Isekai has become anime's most popular genre as of late with tons of shows coming out with characters being sent to another world. With an enormous flood of similar content, Ascendance Of A Bookworm has stood out as a shining jewel. Myne's deep desire to read and gain knowledge is a fantastically unique driving force for the story compared to other similar tales.

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Those looking for anime with a similar vibe are in luck — there is plenty of isekai that take on unique protagonists with strong motivations that drive them forward.

7 My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! HAPPY SCENE

The main characters in these two anime have a lot in common. Both are transported into another world into the bodies of children, both have clear goals for their future, and both have a subject they are extremely passionate about. While Myne loves books however, Catarina loves otome games, including the one that she is essentially transported into.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! is popular enough that it is getting a video game adaptation as well, showing that it's worth giving a shot for sure.

6 The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent

A blonde man bridal carrying a woman.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent was an underrated Spring 2021 release that deserved far more eyes on it. It's similar to Ascendance Of A Bookworm as both of their female protagonists tend to use their wits over brute force to solve their problems.

Related: The Most Underrated Isekai Anime

Sei is summoned to another world alongside another girl as the kingdom is looking for a saint. After it is decided that she is not one, she's left to her own devices to make her way through the world. Thankfully, she's smart and can use her magical powers to great effect to creatively get through any troubles that find her.

5 By the Grace of the Gods

By the Grace of the Gods

Both of these anime feature characters put into children's bodies as they introduce amazing new technologies to their fantasy worlds. Ryouma is also a bit of an oddball, keeping various slimes as pets in his world.

The main difference between the two shows however is that By the Grace of the Gods is an iyashikei — a soul-healing anime. It's quite simple and happy throughout and is meant to be watched as a way to relax and unwind in a deeper way.

4 So I'm a Spider, So What?

So I'm a Spider, So What Kumoko anime

Everyone wants to be transported to another world as an extremely powerful mage or something similar, but what happens to those who end up as a low-level monster with barely any skills to their name? This is the premise of So I'm a Spider, So What? and it's quite comedic and entertaining. Its main character Kumoko has to use her wits to get by, and it's hard not to celebrate with her every time she survives another harrowing battle.

The show also features interesting time jumps and stories between those who were simply made humans in the new world as they try to uncover the mysteries of what is going on. The two different stories make for amazing pacing in the show, causing it to be a joy to watch.

3 Outbreak Company

Outbreak Company

Both characters use their knowledge of their previous world and previously unseen technology to succeed in the world they have been transported to. Outbreak Company however is far more focused as a comedy to the point of parodying the genre than Ascendance Of A Bookworm.

Related: Funniest Comedy Isekai Anime, Ranked

Anyone that wants to enjoy an isekai anime steeped in otaku culture as a change of pace to typical isekai shows will find Outbreak Company perfectly slakes that thirst.

2 Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun

Welcome to Demon School

While Myne uses her book smarts to survive in her new world, Iruma uses his survival skills to get by. He's forced to attend demon school while trying to not let anyone else know that he's a human, trying to keep himself safe. It turns out though that they want him to become the Demon King which is all the more trouble!

Plus, both protagonists have blue hair in their anime, the most important similarity of all right?​​​​​​

1 Da Shen Xian

Da Shen Xian

Ascendance of a Bookworm takes place in a European-inspired time and era while Da Shen Xian focuses on ancient China, making it a unique setting for isekai to explore. Shi Jian has an unusual disorder that forces his body and mind to age far more quickly than they should. This makes him into an incredibly clever protagonist from the get-go, quite similar to Myne. While the show is done with a ​​​​​​​CG animated focus, which some will not enjoy, those who look past it will find a unique show with a lot of similarities to the one they enjoy.

More: The Best Isekai Anime Set In Games, Ranked