Isekai has become one of the biggest genres in anime in the past several years, and anyone who watches anime has probably seen at least one example of the genre. Many otaku simply can't get enough, so the more isekai to watch, the better! Thankfully, Hulu and other streaming services have embraced anime, answering fans' call for adventures in other worlds by offering them tons of isekai anime to enjoy.
As one of the world's biggest streaming services, Hulu is definitely a great resource for anime fans. With a great collection of isekai anime ready for streaming, fans of reincarnations in mysterious settings will always find something that engages their interests.
Demon Lord, Retry
12 Episodes
Demon Lord, Retry!, like many isekai, features a man reborn into the world of a fantasy video game. This time, Akira Ono is stuck inside his own creation, Infinity Game. In the guise of the Demon Lord, he's now both highly respected and a huge target, raising the stakes as he tries to figure out how he ended up inside his own code.
As the creator of the game, Ono is more methodical and forward-thinking than many isekai protagonists. Demon Lord, Retry! is lighthearted, and while things never get too serious for the reincarnated game developer, it's an engaging and unique isekai story that does new things with an old idea.
Overlord
52 Episodes
Based on a series of light novels, the highly acclaimed Overlord sees a gamer stuck in the world of his favorite MMORPG on the day its servers shut down. Now trapped in the body of a powerful Skeleton Lord, Ainz Ooal Gown finds that the foes who stood in his way are no match for him now.
Overlord is such a treat because it takes the concept of isekai series as power fantasies and just runs with it, accurately portraying how a master of a game would absolutely wreck any opposition if he were an overpowered boss. It's a simple high-concept but also brutally fun throughout.
Wise Man's Grandchild
12 Episodes
Wise Man's Grandchild tells the story of a young man who's reborn in a fantasy world as a baby and is subsequently adopted by a wizened wizard. Unfortunately, the mage teaches the lad, now named Shin, everything that he knows besides common sense, leaving him unprepared for the world at large.
Attending a school to hone his magical powers, Shin of course catches the eye of the resident females there. Combining elements of isekai, "magical school" fantasy, and harem anime, Wise Man's Grandchild stands out by remixing a huge collection of tropes, creating something new in the process.
Arifureta
25 Episodes + 4 OVAs
Arifureta is a great reversal of fortune isekai, showing a protagonist who's down on his luck with the world against him. After Hajime Nagumo is reincarnated in another world, he's given only a few basic blacksmith skills while his classmates are reborn with powerful magical abilities.
After being betrayed and left for dead, Hamime vows to escape the current status quo, building weapons that allow him to take on incredible opponents. Along the way, he attracts a team of outcast allies, showing how even the weakest individuals are stronger than they seem.
Kemono Michi: Rise Up
Kemono Michi might be the silliest and most original isekai of its generation, though anime fans have largely overlooked this gem. In this series, a magical princess transporters pro wrestler Genzo to her world to defeat its many evil beasts, but being an animal lover, he beats her up instead and vows to befriend the wayward animals!
Kemono Michi's plot sounds like a parody of isekai and does a great job of subverting the genre's tropes. However, it also stands on its own merits. Even the most ardent isekai fans should give this smart, funny series a try.
KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World
20 Episodes + 2 OVAs
After a rather ridiculous death, the goddess Aqua reincarnates Kazuma into a fantasy world. Though Kazuma, Aqua, and their allies initially plan to defeat the overbearing Demon King, they eventually simply give up on this goal and devote themselves to living their best lives.
KonoSuba is a fun and comforting isekai with a refreshing concept, even if circumstances end up forcing the team to fight their grandiose opponent. It's also a great example of a series that highlights a powerful protagonist who's undermined by his own dysfunction, with hilarious results.
Sword Art Online
96 Episodes
Sword Art Online might be the definitive isekai anime. The series follows Kirito and Asuna, two fans of the titular online video game. When they're trapped inside the game along with other players, and faced with the possibility of real death, they realize they'll have to beat the game to regain their lives.
Sword Art Online codified expectations and tropes for modern isekai, and its popularity focused the subgenre on MMOs. The anime, based on a light novel series, has had movies and spinoff shows, but it all started with the first season of SAO.
Inuyasha
193 Episodes
Back before fans even knew what isekai was, they loved watching Inuyasha on Adult Swim. The series is about Kagome, a teenager who ends up in Japan's distant past. There, she befriends Inuyasha, a human/dog-demon hybrid, as well as a growing cast of allies, as they search the land for the fragments of a mysterious jewel that emerged from Kagome's body.
Of course, Inuyasha is full of both romance and action, and the general narrative feels different than modern isekai. Still, as the first "adult" anime for many fans, it's a beloved classic for a reason.
The Rising Of The Shield Hero
38 Episodes
With a sketchy beginning, Rising of the Shield Hero has its detractors, but viewers who buy in beyond its opening will discover one of the best-written contemporary isekai in anime. Rather than having a protagonist who's instantly handed everything, Shield Hero's lead struggles early on, not just for basic resources, but for any kind of support system at all.
Rising of the Shield Hero centers around Naofumi Iwatani, a man brought to another world while reading a book in a library. While there, he's named as one of the Four Heroes necessary to save the world. However, as the purely defensive Shield Hero, he's first ignored by the country, then betrayed by someone claiming to be his ally. Is this world even worth saving, and does Naofumi have a choice?
BOFURI: I Don't Want To Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense
24 Episodes
The isekai power fantasy often involves characters who want to prove their incredible power in battle. However, isekai series like BOFURI are less about displays of dominance, and more about finding inventive ways for heroes to use their incredible powers.
BOFURI focuses on a young woman named Kaede Honjou, who reluctantly joins a popular VRMMO. Upon entering the game, Kaede creates a virtual persona named Maple, but because she doesn't want to get hurt, she places all of her skill points in defense. She winds up with a character that's nearly impervious, offering her skills even the developers weren't aware of. With these powers, she explores this new world with her friends.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
48 Episodes + 5 OVAs
The anime that started the "Reincarnated as a" trend, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is quite good. The series largely focuses on worldbuilding, carefully introducing new countries, characters, and a class system without ever throwing too much at the viewer. Sure, it might also have a bit too much fanservice, but it also knows when to dial that back to tell serious stories.
When the middle-aged Satoru Mikami sacrifices himself to save his co-worker, he's sent to another world, reincarnated into the form of a slime monster where he absorbs much of the energy of one of the world's strongest dragons, Veldora Tempest. With this power, he becomes the feared "Great Demon Lord" Rimuru Tempest. As he ventures out into the world, he learns how his very existence has warped the continent's delicate political balance.
Mushoku Tensei
21 Episodes
Mushoku Tensei features some of the most beautiful animation and world-building in fantasy anime in the last twenty years. In spite of its weak protagonist, Mushoku Tensei is an absolute must-watch isekai.
When a jobless NEET is reincarnated into another world, he vows to try and live a meaningful life. As Rudeus Greyrat, he enjoys a happy existence with his parents and his local neighbors. However, will Rudy be an underachiever in his new world, or will he seize this opportunity to truly reinvent himself?
Log Horizon
62 Episodes
Like Sword Art Online, Log Horizon helped popularize the isekai genre and the concept of heroes trapped in a video game. Log Horizon isn't as well-known as SAO, it's arguably the better series. Built specifically for fans who want to understand its video game's rules and logic, it's a precise and well-crafted series.
Log Horizon begins when former players return to the popular MMO Elder Tale to check out its new update. However, they collectively learn that none of them can log out of the game anymore. Even when they die, they respawn instantly, leaving them stuck in this new world. With no way out, can they find a way to salvage their new reality?
