Summary
Hulu offers a wide selection of isekai anime, with over 20 series available and creative interpretations of the genre. The best isekai series bend the conventions of the genre, such as having a protagonist overpowered by caution or an inexperienced protagonist who becomes an indestructible tank. Each of the series mentioned in the article brings its own twist to the isekai genre, whether it’s an evil main character, a humorous demon world, or a weak main character who becomes strong through the power of devouring. .
The Best isekai anime on Hulu creating stiff competition for any new isekai that the streaming platform considers licensing due to the strong nature of Hulu’s options. There are over 20 series available to stream in this genre, and nearly 30 with some creative interpretations of the word “isekai.”
In Japanese, “isekai” directly translates to “other world,” but anime in this genre can be a lot more diverse than expected. While there are common tropes and clichés throughout the series, the versatility of the genre depends on the flexibility of the term “world.” A soul can travel across the universe and inhabit another body, or a character can pass through a metaphorical portal to cross worlds. As a result, there are many ways in which isekai can be adapted to create new ideas, and that’s exactly what the best series do.
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10 Cautious Heroes: The overwhelmingly powerful but overly cautious hero is a modern classic
Based on the manga by Toyota Saori and Tuchihi Light
Cautious Hero: Overpowered But Overly Cautious Hero is an isekai anime through and through, hitting all the check marks in terms of metaphor and characterization, but still leaving room for a spark of creativity to shine through. The biggest change that this series brings is the personality of the main character Ryuuguuin Seiya.. In previous and more mainstream isekai series, the main character is often overpowered due to luck or God-given abilities while traveling through worlds. Seiya is still an overpowered isekai protagonist but the reason is due to his own caution, which weakens the “scam” trope in isekai. After persistent training, Seiya destroys his enemies and earns a spot on this list.
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9 BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense which is True Shield Isekai
Based on the light novel by Koin and Yuumikan
BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll maximize my defense following the main character Honjou Kaede, a young girl with no gaming experience, who is dragged into a floating VRMMO by her friend Risa English, NewWorld Online. BOFURI is an interesting and light-hearted twist on the isekai virtual reality sub-genre through its portrayal of an inexperienced protagonist. In series like Sword Art Online, lives are at stake and Kirito is a beta tester filled with secrets that give him an advantage. However, Kaede is just a curious girl who successfully experimented and turned her into an indestructible tank.
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8 Overlord relies on an evil protagonist
Based on the light novel by Maruyama Kugane and So-bin
The original Overlord anime follows a simple isekai route, using the popular “trapped in a game” concept, but finds its uniqueness in the ship the main character finds himself in. The main character, whose first name is Momonga, decides to enjoy the last hours of operation of the game, Yggdrasil, before its servers shut down. The time to end had come but unexpectedly nothing happened. Thus begins the life of the max level skeleton lord, who has nothing better to do than hang out with NPCs who have gained an incredible amount of personal wealth. Momonga changed his name to Ainz Ooal Gown and Embark on a fantastic and somewhat villainous adventure.
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7 Inuyasha is the Isekai that everyone forgets
Based on the manga by Takahashi Rumiko
Inuyasha aired in 2000 and introduced some concepts seen in upcoming isekai anime today, but incorporated it perfectly into the story. As a result, the subtext present in most isekai is not distracting in Inuyasha and viewers can comfortably follow the dangerous adventures of modern-day high school student Kagome and the half-demon Inuyasha as They search for the sacred pearl. As an added bonus, Inuyasha boasts fight scenes that are on par with the best shounen animewhile also spending a lot of time developing the multifaceted characters, who find themselves having to reckon with the existence of their respective parallel worlds.
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6 Mushoku Tensei world-building around a NEET
Based on the light novel by Rifujin na Magonote and Sirotaka
The story of Mushoku Tensei: Unemployed Reincarnated revolves around a 34-year-old reclusive man reincarnated into the magical world as an infant named Rudeus Greyrat. An interesting part of this series is The story follows the antics of a reincarnated soul from childhood to adulthood, while other isekai choose to quickly advance to the protagonist’s strongest state. Although Mushoku Tensei embraces the strong protagonist figure, it does not let this character control the series, leaving plenty of room for subtle world-building and premise setting. The series can be strange or cliché at times, but Rudeus’s journey through new lands keeps audiences captivated.
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5 Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun paints the demon world in a humorous light
Based on the manga by Nishi Osamu
When discussing the demon world in isekai, initial impressions include images of gore, magic, and explosions, but never resemble the world built by Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun. Iruma-kun’s story is about a 14-year-old boy who is very unlucky but has boundless optimism. However, his luck took a turn for the worst after his parents sold him to a demon, specifically the demon school principal Babys. However, the situation is not as bad as it seems, as Sullivan was truly a very caring and loving grandfather. Through the interactions between Iruma and Sullivan as well as the other demons, the somewhat unique and interesting demon world reveals its personality and welcomes Iruma-kun.
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4 That time I reincarnated into a Slime recreating the weak main character
Based on the light novel by Fuse and Mitz Vah
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime became an instant isekai hit, spawning memes, changing culture through its seemingly weak yet strong main character. Mikami Satoru, a middle-aged salaryman in Japan, is killed and reincarnated as a slime, a creature considered one of the weakest in the fantasy world. However, This anime takes the saying “the weak main character becomes strong” to a new level, which gives Rimuru (the main character’s new name) a strange ability to devour anything and gain its power. Through this ability, Rimuru became key to the success of the series, creating many modern isekai figures.
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3 No Game No Life redefines the Isekai game genre
Based on the light novel by Kamiya Yuu
Anime No Game No Life is an explosion of satisfying neon colors that subverts isekai gameplay and replaces it with high-stakes game theory-based interactions and ideas never seen before in this category. Series like Overlord and BOFURI each showcase their own unique takes on isekai gameplay, but No Game No Life takes players away from first person. The main characters are a brother and sister duo nicknamed “Blank” and they excel at all games, from chess to first-person shooting. The premise of the series is a final step forward, naming these seemingly mundane games as the rules of the world.
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2 Log Horizon is the better SAO
Based on the light novel by Touno Mamare and Hana Kazuhiro
With isekai video games taking anime by storm, Log Horizon flies under the radar but has qualities that surpass all other similar series. The wildly popular Sword Art Online quickly rose to prominence but just as quickly collapsed as fans criticized the series for its storytelling direction, overuse of tropes, and lackluster sequels. However, Log Horizon is broadcast in a similar timeline as Sword Art Online, but does all the same things just with more purpose and depth. The main character Shiroe is not just a main character with an unfair starting point. He delves into the politics of Elder Tale, where The stakes are much less simple than life or deathcreates the most interesting tensions.
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1 KonoSuba: God Bless This Wonderful World is the perfect Isekai comedy
Based on the Light Novel by Mishima Kurone and Akatsuki Natme
Although the main goal of isekai anime is not laughter and comedy, KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World establishes itself as one of the greatest isekai through just such a means. The story follows Kazuma, the isekai character of the series, after he tricks the goddess Aqua into accompanying him on a fantasy adventure. Unlike most isekai, The main characters in KonoSuba are still weak, even if they get an ability or two, and this sets the stage for some of the most ingenious jokes and situations. Through panty-snatching magic and unnecessary but artful explosions, KonoSuba has established itself as the number one destination on Hulu for Isekai lovers.
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