There are plenty of isekai anime and manga out there, each one bringing its own style and flavor to the genre. Whether it’s getting trapped in a game or transported to an alternate world, isekai can adapt to any theme or motif and present a truly unique adventure.
However, the things that make an isekai great can also be overwhelming. Introducing something familiar can help the audience adjust to the story’s setting and rules. A school or academy, for example, is great because it comes with inherent goals for characters to pursue, and it’s an environment most people know.
9Wise Man’s Grandchild
MyAnimeList Score: 6.95
Having overpowered characters is nothing new in isekai, but it’s always interesting to see how different authors balance that power with other flaws or traits. The protagonist ofWise Man’s Grandchild, Shin, is blessed with great magic power. After being raised by the strongest sage, Merlin, he has the power to destroy nations.
Why would a powerul mage need to attenda magic academy? Shin has been raised alone for his entire life, and going to school is the best way for him to socialize and meet new people. The academy is just an excuse for Shin to grow up like a regular teenager.
8Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles
MyAnimeList Score: 7.06
Most transmigration stories play out the same way: the protagonist assumes the identity of the host body despite being a completely different person. But inSpirit Chronicles,the protagonist’s identity fuses with the original person, Rio.
This struggle follows him even as he is taken to the Royal Academy. Despite having saved the princess, Rio is met with scorn and prejudice from the surrounding nobility, and it only gets worse when the memories of his past life threaten his identity. Yet, it’s those memories that help him excel in his studies.
7Knight’s & Magic
MyAnimeList Score: 7.07
For fans of mecha and giant robotsbattling each other,Knight’s & Magicis perfect, because that’s all this anime is. With an isekai setup for the story, this anime was meant to highlight the models and animations of mechas, so the plot is rather simple.
The mechs in this anime are called Silhouette Knights, and are piloted by Knight Runners. In order to become a Knight Runner, students must go to special schools to learn magic and swordsmanship. The show mostly focuses on knights fighting in their mechs, but the school is an essential part of the setting and the story.
6The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World
MyAnimeList Score: 7.16
Most isekai tend to be set in a vaguely medieval European time period, complete with castles and a court of nobility. This one is the same, but offers a unique quality in its main character. The protagonist in this anime is a renownedJapanese exorcistwho dies and is reincarnated in this medieval fantasy world.
Seika’s interest in the magic academy only stemmed from a curiosity about the world’s magic. However, in his pursuit of higher power, he ends up making friends and connecting with people — something he never did in his past life. Soon, all he wants to do is live as a normal student.
5The Familiar of Zero
MyAnimeList Score: 7.22
Characters isekai’d through a summoning ritual are usually meant to be a hero or some type of savior. Instead, Saito Hiraga issummoned as a mage’s familiar. That mage is known as “Louise the Zero” at the academy, because of her lack of talent.
Tristain Academy is a typical magical anime school full of talented nobility and upper class. Saito’s presence there only serves to stir up gossip and fan the flames of rivalry between Louise and Kirche von Zerbst. However, as all schools are, it’s the perfect place to showcase the growth of each character.
MyAnimeList Score: 7.46
Villainess stories and isekais have gotten much more popular in the last few years, andMy Next Life as a Villainesswas one of the reasons for that popularity. This isekai comedy follows Katarina Claes after she remembers her past life and realizes she is thevillainess from the gameFortune Lover.
The Magic Academy is one of the most important settings in the anime, since that is where Katarina interacts with most of the characters. It’s where the audience sees her best qualities: her care for her friends, her willingness to stand up for others, and her ability to befriend anyone.
3Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
MyAnimeList Score: 7.61
Getting isekai’d into otome games usually involves a girl becoming a villainess or a scorned sister, but what happens when it’s a regular office worker? He becomes a background character stripped of his rights in a world dominated by women and handsome men.
For otomo games, schools are the primary setting, usually filled with meet-cutes and romance events. However, for a mob, they might as well be dungeons filled with threats of encountering the main story. That won’t stop Leon from messing up the main characters anyway.
2Eminence In Shadow
MyAnimeList Score: 8.30
When it comes toself-insert fantasies,Eminence in Shadowis at the peak of manga and anime. The protagonist, Minoru Kagenou, is obsessed with being strong but inconspicuous at the same time. When he gets isekai’d, that doesn’t change. Except, it gets out of hand in the new world.
In the magic academy, he pretends to be one of the weakest students, while holding overpowered abilities and also being the leader of an elite assassin organization. The school is meant to serve as his facade as he continues to work in the shadows. It feels nonsensical and random, but that’s what makes it so fun to watch.
1Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
MyAnimeList Score: 8.34
Other than the overpowered genius character, the goofy, clumsy kid is another popular character type, usually seen in comedy manga and anime. That perfectly describes Iruma Suzuki,weak-willed and unlucky. When his parents offer his soul to a demon, he gets taken to demon school where he must hide his identity as a human.
Of course, Iruma gets into a fight right away, somehow fumbling his way into a victory and earning himself a lifelong servant.
