The Isekai genre ofanimeand manga can surely draw a crowd. The thought of leaving your old life behind and starting fresh in a completely different environment is vastly appealing. The best part of all this usually involves some sort of change to the status quo where the person reincarnated or transported to the new world suddenly has all the power.
However, there are times when things don’t exactly go the way you think they will, and reincarnation can have its own set of unique challenges. From entering the world of a videogame to coming back as a creepy crawlie, these are the best isekai manga and lite novels.
10Overlord
Kugane Maruyama
When your favorite video game is shut down, it can be a bummer. In fact, many gamers have stayed online till the very last second ofa game’s lifespan. This is what happens to Momonga, a player who decided to stick it out till the last second. However, when the game shuts down, it only becomes more alive.
Transported into the world of the game and taking the form of his Lich character, Momonga soon realizes that the game is now real. NPC are now living and breathing people and have become detached from the rails of the game.
9A Veterinarian In Another World
Choco Aozora
Perhaps some characters don’t need to become powerful after death. Some don’t even die. The plot of A Veterinarian In Another World follows Shingo Kazami, who is summoned due to his skills as a vet.
In a world with magical advancements but not much in terms of science or medicine, Shingo has the skills needed to save the day. It’s a nice departure from the usual formula and the perfect manga to read if you like magical creatures. It’s also nice to see a character bring everyday skills to a new world.
8The Rising Of The Shield Hero
Aneko Yusagi And Aiya Kyū
Some heroes receive the short end of the stick. When four Japanese humans are chosen to become the Cardinal Heroes of another world, they are each given a special weapon to aid in their battle against the Waves.
Naofumi Iwatani is left with a shield, which causes him to lose plenty of support from the neighboring nations. He is also betrayed by the kingdom’s princess, which only puts him deeper in a hole. His luck, however, does change as he trains alone and later with his companion, the tanuki girl Raphtalia.
7Isekai Ojisan
Hotondoshindeiru
Many isekai have their protagonists transported to a new world permanently. Isekai Ojisan flips the script by having its main character return from his journey with all the powers he gained in the other world.
Now he gets to experience everything he missed out on during his time away from Japan. He also uses his powers to make life easier and earn his fortune. As he recounts his tale, it is revealed that one of his traveling companions may have seen him as more than just an ally.
6So I’m A Spider, So What?
Okina Baba
Most isekai give the main charactera nice power-upwhen they make it to their new world. When a spell goes astray and kills an entire classroom, all the students are reincarnated as royalty and highly skilled entities. The same cannot be said for one girl who ends up as a lowly spider.
Coupled with the fact that she ends up inside the most dangerous dungeon, the newly named White, she must survive her new existence. Unbeknownst to her, she will play a major role in the development of her new world despite being the weakest mob.
5No Game No Life
Yuu Kamiya
Available as a lite novel, manga, and even an anime, No Game No Life is a gamer’s dream situation. The story follows two step-siblings, Sora and Shiro, who are masterminds when it comes to games. The two introverts are challenged to a game by God himself, and they persevere.
As a reward, they are given a choice to be transported to an entirely new world that is run by games. They accept and are transported to Disboard, a world where no one can harm each other. Rules and problems must be solved through magically enforced games and gambles.
4That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Fuse
Corporate life can be quite boring as you sit in a cubicle all day long. However, for Satoru Mikami, it’s actually not that bad. The only thing missing from his life is a girlfriend, but after a date goes wrong, he ends up getting stabbed and dies.
This is where That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime diverges from other isekai stories. Rather than coming back as a human, Satoru comes back as a slime. However, despite losing his original body, he has plenty of magic to make up for it.
3KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World
Tappei Nagatsuki
If you’re looking for a lite novel series that has plenty of manga volumes to read, then Konosuba has content for days. The story follows Kazuma Satou, a gamer NEET who is reincarnated into a world that follows MMORPG rules. This makes him the perfect fit for his new environment.
Along the way, he is joined by the goddess Aqua, the explosive Megumin, and a somewhat masochistic woman named Darkness. Despite their skills, all of them cause trouble for each other on their way to defeatingthe Demon King, leading to perfect comedic moments.
2Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Rifujin na Magonote
If you want to yell at a main character, then Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation has exactly that kind of content. However, it also does something that not many isekai can say they’ve accomplished. It actually chronicles the main character’s entire lifespan.
From stay-at-home NEET to being reincarnated as a magic-wielding sorcerer, Rudeus makes a name for himself in his new world. He grows up, gets married, and even ends up starting a family or two. He even ends up taking on God before growing old and accomplished.
1Re: ZERO
Isekai that manage to have unique twists are often favorable over the ones that simply shove a protagonist into a generic fantasy world. Re: Zero has the perfect formula to create something truly unique. This is the element of time travel.
Every time Natsuki Subaru dies, time resets to an earlier point, allowing him to try whatever he was doing before with a new perspective. This includes saving lives and helping his newfound friends through their own personal dilemmas. There are multiple ways to enjoy this story, from lite novels to manga and even an anime adaptation.
