Isekai Reincarnation is the Origin of Literature!

Isekai Reincarnation is the Origin of Literature!
--From Myths and Heroic Tales to Modern Light Novels

"Isekai reincarnation is trash."
How many times have I heard that phrase?
Certainly, there are many works that stand out for their bizarre settings, convenient plot developments, and repetitive templates. But before dismissing such works with a laugh, I want you to pause and think for a moment.

Could it be that isekai reincarnation is actually the "oldest form of storytelling" itself?
Heroes all begin in an "other world."
If we trace the origins of stories back through human history, what we find are myths and heroic tales.

For example, the world's oldest epic, "Gilgamesh," depicts a journey concerning life and immortality. Following the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh sets out on a journey to the otherworld in search of a "world without death."
Also, in Japanese mythology, Izanagi pursues his deceased wife Izanami into the land of Yomi—a "land of the dead," which was truly an "other world."

Heroes often step into a world that is not of this world, gain something, and return.
This structure is shared across cultures and eras. The "Hero's Journey," proposed by mythologist Joseph Campbell, is a representative model of this.

⭐Isekai Reincarnation as the Modern "Hero's Journey"

And now, in the modern era, the genre of "isekai reincarnation" is gaining popularity.
One day, suddenly, through an accident, an untimely death, or perhaps a summoning, one goes to another world. The protagonist, reborn in a world of swords and sorcery, gains special powers, grows, overcomes trials with companions, and brings change to the world.
This is truly a heroic tale based on a mythical structure.
"Death," "rebirth," "journey," "companions," and "victory"—all the constituent elements are present.
Admittedly, the settings are pop, the descriptions are rough, and the readership is young. However, at its root lies nothing less than the structural energy that the oldest layers of storytelling possessed.

⭐Why is the other world sought after now?

The modern era is a time of continuing to face "unrewarding realities," "unstable futures," and "transparent others."
In such a context, it may be natural for the desire of "If only there had been another life" to grow stronger.

Isekai reincarnation works affirmatively release such desires in the form of a "story."
The protagonist was disadvantaged in their former reality. They were a social misfit. But in the other world, they can become a person of value. They can be accepted, given a role, and grow.

Is that merely "escapism"?
Rather, isn't it a "myth of rebirth" where one reaffirms oneself once more within rules that differ from reality?

⭐Vulgar, or the Origin?

・Myths in classical literature.
・Exploration of the inner self in modern literature.
・And the other world in contemporary light novels.

Although their forms differ,the structure by which humans have attempted to face "some distant world" through stories has not changed.

Isekai reincarnation is not "vulgar"; it is "primordial."
Rather, shouldn't we consider that the energy of literature is concentrating there once again?

Next time, building on this perspective, I would like to look atthe "otherworldliness" possessed by the genre of "pure literature."