Nerdy Chat: Isekai Hero Summoning
Hero summoning in isekai is pretty popular (I watch a little too much of it TBH) and this may sound exciting at first, but I think that in real life it would be awful.
The first issue with hero summoning is the lack of consent. The person being summoned is often taken from their own world abruptly and forced into a completely unfamiliar environment. This can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and trauma.
Another problem is that the person summoned often doesn't know the whole story of the politics and history of the world they are now in. They are expected to fight for a cause that they may not fully understand, and their actions could have unforeseen consequences. They may later feel guilt because they made the wrong choices. Most media seems to make one side clearly the correct option, but reality is rarely so cut and dry.
Also, it is common for the person summoned to be a minor, which makes the situation even more concerning. They are thrust into a war, which can lead to trauma, injury, or even death. The burden of saving an entire world should not be placed on the shoulders of a child or even a young adult.
The person summoned did not ask to be a hero, and it is not their responsibility to save an entire world. They are just an ordinary person who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact that they are given cool powers does not make it okay.
If the person summoned does manage to save the day and return home, the experience will have a lasting impact on their life. They may suffer from PTSD or other mental health issues, and their relationships with family and friends may be affected.
Seanan McGuire has a series called, Wayward Children, that I think is a fantastic example of the fallout of returning from a magical world. Pirataba’s web serial, The Wandering Inn, I think displays a more accurate reaction to being summoned and forced to fight than most books: some rise to the task, others are horribly traumatized and cannot function and other just go insane.
