Isekai: Anime’s Most Predictable Genre?
Isekai is arguably one of the laziest genres in anime, manga, and light novels. “Isekai” translates to “another world.” The word itself has extended beyond Japan’s borders, finding itself in the 2024 Oxford English Dictionary. In stories set in an isekai universe, the main character suddenly ends up in a different world. The ways they arrive there have become quite predictable. Typically, it involves one of these scenarios: 1) The main character meets their end and finds themselves reborn in an unfamiliar realm; 2) powerful magic users call them forth; 3) a divine being or comparable force brings them to this new existence, either out of chance or duty; or 4) in a twist of fate, they materialize without any rationale.
Summoning Tropes and Truck-Kun
How do creators of this genre manage to tweak elements just enough to make it seem fresh? In 2010, the anime Baka and Test featured a protagonist who was the ultimate fool (baka), using a special pencil to help him pick the correct answers on multiple-choice exams. It was the Sigma Striker V! I imagine these creators gathering these pencils to craft an isekai story. With a toss of this “dice,” everything aligns perfectly. What was the main character’s fate? He was hit by a truck. This trope has become so common that fans affectionately refer to it as “truck-kun.” Or maybe her death was due to working in one of Japan’s notorious black companies, which ultimately led to her being overworked to death. (In Japan, a “black company” refers to workplaces where harassment, verbal abuse, and excessive overtime are common. Managers threaten employees to ruin their working career if they try to leave, warning they will slander them if asked about their employment.)
From Smartphones to Farming Tools
Other isekai stories often feature a demon lord awaiting defeat. However, there may also be a catastrophic cyclical event. During these moments, we see the rise of extraordinary figures summoned to a new world, equipped with exceptional powers in this new world. In In Another World with My Smartphone, the protagonist meets an untimely end when a deity accidentally zaps him with lightning. In Farming Life in Another World, a divine being shows kindness to the chronically ill, bedridden protagonist, granting him a fresh start in an alternate world with a stronger body. In the popular Re:Zero series, Subaru opens his eyes and finds himself in an entirely different realm. (It has been noted in other sources that a witch summons the character, yet the anime does not explain his arrival in this new world.) In Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, the protagonist falls asleep while working on a video game for a black company and wakes up in the game’s world.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, and Other Gimmicks
To add excitement to their isekai stories, some creators choose the interesting route of having the protagonist reborn as something unusual. Over the past seven years in anime, it’s notable to see protagonists taking on such distinct forms—like a slime, a spider, a sword, a hot spring, a skeleton, or even a vending machine! Certain creators emphasize making their isekai stories memorable by placing their protagonists in challenging situations. For example, a divine being summons a potential hero, only to find that the young man she has called forth doesn’t meet her standards of beauty. As a result, she leaves him in a wasteland.
The Market Craves Escapism
Nonetheless, despite the genre’s laziness, it continues to enjoy significant popularity and an expanding market presence. I asked Claude AI to research the matter, which it dutifully did for about 20 minutes, examining this phenomenon from a Japanese perspective. (I recognize the irony of perceived laziness in relying on AI for research.) As it turns out, isekai anime made up 15% of the anime landscape in 2024. There has been a remarkable 143% increase in anime production over the past five years. It ranks as the second most beloved genre worldwide. But what’s the reason behind this? What makes this genre so widely loved despite the abundance of subpar offerings?
Why Isekai Refuses to Die
As it turns out, isekai is like comfort food. You know you shouldn’t indulge in all that ice cream, but it still makes you feel good. Japan has about 1.5 million hikikomori, or social recluses, and isekai offers them a form of escapism. Work stress is another factor, and isekai also helps Japanese people cope with the pressures of their collectivist culture. When a Japanese politician suggested banning isekai anime, the hashtag #IsekaiSavesLives trended on X (formerly Twitter), with one tweet garnering over 50,000 likes that said, “I wanted to disappear until Subaru taught me how to survive my own suffering.”
Final Thoughts: Waiting for the Portal to Close
So, much to my chagrin, isekai is not going anywhere anytime soon. I will have to put up with truck-kun and summoned heroes until the next big thing comes along. Maybe, someday, the portal will close—and anime will return to telling grounded stories that don’t begin with a tragic accident and end in overpowered wish fulfillment. But until then, I suppose I’ll keep watching…even if I roll my eyes every time I hear the phrase, “You’ve been summoned to another world!”
