"it does matter how they got there, actually."

January 16, 2025 8:34 AM

Kitty Unpretty (previously) shares her "understanding of some of the various subgenres commonly encountered in light novels/web novels/licensed webtoons": isekai, portal fantasy, progression fantasy, litrpg, dungeon break/monster hunter, transmigration, regression, loop, villain isekai, romfan (romance fantasy) (no, not romantasy, that is something different), otome isekai, villainess isekai, divorce revenge, and childcare fantasy. Post also includes 15 recommendations for comics in these genres; apologies for non-described images excerpting those comics.
posted by brainwane (11 comments total)

A fascinating portal (sorry!) into a world entirely unfamiliar to me, although many of my childhood reads would qualify as portal fantasy probably.

Kitty is a great read, I have enjoyed her posts on Excel, Batman (and Batman's Excel use,) her own fiction, and she's introduced me to Tiger Tiger. Plus the whole Kraven the Hunter/Squirrel Girl thing. I check in daily, even when she's just reposting people's fanart and Dropout gifs (I don't understand anything about Brennan Lee Mulligan and am not likely to bother).
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:50 AM on January 16 [2 favorites]

That’s a lot of very specific subgenres….
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:27 AM on January 16 [2 favorites]

all my life I have loved a certain type of story but never knew it had a name. "portal fantasy" yep, that's it.
posted by supermedusa at 9:42 AM on January 16

That Batman Excel thing was funny. Thanks for this!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:42 AM on January 16

Agreed, "Nominal" is so good. The bit I adore beyond reason:

425. I should have put this in a database but I didn't think it would get this long.

426. ★★★☆☆ Tried importing this into Access but it crashed.
427. ★★☆☆☆ Called Bill about his shitty software but it turned into a conversation about malaria.
428. ★★★☆☆ Donated a half million to fight malaria, Access still doesn't work.

posted by brainwane at 10:22 AM on January 16 [6 favorites]

I'm not a fanfic person, but I've read all her DC fan fiction, so finding out she has more written in her own world is exciting.

More things to read!
posted by Hactar at 12:25 PM on January 16

I am a fanfiction person and I've read a bunch of her Batman stuff and I'm also glad to discover she's written more for me to explore!

As an aside I completely believe that her version of the corporate structure of Wayne enterprises is absolutely the best.
posted by Wretch729 at 1:12 PM on January 16

Villainess isekai in an otome game is such a specific trope, which I love and I don't seem to be alone in. This anime season I am enjoying "From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!"
posted by pfh at 4:29 PM on January 16

"hundreds of beavers is a progression fantasy" is the funniest thing I've read all week. Also true.
posted by Bryant at 2:31 AM on January 17 [2 favorites]

> transmigration: this is when truck-kun intervenes.

which is better, "trucksmigration" or "truckmigration"
posted by Pronoiac at 11:27 AM on January 18

This feels like it belongs here.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2025-01-22/the-state-of-isekai-anime/.219776
posted by Citrus at 11:32 PM on January 22