Summary
- Isekai manga genre offers unique twists to common plotlines, creating diverse and engaging stories.
- Popular isekai manga such as Ascendance Of A Bookworm and No Game No Life have captivated millions of readers.
- Jobless Reincarnation stands out for its grand-scale narrative, following the protagonist through decades of life.
The isekai genre has been the dominant genre of manga for the last ten years, birthing thousands of worlds that take fans on magical journeys of second chances and fresh starts. As the perfect form of escapism, isekai feeds the fantasy trope of going on adventures, exploring dungeons, and becoming the hero.
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While this is a common plot of the majority of isekai manga, each story handles the genre differently and creates a special story of how the main character gets to the end. Isekai manga have skyrocketed to the top and overtaken some of the best-selling manga of all time. Here are some of the best isekai manga of all time.
7 Ascendance Of A Bookworm
A Magical Story Of A Bookworm's New Life As A Prodigy
- Author: Miya Kazuki
- Copies Sold: 12 million
In her past life, Urano Motosu was an average young girl with an insatiable love for books and reading. Whenever she could, she would bury her face in the pages of one of her favorite stories and be content. Unfortunately, Urano's life came to an abrupt end, and with her last breath, she wished she could read more.
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In the blink of an eye, she found herself reincarnated in a magical fantasy world, but the drawback to her second chance at life is the lack of reading material in the Medieval age. Seeking to solve her problem by finding literature, she sets out to create more books. This inadvertently causes issues and sets off a chain of events that takes her to places she could never have dreamed of.
6 The Rising Of The Shield Hero
An Unconventional Story Of A Young Man Summoned To Be A Hero
- Author: Aneko Yusagi
- Copies Sold: 13 million
Naofumi was summoned to a fantasy world to be a hero alongside three other young men. Being overjoyed with his new life, Naofumi falls into a diabolical plot that frames him for a crime he did not commit, and banishes him before he can even take a breath.
Shunned by the kingdom, Naofumi abandons his heroic duties and takes to the road on his own. While Naofumi rails against his better nature every chance he gets, the close group of friends he manages to find slowly but surely lead him back to the right path. The Rising of the Shield Hero is a well-paced manga that many fans should check out.
5 No Game No Life
A Brother And Sister Take On The God Of Games
- Author: Yuu Kamiya
- Copies Sold: 6 million
Sora and Shiro are codependent siblings who spend their days in their home playing game after game after game. Their lives change rapidly and significantly when they are transported to the realm of Tet, the God of Games. Shiro and Sora find themselves in a curious situation that attracts the attention of the god of games himself.
Never backing down from a challenge, the siblings band together and take on Tet, become the gods of this new fantasy world, and play as many games as possible. No Game No Life is perhaps the most unique isekai manga around, and has garnered a dedicated fan base due to its creative direction.
4 Overlord
A Gamer Gets Sucked Into His Favorite Game And Becomes An Almighty Necromancer
- Author: Kugane Maruyama
- Copies Sold: 11 million
A shut-in gamer awakens in a strange place. Upon further inspection, he realizes he's been transported to a fantasy world inside the guild base he and his best friends created in their favorite game, with all the NPCs present. Additionally, he has taken the shape of his character's avatar, an undead lich named Ainz Oowl Gown.
With few options, Ainz decides to explore and try to get to the bottom of his predicament, and this journey leads him on a path of death and destruction. As the leader of the Great Tomb of Nazaarick and the most powerful mage this new world has ever seen, Ainz slowly finds himself stepping into the role of his character more easily than expected.
3 Re:Zero
Starting Life In Another World Proves To Be An Impossible Task
- Author: Tapei Nagatsuki
- Copies Sold: 13 million
Subaru is dropped in the middle of a fantasy world's market square. Ecstatic about his new life and always dreaming of being an adventurer, Subaru can't wait to see what this new world has to offer. Unfortunately, hard times hit Subaru quickly. With no money, no contacts, and no idea where to turn, he is out of luck and winds up getting mugged.
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This is only the start of Subaru's situation, as an encounter with death allows him to discover he has the power to restart from a random save point. Subaru's journey grows more dire by the minute when he becomes entangled in a shadow war between god-like beings and must use his new ability, along with all of its negative effects, to stay one step ahead and protect the friends he's made.
2 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
From Common Salaryman To All-Powerful Demon Lord
- Author: Fuse, Mitz Vah
- Copies Sold: 40 million
In his past life, Rimaru was an average working man who lost his life protecting his friends from a mugging. After awakening in a new world, he was shocked to be in the form of a slime. Rimaru's exploration leads him to befriend a dragon of destruction, and this encounter changes the direction of his new life altogether.
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Having been bestowed a name by the Dragon, Rimaru becomes more powerful and, in doing so, winds up founding his own kingdom. However, with new power comes new responsibilities, and being the leader forces him to make drastic decisions.
1 Jobless Reincarnation
A Failure At Life Gets A Second Chance At A Higher Difficulty
- Author: Rifujin na Magonote
- Copies Sold: 14 million
Rudeus was a lowly NEET in his past life, having lost the drive and motivation to change. After saving a young girl at the cost of his own life, he is confronted by a faceless god and given a second chance. Being reborn in a magical world with his memories intact, Rudeus sets out to live better, a goal that is easier said than done.
Rudeus grows quickly but learns that this new life has consequences, and old habits are difficult to put to bed. When his new family is torn apart, he is the only one who can help put them back together. Jobless Reincarnation is a story on grand scale that follows the main character through decades of his life, and does so incredibly well.
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