Best isekai anime and manga for the fans of the fantasy genre
Isekai is a genre of fantasy anime where a character travels from the world they know to those that are unfamiliar. The isekai genre or isekai series places someone in a magical realm of fantasy and/or terror, although in some cases it occasionally happens in reverse. In the example of The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, it is shown what happens when Satan must adjust to life in Tokyo. This means getting a job in fast food. Some isekai anime, like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, take place in virtual worlds or MMORPGs, while others happen in real worlds where real people live.
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When it comes to the best isekai anime, the finest series present viewers with worlds just as compelling as any protagonist. If you're looking for an anime to transport you to another world, try one of these.
What Isekai anime should I watch?
The best isekai manga to watch will depend on your preference. For those who love fantasy anime, you should consider the following examples. However, before we get into the examples, it is necessary to understand isekai meaning.
Isekai definition
What genre is Isekai? This refers to a subgenre of Japanese fantasy light novels, manga, anime, and video games that revolve around a normal person from Earth being transported to, or even trapped in a parallel universe. The question, therefore, would be, are there any good Isekai? Well, there are a number of what you would consider the best isekai anime. If you are searching for the best fantasy anime, then the examples below will be a good place to start.
Is Dr Stone an Isekai? Yes. Dr. Stone is an isekai in disguise. In the case of Dr. Stone, they travel from Earth in our near future — the year 2038 — 3,700 years into the future after every person has been turned to stone, but are magically kept alive. Other examples that make it to the isekai anime list include:
1. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The refreshing show starts when a middle-aged man named Satoru Mikami dies after being randomly stabbed on the street. He is then reincarnated into another world - but not as a wizard, a demon, or any of the things people would expect and wish for. He comes back as a slime! Fortunately for him, now named Rimuru Tempest, he is a unique slime.
He has the ability to absorb new skills from his environment and from his foes, thus making him a super being. Contrary to what many would do, Rimuru decides to use his powers to build a community in order to help others - just as he often tried to do when he worked at a company on earth.
2. The Rising of the Shield Hero
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The Rising of the Shield Hero, started in the winter 2019 anime season. It still remains one of the hottest anime series around. The story is about Naofumi Iwatani, an otaku who suddenly gets transported to the world of Melromarc on a mission. He is tasked with the responsibility of helping defeat the waves of catastrophe that are wreaking havoc on the world. He is to work with three other legendary heroes.
Sadly for Naofumi, he is the Shield Hero, and is not respected right from the start. It gets worse when he is betrayed by the one person that was to help him, hence destroying his reputation. This forces him to complete his mission alone as his seeing his home again depends on the success of his mission.
3. Overlord
The story follows a situation when Momonga's favorite MMORPG, Yggdrasil, is about to go offline but it fails to. He chooses to wait out the game's last moments and stay logged in for as long as he can. However, the game does not shut down as it should. Instead, the NPCs are coming to life, and Momonga has become his character, the wizard master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown. He is forced to get used to his new life - and figure out how to operate in real life.
4. No Game No Life
No Game No Life almost gives everything away by its name. Two incredible gamers, Sora and Shiro lack the skills to accomplish anything meaningful in their current world. In fact, they are so wracked with social anxiety that most of the time they hardly leave their house. Suddenly, their lives change for the better when they get the chance to live in Disboard, a world where gaming determines every interaction and transaction.
This was their chance to shine. They become very successful in a world where they fit perfectly. In fact, they went on to achieve royal status and unite the warring factions of Disboard through gaming.
5. Re:Zero
Subaru Natsuki's ordinary life kicks into high gear when he gets dragged into a dangerous alternate world where he immediately falls under attack. With no means of defending himself, Subaru looks finished - until he's rescued by a beautiful witch named Satella. To thank Satella for her help, Subaru agrees to help her find a missing insignia - but just after they find it, they're murdered, then brought back to life in this strange new world.
Why has Subaru been brought here? What secrets is Satella keeping? You'll only know if you tune in to Re:Zero.
6. The Devil Is A Part-Timer!
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The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is an isekai anime that resembles no other. Other than dealing with a human transported to a magical world, it features Satan himself being trapped in the human realm without any of his demonic powers. For him to survive, he gets himself working at a fast-food restaurant - which is nothing closer to what he was as the lord of all evil.
7. KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World!
When high school student Kazuma Satou dies, he gets two options: go to heaven, or be reincarnated in a fantasy world that strongly resembles the video games he plays. An avid gamer who wants to experience the real version of his passion, Kazuma chooses the latter option. But instead of being able to fight monsters and demons like he typically does, he first has to work for a living.
What follows is a hysterical take on a newcomer's experience in a strange world - one he thought he already knew so well.
8. How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord may just be the perfect isekai power show. How the story unfolds will keep you hooked. In real life, Takuma Sakamoto is kind of a loser, but in the game Cross Reverie, he's an expert. When two NPCs summon him into the game itself with the intention of making him their slave, he's able to turn the tables and make them his slaves instead. Luckily, they don't seem to mind it too much.
9. The Philosopher's Grandson
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The story starts after a burnt-out office employee loses his life in a car accident. He is then reincarnated into a magical world - but as a baby! Even though he still remembers his life on earth, he lives from infancy to adolescence as Shin Wolford, a young man being raised by one of the greatest mages of his era, Merlin.
While Merlin adores and pampers him, he tends to neglect his education, and focuses only on his magical abilities. This leaves out important life skills including how to purchase stuff. To deal with this deficit, Shin heads off to school in the city, where he becomes one of the most powerful students there.
If you are looking for a hilarious isekai with a unique premise, you cannot go wrong with this show.
10. GATE
GATE is unique in the sense that it is a two-way isekai. Earth is invaded by beings from a different world when a strange portal opens up in the middle of Tokyo. Youji Itami, who is just trying to get to a doujinshi convention, is forced to fend off multiple invaders thus saving countless lives. This gets him selected those that are among the group of people who are sent to explore the new realm. Their aim is to broker peace - but if they fail, there is a possibility of triggering the biggest war that both worlds have never seen.
11. Log Horizon
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Log Horizon explores the happenings when thousands of ordinary people get trapped in a fantasy MMORPG called Elder Tale. The anime has a lot of interesting characters that have varying magical abilities.
Instead of spending too much time with any character, the anime takes a broader approach on focusing on the political conflict as well as economic systems.
12. Saga Of Tanya The Evil
When a cynical Japanese salaryman challenges Being X, a supposed god, he is transported to another world in a new body. This former adult man finds himself now a small, impoverished girl living in a war zone. With magic on her side, the newly named Tanya von Degurechaff rises up the ranks of the military, becoming one of the most terrifying warlords the world has ever seen.
The cognitive dissonance of seeing a little girl inspire terror in her subordinates is hilarious, and watching Tanya figure out how to excel in a new universe is fascinating.
13. Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is one of the most popular isekai anime in recent years. The other world in question is a virtual reality MMO game which quickly turns into a death trap when the game's creator makes it impossible to leave without beating the game. The exciting thing about it is that if you die in the game you also die in real life.
Sword Art Online follows Kirito and Asuna as they attempt to escape from the game - and then follows them back into other games they freely choose to explore.
14. In Another World with My Smartphone
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The story is about Touya Mochizuki who is accidentally smitten with a lightning bolt by God. As a way of compensating for this, Touya is reincarnated into a fantasy world with powerful magical abilities that exceed anything he ever thought possible. In addition to that, Touya will also gets his request to have his smart phone answered. The phone adds a unique twist to your standard isekai formula.
15. Drifters
The interesting thing about Drifters is that it does not focus on someone from the modern world getting used to magic. Instead, the person being transported to another world is Toyohisa Shimazu, who is a rearguard in the Japanese military circa 1600.
Together with other warriors from different timelines, Toyohisa gets to serve as a drifter in a war against the oppressive ends, who established the Orte Empire and persecute elves and other magical creatures.
This anime combines different timelines and worlds that makes it exciting to watch always.
16. Spirited Away
This is one of Studio Ghibli's best shows. Spirited Away is a story of a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro. She finds herself trapped in the realm of spirits. Her parents are transformed into pigs, and Chihiro needs to figure things out fast. She needs to find a way to survive without them. She is surrounded by all kinds of spirits - kind and malicious. The big question is, will she ever be able to save her parents and return home?
This movie offers not only a tender coming-of-age story, but also one of the richest and most beautiful alternate worlds ever animated. The train scene alone is more compelling than almost anything you will ever see on screen.
17. Isekai Quartet
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Isekai Quartet is a Spring 2019 spin-off show whose focus is on four of the most popular isekai anime of all time: KonoSuba, Overlord, Re:Zero, and Saga of Tanya the Evil. The Chibi versions of the characters from all four universes are transported to a mysterious school every time they press a button that randomly appears before them. This ends up creating an isekai within an isekai! If you have always wanted to see how Subaru Natsuki interacts with Tanya von Degurechaff, Isekai Quartet gives you this opportunity.
18. Restaurant To Another World
The restaurant is said to close on Saturdays. As such, the western restaurant Nekoya uses the opportunity to travel to different other worlds to serve food the inhabitants they have never seen before. The citizens benefit from the curry, parfaits, and different tasty treats, while the audience learns more about stories from these magical lands and there inhabitants.
Technically, Restaurant to Another World takes you through multiple different worlds which would be exciting for someone who loves new experiences and travel, However, it is all experienced through the delight of the staff at Western Restaurant and their newly acquired friends along the way.
19. The Boy & The Beast
The great Mamoru Hosoda directed an isekai anime movie at one time. This is known as The Boy & The Beast. The story is about Ren, who after nine-year-old finds himself orphaned, and the best he can think of is to run. He, however, finds a solution that comes in the form of Kumatetsu, a beast from the realm of Shibuten.
For him to succeed the former lord and achieve godhood, Kumatetsu needs to train a successor. Unfortunately for him, his violent nature makes it impossible for him to hold on to anybody from his own realm. This training will help Ren to find a place to belong but it was going to be a tough one. However, a unique bond that develops between them promises to make this journey easy for everyone.
20. Digimon
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Anyone that grew up in the 90s or early 2000s probably watched Digimon on TV. The show's familiarity made it difficult to know that it is an isekai anime. In the show's first season, the main cast is transported to the Digital World, a kind of living internet, but the problem is that he does not know how to return home.
Subsequent seasons allow for free travel to and from the digital world. With time, humans understood how to do this.
If you love isekai anime series, then you can be sure that the above examples will come in handy. Once you understand what is isekai, you can easily find the best isekai manga for yourself.
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