The Essence of Isekai Anime Explained

Article Summary

The isekai genre, commonly referred to as "otherworld," has reached a point of oversaturation in recent years. The abundance of series released annually within this genre can leave viewers feeling fatigued and result in an influx of unoriginal clones attempting to replicate the success of popular shows.

The isekai genre often relies on common tropes like the all-powerful protagonist and romantic entanglements, which can limit character growth and make the genre seem unoriginal and one-dimensional.

However, despite these drawbacks, the isekai genre remains a source of enjoyable escapism and delves into intriguing themes such as second chances and the link between the past and present. To enhance the quality and creativity within this genre, it would be beneficial to reduce the number of releases and give creators more space for innovative storytelling.

If you've been a regular anime viewer in the past decade, particularly in the last five years, chances are you've come across the term "isekai" at some point. Just in 2021 and 2022, a total of 47 isekai series were released, with popular titles like Rising of the Shield Hero, Re:Zero, KonoSuba, and Overlord falling into this genre.

However, it's not uncommon to find negativity surrounding isekai. Numerous articles and YouTube videos criticize the genre, often having titles such as "why I hate isekai" or "why isekai sucks." It's easy to find individuals who are tired of isekai anime dominating seasonal lineups. Social media is flooded with posts mocking the lack of originality and the abundance of titles in this genre. People also find amusement in the often lengthy and peculiar titles of some series, such as Reborn as a Vending Machine, Now I Wander the Dungeon (yes, it's a real series, I assure you).

What Is an Isekai Anime?

However, considering the popularity of both old and new isekai series with viewers, it raises the question of whether the entire genre can truly be regarded as bad. What has caused this negative perception towards isekai, and is it justified?

Image via Sunrise

To fully grasp the essence of isekai, it is crucial to understand its definition. Isekai, which translates to “otherworld” or “another world,” encompasses a genre of fiction where a character is thrust into an unfamiliar realm and must adapt in order to survive. Typically, this character is transported to a fantasy or virtual world or even a parallel universe, assuming the role of a chosen hero or an overpowering warrior. Nevertheless, some recent series have rejuvenated this concept by presenting the character as a villain, an inanimate object, or a seemingly insignificant individual. Additionally, this genre diverges into two subgenres: isekai tenni (transported to another world) and isekai tensei (reincarnated in another world).

Isekai, a genre in anime and manga, can be combined with various other genres such as comedy (Ya Boy Kongming!, The Devil is a Part-Timer), drama (Now and Then, Here and There, Rising of the Shield Hero), action (Drifters, The Twelve Kingdoms), and even romance (I’m the Villainess, so I’m Taming the Final Boss, The Vision of Escaflowne). Despite the recent surge in discussions surrounding the isekai genre, it has been prevalent in anime and manga for quite a while. Aura Battler Dunbine from 1983 is often regarded as one of the earliest isekai anime, where a young man named Shou is transported to the medieval world of Byston Well after a serious car accident. Similarly, 1986’s Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! is also one of the pioneers in depicting characters being transported to video game worlds within the genre.

Another notable example is the popular and highly acclaimed 1996 series Inuyasha, which is considered an early instance of isekai. It follows Kagome, who falls down a well and ends up in the Sengoku period. Moving into the 2000s, we have Now and Then, Here and There, a 1999 series about a young boy named Shu who defends a girl from mecha attacks and finds himself transported to a dystopian world devastated by war.

In the 2000s, there were only a few notable isekai works, such as the web novel Sword Art Online in 2002 and the series The Familiar of Zero in 2004. As we entered the 2010s, light novels like The Saga of Tanya the Evil (2010), Mushoku Tensei (2012), and Re:Zero (2012) gained popularity and received anime adaptations in later years. Sword Art Online also received an anime adaptation in 2012, solidifying its place in the genre.

Fast forward to today, there has been an overwhelming number of isekai releases in the past five years or so. To put it into perspective, between 2018 and 2022, approximately 80 isekai series premiered, and it seems that the trend will continue in 2023. This actually brings us to our first issue with the genre.

The Isekai Anime Genre Is Oversaturated

Upon first glance, the number 80 may not appear significantly large, does it? It roughly equates to 16 per year, and considering the countless anime series released annually, it seems rather manageable. However, upon closer examination, this figure becomes quite overwhelming. To illustrate, in 2022, approximately 26 isekai series made their debut out of a total of 186 anime television series for the year. This count does not even include any ONAs (original net animation). Hence, this implies that around 14 percent of all anime released that year belonged to the isekai genre. This substantial proportion contributes to the weariness felt by many individuals towards this genre. With an abundantly saturated market, where new titles emerge rapidly, it becomes frustrating to witness a seasonal line-up extensively featuring themes like "in another world" or "reincarnated as." More often than not, these offerings appear as unoriginal duplicates of prominent series within the genre such as KonoSuba, Re:Zero, Mushoku Tensei, and so forth.

A significant reason for the prevalence of oversaturation in this realm is due to the effectiveness of the isekai formula. Isekai, at its core, delves into concepts that captivate people, such as the interconnections between the past and present, the sensation of being out of one's comfort zone in a new environment, and the prospect of having a second chance at life. Similar to most works of fiction, the isekai genre offers an escape from everyday life. The protagonists of the alternate world were once nobodies in their own realm, where the powerless have now become formidable. These ideas contribute to the genre's appeal; however, when it becomes repetitious, it loses its allure. And when the genre's common tropes are incorporated? Well, the decline is accelerated even further.

Isekai Anime Rely Too Much on Common Tropes

Image via J.C. Staff

Anime often contains unpleasant storytelling devices. With time, you come to know what you can tolerate and where your boundaries lie. The genre of isekai is no exception! However, there are certain tropes that are both highly problematic and incredibly challenging to avoid. Some of these are frequently mentioned as reasons why isekai is considered a terrible genre. One such trope is the overpowered hero. In many isekai series, the protagonist enters a new world with abilities and strength that are, quite frankly, unbelievable. They effortlessly overpower their enemies right from the beginning, which begs the question: why bother watching? This power ensures their victory and essentially guarantees that the supporting characters journeying with them will never receive any development. This particular trope gives most isekai a very one-dimensional feel, and many viewers are turned off by the lack of growth and buildup it creates.

Another trope is the harem trope, which is often used in isekai instead of a typical romance plot. Examples of this can be seen in The Eighth Son? Are You Kidding Me?, The Familiar of Zero, In Another World with My Smartphone, and King from Now On, among many others. If you enjoy this trope, there are plenty of series out there to keep you entertained for years. However, some viewers find it frustrating to see the protagonist being surrounded by potential love interests without any real development or genuine romance. Similar to the overpowered protagonist trope, the harem trope often hinders character and relationship development in favor of an easier approach.

Additionally, the medieval setting trope is prevalent in many isekai stories. A significant number of these stories take place in a generic medieval Europe setting, or sometimes in a virtual reality world. This trope has contributed to one of the genre's main criticisms: a lack of originality. The popularity of isekai began with the anime adaptation of Sword Art Online in 2012, and since then, the genre has continued to grow. The idea seems to be "if it's not broken, why fix it?" Unfortunately, this mentality has resulted in an oversaturation of generic, cookie-cutter series that fail to offer unique stories, characters, and ideas. Instead, they simply regurgitate aspects of the genre that viewers have grown tired of.

The Genre Has Notably Inspired Popular Internet Memes

Despite the inherent flaws in certain things, it's difficult for anyone to resist making fun of them. Isekai, a popular genre in anime, has spawned numerous amusing memes, notably the "Truck-kun" meme. This meme references a common isekai trope where the protagonist is hit by a truck as a means of transitioning to another world. Additionally, there are plenty of other memes mocking the similarities between many series, the formulaic approach to harem development for the main character, and the excessively long and revealing titles commonly found in isekai.

So, what is it about isekai that tends to irritate people? Primarily, it stems from the genre dominating the anime industry to an overwhelming extent. Many viewers grow tired of seeing an abundance of isekai series in comparison to other genres. Furthermore, the poor quality of some isekai shows, their reliance on overused tropes, and their lack of uniqueness contribute to the frustration. However, this does not mean that the entire genre should be discarded. There are plenty of isekai series that are genuinely funny, exciting, and entertaining, making them worth watching. It would just be refreshing to have a temporary decrease in the production of isekai shows to give viewers a much-needed break.

Editor's P/S

As an isekai fan, I have mixed feelings about the current state of the genre. On one hand, I understand the frustration of viewers who feel that the market is over saturated with isekai series, and that many of them follow the same tired tropes and lack originality.

On the other hand, I still find enjoyment in the genre, particularly when a series manages to put a unique spin on the isekai formula or explores interesting themes.

I believe that the isekai genre has the potential to be much more than just a fad, and I hope that creators will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible within the genre.