Someone replied to a 2 year old thread of mine https://forum.novelupdates.com/threads/why-japanese-web-novels-have-a-bad-reputation.96115/ Anyway, people complain of Isekai overpowered protagonist who doesn't go on adventures defeating the whole point of an adventure novel. In defense of Japanese novels, You have Chinese protagonists hiding in a cave for 100 years. *cough* Han Li *cough* Renegade Immortal. *cough* Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality. Then you have Korean novels like Lazy Swordmaster and Editor is a Novel Extra. The lack of proactivity is just painful to read. I recall another Swordsman novel where the protagonist hides his level and pretends to be weak. There is a dragon in the story and other transmigrators like him I rest my case. Just read Past Life Returner
I think it comes down to intent. Most cultivation (CN) and game life (KR) series have a protagonist who has a clear intent. That is character driven story telling. Japanese plot direction is based more on circumstances. Except, when it is focussed on characters, it has no plot. It is novel, but novelty only lasts so long. JP authors need to step up, or their audience will stagnate.
Yeah but just think about that same scene but inside a Japanese WN. "I meditated in a cave for a hundred years, but when I immerged I was undefeatable."
I honestly don't think those kind of webnovels are bad. when i wanna read something light, they are usually my choice.
So they complain about non-adventure novels, aimed at a different reader type, not being adventure novels aimed readers similar to them? But is does seem that to a lot of people it is just "cool", or some form id idiocy that they perceive as it, to complain about any form of Japanese literature. before Mangadex went down, the "discussion" threads for pretty much any new Japanese manga were mostly just idiots complaining about it, or calling it unoriginal and a copy/past job when they had not read any where near enough of the story to tell if it was or was not, using arguments that are the same as calling a western a copy of another because they both opened with a cowboy riding in to town, and you turned off the 2nd right at that part since it was "the exact same story".
I'm more upset by the trend of having "slow life" in the title but the actual novel is really hectic and busy. (not that I'm actually upset, I'm just try in to advertise for my own translation of hazure skill gacha where the mc quickly loses their chances of having a slow life as the story progresses)
With the way how there have been a continuous release of similar style novels over the years, it doesn't seem like stagnation. Eventually it'll run out of steam and drop to niche. On a Chinese forum they pointed out how Japanese audience, after a hard day work or school, would prefer something non offensive and non taxing to read.
I completely agree and understand why Japan managed to create that unique kind of story system... However, the Japanese work environment is changing, slowly but surely. Even discounting that, from an english translations pov, I feel like JP will need to reinvent itself.
If/when their work environment does change the stories will as well. These stories are a reflection on what the readers want, and what they want is largely based on their work/school lives and how the massive overwork affects their desires. because what we see is what is popular on the hosting sites, not the full spectrum of what is on those sites. Someone who is not being forced to work to the point their only free time is on the bus/train/etc to and from work is much more likely to want other types of stories, and most the authors write what will get them the most readers.
When it comes to Japanese webnovels, I don't think that it has all that much to do with the Japanese work environment. If this was a primary factor then these books should appeal to the wider Japanese populace and that's just not the case. Instead, novels on sites like Syosetu are dominated by just one group: the otaku. And as long as these books appeal to this one group I don't see the Japanese webnovel market changing in any significant way.
Tbh it is sometimes refreshing to read silly stuff after all the chinese stuff you read. I am like maybe Japanese webnovels are not so bad after all at that time.
I usually avoid anything with "slow life" in its title. Especially when it come to Japanese manga/anime/novel. When i think of "slow life", i expected a guy who is tired of all these society's shenanigans that he decided to stay away from all the bullsh*ts and doing his own things somewhere secluded. Sometimes he would get involved (reluctantly) with others but when it is resolved i expect him to return to his house in the wood "alone" not bringing a new harem member every time he comes back. Whenever bandits or nobles/aristocrats of the isekai world disturb and threaten him i expect him to curb stomp them, rip and tear until there's nothing left (isn't that's the whole point of overwhelming power so that you don't have to deal with all the bullsh*ts?) all for the sake of peace and quiet right? But instead most "slow life" stories have this shy pacifist kid with powers that he doesn't deserves and barely uses. Same with "anti-social" protagonist, "introverted protagonist", instead of a guy that genuinely want as little to do with others as possible, most of the times its a shy lonely kid that actually don't want to be alone and the whole story would be about him "warming up" "learning how to communicate" and "making friend".
You're misreading the term. "Slow life" isn't about someone who wants to be isolated; it's about how the story is told. Think of it as a diary of a character's day-to-day life. This day-to-day experience can include tons of monster slaying or social interaction because these don't interfere with the process.
Lord of Mysteries is easily the best Chinese webnovel by a landslide, if you take all the supernatural and magic from it, it would still be a solid detactive/adventure/revenge story. Meanwhile Er gen/I eat rotten tomatoes idiotic story where characters spend millions of millions of years practicing and fighting the same copy pasted people.
Re:monster also read like a diary but the male protagonist there isnt annoying making the read enjoyable despite slow life not being my favourite. For me the protagonist is the soul of a story and a good one would make the story enjoyable regardless of genre. Regrettably re:monster is a rare case and most Japanese slow life story features an annoying pacifist doormat protagonist. Seriously what kind of wish fulfilment make readers feel like they're reading books that teach moralities for children.