According to Wikipedia: Isekai is a genre of Asian stories. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime, and video games that revolve around a displaced person or people who are transported to and have to survive in another world such as a fantasy world, game world, or parallel universe with or without the possibility of returning to their original world. Isekai is one of the most popular genres of anime, and isekai stories share many common tropes – for example, a powerful protagonist who is able to beat most people in the other world by fighting. This plot device typically allows the audience to learn about the new world at the same pace as the protagonist over the course of their quest or lifetime.If the main characters are transported to a game-like world, the genre can overlap with LitRPG.
Considering that at the moment it is probably the most popular genre, with countless titles constantly coming out, we thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the best ones.
1. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (Shingo Tamaki, Diomedea)
Shingo Tamaki directs a series where the isekai element, although encircling the whole narrative, is essentially an excuse for an anime that moves towards medieval/magic and romance/yuri paths, particularly since the fact that Anis is from another world is only mentioned in the first and last episode of the 13-long season. Regarding the yuri part, the romance between the two girls is palpable if subtle from the first episodes, with the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ element being one of the most dominant in the story. The fact that all the protagonists, which include, apart from the three aforementioned, Lainie Cyan, Algar’s new romantic interest and Tilty Claret, a noblewoman who was disowned by her family and is now Anisphia’s best friend, adds even more to the yuri, ‘girl-power’ element here, in an approach that is quite unusual for an isekai. Add to that that some tenderness is eventually manifested physically and depicted in the series, and you have the backbone of the two unique narrative elements here.
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2. The Eminence in Shadow (Kazuya Nakanishi, Nexus)
“The Eminence in Shadow” begins as something of a school drama with a bit of action, but his only lasts for the first episode, as by the second one, Minoru has become Cid and is living in a sword-and-magic world, trying, since infanthood, to both become all powerful and keep his strength and plans a secret. This second aspect is essentially what makes the anime so unique, as its protagonist’s biggest effort essentially is to stay in the background. The analysis of this rather unusual main character gains the most by this aspect, particularly in the way Kazuya Nakanishi presents, through narration, what is on Cid’s mind. Furthermore, the fact that, frequently by chance, his cover is always close to blow up and he has to go to extremes to continue appearing as a wimp, is the main source of a comedy that is much more intelligent than the usual pedantic type that are so common for anime.
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3. Dr Stone (Shinya Iino, TMS Entertainment)
Expectedly, the action takes over after a point, with the brute force of Tsukasa and Hyoga providing a worthy match for Senku’s inventions and his efforts to mislead. The outcome however, is quite unexpected, as treacheries and switching of sides end up with many of the protagonists changing their alliances and the ways they perceive this new era. In that regard, the plethora of fights emerge as more violent than those of the first season, and, essentially, more impressive, particularly due to their impact on the overall story.
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4. Jobless Reincarnation (Manabu Okamoto, Studio Bind)
Apart from the strictly entertaining aspects, the series is also filled with context. The backstory of the protagonist and the bullying it includes adds a rather dramatic aspect to the series, as much as the shenanigans of his father, whose complicated relationship with his son also induces a family drama element to the narrative. Furthermore, the coming-of-age element is also intense, even if moving in the aforementioned, sex-focused paths, while the story also comments on racism, friendship and companionship, mentorship, and the impact of the past to the future.
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5. Delicious in Dungeon (2023-2024) by Yoshihiro Miyajima
With the resurrection aspect presented as one quite normal in the particular world, the differences “Delicious in Dungeon” offers come to the fore. In that fashion, and with most of their supplies left behind in the dungeon, the mission of the three seems impossible until Laios, who secretly wants to eat dungeon monsters, suggests they sustain themselves by finding food inside, to which Chilchuck and Marcille reluctantly agree. And in the case of Marcille, when we say reluctantly, we mean trying not to be disgusted and die from hunger. To their good luck though, inside they encounter Senshi, a dwarf with many years of experience surviving in the dungeon by cooking monsters and harvesting food. With his help, Laios’s plan becomes a reality and the group of four start moving further into this dangerous and mysterious world.
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