Over the years, I've read through a variety of titles that would all share certain tropes with one another. Not all of these tropes were necessarily bad, though it did become annoying to see how the material was recycled so frequently. This is the first time, however, that I've seen a series blatantly copy another title's work, and yet somehow do a better job (to an extent).

The title in question is Isekai Shihai no Skill Taker: Zero kara Hajimeru Dorei Harem, a light novel that I've previously expressed my feelings on for being downright atrocious. It's got some of the worst art, writing, and even fan service an isekai series could offer. So it definitely came as a surprise to see this series copy something so bad. Now, what exactly do I mean by "copy"? Here's a shortlist to give you a rough idea:

• Young male protagonist with short black hair gets teleported (instead of reincarnated) to a generic fantasy world
• Immediately fights a bunch of generic enemies without any prior training, as he knows that he's OP
• Receives an obscene amount of money from fighting generic monsters
• Obtains ownership over a "human-beast" slave girl who acts as his maid
• Eventually purchases the deed to a giant (haunted) mansion
• Sets out into the world with the goal of bringing more girls into his harem

There's probably some other points that I'm missing, though you get the idea. Despite all the similarities, I will give credit where it's due: This series is a whole lot better than what it managed to copy. The art isn't an absolute mess, the writing is far less trashy, and the fan service actually delivers in terms of the protagonist getting it on. So in a way, good on the creators for essentially taking another title and slightly improving upon it in their version.

With all that being said, if you're into generic, wish-fullfillment isekai stories, then this should come as a glowing recommendation for you to check it out. Or at least act as a warning to stay far away from the abomination that is Skill Taker. For everyone else though, I suggest looking elsewhere for something with far more substance.