Narrative Escapism and Regret Culture: An Analysis of Gaki ni Modotte Yarinaoshi
Gaki ni Modotte Yarinaoshi emerged in the late 2010s, a period when Japan was grappling with the "Lost Decades" (1991–2010) of economic stagnation. For readers who lived through the bubble era’s collapse, the idea of returning to 1989 with perfect knowledge is a potent fantasy of national redemption as well as personal. gaki ni modotto yarinaoshi
In the landscape of contemporary Japanese web novels and light novels, a subgenre known as "second-chance" or "redo" isekai has gained substantial traction. Unlike traditional isekai where a protagonist is transported to a fantasy world, Gaki ni Modotte Yarinaoshi (lit. "Going Back to Being a Brat and Doing It Over Again") belongs to the tenshō (reincarnation) sub-subgenre, where a protagonist dies and is reborn into their own past. This paper examines the narrative structure, thematic core, and cultural resonance of Gaki ni Modotte Yarinaoshi , focusing on its exploration of regret, trauma, and the illusion of perfect agency. Narrative Escapism and Regret Culture: An Analysis of