess, they don't care what story is or not...Big melons and cakes on cover is enough, some "aahhh oooh yess!" Is all they need and then they log out. Hardly worth the trouble of being creative...if views are what the writer wants.


With all the filters in my home page I see only the new books with very little chapters, most likely many migrate to the smut business to quickly cash in (idk if there is even a monetary aspect... who's payin patreon for smut novels?...maybe there are lmao)

It's evident that most "mainstream" novels seem to have that same op mc or harem trope around them... Blame the readers.

 

[Daitengu]

It's been a thing for a long time. Hercules, Samson, Sherlock Holmes, John Carter, Superman, Paul Atreides, etc.

 

[Corty]

It is easy to write, and most people who start writing do it to satisfy their desires, wanting to feel powerful and in control. It is the most common whishfulfilment not just for the readers but for the authors themselves.

That is why you see so many of them. Anyone who tries out writing will write a story where his or her MC is the best of the best.

 

[Cipiteca396]

I wish... It seems like every time I see a story with an interesting concept, it turns out to be a grimdark pity party...

(Though if you don't want to read about 'conquering the opposite sex' you could always try BL or GL. )

 

[Kureous]

I don't know if it's just me, I'm looking for something to read and whenever I see something interesting to read it always becomes something of two extremes: Either the MC has something that makes him super OP and a genius from the beginning or it's something that just revolves around sex and conquering the opposite gender.
I'm not saying that they are all like that, but I would say the majority are like this,but those who have a decent development of story and MC are becoming scarce.
It's as if all the stories not only here on SH but also on other sites are slowly just focusing on being successful with these two examples i gave, and stories that have something special are trapped in this sea of self-feeding ego

Maybe you could try looking for stories with the weak to strong tag?

 

[TotallyHuman]

People write stories outside of this site. It's like asking "is everything here anime" on the funimation website

 

[CSDestroyer]

Either the MC has something that makes him super OP and a genius from the beginning or it's something that just revolves around sex and conquering the opposite gender.

Powerful protagonists are not necessarily new, and most stories that trend that way has a tendency to gradually... 'fall off', so to speak. No challenges for the protagonist if s/he is walking around the world and going full Biden Blast on anyone that looks at them funny. Mix in multiple uppity yet minor antagonists that are sprinkled throughout the story, with them promptly getting BTFO by the obviously-stronger protagonist, and you get the same exhilaration as one might get when browsing the r/instantkarma subreddit.

As for the sex, sex sells. It's not really any more complicated than that, whatever stimulates the neurons typically gets attention. On one hand, you can get quite a big audience with it. On the other hand, you would garner the type of audience that demands more of that type of content, and little else.

Both can be attributed to instant gratification. Building up a plot and having characters self-improve is a bit of a commitment, and the writer themselves also would need the self-awareness to put aside their ego to showcase situations where their protagonists are faced with challenges that they are capable of failing.

Not that powerful protagonists are immediately bad, but writing a decent story that focus primarily on an incredibly powerful protagonist is not an easy task.

 

[Billubansode]

I don't know if it's just me, I'm looking for something to read and whenever I see something interesting to read it always becomes something of two extremes: Either the MC has something that makes him super OP and a genius from the beginning or it's something that just revolves around sex and conquering the opposite gender.
I'm not saying that they are all like that, but I would say the majority are like this,but those who have a decent development of story and MC are becoming scarce.
It's as if all the stories not only here on SH but also on other sites are slowly just focusing on being successful with these two examples i gave, and stories that have something special are trapped in this sea of self-feeding ego

Actually I don't particularly mind OP mcs but what I am fed up with reading is the goal of their main character, during the early years there were all kinds, eg-revenge for family or partner or friends, pure desire to become the best, gaining strength to be rich, protecting the country, becoming a hero or pursuing tao or something. But now it has devolved into-"I dont want to be controlled by (fate, destiny, strong people etc)." or "I just want to protect my loved ones AND NO one else." This too by only good ones among all the shit novels, the rest don't even bother, their mc is just OP or just wants to enslave every woman. They won't even justify why the character is overprotective of "LOVED ONES" and just pure serial killer to everyone else, or why he has any of the traits he has, it just is. There is no patience to write or read a good character development. That is all.

 

[BlackKnightX]

The main draw of web novels is wish-fulfillment.

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I suspect the OP MC got into trend because many readers—myself included—were tired of the same ol' fragile MCs who always get their asses handed to them by the bad guys.

It's a conversational wisdom to make a story more suspenseful and filled with tension, but it can also get really frustrating. So, making the MC super OP and be able to defeat the smug bad guy in a laughably easy manner is so cathartic to read. This trope is aptly named face-slapping.

Plenty of Chinese web novels revolve around this trope. I remember reading a manhua once, and there's a comment that said, "This is shit, bro. It's so bad, but why can't I stop reading?" You keep reading it because it's so satisfying seeing some smug assholes get slapped across the face. As simple as that.

The problem with this is it can get old and repetitive after a while. So, no matter what you write, the execution will always matter in the end.

Another wish-fulfillment that resonates with a lot of people is leveling up. This connects with lots of gamers out there (and maybe people who are into self improvement). Basically, LitRPG and any progression fantasy out there are the embodiment of this. I'd say plenty of Shonen anime and manga also have this element as well.

As for the sex thing, I think you already get the idea why it's everywhere.

 

[SailusGebel]

No.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

it is the more popular option but there are a lot of non OP MC pleasure escapes.

 

[Lloyd]

Always has been