Log Horizon

Worldbuilding - "the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe." These kinds of shows are usually set in a fantasy and/or sci-fi world, and excel at establishing & showcasing the rules/history/economy of their fictional universe. List was created through collective data from multiple websites of people's answers as to what shows are considered to have great world building.

Anime where the main character is particularly intelligent compared to the other characters and their cleverness and strategy plays a large role in the plot of the story, especially if they put their plans into action off-screen.

Anime series that take place inside a virtual game world, often by playing a virtual reality game (VRMMO) with other players, or by being transported into a new world with videogame rules, RPG stats, levels and other game-like elements.
The first shows in this stack are pure VRMMO anime where the protagonist plays a VR game, while shows further down the list are other types of virtual worlds or isekai worlds with game mechanics.

If you've gotten tired or bored with the common trope of the main character trying to get stronger to save something or somebody. If you just want to take a breather and take a break without worrying about the main character for a while - although I can't guarantee it for all of them - this list is for you (one entry per series - no sequels, etc.). These are only a few of all out there and I ran out of space, so if I missed one, I'm so sorry!

Prime examples of what I mean when I say "Best battles + strategic fights + cool characters sorta animes" are 'World Trigger' and 'Kingdom'.
But some of the titles I've included are more prominent in one of these aspects, like 'March comes in like a lion' being more strategic heavy.
All the animes that are included are super interesting and worth the watch.

Surprisingly good series from an oversaturated genre. For people who are interested in isekai but are tired of generic, cliché, trope-filled stories.

(one entry per franchise)

Entries meet 4 or more of these criteria:
1. Atypical protagonist(s) (either in background, personality, or dynamics)
2. Unique magic / power system (aka no "He's casting without incantations?!?!")
3. Unique in-setting religion (aka no "Hello protagonist, I am the Goddess™ of this world")
4. No JRPG / video game mechanics (aka inventory, stats screen, skill list, etc.)
5. Major plot elements do not revolve around an adventurers' guild (generic place that gives quests)
6. No demon king / demon lord / demon army
7. Minimal to no fanservice / nudity
8. Not in the harem / reverse harem subgenres (as in revolving around the main character's many love interests) (series marked with an 8* are ones that are tagged as Harem by MAL but don't really fit the definition)
9. Protagonist has healthy friendships with both male and female characters (as equals rather than subordinates or simple love interests)
10. Has a reason to be an isekai
11. Consistently funny comedy

Format:
Description

[isekai type(s)]
(list of criteria met)

Tags: Unique Isekai, Worthwhile Isekai, Great Isekai

Fantasy anime that are less about slaying a demon lord and more about managing a kingdom or business.

this is the list of my favorites isekai... feel free to suggest some others isekai if I'm missing out... this list groups animes with most similarities together...

it's been said that watching isekai anime is like going downward spiral into a rabbit hole of darkness and some depravity ecchi stuff... folks, people are being over dramatic because some isekai are lewd doesn't mean theres any decent isekai that don't rely on lewdness or other hentai stuff... I'm here to demythify that... at least argue against that false premise...

on this list you will find family friendly isekai that are healthy and wholesome...
just to update that for now but if take your time you will find what are marked family friendly isekai that will get you straight out of the world depravity... is not given but yeah just want to let people know that is not completely a dark path... those who went to the dark side did by choice... so do you rather not go to the dark side?

for those insisting that isekai genre is whatever because of repeating classical trope is like arguing that romance genre is bs because you for sure will know that the stuff usually is the lovey dovey and kissing or some whatever tragedy and sadness... every genre is known for its quirks is totally normal, do people really have its expectations in the right place?

my short recommendation if you like Mushoku Tensei meanwhile waiting for the second season then watch:

-The 8th son? Are you kidding me?

this anime should a be good pick...It does share many elements it got the good stuff as expected of nicely done isekai with all its tropes... cough cough a harem...

-Wise Man's Grandchild

please people don't scream generic... if you just care about generic part or repeated trope then maybe you don't enjoy isekai anime... but here's some similarities to mushoku tensei.

the protagonist:
-was ran over by a car.
-still have some science knowledge from previous life
-started as a newborn baby
-improves magic with science knowledge
-is very op... as much as Rudeus... Guess Mushoku Tensei this season will be about the magic academy.

- Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions

that time I recommended Goblin Slayer to fill the goblin slaying reference that was lacking in Mushoku Tensei. this is a much more older reference for fantasy isekai anime, pretty good. I'm not sure if this anime is pretty popular or not I just saw it recently and Omg it has very good representation of different roles of a party for a lot of anime in this genre. it has very much the similar mechanic in how magic works. this anime was before goblin slayer, I thought this one has serve as inspiration that's why I found that Goblin Slayer even though wasn't isekai has a lot of good quality in it.

-Goblin slayer

is very bloody is not very advisable if you can't handle gore...this anime helps expand on the goblins topic that was barely covered in Mushoku.

some may wonder why goblin slayer is on the list if the mc isn't reincarnated or teleported to a fantasy world...my answer to this is... to think about it this way, the main difference between an isekai in contrast to a straight forward fantasy, is the Mc origin backstory, so in the end it doesn't even matter whether isekai or non-isekai the fantasy world setting is the same for both... capiche? in simple terms this is being used as reference material...

put it bluntly if we have Rudeus Greyrat and the goblin slayer...the latter have a backstory usually in Japan being hit by truck-kun... this being said the main point is that after watching Eris the goblin slayer FYI the Mushoku Tensei OVA ...I got curious and then... yeah after that you want more goblin slaying action in a longer series...what else?

-Skeleton Knight in Another World

even though this anime is of somebody who suddenly woke up in the game... it seems more of that sub-genre of games world isekai... like the fact this one doesn't have the game interface and pop-up menu that's been seen in these others isekai.

-That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime aka Tensura

I highly recommend it... this anime will share and borrow narrative elements from different isekai I consider it a rich and very elaborate and wholesome anime...

ok... I like this one because it doesn't have a game user interface in which is a good thing ... instead it has the better idea of having an ai voice assistant... the reason behind why I'm recommending skeleton knight and Tensura, I saw it has fast travel and teleportation in which is a big deal of a topic in Mushoku for the future so folks watch more isekai with Teleportation and fast travel really a big deal and is interesting... there's some others anime that has it not mentioned for now maybe later or ahead down below keep an eye peel...

-The Faraway Paladin

some says that this anime did took inspiration in Mushoku Tensei... seems it does it also have its own thing... maybe its cover more on the Paladin sides of things, truly is really well done in that sense I did enjoy the concept of paladin that's not very often seen in the genre, as we know mostly the protagonist usually is a mage... the paladin thing did blew my mind what is the middle ground between an mage and a warrior .... ta-da! a Paladin...

basically these are the recommended watch order just to be a more enriching experience on isekai that got ideas that are more elaborate in different story... people complain that isekai are generic but I think is an evolution so it may happen that some ideas are repeated but we can see that it works better than other I think that Mushoku Tensei was able to wrap a lot of ideas pretty well some others too, so I consider it a masterpiece...

if you are looking for something similar to the Shield hero...a Hero Merchant Mc with a lot of ladies' companions, then I recommend watching:

1-Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

yeah, as I this one does follow our Shield Hero foots, going around with a lot of ladies in a cart like any proper gentleman... seriously my role model!

2-Black Summoner

another of our fellow Shield Hero friend Bought a slave to fight too... Nice!

some trends and ideas in the isekai animes has been argue that summoner is the strongest form of a mage because they rely on the spirit as a source of power, that's why suddenly summoner concept is becoming more common and more animes are working around on that idea.

summoning abilities is something that the top names isekai use it is a very a powerful spell...

3-Parallel World Pharmacy

this anime shares some similarities between Shield hero and seijo... what they have in common is the healing and crafting potion abilities...

4-The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent

this anime shares similar vibe introduction both were summoned from a ritual to fight some calamity ...and was treated poorly upon arrival ... but Naofumi had it rougher in comparison...

5- Seirei Gensuki

Our protagonist in this anime is pretty Op and also follows Shield Heros footstep to have demi human slave companion with nightmares during night sleeps... does it sound familiar?

6-Meikyuu Black Company

both mc are the boss... does business in a shady way, both have an Op female bodyguard that are always hungry...

7- Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World

in this anime the Mc bought a slave too... the same way Naofumi did, certainly but the main difference is that this anime went much much further than Shield Hero...

8-I'm Standing on a Million Lives

on this anime the mc has similar restriction on weapon that can be equipped by the hero following certain rules...

*LOG HORIZON---*
- Log Horizon is an recommend anime to watch at some point in time because is like the grandfather to some recent isekai anime. if you enjoy anime related to be isekai in a mmorpg game world.

***if you are looking for anime similar to konosuba in the premise of non-handsome Mc
you may watch...
1- isekai ojisan
2- Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-


***Guide to watch for people with busy schedule
Considering time is limited the usual must watch based on people recommendations,
is to start out with Mushoku Tensei, then go for Tensura and lastly Shield Hero...if you were able to chew on these 3... after that it should be easy to look for the next thing to watch... this list center around those 3 primary top tier isekai... you may notice that whats up and below share the most similarities between them...


enjoy...

the pasture is greener in the dark side.... sooo you my puritan friend... is corruption enticing? are you avoiding the so-called dark side, or do you only watch family friendly isekai?

*UPDATE*
- reached the limit of the list... wondering if there's some great isekai anime left out?
and lastly thanks to the people who sent there's suggestion.

Shousetsuka ni Narou, “Let’s become a novelist!”, is Japan's novel publishing website where anyone can publish and read novels free of charge. These animes are the anime of Shousetsuka ni Narou origin, in which some of them are popular series.

Part 2 is here -> https://myanimelist.net/stacks/5031
Part 3 is here -> https://myanimelist.net/stacks/5032
Part 4 is here -> https://myanimelist.net/stacks/31489

must have a big brain to watch this

Maybe you'll like them to.

It's in order from my favourite to least favourite.

A collection of my favorite Isekai series.

OP MC for when you almost always want your protagonist to win. Some are action anime while some are or less slice of life but the protag is OP

This is a part of a series of stacks that are about artistic tendencies in anime (and that border the fine line between sophisticated and pretentious).

This stack is a work in progress.

Bibliography:
Morrissy, Kim. “Mushoku Tensei Is Not the Pioneer of Isekai Web Novels, But...” Anime News Network. 19 March 2021.
NineOuh. “What's the Point of Isekai? The Cultural Implications of the Genre.” Anime News Network. 21 August 2020.
Pause and Select. “Talking to a Private Isekai Author.” Patreon. 9 maart 2020.
Tagliamonte, Giovanni and Yaochong Yang. “Isekai: Tracing Interactive Control In Non-Interactive Media.” Paratextualizing Games Investigations on the Paraphernalia and Peripheries of Play. Eds. Benjamin Beil, Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Hanns Christian Schmidt. Bielefeld: transcript, 2021. 347-359.

Make sure to check for extra episodes, seasons, or movies!

This inhumanly derivative, formulaic, escapist, consumerist and incestuous genre is one of my guilty pleasures, and in my journey through it I have found some good stuff. Here are shows which either execute the classic isekai tropes well and simply have quality, or shows that may not be the best, but which at least have an interesting execution of the isekai concept that subverts expectations or at least isn't so derivative, generic or mediocre as others.

Includes inverse isekai shows (fantasy world character going to Earth) and anime that almost nobody counts as isekai, as they don't fit into the fantasy RPG setting, but technically are isekai, in the literal sense of the term.

Only one per franchise.

This is a weird concept for a list, but I think it's worth putting it out there. These are anime which I consider help understand anime better because of their referential humour, commentary on otaku culture (whether it's anime or gaming), exploration of the industry and twisting of classic tropes in self-aware ways that put them in perspective. Also included a couple shows which are not necessarily meta or referential, but they are here for being aggresively "anime" in nature, if that makes sense. With how over the top they are and/or how stereotypically otaku their concepts are, I think they give a good idea of how anime has developed.

Note: If you truly want to understand otaku culture and anime history, I think an absolute essential is a short show called "Blue Blazers". It is live action however, so it can't be added here. I strongly recommend you check it out, even if the humour can be cringy, because of how deep of an insight it gives into the history of anime and the industry.

Quality fantasy shows that aren't isekai, where the mc doesn't reincarnate, or virtual reality shows such as SAO.

This stack is an ultimate starter pack if you are looking for anime with genius protagonists or characters with considerably high IQ. If mind games and intelligent moments are your go-to interests, this is the perfect stack for you.

For anime with sequels, only the first seasons of each have been included in the stack. The genres include (but are not limited to) psychological, mystery, isekai, sports, and romance/drama.

Long-running shounen anime have not been included in the list, except Detective Conan (in case you are looking for Bleach or Fullmetal Alchemist - yes, this is according to Aizen's plan too).

Part 2 of the series is in progress. Watch this space for updates ;)

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