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Isekai has come to be one of the broadest genres of anime. An isekai story, at its core, will involve being transported to another world—"isekai" in Japanese literally means "other world". There are also ways to play with this trope: so-called "reverse" isekai, for example, involve someone from another world coming to the "real world".
There's a lot of isekai out there, and the genre has grown to be quite huge. Unfortunately, that also means there's a lot of slop that one has to overlook and avoid. Whether one is a veteran isekai fan looking for a new watch or naive to the genre looking for a good place to start, these isekai highlights can be binged right now.
10 The Familiar of Zero (2006)
The Humble Beginnings Of Modern Isekai
In a distant world, a teenage girl named Louise attends a school for the nobility to learn and master magic, where she has earned the nickname "Zero" for her gracelessness. During a familiar-summoning ritual, she accidentally summons a boy named Saito as her familiar. The series follows Louise and Saito as they closely bond while navigating the political intrigue and violent aspirations of those in her world, as Saito tries to find a way back to Japan at the same time.
Although "isekai" strictly refers to any story involving a person or a group of people being sent to another world, when one says "isekai", it typically involves a handful of tropes: political intrigue, romance, possibly a harem, and so forth. The Familiar of Zero is the reason for isekai's modern traits—richly influential back in its time, the series spawned countless fan-fictions and imitations, and it also provided a bedrock that future isekai would work off of. It hasn't aged flawlessly, but it's a fun watch that shows the genre's origins.
9 Re:Zero (2016)
An Implicit Response To Familiar Of Zero
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Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- follows the story of Natsuki Subaru, a young man suddenly transported to a fantasy world. Struggling to understand his new environment, he discovers he has the ability to return from death, allowing him to change past events. With each resurrection, Subaru forges alliances and confronts the challenges of this alternate realm, endeavoring to protect those he grows to care for while unraveling the mysteries surrounding his predicament.
Release Date April 3, 2016
Seasons 3
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- is one such work inspired by The Familiar of Zero. It's an incredibly clever effort that flips the dynamics of The Familiar of Zero on their head: instead of a protagonist who steadily faces up to any challenge, its own protagonist is constantly overwhelmed by obstacles; instead of its "harem" dynamics being a source of laughs, Re:Zero turns them into a source of inner conflict and an irresistible psychological push-and-pull; instead of being about going home, it's about making a mark in one's new world.
If The Familiar of Zero intends for those experiencing it to project themselves onto it in a positive way, Re: Zero thrives from projection, turning it into one of the best psychological dramas in recent anime history.
8 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (2018)
A Monstrous Protagonist Sets The New Hit Isekai Apart
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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.
Release Date October 5, 2018
Seasons 3
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime sounds like a what-it-says-on-the-tin series, but it's actually a lot more. It starts off with an interesting premise, subverting the idea of an ultra-powerful isekai hero by instead having the hero become a strong slime. In a world where humans and monsters can't get along, Rimuru Tempest tries to bridge the gap and bring peace by showing that "humanity" is tricker than it seems at first sight.
Much of the series' appeal comes from its expansive world-building and its emphasis on action, comedy, and heartfelt sentimentality. It's one of the more recent entries on this list, but it's already accumulated a huge number of devoted fans tirelessly waiting for more. Although a soft theme of most modern isekai is finding peace in a kingdom scourged by some force, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is an interesting series that poses a thoughtful question: what if the scourge also comes from within?
7 Welcome To Demon School! Iruma-Kun (2019)
A Subtle Pocket Pick, Iruma-Kun Shows The Diversity Of Isekai As A Genre
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This fantasy series follows fourteen-year-old Iruma Suzuki, who is unexpectedly adopted by a demon and enrolled in a school in the Netherworld. As he navigates life among demons, Iruma confronts personal challenges and embarks on a transformative journey, guided by his demon grandfather, the school's principal.
Release Date October 5, 2019
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun is an often underrated pick among isekai, but it's actually a great watch. It's based around a young boy, Iruma Suzuki, who is sold to a demon grandfather (and headmaster of a demon school) by his parents. It's a straightforward watch, but it's hilarious, charming, and full of heart despite its gag isekai premise.
It won't necessarily scratch the same itch as others on this list, which appeal to the adventurous dungeon-crawling/MMORPG or political intrigue strains that permeate modern isekai. However, fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and The Adventures of Saiki K. will find Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun to be thoroughly enjoyable. It's a sleeper pick, but it's worth mentioning for its unique identity alone.
6 Sword Art Online (2012)
Epic And Genre-Defining, Sword Art Online Is A Must-Watch For Any Isekai Fan
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Sword Art Online is an anime series that follows protagonist Kirito as he and thousands of others become trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where death in the game means death in real life. Kirito must navigate this perilous and immersive world to find a way to escape, facing numerous challenges and building alliances along the way. The series explores themes of survival, friendship, and the blurring line between reality and fantasy.
It's to both Sword Art Online's benefit and detriment that before it came around, the VR and MMORPG subgenres of isekai practically didn't exist. Because of Sword Art Online's profound influence, the field of isekai has become inundated with series implementing familiar game elements like leveling, experience, and online worlds. A timely reflection of the time it came about, during the golden age of MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Sword Art Online is a thoroughly enjoyable isekai that was groundbreaking in its time.
Starring Kirito, a beta tester who gets trapped in the virtual world, the series combines thrilling action with romance while developing strong emotional bonds and showing off its prolific lore. Joining sides with Asuna, Kirito aims to clear the MMORPG, freeing everyone in the process. Meanwhile, the psychological stakes grow higher as being trapped in a virtual world starts to weigh on its entire cast.
5 KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World! (2016)
Hilarious And Straightforward, KonoSuba!!! Has A Dedicated Fanbase Always Singing Its Praises
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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.
Release Date January 13, 2016
As an isekai anime, KonoSuba doesn't do much that's particularly special. That's also exactly the charm, though. Despite not making any efforts to break new ground, KonoSuba stands out among the pack with an incredible sensibility for humor, with its fanbase constantly attesting to its effortless hilarity as a major reason others should watch it.
It's steadily becoming one of the best beloved anime in all of isekai. After its initial run, fans waited impatiently for seven years before KonoSuba's third season was finally announced. The amount of hype that accompanied the announcement was intense, and it speaks to the fact that although KonoSuba might not be the most pensive isekai out there, it's a must-watch, even just as a guilty pleasure.
4 The Eminence in Shadow (2022)
An Interesting Inversion Of The Chuunibyou Concept
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The Eminence in Shadow follows the story of Cid Kagenou, a recluse who reincarnates into a fantasy world and seeks to live a life of obscurity, but unwittingly becomes a legendary figure known as the Eminence in Shadow, feared by evil organizations and admired by the masses.
The name is actually an excellent summary of what The Eminence in Shadow is all about, following the story of Cid Kagenou. Cid is effectively a delusional kid who wants to be a dark and mysterious hero. After dying and being reincarnated in a fantasy world, he tries to launch an elite group called Shadow Garden. When he starts to play as the mastermind of Shadow Garden's schemes, he accidentally has a profound impact in ways he never realizes. Eminence in Shadow was one of 2023's biggest isekai, and for good reason.
While it lampoons the overwhelming influence of isekai heroes like Familiar of Zero's Saito and SAO's Kirito, it nonetheless does so with incredible charm and zeal. Isekai has always been in a sort of dialogue with itself, and that can manifest in many different ways—but one of the big appeals of the genre is the uncanny ability not to take itself too seriously while also crafting incredibly compelling stories. Eminence in Shadow is a perfect exemplar of that tendency.
3 Overlord (2015)
A Realistic Approach To The Overpowered Hero
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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.
Overlord is representative of isekai's overpowered hero trope, while also being an excellent exploration of its implications. Overlord is a surprisingly dark watch that will be satisfying for fans of series like Re:Zero, and it offers compelling insight into the way power shapes morality and vice versa. It's one of the smartest isekai one can pick up nowadays, and it's been celebrated for its blend of humor, immersion, and dark storytelling.
2 No Game, No Life (2014)
A Huge Crowd-Pleaser, No Game No Life Is Essential Viewing
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No Game, No Life follows siblings Sora and Shiro, master gamers who are transported to a world where all conflicts are resolved through games.
Any list of bingeable isekai would be remiss not to mention No Game, No Life. Although the series has been divisive, fans of it tend to be diehards, and there are plenty of reasons why. The series focuses on Sora and his sister, Shiro: sibling NEETs who get isekaied into a world where everything plays out in games. No Game,No Life combines familiar isekai dynamics with political intrigue and a compelling psychological spin that, in some ways, might remind fans of Kaiji.
Ditching battles for mind games, No Game, No Life is an irresistble and visually striking take on the isekai genre. Although many isekai feature psychological elements, few mirror the emphasis on strategy that No Game, No Life involves, often instead shifting to brute force or strategic power in a social context. Not everyone will love No Game, No Life, but nobody knows until they try.
1 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (2021)
An Earnest And Sincere Approach To The Genre's Foundations
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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.
Network Tokyo MX , KBS Kyoto , BS11
Seasons 2
One of the most acclaimed isekai anime in recent years, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is an interior investigation into identity, morality, and motivations. It follows Rudeus Greyrat, a reincarnated NEET who dies after his siblings evict him when he doesn't attend his parents' funeral service. Facing the memories of his past life, Rudeus treats reincarnation as a chance to grow and live a full, satisfying life with no regrets—though Jobless Reincarnation's protagonist doesn't always succeed.
Fastidiously dedicating himself to studying magic and forging new friendships, Jobless Reincarnation is a deep and immersive story with a charming cast of characters and absolutely gorgeous animation. There's a reason the series has drawn so many fans. Of all the series on this list, Jobless Reincarnation is the current top must-watch for those looking to binge isekai.
English (US) ·