Highlights
- Isekai takes viewers on a journey into the unknown, where the main character is reborn or reincarnated into another world, with exceptions where the character becomes a monster or non-human.
- Each of the mentioned characters, such as Ja, Arc, Akira, Kumoko, Illusia, Rimuru, Goburou, and Momonga, face unique challenges and must navigate their new worlds in order to survive and achieve their goals.
- These stories explore themes of self-discovery, adaptation, and the pursuit of a fulfilling life in a completely different reality than what the characters were used to in their previous lives.
Before the term 'isekai' came to be, it was referred to as 'trapped in another world,' which sums up the genre. Isekai takes viewers on a journey into the unknown, where the story's main character is reborn or reincarnated into another world, different from the everyday world.
When this happens, the character, in some cases, retains their human form, only changing status and appearance. However, there are exceptions where the main character gets reborn as a monster or non-human being. In this new form, the main character must deal with their new reality and try to survive in this new world.
8 Ja (Jaryuu Tensei)
The main character of Jaryuu Tensei is an ordinary salesman who dies an unfortunate and tragic death in a car accident. To make up for this, he reincarnates as a mighty dragon in another world. In addition to that, he has the ability to transform into the form of a human.
In this other world, this ordinary salesman becomes Ja, a mighty dragon. Ja has adventurers and travelers trying to kill him for being a dragon, but they are no match for his overwhelming powers. One adventurer is Kuroe, and her failed attempt fostered an emotional relationship with Ja, and from there, they journeyed around the world.
7 Arc (Skeleton Knight in Another World)
Before he became Arc, he was a Japanese gamer who fell asleep while playing a game. This gamer wakes up to find himself in the game he was playing as his avatar, a skeleton. Shocked by this discovery, he tries to navigate his way through the game world.
Going by his game avatar name, he becomes Arc and travels around, hoping to solve quests for money. Now, Arc is on an adventure, exploring his new world, saving damsels in distress, and, importantly, hiding his appearance from people to avoid questions.
6 Akira (So What's Wrong With Getting Reborn As A Goblin?)
Akira Yagami was a good and selfless man. Selfless guys are rare, and Akira's death made the world short of one selfless guy. Akira's selfless nature led to his death, as he died while saving a young child from an oncoming vehicle.
Akira dies and reincarnates as a goblin. Readers may be wondering why his luck went sour despite him being a selfless person. Still, in the future, they soon discover that instead of having the usual seven-day lifespan a goblin typically has, Akira is a goblin with 80 years to live.
5 Kumoko (So I'm A Spider, So What?)
Kumoko was once a lover of video games. She used to spend all her time locked in and playing games until an explosion killed her and her classmates. Fortunately, some students reincarnated as princes, princesses, nobles, and more. This luck was not the same for Kumoko, as she got incarnated as a spider.
So I'm a Spider, So What? is the survival story of Kumoko as a spider. She must avoid other monsters and creatures so they do not eat her. Kumoko aims to survive and become a stronger creature in this new world.
4 Illusia (Reincarnated As A Dragon Hatchling)
Illusia, the protagonist of Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling, wakes up to find himself as a dragon's egg waiting to hatch. He is without a name, does not recall his previous life, and feels helpless in this new world with scary creatures.
Illusia's egg hatches, and he is ready to begin his new life. He is determined to be an approachable dragon, steering away from the stereotype of being intimidating. He explores his new world, learning as he does, and slowly achieves his goal of being a better person.
3 Rimuru (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
Satoru Mikami was an average man living a boring life. On the verge of death, he regrets how he lived, especially without a love interest. Satoru dies and soon after regains consciousness in a strange world, but not as a human but as a slime.
In this new world, Satoru befriends a beast and now goes by Rimuru Tempest. Fueled by this new lease on life and his unique shape with special powers, Rimuru is determined to live a fun and extraordinary life different from how he lived as a human.
2 Goburou (Re: Monster)
Dying a terrible death is one thing, but getting reincarnated as a goblin can be a nightmare, and this was the new reality of Tomokui Kanata. Tomokui gets reincarnated in a world as a goblin named Goburou. Tomokui has no choice but to accept his new reality.
Goburou discovers he gains the strength and powers of any creature he eats. Stuck in this new world with an unfamiliar body, he explores the reality of living as a monster with his newfound ability and memories from his past life.
1 Momonga (Overlord)
Overlord follows the usual stuck-in-game path. Suzuki Satoru cannot bear to see his favorite game shut down, so he decides to stay logged in to enjoy the game atmosphere before it leaves. The game shuts down, and Satoru cannot leave as he is unable to log out and has taken up the look of his game avatar, Momonga.
As Momonga, he sees that the non-character players are also coming to life and is puzzled. He wonders if other players like himself are unable to leave the game. With that in mind, Momonga sets off on a quest to find similar players and uncover the truth behind his situation.