Well, the general idea began when I got tired of generic bad isekai and wanted to make something more unique. And so I started brainstorming how I could do it.
The answer I arrived at was a story focusing on the emotions and growth of the protagonist after a devastating loss. I wanted to have both worlds in the story matter, as they all shape the protagonist into who he is.
For that, I guess one big inspiration came from Arknights, withs its many emotional moments of deep tragedy, but also hope. Another important one came in the form of God of War, for the themes of grief and growing past one's pain through emotional connections. You can add Persona to the list too, with its focus on relationships.
I wanted something with more focused, deliberate action, so believe it or not I watched a lot of military movies like Triple Frontier and Sicario, where the action is short, precise and sparse.
And for worldbuilding, I guess Brandon Sanderson came to be the most influential figure, as I drew a lot from his many works, with Mistborn and The Way of Kings being of special note.
If any of that interested you, go check it out and tell me what you think:
