Honestly there is no other real way to do it. I mean think about it. If they do anything else it'll either be to Dark or Comedic.
I'm reading a manga right now where a guy who no one loved and always ran away from when they saw his face, he wasn't even ugly mind you, he was fine, but get this, he died by getting hit by a flower pot that God dropped on him by accident. Now he's a prodigy in a fantasy world to use magic and he's remembered his whole past life from the moment of his rebirth. The mind of a teenager in a new born baby. It's a dumb start but it is a good story. Or we can go the Dark route where they are killed in a horrible painful way and then at all goes away once there reborn. Wouldn't work.
I'm reading a story also where a guy and his entire class were brought to a fantasy world but he was labeled pretty much worthless, then he was trapped with horrible monsters in a labyrinth, pretty much died, came back and went mad, became the master or a loli vampire, and is now a f-ing badass.
For the most part it's just easier to stick to the simple based on the plot.
yes. Tensei Shichattayo (iya, gomen)
Why does everyone die or get critically injured by a bus or truck in manga?! WHY?! I swear, if I had a grain of sugar every time that happened, I'd have diabetes.
http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/knights_magic/nbt/a259d86394bc0bdd/Ch1/14/