The word "Isekai" holds so many connotations, images, and associations. It's been around for a while; however, not until the early fabled days of the 2010s (and beyond) did the genre grow into its own. In nearly every year since, there has been some form of an isekai during each seasonal release. Each has its own gimmick or gag, but certainly with power-scaling and tropes that become almost creature comforts and a place to call home.
The conventions of isekai usually show the protagonist dropped into another world, where they learn that they have a power that breaks the rules of the very system they find themselves in. Now, do they become paragons of goodness or evil? That depends on them. There have been many isekai anime over the years; however, not all are equal quality. Some are received well and gain popularity (or notoriety), while others never get past their stumbling blocks and fall into obscurity. So, out of all the isekai which worlds and storylines, which are deserving of second chances?
10 Amatsuki
Amatsuki is an earlier addition to the isekai genre, predating the explosion of recent years. High schooler Tokidoki is assigned to extracurricular work where he visits an advanced history museum, wherein the most popular exhibit is a VR installation of Edo, which is supposed to help him study for his school work. During his stint at the museum, he is trapped in the VR world and supernatural creatures start to appear.
Debuting in 2008, it only had a single season to its name. Unlike other isekai, this is a josei style anime with a long-running manga that lasted for 15 year. However, the anime never achieved the same level of success.
9 Knights & Magic
Isekai are a dime a dozen. With the saturation of the market, not every single one stands out from the crowd, and yet nevertheless they garner sequel seasons just for the fact that people watch them. Sadly, Knights & Magic never received their second season, even though they stood out from the homogeneity of the pack.
The protagonist, a former programmer, obsesses over giant robots and is brought to a world where the main form of combat is primarily through mecha. Even without a sequel, the show received some accolades, having found its way on various "Best Mecha Anime" lists of the 2010s and has made token appearances in Super Robot Wars 30th Anniversary.
8 The Twelve Kingdoms
The Twelve Kingdoms is an anime ahead of its time with beautiful fantasy settings, incredible animations, and realistic multidimensional characters. The heroine, Youko Nakajima, tries to fit in with her good grades and sociable attitude. However, her red hair always makes her the pariah. On one fateful day, a man from another world barges into her classroom and states that she will inherit the throne of his kingdom. When crossing through worlds, youma (demonic enemies) follow him and embroil two fellow students, Ikuya Asanao and Yuka Sugimoto, into Youka's fight in another world.
Sadly, when it premiered back in 2002, it was not of its time. Tastes tended to skew to the more outlandish and comedic rather than serious fantasy tales. It was overshadowed and outshone by Chobits at the time, and may receive better recognition now.
7 The Vision Of Escaflowne
Shoji Kawamori's original work, The Vision Of Escaflowne, was vastly different from his first work Macross. It tells the story of a girl sent to another world where she meets Van, the king. Balancing romance, mech, and action was popular with all genders, but did not achieve great success in Japan itself.
Rather, the show was more known as a global sensation. With an already stellar storyline, modern animation techniques and updated graphics are the only things needed to update this international fan favorite of the 1990s for modern audiences.
6 Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?
This anime is an interesting take on the genre. Protagonists Izayoi Sakamaki, Asaki Kudou, and You Kasukabe already have psychic powers in their own world, and are invited to a mysterious place called Little Garden. With their guide, a rabbit woman named Kuorsagi, they take part in high-stakes games as part of the community the No Names. They fight demon lords to win land ownership and reclaim their homes from the villains that stole from them.
This series only lasted ten episodes back in 2013. It had a different spin from other isekai, as it was more about territory wars than working for royalty or being the proclaimed hero. There were a lot of tie-ins to folk tales, fairy tales, and multiple pantheons of mythology that never got fully explored in the show's single season.
5 Magic Knight Rayearth
This show comes from the legendary creators CLAMP, known for Chobits, Cardcaptor Sakura, and the xxxHolic series. Magic Knight Rayearth was released in 1994 and did receive a sequel the following year. It's about three school girls who are pulled into Cephiro, a world maintained through an enigmatic being known as the pillar. The girls need to find this pillar to return home, and are equipped with special armor and a mech to help them along their arduous journey.
The reason this series needs a reboot is that the ending seemed to be final; however, there was a lot hinted at and left unexplored that could be elaborated upon in a reboot and sequels.
4 Wise Man's Grandchild
Shin Wolford, an earthly native, uses pragmatic thinking and his knowledge of the periodic tables to help him develop as a magic user in the new world where he finds himself reincarnated. He is powerful and smart enough to rival his adoptive grandparents: the strongest magic users to ever live.
Airing in 2019, this anime only ever got a single season. Sadly, it does not fully explore the political dynamics, new inventions, new magics, and blooming relationships that are explored within the ongoing manga.
3 Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash
This beautifully tragic anime takes a far departure by showcasing realistic reactions of teenagers once they are transported to a different world. It premiered around 2016 and is still talked about today, as there is a grittiness to the series that not many others depict. In the show, the protagonists (the teenagers) are expected to use their skills as adventurers to fend for themselves by defeating monsters. However, they are unequipped for this lifestyle and end up gambling with their lives to make ends meet.
The lack of power-scaling and overpowered characters, as found in other shows, is a breath of fresh air and could be expanded upon greatly. It does not need a remake, as the watercolor style of the original ages well. However, a sequel would help tie up some narrative loose ends, or at least explore the intricate dynamics of being a normal person in another world.
2 No Game No Life
Early in the 2010s, sibling protagonists Sora and Shiro enter a world where everything is decided by simple games. They join this world as part of the race Imanity, who are the lowest-ranked out of all sixteen races and have no magical abilities
Using their cunning and gaming knowledge, they try and outwit other game participants by doing everything in their power to win (including cheating or bending the rules). They do this in hopes of helping an Imanity native, Stephanie Dola, win her kingdom back and help her race climb the world's rankings. This anime was well-received at the time, with its vibrant neon colors, clever game systems, and a cliffhanger that never got to be resolved as it was never picked up for another season.
1 The Familiar of Zero
This promising, many-seasoned anime follows the tale of Saito Hiraga, who is summoned to another world as the familiar of a tempestuous and talentless mage, Louise. However, when Saito appears, he is allegedly branded by the deity Gandalfr, and over time they must face dangers and a slow-developing romance.
This anime was extremely popular, having a long history with 20 light novels, a manga, and four seasons of the anime that garnered a respectable fan base. However, author Noboru Yamaguchi sadly passed before the story could be finished. Another author did finish the story, and it would be karmic justice to have the final few seasons show the last part of the story to the world.