In the vast universe of anime, few genres have achieved as much popularity as isekai. Definitely, isekai became the quintessential genre of modern anime, adding new seasons to established franchises each year and bringing proposals with their own twists. Fortunately, despite the sea of generic titles, there are several isekai that have revolutionized the genre.
However, not every isekai brings together unique worlds that defined an era, inspired newer series, and captivated fans for many years. These 10 isekai anime are worthy of being called masterpieces for the way they have redefined the limits established in the genre and won their spot in the fans’ hall of fame.
.hack//SIGN
24 years later, .hack//SIGN is a distinctive entry in the now overly massified landscape of RPG-based isekai anime. It follows a player named Tsukasa in “The World,” who doesn’t know why he’s there and is unable to log out. While .hack//SIGN’s slow pace and lack of action might initially put viewers off, the anime hides a deeper plot than it first appears.
.hack//SIGN feels like a dreamlike journey into a virtual world, exploring the nuances of role-playing games while delving into the nature of its characters, making it perfect for those seeking an introspective anime. Beyond its well-developed characters and wonderful soundtrack, .hack//SIGN was a groundbreaking work considered the precursor to Sword Art Online and the subsequent boom of the isekai genre.
Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions
In most isekai anime, the protagonists are usually “the chosen ones,” possessing great power, knowledge, or prior experience in video games that grants them an advantage. However, this isn’t the case in Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions. Grimgar presents a fantasy world that prioritizes realism, recreating what it would probably feel like to be sent to another world.
Following a protagonist with no memories who joins a virtually untrained group, Grimgar masterfully portrays survival in a hostile world where even killing goblins is a life-threatening endeavor and every win demands great sacrifice. Despite its slow pace and gritty moments, Grimgar proved to be different from other isekai anime, its biggest flaw being that it never received a second season.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Considered one of the best isekai anime of all time, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation raised the bar for animation in the genre with spectacular battles and magic sequences. While it may be impossible for some viewers not to find Rudeus problematic, Mushoku Tensei redefined the isekai genre with a meticulously crafted high fantasy world.
Mushoku Tensei follows a lonely, failed man who is reincarnated as a baby in another world and how he gradually finds motivation, acquires magical abilities, and embarks on new adventures. The anime showcases Rudeus’s flaws as he overcomes his past trauma, which permeates his growth, relationships, fulfillment, and also losses.
Despite the nostalgia of the classics, these new gen isekai anime have nothing to envy and are one of the most enjoyable options the genre offers.
Because of its storytelling and the depth of its characters, Mushoku Tensei has not only resonated deeply with viewers but has also inspired other anime such as The Beginning After the End and The Faraway Paladin.
The Vision of Escaflowne
While Aura Battler Dunbine was the pioneer anime in combining mecha and isekai, and shojo tropes were present in series like Magical Knight Rayearth and Fushigi Yugi, The Vision of Escaflowne‘s greatest achievement lies in its seamless fusion of such distinct genres, successfully weaving a love story within an epic fantasy world filled with battles between giant robots.
Furthermore, the vastness of its world and its complex political conflicts drive the characters to become stronger and more resilient, sometimes suffering in the process. However, its biggest charm is the Guymelef robots, as impactful as the fights and the anime’s soundtrack, as they combine technology with analog mechanics and magic. This gives Escaflowne a universal appeal that has endured over time.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The anime tells the story of a man reincarnated in another world as a plain slime. As Rimuru Tempest, he gathers companions and aspires to create a kingdom. Although That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, also known as Tensura, is an isekai where the protagonist is overpowered, what draws viewers in is how Rimuru makes the most of his skills.
While Tensura was heavily inspired by Overlord, what sets it apart is the protagonist’s evolution in terms of his power and how he refines it to become a demon lord. However, where the anime truly shines is its detailed world-building, as Tensura popularized the “nation-building” isekai subgenre with its excellent use of politics and diplomacy.
Inuyasha
Inuyasha, one of the greatest anime of the 2000s, often sparks debate about whether it should be considered an isekai. While Kagome Higurashi technically travels through time to a feudal Japan teeming with mythical creatures, what distinguishes Inuyasha is the ease with which the characters move between the modern era and the Sengoku period.
Rumiko Takahashi created a rich universe in Inuyasha with excellent characters that stand out from the clichés of recent isekai series yet retain enough magic to feel as if they belong to a completely different world. As a result, Inuyasha masterfully fuses Japanese folklore with adventure and even incorporates elements of reverse isekai, since Inuyasha also travels to the modern world.
Drifters
For those who enjoy bloody violence and historical figures like Oda Nobunaga and Joan of Arc in a magical setting, Drifters is a must-see isekai. From the same creator of Hellsing, Drifters is an epic and unrestrained anime that brings together warriors from different eras in a fantasy world to wage a relentless war.
Despite not being as well-known due to the manga’s hiatus, Drifters has a unique aesthetic with impressive animation and a breakneck pace ideal for action lovers, becoming more than just an isekai, a completely unique visual experience unlike any other series in the genre.
Twelve Kingdoms
Twelve Kingdoms is an anime from the 2000s that became a fantasy gem. In the anime, Yoko, a high school student, is transported to a new world, where she will find her destiny is greater than she thought. Despite sounding simple, Twelve Kingdoms possesses deep storytelling and the essence of a true epic fantasy.
Most isekai anime focus on battles, but Twelve Kingdoms is a much more mature story, exploring the society and politics of a medieval fantasy world. Its extraordinary worldview, mythical creatures, and the protagonist’s characterization make Twelve Kingdoms an isekai masterpiece that still remains interesting despite its outdated animation and the changes from its source material.
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Re:Zero became an exceptional subversion of the isekai genre by casting out its escapist elements to impose a brutal fate on the protagonist, Natsuki Subaru. In Re:Zero, Subaru’s ability doesn’t feel like a blessing, since each time he dies, he returns to a point in the past that functions like a save file in a video game.
However, the lingering trauma and suffering remain, giving Re:Zero a psychological tension superior to that of other isekai. Re:Zero presents one of the most complex isekai worlds, which only improves as the story progresses, earning it well-deserved recognition as one of the best isekai of all time.
Sonny Boy
Directed by the acclaimed Shingo Natsume, Sonny Boy is the most groundbreaking take on isekai so far. Full of symbolism and experimental animation of the highest level, Sonny Boy follows a group of students who are suddenly taken into another dimension alongside their school.
Sonny Boy is a contemplative and philosophical coming-of-age story that does not give all the answers, leaving much to be interpreted by the viewers. Sonny Boy is not only an underrated modern masterpiece but also a work that showcases the wide range of the isekai genre, very risky and perfect for those who seek to break with the conventional.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2021
- Directors
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Shingo Natsume
- Writers
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Shingo Natsume
