15 Underrated Isekai Anime You Probably Haven't Seen

Isekai isn't exactly known for its realistic feel. High-powered fantasy can be a lot of fun, but sometimes it's nice to have something a little more down-to-earth. Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions is an isekai that focuses on realism. Its cast of characters are transported to a new world with no special powers or positions and have no choice but to join the army as low-level soldiers in order to survive. Rather than focusing on taking down a high-powered villain or attaining OP skills, this series is concerned with the character's emotional adjustment to their situation and their daily struggle to survive.

After Motosu Urano passes away, she's reincarnated into the body of an impoverished, sickly 5-year-old girl living in a medieval setting. This is all difficult enough, but she soon finds out that in this world, books are luxuries only available to the rich! Using her new identity as Myne, she sets about trying to create the books she loved in her old life. But with the limitations of her body and the social structure of her new world, it's no easy task. That's exactly what makes the show so interesting. Myne isn't OP, but she's scrappy, innovative, and dedicated to her goal.

Have you ever thought that isekai heroes can be a little too reckless with their personal safety? If so, you should check out Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, an anime where the opposite attitude is taken to the extreme. When Seiya Ryuuguuin is summoned to save the world of Gaeabrande, he's happy to do it, but not before he over trains and buys more potions than he's likely to need in a life time. But while his fellow heroes find his attitude perplexing, it might be exactly what's needed to get the job done.

Rather than a typical isekai where the protagonist is a regular human who has to get used to a magical world, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is about the Demon Lord Satan of the land of Ente Isla who suddenly finds himself in the real world. With no magic and no understanding of how to survive in modern-day Japan, he has to scramble to figure things out on his own. So what does he do? Get a job at McDonalds, of course! Only anime can not just deliver such an outlandish premise, but actually do it well.

After being wounded in battle during the Battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600, Toyohisa Shimazu finds himself in a shining hallway filled with doors. He's soon pulled through one of them, and into a strange new world filled with fantastical beasts and warriors from all across history, like Nobunaga Oda and Saint Joan of Arc. Toyohisa and these other historical figures are Drifters - that is, people gathered to fight the Orte Empire and the powerful Ends. The Orte empire has been heavily persecuting elves and demi-humans, and their only hope for a peaceful life is the Drifters. These heroes, all of whom are from different times and cultures, will have to work together in an unfamiliar land to destroy the empire once and for all.

Being reincarnated into your favorite game sounds like a dream come true - that is, if you get to be the hero. Katarina Claes is living a carefree life as the daughter of a duke when she gets a head injury and remembers that in a former life, she was a gamer who used to play the game she's now living in - as the villain! Unfortunately for her, Fortune Lover isn't the kind of game that rewards the antagonist. No matter what she tries, it seems like she's doomed to a miserable future - that is, unless she can find an unconventional route to happiness.

Like many isekai protagonists, Shinichi Kanou is a socially maladjusted shut-in who loves anime and games. Unlike most protagonists, he isn't totally escaping from that mindset - in fact, he has a mission that depends on it. The Japanese government has tasked Shinichi with spreading otaku culture to the fantastical Eldant Empire. This is easier said than done - the Eldant Empire has its own set of customs, expectations, and discriminatory beliefs to push through. Does Shinichi have what it takes to be the emissary of all things anime? You'll have to watch to find out.

Western Restaurant Nekoya is a popular Tokyo restaurant that specializes in both Japanese and Western dishes. For most of the week, they're open to regular clientele, but on Saturdays, they open to the denizens of other worlds. It's a light-hearted, relaxing show that's a great choice if you're looking for an isekai that doubles as an iyashikei (healing) anime.

What if the fictional worlds that we think are just there to entertain us are actually real places - ones that we created? In Re:Creators, that's exactly what's going on. Souta Mizushino is watching anime to help get inspiration for a light novel project he's working on, when he suddenly finds himself transported to the anime's world. Though he's able to return home quickly, he discovers to his shock that the anime's protagonist Selesia Yupitilia, is right there with him. Selesia Yupitilia isn't the only seemingly fictional character to appear - before long, the world is full of them. But while some are harmless, others have sinister motives. And there's one mysterious woman - called Gunpuku no Himegimi - whose origin and motivation no one can quite figure out. What will happen when fantasy and reality collide?

As a Japanese teenager, Misato Kurihara is a genius whose brilliance isolates her from her peers. When she's reincarnated into a fantasy world, all she wants is to be an average, everyday person. But while she's promised just that, average doesn't mean what she thinks it means. She's reincarnated as the daughter of a noble, with exceptional magic prowess. Still, she won't let her circumstances get in the way of having whatever passes for a normal life in this world. She leaves her home for a hunter school, disguises her identity, and pretends her magical skills aren't nearly as great as they are. But with all the ridiculous events that ensue, keeping her secret won't be easy.

Having spectacular psychic powers might seem cool, but in the real world, they're actually kind of a drag if you never have a chance to use them. Izayoi Sakamaki, Asuka Kudou, and You Kasukabe are all bored out of their minds until one day they're invited to the mysterious world of Little Garden. There, they meet a woman in a bunny suit who explains that they have the chance to participate in high-stakes games that stretch their power to the limit - but only if they join her community, "No Names." The thing is, the community has been taken over by a demon lord. Joining the community means fighting the various threats against it, and working to restore its independent. For the first time, these "problem children" are finally getting to use their natural talents.

Escaflowne is one of the earlier examples of the isekai genre, and while it has a very different feel from modern series, it's well worth watching. It follows Hitomi Kanzaki, a teenage girl who ends up in an alternate world called Gaea where the earth she knows is in the sky. She gets there because a prince from that world ends up on Earth while trying to outrun a dragon, and Hitomi's interest in fortune-telling and magic helps him escape. Soon after, the two are brought back to Gaea, where they must face the terrifying Zaibach Empire.

If you like isekai where the protagonist is literally transported to a game-world, you should check out one of the earlier examples, .hack//Sign. Debuting in 2002, this anime follows the mysterious Tsukasa, an MMORPG player who can't log out of the game, even though everyone else can. Some think that Tsukasa is a hacker, while others think there may be something deeper going on, whether in Tsukasa's real life or in the game itself. While not as fast-paced as some of the other anime on this list, it features solid world-building and character development, not to mention an incredible musical score.

Despite her flaming red hair, Youko Nakajima is an ordinary girl - or at least, that's what she wants to be. Keiki, a man from another world, has a different idea. He thinks that Youko is royalty and it's her time to take her seat at the throne. Their meeting is interrupted by dangerous creatures called youma, and the end result is that Youko and two of her classmates are in the new world alone, separated from Keiki and with no idea what to do next. It will take all of Youko's strength and mental fortitude to survive.

When Shuu Matsutani first meets a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru, he's immediately enchanted with her - so much so that when two strange machines appear and try to capture her, he's jumps right into trying to protect her, even though he has no idea who she is. He ends up in a strange, desertlike world where he's attacked by soldiers and ultimately seen as the prime suspect for stealing an Lala-Ru's pendant, an important item that can create water in a world that's suffering from drought. But no matter what hardships Shuu faces, he's willing to endure it all if it means that he can save the mysterious Lala-Ru.