Mushoku Tensei and Re:Monster may not seem related, but these two isekai titles share an interesting connection, and that’s not just their genre.
Recently, Comic Natalie interviewed Mushoku Tensei author Rifujin na Magonote and Re:Monster writer Kogitsune Kanekiru.
This interview comes just in time as both light novels’ anime adaptations are currently airing this season to the delight of isekai fans.
Aside from talking about their respective series, the two also shared their inspirations and the landscape of isekai stories over a decade ago.
Mushoku Tensei Creator Explains What Inspired the Series
In the interview, Re:Monster's Kanekiru revealed that he started reading stories in Shosetsuka ni Naro in 2009 while he was still studying in a technical school. Reading the stories there inspired him to write his own.
For those unfamiliar, Shosetsuka ni Naro is a popular self-publishing website in Japan where budding writers can share their works. This site has become the source of many big isekai titles such as KonoSuba and Re:Zero.
At the time, isekai wasn't even a listed genre on the platform. Rifujin na Magonote remarked that even in 2012, romantic comedies and battle series were popular among readers.
In that sense, Re:Monster was a trailblazer, as it was one of the earlier isekai titles during that decade.
This series was followed by Mushoku Tensei in 2012. Its creator revealed that he was also inspired to become a writer after reading Shosetsuka ni Naro web novels.
To be exact, Rifujin na Magonote named Re:Monster as his main inspiration to become an author thanks to a chance encounter in a bookstore.
Mushoku Tensei Wouldn’t Exist without Re:Monster
Back in 2012, Rifujin na Magonote said he happened upon a copy of Re:Monster in a bookstore, and he noted how it’s advertised as the official publication of a Shosetsuka ni Naro novel.
He bought the book and enjoyed it so much that he proceeded to catch up to the web novel version. In the same year, he published his series titled Mushoku Tensei.
In the interview, Rifujin na Magonote went as far as to say that his series wouldn’t exist without Re:Monster, and he thanked Kanekiru for making his work.
Both Shows' Similarities Explored
Even though Re:Monster began over a decade ago, it is only this year that it got an anime adaptation. Its author mentioned that he believed the series’ violence was a reason it wasn’t turned into an anime earlier.
It’s clear that Re:Monster is a dark and gory series. While it doesn’t share this with Mushoku Tensei, both titles are darker takes on isekai, which is likely a reason for their success.
While there are other examples of serious isekai, many titles in the genre have become more focused on the power-fantasy aspect.
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