What is this genre all about? An isekai story is one in which the lead characters are transferred to and become stuck or trapped in another world, one completely different from the one they lived in up until the transfer. The new world is commonly a fictional world. In order to adapt to their new environment, they must use the abilities and knowledge brought from their former world as well as any that may have been bestowed upon them by their brave new world. In some cases, they will seek and eventually find a way to return; in others, they will gleefully embrace their new life.
We present you the list of Isekai anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Isekai anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Spirited Away
- 19. Isekai Shikkaku
- 18. No Game No Life
- 17. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
- 16. Sword Art Online
- 15. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
- 14. Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2
- 13. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
- 12. Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
- 11. Overlord IV
- 10. Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Season 2
- 9. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
- 8. InuYasha
- 7. Sword Art Online II
- 6. Overlord III
- 5. Overlord II
- 4. Overlord
- 3. The Devil is a Part-Timer!
- 2. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 2
- 1. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
20. Spirited Away
Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls. Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to live and work amongst spirits, with the help of the enigmatic Haku and the cast of unique characters she meets along the way.
Vivid and intriguing, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi tells the story of Chihiro's journey through an unfamiliar world as she strives to save her parents and return home.
Spirited Away has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, 千と千尋の神隠し, Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away
19. Isekai Shikkaku
An adventure in another world with cute girls by your side and video game-like powers–sounds like an anime fan’s dream, right? Not so for melancholic author Osamu Dazai, who would quite literally prefer to drop dead. Video games haven’t even been invented yet when he gets yanked into another world in 1948. Really, all the fantastical adventure he keeps running into is just getting in the way of his poetic dream of finding the perfect place to die. But no matter how much he risks his hide, everything seems to keep turning out okay. Follow a miserable hero like no other in this cheerfully bleak isekai comedy!
No Longer Allowed in Another World has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 異世界失格, No Longer Human…In Another World, Disqualified from Another World
18. No Game No Life
No Game No Life is a surreal comedy that follows Sora and Shiro, shut-in NEET siblings and the online gamer duo behind the legendary username "Kuuhaku." They view the real world as just another lousy game; however, a strange e-mail challenging them to a chess match changes everything—the brother and sister are plunged into an otherworldly realm where they meet Tet, the God of Games.
The mysterious god welcomes Sora and Shiro to Disboard, a world where all forms of conflict—from petty squabbles to the fate of whole countries—are settled not through war, but by way of high-stake games. This system works thanks to a fundamental rule wherein each party must wager something they deem to be of equal value to the other party's wager. In this strange land where the very idea of humanity is reduced to child’s play, the indifferent genius gamer duo of Sora and Shiro have finally found a real reason to keep playing games: to unite the sixteen races of Disboard, defeat Tet, and become the gods of this new, gaming-is-everything world.
No Game, No Life has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ノーゲーム・ノーライフ, NGNL
17. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
When Subaru Natsuki leaves the convenience store, the last thing he expects is to be wrenched from his everyday life and dropped into a fantasy world. Things aren't looking good for the bewildered teenager; however, not long after his arrival, he is attacked by some thugs. Armed with only a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone, he is quickly beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a mysterious beauty named Satella, in hot pursuit after the one who stole her insignia, happens upon Subaru and saves him. In order to thank the honest and kindhearted girl, Subaru offers to help in her search, and later that night, he even finds the whereabouts of that which she seeks. But unbeknownst to them, a much darker force stalks the pair from the shadows, and just minutes after locating the insignia, Subaru and Satella are brutally murdered.
However, Subaru immediately reawakens to a familiar scene—confronted by the same group of thugs, meeting Satella all over again—the enigma deepens as history inexplicably repeats itself.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: Re：ゼロから始める異世界生活, Re: Life in a different world from zero, ReZero
16. Sword Art Online
In the year 2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a massive online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is launched. With the aid of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their avatars within the game using nothing but their own thoughts.
Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito," is among the lucky few enthusiasts who get their hands on the first shipment of the game. He logs in to find himself, with ten-thousand others, in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, one full of fantastic medieval weapons and gruesome monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot log out; the game's creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game.
In order to escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are foes, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group attempting to escape from the ruthless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not all fun and games: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully break free from his virtual hell.
Sword Art Online has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン, S.A.O, SAO
15. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
Some people just aren’t suited to playing the part of the flashy, in-your-face hero or the dastardly, mustache-twirling villain with larger-than-life panache. Instead, they operate in the shadows and pull the strings of society through wit and cleverness. That’s the role Cid wants to play when he’s transported to another world. Cid spins a yarn or three and becomes the unlikely leader of the underground Shadow Garden organization that fights against a menacing cult (which he totally made up). However, there’s a catch even his wild imagination didn’t see coming: the cult he concocted actually exists, and they’re beyond displeased that his power fantasy just got in the way of their evil plans!
The Eminence in Shadow has finished airing and it has 20 Episodes. It is also Known as: 陰の実力者になりたくて！, To Be a Power in the Shadows!
14. Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2
The second cour of Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu.
Following the faceless god Hitogami's advice seems to have worked wonders for Rudeus Greyrat. After enrolling into the University of Magic as he was told, Rudeus reunites with his childhood friend Sylphiette, who put a valiant effort into curing his condition. The two grow ever closer together and decide to host a wedding party, inviting the friends they have made over the years to announce and formalize their relationship.
For all his recent blessings, however, Rudeus' troubles are far from over. The research he is helping Shizuka Nanahoshi conduct hits a bottleneck, sending her into a deep slump much like he experienced in his previous life. Furthermore, a letter from his father, Paul, brings complications to Rudeus' relationships, and Sylphiette still knows next to nothing about his real background. In the face of these issues, Rudeus will have to apply the lessons he has learned in this new world to navigate through the challenges that come with living a life to its fullest.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 無職転生 Ⅱ ～異世界行ったら本気だす～ 第2クール, Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2
13. Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
The second season of Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
Everything has been going according to plan, but the hour of awakening draws near. Cid Kagenou and Shadow Garden investigate the Lawless City, a cesspool where the red moon hangs low in the sky and three powerful monarchs rule the streets. The true draw for Cid, however, is one who can draw blood–the Blood Queen, a vampire who has slumbered in her coffin for eons. Her awakening approaches, and Cid could finally face a day of reckoning.
Note: A world premiere screening of Episode 1 was shown in the The Eminence in Shadow 2nd Season panel at Anime Expo on July 1, 2023.
The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 陰の実力者になりたくて！ 2nd season, Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! 2nd Season
12. Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
Corporate worker Mikami Satoru is stabbed by a random killer, and is reborn to an alternate world. But he turns out to be reborn a slime! Thrown into this new world with the name Rimuru, he begins his quest to create a world that’s welcoming to all races.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: 転生したらスライムだった件, Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
11. Overlord IV
The fourth season of Overlord.
Overlord IV has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅣ, Overlord 4
10. Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Season 2
After his relationship with Eris Boreas Greyrat reaches new heights, Rudeus Greyrat is ecstatic. Unfortunately, his joy is short-lived, as Eris suddenly abandons him to embark on her own journey. Believing that Eris has lost all interest in him, a heartbroken and depressed Rudeus sets forth to the Northern Territories. With his sole goal being to locate his mother on the vast continent, Rudeus wonders if persisting through daily life is worth the pain, falling into a robotic routine as he endlessly ruminates on his lost love.
However, the dangers of the North soon prove that one cannot survive with a dulled mind. While on a quest with the party Counter Arrow, with whom he recently became acquainted, Rudeus has a brush with death—an experience that forces him to finally snap out of his despair. With his newfound teammates, Rudeus rediscovers the pleasure of daily adventuring and moves forward with his original goal of living his second lease on life to the fullest.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～ 第2期, Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Season 2
9. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
Iwatani Naofumi, a run-of-the-mill otaku, finds a book in the library that summons him to another world. He is tasked with joining the sword, spear, and bow as one of the Four Cardinal Heroes and fighting the Waves of Catastrophe as the Shield Hero.
Excited by the prospect of a grand adventure, Naofumi sets off with his party. However, merely a few days later, he is betrayed and loses all his money, dignity, and respect. Unable to trust anyone anymore, he employs a slave named Raphtalia and takes on the Waves and the world. But will he really find a way to overturn this desperate situation?
The Rising of the Shield Hero has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 盾の勇者の成り上がり, Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
8. InuYasha
Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.
After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.
InuYasha has finished airing and it has 167 Episodes. It is also Known as: 犬夜叉, Inu Yasha
7. Sword Art Online II
A year after escaping Sword Art Online, Kazuto Kirigaya has been settling back into the real world. However, his peace is short-lived as a new incident occurs in a game called Gun Gale Online, where a player by the name of Death Gun appears to be killing people in the real world by shooting them in-game. Approached by officials to assist in investigating the murders, Kazuto assumes his persona of Kirito once again and logs into Gun Gale Online, intent on stopping the killer.
Once inside, Kirito meets Sinon, a highly skilled sniper afflicted by a traumatic past. She is soon dragged in his chase after Death Gun, and together they enter the Bullet of Bullets, a tournament where their target is sure to appear. Uncertain of Death Gun's real powers, Kirito and Sinon race to stop him before he has the chance to claim another life. Not everything goes smoothly, however, as scars from the past impede their progress. In a high-stakes game where the next victim could easily be one of them, Kirito puts his life on the line in the virtual world once more.
Sword Art Online II has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソードアート・オンライン II, Phantom Bullet, SAO II, Sword Art Online 2, SAO 2
6. Overlord III
Third season of Overlord.
Overlord III has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅢ, Overlord III
5. Overlord II
Second season of Overlord.
Overlord II has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロードⅡ, Overlord II
4. Overlord
The final hour of the popular virtual reality game Yggdrasil has come. However, Momonga, a powerful wizard and master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, decides to spend his last few moments in the game as the servers begin to shut down. To his surprise, despite the clock having struck midnight, Momonga is still fully conscious as his character and, moreover, the non-player characters appear to have developed personalities of their own!
Confronted with this abnormal situation, Momonga commands his loyal servants to help him investigate and take control of this new world, with the hopes of figuring out what has caused this development and if there may be others in the same predicament.
Overlord has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: オーバーロード, Overlord
3. The Devil is a Part-Timer!
Striking fear into the hearts of mortals, the Demon Lord Satan begins to conquer the land of Ente Isla with his vast demon armies. However, while embarking on this brutal quest to take over the continent, his efforts are foiled by the hero Emilia, forcing Satan to make his swift retreat through a dimensional portal only to land in the human world. Along with his loyal general Alsiel, the demon finds himself stranded in modern-day Tokyo and vows to return and complete his subjugation of Ente Isla—that is, if they can find a way back!
Powerless in a world without magic, Satan assumes the guise of a human named Sadao Maou and begins working at MgRonald's—a local fast-food restaurant—to make ends meet. He soon realizes that his goal of conquering Ente Isla is just not enough as he grows determined to climb the corporate ladder and become the ruler of Earth, one satisfied customer at a time!
Whether it's part-time work, household chores, or simply trying to pay the rent on time, Hataraku Maou-sama! presents a hilarious view of the most mundane aspects of everyday life, all through the eyes of a hapless demon lord.
The Devil is a Part-Timer! has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: Hataraku Maou-sama!, はたらく魔王さま!, The Devil is a Part-Timer!
2. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 2
When Kazuma Satou died, he was given two choices: pass on to heaven or be revived in a fantasy world. After choosing the new world, the goddess Aqua tasked him with defeating the Demon King, and let him choose any weapon to aid him. Unfortunately, Kazuma chose to bring Aqua herself and has regretted the decision ever since then.
Not only is he stuck with a useless deity turned party archpriest, the pair also has to make enough money for living expenses. To add to their problems, their group continued to grow as more problematic adventurers joined their ranks. Their token spellcaster, Megumin, is an explosion magic specialist who can only cast one spell once per day and refuses to learn anything else. There is also their stalwart crusader, Lalatina "Darkness" Dustiness Ford, a helpless masochist who makes Kazuma look pure in comparison.
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 2 continues to follow Kazuma and the rest of his party through countless more adventures as they struggle to earn money and have to deal with one another's problematic personalities. However, things rarely go as planned, and they are often sidetracked by their own idiotic tendencies.
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 2 has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ 2, Give Blessings to This Wonderful World! 2
1. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
The third season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu.
A year has passed since Subaru’s victory at the Sanctuary. He savors a life of fulfillment while Emilia’s camp stands united for the royal selection—until a fateful letter arrives. Anastasia, a royal selection candidate, has invited Emilia to the Watergate City of Priestella. But as the party begins its journey, crisis stirs beneath the surface and Subaru meets a cruel fate once again.
Notes:
The first episode has an extended runtime of ~90 minutes, and received an early premiere at Anime Expo on July 5, 2024.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 is currently airing and will have 16 Episodes. It is also Known as: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 3, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3
