The State of Isekai in 2021 | Glass Reflection

[@bignastysimzz]

Isekai is fine, I just hate how they are buying the rights and adapting every single one they can put their hands on to capitalize on the popularity boom from sao etc. Same thing Hollywood did with every YA book series to replicate hunger games/twilight

[@creativeboundaries126]

There is a difference in adaptation that I feel is the big divide. What may work when you have lots of time to explore the characters thoughts doesn’t work in a series that needs to complete several arcs in twelve 20 minute segments

[@Snzn_7]

Well since most the LN that are popular enough to garner producer's attention yo warrant attention to be funded for adaptation are Isekai. They don't have much choice to pick from aren't they

[@MaxRavenclaw]

Can't wait for the inevitable crash. Not that I think isekai is inherently bad, but too many fall back to the same irritating tropes. Even the somewhat decent ones like Slime and Overlord are icky one way or another.

[@ssarellas]

I like isekai so I see no problem with that. The more, the better

[@oceanplanet8160]

@@MaxRavenclaw "Icky." Pfft.

[@Piromysl359]

11 different Isekai airing this summer. This train has no brakes.

[@kmcamesome3799]

AND I'M WATCHING THEM ALL(I think)!

[@Snzn_7]

It will not stop until the LN themselves change gears

[@secretasianman108]

I'm pretty sure the Digimon Adventure reboot is still ongoing, so does that make it 12?

[@priestesslucy]

@@secretasianman108 it's almost wrapped up I think?

[@gansmith]

The main problems of modern isekai are that either their gimmick is too shallowly explored or the protagonist "flaws" are too superficial to make them compelling that is if the protag is given any flaws AT ALL. Anyone can be make a pizza, but a real good one requires some good levels of skill and experience.

[@lucinae8512]

I've done it plenty of times! They were good pizzas, but why would I make another when I can easily order something great?

[@KhanMann66]

The good ones are ignored while the bad ones get a second season.

[@JuniperGreen162]

@@KhanMann66 -- which ones would you consider deserving a continuation but never got any, and which ones DID get a 2nd season that you feel is undeserved? Because most of the trash isekai I've watched stopped at season 1, while the best ones (and many of the decent ones, comparatively speaking) have usually gotten a 2nd and even 3rd season in some cases. Overlord, Re:Zero, Konosuba, Life as a Villainess, Shield Hero, Ascendance of a Bookworm, Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun, and probably others I'm forgetting. All the ones I'd say that are flat-out irredeemable generic boring garbage (Smartphone, Ragnarok, etc) haven't gotten sequels as far as I know. There are some that were popular enough to get sequels that I personally don't find enjoyable, like Slime, Log Horizon, and SAO, but I can recognize why people are drawn to these series, even if they aren't my cup of tea. They still standout in some way or another, so I don't feel their sequels are unwarranted at all, even SAOs.

[@cursedhfy3558]

Pizza is way too tasty for this metaphor. Isekais are sandwiches and can be absolutely amazing, just really good, kind of bland, or just bad.

[@history_loves_anime8927]

Then there's one of the originals; Inuyasha whose protagonists were definatly flawed

[@KittyNaptune]

Isekai can be done well, but usually it's a plot device used to lazily insert a _relatable_ MC into some kind of _relatable_ fantasy setting. World building isn't easy, and it's the most important part of writing good fantasy. Just taking a generic RPG setting and throwing the current most popular MC archetype into it is probably much less daunting for a new writer...

[@sunlitsonata6853]

EXACTLY. That’s part of the reason I really admire The Owl House; it has a distinct main character and a setting that’s actually distinct and feels like a lot of thought went into it.

[@jt_manic]

My god, if we could get something with real strong worldbuilding and writing that we could really sink our teeth into. That would be amazing!

[@kyoneko87]

@@jt_manic Hamefura has strong character writing

[@Orion_Alathorn]

@@jt_manic the problem with what you are asking for is that there actually are a bunch of isekai novels that have exactly that that have been adapted so poorly you wouldn't even know. shield hero is one I like to point to as a good example, any time the books stopped the story to do some character or world building the show cut it out and put a short musical montage there instead. they skipped literal chapters of how that world worked so that they could get to some arbitrary point in the story before the anime ended. and that is one people actually like the show of, there are a bunch of shows where the books has solid writing but they put 0 effort into adapting any of the world building outside of what's 100% necessary, which makes sense sometimes but sometimes the stuff that gets cut out matters later and it can really fuck with things, like how rimuru from slime just suddenly knew demon summoning one day in the show because they cut out the whole arc where he learned it in. basically, it's not that what you want doesn't exist, it's that companies skilled enough to adapt one don't seem to want to or just can't.

[@JuniperGreen162]

@@sunlitsonata6853 -- Yeah, with Owl House, and especially Amphibia, I feel like western cartoons have a lot of unique and interesting perspectives they can bring to the "isekai" genre. Heck, we just got a ultra WEIRD one called Centaur World on Netflix recently, and despite it looking very iffy in the reveal trailer for the show, it turned out to be way more enjoyable than I had expected. I hope to see more cartoons delve into this in the future, as anime has been feeling a little stale and boring for me recently. Nice pallete cleansers, ahah.

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

It's been a while since I've personally sat down and watched an isekai for myself. I think now would be the perfect time to do so because of all the isekai that's out right now.

[@Omardog15]

How is it you're always like the top comment of every single Ani channel I watch?

[@muhammadsofiyuddin9841]

Hai

[@lokasocba]

Last isekai I've watched was Shield Hero, but I'm not sure I'm going to follow the next season(s) because I got kind of bored of it. More early than late in the season it started to turn into the generic side of the genre and I finished the season just to see if I could get caught again, but I quite didn't. So, maybe I'll pass it.

[@asharhusain6256]

@@Omardog15 ^

[@GrowingDownUnder]

Whenever you think about watching an isekai that's when you give me a call, i'll be your isekai blocker...it's like c*ck blocking but with isekai

[@vustvaleo8068]

meanwhile people forgot this one isekai existed: Digimon Adventure 2020

[@arbazshaikh7417]

Yeah dude people don't even think for a second that Digimon is technically an isekai 🤣

[@mariokarter13]

Digimon comes from the era when isekai was just the fantasy genre. Inu Yasha is technically an isekai. Vision of Escaflowne is technically an isekai. But the term hadn't been invented yet, so you don't think of them that way.

[@Urahara12squad]

Bleach is an isekai...

[@patgray5402]

@@Urahara12squad Monster Rancher is an Isekai...

[@KhanMann66]

@@mariokarter13 inuyasha is not isekai. It’s time travel. The world isn’t different it’s just the past and the protagonist can hop back and forth from her time to the past.

[@Strider_Shinryu]

The problem with isekais now is that the "genre" is over saturated to the point where the quality actually doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if the quirk or specific angle is good or interesting, because the thing it embodies is so mind numbingly "done before" that it kills interest on premise alone. It's sort of like how zombie media was a few years back. Were there good zombie movies, shows, games, etc. out there? Absolutely! But every damn thing was zombie or zombie adjacent such that even the good stuff was just "Yeah, been there done that." It really doesn't help that far too many isekais also crib so heavily not only from other isekais but also from anime in general (loser self insert MC, harem of cute girls, power fantasy story, etc.)

[@animusswtor4822]

and that's why Zombieland Saga is so good. Because it meshes a ton of ideas that have been done before already together and make their own weird random thing out of it. I'm watching the second season right now and just had to mention it after seeeing you talk about zombie media ^^

[@kyoneko87]

Also, Hamefura/My Next Life as a Villainess/Bakarina uses a female MC that starts out at a disadvantage, and she is not bland at all

[@Strider_Shinryu]

@@kyoneko87 Sure, but it's still all wasted on being an isekai so it's an instant eye roll. As I said, it doesn't really matter at this point if it's a "good" isekai because isekai as a "genre" itself is so overdone that I and many others just don't care anymore.

[@dappercrow1454]

@@Strider_Shinryu here here. even the so called "good isekai" are not really good, it's just that there is so much garbage in the genre that any show a reframes from the worst indulgences of it are prasad. at this point when I here a isekai is good I translate it into it's not constantly trying to give me a handjob.

[@nathanielduncan4692]

Well yeah I’ve saying that a couple years now.

[@trapitusaventurez2190]

Dungeon of black company is actually very funny, has a combatants vibe from last season

[@clusterfrack13]

Yeah its like a comedy of errors at the hero's expense, very much in the same vein as konosuba

[@futseb]

The isekai that existed beforme all of them was Vision of Escaflowne, aired in 1998. Still a show dear to my heart, that is mostly unknown

[@tjl9458]

Oh it dates far before that. Aura Battler Dunbine is from the 1980s. In actual literature, there's stuff like Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland too.

[@ShermTank7272]

@@tjl9458 "The Wizard of Oz is the first isekai" is not something I ever would have thought, but you are seriously blowing my mind right now.

[@tjl9458]

Technically, Alice in Wonderland is older. It's from 1865 while Wizard of Oz is from 1900. But, there's a long tradition of isekai in Western Literature. You could think of the time travel literature like "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1889) or "The Time Machine" (1895) are also very similar to isekai. Same with Futurama. If so, that means that games like Fallout 4 are isekai.

[@briteboy4749]

Absolutely adored vision of Escaflowne

[@MikeyInsanity]

Huh. Was expecting to see My Next Life As A Villainess Season 2 in this. I haven't watched Slime so that was what I thought was the "Let's cover the thing people are probably watching" one.

[@amara560]

Villainess is wonderful! Isekai of the season hands down. I half dropped Slime after season 1. I just watch an episode now and then. It really lacks focus.

[@ltmuffler3482]

The whole "character is reincarnated as the villain in a dating game" is its own subgenre that is also being oversaturated. It's generally disappointing for its own reasons, but villainess is one of the much less egregious offenders.

[@morrigen3]

Bakarina is best girl. both scenes that involved throwing that toy snake had me in stitches, especially the second one.

[@deveshmullappalli5322]

Honestly, I think Meikyuu Black Company is the most enjoyable isekai for me this season (barring Slime S2 P2 of course)

[@ShinobiDrip999]

Trash lol

[@mikkodoria4778]

that anime is trying hard to be funny

[@indo-jin4113]

Its awesome it has a good likable MC too which is a very significant factor for me

[@justice5408]

Isekai took the anime world by storm around the time I got interested in anime, so it holds a part in my heart. But after watching Re:Zero, Tanya, Konosuba, and No Game No Life (I think that’s all the Isekai I’ve seen) then I’m good. Watching Chiharafuru right now I’ve missed the slice of life!!

[@NeoDeity]

Watch overlord.

[@michaeljohn5130]

Highly recommend Mushoku Tensei. Think of it like a discord mod got reincarnated into another world and slowly tries to become a better person. Keep in mind that it's not a show about good people doing good things, but flawed people doing their best.

[@Ash_Wen-li]

Chihayafuru is amazing. Feels much more like a sports anime than a slice of life

[@luckyowl10]

try that Time I got reincarnated as a slime, it's comedy isakai gold, now I like it more than Konosuba

[@kyoneko87]

Try Hamefura, which had a female protagonist, slice of life feel, and is a refreshing take on Isekai

[@duanefouche378]

Dungeon of Black Company also didn't really get me excited after it's first episode, yet I decided to watch the second anyway. And oddly enough, with each episode I enjoy it more and more. Each episode reveals more backstory to the world, and watching the antics Kinji and crew get up to as they start to build their own "Black Company" behind Raizaha's back is actually entertaining.

[@marcusx22x]

I laughed so much throughout the 4 episodes aired, it's an entertaining & funny watch.

[@fitmotheyap]

Lol,I watched episode 1 and got hooked,made my brother continue watching until at least episode 2,he watched all 4

[@vildiac]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "So I'm a Spider, So What?" Yet. Just barely a 2021 isekai I suppose. But a very solid isekai in my opinion. Similar to slime, but where that was focused mostly on the world building and the...I guess, community? Spider isekai is more focused on actual survival and combat. I enjoy it quite a lot.

[@rjproduction486]

Spider isekai can rival slime isekai, I like the story of spider isekai more than slime isekai, because the plot twist is more interesting!

[@nadirku]

I think the reputation of Millepensee, the studio that brought us Berserk 2016, was probably a bit of a handicap that "So I'm a Spider" might not have fully overcome, especially with how it seems that various issues outsourcing animation caused a marked drop in quality for the ending. I also like the story of Spider more than the story of Slime, but the Spider anime had a few unfortunate errors that detract from that.

[@KhanMann66]

Ugh the anime got butched to hell. Both story and animation. Good first half, sloppy second. Even the last ep felt rushed despite being delayed.

[@williammorales3859]

Spider isekai was so bad and repetitive. Just grind, almost die, become stronger, yelling, and then again

[@JuniperGreen162]

Spider is far better than Slime, imo. I got bored of Slime by the end of season 1, honestly.

[@SageVallant]

At least we can go back and catch up good stuff we inevitably missed last season.

[@raibyo]

Yep. People are gonna do that. They're definitely not gonna end up just watching Vtubers, you know, like they did in 2020.

[@Snzn_7]

The amount of good anime last 2 seasons actually made binge watching a routine for me again.

[@fatetestarossa2774]

@Mandar Sadye INDEED

[@MizantropMan]

Or generation and a half ago. There are no brakes on the rewatch-evangelion train.

[@pikespendragon67]

I'm gonna watch Saiki K and if I find a strong enough interest YYH

[@scmh1288]

Last time I was this early, Promised Neverland Season 2 was still anticipated.

[@ajinurfajri1952]

Wait. A season 2 does exist? Ayy cant wait to see Goldy pond to be animated

[@kyoneko87]

@@ajinurfajri1952 Lolol, *SPOILERS* Should we tell them?

[@KaNoMikoProductions]

"Poor Bus-kun, what did anybody ever do to you" Uhh...

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

So. We've learned the food chain is something along the lines of Isekai Protagonist -> Truck-Kun/Bus-Kun -> Train-Kun

[@nurusds3]

There's even series isekaied by airplane, title "The Prodigies Have It Easy in Another World Too".

[@moviefan005]

@@nurusds3 the terrible one

[@Drizzos]

One of the reasons that I personally place "How a realist hero rebuilt the kingdom" quite high, is cause it has a protagonist that has read real life books that explain why he know certain things, it's not just something he know cause he is a hero. It might get into it later on, but in the LN he does reference books (some quite old) more than once.

[@MastaofPasta]

Dungeon of Black Company and Seirei Gensouki are the only two I'm watching this season, and Seirei DOES get better later on when the other Isekai'd characters start showing up. Black Company is like Konosuba, if Kazuma had been forced to become a miner.

[@FinalReqiuem101]

Not moonlit journey?

[@MastaofPasta]

@@FinalReqiuem101 No, I'm not a fan of some of the later developments in that series.

[@nurusds3]

I'd rather have another season of Konosuba. Even their side story is pretty interesting too. They can just follow how Index got Railgun and Accelerator their own anime. Megumin have her own anime, who won't watch that!?

[@metalmonstar100]

I have been trying to decide whether to drop Spirit Chronicles or not. It just hasn't done anything interesting with its premise and so far just feels like a generic fantasy story. I just don't want to end up watching another King's Raid. Black Company reminds me of Combatants will be Dispatched, a show that tries really hard to be funny but just isn't.

[@nurusds3]

@@metalmonstar100 it's title about Spirit, but he still doesn't know about his spirit power after 5 damn years. Even though he has sensei who read alot of books, or his instructor who favor him very very much (he even shout out to Rio during his match), he can try asked them both. The way the story dragging the progression is killing me I'd rather drop it. And I suggest you too.

[@kabiramalhar2189]

"Isekai needs a BIG show" *Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation entered the stadium*

[@nurusds3]

I guess Mushoku weight so much, even Silver Link and other isekai studios like JC Staff avoided for years.

[@opinionofmine3238]

I don't know if that one will work. Sure fans of the series loved it and plenty others, but the reputation caused by the uh... "raw" aspects of the series if you catch my drift brought it down in a lot of people's minds. Don't get me wrong it's quite a good show and I loved it myself but I just think that clash would keep it from getting the popularity needed to be one of the "BIG shows".

[@opinionofmine3238]

@Scarlet Disaster The thing is, the main thing that turned people away from the show is something that as a manga reader it appears is not going away anytime soon. Still, of course, it's absolutely possible that as time goes on the sheer quality of the story that is to come will overcome it, but the data we have thus far doesn't appear to suggest it.

[@MizantropMan]

I want us to go back to mecha era. Not CGI mecha, but real, paper & graphite mecha. True mecha.

[@nathanielduncan4692]

I wouldn’t mind stream punk to make a comeback.

[@briteboy4749]

Vision of Escaflowne was amazing if you haven't seen yet

[@MizantropMan]

@@briteboy4749 Deciding to finally watch it after having it linger in the Plan to Watch limbo for a few years is what sent me down the rabbit hole of constantly reminding myself how awesome anime used to be back in the day, before the medium started to rot. We do not need to have a quarter of a thousand new shows every year, being cranked out by overworked and underpaid animators, while all the money goes to seyuu, on whose merit it's supposed to sell. Anime is dying by a thousand cuts. I am not preaching the end of days here, I am stating the fact. Animators are leaving en masse because of the horrid living conditions, new ones do not want to get in and if some of them do, there is not enough veterans left to train them. Why can't we ever know that we are living the golden days before they are long gone?

[@jovanjovanovic476]

The Isekai that made me give all other Isekai's a chance was Youjo Senki. Before it came out I always tried to ignore them. It's still one of my favourite anime of all time. P.S. Shouldn't Sonny Boy be included in Isekai's of this season? I mean, they are drifting from one world to another.

[@Ultrazaubererger]

Youjo Senki is also one of my favorite anime. And I just found out they announced a season 2! Yay!

[@brendanb2982]

The best isekais I find typically have a non-traditional setting like Tanya or even Inuyasha if you wanna make that argument.

[@KhanMann66]

@@brendanb2982 Inuyasha is time travel not isekai.

[@redkraken6516]

Hmm. I liked anime untill I read LN. Being damn X, that film was peace of shut.

[@jovanjovanovic476]

@@redkraken6516 Well, I liked the movie very much. I also heard from some LN readers that the story only gets better after Ildoa(Italy) gets involved in the war.

[@Grimsikk]

Realist Hero is genuinely one of my favorite isekais lately, it honestly surprised me at how good it is. I'm hoping for a second season. It helps that I also personally relate with the mc 100%.

[@NadavBenDov]

I'm watching TsukiMichi, Slime and Realist Hero. Of these, the truly standout feature is the TsukiMichi has a fuckin' banger of an opening. Also, on things to watch this season - Sonny Boy and Bokutachi no Remake have been _delivering_.

[@Orion_Alathorn]

fully agree on tsukimichi's opening, the song has already made it into a few playlists of mine lol

[@josephsherby]

Sonny Boy has been criminally underrated all season. It’s been largely ignored and underrated, and I don’t know why. It feels like the Odd Taxi of this season for that reason, except even Odd Taxi got more attention.

[@priestesslucy]

@@josephsherby I can't speak for everyone, but I don't like it. It feels too weird, like it took the worst attributes of the style of Knights of Sidonia, and then used that to build a super weird setting with a super creepy plot. Maybe it gets better in episode 2, but episode 1 was a massive turnoff for me.

[@priestesslucy]

@Mia - Sᴇx Cʜᴀɴɴᴇʟ 18+🅥 Tsukimichi was _Serious Competition_ for slime imo. Off the top of my head I couldn't pick a winner

[@kmcamesome3799]

Tsukimichi is one of the best airing this season! Also, Dungeon of Black Company feels so overlooked!

[@cold4882]

Totally agree, tsukimichi’s story is great and dungeon black company caught me by surprise.

[@kmcamesome3799]

@@cold4882 Yeah, Tsukimichi' characters are also great and, Black Company is so darkly hilarious!

[@zerokura]

Oh is black company out thats great i enjoy the manga only the time skips i mostly dislike its like pretty much whip lash.

[@kmcamesome3799]

@@zerokura It's streaming only on Funimation. I also heard the manga is ending soon-ish.

[@zerokura]

@@kmcamesome3799 ah i see oh well i find some episodes on KZbin like how i watch the moon anime and peach boy lol. Ah finally thats nice the arcs keep getting more and more ridiculous many times am like"ah that was a good ending*new boss break down wall*well hello let me introduce myself and take all your money"

[@deep7051]

I mean Realist hero feels like a Amagi Brilliant Park ripoff which takes itself seriously, I mean look at the main heroine and look at Sento, they literally are the same character, so is the premise, but isekai. I recommend watching Amagi, it's great and funnier than most of the comedy shows these days.

[@KhanMann66]

That’s JC Staff for ya. Sloppy art and animation.

[@maicee7603]

damn i didn't realize that lmao, but i still prefer realist hero

[@ssarellas]

There's also I’m Standing on a Million Lives s2 and My Next Life as a Villainess s2 airing this season

[@patroka]

I actually really like isekai as a concept and a series hook, and I think that they get a bad rep because a lot of them happen to be really lazy wish-fulfillment garbage. And, I seem to have been really behind the news since I’ve read like half of these ones’ manga or even light novel and I didn’t know they were airing, lol. Realist Hero and Moonlit Fantasy were my favorites among those I read the source material of (though Realist Hero I read SEVERAL years ago). Realist was good as, like, the main character never gets any overpowered abilities beyond some intelligence boosting and puppeteering skills (iirc), which makes the problem solving pretty interesting and unusual. And, Moonlit Fantasy is a fun power fantasy that is pretty well executed and doesn’t push its power fantasy or harem aspects too far. And I think the plot does get more interesting as it goes on.

[@Earthenfist]

I totally get you. Isekai is an excellent framing device. It gives authors an excuse to explain and show aspects of the world that might not otherwise get focused on or even glossed over, and also gives viewers a main character that they have an easier way to empathize with- someone who'll exhibit the same sort of wonder and fear that the watcher might if put in that situation.

[@rjproduction486]

I am a Spider so what? Is really one of the Best (also very under appreciated) isekai this 2021! The MC spider is really great! Also the story, at first kinda confusing but after watching all the episodes it all make sense! The plotwist is also very interesting!

[@Mark_o_Helm]

Did you forget about the second season of "My next live as a villianess"?

[@arbazshaikh7417]

Mushoku tensei is the only isekai that I'm excited for this year.

[@MrKeinanen]

I have been reading Tsukimichi web novel since pretty early on and I love it. Hoping it will get longer run with several seasons because it gets pretty intense later on.

[@SirRoderickThunderbottom]

even if my excitement for isekai has gone down, i'd be hyped as hell if final fantasy: lost stranger got announced for a show. playing with an established IRL game series "rules" is my kind of Jam.

[@DanTE_1203]

Mushokou Tensei is that show. Having read the novel. The first season only tackled the earliest stages of the plot. Once Rudy matures both he and the plot itself becomes way more serious, not to mention alot of characterizations of the side characters and really good world building. Slime's more interesting arc will happen like 3-4 seasons away when the invasion arc begins

[@CPD0123a]

It's a big show, and really good, but never got that mainstream thing going like SAO or Re: Zero

[@DanTE_1203]

@@CPD0123a well having rudy as a main character is probably the reason why its not mainstream

[@A_Random_W33b]

I came into anime back when the Moe boom was in effect, and ot eventually turned into my favorite genre as I love slice of life anime. I wish we could go back to those times where anime was experimenting with the cute girls doing cute things genre to find the most bizzare things you could only ever find in anime.

[@alternativeware]

Thanks Glass Reflection this video will help me a lot in a debate about The season.

[@boredfangerrude]

There's only a dozen new isekai every season, there are HUNDREDS of new isekai manga every season. I've read soo many isekai that most of those that get adapted are the best of the best and are actually pretty good, usually.

[@Watcher-pl1lr]

Man, I wish we could go back to the late 90s- early 2000s quality of isekai stories (which are shoujo-based ones btw haha)... They were more unique and had more worldbuilding- Athough most of them aren't even adapted... Ah, Fushigi Yuugi was pretty good tho. And some that are criminally underrated and worthy of adaptation like- SHOUT OUT TO "From Far Away (Kanata Kara)" A GD CLASSIC from the 90s and one of the best isekais I've ever read for real 😭💜💜💜 Edit: Guys, I'm very familiar with the isekai genre haha... I've read a lot for a few yrs now. It's just that- like Arkada said, most isekai stories rn are often focused on that One Quirk (quirky characters, backstory, or magic system etc.) that makes their story unique and often times are hardly ever developed (or like the world and its people are not fully developed? evolved? UNTIL the protagonist came and Show them How it's Done) and like an old person haha- I'm reminiscing on some classic isekai stories back then where a Modern Person (often the Ordinary Highschool Girl or a Career Woman) would be dropped in a fantastical world and actually has to interact like a person (No OP system to tell them what to do, or a foreknowledge of a game/book) to a different country with their own culture and stuff that they have to adapt to ((ooh another rec guys, the Twelve Kingdoms!))..... And... Uhh... Ah! Idk how to explain! Um. Imagine The Hobbits are the modern people that were suddenly dropped into the sprawling world of the Lord of the Rings... That kinda vibe. ^^;;

[@sunlitsonata6853]

My favorite Isekai right now is The Owl House….

[@kyoneko87]

There is also Hamefura/My Next Life as a Villainess/Bakarina

[@shyguy5473]

We had a Shoujo esque isekai in 2019 like Ascendance of a Bookworm. Welcome to Demon School!Iruma-kun is also a blast though it's not Shoujo.

[@Watcher-pl1lr]

@@sunlitsonata6853 oh ye, valid 👌✨

[@Watcher-pl1lr]

@@kyoneko87 read a few of chaps of it ye ^^;; thanks for the rec tho

[@megablub06j]

Very nice point that you compared the current isekai factory to the late 00s/early 2010s moe factory. There are still a couple of moe anime here & there but I can’t really remember a moe show that made it big the last few years (latest ones that came into my mind are 2017’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid & Blend S) nor are there as much moe shows as it did then. Judging by the historical trends, I think the isekai genre has only a few years left before another certain kind of show dominates the anime industry. How I rank these season’s isekai anime: 1. Slime S2 Part 2 2. Realist Hero 3. Tsukimichi 4. Drugstore in another World 5. Seirei Gensouki

[@darryljack6612]

The genre that mimicks it self constantly

[@valekstormhowl4999]

Drifters will always be my favorite isekai

[@Kirkmaximus]

Plus they had a fantastic intro!

[@valekstormhowl4999]

@@Kirkmaximus yes!!!!!

[@Eviltwin1]

Still waiting on another season :(

[@valekstormhowl4999]

@@Eviltwin1 the anime said season 2 us coming in 20xx so they still have 78 years to not be liars lol

[@FallenEncore]

He's definitely not wearing pants in this video

[@nancyjay790]

And you care...why?

[@tenacious_takakumi2680]

My favourite isekai is one that my grandma read: fking Narnia

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

freaking millenials, learn the real origins of the genre, read the wizard of oz

[@shielinglai1599]

My favourite 'isekai' is Alice in Wonderland, one of the greatest 'isekai' as well. Lol.

[@brendanb2982]

The Matrix is the best isekai.

[@fireicelightarrows]

“I’ve been killing slimes and maxed out my level” is a really good Isekai from what I’ve seen.

[@pfeilspitze]

It's fine, but it's another example where the isekai doesn't actually matter. You could call it a fantasy slide of life show and nobody would notice.

[@fireicelightarrows]

@@pfeilspitze The first episode actually dictates the theme of why it is an Isekai, since the girl worked herself to death and tells her pupil the importance of a slow daily grind and not working too much

[@pfeilspitze]

@@fireicelightarrows That's the common "token isekai" marker, though -- it's discussed in the first episode, but after that it's just a theme that could easily have been set up other ways. She could have been a witch born in that world who overworked herself, went to the mountains to recover, and realized how much she liked that life. It wouldn't have changed the rest of the show at all.

[@rjproduction486]

It was good, But it's more a slice of life type of anime. There is no basically a plot in slime 300. I still like it, 7.5/10

[@OriginalPiMan]

It has a similar vibe to Cheat Pharmacist this season, but with marginally better execution.

[@arvinear2331]

Summer 2021 is a drought for me but looking the line up of Fall 2021 is flooded with great shows.

[@retrostar_p995]

Isekai is in a state where I think we've already exhausted all of the "good" ones. The category isn't new, so there are definitely really great stories with rich world building and characters out there, but what's being adapted are the basic junk food types that everyone has seen one version of before. They rely on one little gimmick in the premise to appear different only to be the exact same "viewer insert transported to JRPG fantasy world with cheat super powers and a harem" as everything else. That said, there's nothing wrong with junk food every once in a while (I'm enjoying Seirei Gensouki despite its eye roll qualities). I just personally don't want it all the time.

[@sinom]

With me loving the game PotionCraft recently, I'm actually somewhat interested in an alchemy based Isekai. If it weren't just slice of life...

[@priestesslucy]

*The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent* was such a hidden gem last season! Nobody was talking about it, but I just watched it today and I could not put it down. I even missed a couple of appointments for it.

[@TBoneTony]

I remember a time when Anime was about Robots that have a Human heart, Space Battle Ships, Cats delivering Pizza by day while being Samurai by night fighting against Ninja Crows. I remember when the big Anime trends were Magical Girl like a Super Sentai/Power Ranger monster of the week, Monster Capturing/Friending with those monster partners as well as Shonen Anime where there would be a massive battle but it takes 3 to 5 episodes to get anywhere. Regardless of what people say about Moe Anime from the 2000s or Isekai Anime from the 2010s, I would rather have a mixture of todays Anime as well as Anime from the past and there are some shows that still do Shonen battles like My Hero Academia as well as Magical Girls like the PreCure series that still goes on like a Super Sentai/Power Ranger series with each year having new storyline, new characters, new antagonists. One Piece has still been going for just as long as Pokemon has been. So I think there is a big difference between 12 episode Seasonal Anime and the 52 episode a series Anime that goes for the entire year and sometimes longer.

[@quiquaequod322]

Any thoughts on MY LIFE AS A VILLAINESS? I watched the first season (good, if a little thin), but haven't had time to shoehorn Season 2 into my list. Is it any good?

[@mey8048]

I’d wait till season is complete

[@owoqwq3999]

"Isekai needs a new BIG show" couldn't have said it better myself

[@92mkd]

We need a Black clover Isikai. Not necessarily a Big 6 contender. But a show that is as rich in material and characters is serialized to a level of having a 100+ episode count which is as engaging as a show like BC. If it's a full dive (the isikai similar to Bofuri) story then we can play with with real world. Or if it's a trapped story (the isikai like Slime Reincarnate) then I suppose without the game/world logic being consistent it could just turn into a typical fantasy shonen show like BC. And even be confused as such.

[@irihox]

The Re:Zero erasure!

[@birkhedt9368]

What? Not even YOU could've said it any better? ....Stop this. I don't want to believe it.

[@MABfan11]

Re:Zero is that show and Arc 5 and Arc 6 will continue to prove it

[@shyguy5473]

Mushokou Tensei Jobless reincarnation is that show IMO

[@MsAdventureTimer]

There's also My Next Life as a Villainess, which is pretty good if you ask me. Season 2 has been pretty interesting so far, and the second half will be even more interesting.

[@colinraymond8017]

I think this season has some really good animes like The Case Studies of Vanitas, The Aquatope on White Sand, Remake our Life, and of course Tokyo Revengers is still airing

[@me-myself76]

Looking fresh! Reminds me of your old look

[@bode_hossam]

as i am new here when did he change looks the first time

[@brainstormsurge154]

I think the problem is that nobody trying to draw from Manhwa when there are some really good ones to pick from. Sure you have Tower of God but there's a lot more than just that and nobody is taking the opportunity. That's not to say there aren't still manga or light novels that could be adapted, for me Re:Monster being the first to come to mind, but I digress. When it comes to manhwa isekai I would say my top three starting with the best are FFF-Class Hero, The Beginning After The End and Solo Bug Player and if I was to pick a fourth it would probably be Dungeon Reset. Then you have Skeleton Warrior Couldn't Protect The Dungeon which it's still a mystery whether it is isekai or not. Then you have the genre which I don't think has a proper name yet but what could be termed reverse isekai where the fantasy world invades or supplants itself into the normal world. You have a few poor attempts of anime adaptations so much so I can't even remember any names off the top of my head but I think manhwa has done it better. Of course the prime example of this is Solo Leveling but really this topic has been explored in a lot of Korean web novels that have been adapted into manhwa and in fact Solo Leveling most popular manhwa are including Solo Leveling. Sure people copy Solo Leveling such as Kill The Hero or Frozen Player but there are different takes on it as well such as Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint which is probably easier to follow with the manhwa but I think it's better to read or listen to the novel as there's so much internal dialogue to give context of what you see happening. Then you still have absolute gems such as Hardcore Leveling Warrior which is probably my favorite just from the absolute style it oozes with how the manhwa is drawn. I guess my point is that it's hardly a matter that there isn't anything good to adapt but that I think these animation studios should broaden their horizons a bit more instead of merely dipping their toes in it.

[@galaticwars]

Read Re-Birth The Lunatic Taker. It's made by the same guy who did Freezing really good manwha.

[@evagenesiz7802]

remembers those time that inuyasha,yuyuhakusho etc. most best classic isekai at that time

[@oolong2]

Kinda close to the camera today... My top 5 Isekai of all time: 1. Mushoku Tensei 2. Re: Zero 3. Rising of the Shield Hero 4. Tanya the Evil 5. Cautious Hero.

[@retrogecko2859]

14:22 I'm really hoping that The New Gate gets adapted at some point, but it's one of those ones that is absolutely going to need more than 12 episodes to make the impact it could make.

[@nurusds3]

I have started to cut some isekai from each season. Some of the reason were: -Something with cheat. Such as Isekai Cheat Magician, which is f**akin awful that made me realize, that Isekai should stop with the "cheat" thing. -After stop with something with "cheat", I have been stay away with series that has "slow life" in their title and (or) even in their synopsis; because they f**akin lying, there's no slow life in some unknown land/world!! -The last would be cutting with the products of the famous series previously by said author. Namely something like Combatants Will be Dispatch (Konosuba Author), Kemono Michi (also Konosuba Author). Yes both series funny but boring. We'd rather had another seasons of Konosuba. That's it for my rant. Thanks for listening.

[@tylermustappa2982]

company was stupid not to jump on more konosuba. His other works just lack that spark konosuba has.

[@nurusds3]

@@tylermustappa2982 he should just focus on 1 series. I mean there's alot of long running series with 30+ volumes, like Index, SAO, Rokujouma, Aria, and many more.

[@kelaEQ2]

The issue with Realist Hero is that it is the cliff notes version of the LN. The LN explains why he is looking for new people, with the exception of the Prime Minister everyone one of the top officials are useless, and MORE IMPORTANTLY he is a humanities major meaning while he does have SOME knowledge of how some things work because it is relatively common knowledge (Tree Thinning for example) he is NOT an expert on everything especially in the area he needs knowledge in most alternate food sources. As far as the cliffhangers go I don't like them either but if they did it the way the LN did it, honestly it would mess up the pacing. For example in the LN the introduction order was Elf Warrior, Black Robe, Signer/Beauty contest winner, Animal Speaker, Food Eater, back to Black Robe. 1. Elf Warrior came not for help with trees, but to get poachers removed from the forest, (solution send more food to where the people poaching, then arrest anyone still poaching) then he suggested they use their resources to trade with outsiders, Elf Response: What resources. Hero: trees from periodic thinning, everyone: Huh?, it was only then after explaining what not thinning could cause that Elf Bowed to the Hero 2. Black Robe just wanted the Cash, Hero suspected something more and finally hit on making him a Librarian to keep him. 3. What you saw is what you got more or less 4. Animal Speaker, Post Cliffhanger stuff all happened at this point while Signer entertained the people watching the Jewel Voice Broadcast. 5. Food Eater basically the same as it happened in the show but with Black Rode calling out to the Hero and offering to put himself forward as a candidate(he was put forward by a relative). On Spirit Chronicles, Honestly they might have done better to speed up the first arc more then they have for a couple of reasons. 1. not counting Driver there where 3 people on that bus, 2. The Mii-chan flashback becomes very important latter.

[@shadowtheimpure]

There are a couple that came out recently that touched my heart: Kuma kuma kuma bear (absolutely adorable) and By the Grace of the Gods (Relaxing AF)

[@KarlosMorale]

Kuma kuma kuma bear is such a happy place to visit

[@OriginalPiMan]

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear was good enough through most of it. A bad final episode though.

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@OriginalPiMan I thought the last episode was cute, but that's just me.

[@genghiscalm4879]

Cheat Pharmacist is so damned sweet, I'm actually hoping it takes a dark turn somewhere on that picturesque country road.

[@HaartieeTRUE]

11:50 Basically, he needed entertainers and advisors to boost happiness, food sources and stuff... it's better explained in the manga, as that part is actually a bit longer then portrayed in the anime

[@llucioo]

still waiting for "The Eminence in Shadows", hoping for it to be as amazing as the manga

[@jimuelfaylona]

Hahah I’m that one light novel reader that read a couple of the series you mentioned. Wanted to highlight 2… spirit chronicles does get better because the first 3 volumes of the series is basically a prologue for what’s bout to go down so idk how they gonna go about animating this cause it’s not really capturing what the series is actually about. For realist hero, it’s a great light novel and i think it shoulda stayed like that cause theres so many details that’s being cut out off the source material . I mean the anime does focus on major plot events i guess but I understand why heads be tilting weekly and also as a fan myself, fuck the cliffhangers after each episode🤣🤣🤣

[@anathar8830]

0:02 Too bad “ The Rising of the Shield Hero” got pushed back til April 2022.

[@domnik908]

I thought you were joking so I went to Fall 2021 MAL, and...I see youre not joking...

[@jacksonfurlong3757]

Oh, well. As long as what we get is good, I can wait

[@tron0150]

Shield hero is trash. I read novel, after punishment of certain character it's just becomes another directionless isekai.

[@anathar8830]

@@tron0150 Some of us don’t read the novels, so please don’t be that person who likes to spoil things without giving actual spoilers. Thank you. You’re fine to say it’s trash. That’s your opinion.

[@maxord11]

Meikyuu Black Company leans heavily on corporatism commentary, which I enjoy. It's like Aggretsuko meets Konosuba. The recent episode was pretty solid. I would give it another shot.

[@Etheoma]

Yeh I gotta agree with you on TSUKIMICHI, I like it well enough, it's OKAY... but it's just missing something to be good. Maybe it will get better, but probably not.

[@SoranovaArt]

i think the only type of isekai i hate is OP dude harem ones with no plot, Other wise i like them. I read tons of villainess ones and reborn hero’s those really aren’t bad. I’m actually tired of Slice of Life since they reverted back to high school when they started doing adults. Give some more modern Fantasy or historical like Vinland.

[@MABfan11]

Slime definitely seems to be the most hyped isekai this season, from what the source readers are saying, things are about to get crazy

[@Matiassanita]

"nothing really screams must watch" -higurashi sotsu: am i a joke to you? i get it, it's not for everyone, but the series is pure gold so far.

[@BigGhilz]

I'm still mad at Slime for wasting my time setting up a giant orc invasion like it's an actual threat only for the protagonist to just go "Oh well I guess I can just effortlessly solo the boss" and then try to retroactively give the flat villain orc disaster a tragic backstory AS HE'S DYING.

[@jacksonfurlong3757]

I feel you on them not paying off the orc invasion in a way that had consequences But there was abit of a struggle for the MC. He's still op but that's always been the conceit

[@MrKeinanen]

I think it was a bit more just kind of failed attempt at setting up the bigger villain behind it.

[@tcidenebeuqoiug5340]

WN reader here. Tenma great war. The climax of the series. The event that the whole world's existence is at stake..... . . . . . . Ofcourse no casualties for the Tempest Nation lol

[@BigGhilz]

@@jacksonfurlong3757 The main issue I have is the show spent all this time setting this up like it's serious and a threat and then completely nopes out of it. So this just kills any future attempt at drama or having stakes coz my mind goes "Don't care, I'm not falling for it again". I dont need anyone to die but if they set this as something dramatic and dangerous, then it ought to have been something that put up some challenge.

[@jagerdergroe8604]

We need to go back to mechs and war animes.

[@Kirkmaximus]

At least we got a really good anime with "86" ^^

[@Lightspeeds]

In order to do that, we need a series that can pull the isekai whales in while having the best animation possible. We need a remake of The Vision of Escaflowne.

[@Sheamu5]

Escaflowne was an isekai though 🤣

[@Ash_Wen-li]

I mean a new Universal Century Gundam movie got released on Netflix this month and it was great. They are doing a remake of Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Good, but the first anime is better) They are also working on a new season of the Spaceship Yamato remake as well

[@darklordjackal1742]

Too bad the animation for So I'm a Spider So What wasn't that great because I immediately fell in love with it and started binging the LN.

[@gundam42d64]

Had more fun with that series then the current season of MHA

[@darklordjackal1742]

@@gundam42d64 True. I think they got their priorities mixed up with the movie coming out because they skipped a major arc and pushed ahead so much that it wouldn't make much sense to add it back in later.

[@frederickgrandison3609]

Don't forget about My Next Life as a Villainess X

[@Alorand]

I love the premise of Realist Hero, but really wish that the world-building was better. Honestly maybe my standards are too high after Ascendance of a Bookworm...

[@Orion_Alathorn]

bookworm definitely sets a high bar lol

[@dappercrow1454]

no your standards are not too high, it's that everyone else have them too low.

[@Coeurlins]

Good morning everyone

[@annettebonteri3234]

Yes I'm saying all of this because of your pfp

[@ViridianForests]

Having read all of TsukiMichi's LN/WN so far... its going to go some interesting places (also, the harem never expands further than the two girls)

[@gerrymilgarcia7300]

Oh yeah realist hero also has many scenes cut for time so if you’re confused about something go to the manga adaptation that covers it. Like the summoning of retainers.

[@yuu8002]

Can we count Sonny Boy and Iruma-kun as Isekai as well? Just to make it look better. Iruma-kun would be more like a sekai-show but Sonny Boy?

[@shyguy5473]

Iruma-kun is the best show Isekai airing right now.

[@JuniperGreen162]

I don't see why Iruma-kun shouldn't be counted amongst the Isekai. It's a show about a protagonist taken from the Human world to the Demon world. From a normal setting to a fantasy one. Only difference would be that these worlds seem to be interconnected, and share the same universe. Basically they are separate realms, I guess? Idk, still hits more than enough check boxes for it to be an isekai imo.

[@yuu8002]

@@JuniperGreen162 I agree

[@chadmiettunen]

Isekai as a concept intrigues me, but I've largely given up on the genre. The first season of Re:Zero was great (I gave up halfway through season two) and I'm currently watching season two of Villianess (which isn't really an isekai anymore). Other than those, I can't think of any that really stand out for me. Thankfully there's plenty of other shows for me to watch.

[@GenerationZ313]

I can't say I blame you.

[@ghoulsaga7662]

Isekai is just too generic now so many studios are adapting novels to make money! Good Isekais only come once in a while like Overlord

[@TheGamingTeam101Tgt101]

lmao i could think of two good isekais thsi season alone

[@ghoulsaga7662]

@@TheGamingTeam101Tgt101 tell me

[@ghoulsaga7662]

@@thedoge7766 Les goo baby

[@bertman4]

Looking foward to the reverse isekai, Jahy-sama. LOL.

[@LiteralGibberish]

TsuikiMichi is a slow burn that I ended up really loving as the novel went on and is totally worth the ride.

[@bluebamboomusic6882]

5:18 We truly do live in a post-SAO society

[@summerycast7936]

I wonder if Tsukimichi will garner that stamp of approval from him after the party arrives at Tsige. That is where the tone of the series starts changing, though it still has its light-hearted and comedic moments. Although I have to admit that for an isekai, it doesn't really have a quirk most isekai usually have to grab the reader's attention. The title isn't even a synopsis... "Moon-led Journey in Another World". Probably one of the more proper titles you could have for a isekai. If only the world building was stronger, but I do love the interactions between the characters more-so than slime.

[@thenarrator8781]

Here's an easy way to refresh Isekai; change the setting. What if you got reborn in a sci fi world? Or a Victorian monster horror world? Or some kind of baby candyland? Just shaking up from the medieval fantasy video game setting would go a long way.

[@nyon7209]

I started watching drugstore mainly on the 1% chance that it would the void left by "How to Treat Magical Beasts" ending. By 8 minutes in it hurt to much to continue. 100% agree that if anyone else just wants something dumb and sweet, it'll do the job.

[@goldmemberpb]

The first episode was kinda difficult to sit through but later episodes at least had bit more going on that I was able to watch it without feeling like looking at my watch every few minutes.

[@XeviousD]

SHOWA - Robotic Sci-Fi HEISEI - In betweeen REIWA - Isekai & Others UNKNOWN - ??? Then what happens?

[@talphazero1036]

9:08 Him saying train almost perfectly syncing with the crash was kinda funny to me, even though it probably shouldn't be🌝

[@HeavyTopspin]

Technically Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is a reverse isekai, since all the dragons come here from an alternate world...

[@TASHITE]

"post SAO" I'm ready for your anime dissertation. Hit me!

[@prasenjeetbanerjee2867]

I would rather play JRPGs than watching ANOTHER Isekai lol

[@daithirian]

What?! No next Life as a Villainess season 2? Sure it’s harem as hell but how Catterina is still clueless until just recently was funny. Oh and Shield Hero got delayed to Spring

[@jorgetorcher]

Speaking of isekai.. I'd like to recommend a light novel for those who like them. It's not a Japanese translated novel, but as insinuated, it's an isekai. It's called Savage Divinity by RuffWriter. If anyone gives it a try I'd like to hear your thoughts. A reason I like it is that I feel the characters are made to be believable, like what they think and do. And the mc is traumatized and it shows. Plus there's fighting and stuff

[@TheAkashachi]

While I agree with all the raised points you brought during this video, I think bringing out the other isekai shows we had the previous two seasons would maybe hammer down even further your argument. Just looking at the previous season you can see we had almost the same kinds of isekai shows: our "slice of life isekai" (slime 300), our "comedy isekai" (combatants will be dispatched), our "monster isekai" (So I am a spider). And almost all those shows (even though I enjoyed some of them) are pretty much forgettable. I doubt that even those who watched it will hardly remember those, as opposite to shows like Odd Taxi, Vivy amongst others.

[@AnthonyDaFox]

I'm gonna call bullshit on you. Hamefura season 2 has been lovely!

[@jandex4838]

Hold on to that enthusiasm. You are going to need it.

[@IchigoStrawberry12]

Sure it has some nice funny moments, but given the name of the title and the purpose of the show it became uninteresting.

[@HitomiNoRyu]

@@IchigoStrawberry12 Excuse you! Bakarina is NOT uninteresting!

[@boringfactor8792]

I don't mind they usually have my favorite genre which is fantasy. There being a million isekai is no different to me than there being a million romances in a high school

[@podemosurss8316]

I really like the Realist Hero novels. The anime is being fine, I hope they adapt al the intrigue (and crazy plots) well.

[@deoxxys]

My favorite Isekai this year is jobless reincarnation, restaurant to another world, My Life as a Villainess and Devil is a part-timer.