Key foods
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Aura Butler Dunbain
It was the first isekai animation that influenced future shows. -
Raith's magical knight
combined isekai with shoujo and romance in 1994. -
Sword Art Online
Despite the controversy surrounding its classification, it introduced isekai to the mainstream.
Each chapter, a number of Isekai series are released, some of them are absolute climactic stories, while many others are generic and forgettable.

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12 Underrated Isekai Anime
Nowadays, isekai anime is unavoidable. For every Sword Art Online and Overlord, there's a great but underrated isekai anime.
However, in the history of isekai, there have been landmark anime that, in a sense, Defined the genre These shows may have created new eras, or icons that fans are used to today. While each of these shows were not masterpieces, they are worth watching as related media Isekai impressed many people today.
10 Aura Butler Dunbain
The first person to do so
Episodes |
49 |
---|---|
was played |
1983 |
Studio |
sunrise |
While isekai anime is a dime a dozen today, it wasn't always like this Aura Butler Dunbain Released in 1983, it told a story that no one had experienced before. It tells about Shu, who is transported to another world to serve under Lord Drake and take over the world.
Dunbin It was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who is famous for being the brains behind it Gundam series The show is still very relevant today, as it is often regarded as the first isekai anime.
9 Raith's magical knight
Magic Girls mix well with Isekai
Raith's magical knight It was released in 1994 and produced by CLAMP, the same band that brought it Code Geass The show's universe also spanned several genres, including fantasy, magical girl, and mecha.

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The best animated magical girl, ranked
While magical girl anime is sometimes defined by stereotypes, these shows stand as a testament to what the genre has to offer.
It follows Hikaru, Omi, and Fuu, who are all transported to Sephiroth's world, where they are chosen as magical knights to restore peace to the land. The show was an important turning point for isekai, as it truly bridged the genre with shoujo and romance. followed by other great works such as 12 Kingdoms
8 No game, no life
No second season, no problem
No game, no life It is one of the most infamous single season animes out there. Released in 2014, it tells the story of Sora and Shiro, two brothers and sisters who are masters of all kinds of games. They are drawn to another world by the god Tet.
It may seem like an exaggeration to say this No game, no life It revolutionized isekai, but it's true that it was one of the first shows to introduce a hero who passed through the world through intelligence rather than any real character. Many isekai have since followed suit.
7 El Hazard
One of the first examples of a classmate in another world
Shows like Ariforta and broken frame It has become commonplace where an entire class of students is transported to another world and gains abilities. However, before those shows, and before their darker hues, there were El Hazard
It was a show from 1995 where several characters from the same school were transported to another world where they gained power. Here, the main character, Makoto, must discover the new world he is in and how he can return to Earth.
6 KonoSuba: God bless this wonderful world!
Subversion of expectations
By 2016, isekai anime had been done to death, so when Kuno Soba It came out, very refreshingly considered. The show completely flipped the script and overturned all the expectations fans had of the genre.
Instead of some of the darker themes of many isekai released at the time, Kuno Soba A funny comedy where the characters are mostly incompetent and stupid. It mocked the idea of death by truck, the usual beautiful mysterious goddess was replaced by the funny but useless Aqua, and the main character is a jerk who knows she's the one. Kuno Soba It does all of this really well and is definitely worth a watch.
5 Climbing a bookworm
One of the most fundamental Isekai
Isekai has been explored in different ways and through different lenses, so when Climbing a bookworm Entering the scene in 2019, it's great to see that there are still new ideas to explore.
The story of Maine is a lady who died before her dream of becoming a librarian could be fulfilled. Now born in another world as a little girl, she fulfills her wish to read more books. in Climbing a bookwormthe down-to-earth nature of the story, the realistic goals of the protagonist, and the portrayal of high degrees all make it a must-have isekai anime for fans of the genre.
4 master
The appearance of the villain
master It's an amazing show that is easily considered one of the best Iskai out there. Released in 2015, the film is about an ordinary man who gets caught up in a game he used to play and is now revived. However, the man now dressed as Ainz Oval finds himself at the head of an evil organization.
master At the time it really brought a darker theme to isekai, and even brought in some horror elements as fans watched Ainz lay waste to the inhabitants of the new world in his quest to establish his kingdom. master It was one of the first series to popularize the isekai villain, something that has become very popular in the years since.
3 The idle reincarnation of Mushoku Tennessee
Modern classic
The idle reincarnation of Mushoku Tennessee It can be considered a classic anime, even if it is a 2021 anime, which makes it very, very new. Even with that in mind, it brought a lot to the table, including the fact that it was one of the shows that popularized Truck-kun as Charon in another world.
Mushoku Tennessee It's a bit of a bummer for its protagonist, Rudeus, but it certainly stands as one of the most influential isekai out there because of how successfully it brought new viewers to the genre.
2 Fushigi Yogi
Using Isekai to treat fantasy
Episodes |
52 |
---|---|
was played |
1996 |
Studio |
Pirouette |
Fushigi Yogi It is an early work of Yoo Watase who continued to create Absolute boyfriendwhich has been adapted in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Fushigi Yogi On the other hand, it follows Miaka and Yui who are transported to another world through a book.
The isekai elements were basically used as a foundation for a fantasy story narrative that revolved around Miaki and Taamahome's romance. This show took its atmosphere seriously and did not rely on character gimmicks. It paved the way for the likes 12 kingdoms, which also followed the path of fantasy.
1 Sword Art Online
Big Bang Isekai
Sword Art Online By no means the greatest isekai ever made, but it's undoubtedly the one that really brought the isekai genre into the mainstream. It also wasn't the first time he'd done “trapped in an MMORPG” (it was .Hack//Register), but it certainly made it popular.
There are arguments about acceptance S.A.O As an isekai, the character was sucked into an alternate universe that exists in virtual reality. However, due to the fact that those who die in S.A.O Die in real life, and the world was the real home of many characters, is definitely an isekai. Much has come of it S.A.O. Including the “bland” OP main character who lets the audience see themselves in their mood. While S.A.O He may not be the father of isekai, but he is definitely its biggest and most popular promoter.