"Damn it Reuben not this again."
"I'm telling you boss, this will work. It's going to be the next great thing in Anime!"
"And I'm telling you Reuben, that people are sick of the Isekai genre! A person being sent to another world has been done to death! And you're not even adapting anything-you want to risk money on an original anime?"
"I'm telling you it hasn't been done my way! I can make a show that'll stand the test of time! The Evangellion of Isekai!"
"Your way? You haven't had an original idea in the last 10 years you've worked here-everything you've done has been cribbed off another show or because someone told you to do it. Remember your last anime, 'trapped in another world but with my Ipad?' And the one before that, 'Re:Uno'?"
"Just give me 1 cour! That's all I ask. I'll take the Winter slot-13 episodes!"
"3."
"I'm not doing a Hentai-give me 10!"
"6 episodes, 26 minutes including opening and endings, not a second over. All episodes submitted on time, with no delays."
"Absolutely sir. You don't need to worry-"
"Reuben. If this show isn't the most talked about project of the season, or if it fails in the ratings, I will demote you down to an office runner. Is that clear?"
"C-c-crystal sir!"
"Godspeed Reuben. Godspeed."
Sufficient Velocity-sama, please, I need your help. I just promised my boss I would create a brand new original Isekai anime. Something creative, but also can be popular. However, and I'm embarrassed to admit this, everything I've come up with is just regurgitating clichés and tropes.
Please Sufficient Velocity-sama, you're my only hope!
–Reuben, 'Unnamed Isekai Anime' Director
Inspired by shadenight123's 'Welcome to Anime, try Avoiding Cliché' quests 1 + 2 (and with their permission) I've created my own spin on the idea.
You voters (Sufficient Velocity-sama or SV-sama) will be voting on the direction of this Isekai anime. You will be responsible for plot, characters, and more, with the ability to influence all aspects of the anime with your voting powers.
Reuben will try to help you best he can, however, all his suggestions are clichéd and unoriginal. Without modification or your help, his suggestions will not go over well to the audience. So you'll need to take the reins of this project to stop it from failing. Good luck taking this tired, overused genre (Isekai or Another World) and making it seem fresh!
Now, let's get back to Reuben and get started.
Ok SV-sama. So, we know our anime is an Isekai, so our character needs to go to another world. So, what kind of world should we send him to?
[X] Fantasy. Ooh classic, magic, dragons, elves, all that good stuff. Like Konosuba or Re:Zero.
[X] Space. A real Space story! Space Cowboys like Bebop, Space Warfare like Space Battleship Yamoto. I don't think Isekai's done that-well except for Futurama.
[X] Futuristic. That's a fun one! Psycho Pass, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor-it's definitely not our world but close enough.
[X] Steampunk. Why didn't I think of that? Miyazaki puts zepplins in his stuff, and Fullmetal Alchemist is basically that with magic!
[X] Modern. Oh a world like our own, but different? Parallel world like Steins;Gate? Maybe time travel like Erased?
[X] Something Else. I hadn't thought of that. But could you describe the setting in one word. Please don't make it a fusion of multiple settings-that'll be hard to put in the synopsis.
Great stuff SV-sama. But now we've got to think, what kind of tone we want to go for. If I know the tone, I can get everyone on the same page of what we're trying to do. It'll help me offer appropriate suggestions.
[X] Light. Good idea, keep it light, jokey. Maybe an easy watch S&L anime, or a comedy, or just a Shonen where everyone knows heroes will win.
[X] Dark. You want tragic? Gory? Maybe horror? I've heard about the recent trend of 'suffering-porn' which just stomps on your heart by making the protagonist (and maybe the world) suffer. Something like Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku or Re:Zero?
[X] Serious. Dramas, thrillers, military, these shows can be funny but the focus is on taking it's concept seriously, rather than be ludicrous. Not a lot of appreciation for anime clichés there but if you think we can make it work.
Hmm, I don't think I missed anything did I?*
*(For those wondering why there's no option for a Deconstruction or a Reconstruction, that's simple. Reuben isn't imaginative enough to offer suggestions for either of those. He's too held back by his clichés and limited creativity-he wouldn't know where to begin. If you want to make a Deconstruction or a Reconstruction anime, you will need to do so via votes on the plot, to steer it in that direction.)
Now that we know where we are sending our Protagonist-Kun. I've got some of the basics down, but I'm gonna need some help dotting the ts and crossing the I if you know what I mean.
Starting Protagonist Sheet.
High Concept: The Protagonist of a Cliché Isekai Anime
Trouble: My Artistic Director doesn't have a creative bone in his body.
Aspects:
Everyday Average Anime Protagonist.
Slave to the whims of The Voters.
[X] Insert Name Here
Pick Four Skills From The Following:
[X] Athletics
[X] Burglury
[X] Crafts
[X] Notice
[X] Lore
[X] Provoke
[X] Rapport
[X] Stealth
[X] Will
Remember- the future of this anime is in your hands. So have fun. And good luck 'SV-Sama'.