There was this one comment I came across on a discussion about if Isekai is ever going to run out of steam:
The most popular trope coming from a single place is usually indicative of the biggest problem there. Japan with isekais (deaths & escaping reality), Korea with returns (social pressure & regrets), and China with Cultivation (breaking free from/overthrowing the upper control). Those common tropes are what the people wished they had in real life.
I've been reading quite a few manwha's recently as well as manga and this are REALLY common trends. Enjoyable too as on each side we can easily relate to that desire.
So why not apply it to western fiction, what was the main trend there?
In the past, when the leftists weren't involved, I'd say it was more inspirational, from the obvious Superman to the relatable trying to do his best despite personal issues Spiderman, even in a nihilistic world of mega cities, Judge Dredd could be inspirational just because he still stood up for the values of law and justice in this husk of a world.
After the leftists, I think the worst thing is not just the tranny, race and gay pushing, it's that it's no longer inspirational. Rather than inspire to do better, they want everyone dragged down to their level, have everything given to them and not have to struggle because 'they're on the right side'.
Even though it's majority leftist propaganda, if we apply the same rule here 'Most popular trope indicative of biggest problem' then the West's biggest issue is stagnation, no inspiration to push forward or lead the way for others to follow your example. It might be another reason for the great switch to manga and Anime as people would rather adopt another trope than be stuck in essentially the West's limbo trope. At least the Asian tropes offer a way out of the current problem in a fictional setting.
You can see how much people are deprived of inspirational media with the success of films like Top Gun Maverick or John Wick but what do you guys think, this ring true to you?
It's not just the most popular tropes that show how they behave and what they believe.
Take for example China and their Cultivation genre. One of the frequent tropes in it is the Pill, a good shortcut to becoming more powerful. Most of the time it is portrayed as a necessary step. This reveals how the Chinese mentality of cheating isn't seen as bad, like it is in the west. After all an aimbot or esp is just a shortcut to getting better to a Chinese.
The trope of “fair play” is incredible white and particularly British.
This says a great deal about the rest of the world.
"When you're playing, play fair. When you're fighting, fight dirty."
Presumably, combat sports such as MMA count as playing.
I've seen that, I've also seen a lot of Korean ones where essentially they 'read ahead' so they are returnees in that know how the story they've been isekai'd to will go or they know how the world will change in some stories.
"Who wouldn't take a pill to make more money at their job? You would. I would."
Chris Rock, on steroids in baseball