With the concept of escapism at its core, the Isekai genre has become increasingly popular over the years as new series with distinct storylines populate this category. A common trope in anime, an "isekai" refers to a story where a character, usually from the mundane modern world, finds themselves in a world that is fantastical, bizarre, or otherwise drastically different from the one they know. Some such stories follow the protagonist embarking on a journey in their new life. Others heroes find themselves desperately looking for ways to return home. In between these two classifications is another type: one where characters can freely go back and forth between the alternate dimensions.
Series with the concept of returning to the real world are rare, but they serve as a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by the notion of escaping reality altogether. Even within this category, however, is a myriad of differing narratives ranging from slice-of-life cooking to all-out battle series – offering a diverse settings for an equally diverse audience.
5 Restaurant to Another World
Differing from the usual premise of a high-intensity Isekai setting, Restaurant to Another World follows the story of a Western-themed restaurant in Tokyo serving the city’s working class on any regular day. There’s a twist, however, as the restaurant secretly opens on Saturday serving an entirely different clientele: mystical beings.
The owner of Nekoya discovers a portal that leads to a fantasy world that only works on Saturdays. With elves, dragons, and beastmen becoming regular patrons, the restaurant becomes a place of respite for the mythical, giving way to wholesome interactions and newly forged relations.
4 Sword Art Online
One of the most successful Isekai series of all time, Sword Art Online features some dark and horrifying themes, rooted in the reality of death despite being stuck in an alternate world. After the launch of the VR game ‘Sword Art Online,’ 10,000 players find themselves permanently logged into the game. Defeating the game’s 100th floor is the only method of escape.
Despite the show’s dark themes, plenty of scenes feature light-hearted moments between the characters, with some even finding love in the virtual reality universe. At the end of the first season, players finally defeat the 100th floor of Aincrad and escape the game. SAO’s setting then shifts to other VR games such as Alfheim Online and Gun Gale Online, with the series alternating between the real world and the virtual world.
3 Inuyasha
Instead of being transported to an entirely different universe, Inuyasha takes a different approach with a time-travel twist. By falling into the well in her family’s shrine, Kagome Higurashi finds herself in the past, during Japan’s Sengoku period. If being thrown into a world full of demons and spirits wasn’t enough, Kagome finds out that she is the reincarnation of a warrior priestess and must find the pieces of the Shikon Jewel to safeguard it from demonic spirits.
Kagome is also joined by a half-human, half-demon boy known as Inuyasha. Together, the two embark on a journey to find the Shikon Jewel’s pieces and reassemble it. What sets the series apart is the fact that Kagome can travel back to her time whenever she wants, even going back to attend her classes at school. This adds a unique element to the series’ premise. Kagome isn’t forced to stay in the alternate timeline; rather, she does so at her own will.
2 Gate: Thus the Japanese Self-Defense Force Fought in Their Land
Instead of one character being transported to another world, Gate follows a much more dynamic narrative with the entire Japanese Self-Defense Force setting camp in another universe. The series kicks off with a portal from another world suddenly appearing in the middle of Ginza, Tokyo. From that portal appears an army of Roman-styled medieval soldiers, ready to attack the city and wreak havoc. However, modern weaponry allows the Japanese forces to easily repel the invaders and set-up camp in their universe.
The story follows Yoji Itami, a reserve officer of the JSDF, who is tasked with investigating the newly discovered world with his in-depth knowledge of fantasy stories. He can traverse through the portal and return to Earth anytime, though his journey in the fantasy-like universe is far more exciting than his previous mundane job.
1 Kyou Kara Maou!
Be it a speeding truck, an accidental summon, or a mysterious portal, Isekai anime have myriad ways that allow characters to traverse between the two alternating worlds. Still, none come close to the novel, albeit mortifying, method of Kyou Kara Maou’s Isekai travel. After defending his classmate from a group of bullies, Yuri Shibyua ends up becoming their next target, getting his face shoved into a toilet. A portal appears and sucks him inside, transporting him to the Great Demon Kingdom.
Yuri finds out that he is the new Demon King and assumes the role of the ruler of the Demon Kingdom. The story has many twists and turns, yet Yuri tries his best to maintain peace between the humans and demons. He also accidentally gets engaged to Lord Wolfram, giving way to few shounen-ai undertones. After discovering he can travel between the worlds by being immersed in water, Yuri regularly alternates between the two worlds, either finding respite from his duties as the Demon King or running away from his trivial life on Earth.