Summary
Isekai works don’t just transport the protagonist into another world; the viewer also gets to vicariously experience the isekai world through the lens of the main character. Isekai works are known for their colorful fantasy worlds full of magic, wizards, and elves, but there are also afew series that are more sci-fi, with futuristic technology, mechas, and androids. And some worlds have both.
Science fiction and fantasy have a lot in common, to the point where some viewers may be unable to tell the difference. These isekai stories combine the best of both worlds, whether it’s a fantasy series with a dash of sci-fi, a sci-fi series with some fantasy elements, or an equal mix of both.
No. of Episodes
13
Themecha genre is just as uniqueto the anime and manga medium as isekai.Knight’s & Magicstarts with a software engineer dying in a car accident. And in true isekai form, he gets reincarnated into a fantasy world as Ernesti Echevarria, a young androgynous boy with a talent for both magic and robotics.
The setting ofKnight’s & Magic, like many isekai series, is a Medieval Europe-style world with a sci-fi twist. Intricate mecha known as Silhouette Knights are used to battle the kingdom’s threats, and they’re powered by magic to boot. The protagonist also uses his talents to create magic-infused weapons and other pieces of tech.
There are a ton of isekai series about charactersgetting reincarnated into their favorite dating sims, but what happens when the protagonist gets reborn into a game he hates?Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobsfollows a salaryman who gets reincarnated into the hellish world of an Otome game he was forced to play by his sister.
The series pokes fun at common RPG mechanics like treasure chests appearing out of nowhere and pay-to-play features. And, of course, both sci-fi and fantasy elements are mixed rather liberally, with magic users and fantasy creatures, as well as spaceships and robots.
As a classic CLAMP series,Magic Knight Rayearthleans way more towards fantasy than sci-fi, but it still counts. It follows three junior high school girls who get transported into a fantasy realm called Cephiro. Armed with elemental magic and mechas known as Rune Gods, the girls embark on a mission to save Cephiro’s princess and prevent its collapse.
Magic Knight Rayearth’sfantasy elements are obvious, focusing on atrio of magical girlsin a mystical realm, but the series also sprinkles in a dash of sci-fi. After all, the Rune Gods, which don’t appear until a little later in the series, are essentially just giant robots. Additionally, Autozam’s technologically advanced world runs on Magitek.
12
Created by the same person behindKonoSuba,Combatants Will Be Dispatched!is a similarly irreverent isekai comedy with a science fantasy backdrop. The evil Kisaragi corporation, after almost conquering the Earth, sets its sights on a fantasy realm for an eventual invasion. They send their top-ranking lieutenant, Combat Agent Six, and a combat android named Alice to scout it out.
The isekai world, the Kingdom of Grace, is reminiscent of a classic Medieval European fantasy realm, complete with mages, demons, and other fantastical creatures. However, the two main characters work for a technologically advanced organization and have high-tech weaponry. Not to mention ‘Pretty Girl Android’, Alice, who assists Six in data collection.
The Vision of Escaflowneis amishmash of different genres, which is probably why it has attracted such a diverse fanbase. It follows a high school girl named Hitomi Kanzaki, who gets transported to the magical kingdom of Gaea. She is caught in the middle of a war between Gaea and the evil Zaibach empire, which plans to use magic-powered mechas to conquer the world.
The masterful blend of both science fiction and fantasy is why the anime is considered to be one of the best shows of the 90s. Along with classic fantasy tropes like sword-wielding heroes and ancient prophecies, mechas known as ‘Guymelefs’ play a huge role in the series, and the Zaibach Empire runs entirely on Magitek.
Pre-datingRe:Zeroby more than a decade,Now and Then, Here and Therewasone of the first anime that deconstructedthe isekai genre. It centers around a cheery high schooler named Shu Matsutani, who is transported away from his ordinary life in Japan to a post-apocalyptic, war-torn world after trying to save a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru.
The anime’s steampunk aesthetic fits the post-apocalyptic, dystopian setting very well, featuring a water-powered airship and weaponized robots. It doesn’t skimp out on the fantasy elements either, with Lala-Ru being several thousand years old and the ability to manipulate water.
