The ‘light novel’ medium has become more and more popular over the years, receiving tons of anime adaptions. Isekai is the most popular genre to come out of novels, although other genres have also succeeded in capturing readers’ attention. It’s not surprising that with so many different novels, some would use western influence in their story and characters.
For readers who are looking for a mismatch of cultures, these books contain bits of western inspiration that make them a bit different from the normal stories.
10 My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! Is Set In A European-Inspired World
Fans of the anime probably already seen this coming due to the set-up of My Next Life as a Villainess. A Japanese girl is reincarnated into a world as the daughter of a duke in a europian inspired mansion and world.
She must learn to change her fate in order to not be killed by any of the game’s love interests. To do this, she accidently ends up making everyone around her, including the main character Maria, fall in love with her.
9 Unnamed Memory Is Centered Around European-Inspired Royalty
Oscar is in search of a witch named Azure in Unnamed Memory, and when he meets her, he proposes. The witch named, Tinasah accepts the proposal, which pushes that pair into the dark secrets of her past.
This comes in the form of a lover from the past that seeks to destroy Oscar’s kingdom. The only question is if Oscar will have to kill his new love or if there is a way to still save her in this novel centered around European inspired royality.
8 The Lead Of “I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!” Is Inspired By European Nobility
I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again! is a light novel that relies on the time travel trope to help its story along. Violette is a European inspired noble who is placed in jail after attacking her sister due to growing jealousy.
As fate would have it, though, instead of serving her time, she gets teleported back to an early point in her life. This gives Violette the chance to redo life and make choices that won’t lead her to being imprisoned.
7 86 Eighty-Six Uses Western Military Tactics
86 steps away from fantasy to introduce readers to a world caught up in war. The catch is that the war is supposedly fought between robots instead of actual humans, which is false propaganda made by the government.
The soldiers for this war come from an unknown 86th district where the residents are shipped off to die in the war. The story, like most, takes inspiration from military units around the world, with heavy influences from western tactics.
6 Monster Girl Doctor Is Set In A World Inspired By Italy
Dr. Glenn and his lamia assistant Sapphee run a clinic for monsters in world that looks heavily inspired by parts of Europe, especially Italy. The pair are unique since Glenn is a human and one of the only members of his species to work in monster medicine.
The two make housecalls to the ailing monsters of the nation and help with any and all afflictions. There is also a bit of a romantic undertone as Sapphee is head over heels for the doctor.
5 The Saga of Tanya the Evil Is Set In An Alternative Germany
The Saga of Tanya the Evil is an isekai war story about a businessman who becomes a little girl who is born and serves alternative Germany. He ends up fighting in the military using a combination of magic and technology and quickly ascends through the ranks.
Tanya is a ruthless girl, though, and her methods of training her troops are cruel. She is also extremely adept at fighting, giving her the ability to easily wipe out the humans around her.
4 In “Wandering Witch The Journey of Elaina,” The Lead Explores European-Style Countries
Wandering Witch became even more popular when an anime adaption showed off the unique take on the series story. The books follow a girl named Elaina as she travel to different countries, experiencing unique cultures, many of them inspired from older European concepts.
The book has tons of self-contained stories, many of which put Elaina in the back seat. Elaina is the narrator of the tales, and the humans she meets are the focus of her tales.
3 Banished From the Hero’s Party I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Takes Inspiration From Western Folklore
This takes a bunch of story material from western folklore and molds it into the setting for Banished From the Hero’s Party’s world. The main character Red is left on his own after-party betrayed him.
With nothing left to do, he decided that he was going to open a western-styled herbal pharmacy. As fate would have it, though, a girl named Rit suddenly shows up and wants Red to marry her.
2 Spice & Wolf Is Set In A Fantasy World Inspired By Europe
Spice & Wolf is a famous series that sadly never finished adapting its anime. The story centers around Holo The Wish Wolf and a merchant named Lawrence who team up to claw their way to riches in a fantasy land similar to Europe.
The two venture through various towns, expand their business and begin to fall in love throughout the novel series. Eventually, they even have a child who gets her own light novel.
1 The Eminence in Shadow Has A Similar Feel To Western RPGs
The Eminence in Shadow is an action-packed isekai following a character named Sid who just wanted a peaceful life. He tries to do this by making up his own imaginary enemy and then recruiting a party.
As it turns out, the enemy that Sid thought he made up actually exists in the world, and he has now hired a group of pro adventures to help him destroy them. The story is heavily inspired by European themes such as royalty and has the same feel as western RPGs.
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