if you think about it, orv is an isekai that completely turns isekai concepts on its head.
one of the main goals of (crappy) isekai is wish-fulfillment-- it’s really easy to insert yourself into the mc’s position and imagine that you’re currently the one inserted into this new world as its op protagonist. and at first, orv seems to follow this basic trope-- kdj’s favorite novel comes to life around him and he’s literally turned from an average office worker to the most knowledgeable being in the world in mere minutes. you can see how it’s similar to a lot of other isekai expositions, and how it could be easy to make kdj a self-insert for a lot of readers.
and then as you dive deeper into the novel, it becomes clear that wish-fulfillment is not one of orv’s goals. kdj is a very unique character with an interesting backstory from before the transition to the new world, something most isekai mcs don’t have or don’t dwell on too much. the lack of backstories from their life in the old world is too make sure not to throw off the immersion of the reader into the mc for that maximum wish fulfillment. but kdj has ppl from before and backstories from before that impact him a lot and make it clear that orv is not that kind of isekai. it’s harder for him to be that sort of blank slate wish fulfillment type of character because of his unique past and motivations.
and of course, this all flips on its head again as you discover that, yeah it’s not wish fulfillment for you, but it was all kdj’s wishes coming true for him. it’s an isekai inside of an isekai, in a way. it’s an isekai wish-fulfillment self-insert fanfic not for you, but for kim dokja. which is already a pretty insane concept, but of course orv takes it even further after that.
because in the very end, the story expands from kdj’s world to the oldest dream’s world to the readers’ world, making the ending a literal wish-fulfilling conclusion that brings the readers’ wishes for kdj’s revival to life.
like orv is actually insane for pulling all that off.
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I remember someone saying "there's no such thing as a good racism allegory" and it's been bouncing around in my head for a while. I'm someone who typically thinks anything can work if given the right circumstances, but then I really started thinking about it and I believe they're right
Because if you want to talk about racism, you should just talk about racism
(This is unpolished and ramble-y, so strap yourselves in)
Racism is deeply ingrained into our society, no matter where you live. Imperialism and colonialism has ensured that no corner of Earth has been left untouched. Choices from hundreds of years ago are still being felt today. There's practically no end to the discussion of its effects on the world and its people
So, why should anyone feel the need to dress it up in cat ears?
I've consumed a lot of media where writers have consciously echoed in part some aspect of racism in their fantasy story: Bright 2017, Dragon Age, RWBY, the MCU, Harry Potter, Detroit: Become Human, etc. The biggest thing they have in common is that the narrative is told to side with the victims, but it somehow always ends up against them
It always sides with the status quo
It's confusing, maddening even, because the narrative oft goes out of its way to show how horrible the system is and how these folk don't deserve their treatment, so why are we going back to normal as if it's a good thing? Why are the people actively working to improve the system decried as annoying at best and monstrous at worst?
Then you look at the people who write these storylines. The beliefs they hold, the people they vote for, which charities and organizations they give to, and it all makes sense. Centrists (at best) trying to look progressive are the ones who need to dress racism up in cat ears and rainbow freckles. They set aside the long, brutal histories and crushing systemic realities to play pretend that racism is Not That Bad and is only done by Those Bad Individuals
That's why Velvet's ears are tugged instead of culled. That's why the Mantle drunkards say mean things to Blake instead of attempting to assault her. That's why everything surrounding the SDC's labor practices is so vague as to be useless while the biggest evidence of their malice is hand-waved away by a writer who says the victim "had it coming" as if someone can deserve being branded by being too much of a brat
These stories aren't meant to make the audience question why our society works off the bloodied backs of the exploited or demands we take good, hard looks at ourselves and how we've been duped into believing so much garbage about entire swathes of people. They're meant to satisfy the people who only feel bad that these things are happening because they (white folk) look like the bad guys. It's a self-congratulatory wank about how "I'm not like THOSE guys, therefore I'm a good person!"
And then there's the characters meant to convey this story in the first place: always inoffensive, mostly aimless, "not like the other girl" types that pander to that delicate palate. Blake - a conventionally attractive, pale skinned girl in fashionable clothes - used to be passionate about equality but only in the right way, and demonizes anyone who does not conform to this mindset despite having no reasoning to back it up while never once demanding better of the privileged people around her even when they do racially insensitive things
The biggest downfall of these racial allegories, be they about cat girls or orcs or elves or robots, is that they do something that marginalized folk have been forced to endure since the dawn of time: literal dehumanization. There are tangible differences between humans and whatever the allegory is, which undermines the very fundamental fact that black/asian/queer/neurodivergent/disabled/whatever folk are unapologetically, undeniably, exceedingly human. By dressing up their plights in cat ears or spottled blue skin, you're creating theater not for the people who actually live through these struggles as a means of connecting with them and providing them a safe outlet for their feelings, but giving the people who benefit from passively allowing the system to enforce said struggles a pat on the head for not being the grand wizard
I don't really know where I'm going or how to end this, so I'll just sign off with if you're going to talk about racism, just talk about racism
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@idont-know-what-im-doing replied to your post “"anyways id survive in that house" sounds like...”:
Those are also true for Duck. Does he look sane to you?
REBUTTAL TO THIS: IM NOT HIM I COULD DO IT!!! also idk man. hes not like,actively going nuts, I don't think. like, if they never leave, he'd be the one least bugged by it yknow? Red's LOSING it, Yellows like,haunted by his not-mom and battery memories and if my lil green guys got none of that going on he's pretty fine I think.
REBUTTAL TO YOUR SECOND COMMENT:
I DONT HAVE ANY REBUTTAL THATS JUST MEAN
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