Highlights
- Classic manga like Those Who Hunt Elves and .hack//Legend of the Twilight had a big influence on modern isekai, setting the stage for the popular genre we see today.
- Brave Story and From Far Away are early examples of isekai that have become classics, offering readers a blend of fantasy conflicts and romantic tensions.
- Fushigi Yugi and Inuyasha, both 90s manga, not only remain incredibly popular, but they also helped pave the way for the isekai boom with their captivating worlds and adventures.
In recent years, the isekai genre has become a major part of the anime and manga sphere. Stories of reincarnating or teleporting to another world and living out a dream life have become incredibly commonplace, and every anime season has been accompanied by at least one or two new isekai series.
Of course, traveling to another world is far from a new concept, and there are tons of classic manga that feature a similar kind of story. While these stories were not called isekai during their initial publication, in hindsight, it's clear they share similar traits and archetypes. Here are some classic manga that most likely had a big influence on modern isekai.
8 Those Who Hunt Elves
A karate master, actress, and military otaku get stranded in a fantasy world. The elf Celcia Marie Claire offers to send them back, but a mishap sends the fragments of her spell all over the world. The spell fragments are tattooed onto elf women, so the three decide to travel the world stripping elves until they can obtain all the fragments necessary to go home.
Despite the suggestive concept, Those Who Hunt Elves is mostly a comedy, with the focus being more on the trio's various shenanigans as they attempt to retrieve the spell fragments rather than the stripping itself. The series is recommended for fans of silly comedy that doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest.
7 .hack//Legend Of The Twilight
Twin siblings, Shugo and Rena Kunisaki, win two avatars designed after the legendary Kite and Blackrose and decide to use them as their avatars in the virtual reality MMO The World. Once there, Shugo receives the Twilight Bracelet from a mysterious AI called Aura. Wanting to unravel the bracelet's mysteries, the two set out to find Aura.
.hack//Legend of the Twilight .hack multimedia franchise, a series that pioneered the virtual reality isekai concept. While this manga has little connection to either the anime or the video games, it remains a vital part of the series and a classic example of early isekai.
6 Brave Story
Wataru Mitani stumbles onto a mysterious world called Vision while investigating an urban legend. In Vision, he finds a fantasy world where magic is real and wishes can be granted. As Wataru's home life falls apart and his parents decide to divorce, Wataru runs away to Vision to find a way to save his splintering family.
8 Isekai Anime & Manga Protagonists Who Are Reincarnated As Monsters
These isekai characters stand out from among most of the genre's protagonists by reincarnating as monsters in another world.
Initially a novel written by Miyuki Miyabe, Brave Story was eventually turned into a manga series spanning 20 volumes. Brave Story itself has become quite the franchise over the years, making it a classic of early isekai.
5 Marchen Awakens Romance (MAR)
Ginta Torimizu is as geeky and nerdy as can be, but his life changes when he arrives in MAR Heaven, a place he has seen before in his dreams. He soon encounters the mystical ARM Babbo and becomes wrapped up in a struggle for the peace and prosperity of MAR Heaven.
Marchen Awakens Romance is a classic fantasy action series full of shonen action-adventure tropes. It has a large focus on fairy tales and folklore, so fans of those subjects will certainly get a kick out of this series.
4 From Far Away
Normal high school girl Noriko Tachiki is thrown into a world of swords and magic, during a time when everything is in chaos due to the Awakening, a mysterious being that can control a mighty creature known only as the Sky Demon. Rescued by the handsome prince Izark Kia Tarj, who speaks a language she does not recognize, Noriko has no idea that she is the Awakening, a fact that will plunge her and Izark into danger at every turn.
From Far Away is a classic shojo fantasy manga with elements of isekai. It is a story that abounds with both fantasy conflicts and romantic tensions. Fans of both will certainly get their fill from this manga.
3 Fushigi Yugi
Miaka Yuki and her best friend, Yui Hongo, discover a mysterious book titled The Universe of the Four Gods. To their surprise, they are transported to the novel's universe the moment they look at the pages. Though Yui is sent back almost immediately, Miaka stays behind and becomes the Priestess of Suzaku in order to obtain a wish from the legendary beast. To do so, she'll have to gather the Celestial Warriors and protect the country of Suzaku from outside threats.
Best Reverse Isekai Anime Of All Time, Ranked
Many anime involve humans going to fantasy worlds, but these shows do the opposite. Here are the best reverse isekai anime ever.
Fushigi Yugi is a classic isekai story from the 90s, and one that remains incredibly popular to this day. It has received several follow-ups and spin-offs, each one focusing on a different part of the world's history.
2 Inuyasha
High schooler Kagome Higurashi finds herself thrown into the world of feudal Japan, where magic abounds and demons walk the land. Befriending the half-demon Inuyasha, Kagome sets out to recover the shards of the mystical Shikon Jewel before the evil Naraku can do so himself.
Inuyasha is a classic 90s manga from the legendary Rumiko Takahashi, one that most anime fans are aware of. While it remains a popular staple in anime and manga, it can claim itself as an early example of isekai as well.
1 Magic Knight Rayearth
While on a field trip to the Tokyo Tower, three middle school girls are teleported to the mystical world of Cephiro. There, they learn that they are the Magic Knights, and that it is their duty to awaken their powers, find the Rune-Gods, and save Cephiro from destruction.
Magic Knight Rayearth is a classic manga from the prolific author collective CLAMP. While the series certainly displays aspects of magical girl stories, it also has a lot in common with Isekai. Fans of both genres will certainly enjoy this iconic work.