After the skyrocketing success of Sword Art Online, we anime fans are consistently getting more than thirty isekai shows each year. Among them are renowned shows such as Jobless Reincarnation, Slime Anime, Overload, and many others.
As the isekai genre has improved throughout the years, some praise-worthy isekai shows remain untouched under the shadow of popular Isekais. Such shows are considered the most underrated isekai anime that we gonna cover in today’s piece of content.
From legendary adventures to new world exploration, these shows are worth ten times more than any typical isekai. So make sure you stick around until the end to discover some hidden gems of the isekai trope.
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10: Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill
Regardless of the fact that “Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill” is already a brilliant isekai, the word Mappa Studios attached to this anime should be enough to pique the interest of Isekai lovers.
The show begins with a typical isekai premise where a commoner, Tsuyoshi Mukouda, is accidentally summoned to another world as a hero. His combat skills are useless for being a hero; however, he figures out his special skill of Online Grocery, which is anything but useless.
What can he possibly do with this merchant skill? Well, he can bring food from his original world to live a luxurious life. Mukouda parted ways with others in the hope of enjoying his calm and delicious life in this world.
Unlike many isekai shows that use fan service as a cheap attraction, this underrated gem earns a 7.7 rating on MAL for its captivating plot and original world-building. With the second season already confirmed, this is a must-watch for isekai fans.
9: Arifureta
There are some fast-paced storyline lovers who can’t withstand watching MC struggling to become zero to hero. Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest comes with a treat for them by introducing an MC who becomes OP within a mere 2 episodes.
Quite similar to Shield Hero anime, a bunch of high school lads are summoned to a fantasy world having special abilities. Among them lies Hajime Nagumo, the weakest party member, nothing less than a tag-along.
During an expedition, he got betrayed and left in the dungeon’s deep floors where horrible monsters reign supreme. It is nearly impossible for a bottom-tier character to survive in such a dreadful place. But don’t worry you’ll find out the whole premise within two episodes.
However, this isekai has faced backlash from fans for its super quick character development and CGI dilemma. Although it’s hilarious and worth watching, but not meant for everyone.
8: I’m Standing on a Million Lives
I’m Standing on a Million Lives is your average game-related isekai show, but it does what many other popular isekai fail to do – blend characters and plot well. While the isekai premise may not excite you, this underrated show is worth checking out, especially if you’re not a fan of wimpy crybaby MCs.
Step into the immersive world of our protagonist, Yuusuke Yotsuya, an introverted shut-in who finds solace in the realms of virtual reality. But his solitary existence takes a dramatic turn when his peers vanish in the blink of an eye, and soon after, he finds himself falling from the sky like a PUBG game character.
After dropping, he realizes that he has been summoned in the game world by his peers and now they have to complete the required quest within 14 days. Otherwise, the stakes are high.
Although it’s not labeled as ecchi, there are tons of cliches you can’t hold but admire.
7: I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too
While it might not boast the status of a legendary isekai series, there’s no denying that it serves up a binge-worthy plot for anime enthusiasts to enjoy laid-back fantasy exploration. More like Arifureta, it also comes with a super straightforward title, as its title literally speaks up for its whole premise.
Yuuya Tenjou grapples with the harsh realities of being judged for his appearance, even within his own family. Bullied at school and subjected to ridicule by his siblings, Yuuya reaches a breaking point in his life.
While babbling about his appearance, he discovers another world travel portal in his grandpa’s house. As he enters and begins accelerating in this fantasy setting, his appearance suddenly changes overnight.
Now he’s damn popular among his peers and began living a celebrity life, however unknown other world mysteries are awaiting him to be tested.
6: The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
Are you a fan of stress-free isekai adventures? Do you revel in watching the protagonist navigate their new environment, evolving and maturing along the way? If yes then you’re blessed with such a show along with reverse harem settings because it’s a shoujo romance isekai anime.
The story begins when the Grand Magus decides to summon a holy maiden to restore the peace in their world. Unfortunately while returning home Sei Takanashi was sucked into foreign lands.
As the kingdom requires only one holy maiden, Sei Takanashi remained and was free to follow her will in the foreign land. With nothing to do Sei Takanashi decides to join an establishment known for its studies regarding herbs and potions. Pursuing her new passion in the establishment, her powers are yet to reveal catching the eye of some remarkable characters.
As a whole, if you love a cozy atmosphere, binge-worthy pacing, characters passing wholesome smiles, and fantasy romance, this is definitely a must-recommended show.
5: The Faraway Paladin
The Faraway Paladin is an isekai anime that dreamed of becoming Mushoku Tensei 2.0 and ended up being underrated, as some otakus consider it plagiarized content. It does have an initial setting similar to Jobless Reincarnation; however, afterward delivers the pure creative work of its writer, Kanata Yanagino.
Will has reincarnated to another world where a skeleton, a ghost, and a mummy have been living in a dystopian land. With no other human beings around, these three have raised Will, teaching him to fight, magic, and religion, but more importantly, love.
As he’s growing older with each day passing, Will has to embark on his solo journey to explore this foreign world without knowing its actual state. Can he pull off this mandatory task? Check it out by watching this underrated gem that already has 2 seasons.
4: Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions
Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions is a little mature version of an “RPG game like isekai”, mostly hated by critics for not having the thing that it never promised to deliver. Unlike Isekai shows, this underrated gem is super slow-paced which turns out to help deliver binge-worthy character development.
Some commoners are thrown into foreign lands to kill or to be killed. Amidst the dreadful atmosphere, members have to form a party for longer survival.
As the six indifferent to each other form a party, they’re assigned to the reserve army, which is responsible for protecting this world from monsters. They make their living by slaying monsters while fighting their inner demons.
The underrated isekai is hard-cooked by A-1 Studios in terms of art style, which is common to expect from a renowned studio, however, the anime is enriched with fan service despite having a dark plot.
3: Drifters
An art style like the classic action anime “Hellsing”, a plot like “Record of Ragnarok,” and action like “Baki” make this anime one of the most underrated isekai anime.
What happens when renowned historical figures who were actually rivals to each other in reality are gathered and thrown into another world to fight together? Sounds absurd but enough to pique the interest of violent anime lovers.
Toyohisa Shimazu, a soldier from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, found himself in a white hallway surrounded in between hundreds of doors. After being pulled into the nearest door, Toyohisa comes to realize that he and some other historical figures are summoned to this world to defeat some mysterious troublemaker’s “Ends”.
2: Moon-Lit Fantasy
Moon Lit Fantasy is a hilarious isekai anime that has a similar premise to Slime isekai but with a faster and funnier pace that never bores the viewers. Besides its plot, this hidden gem also appeals to those who love the colorful scenery of anime.
The anime kicks off with a humorous scene where our unfortunate MC gets mocked by a goddess for his ugly appearance. She doesn’t make him a real hero but tosses him into a dystopian world with a useless power that allows him to communicate with any monster or creature.
The catch is, he can’t speak nor understand any human language, but he still craves human contact in this new world.
Moon Fantasy has everything that makes a good anime, such as an OP MC, a lot of lolis, a quirky waifu, and a vivid art style, along with an entertaining plot. With the second season already on air, this anime is worth a watch.
1: The Boy And The Beast
With an impressive total exceeding ¥5.8 billion, “The Boy And The Beast” secured its place as Japan’s second highest-grossing domestic film in 2015. Even with 8.2 MAL ratings, it stings that no newbie or even some hardcore haven’t heard about this underrated masterpiece.
Despite this movie having no typical isekai settings where the MC reincarnated to summon another world, it did have elements of it and is also labeled as isekai on MAL.
Brace yourself to witness the best underrated isekai anime movie you wouldn’t have thought even existed before now.
The show follows two disparate souls: Ren, a homeless nine-year-old wandering the bustling streets of Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a supremely skilled denizen of the otherworld in search of a successor.
As they both ran into each other, they decided to help each other while pursuing their personal goals, and somehow, their lives intertwined after years passed by.
Apart from this little plot description, there’s a lot to be told that one can only witness by watching the whole two-hour-long show. I bet you won’t be disappointed.
Conclusion:
The reason behind making this underrated isekai anime list is to make otaku cults believe in the existence of some remarkable shows they have rarely heard of before. As an otaku culture-obsessed freak, make sure to treasure these underrated gems of isekai.
