A Valentine's Special: Let’s “discuss” Infinite Stratos.

Mendi Ekim 17, 2022

I think zombie fiction has run its course. For now, at least. (Because that’s a good way to start a Valentine’s post. Mentions of the living dead.)

I’ll admit that the concept itself isn’t automatically wrong, or impossible to work with. But with an immensely flawed game like The Last of Us going to great lengths to win the Half-Assed Award, and a show like The Walking Dead caught in an Ouroboros of people being sad and angry and sometimes killing zombies, I think that we’ve reached a stage where -- unless there’s a big variation in the formula -- then zombie fiction is a “broken model”. Going with the basic conventions gives diminishing returns, and just exposes the problems with the model in the first place.

But zombie fiction isn’t the only broken model. I’m about ready to say that the same applies for the standard harem in anime and manga. I’m not the only one to say as much, and I won’t be the last; based on comments on sites and forums, harem stories have to work ten times harder for recognition (beyond the usual “best girl” declarations). And in a lot of cases -- in the case of Infinite Stratos, for example -- the stories just expose all the holes. Granted harems probably keep popping up because people keep buying/supporting them, but at what cost? Broken models may be enough to earn some fans and some cash, but it’s the easy way out. A fool’s errand.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I wake up one morning and realize I’m using the same model.