Fantasies of Europe, fantasies of Japan - Isekai and the narrative logic of Japanese Occidentalism

Aug 20, 2026

This article uses literary Occidentalism to examine how an unequal power relationship between Japan and Europe is staged within isekai, a contemporary Japanese fiction genre. In the standard plot, a teenage Japanese boy is transported to a fantasy medieval Europe, gains superpowers, and asserts agency. These powers mediate western modernity under a Japanese guise, negating medieval Europe so that “Japan” becomes a fantasy site. Close readings of two light novels identify recurring tropes and the dismissal of counterarguments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: Asian Present, European Past

Core argument and genre premise

Occidentalism framework

Narrative logic in isekai

east asian journal of popular culture Volume 9 Number 2 © 2023 Intellect Ltd Article. English language. [https://doi.org/10.1386/eapc_00111_1](https://doi.org/10.1386/eapc_00111_1)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1386/eapc_00111_1)Received 25 June 2022; Accepted 20 December 2022 SCOTT MA University of Zurich Fantasies of Europe, fantasies of Japan: Isekai and the narrative logic of Japanese Occidentalism ABSTRACT This article uses the framework of literary Occidentalism to study how an unequal power relationship is staged between Japan and Europe within isekai, a popular genre of contemporary Japanese fiction. Within the standard isekai plot, a teenage Japanese boy is suddenly transferred into a fantasy version of medieval Europe. There, the protagonist is bestowed superpowers that let him exert great agency over this second world, where he embarks on an exciting adventure and generally acts as he pleases. This superpower mediates and assures the protagonist’s introduction of western modernity, under the mantle of Japanese custom, back to the West. By negating medieval Europe,‘Japan’ thereby becomes its own fantasy, a site at once more modern than the West and yet identifiably Japanese. Engaging in close readings of two key isekai light novels, Yamaguchi Noboru’s The Familiar of Zero and Nagatsuki Tappei’s Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World, this article specifies and identifies common narrative tropes within isekai such as an identification with Japan, a dismissal of Europe as irrational and misguided, a moralized rescue of Europeans with the protagonist’s superpower, and a dismissal of potential counterarguments to the protagonist’s moral presumptions. KEYWORDS Orientalism anime human rights medievalism modernity popular culture nationalism light novel Delivered by Intellect to: Scott Ma (33335608) IP: [213.55.243.47](213.55.243.47)[ ](213.55.243.47)On: Wed, 27 Sept 2023 05:32:23 [www.intellectbooks.com](www.intellectbooks.com) 281 1. This is the definition given by the web novel website Shōsetsukani narō (‘Let’s become novelists!’), from which many isekai novels originate. See [https://syosetu.com/](https://syosetu.com/)[ ](https://syosetu.com/)[site/isekaikeyword/.](site/isekaikeyword/.)[ ](site/isekaikeyword/.)[Accessed 23 June 2022](Accessed 23 June 2022) . 2. In Eguchi Ren’s isekai novel Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, for instance, the protagonist’s superpower is to cook food, which accidentally makes him all-powerful. INTRODUCTION: ASIAN PRESENT, EUROPEAN PAST This article argues that many stories categorized as‘isekai’, a popular genre of contemporary Japanese fiction, use narratives that rely on biased comparisons of Japan and Europe, such that an idealized Japan is depicted as a solution to European moral crises such as racism and violence. The word 異世界 isekai translates as‘other world’and describes the genre’s basic premise, namely the presence of two parallel worlds between which interaction is near-impossible.1 Within its standard narrative, which this article critiques, a Japanese protagonist, usually a teenage boy, is transferred or reborn into a fantasy version of medieval Europe, itself derived from Japanese role-playing games (RPG) . In this world, the protagonist is granted a superpower with which he defeats powerful enemies, building for himself a harem of enamoured women in the process. Countless variants exist: sometimes the protagonist is a woman or an older man; at other times, denizens of medieval Europe visit Japan; in other cases, Japan is only implicitly present, for both worlds are portrayals of medieval Europe. The story can be anything from romantic comedy to psychological thriller, and the hero’s superpower can range from the familiar to the absurd.2 Even parodic or critical variations, however, refer back to the triedand-tested narrative of a Japanese boy bringing superpowers to a fantastical Europe. This article asks: why would isekai authors ch

FAQs

How does the article define the role of Occidentalism in isekai narratives?

It treats isekai as a structure of contemporary Japanese Occidentalism: the West is criticized for imperialism and racism, while a second element rescues the West by restoring an essentialized tradition embodied as “Japan.”

What is the standard isekai plot discussed in the article?

A teenage Japanese protagonist is transferred or reborn into a fantasy medieval Europe, where he receives superpowers that grant strong agency and enable conflict resolution, often accompanied by romantic or social expansion.

Why does the article focus on medieval Europe as the isekai setting?

It asks how choosing medieval Europe shapes the relationship between Europe and Japan, and what the transfer reveals about Japanese nationalism in contemporary popular culture.

Aug 20, 2026

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