Come one, come all, for we’re about to dive into the most popular anime genre on the planet, yep, Isekai! Whether through Truck-kun’s intervention or a highly original yeet to the fantasy land, we’re gonna give you some absolute bangers. We’ve got a huge, diverse line-up today, too, so there’s gonna be something for everybody.
Why? Well, it’s cause we’re all about uniqueness in our anime. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at our list of anime-inspired non-Japanese animated series. We’re betting you haven’t seen all of them. Now, circling back to the Isekai genre, let’s see which ones we got.
Which Isekai Anime Are Worth Your Time In 2024?
Today’s Isekai anime selection doesn’t just retread old ground with cliche tropes and generic harem fantasy. So, rest assured, we’ve filtered those out, which means a bunch of popular ones won’t make the cut. We’re lookin at you, SAO, and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. Sorry, not sorry, we’re saying it now. Don’t expect those or similar ones today. They’re problematic, to put it mildly, and trash; yeah, we’re going there~ shots fired!
So, now that we’ve got your attention, hopefully, care to guess which ones are a part of the list? Expect some relatively older titles, with some new ones, too. Hey, 12 spots to fill with highly intriguing ones ain’t exactly an easy job, ya know. Well, enough yapping, let’s kick off this party! Oh, and SPOILERS for the following anime.
[12/12]
Restaurant To Another World – Deliciously Heartwarming And Chill Vibes
Ever got the munchies watching an anime? Well, you’ll be shocked to know there are a couple of strong contenders in this sub-niche of Isekai anime. From the more fantasy-esque Campfire Cooking In Another World With My Absurd Skills to the more delightfully chill Restaurant To Another World. Ultimately we went with the latter one because of how well it’s structured. There’s no conflict, no fighting, no ominous world-threatening evil in Restaurant To Another World.
In fact, y’all just gonna have your mouth watering with the food recipes shown. Seriously, the writing of this anime is this: food solves all your problems. And you know what? We were skeptical when reading about it, but then we gave the anime a try. Words cannot describe the magical feeling this anime evoked. Like, get this: a portal to a restaurant opens up for creatures and people from different fantasy lands. Once they step inside with their troubles on their mind, they test some unique kind of food and voila~
Trust us, we’re not doing Restaurant To Another World justice. Every side character you see feels fleshed out despite juggling lots of them. Their problems and personalities shine through, whereas the main character’s role is that of a kind man who listens and cooks for the customers. By all means, this Isekai anime should not have worked so well, but it did splendidly. The relaxing vibes and chill flavor-of-the-week-style storytelling feel so interesting to see. You bond with these characters, and seeing them appear in future episodes shows their growth, too.
[11/12]
Saving 80,000 Gold In Another World For My Retirement – Refreshingly Wholesome
Game, set, and match~ it is the best way to describe the gem tha is Saving 80,000 Gold In Another World For My Retirement. This wonderfully hilarious and charming Isekai anime subverts the expectations in the best way possible. There’s a kind of intrigue and relatability with the plot and the main character, Mitsuha. She’s a highly intelligent and business-savvy girl who’s making the most of her second life. Oh, and she’s not exactly trapped in the new fantasy world, either; yep, she can jump between worlds.
So, with this ability, the anime creates a new angle to explore for plot and storytelling convenience. But it gels extremely well for the narrative. There’s silliness and hijinks but also some truly heartfelt character-building, too. You’ll see the motivation for the protagonist starting out as a self-comfort retirement plan. However, along the way, she goes out of her way to do good and earns a profit while doing it. As much as it sounds like a fairy tale (no, not the one you’re thinking of), it kinda works perfectly.
Mitsuha not only relies on knowledge of her past life, but her resourcefulness is admirable to watch, too. There’s a bit where the fantasy world’s older folks are having trouble seeing things, so Mitsuha brings reading glasses from her world. She sells them for record profit but it’s nothing they can’t afford, too. Those kinds of feel-good and wholesome moments, as well as the goofy shock-face expressions when they learn of modern conveniences, are what make Saving 80,000 Gold In Another World For My Retirement such a great Isekai anime.
[10/12]
Oshi No Ko – One Of The Most Heartfelt Isekai Anime You’ll Ever See
Hey, look at that a modern anime made it to our list of top-tier Isekai; wonders never cease, eh? But seriously, Oshi No Ko took the world by storm with its depiction of gritty realism mixed with its isekai-themed storytelling. Not only that, but Oshi No Ko showed the ugly side of idol life. Even though it couldn’t go into more of the issues, we still appreciate it for the ones it did highlight. So, the colorful and cherry aesthetic, and even the pop idol front and center, could give the wrong impression to many viewers.
You’d be forgiven if you thought Oshi No Ko wasn’t Isekai. But it is, and it’s not a throwaway plot point, either. It ties heavily into the backstory and plot progression of its dual protagonists, Aqua and Ruby. Aqua was a gynecologist whose late patient was Ruby, a girl who was diagnosed with cancer. They both shared a mutual adoration for Ai, one of the best idols. Ai shows up at his clinic pregnant with twins. However, he’s killed. He, along with the late patient, both reincarnated in another life, but the twist? They’re siblings now, and their mother is Ai.
The twists don’t stop there in this wonderful Isekai anime, no. Aqua has knowledge and maturity of his life as a doctor. Their mother, the idol Ai, is also killed off. Aqua vows vengeance; his father is the primary suspect. Meanwhile, Ruby, Aqua’s sibling, is trying to kick off her idol career with little success. We won’t tell you why, but it’s a great revelation. The lives of both twins see many adversities in the entertainment industry. The pitfalls and breakdowns that can and do happen to stars. Also, the Idol is a tearjerker.
Related: Iconic Video Game Soundtracks Of All Time.
[9/12]
Uncle From Another World – A Rollicking Great Time
Are y’all looking for an Isekai anime to laugh your butt off? One where there are no high stakes but plenty of chuckle-worthy moments. Uncle Form Another World stars Yosuke, a protagonist so off his rocker that he can’t read the room. He was Truck-kun’s latest quarry, but one who made it back alive! After 17 years, the guy wakes up from a coma. The kicker? He’s still got powers from his time in fantasy land. Now, he and his nephew use that to make YouTube vids and generate revenue.
If that ain’t the recipe for hilarity, we don’t know what is. The exaggerated facial expressions, the comedic timing of delivery, and the wonky aesthetic mesh fantastically. The over-the-top nature of Uncle From Another World is what will either make or break the show. For us, it was an instant hit because it pokes fun at the stereotypical fantasy situations. The protagonist, Yosuke, relying on his dense nature to misread situations, doesn’t get old no matter how much it happens. Also, the man is a Sega gamer, mad respect from us.
Related: Amazing anime based on video games.
The fun is in the wonky episodic situations that Yosuke relives by showing them to his nephew. There’s just something so off-beat yet utterly satisfying in this Isekai anime. It is the perfect way to cheer yourself up. We’re not kidding; in one particular scene, Yosuke uses a spell to transform into his school teacher from the 90’s. We laughed so hard we did spittakes. He literally used scolding and slapping as a technique to lecture a kingdom’s general into submission. Tell us you’re not intrigued and impressed by Uncle From Another World.
[8/12]
Saga Of Tanya The Evil – Believe The Hype, It’s One Of The Best Isekai Anime Ever
Ready for another Isekayi anime that is gonna blow your mind by how great it is? Well then, we present to you Saga Of Tanya The Evil. This one’s so epic and refreshingly unapologetic in its depiction of the main character. Basically, the guy who gets twacked by Train-Kun, was an average salary-man in a management position. His desire? To be comfortable and have an easy-going life, even if that meant stepping on others to do it. Post Train-Kun? The guy reincarnates into the body of a little girl during wartime, and there’s magic.
If you’re wondering why such a cruel fate happens to our guy, it’s cause he pissed off the diety that usually grants Isekai protagonists some unique quirk or power. However, now our central character, Tanya, works her way up the military rankings. Starting out as a soldier who gets results, the means be damned. Tanya embraces her role instead of moping about it, showing tremendous growth as her experiences shape her new personality. She won’t back down from her end goal of living a comfortable life.
She’s not a Mary Sue either; she struggles against challenges, some directly from the entity she rejected. It’s in her resolve and grit that she overcomes the problems to secure victory that Saga Of Tanya The Evil truly shines. Tanya relishes the battlefield, and the ruthless tactics she employs to eradicate foes and insubordination are a highlight of this great Isekai anime. Despite weak side characters, Tanya is more than enough to carry it, and we were thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
Related: Check out our favorite Anime With Dark Twists for something similar.
[7/12]
Re:Zero Starting Life In Another World – Living Through A Nightmarish Existence
Oh boy, despite the main character being one of the most infuriating in anime history, Re: Zero Starting Life In Another World is still one of the great Isekai shows out there. We kid you not, Natsuki Subaru is the worst aspect of this otherwise outstanding anime. So, ready to hear what this one offers? Let’s see, so dingus otaku Subaru gets transported to this really fascinating world and has a chance encounter with the cute half-elf, Emilia. The cliche love at first sight follows as the more he knows her, the more infatuated he becomes with her.
Then, tragedy strikes, as our lead character, through some plot convenience, ends up in a shady cabin that reeks of death. Once he’s inside, there’s something sinister going on, as he’s gutted and left for dead. Not even living to fulfil his fantasy of dating Emilia or making it big in this new world. But then, the impossible happens. He’s reborn again and has the trauma of his death fresh in his mind. Using that knowledge, he tries to undo his fate by making recklessly dangerous decisions. No one else remembers him, so he throws everything and the kitchen sink.
The problem is the moronic tendency to showboat and not learn from his mistake causes him more and more agony. He repeats his death multiple times in different ways, unable to prevent it. The pain causes him to lose his willpower, and he becomes afraid to go on. This pattern, despite getting old, does work for Re: Zero Starting Life In Another World. That’s because the different side characters bring unique intersecting plotlines to keep you guessing. This is what makes Re:Zero Starting Life In Another World such a fascinating Isekai anime.
[6/12]
GATE – An Isekai Anime That Flips The Freaking Script!
Oh, time for one of the most fun Isekai anime ever which turns the genre on its head. We’re talking about GATE, one of the few reverse Isekai style shows that deliver nail-biting thrills. Easily one of the best things about GATE is that the protagonist and his posse. Everyone possesses charming traits despite filling in arch-type roles which complement Itami, the main character. He’s a soldier for the Japanese military but also an otaku. One of us~! But seriously, he’s got this confidence and capability in his mannerisms that make him a treat to watch.
The guy’s military training makes him such a unique hero in this genre, as there aren’t many like him. The story in GATE is also pretty unique, giving a glimpse of what would it be like if modern-day tech, specifically military tech collided with medieval fantasy. Spoiler alert~ magic ain’t got nothing on missiles and heavy artillery. Oh, and GATE has a surprisingly deep plot with a heavy emphasis on political intrigue. There are quite a few twists in the anime we didn’t see coming, which made for a really pleasant watch.
Basically, Japan needs to figure things out with this new world that is available via the titular GATE. The conflict and peace efforts, then its saboteurs play a game of cat and mouse to thwart one another. The role of the side characters is also quite well executed, they’re not merely eye candy or heaven forbid part of the harem. They each get their time to shine and create one of the most well-rounded and entertaining Isekai anime in a long while. Give this one a chance, if you wanna try something different.
[5/12]
The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic – A Wonderfully Innovative Take On Isekai Anime
Aha! Another modern release, looks like things are looking up for the Isekai anime genre, huh? Well, we’re here for it, cause when we saw The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic, we were impressed. Sure, at first it feels like it’ll be just a gimmick and offer nothing of substance, but bow, howdy, were we wrong about that. This anime is brilliant at throwing unexpected curveballs our way, and they always strike. So, instead of one character falling in the magical portal, it’s two school honor students and one average otaku.
This plays into all of their psyches that the show highlights through their inner monologues. The female student who gets transported is dealing with the burden of expectation from her regular life. Escaping into fantasy is a welcome change for her. The enthusiasm she shows is refreshing and hilarious, too. But anyway, the other honor student is a more stereotypical dude who tries to be level-headed and acts rationally. These two get powerful magical affinities and are tasked with defending the kingdom. Now the main character’s affinity is healing magic.
With this comes the relentless, monstrous, and absolutely laugh-out-loud-worthy training montage for our hero. He’s a go-with-the-flow kinda guy, with his ambition slowly growing beyond worrying about himself to protecting others. The healers in The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic ain’t no staff-wielding cleric, rather they’re healers who also will be vanguards of the military force. They’ll resort to fighting, too if they must. That’s the pitch for this Isekai anime, and there’s tons of character development that makes you eager for every new episode.
[4/12]
The Rising Of Shield Hero – Immersive, Satisfying, And Character-Driven
The hits just keep on coming don’t they, on our list of top-tier Isekai anime. Well, we got another one for y’all. It’s a no-brainer, really. So, The Rising Of Shield Hero stars Naofumi, wielder of the Shield legendary weapon. Only, he got summoned to the fantasy world with 3 of the most idiotic, self-delusional people. They get the bow, spear, and sword legendary weapons. They also receive the king’s and the people’s favor, while Naofumi is resented. There’s clearly a bias against him, which he discovers later on.
Naofumi undergoes a trial by fire and has trust issues due to being a victim of conspiracies. The antagonistic characters are repulsive and make you really wanna bash their heads in. Honestly, that’s Naofumi’s wish, too. Trouble is, he can’t actually wield an offensive weapon due to class restrictions. Now, that’s how he comes into contact with his first familiar, Raphtalia. She is initially only there to be his weapon, like a puppet. But, later on becomes a close companion of Naofumi, who accepts him and doesn’t shun him like the others.
Seeing their growth, and their bond is deeply touching, as more companions join him. The shield abilities he unlocks also really rock, too. Tapping into the complex skill trees that his shield allows him to, Naofumi becomes a force to be reckoned with. Just when you think you’re near the end, the show throws another huge surprise. There are waves of calamity, portals that open pathways to different worlds, and terrifying supernatural creatures as well as other heroes fighting for survival. The Rising Of Shield Hero is one of the best Isekai ever, hands down.
[3/12]
Grimgar Of Fantasy & Ash – A Criminally Underrated Gem That Deserved Better
Now, we dive into one of our personal favorites among the Iseekai anime crowd. The fact that it has only one season is baffling because it is by far some of the best kinds of world-building, storytelling and character-driven shows, ever. This isn’t your typical lighthearted anime, no. Grimgar Of Fantasy & Ash shows the dark side of getting whisked to a foreign land. The effect it’ll have on the people, and then how they’ll cope with it. In Grimgar Of Fantasy & Ash, plenty of students get ported to this starry world.
Our focus group involves plenty of characters, too. Each of them adopts a class to balance out their party, and they steadily level up to become stronger. However, midway tragedy strikes as the party’s healer dies. The trauma of not having any backup disheartens the group. There’s bickering, too that further downs everyone’s morale. Grimgar Of Fantasy & Ash is about rising after falling to your lowest. It’s not a power fantasy. You see the dangers of how anyone’s in danger of certain death if they’re not careful.
But then, you also see how determination, and venturing out of your comfort zone will pay dividends. The group slowly learns to work together again and avenges their fallen friend. Hiring a new healer to join their party causes all sorts of fuss, but the slow pacing enables some riveting character development, too. Grimgar Of Fantasy & Ash has an endearing quality to it, the art is also hella unique, too. But the true show stealers are the fights and the soothingly upbeat soundtracks. This Isekai anime is heavily recommended.
[2/12]
Log Horizon – Prime Storytelling With A Fantastic Twist To The Genre
Now, for the runner-up choice of the best Isekai anime of all time, we’re gonna give you Log Horizon. This anime completely shocked us during its premiere and we’ve been fans ever since. The enormous cast of characters Log Horizon juggles perfectly to give proper screen time to them. But more importantly, it doesn’t stray too far (mostly) from the main character, Shiro, aka The Villain With Glasses. Trust us, when this guy’s thinking and monologing you’re gonna wanna pay attention. He takes the role very seriously.
But it’s not just him running the show, there are others, too. Akatsuki, the ninja is deadly as she is pretty. Plus, Naotsugo is there, too for muscle and tanking while Shiro plans the strategies. The thing about Log Horizon that’s so captivating is the element of mystery in the plot. Everyone who was playing the MMO got stuck in the game, and can’t log out. The game’s interface is there, but doing things manually is the better option. Plus, the effects on the psyche of those stuck in the game that Log Horizon dares the touch upon.
That’s not even half of the originality of Log Horizon. A huge chunk of the screen time in Log Horizon deals with the interaction between players now known as Adventures and the NPCs, who are the people of the land. The politics, economics, and integration of society with new immigrants, as well as threats to the peace, create several layers of intrigue in Log Horizon. Seeing how things unfold is a delightful experience, and at the heart of it all, it’s Shiro doling out miraculous solutions to become the MVP. Log Horizon is a must-watch Isekai anime.
[1/12]
Overlord – The King Of Isekai, Hail The Power Of Ainz Ooal Gown
There can be only one, right? Well, for us, there’s no other choice but to hail the glory of Ainz Ooal Gown. He’s the main character of the power fantasy Isekai anime, Overlord. Call us fanboys, we don’t care, cause Overlord has perfected and GOAT-ed the Isekai genre, sitting at its apex. Momonga is the average salaryman playing his favorite MMORPG during the day its servers shut down. The plan was for all his guildmates to show up and have one last hurrah before that happened.
Unfortunately, due to life, no one aside from Momonga and one other was on. When the only other guild member left, Momonga decides to stay on until the clock runs out on the server. After the timer runs out, his consciousness gets transferred to the in-game avatar. Oh, by the way, the guild’s name is Ainz Ooal Gown, and (mostly) every member of the guild was demonic or had something evil-esque. In case of Momonga, it was his undead elder lich avatar, the Overlord of Death. The realization of this development is something you’ll have a blast with.
The loyal guardians, who were NPCs for serving the guild members obtain sentience. Though, their loyalty to Momonga is absolute. They devote themselves to him in a very hilarious way, holding onto his every word like sacred wisdom. Their interactions with each other, with Momonga, who takes on the name of Ainz Ooal Gown, is what makes this Isekai anime awesome. Ainz goes about conquering the lands to spread his name far and wide just for the off-chance one of his friends is there. Overlord is the best, without equal.
Final Thoughts
Oh, finally~ its over! We can sleep now! Just kidding, who sleeps anymore, eh? But anyway, our list of the dopest, coolest, awesometacular Isekai anime finally comes to a close. Let it simmer in your head, then give us your take on our selection today, yeah? We look forward to hearing from you all.
In the meantime, if you’re still craving more anime, well, don’t worry y’all. We’ve got a fantastic piece about the late Akira Toriyama’s passing, you can check out. Give it a read to learn more about him. Anyway, until next time, take care everybody!
