Since the common tropes of isekai have been well noted in the anime community, there has been a growing trend of self-aware isekai series that do their best to turn the common threads between popular series on their heads. Some of the best isekai are the ones that embrace the subject fully and don't shy away from the things that have made it one of the most popular sub-genres of anime.

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With the popularity of the isekai trend, it will be unsurprising for fans to hear that there more iterations of the genre that fail than succeed. Therefore, it should be recognized and celebrated when the good does come along. Far too often, what ends up happening is that some truly great shows get lumped in with the rest because of what makes them similar instead of being appreciated for what makes them unique.

10 Sword Art Online Is Understandably Over-Hated

Kirito and Asuna back to back in front of clouds and stars in Sword Art Online.

Often, the most popular art is also the most criticized, and it's no different for Sword Art Online. Sword Art Online is like the Drake of isekai anime: everyone hates it, but they still enjoy it as a guilty pleasure.

Sword Art Online is over-hated because it takes many tried-and-true anime tropes and crams them in to provide something for everyone. Additionally, the show took several strange turns following its first season which were unwarranted, though they were occasionally enjoyable. For example, the Gun Gale Arc made little sense, but it had cool fights and enjoyable content.

9 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Gives The Isekai Genre New Life

Characters from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime gets a bad rap at times, partly for its name alone. However, this style of long titles in anime is partly what has garnered some shows added attention. It also helps to express the show's tone as one that doesn't take itself too seriously.

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That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime works because it embraces its isekai status to the fullest, allowing for a completely self-aware isekai experience mixed with comedic slice-of-life sequences that give the show its own flavor. That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime doesn't lean too far into its story or plot; its at its best when it makes filler feel like the best part of the show.

8 Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody Is A Relaxing Break From The Madness

An image from Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody.

Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody has its share of negative detractors. Its embraces the overpowered main character trope, and the storyline is not all that exciting or developed. While these are valid criticisms, some interesting dynamics in Satao's story set it apart from other generic isekai.

The "other world" Satao is sent to is a game world that Satao himself was in the middle of creating. This gives him a different perspective than many other game-world characters. The show is enjoyable because its story isn't super deep or intense, providing a welcome change for fans of more slow-paced, relaxing anime.

7 Konosuba Doesn't Get The Respect It Deserves

The gang flashes a thumbs-up in Konosuba.

Konosuba gets a bad rap for a couple of reasons. First, it's a shameless harem where the female characters are all in love with the male adventurer. Second, the actual storyline is more of a slice-of-life comedy than a linear plot with a deeper goal.

Despite these qualms, Konosuba is as silly as it is endearing. It also helps that its setting and characters are unique — the main character is a Goddess who doesn't get the respect she deserves — and apparently, neither does the series.

6 The Devil Is A Part-Timer Remains Optimistic Despite The Hate

Sadao in The Devil Is A Part-Timer holding a burger with clenched fist.

The Devil Is a Part-Timer is a humorous reverse-isekai that turns the whole genre upside down. Instead of the main character being a weakling who is transformed into an overpowered hero, he is an all-powerful villain who becomes a weak, normal person.

Satan teaches the audience that strength is more than just physical power. His blind enthusiasm and optimism are what make the show so humorous, as he has none of the preconceived notions of the dead-end nature of his position at the restaurant which employs him. He doesn't let his situation define him, which is his superpower.

5 .Hack//SIGN Is The Best Isekai Anime You've Never Heard Of

Tsukasa from .hack//SIGN.

It's less that .hack//SIGN has a bad reputation and more that it doesn't get the attention it deserves. .hack//SIGN is the original isekai anime about being trapped in a video game world.

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Though .hack//SIGN was created in the early 2000s, and the art and animation will look a little dated to fans of more modern series, the art style actually matches well with the overall dark atmosphere of the series. Part of why it isn't more popular is that the manga has not been consistently translated for Western audiences. However, the circulation of .hack//SIGN's manga has remained faithful in Japan.

4 I'm Standing On A Million Lives Explores The Emotional Weight Of Its Character's Choices

Cover art for I'm Standing on a Million Lives.

I'm Standing On A Million Lives gets lumped in the category of generic isekai, but it doesn't deserve it. The show has many basic elements that make isekai what it is, but that isn't necessarily bad. It also has a unique other-world system that relates to the world Yusuke is sent to with a kind of multi-verse.

What I'm Standing On A Million Lives does best is explore the emotional impact of Yusuke's new situation. It doesn't merely let him accept his circumstances, but rather actively question them. The characters act in a more realistic and interesting way than in other isekai, which warrants this series attention.

3 Overlord Is Conquering The Isekai World Whether Fans Like It Or Not

An image from Overlord Season 4.

Overlord was actually one of the first big isekai anime to popularize the genre after Sword Art Online put it on the map. Any of the subsequently copied tropes that Sword Art Online didn't use, Overlord has covered. This is likely why Overlord has received a negative reputation among some fans.

For fans of the isekai genre, however, Overlord is a staple that shouldn't be passed up. There's a reason the light novel series that serves as its source material was the highest-selling of 2018. The show follows the daily adventures of the all-powerful Ainz Ooal Gown as he causally takes over the world.

2 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Has A Lot Of Wisdom In A Young Body

Rudeus Greyrat gains magic in Mushuko Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

The main reason Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation gets a bad reputation is due to a moral issue about the nature of its main character: he is an older man reincarnated in the body of an infant. This results in moments where the main character is thinking very grown-up thoughts despite being in the body of a 10-year-old.

Detractors of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation are entirely missing the point. A common trope in isekai anime is that a character who is considered a loser gets sent to a fantasy world and decides to live how they always dreamt they could. Along the way, the character will reflect on their bad choices and try to change them: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation makes this concept its central theme to great effect.

1 I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level Is More Than Just A Really Long Name

Azusa Aizawa from I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level.

The ridiculously long name trope gets taken to its logical extreme with I've Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years And Maxed Out My Level. However, the name is somehow indicative of the show's overall atmosphere: a fun, lighthearted look into the day-to-day life of an overpowered female protagonist.

I've Been Killing Slimes is not for everybody. It lacks any real drama or struggle and instead focuses on the comedic aspects of Azusa's life as the Witch of the Highlands. All she wants is to be left to a quiet, relaxing life, but the nature of her power leads to her gaining a reputation.

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