Highlights
- Newer isekai anime depart from traditional tropes to provide fresh narratives that captivate viewers without relying on formulaic magic systems.
- Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits offers a charming premise with striking visuals and tempting meals, following a slice-of-life theme.
- Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp presents a unique take on isekai with a reverse reincarnation twist, engaging viewers with a novel storyline.
Protagonists finding themselves in the midst of a fantastical world brimming with magic and mysticism is the hallmark of isekai anime, though the same tropes can often feel stale and overdone. With such an oversaturation of tropes, newer isekai anime tend to stave off the usual eccentricities of the genre to offer fresh narratives to fans.
Plenty of isekai anime deviate from these preset archetypes for a more refreshing experience, be it reverse isekai in a corporeal setting or transmigration to a world devoid of magic. Viewers are roused by the notion of escaping to a place that is far from ordinary, and these isekai anime prove that such storylines can be achieved without delving into any of the genre’s formulaic magic systems.
7 Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits
A Food Anime With a Tinge of Supernatural Drama
Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits offers exactly what the title promises — a bed and breakfast eatery for spirit-kind of the Hidden Realm. While the premise of the anime might initially seem a bit grim, with Aoi Tsubaki being a collateral for her grandfather’s debt to a spirit, the narrative quickly turns around when Aoi decides to open an eatery to repay the debt.
The series is similar to other food-related isekai anime, as most episodes revolve around an episodic issue that ends with one of Aoi’s delectable dishes. The appeal of the anime lies in its striking visuals and tempting meals, since the rest of the storyline merely follows a slice-of-life theme with a mix of supernatural entities.
6 Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World
Serving Japanese Food to Patrons From a Fantasy World
Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World takes the dining scene far beyond the streets of Tokyo, trudging into a parallel world of high-fantasy to satiate mystical patrons. Without relying on the usual magic tropes of isekai anime, the series presents a refreshing break from overpowered protagonists and absurd power systems.
Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another World is often confused with Restaurant To Another World, an anime with a similar premise. However, the series differentiates itself with its strictly traditional Japanese cuisine that entices both viewers and the citizens of Aitheria.
5 Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp
A Villainess’ Redemption
With hundreds of isekai anime populating the genre, it’s impossible to find an overdone trope, yet Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp defies expectations with a first in the isekai niche. The anime presents a case of double reincarnation, with Elise being reincarnated to the human world, and then finding herself back in her original body after tragically dying in a plane crash.
The premise is truly novel as the case of reverse isekai molded into a reverse reincarnation throws viewers for a loop in the very first episode. At its core, however, Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp is akin to other isekai villainess anime, following Elise’s journey of redemption as a doctor in a world that resembles the 19th century. It is believed that magic does exist within Elise’s original world, though it’s rarely witnessed as the premise revolves around her medical endeavors.
4 Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
A Doomed Protagonist Desperate to Change Course
One of the few manhwa-adapted anime out there, Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion lives up to expectations with its novel take on the doomed protagonist trope. With Rinko transmigrated into the body of Raeliana, a character in a novel set to meet her end, she resorts to all sorts of cunning maneuvers to ensure her fate is overturned.
The premise is akin to other otome anime with a doomed villainess at the helm, though these narratives often rely on peculiar magic systems and comedic relief. Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion relies on neither of these elements, presenting an engaging epic that is teeming with romance, political intrigue, and most importantly, drama.
3 Now and Then, Here and There
Examines the Impact of War on the Innocent
Now and Then, Here and There is nothing like traditional isekai anime, as it removes reincarnation, overpowered protagonists, and any semblance of fantasy from the premise. Instead, the anime presents a rather grim premise that highlights mature themes such as child labor, genocide, and poverty induced by war.
Despite taking place in a parallel world, the setting of Now and Then, Here and There is reminiscent of the brutalities that have long gripped war-torn nations in the real world. Shu’s plight as he finds himself engulfed in another world’s conflict can, at times, take on an extremely dark tone, though this grim tonality is what lends this isekai anime its appeal.
2 Ya Boy Kongming!
Ancient Chinese Tactician Meets Modern-Day EDM Idol
Ya Boy Kongming! cranks up the absurdities with a reincarnated war tactician taking over the music industry by storm. Since Kongming is a third century war strategist reincarnated to modern-day Japan, the anime is marketed as a mere reincarnation series. However, the two settings are worlds apart, making the entire anime nothing less than an isekai escapade.
As bizarre as it may be, the premise certainly has merit as the series was one of the frontrunners of Spring 2022’s anime line-up. With intriguing characters, catchy music, and an oddball premise, Ya Boy Kongming! is surely worth a watch.
1 Restaurant to Another World
Serving Delectable Dishes to Mystical Creatures
Anime revolving around food are a beloved aspect of the industry, and the isekai genre has followed suit with several renditions of this popular theme. Restaurant to Another World takes on the same premise, albeit with mythical creatures and beasts as the restaurant’s patrons.
While several anime with a similar plot can be found within the isekai genre, Restaurant to Another World distinguishes itself primarily through its Western theme. Moreover, the restaurant opens its doors to a new place each week, welcoming new stories and characters every episode.