Summary
Love or hate them,isekai animecan offer a great escape from reality. When done right, they whisk viewers away from their everyday routines and drop them into vibrant, charming, and fantastical settings that hold endless possibilities. As “isekai” is just a theme, these types of stories cover a wide range of genres and tones. Some series focus on extreme action (IshuraandDrifters), others areoutlandish comedies(KonoSubaandThe Eminence in Shadow), and a few are character-driven studies (Mushoku TenseiandRe:Zero).
Even if the suspense is undermined by overpowered protagonists, most anime lean into drama, be it combat-based, romantic, or political. Only a few isekai shows purposefully strip themselves of tension, opting to create a carefree atmosphere where everything will always work out fine. And, only a handful of these anime are worth watching.
By the Grace of the Godstends to divide people. It is either the dictionary definition of wholesome or a boring slog with an insipid story that slowly goes nowhere. In truth, both views are valid, and someone’s reaction will likely come down to expectations. Many isekai anime are power fantasies featuring over-worked protagonists who are gifted a rewarding second life, andBy the Grace of the Godsjust opts to go down a different route than anOP MCwho can one-punch every monster in their path.
During his past life, Ryoma suffered from severe loneliness; consequently, when it comes time for his reincarnation, the gods stack the deck in his favor to ensure he leads a peaceful and social existence. The result is a life defined by good fortune, affable interactions, and success. While not the most exciting journey,By the Grace of the Godsis a fun escape with likable characters and decent world-building.
Another overworked protagonist, Azusa is rewarded with immortality for her second life, an opportunity she uses to craft an anxiety-free existence. Her daily routine mostly involves killing a few slimes, interacting with the locales, and just generally keeping away from any potential conflict. Unfortunately, after a few hundred years of grinding, Azusa has leveled up so much that she becomes one of the most powerful witches in the world, which naturally attracts unwanted attention.
While her peaceful life is technically threatened, Azusa’s days are generally tension-free, with any dramatic situations being mostly played for laughs. Due to being a slice-of-life comedy,I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Levellargely revolves around Azusa’s daily misadventures, none of which challenge the protagonist in any way. Before long, the show becomes almost an ensemble comedy as the focus shifts to Azusa and a few other girls, creating an almost found-family situation.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimebalances action, comedy, and drama quite well, and the sequel seasons introduce political intrigue to complement the generally great world-building. Although not devoid of slice-of-life moments, the main series has way too high stakes to qualify for this article; however,The Slime Diariesis the perfect alternative.
More often than not, spin-offs are inconsequential and designed to be completely skippable, and that technically can be said for this show. However,The Slime Diariesdoes a fantastic job of spotlighting the average days of Tempest citizens, telling stories that demonstrate how this inclusive society functions. As its leader, Rimuru’s hands are full, but his days are mostly filled with laughter, silliness, and sweet food.
Weirdly enough,two isekai anime exist about restaurants.Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food From Another Worldis a pretty good series in its own right, butRestaurant to Another Worldis a better candidate for this discussion. Every Saturday, an Earth-based restaurant (called Nekoya) opens its door to a fantasy world, welcoming an eclectic range of customers who wish to feast on human food.
Covering an array of races, Nekoya’s clientele have diverse backgrounds that are explored to an extent during their visits; however, they are not the show’s main attraction.Restaurant to Another Worldprimarily focuses on food, going to great lengths to showcase and promote every dish. With a rotating cast of characters (along with a few staples) and an episodic format that generally ignores an overarching narrative,Isekai Shokudouis a consistently drama-free watch. That said, the anime follows a fairly strict format that can get repetitive, making it not that suitable to binge-watch.
When picturing an easy life, “farming” is probably not the first occupation that comes to mind. Yet, when offered the possibility to shape his next life, Hiraku asks tobecome a farmer. Given a few cheats to facilitate his growth, the protagonist succeeds in creating a cute and ever-expanding homestead that quickly transforms into a small village with an assortment of monsters (most of whom are girls).
Stationed in a fairly dangerous forest and having to form relationships with other cities,Farming Life in Another Worldsets up plenty of potential obstacles and challenges, only for them to be overcome by Hiraku’s positive outlook and general kindness. Within a few episodes, any dramatic elements fade completely away, leaving behind a cute anime about outcasts who come together to create a near-utopian society.
