What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any *good* isekais out there?
-
Or even further back:
- Aura Battler Dunbine with its great insectoid mecha, by Yoshiyuki "Gundam" Tomino
- Super Dimension Century Orguss - less clearly isekai, but it's fun work by the crew who did Macross
If I had to pick just one, what would it be?
-
If I had to pick just one, what would it be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oygsxvHtU74
Zenshu, lol.
I promise you it isn't an "overpowered main character" kinda show. There's far too many restrictions on Natsuko's powers in practice and they run into those restrictions within a short number of episodes.
-
Zenshu is killing it this season.
Reincarnated as a Slime is my favorite somewhat trashy isekai (as in: it follows all the tropes but otherwise the animation quality is actually really good).
I'm a Spider, so What?! is a fun boss rush that had a deeper than expected story.
Overlord is a "take over the world" / "Kingdom builder" (Slime also is a kingdom builder but its not as good as Overlord)
The first season of jobless reincarnation was great (though I could do without any 5000 year old demons or whatever in a young girl's body) but after that it felt like it lost all momentum.
Re:Zero is so fucking bleak I couldn't stand more than a few episodes.
-
I should note that KonoSuba is on the sexual side with its camera angles and... erm... Darkness. Just Darkness in general.
Hilariously so of course. But I've tried to get people to watch Konosuba in my group and they were all turned off by its sexual nature.
the sex gags in konosuba are so tame I'd question if your friends are as emotionally mature as the stereotypical white, suburban soccer mom.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
To mention one not already said.
ShangriLaFrontier
Isekais are so overdone, that even parodies are overdone. SLF doesn't take itself seriously but also doesn't make fun of the genre. Instead it's like it wants to go "okay, but being OP in a VR world is hella fun", and shows the characters enjoying being OP and fighting equally OP enemies. I especially enjoy the banter between the closest friends as the heckle each other. My only complaint would be, protagonist friends are also OP in their own ways but we never see them win over protagonist on screen, just implied during conversation.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
there is way more bad than good, because SAO got popular years ago and showed publishers that isekai fans will accept absolute slop, and not even the kinda slop you might like on a bad day. That said, there are some real good ones out there. In addition to what other people have said, I'd like to point out what should have gotten big instead of SAO; Log Horizon. It's also about getting trapped in a game but it takes it's premise in a much better direction. For a minor spoiler:
::: spoiler spoiler
A big part of the early story is realizing using game mechanics to interact with a real world is uncomfortable at best so they realize you can just interact normally. Instead of using a cooking skill to make a predefined meal, just hold the meat over the fire and put your seasoning on it. Or instead of going through a menu to fight, just swing your sword.
::: -
the sex gags in konosuba are so tame I'd question if your friends are as emotionally mature as the stereotypical white, suburban soccer mom.
- One is a stereotypical suburban liberal / Bernie Sanders supporter (surprised me)
- Another is Indian
- One is a soccer mom, super conservative.
Just 3 I can think of that'd be against something like Konosuba.
-
4 humans of "reality" becoming Kings and Queens of a fantasy world after meeting the god of that world? With Judeo-Christian slop words thrown around to sound deeper?
Definitely an Isekai.
The first isekai was Robinson Crusoe. New World? ✅
Weird pro slavery rants? ✅
Overpowered MC with a cheat weapon? ✅Full original Publishing Title btw:
The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates. Written by Himself. -
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. The anime only got one season but it was pretty solid. I'm not sure if the manga/light novels are as good but there's at least more of them.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
Restaurant to Another World. Rather than the modern person going out to explore the medieval fantasy world, the fantasy world patrons enter a magical door to a modern restaurant, experience food cooked to modern excellence, and then go back to their own time inspired with a broadened worldview
-
- One is a stereotypical suburban liberal / Bernie Sanders supporter (surprised me)
- Another is Indian
- One is a soccer mom, super conservative.
Just 3 I can think of that'd be against something like Konosuba.
Two of those are the expected problem children, but that first one kinda brain broke me. I suppose bernie has supporters of all stripes, but I'd still expect better.
-
Two of those are the expected problem children, but that first one kinda brain broke me. I suppose bernie has supporters of all stripes, but I'd still expect better.
No Fap is more of an internet phenomenon that far left and far right alike have fallen for.
-
4 humans of "reality" becoming Kings and Queens of a fantasy world after meeting the god of that world? With Judeo-Christian slop words thrown around to sound deeper?
Definitely an Isekai.
"That Time I was Just a Connecticut Yankee but then I Appeared in King Arthur's Court?!!"
-
If I had to pick just one, what would it be?
The OAVs: Etranger and Leda are concentrated 80s anime goodness, so go with those first.
It takes some dedication to watch the whole TV shows.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
Isekai are popular and relatively easy to write; you don't need to come up with elaborate settings, magic systems etc., you can just handwave it as 'guy enters generic videogame world'. This attracts a lot of untalented writers trying either to make a quick buck or pour out their power fantasies, oversaturating the genre with a lot of shit.
But amidst that shit there are some nice gems, I recommended Hametsu Flag, I Favor the Villainess, The Magical Revolution and This Isekai Maid is Starting a Union.
-
Isekai are popular and relatively easy to write; you don't need to come up with elaborate settings, magic systems etc., you can just handwave it as 'guy enters generic videogame world'. This attracts a lot of untalented writers trying either to make a quick buck or pour out their power fantasies, oversaturating the genre with a lot of shit.
But amidst that shit there are some nice gems, I recommended Hametsu Flag, I Favor the Villainess, The Magical Revolution and This Isekai Maid is Starting a Union.
Basically, isekai is the result of manga culture consuming itself. Mangaka like to write based on their life experiences. Some pull from their daily experiences growing up, their hobbies, and other things. In the past, this meant experiences were quite varied. However, now that most newer mangaka grew up with manga and video games as their primary cultural consumption, we have arrived at a cultural ouroboros where the isekai genre is consuming itself. The premises and titles will become increasingly elaborate until the genre implodes.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
Alice in Wonderland.
-
There are good isekai, but it's littered with slop.
Some I enjoyed:- Re:Zero
- Konosuba
- Ascendance of a Bookworm
- My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom
- No Game No Life (though note that it's been a looong time since I've seen that one..)
- Youjo Senki
- Overlord
- Re:Creators (mostly interesting because it's a reverse isekai, but has lots of boring exposition)
These are mostly the big hits of isekai. (Note #5 has a lot of little sister sexualization, ran from that asap)
I think Overlord is one of the most unique anime I've seen.
I would also recommend The Eminence in Shadow. Also a very unique show, and pretty light hearted and fairly mid on "anime bullshit"
Tsukimichi is also fairly solid, though higher on tge anime bullshit list (stab a giant metal rod in a dragons ass to make her cum...)
Skeleton Knight is also decent with a likable main character and low stakes fun.
My personal favorite is The Faraway Paladin. Such a great wholesome story with amazing characters.
-
Cross-posted from "What's up with the isekai genre? Are there any good isekais out there?" by @[email protected] in [email protected]
It seems like every manga or anime adaption nowadays are isekais with absurdly long titles. As someone who hasn't read that much manga for the past few years but just started again, it's kinda crazy to see all these pop up. Are there actually any good ones out there? Or are most of them just "guilty pleasures"? The only one I've been reading is Ascendance of a Bookworm which is kinda interesting.
