The Isekai genre has exploded recently, with multiple shows of the genre airing each season. Even though anime has started to become oversaturated with Isekai, there are still stand-out shows that define the genre. Around the time of Isekai’s inception, there were 3 or 4 stand-out pillars of the series. However, since then, the genre has evolved and now there are new genre-defining shows that reign supreme. Here are the three Isekai shows that make up ‘The Big 3’ of Isekai.
‘The Big 3’ was initially used to describe the reigning giants of the Shounen genre, Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. Since then, it’s been adopted and evolved to encompass new series. This can be expanded to Isekai and the 3 reigning giants of the genre.
The Old Big 3
Before jumping into the current ‘Big 3’ of Isekai, here are some of the old champions. The beginning of Isekai’s popularity can be attributed to Sword Art Online, which featured players stuck in a video game world. Though extremely popular, many fans don’t think of it as an Isekai. However, as the grandfather of the genre, it should be mentioned.
The old ‘Big 3’ of Isekai can be traced back to a parody titled Isekai Quartet. The show covered the most popular and well-known Isekai, Re:Zero, Konosuba, Overlord, and Tanya the Evil. Despite it consisting of 4 shows, Konosuba itself is a parody of the Isekai genre, which doesn’t make it as genre-defining as the other 3 shows. Having enough popularity to spawn spin-off parodies, it is easy to call these shows the ‘Big 3’ of Isekai.
However, as the Isekai genre has exploded, many shows have gained enough notoriety to overturn the old ‘Big 3’. The Rising of the Shield Hero, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime, and Mushoku Tensei, have all exploded, becoming some of the most popular anime of all time, despite coming out recently. Here is a look at what makes these shows so popular and why they deserve to be the ‘Big 3’ of Isekai.
The Rising of the Shield Hero
The Rising of the Shield Hero aired in early 2019 and quickly garnered a lot of attention. Starting with an hour-long episode, Shield Hero began off with a bang. The show is about the main character, Naofumi Iwatani, being summoned to a new world and immediately declared the Shield Hero. Little does he know that the country holds an extreme prejudice against the Shield Hero, leading to an incredibly disillusioned and vengeful Naofumi.
The appeal of the show comes from a few different aspects. One of them is that Naofumi actually wishes to return to his world, unlike most Isekai who don’t even think twice about going back. Because of how he is treated, Naofumi somewhat detests the world he was summoned in. This makes for a fascinating main character that stands out from other Isekai shows.
The other draw to Rising of the Shield Hero is the interesting mechanics of the world Naofumi is summoned to. The new world replicates an MMO, complete with xp, mob drops, weapon upgrades, parties, levels, and so much more. It is reminiscent of Sword Art Online which also featured the same MMO mechanics. The Rising of the Shield Hero sits as the 76th most popular anime on MyAnimeList.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is about Satoru Mikami, an office worker who is murdered and reborn as a slime in a strange new world. Satoru quickly learns that he can mimic anything he swallows and gain their appearance and abilities. After freeing a dragon from a 300-year prison, the dragon bestows Satoru the name Rimuru Tempest.
One of the incredibly appealing draws to Reincarnated as a Slime is Rimuru’s approach to trying to make the world a better place. Slowly Rimuru works from the ground up, turning an impoverished clan of goblins into a full force nation.
The attention to detail and realism that the show uses in its progression is incredibly complex, ranging from politics to engineering. This sort of realistic growth of a nation is what draws many fans to the series, making it the 90th most popular anime on MyAnimeList
Mushoku Tensei
Mushoku Tensei is about Rudy Greyrat who was a shut-in otaku in the real world. However, after he dies in a car crash, he is born again in a brand-new fantasy world complete with magic and adventurers. With a second shot at life, the show follows Rudy as he grows from a child into an adult, and all the difficulties along the way.
What makes Mushoku Tensei so amazing is the depiction of Rudy’s life over multiple years. It is very rare for a show to follow the main character from birth, but Mushoku Tensei does it perfectly by depicting the bonds Rudy forms over the years, and his adventures as he learns about the world around him.
Another draw to Mushoku Tensei is how it makes its world feel like it’s real. As Rudy slowly grows familiar with the world, so does the viewer. The slow trickle of details and history about the strange land Rudy finds himself in hooks you in and makes you want to learn even more. Despite just recently airing in 2021, the show has managed to reach the 140th most popular series on MyAnimeList.