Summary

• Aura Battler Dunbine is one of the earliest prototypes of isekai anime, paving the way for the genre's popularity today.
• Fushigi Yugi blends Chinese mythology with the protagonist entering a novel, setting it apart from the European-inspired worlds of isekai.
• .hack//Sign is an early example of the "trapped in a virtual world" concept, focusing more on character development than action sequences.

Despite the recent popularity of isekai anime, the concept of "entering another world" has been present throughout different facets of fiction for many years. One of the oldest known examples came in the 14th century with Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Centuries later, titles like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Howl's Moving Castle further explored the idea. One of the earliest prototypes in anime, however, was 1983's Aura Battler Dunbine.

The term "isekai" literally translates to "another world", and is a subgenre related to portal fantasy. It involves characters with ordinary lives who are transported to another setting, most of which are fantasy, virtual, or alternate worlds. The current anime industry is oversaturated with isekai titles, seeing multiple new anime releasing each season, but it wasn't until the release of 2012's Sword Art Online that these stories became popular. With the genre's mainstream success came its own set of clichés and conventions. While these tropes are often part of its charm, it's sometimes refreshing to explore retro titles from before isekai became established as a genre.

10 The Familiar of Zero Is One of the First Popular Isekai Stories

Based on the light novel by Noboru Yamaguchi

The Familiar of Zero tells the story of Louise, an aristocratic student at the Tristan Academy of Magic who is known for her inability to cast spells in any of the four elements. During her familiar summoning ritual, she summons Saito, a teenage boy from Japan, instead of a normal magical creature. Louise begrudgingly accepts Saito as her familiar, and eventually falls in love with him as the series progresses. While the anime often prioritizes fan service over plot and has details that aged poorly, it contains many tropes that would later become commonplace in isekai.

Originally a light novel, the series remained incomplete after the author's death until a new author completed the story using notes left by the creator. The anime adaptation made some changes to the plot, eventually creating its own ending while the novels remained unfinished. The Familiar of Zero became popular with viewers for its world-building, politics, and transmigration storyline in a time when such stories were less common. The series is often credited with setting the foundation for modern isekai anime, with its light novels serving as an inspiration for other novelists, including the author of Re:Zero.

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9 Fushigi Yugi Is a Classic Shojo Inspired by Chinese Mythology

Based on the manga by Yuu Watase

Fushigi Yugi is influenced by Chinese Legend, borrowing inspiration from the four mythological creatures of China. It tells the story of Miaka and Yui, two students who read a book called "The Universe of the Four Gods", and are transported into the novel's universe. Miaka becomes a Priestess for one of the gods, Suzaku, and falls in love with a warrior named Tamahome. Yui is initially brought back to the real world, but is again transported into the book, where she becomes the priestess for another god and turns against Miaka.

The anime is one of the earlier examples of the "protagonist is transmigrated into a novel" trope, which is popular in a lot of media today. Its setting is based on Ancient China, which makes it a breath of fresh air among the often European-inspired worlds of Isekai. The series' popularity quickly brought it to the West, where it received an English dub and served as a gateway into anime for many fans. While Fushigi Yugi is considered a classic shojo series, several aspects of the show haven't aged well. The story uses outdated storytelling methods to further its plot and should therefore be regarded as a product of its time.

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8 .hack//Sign is an Early Example of the "Trapped in a Virtual World" Concept

Original anime series produced by Bee Train and Bandai Visual

Released in 2002, .hack//Sign is the first entry in the major multimedia franchise. It's set in a fictional version of the 2010s after a computer virus leads to a system-wide internet shutdown. As the network recovers, a new online fantasy game, called The World, is released to the public. The storyline follows a young man named Tsukasa who is "mind-trapped" in the game without any memories of his past or any way to leave. As he encounters other players, he undergoes emotional growth and learns about the mysteries of the new world.

The series is an early pioneer of the "video game isekai" concept, paving the way for more recent stories like Log Horizon and Sword Art Online. Unlike many later series, .hack//Sign is a character-driven story that focuses more on development and psychology than action sequences. It's well-known for its existentialist themes and approach to heavier topics, much of which explores the differences between the real world and the virtual world. This, combined with a soundtrack composed by the legendary Yuki Kajiura, makes it an isekai worth watching.

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7 Spirited Away is One of the First Major Films With Isekai Motifs

Original film written by Hayao Miyazaki and released by Studio Ghibli

While it doesn't follow the traditional isekai format, Spirited Away is considered part of the genre for the way its protagonist leaves the ordinary world and enters a new world. The Studio Ghibli film tells the story of a young girl named Chihiro who finds herself in the world of spirits. After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, she takes a job at a bathhouse for spirits in order to turn them back into humans. This takes Chihiro on a series of adventures as she makes new friends and learns to believe in herself.

The story is an example of Isekai in anime films and is one of the first ones made for a wider audience. Spirited Away doesn't have many of the common tropes found in the genre today, as it predates many of them, but it still contains many of the basic elements, such as the presence of an alternative fantasy world and a protagonist who must adapt to a new way of life. The film is one of Ghibli's most iconic creations, and it uses their trademark magic realism to show the world from a child's perspective. Overall, it's a must-see anime even for people who aren't fans of the isekai genre.

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6 Now and Then, Here and There Takes Its Protagonist to a Dystopian World

Original anime series written by Hideyuki Kurata and directed by Akitaro Daichi

While most isekai make people want to escape from the real world to the fantasy world, Now and Then, Here and There does the exact opposite. It tells the story of a young boy named Shu who is transported into a different world after he tries to protect a young girl from attackers. It turns out that the new world is a post-apocalyptic wasteland devoid of water, and the girl he saved is wanted by the dictator for her ability to control water. Shu is then tortured and forced to become a child soldier, but he maintains his principles and refuses to kill anyone in the war.

The series was released years before isekai became popular, therefore predating many of its conventions, but this isn't the only thing that makes it stand out. While many isekai cater to escapism by creating a power fantasy for the main character, this series creates feelings of hopelessness by subjecting the protagonist to brutal, horrific situations. It's an extremely bleak story that explores the horrors of the world, such as war, slavery, and the exploitation of child soldiers. In a market filled with traditional Isekai stories, Now and Then, Here and There brings a different perspective to the genre.

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5 The Vision of Escaflowne Combines Fantasy with Mecha Elements

Original anime series written by Shoji Kawamori and produced by Sunrise Studios

The Vision of Escaflowne follows Hitomi, a teenager who is transported to the world of Gaea after a boy appears at her school while fighting a dragon. He reveals himself as a prince named Van who is fighting in a war against the Zalibach empire and is using a mechanized battlesuit called Escaflowne. As Hitomi gets caught up in the conflict, she discovers that she can use her tarot cards to see visions of the past and future. Her power is coveted by the different sides, and she soon finds herself at the center of the conflict.

The series blends fantasy with science fiction, creating a world where knights pilot giant mechs in a Medieval setting. The story is known for balancing excellent character development with a fast-moving plot, and having many characters in sympathetic situations. While many Isekai stories tend to focus only on the fantasy world, The Vision of Escaflowne connects Earth to the alternate world of Gaea by explaining their shared history. In another unique twist, the anime also explains why Hitomi was transmigrated from her world in the first place. Overall, the series is a gem in the Isekai genre that manages to accomplish excellent world-building and storytelling in only 26 episodes.

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4 Magic Knight Rayearth is a Staple in 90s Fantasy Anime

Based on the manga by CLAMP

Magic Knight Rayearth tells the story of three middle school girls, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, who are transported from Japan to the magical world of Cephiro. They are told they must rescue a princess from her abductor, the high priest Zagato, if they want to return home. Each of the girls is given the power to control a different element and the ability to pilot a giant mecha robot. As the series progresses, the three girls use their differences to work together and defeat Zagato, all while learning to accept each other as friends.

The series is another example of an isekai that blends fantasy with mecha elements. It forgoes the power fantasy cliché, instead focusing on how power has repercussions and how everyone must face the consequences of their actions. By having its protagonists return to their world in the middle of the story only to transport them back again, it also diverts from the traditional isekai route. However, one of the most heartwarming aspects of the series is the way it focuses on the friendship between the three protagonists, all of whom have different personalities, and shows how their unique strengths can bring them together.

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3 The Twelve Kingdoms Shows the Difficulty of Adapting to a New World

Based on the novels written by Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada

The Twelve Kingdoms follows a high school student named Yoko, who is transported to another world with two of her classmates after she encounters a man who declares her queen of his kingdom. Yoko is the only one of the three who can understand the language of the new world, which is reminiscent of East Asian mythology. However, the three classmates become branded as aliens from Earth and are quickly hunted down as fugitives. This leads Yoko to travel through the Twelve Kingdoms, where she learns more about herself and the reason she was brought to the new world.

Many isekai gloss over the shock and trauma that can come from being transported to a new world, often focusing on escapism instead. While The Twelve Kingdoms successfully incorporates escapist motifs in its plot, it also shows how difficult it is to adapt to a new setting, especially in a place where everything is unfamiliar. Viewers can sympathize with Yoko because they are equally confused about how the new world works. Despite her role as protagonist, she is not given any special powers, and must sometimes compromise her morals for the sake of survival. The series showcases Yoko's hardships on the road to becoming a queen, masterfully incorporating social commentary in an otherwise morally gray story.

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2 Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Has Its Characters Travel Through Multiple Worlds

Based on the manga by CLAMP

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is far from a traditional isekai in the way that it incorporates multidimensional travel into its plot. It tells the story of how Sakura, Princess of Clow Kingdom, loses her memories, which become scattered across dimensions in the form of feathers. Her childhood friend, Syaoran, makes a deal with a witch to travel across different worlds to find the feathers. They are ed by two others, a wizard named Fai and a ninja named Kurogane, who have their own wishes. As the characters journey together, they develop a close familial bond and discover how they are part of a larger, more sinister plot.

The crossover series features characters from CLAMP's other works, including Sakura and Syaoran from Cardcaptor Sakura, and is known for its mind-bending plot twists. While the latter part of the anime diverges from the original plot, the manga's intended story is continued in two OVA series. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is extremely unique in its ability to create not only one world but a series of connected worlds. It combines multiple genres, including adventure, fantasy, and romance to tell a complex, emotional story about the fragility of human relationships. The series is heavily rooted in existentialism and uses parallel universes to explore the concepts of identity and agency in one's life, emphasizing the notion that death is permanent.

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1 Inuyasha is an Iconic Time Travel Isekai

Based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi

Inuyasha was an international hit in the early 2000s, serving as a gateway into anime for many people, and reaching iconic status with fans. The story follows a girl named Kagome who falls down the well in her family's shrine and is transported from modern-day Tokyo to the Sengoku Period. After the sacred Shikon jewel appears from inside her body, it breaks and is scattered throughout Japan. Kagome teams up with a half-demon named Inuyasha to recover the shards, and they are later ed by a demon slayer named Sango, a monk named Miroku, and a demon named Shippo.

The series can be considered an early example of "mainstream" isekai anime, with one of its biggest strengths being the way it's able to appeal to multiple people. It balances fantasy with romance and humor, while also touching on heavier subjects from time to time. The story is made interesting by its multi-layered characters, each with their own motivations and quirks. It also caters to society's fascination with forbidden romances, with Inuyasha and Kagome's love story transcending worlds. The anime brought feelings of escapism before Isekai was established as a genre, and it stands the test of time for newer fans, thus making Inuyasha the best retro isekai series.

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