Is this story technically an Isekai?

[WasatchWind]

So, first I must preface this little shower thought with: I am very unfamiliar with the tropes of isekai. I am extremely illiterate when it comes to anime.

However, what I know of the genre's basics - it involves travel to a fantasy world, often with a violent event causing it, such as being hit by a car.

Now, that being said, I have a question:

Is the story A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court technically an isekai?

The story involves a 19th century American traveling back in time to the time of king Arthur, and shenanigans ensue.

Now, at first glance, one could call this an early time travel story. But I'll point out, that unlike HG Wells's The Time Machine, it is not some adventure that brings him to his destination, or a machine, but rather, a a blow to the head from a crowbar. Also, while the story is technically going into history, the Arthur legend is so mythological, it may as well be a fantasy world.

Even more interesting, the man upon arriving in Camelot proceeds to engage in a very isekai power fantasy where he dazzles people with modern technology.

But what do you think? Am I just making up nonsense?

 

[skillet]

Oh wow even the title is so isekai-like o.o

Aha but anyway, similar to how some people (half-jokingly) call Dante's Inferno a self-insert fanfic of the Bible, why not? Makes sense to me lol

a blow to the head from a crowbar

truck-san's ancestor, crowbar-san

 

[OvidLemma]

It's definitely an isekai, regardless of whether Mark Twain had ever heard of the genre. It's been years since I read the story, but I imagine Twain misses some of the common isekai tropes - but many authors skip tropes anyway, so that's not really a deal-breaker. I think you've provided good reasons in your post to categorize it in this genre.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

We must answer first, "What defines an isekai?"

If we look at the etymology of the word isekai, it's Japanese for 'another world'. Do we consider Arthurian Legends another world?

However, what separates an isekai from otherworldly settings? I think we need to define those, because we can also classify fantasies like Chronicles of Narnia as isekai if we're going to base that on the transport to another world setting condition.

Or do we classify all stories with transport to another world setting as isekai nowadays?

 

[BenJepheneT]

Or do we classify all stories with transport to another world setting as isekai nowadays?

At this point, it's a catch-all term, but I suspect that it's transportation to another world WITHOUT the burden of the real world. As in, a one way fucken ticket to hell/heaven.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

At this point, it's a catch-all term, but I suspect that it's transportation to another world WITHOUT the burden of the real world. As in, a one way fucken ticket to hell/heaven.

Indeed, from what I've observed on the trends, every story that has a 'transport to another world' setting is now an isekai.

Whether or not it applies to the old classics is a subject of debate.

 

[Discount_Blade]

An isekai is anything where a person gets transported to another world. Technically, Transmigration stories fall under Isekai as long as the new body the soul inhabits is inlocated in another world. The ensuing tropes aren't relevant to whether it is isekai or not. 'Another world" is the only important designator for whether something is isekai or not.

The time it was written is a stupid debate to even partake in. The only real significance of it is that you could maybe argue that it is apart of a different subgenre of the overall isekai genre...but thats it.

 

[Kilolo]

time-travel genre exists, you know.

Anyway, that would be mostly time travel, yeah. But the thing is :

• does it historically accurate?
• does the MC going back in time would affect the current future on MC's original timeline?

and yes, I know. Bruce Banner from the avenger said that's not how it works. but if you're time travel into a parallel universe, then it's basically an isekai.

 

[WasatchWind]

time-travel genre exists, you know.

Anyway, that would be mostly time travel, yeah. But the thing is :

• does it historically accurate?
• does the MC going back in time would affect the current future on MC's original timeline?

and yes, I know. Bruce Banner from the avenger said that's not how it works. but if you're time travel into a parallel universe, then it's basically an isekai.

Looking at the wikipedia article on it, Twain actually wrote it to be intentionally inaccurate to even the original Arthurian Legends, let alone real history. And no, the MC does not have an effect on the present by his actions in the past.



For anyone wondering, this was a total joke. Isekai as I understand is mostly an anime inspired idea, and I prefer stories like Narnia and such to just be considered Fantasy.

 

[Kilolo]

For anyone wondering, this was a total joke. Isekai as I understand is mostly an anime inspired idea, and I prefer stories like Narnia and such to just be considered Fantasy.

so you said, but I still considered Alice in Wonderland as isekai, lol

 

[Ai-chan]

So, first I must preface this little shower thought with: I am very unfamiliar with the tropes of isekai. I am extremely illiterate when it comes to anime.

However, what I know of the genre's basics - it involves travel to a fantasy world, often with a violent event causing it, such as being hit by a car.

Now, that being said, I have a question:

Is the story A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court technically an isekai?

The story involves a 19th century American traveling back in time to the time of king Arthur, and shenanigans ensue.

Now, at first glance, one could call this an early time travel story. But I'll point out, that unlike HG Wells's The Time Machine, it is not some adventure that brings him to his destination, or a machine, but rather, a a blow to the head from a crowbar. Also, while the story is technically going into history, the Arthur legend is so mythological, it may as well be a fantasy world.

Even more interesting, the man upon arriving in Camelot proceeds to engage in a very isekai power fantasy where he dazzles people with modern technology.

But what do you think? Am I just making up nonsense?

That story has always been considered as time travel and fantasy instead of isekai. It is in a way similar to the movie Black Knight. Instead of going to another world, the protagonist travelled to the past and makes use of modern knowledge and tools to come on top.

The idea that Arthurian legends is mythological can be waived, since the setting is the past of our world and it is portrayed as a historical possibility instead of explicitly portrayed as 'not this world'.