Isekai is a genre of anime known for its exciting worlds, interesting characters, andincredible magical abilities. Some isekai shows don’t take much seriously and let stories unfold simply. Other shows will have fans thinking about the series well after the final episode. Isekai shows have a rare opportunity to take an otherwise normal character and place them into a brand-new environment. The isekai’d character can often act as a stand-in for the watcher, making viewers wonder what they would do if they were in the protagonist’s shoes.
Isekai with rich stories leave an impression on anyone who watches them.The best isekais of all timemake viewers want more after they’re done, and leave people with thoughtful, pertinent questions about the series itself and the ending they were left with.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!
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KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, commonly referred to as KonoSuba, is a Japanese anime series based on the novels of the same name from writer Natsume Akatsuki and illustrator Kurone Mishima. The series revolves around a man named Kazuma, who is offered a second chance at life on a magical world after he dies.
On its surface,KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful Worldmight not seem like a deep anime, but its themes of responsibility and inherent desire can leave anyone wondering well after the last episode.Main character Kazuma is summoned to another world with the task of killing the Demon Lord, a job he’s woefully unprepared for. When he’s given the choice to bring any one thing with him to his new world, he chooses the Goddess Aqua, who gave him the task in the first place.
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Even with the oversaturation of the genre, there are still plenty of excellent isekai anime shows that every fan should consider streaming.
Kazuma gets to his new world and doesn’t care a bit about “his” task.WhileKonoSubaportrays Kazuma as a lazy, irresponsible character, he really isn’t.He’s a normal person forced into a fairly tough situation with not much help to boot. While other isekai protagonists answer their calls to duty with confidence, Kazuma declines — but he can’t exactly be blamed.
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Saga of Tanya the Evil is a fantasy anime series set in a parallel universe during World War I. The story follows Tanya Degurechaff, a young girl who is reincarnated as a soldier in a fantasy world, and rises through the ranks of the Empire’s military to become a powerful mage.
The Saga of Tanya the Evilfeatures one of the most adorable and lethal characters in anime.Tanya von Degurechaff is a 12-year-old girl who is a one-man-army on the battlefield.She’s cold, calculating, and more intelligent than most of the adults in her life. Her story is an interesting one because it started in another life. Before she was Tanya, she was a normal Japanese salary man who was pushed to his death by a vindictive co-worker. He met Being X in the afterlife and told the self-proclaimed God that he didn’t believe in meta-physical entities, enraging Being X.
Being X then reincarnates the man as Tanya to test his absent faith.Tanya lives life in her new world defiant of the entity that brought her there.She refuses to accept the idea of an afterlife and will live as faithlessly as she can.
No Game, No Life
No Game, No Life follows siblings Sora and Shiro, master gamers who are transported to a world where all conflicts are resolved through games.
No Game No Lifeis another isekai series that might not seem that deep at first glance.The main characters, Shiro and Sora, are two unstoppable gamers looking for a challenge. They find it in Disboard, an alternate world where each race’s standing is decided through games. While the pair really only wanted a challenge, they found unreal possibilities. When they used to play games, they’d win nothing more than the top spot on a leader board. Now, they can change Immanity’s standing forever.
Shiro and Sora’s ultimate goal is to beat all the other races in Disboard and finally challenge Tet, the God of Games. By defeating him, the pair can achieve divinity, but is that what either of them really want? They seem like they are on a course to gain a responsibility neither of them asked for. The result of Shiro and Sora’s journey is a deeply resonant series that will leave viewers with a lot to chew on long after the last episode finishes.
Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone is an anime series set in a post-apocalyptic world where all of humanity has been petrified for thousands of years. The story follows high school student Senku Ishigami who awakens and seeks to rebuild civilization from scratch using his extensive knowledge of science.
The world ofDr. Stoneis an interesting isekai becausewhile it’s technically the same planet, it’s a completely different world.When Senku finally wakes up after his petrification, he steps into an entirely new environment. Almost everyone else is still petrified, and plant life has overtaken most of the world. One of the most interesting plot lines inDr. Stonehappens early in the series when Senku decides to revive Tsukasa. Tsukasa, also known as The Strongest High School Primate, has different plans for the new stone world.
Instead of reviving everyone like Senku wants, Tsukasa wants to use this opportunity to only bring back specific people. It’s an interesting idea that Senku rejects completely, showing his good nature.Dr. Stoneasks a lot of very good questions early in the series, making everyone wonder what they’d do in the same situation.There is a sort of optimism toDr. Stonetoo that is uplifting. As Senku and his companions rebuild society, viewers are left with the sense that people can conquer any problem with enough cooperation and smarts.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is an action-adventure isekai anime based on the original novels written by Fuse. Living a standard life with no actual forward trajectory, Satoru Mikami’s humdrum life is thrown into chaos when he is stabbed to death during a daily walk. However, Satoru’s life is spared when he is reborn into the body of an all-powerful slime in a fantasy world where he gets a second chance at living a more fulfilling - albeit bizarre - life.
Rimuru inThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeputs a lot on his shoulders.He wants to create a nation where monsters and humans can get along equally, and he faces a lot of adversity because of it. Rimuru is another good-natured, extremely powerful isekai main character, so his decision makes sense. Unfortunately for Rimuru, the outside world doesn’t make his decision easy. His country is constantly being invaded by outside forces that want to threaten his way of life. He’s already shown off one of the deadliest abilities in anime, so it’s a little odd that Rimuru doesn’t just wipe his enemies off the map entirely.
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Characters like Ainz Ooal Gown inOverlordare faced with the same situation as Rimuru and act opposite of the slime. Maybe one day Rimuru will stop going to meetings and start heading to the battlefield, but until then, the slime will just be on the defensive.That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimemanages the impressive achievement of being both incredibly influentialand wholly unique.
Kazuya Souma is faced with a very different situation than other isekai protagonists. While most other isekai main characters come to their world and are blessed with great powers, Kazuya was gifted a daunting task: he had to save a failing kingdom. He didn’t get the ability to fly, and his punches hit the same as they did back in Japan, but at least Kazuya went to school for civil service.How a Realist Hero Rebuilt a Kingdommakes anyone watching it wonder how they’d rebuild a kingdom without any superpowers.
The show has one of the best and simplest premises in isekai. Kazuya does the best job possible with what few tools he has at his disposal.How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’smature premise and level-headed main character are able todelve into ideas other isekai shows can’t cover, creating a lot of deep ideas in the process.
4Overlord
Ainz Has Lofty Goals
Ainz Ooal Gown has stepped into his new isekai world better than most other characters.
Overlord
Overlord follows a salaryman who, after being trapped in a virtual reality game, assumes the role of an all-powerful skeletal overlord. As he navigates this new world filled with magic and mythical creatures, he seeks to understand the game’s mysteries and conquer its challenges. The series blends elements of fantasy and adventure, exploring themes of power and identity.
When he found out he wasn’t able to leave the game of Yggdrasil, most people would have panicked. Instead, Ainz devised a plan to find another living person within the game by dominating the entire world. He doesn’t mind playing the role of super-villain if it means getting the job done, and he’s really not that evil anyway.Overlordis a deep isekai because it explores the darker side of power.When Ainz steps onto the battlefield vs. the Re-Estize Kingdom, he kills tens of thousands of troops in minutes.
Ainz is alone in his world and is doing everything he can to look for an equal. He’ll go to great lengths in his search, making many wonderwhat they’d do with his power in the same position.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an anime comedy series based on the manga of the same name. Motosu Urano, a book-loving college student, is reincarnated in a medieval world as a frail girl with a voracious appetite for reading named Myrne. In a world where books are scarce and only available to the elite, Myne decides to create her own publishing group and create books to once again bring reading to the masses.
Like Tanya, Main is one of the most adorable isekai protagonists in anime. Unlike Tanya, Main doesn’t spend her days fighting soldiers in the desert. She’s a book-lover in a book-less world, but that won’t last for long. Main encounters a unique situation in isekai. While most isekai shows, likeOverlordorKonoSuba,are set in relatively medieval time periods,none of them feature a character so desperate for something from her old world.Main devotes her life to being able to read and collect books, and she’ll even write them if she has to.
The Ascendance of a Bookwormshows the lengths someone will go to to create their own happiness. Main doesn’t care that she was born into a world that didn’t have what she was looking for — she’ll just make it herself.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation follows a man who, after being reincarnated in a magical world, sets out to live his life without regrets. Adopting the name Rudeus Greyrat, he embarks on a journey of personal growth and adventure, armed with both his past life’s knowledge and newfound magical abilities. The series explores themes of redemption, self-discovery, and the quest to overcome personal failures.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationis as deep as the ocean.The story is rich, the world is huge, and the main character, Rudeus, is more complicated than a 20-sided Rubik’s cube.In his past life, Rudeus was a 34-year-old NEET who rejected society and his family just to rot in his room. In his new world, Rudeus has taken life by storm. He realizes the mistakes he’s committed and tries his best to rectify them. As Rudeus, he’s outgoing, charming, and forward-thinking. He retained all of his memories from his past life too, making him much smarter than anyone else his age.
Mushoku Tensei’sworld-building and questionable character choices will leave everyone with questions after the show is over. The light novels in the future include even more odd choices for anime watchers to ponder over in the future. It starts as a deep show and only gets deeper as the story progresses.
Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another Worldis as deep as it gets for isekai. Natsuki Subaru is brought to a new world and given one of the most bittersweet abilities in anime - Return by Death. Every time he dies, he returns to an undetermined point earlier in his life. While itisa useful ability, Subaru has to suffer over and over again because of it.Re:Zeroconstantly asks Subaru how far he’s willing to go for his love Emilia and for his best friend, Rem.He’s thrown into situations he’s unprepared for continuously and usually has to die several times to get through them.
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In isekai like The Vision of Escaflowne and The Boy and the Beast, characters travel to other worlds, becoming powerful heroes in their adventures.
LikeMushoku Tensei, Re:Zerois set in a deep world filled with incredible lore.Subaru is in the middle of a perfect storm of Witches, Royal Selections, and more.Re:Zerois the perfect series for anyone who wants to be left with more questions than answers after the final episode.
