Isekai
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About
Isekai is a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy manga, anime, and related media in which a protagonist or group of protagonists, usually people with lacking skillsets in the real world, are transported to, trapped in, or reborn in another world or universe. The genre grew to prominence in the 2010s with series such as
History
The genre is seen by some to have its roots in the Japanese fairy tale of Urashima Tarō, a fisherman who, after rescuing a turtle, is brought to a splendorous undersea kingdom, only to return to the surface a few days later to see that centuries have passed. Stories in which a protagonist is transported to another world also exist in the west, such as The Wizard of Oz, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Alice in Wonderland.
Reception
Notable Series
Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is a science fiction-fantasy series created by Reki Kawahara involving Kazuto Kirigaya, a beta tester for the titular virtual reality MMORPG Sword Art Online who discovers that he, among another few thousand players, are trapped within the game, with an in-game death resulting in a death in the real world. Since its initial release, the series has received both a strong fandom and anti-fandom.
Re:Zero
KonoSuba
The Rising of the Shield Hero
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime
Overlord
Isekai Quartet
Isekai Quartet is a chibi-style crossover published by Kadokawa Publishing with characters from KonoSuba, Overlord, Re:Zero, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil, four prominent series within the genre. It is seen by some as a parody of the isekai genre and is very popular on the subreddit /r/Animemes.
