Isekai has quickly become one of the most popular genres in anime, and there are a few series that were so close to being a 10/10, it’s heartbreaking. These series seemed to have everything needed to become masterpieces, but for one reason or another,they just didn’t have what it takes to be perfect.
There are only a handful ofisekai anime series that can be considered perfect, and it’s not an easy feat to pull off. To be a 10/10 series, an isekai can’t just be good: it has to be great. It can’t have any low moments, odd plot points that don’t make sense, or uncomfortable characters that derail the series.
Not every series needs to be perfect, but there are a few that feel like they could have been. These franchises were so close to greatness that it’s painful because if they just made a change or two, they could’ve easily found themselves in 10/10 territory.
Sword Art Onlineis one of the first major isekai series. It set the stage for the isekai genre, and it’s gone down as one ofthe most popular anime series everon MyAnimeList.com. WhileSword Art Onlinepaved the way for other isekai series, the anime has more than a few notable flaws that hold it back from achieving 10/10 status.
The main character, Kirito, is a solid protagonist, but he doesn’t have enough personality. He’s an edgy character who doesn’t really pull it off,especially when compared to modern shōnen protagonists like Sung Jinwoo fromSolo Leveling.All in all,Sword Art Onlinedoes a lot of things right, but it’s easy to see just how far the genre has come.
No Game No Lifeis a cult-classic of not only isekai, but anime in general. The series stars Sora and Shiro as the best game players in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s a video game, board game, card game, or anything in between: these two are the best by far. They begin to get bored playing games as they can’t find any real competition.
They’re suddenly invited to the world of Disboard, where everything is decided by playing games. They quickly fall in love with their new environment and work hard to bring Immanity, the lowest-ranking race, to the top.
It’s a great series for a lot of reasons, but one of the main reasons why the anime can’t reach a 10/10 status is thatso little of the source material is actually animated.There’s only one season ofNo Game No Life,and even though fans are clamoring for a second, it doesn’t look like it’ll ever happen.
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdomhas one of the best,most unique premises in isekai. It tells the story of a college student who is summoned to a new world with the task of rebuilding a fallen kingdom. Instead of using strength, magic, or any other kind of force,main character Kazuya Souma uses his intelligence.
He uses skills from his home world to try and raise funds to rebuild the kingdom without dominating his enemies. It’s a great idea that never really takes off. The series falls flat in a lot of key areas that stop it from becoming a truly 10/10 hit isekai.
The Beginning After the Endcould have been the next big anime series. The manhwa that the series is based off of is incredible, and fans across the world were more than excited to see Arthur Leywin’s story brought to the screen. Sadly,The Beginning After the End’sanime adaptation is one of the most disappointing of all time.
There are so manyreasons whyThe Beginning After the End’sanime failedthat it can be hard to find a place to start. There were major (unnecessary) changes to the manhwa, tiny changes that don’t help the series at all, and above all else,the anime barely has any animation.
It’s a terrible adaptation, to say the least. If there are any positives, it’s that the anime introduced a lot of people to the great story it was trying to cover.
The isekai genre isn’t exactly known for realism. It’s a genre defined by a character traveling to another world, usually gaining some kind of unstoppable power in the process. Out of all the isekai series out there, there are none quite as grounded asGrimgar of Fantasy and Ash.
Instead of making its main characters incredibly powerful,Grimgarmakes them normal. The characters in the series aren’t the high-flying adventurers found in other series, and they suffer a lot because of it. WhileGrimgarhas a unique premise, it doesn’t captivate audiences right away like a lot of the best isekai series of all time.
IfGrimgarhad a little more panache, it might be able to contend with the best of them,but it still makes for a great watch for any fan of the isekai genre.
Overlordis one ofthe darkest isekai anime everin the best way possible. Most isekai series send their protagonist to a new world and force them to save it whileOverlordlets its main character do the opposite. Instead of trying to make the world a better place, protagonist and lovable anti-hero Ainz Ooal Gown decides to dominate it.
He becomes the titular Overlord of whatever he sees fit. It’s a refreshing take on the genre that makes for a great watch, except for the second season. For whatever reason, the second season ofOverlordtakes the spotlight off of Ainz and shines it on lizard characters that never play a major role in the series after the fact.
It’s an odd choice that never really makes any sense.Luckily, the third and fourth seasons of the anime focus on Ainz yet again, bringing the undeniable quality ofOverlordback.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeis one of the cutest, most adorable, andfunniest isekai series out there. It stars Rimuru Tempest as a slime born into a brand-new world. While slimes are usually the weakest creatures in whatever world they find themselves in, the opposite is true for Rimuru.
He quickly becomes one of the strongest characters in the series, creating his own nation and befriending other cartoonishly powerful characters. While the series had a ton of momentum to continue building upon, it dropped the ball during the third season.
The third season ofThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimewas so boring that it brought the series to a halt.It’s referred to as “That Time I Got Stuck in a Meeting"due to how many meetings fill the season. With the fourth season coming soon, hopefully, the meetings are done for good.
Shangri-La Frontierwas amazing when it first came out. There are a fewsolid isekai seriesthat take place in video games, andShangri-La Frontierstood out. It was a great series with an amazing main character and a great plot that supported it all.
In the first season of the series, main character Sunraku shone as a video game player who did what he wanted. While everyone else felt inclined to join guilds or follow the main quest line, Sunraku did his own thing. It was a refreshing take on the tired genre and made for a great watch.
The second season ofShangri-La Frontierbetrayed everything that the first season put forward. Instead of getting to do his own thing, Sunraku was forced to work with a bunch of guilds on things he wasn’t interested in.If the series had followed the formula put forward by the first season, it would have been perfect.
To callMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationa massive series would be an understatement. Not only does the series literally show Rudeus Greyrat’s life from the moment he’s born until he dies, but the fan base that has grown to love this series is second to none.
Mushoku Tenseihas a lot of things going for it. It has exceptional animation, a solid story, and plenty of great characters to root for. Unfortunately, it has a few problematic elements that keep it out of 10/10 territory.
Rudeus reincarnates into a new world with all of his memories,making his real age closer to 40 when he’s in his teens.It makes it pretty uncomfortable to watch him date people “his age” when he’s actually decades older, a pretty major issue with a lot of isekai series.
