The best isekai tier list for those new to the genre - according to a guy who watches a lot of isekai
Anime
Yo, welcome to the official isekai recommendation list for people who want to get into isekai but just don't know where to start. The purpose of this is to introduce some of the most popular and well made isekai so that people new to isekai can watch the best of the best the isekai genre has to offer.
This list is not in order of best to worst but simply isekai I believe are worth watching, however this is of course subject to my personal opinions.
You may wonder what makes this official in any way? Well, my only qualification is I've watched the vast majority of all isekai and really like the genre, however if you don't end up agreeing with this list after 2-3 working days then I can guarantee your money back!
Disclaimer - most typical isekai are lower effort power fantasies where the protagonist shows off how cool he is and gets a harem. Enjoying this trash is a trait of a typical isekai watcher and, although I do enjoy them, I will only be covering the generally well written and innovative isekai here that stands out from the rest.
Most of this is the basics that will then send you down the dark path of watching isekai and so if my list succeeds and you end up an avid isekai fan...I can only apologise.
Firstly, what exactly an isekai is can be debated. For the purposes of this I will limit it exclusively to anime where the main character is sent to a fantasy world and cannot return to his own world.
This subsequently does not include game worlds such as sword art online, reverse isekai like re:creators or isekai where they travel between worlds like gate. Yes under the actual definition of isekai these can be argued to fit and if you disagree with how ive done this please direct all complaints to 'earnshaw30' on mal.
If you read this whole thing then firstly thanks but also i'll now shamelessly ask you to check out my reviews because you clearly have a lot of spare time on your hands. My gimmick is I only review things that fill me with a passionate hatred and so if that sounds fun to you then great!
This list is not in order of best to worst but simply isekai I believe are worth watching, however this is of course subject to my personal opinions.
You may wonder what makes this official in any way? Well, my only qualification is I've watched the vast majority of all isekai and really like the genre, however if you don't end up agreeing with this list after 2-3 working days then I can guarantee your money back!
Disclaimer - most typical isekai are lower effort power fantasies where the protagonist shows off how cool he is and gets a harem. Enjoying this trash is a trait of a typical isekai watcher and, although I do enjoy them, I will only be covering the generally well written and innovative isekai here that stands out from the rest.
Most of this is the basics that will then send you down the dark path of watching isekai and so if my list succeeds and you end up an avid isekai fan...I can only apologise.
Firstly, what exactly an isekai is can be debated. For the purposes of this I will limit it exclusively to anime where the main character is sent to a fantasy world and cannot return to his own world.
This subsequently does not include game worlds such as sword art online, reverse isekai like re:creators or isekai where they travel between worlds like gate. Yes under the actual definition of isekai these can be argued to fit and if you disagree with how ive done this please direct all complaints to 'earnshaw30' on mal.
If you read this whole thing then firstly thanks but also i'll now shamelessly ask you to check out my reviews because you clearly have a lot of spare time on your hands. My gimmick is I only review things that fill me with a passionate hatred and so if that sounds fun to you then great!
TV, 2016,
25 eps
Me:-
Author:10
The first item on the list is Re:zero. This is by far the best isekai option out there and will likely top any other isekai that you watch if you have a decent sense of taste (don't worry I understand you're here to watch isekai and therefore have a terrible taste in anime and this will be catered to later).
The best way to explain re:zero is that it's steins;gate in a fantasy world, i.e. magical psychological trauma not scientific. This sounds off-putting however Re:Zero doesnt delve too deeply into the realms of psychology and its more about watching the main character suffer but eventually overcome his adversities.
This is probably one of the most famous isekais out there and so its very likely you have heard of it and chances are already watched it. If not it's a must watch regardless if you like isekai or not, however if you specifically want to get into the isekai genre then conversely this isnt the right place to start as it does not have the tropes of most typical isekai.
The best way to explain re:zero is that it's steins;gate in a fantasy world, i.e. magical psychological trauma not scientific. This sounds off-putting however Re:Zero doesnt delve too deeply into the realms of psychology and its more about watching the main character suffer but eventually overcome his adversities.
This is probably one of the most famous isekais out there and so its very likely you have heard of it and chances are already watched it. If not it's a must watch regardless if you like isekai or not, however if you specifically want to get into the isekai genre then conversely this isnt the right place to start as it does not have the tropes of most typical isekai.
TV, 2019,
25 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Secondly, I included shield hero because as of the creation of this list only the first season has fully aired. The first season was incredible and set up a whole revenge story along with likeable characters and an edgy mc (classic for the isekai genre), however I have my doubts about how the second season will go now the content has already been exhausted.
If you like a well executed revenge plot with an edgy main character and a group of girls that follow and care for him then this is for you. It doesn't have as strong worldbuilding and story as something like re:zero, but the characters strongly stand out, which is what makes it so good.
If you like a well executed revenge plot with an edgy main character and a group of girls that follow and care for him then this is for you. It doesn't have as strong worldbuilding and story as something like re:zero, but the characters strongly stand out, which is what makes it so good.
TV, 2014,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Next comes no game no life. I am moderately concerned about recommending this as the FBI could come for me at any moment however, excluding how the author should definitely have his computer images investigated, the anime has a very well executed original idea of a game world whilst also pulling off the classic anime trope of incredibly smart protagonists. I especially recommend the movie which I admittedly havent actually watched but ive read all the novels and the novel the movie is based upon was by far the best.
Additionally, this anime has some of my favourite artwork and colour scheme and the protagonists, sora and shiro, are some of my favourite characters in anime.
This anime is great for getting into isekai as it excels at all the trashy topes of most common iseaki nowadays such as op protagonists, ecchi and light hearted comedy.
Additionally, this anime has some of my favourite artwork and colour scheme and the protagonists, sora and shiro, are some of my favourite characters in anime.
This anime is great for getting into isekai as it excels at all the trashy topes of most common iseaki nowadays such as op protagonists, ecchi and light hearted comedy.
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:9
Tsukimichi is the first lower effort anime more standard isekai of this list. What do I mean by this? Basically, it follows typical isekai traits and does nothing particularly special, it simply has an incredibly op protagonist and a bunch of girls who thirst for him.
Despite this, the anime is incredibly entertaining. Why? I don't actually know, it just executes these tropes perfectly and as a result is hard to dislike.
Unlike the previous entries, this is the first one I would recommend to people who aren't specifically isekai fans to get them started as it is the highest quality isekai that follows the classic isekai clichés. Subsequently, if you want to get into watching all isekai, not just the most popular, this is the best place to start despite it not being as high quality and creative as a lot of the entries on this list.
Despite this, the anime is incredibly entertaining. Why? I don't actually know, it just executes these tropes perfectly and as a result is hard to dislike.
Unlike the previous entries, this is the first one I would recommend to people who aren't specifically isekai fans to get them started as it is the highest quality isekai that follows the classic isekai clichés. Subsequently, if you want to get into watching all isekai, not just the most popular, this is the best place to start despite it not being as high quality and creative as a lot of the entries on this list.
TV, 2018,
24 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Reincarnated as a slime is one of the most famous anime on this list. Despite having an op protagonist, Slime excels at worldbuilding and never has the main character become so overpowered there isnt a sense of tension. Realistically, I heavily recommend this if you want a more detailed civilisation building isekai with aspects of fantasy combat mixed in. The anime contains lots of fantasy fight scenes however the novels that follow it focus a lot more on character dialogue and national politics so it is worth understanding that, especially with the later seasons that have not yet been adapted, slime focuses highly on its worldbuilding.
Slime is generally quite a carefree and at times comedic anime so its a very good watch if you want something high-quality but not too gruesome or deep.
Slime is generally quite a carefree and at times comedic anime so its a very good watch if you want something high-quality but not too gruesome or deep.
TV, 2021,
11 eps
Me:-
Author:8
If you look at my favourite novels you will notice Mushoku tensei is on my top 3. Simply put the novels are incredibly and the anime adapts this faithfully - so far only having cut out some of the minor aspects. Unfortunately, some things work better in novel form and I believe this holds true to mushoku tensei which is why I have this further down this list than I would the novel, but without the novel to compare this to then it easily becomes a top 3 isekai.
Unlike typical isekai the protagonist is never incredibly overpowered, (although don't be fooled he is strong) or even likeable at certain points, however this anime easily makes up for this in its world building specifically how far ahead the author wrote the story - what this means will become apparent as things slowly begin to make sense as the story is told.
As the anime continues to adapt the novels you grow attached to the characters as you follow them about their lives but you also learn about the world as a whole and slowly begin to realise the internal machinations working behind the scenes and how the main character is only a small part of a fully autonomous world.
Put more simply, this is the isekai with the strongest story by far and where the anime is at currently this is not yet apparent and only glimpses of this can be seen. However, this doesn't mean the anime still isnt good as the world they travel in is detailed and the artwork beautiful while the characters are developed and unique in their own way.
I highly recommend this show as you will quickly grow attached to the world and its characters while wanting to know more about what will happen to them. However, the in-depth story might be a bit overwhelming to some new watchers and it has some dark themes and perverted acts at times.
Unlike typical isekai the protagonist is never incredibly overpowered, (although don't be fooled he is strong) or even likeable at certain points, however this anime easily makes up for this in its world building specifically how far ahead the author wrote the story - what this means will become apparent as things slowly begin to make sense as the story is told.
As the anime continues to adapt the novels you grow attached to the characters as you follow them about their lives but you also learn about the world as a whole and slowly begin to realise the internal machinations working behind the scenes and how the main character is only a small part of a fully autonomous world.
Put more simply, this is the isekai with the strongest story by far and where the anime is at currently this is not yet apparent and only glimpses of this can be seen. However, this doesn't mean the anime still isnt good as the world they travel in is detailed and the artwork beautiful while the characters are developed and unique in their own way.
I highly recommend this show as you will quickly grow attached to the world and its characters while wanting to know more about what will happen to them. However, the in-depth story might be a bit overwhelming to some new watchers and it has some dark themes and perverted acts at times.
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Controversially, I believe the last paladin anime to be a good adaptation and generally enjoyable to watch despite the mal score saying otherwise.
As im writing this season 2 has been confirmed but not yet released and I assume it will be the season that changes a lot of minds on the series as a whole. However, as it has not been released I will refrain from any more speculation.
I simply like this anime as it is clearly of a higher production quality both in animation and in writing by the author than the typical isekai and I really enjoyed the characters the anime introduced. The main character is clearly overpowered however not so much that there is no sense of risk and characters you grow attached to feel like they can die at any moment. Furthermore, I believe the first season was a slow starter and there is more to the world than meets the eye so I believe this anime will be a mandatory watch in the future.
I heard somewhere the author was inspired by mushoku tensei and wanted to make an equally in depth world but with less perversion. I don't know if this is true or not however even before I heard about this the anime felt very similar to mushoku for me so I would recommend it to anyone who like mushoku but was put off by some of the more creepy aspects. That said, even amongst people who liked mushoku, opinion on this anime was split but I enjoyed it and think its a least worth a try.
As im writing this season 2 has been confirmed but not yet released and I assume it will be the season that changes a lot of minds on the series as a whole. However, as it has not been released I will refrain from any more speculation.
I simply like this anime as it is clearly of a higher production quality both in animation and in writing by the author than the typical isekai and I really enjoyed the characters the anime introduced. The main character is clearly overpowered however not so much that there is no sense of risk and characters you grow attached to feel like they can die at any moment. Furthermore, I believe the first season was a slow starter and there is more to the world than meets the eye so I believe this anime will be a mandatory watch in the future.
I heard somewhere the author was inspired by mushoku tensei and wanted to make an equally in depth world but with less perversion. I don't know if this is true or not however even before I heard about this the anime felt very similar to mushoku for me so I would recommend it to anyone who like mushoku but was put off by some of the more creepy aspects. That said, even amongst people who liked mushoku, opinion on this anime was split but I enjoyed it and think its a least worth a try.
TV, 2016,
10 eps
Me:-
Author:8
The final item on the list, Konosuba. Konosuba is funny. Humour is objective and so, unlike some isekai which are guaranteed to hit if you're an isekai fan, it might not fufill the same gap, but it is easily higher quality than most other isekai and has a great list of characters that create a comedic world. The fact its an isekai is not really a main focus of the plot and it doesnt follow standard isekai traits, the protagonist is not strong nor excels at anything and so it wont sate your power fantasy as he is neither cool nor strong.
Ultimately, Konosuba is the most light-hearted isekai on this list with no real stakes only a crazy cast having a good time. That said, it does still have the odd moving moment but in general its just a great comedy to watch if you need something to make you laugh.
Contrary to my praise, I wouldn't recommend watching it as an introduction to isekai since, as aforementioned, it is not like most typical isekai, however I do strongly recommend it if you want to watch a comedy anime in general.
As a side note I also really liked the way the novels took the show, a season 3 has also just been announced and I can guarantee it will be good so its worth watching the first few seasons now ready for when season 3 airs!
Ultimately, Konosuba is the most light-hearted isekai on this list with no real stakes only a crazy cast having a good time. That said, it does still have the odd moving moment but in general its just a great comedy to watch if you need something to make you laugh.
Contrary to my praise, I wouldn't recommend watching it as an introduction to isekai since, as aforementioned, it is not like most typical isekai, however I do strongly recommend it if you want to watch a comedy anime in general.
As a side note I also really liked the way the novels took the show, a season 3 has also just been announced and I can guarantee it will be good so its worth watching the first few seasons now ready for when season 3 airs!
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:2
Ok ok, I know I just said Konosuba was my last entry on this list but if I had to watch isekai cheat magician then so do you. Consider it my payment for making this whole thing, or maybe revenge is a more accurate word?
Anyways 10/10 anime the characters are incredibly in depth and the world is incredible, dont fact check anything just watch it immediately I promise you it will disappoint!
Anyways 10/10 anime the characters are incredibly in depth and the world is incredible, dont fact check anything just watch it immediately I promise you it will disappoint!
