Isekai series are a dime a dozen these days, which makes it very hard to tell which ones are worth getting invested in,which ones stand at the peak of the genre, and which ones are just a mess, at least at a glance. Thankfully, 2021 had quite a few isekai series that were worth watching whether it was due to their stellar animation, their interesting concepts, or just their likable characters.
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So, let’s go over some of the best examples of the year and talk about why exactly they’re the cream of the crop.
8Banished From The Hero’s Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside
The isekai genre is so overpopulated these days that it’s actually creating sub-genres within it.Banished From The Heroes Party, in that sense,fits pretty well into the “overpowered MC in a slice-of-life setting” sub-genrealong with series likeCheat Pharmacist’s Slow Life: Making a Drugstore in Another WorldandParallel World Pharmacy.
But, what sets this one apart from all the other niche slice-of-life isekai is that it has a lot more substance than it might seem at first glance. Gideon’s or “Red’s” world has a lot of consistent rules to it, there’s a lot of subtle world-building, and the viewers' suspension of disbelief is never really broken. Plus, as an added bonus, there’s a cute romance in it that isn’t drawn out over the course of the entire story.
7The Faraway Paladin
Here’s the thing aboutThe Faraway Paladin,it’s a fantastic story that is massively underrated,and the anime adaptation is okay, but it isn’t amazing. When compared to other high-quality isekai adaptations likeThat Time I Got Reincarnated As A SlimeandJobless Reincarnation,The Faraway Paladindoesn’t quite stack up in any category.
The pacing is odd, the animation is a little sparse, and the fight choreography is confusing. Still, the story of William G. Maryblood is one of the more interesting isekai stories out there, and still has a long way to go, so it’s still well worth a watch or at the very least a read.
6Jobless Reincarnation
WithJobless Reincarnations’second season wrapping up during its air airing back at the end of 2021, people are desperate for other isekai series of its quality to fill the gap. Now,Jobless Reincarnationisn’t exactly the easiest show to recommend to the more casual anime fanbase due to the polarizing nature of some of its more adult content, but the show is still absolutely worth at least a look regardless thanks to excelling in every other respect.
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Part two of Rudeus Greyrat’s story is a lot more “grim” than part one, and fans get to see more of this fantastical isekai world as Rudeus, Eris, and the Superd Ruijerd journey back to their home from the Demon Continent.
5How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom
Much likeThe Faraway Paladin, the anime adaptation ofHow A Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdomisn’t the best. Still, the concept of it, the interesting new ideas it adds to the isekai genre, and the overall interesting main character Kazuya Souma more than makeup for it.
Once again, similar toBanished From The Hero’s Party,Realist Heroneatly fits into another sub-category of isekai series. This time, it’s the “socio-political isekai” type of show alongwith other series likeGateorLog Horizon. And, while it doesn’t quite match these two shows, it does get very close.
4The Dungeon Of Black Company
Usually, a typical isekai series tells the story of a main character who is unsatisfied with their life getting reincarnated, or being transported to a new fantasy world. But,The Dungeon of Black Companytells the opposite with an MC who is wrenched from his amazing life in the real world and thrown into the horrible life of a corporate dystopian isekai world.
That unique concept alone makesDungeon of Black Companyworth at least a glance. But, add on a nihilistic capitalist fantasy setting, a ton of dark humor, and a unique MC, andDungeon of Black Companyeasily earns a spot as one of the more memorable isekai anime of 2021.
3Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy
Following this same pattern of sub-category isekai,Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasyis the penultimate version of the “protagonist becomes immediately overpowered in an isekai world” stereotype of this genre. Quite literally, Makoto is dropped into his fantasy world already more than capable of taking down an ancient Dragon or stopping an age-old demon spider. And, this power only increases with each passing day as the story goes on.
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Thankfully, because of the unique way this story is toldand the non-stop comedic aspects of the show,Tsukimichinever gets boring like other stories with an overpowered protagonist would, and it’s always interesting to see just how absurd Makoto becomes by the next episode.
2That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Who can forget about this high-quality isekai anime that was running for almost the entirety of 2021?That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slimeis essentially the “de facto” premiere isekai of the last few years, and its quality has maintained or perhaps even grown in the second course of its second season.
This patch of the absurdly strong Rimuru Tempest’s storyis a lot darker than fans of the first season were likely expecting, but that’s what makes it so great. And, because of these darker narrative elements, there are a lot of chances for new characters to fight or appear.
1So I’m A Spider, So What?
The year 2021 was when the anime community as a whole was introduced to the roller coaster ride that isSo I’m A Spider, So What?The modern icon of the “non-human isekai reincarnation” sub-category,SIaSSWis an anime almost entirely held up by the main lead Kumoko’s ability to monologue and joke to herself.
It’s an odd story, to be sure, and one that isn’t the most “well-animated” given its over-dependence on acceptable yet very noticeable CGI, but it’s just so fun to watch!The video-gamey aspect of its leveling system (though it’s not set in a game)and the constant progression of Kumoko up the dungeon always have the viewers craving for more, which is why it’s so beloved.
