What tropes do you dislike the most?

[Xdqwerty]

I didn't follow these shows that much but was that vampire a childhood friend of the princess?

I havent watched the show's later seasons either but I don't think so

 

[Ikagura]

I havent watched the show's later seasons either but I don't think so

Anyway, Finn has been ditched apparently.

 

[MegaHiro91]

Im tired of Isekai. The whole, "this boy is a total loser, but then hes magically transported into this world of big booba ladies and now has to be the hero." After Konosuba and Re:Zero im just done with the genre entirely.

As a genre I am tired of isekais too and actively avoid them. Not too hard considering they also all have that annoying trope of having WAAAAAY too long titles. Anyway, what I hate about them is; instead of having to transport your mc to another world in order to tell an interesting story, why not just make the world they already live in insteresting enough for your story? Get me?

Another trope I hate, that is sort of related, is highschool anime with their "transfer student". Where you have a boring setting and a boring mc, and the one thing that then kicks the story into gear is that an outside party (a transfer student) shows up and makes things interesting.

Like isekais, you start off with a setting that you make purposefully boring, so that this new element you bring into play - either a new world or a transfer student - can then kick your story into motion.

I am so tired of it that is another rule I have set for myself when starting new shows: No isekais, and no transfer students.

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2025

Miscommunication. I feel this is more common in anime for some reason, but if the main conflict of your plot comes from characters who just didn't trade information like normal human beings, I roll my eyes to oblivion.

Oh... my... god... YES!! Above ALL other tropes I hate, THIS one perhaps ranks the highest! The misunderstandings and miscommunications. Dandadan, which generally has pretty good writing, does this too as early as volume 3 or 4 where Momo catches her totally-not-crush-and-best-friend in an awkward situation with another girl who has a crush on him.

He immediately tries to explain the situation, but because boys in anime are always stuttering nincompoops around girls, he fails, and she runs off angry. For several following episodes/chapters she won't talk to him no matter how much he tries to make her listen, and I'm like, girl, you two know each other well enough by now, that you should know Ken would never go behind your back like that.

So instead of getting angry and run off, just ask him right then and there in a calm and collected manner: "Dude, what was that all about?" I know, that's the boring way to go about it. Not enough drama. But the other way is just infuriating because you KNOW the situation could be solved so much easier and quicker if she just gave him a chance to talk. Granted they are teenagers and those don't think straight most of the time and are 99% ruled by their fickle emotions... but still...

So yeah, misunderstandings that only serve to artificially complicate/draw out the plot are the worst. As a writer myself I genuinely believe that if you actually possess good writing skills, you can totally tell a compelling story that drives itself forward and doesn't rely on cheap filler tropes like this. Because that's all this trope is... dragging out the runtime.

 

[Zooey]

As a genre I am tired of isekais too and actively avoid them. Not too hard considering they also all have that annoying trope of having WAAAAAY too long titles. Anyway, what I hate about them is; instead of having to transport your mc to another world in order to tell an interesting story, why not just make the world they already live in insteresting enough for your story? Get me?

Isekai feels like its trying to appeal to a very specific age group that is maybe disillusioned, or unsatisfied with their daily life. Maybe they go to school, nothing fun or exciting ever happens, etc. We've all been there. I remember what it was like. Isekai says, "life sucks, but imagine if you were teleported to a world where you're the hero, isn't that cool?", and IT IS. I loved watching Konosuba. But I'm almost 40 years old now, and the fantasy of Isekai loses its charm really quickly, its become too predictable, stale even. Maybe the formula needs to be re-imagined, or even just giving it a few years to be new again.

 

[LightningmanEXE]

Isekai feels like its trying to appeal to a very specific age group that is maybe disillusioned, or unsatisfied with their daily life. Maybe they go to school, nothing fun or exciting ever happens, etc. We've all been there. I remember what it was like. Isekai says, "life sucks, but imagine if you were teleported to a world where you're the hero, isn't that cool?", and IT IS. I loved watching Konosuba. But I'm almost 40 years old now, and the fantasy of Isekai loses its charm really quickly, its become too predictable, stale even. Maybe the formula needs to be re-imagined, or even just giving it a few years to be new again.

is it bad to kinda go into one expecting the writing to be bad? like... it's such raw escapism that it doesn't need to be good, I don't know if it's even meant to be a good story, or if it even needs to be to serve it's purpose.

 

[Zooey]

is it bad to kinda go into one expecting the writing to be bad? like... it's such raw escapism that it doesn't need to be good, I don't know if it's even meant to be a good story, or if it even needs to be to serve it's purpose.

Escapism for sure. Its definitely enjoyable. Re:Zero, No Game No Life, etc, I did have fun watching them, even if the story was kinda weak. I just felt swamped by it. Like every time a friend would recommend me something, it was yet another Isekai, and it was just, "here we go again."

 

[Ikagura]

I mean I liked Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz as they were still good Isekais.

Maybe some should drop the "another world aspect".


I also got tired of high schoolers of the 2000's and I don't get why it's sometimes called "the best years of your life".

 

[MegaHiro91]

Isekai feels like its trying to appeal to a very specific age group that is maybe disillusioned, or unsatisfied with their daily life. Maybe they go to school, nothing fun or exciting ever happens, etc. We've all been there. I remember what it was like. Isekai says, "life sucks, but imagine if you were teleported to a world where you're the hero, isn't that cool?", and IT IS. I loved watching Konosuba. But I'm almost 40 years old now, and the fantasy of Isekai loses its charm really quickly, its become too predictable, stale even. Maybe the formula needs to be re-imagined, or even just giving it a few years to be new again.

Oh I know whom it caters to, and those people are right... life DOES suck BIG time!! But isekais are just too on the nose about it, plus as you said they are too stale and predictable by now.

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2025

is it bad to kinda go into one expecting the writing to be bad? like... it's such raw escapism that it doesn't need to be good, I don't know if it's even meant to be a good story, or if it even needs to be to serve it's purpose.

Thing is, I personally don't consume any kind of entertainment for the sake of escapism. I hate that word. I consume it to have a good story that can make me reflect on life, possibly teach me something, and give me something I can take with me. So to me there is nothing in the world that I "don't need to be good, but contrarily expect to be bad". No. If you're a screenwriter, I expect you to do your best and tell a good story no matter the genre, otherwise I won't even consider bothering tuning in. I don't condone entertainment that wastes my time with bad writing.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Granted, not all parodies need to be exact or at least knowledgable, but it irks me when Parodies looks more like the writers wanted to make fun of something without understanding it or only researched five minutes of the subjet they are mocking, even worse when the "Jab" looks more like an deliberate insult out of spite

 

[Ikagura]

Granted, not all parodies need to be exact or at least knowledgable, but it irks me when Parodies looks more like the writers wanted to make fun of something without understanding it or only researched five minutes of the subjet they are mocking, even worse when the "Jab" looks more like an deliberate insult out of spite

Like when someone makes a parody of either Conan the Barbarian or Rambo?

Especially when Conan the Cimmerian is actually a good strategist (just more down to earth kind of guy) and Rambo is a great soldier suffering from PTSD in the first movie and original book.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Like when someone makes a parody of either Conan the Barbarian or Rambo?

Especially when Conan the Cimmerian is actually a good strategist (just more down to earth kind of guy) and Rambo is a great soldier suffering from PTSD in the first movie and original book.

Yup, also when Anime is portrayed as "LOL KAWAII THINGS GOING AT RANDOM WE ARE SO QUIRKY LMAO", understandable back in the 80's, dead horse kicking in the 2000's

 

[Taukyrie]

I'm seeing a lot of responses I agree with in this thread, so I'm probably gonna throw in my own one that I dislike, and it might be a hot take:

I genuinely hate the "Humans are the real monsters" trope.

Like it's one of those tropes that when it's done well, it's fantastic, but when it's done horribly it comes off as "I'm 14 and I'm deep" or "look at how smart and philosophical I am!" type shit. Like it feels like most people who use this trope especially nowadays are using it just to be "deep" and it honestly gets very annoying to me.

Like I said, I don't mind it if it's done WELL. But for some reason it just irks me when it's thrown into the random Earthbound-inspired indie RPG flavor of the year.

 

[Ikagura]

I genuinely hate the "Humans are the real monsters" trope.

Agreed, it was done in a smart way in the past, nowadays it's boring and always feeling like the author want to sound "virtuous and smart"...

Here's a funny modded L4D for that

"If you think you are the real monster then go meet these zombies to apology."

But for some reason it just irks me when it's thrown into the random Earthbound-inspired indie RPG flavor of the year.

I'm sorry but are Earthbound inspired RPG as common nowadays?

 

[Taukyrie]

I'm sorry but are Earthbound inspired RPG as common nowadays?

Ok, I might be overexaggerating there. Nowadays it's mostly mascot horror stuff, but it did use to be common.

 

[ciro64]

Isekai feels like its trying to appeal to a very specific age group that is maybe disillusioned, or unsatisfied with their daily life. Maybe they go to school, nothing fun or exciting ever happens, etc. We've all been there. I remember what it was like. Isekai says, "life sucks, but imagine if you were teleported to a world where you're the hero, isn't that cool?", and IT IS. I loved watching Konosuba. But I'm almost 40 years old now, and the fantasy of Isekai loses its charm really quickly, its become too predictable, stale even. Maybe the formula needs to be re-imagined, or even just giving it a few years to be new again.

I wish for an Isekai where the real world doesn't become irrelevant the moment the characters get transported out of it. I want a story where the way they expresses themselves in the fantasy world is a reflection to whatever struggles they were facing in the real world.

 

[Zooey]

I wish for an Isekai where the real world doesn't become irrelevant the moment the characters get transported out of it. I want a story where the way they expresses themselves in the fantasy world is a reflection to whatever struggles they were facing in the real world.

That was a big problem for me when watching Re:Zero (among other problems). It was like the moment Subaru got sent to this other world, he immediately stopped caring about his real life. I suppose there was moments where he doubted himself, as a reflection of his real world self, but for the most part whatever his real world was, it became largely irrelevant.

Compare this to the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy is constantly thinking about the well being of her loved ones back in the real world, wanting to return, etc etc. There may have been moments where Dorothy focused on the problems of those in this new world such as the Cowardly Lion, but her main goal never strayed or detracted from returning.

 

[Num]

That was a big problem for me when watching Re:Zero (among other problems). It was like the moment Subaru got sent to this other world, he immediately stopped caring about his real life. I suppose there was moments where he doubted himself, as a reflection of his real world self, but for the most part whatever his real world was, it became largely irrelevant.

Compare this to the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy is constantly thinking about the well being of her loved ones back in the real world, wanting to return, etc etc. There may have been moments where Dorothy focused on the problems of those in this new world such as the Cowardly Lion, but her main goal never strayed or detracted from returning.

the difference is in those comparisons are the personality types rather than lacking in characterization. characters like subaru and rudeus very much have lasting semblances of their previous worlds they just manifest in different ways. those two being the forefront of portraying the otaku archetype in isekai storytelling, their initial values were always over the 2d world over the real world. the whole reason theyre neets in the first place is because of this mindset of modern escpasim they prefer the fantasies in their head over going through the motions in order to live a proper life. its not that theyre not physically able to function in society as a proper human being but because of their individual grievances with the world that had them living in isolated detachment. both of those series emphasizes the fact that they truly view the isekai they've transported into the same as the "2d world" they used as escapism. which is why they try so hard to better themselves at this second chance of life (literally in the titles of both of the series) with a lot of the character conflict being that even in this other world people aren't just two-dimensional archetypes to force your values on, they get humbled by the reality that this its stil just as much of a living breathing world as the previous one and not some self indulgent fantasy for the protagonist. subarus whole demeanor and exaggerated personality for example, is intentionally created (or rather controlled since anxiety also plays a role) as he's trying to abandon his anti social nature he previously had in the other world. the series even acknowledges it with characters practically noting that he's trying too hard even in the most casual of conversations. there are times in both rezero and mushoku tensei where the protagonist is directly confronted with the past of their previous world and instinctively the reaction is to turn their eyes away and try to push it under the rug. so much of their character arc is defined by understanding and confronting these aspects
so in those two cases their past real world is very much relevant it just manifests in ways beyond simply longing for the place that never served them in the first place

 

[RanmyakuIchi]

I'm pretty burnt out on the "Will they or won't they?" dancing around romance trope in anime too. Say what you will about Sword Art Online, but it was genuinely refreshing at the time how Kirito and Asuna acted on their feelings early on instead of just blushing around each other for 7 seasons.

In general I dislike poor communication. Maybe It's an age thing, but damn, just say what you need to say! Especially when said miscommunication results in unnecessary drama or troubles.