The Isekai trope is seemingly as old as time itself, with Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard Of Oz, and The Chronicles of Narnia leading the way in otherworldly adventures. The genre has become exceedingly popular in anime since The Twelve Kingdoms, .Hack//Sign and, most notably, Sword Art Online; however, the uncreative overuse of the stereotypical narrative has flooded the industry with predictable content.
In an attempt to keep the genre alive, several series aim to deconstruct the familiar themes instead, as Isekai is not to be discarded as a dead horse trope but merely treated with the respect it deserves. By subverting the expected plot points or exploring the darker side of a reincarnated life, the following anime save the day for Isekai with their original, thought-provoking storylines.
8 Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions (aka Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash)
A commonly overused trope in the Isekai genre concerns the classic hero easily assimilating into their new lifestyle with grace, suffering minimal hic-ups, and often accompanied by an overpowered skillset. While talented gamers may have the upper hand in an RPG-inspired realm, not every reincarnation story has techno-guru origins, and some unfortunate souls generally don't have the first clue about what to expect next.
Haruhiro's party is seemingly filled with lost farts trying to navigate through a bubble bath, possessing a very vague understanding of their role in the team but not always capable of fulfilling it effectively. The group has a faint recollection of their past lives but lacks definitive memories, like trying to recall a dream as it slips away. The result gives a realistic representation of what an average Joe would experience if suddenly Isekai'd, further emphasized by how effortlessly Renji and his party dominate Grimgar's RPG-styled system.
7 Romantic Killer
Anzu Hoshino is painfully conscious of the fact that she is currently submerged in an Otome setup after being tricked by a bulbous wizard who is paranoid about their country's prosperity. Although the declining birth rate is a serious (and real-life) issue in Japan, Anzu is quite content to waste her days playing video games, but when her life actually becomes a video game, she couldn't be more furious.
The logical way out of this unbearable scenario would just be to play the "story" out to the end and hope to escape back to reality, which would be particularly straightforward for Anzu, considering she is familiar with the "Romantic Thriller" plot. Deprived of any supernatural abilities, the rambunctious redhead stubbornly tries to avoid every "quest" set before her and quickly identifies each stereotypical trope dangled in her face as the storyline progresses.
6 Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World
Many reincarnated heroes are blessed with an Isekai Bonus, generally giving them an incredible advantage in their new life; however, sometimes, this special skill is lackluster instead. In Subaru Natsuki's case, he incorrectly assumes that he has fallen into a typical Isekai adventure and immediately acts as the main protagonist should, but is shocked to discover his only superpower has a Groundhog Day effect.
The fairly talentless Subaru will respawn in the same location every time he dies, fully aware of the past but uncertain about the present (as things keep changing ever so slightly). The young man's reincarnation becomes burdened with multiple traumatic memories as his companions are brutally and regularly slaughtered before his eyes, making life even harder for the struggling hero. Being a NEET with minimal social skills doesn't help Subaru either, and his extensive knowledge of video games offers little assistance to his survival.
5 The Rising of the Shield Hero
As with many Isekai heroes, Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to another world to save it from destruction; however, he gets a raw deal in this whole arrangement and is utterly disgusted by the people he is bound to serve. The typical MMORPG duties are dished out (Spear, Sword, Bow, and Shield), but things don't go according to plan, and Naofumi gets vilified and banished from the pompous kingdom.
The Shield Hero is certainly put through the wringer but finds a way to channel his anger productively; however, he (rightfully) develops intense trust issues as a result of his constant mistreatment. Seemingly obvious advantages derived from typical gaming mechanics (such as finding magical items) should not be taken lightly, as this is reality now, after all.
4 Uncle From Another World
Not only does Uncle From Another World aggravate the Isekai community by essentially glossing over the otherworldy adventures, but it also adds an almost Reverse-Isekai element to the storyline when the magical Ojisan returns to Japan. At nearly forty years old, Ojisan has spent half his life in a coma and subsequently has nothing to his name beside some potent magical abilities that could possibly come in handy.
Some entrepreneurs in Ojisan's shoes might have found a way to become a celebrated superhero (or a criminal expert); however, this SEGA-obsessed NEET prefers to use his overpowered abilities to enhance his YouTube career. Although an avid gamer, Ojisan is incapable of comprehending the RPG format of Granbahamal to the detriment of himself and those around him. He messes up his Isekai Bonus Wish, completely skips over entire sections of the Flame Dragon storyline, and is oblivious to the advances of the Tsundere love interest following him around (while Takafumi watches on in awe of his Uncle's naïvety).
3 Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Tough for Mobs
Life would be relatively simple for Leon Bartfort if he had simply been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and the only real challenge he would have to adapt to is the fact that women hold all the authority in the Holfort Kingdom. Alas, he is clearly not the Chosen One, but at least Leon is familiar with typical Otome Isekai structures and quickly formulates a plan to somehow work his way to the top.
This trivial mob character eventually slithers his way into Royal Academy (after ten years of laborious grafting), but that is merely the first obstacle before him, as his success is not as clear-cut as he had hoped. The series delves into the darkness of impostor syndrome while the natural order of things gets turned on its head when a female reincarnate is discovered meddling with the seemingly predetermined storyline.
2 The Twelve Kingdoms
It is not uncommon for Isekai to contain relatively lighthearted content, and while many shows have a strong life-or-death element to them, few are as dark and twisty as The Twelve Kingdoms. Yoko Nakajima and her classmates, Ikuya Asano and Yuka Sugimoto, are deceived, kidnapped, and mercilessly thrown into a fantastical monarchy, left powerless and desperate to return home.
Each of the youngsters explores different Isekai narratives through their horrific experiences, all making a point of revitalizing the expected tropes in the process. While Yuka's strong Chūnibyō complex influences her every move, Yoko starts out as confused, overwhelmed, and entirely relatable but ascends to greatness (by pure luck), whereas Asano is less fortunate and suffers a complete mental breakdown from the drastic and traumatic Isekai escapade.
1 Now and Then, Here and There
Nobody is safe in this dystopian alternate reality, and everyone has the potential to endure agonizing ordeals regardless of their role in the narrative, which allegedly is a reference to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Horrific events are fleshed out in excruciating detail as Shu does his best just to survive while also attempting to protect Lala-Ru and receiving very little help from the local residents, who have no desire to mingle with a strange outsider.
Now and Then, Here and There is certainly not for the fainthearted and is likely to keep viewers up at night, supplying the same level of nightmarish content than Made in the Abyss (if not worse!) Reincarnation can be a double-edged sword, as one would likely wish themselves dead (for good) after witnessing the crimes of war firsthand, particularly when children are involved.