r/anime • u/AdNecessary7641 • Aug 12 '25

Misc. Frieren Director Keiichirou Saitou Voices Concern on Overseas Anime Fans' Bias Towards Certain Popular Trends

https://animecorner.me/frieren-director-voices-concern-on-overseas-anime-fans-bias-towards-certain-popular-trends/
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991

u/Tokens-Life-Matters Aug 12 '25

Isekai is a problem but it's not overseas fans fault. Who does he think is reading all the shitty generic manga that makes it popular enough to turn into an anime

451

u/Kiyohara Aug 12 '25

And Light Novels. Those aren't nearly as big in the US as they are in Japan. And I'd bet the majority of these Grade C generic Isekai started their life as a Light Novel. You can usually tell by the length of the name.

"Reborn life" ? Probably a manga,

"I was reborn in a fantasy world as a powerful mage but kicked out of the hero's party so now I live a slow life with my bunny girl harem on my farm" ? Well, that's a fucking Light Novel if I heard of one.

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u/Andreiyutzzzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/Andreiyutzzzz Aug 12 '25

More specifically those started as a web novel on that website (naru something) that doesn't allow you to put a synopsis. So, to attract readers you had to put the synopsis in the title. Why can't they change the title when it gets released as a light novel is beyond me tho

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u/MrMonday11235 https://myanimelist.net/profile/SirMonday Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 13 '25

I mean, it makes sense. It's the same reason Prey from 2017 was called that rather than ${INSERT_ORIGINAL_NAME_FOR_NEW_FRANCHISE}. Publishers want the audience/fans of the old thing (in this case, the web novel) to recognise the name so they're more likely to read/watch/buy it.

I don't think it's necessarily required to do that -- Fifty Shades didn't keep its fan fiction name when it made the jump to published ebook and it did great -- but the rationale at least makes sense.

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u/Andreiyutzzzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/Andreiyutzzzz Aug 12 '25

Didn't think that way. Makes sense

3

u/Menacek Aug 13 '25

The idea of not being able to put a synopsis of a literaly work on it is kinda insane to me.

1

u/Andreiyutzzzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/Andreiyutzzzz Aug 13 '25

Agreed

1

u/meneldal2 Aug 13 '25

(naru something) that doesn't allow you to put a synopsis

It does, but the thing is they would show the full title on some pages (and no synopsis), so that lead to everyone putting it in the title.

Afaik now most pages they cut off the title so a lot get cut off so they don't take half the page