The Many Worlds of Isekai in Anime 🌍

February 17, 2021

By Kathleen Townsend

Is visiting new, fascinating worlds something you look forward to when watching a new anime series? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re talking about a genre built around being transported to new worlds—isekai.

But what exactly is isekai?

It comes in many shapes and sizes, but the term generally refers to when an everyday person from our world gets transported to a new, different world.

Sometimes gamers find themselves sucked into a game. Other times Truck-Kun™️ runs you over and you find yourself in a world you’ve never even dreamed of. These places can be high fantasy worlds or worlds plagued with monsters, waiting for a hero to save the day.

But whether you’re stuck in the avatar of your in-game character, find yourself reincarnated as a whole new person, or take on the guise of something completely nonhuman and a little bit monstrous, it’s safe to say you’re in for a wild ride!

And the Winter 2021 anime season is perfect for isekai lovers. Let’s take a look at the many worlds in this season’s isekai offerings!

Log Horizon

If you’re already a big fan of isekai, then look no further than Log Horizon. (The first season of this series is one of my personal favorites).

Now, more than 50 episodes deep, Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table is here, and there’s never been a more perfect time to dive into the world of Elder Tales.

The anime follows Shiroe, a hardcore fan of the aforementioned Elder Tales, an MMORPG set in a fantasy world. On the day of the game’s latest expansion release, its users are sucked into the game world! Are you hooked yet?

There is so much to love in Log Horizon. All sorts of video game tropes and mechanics are explored, like gold-farming bots transported along with players. Oh, and Resurrection Points are still a thing, so Player Killers are a threat.

But if that’s not enough, the political drama that ensues is incredible, detailing a world upended by the arrival of Adventurers and the forming of Guilds. On top of that, they need to figure out why they’re there in the first place…and how do they get home?

Watch Log Horizon on Funimation!

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Originally airing in Fall 2018, we all quickly fell for the heart and soul of a little slime named Rimuru and his incredible power. And now that Season 2 is gearing up to premiere dubbed on Funimation, we are even more excited!

In this isekai setup, Japanese businessman Satoru Mikami is stabbed in a random act of violence, but as he dies, something happens. He finds himself in a cave with an underground lake, grass with magical properties and a giant dragon who’s been trapped there for centuries. Satoru isn’t human anymore. No, now he’s a slime.

Adopting the name Rimuru Tempest, this slime is not to be trifled with, and he quickly gains powerful, new abilities to become a powerhouse. From there, we get an adventure and power fantasy, as Rimuru makes allies and enemies as he seeks to build a new kingdom.

If you want more than that, you’ll just need to take a trip to the world of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime to find out what comes next.

Watch That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime on Funimation!

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

At last, we welcome the latest addition to the Funimation isekai series family: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. This incredibly animated series is based on a light novel series and features another amazing isekai to explore!

This series follows a 34-year-old loner who…gets run over by a truck. Unlike other isekai travelers, though, he awakens just as he is born into a new life. Seriously, he starts out as a baby.

Equipped with the knowledge of his previous life, a skill for adopting magical abilities quickly and a new name, Rudy, the loner is given a new chance at life. And with his advanced mind, he’s now seen as a prodigy, now under the training of mage Roxy and his swordsman father, Paul.

With powerful magic and newfound courage, Rudy is ready for his second chance, even if he is a little scared to venture into the outside world at first. We can’t wait to see where Rudy’s journey goes!

Watch Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation on Funimation!