Best Sekaikei Anime, Ranked

Summary

• Sekaikei genre ties protagonist’s emotions to world events without emphasizing worldbuilding or conflicts.
• She, The Ultimate Weapon
  ,
  RahXephon
  , &
  The Place Promised in Our Early Days
  are sekaikei examples.
• Emotional connections directly impact the fate of the world in anime like
  Eureka Seven
  and
  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
  .

Sekaikai is one genre most individuals might have never heard of before but might have come across. This unique genre is made up of two words, Sekai, which means world, and kei, which means type. Brought together to form World-type, this genre showcases how the protagonist’s emotions and relationships are directly tied to world-scale events or crises. The protagonist’s emotions, such as love, loneliness, or despair, influence the fate of the world.

This unique genre focuses mainly on the protagonist’s emotions and feelings, but another way to identify sekaikei anime is that it does not focus on detailed worldbuilding or complex political conflicts, which most genres focus on. Sekaikei focuses on the emotional connections between a small group of characters, often with a young, isolated protagonist at its core. Sekaikei delivers deeply emotional, high-stakes stories that blur the line between the intimate and the apocalyptic.

8 She, The Ultimate Weapon

Chise’s Fading Humanity Mirrors The Apocalyptic Devastation She Causes

• Japanese Title: Saishuu Heiki Kanojo
• Number of Episodes: 13
• Studio: Gonzo
• Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

Chise had a pretty average and nonproblematic life in the small town she lived in. She was in a relationship with her childhood friend who attended the same high school as her, Shuuji, and everything was good till war broke out and Chise turned out to be the government’s ultimate weapon. This discovery shattered Chise and Shuuji’s lives and relationship, as every day that passes, Chise moves further away from being a human and more towards a weapon of mass destruction designed to end a brutal war ravaging the world.

As the war escalates, Shuuji must navigate his new reality as his world around them descends into chaos and his relationship with Chise crumbles away. She, The Ultimate Weapon is driven by the fragile relationship between Shuuji and Chise. Their love and emotional struggles parallel and directly impact the war’s progression.

7 RahXephon

Ayato’s Ability To Tune Reality Relies On Him Resolving His Struggles

• Japanese Title: N/A
• Number of Episodes: 26
• Studio: Bones
• Genres: Action, Award Winning, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Suspense

RahXephon tells how Ayato’s life turns chaotic when Tokyo is suddenly invaded. After this invasion, he learns that Tokyo is controlled by the aliens, the Mulians, a race seeking to reshape humanity. With his whole world turned upside down, Ayato further discovers that he has unknown powers within him that allow him to be the only person to control RahXephon, a powerful mecha only he can pilot.

In the midst of chaos and confusion, Ayato is lucky to have Haruka to guide him as he is set to tune reality to change the fate of the world. What makes this anime Sekaikei is that it showcases how Ayato is burdened with the weight of saving his world while dealing with loneliness, betrayal, and confusion about his identity.

6 The Place Promised In Our Early Days

Hiroki And Takuya’s Emotional Connection To Sayuri Prevents Their World From Collapsing

• Japanese Title: Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho
• Number of Episodes: 1
• Studio: CoMix Wave Films
• Genres: Award Winning, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

Three childhood friends, Hiroki, Takuya, and Sayuri had dreams of flying to the Tower using a plane they were building. However, their bond is broken and dreams are shattered when one of them, Sayuri mysteriously disappears. Years later, Hiroki and Takuya discover that Sayuri has been in a coma-like state linked to the Tower, which has the power to alter and collapse reality.

Hiroki and Takuya’s emotional connection to Sayuri and their resolve to fulfill their childhood promise become the key to saving her and preventing catastrophic destruction.

5 Now And Then, Here And There

Shu’s Resolve And Relationship With Lala-Ru Influence The Outcome Of The World

Now and Then, Here and There is best known for its realistic portrayal of war, despair, and loss of innocence as the main protagonist, a young boy named Shu, finds himself in a desolate, war-torn world after trying to protect a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru from a strange woman and two others. In a world where tyranny rules, Shuu quickly finds himself becoming a prisoner of the tyrant king’s army, and a child soldier forced into violent conflicts.

Shu’s emotional resolve to not succumb to the cruelty around him and to keep protecting Lala-Ru drives the story and Lala-Ru’s emotional state directly impacts whether the world will continue to crumble or heal especially since she controls water and holds the key to the world’s fate as the world needs water for survival.

4 Eureka Seven

Renton And Eureka’s Love Is The Key To Resolving The Conflict In Their World

• Japanese Title: Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven
• Number of Episodes: 50
• Studio: Bones
• Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

Dreams do come true, and Renton’s dream of leaving his boring life to join the Gekkostate group comes true. The Gekkostate group is a rebellious bunch whose aim is to uncover the deep secrets and truths about the government forces. When Renton meets Eureka after he joins Gekkostate he is unaware of how his life is about to change as this mysterious girl has many hidden layers. The longer Renton spends in the Gekkostate, the more he uncovers the truth about Eureka’s nature.

What makes this anime sekaikei is that as Renton and Eureka’s relationship deepens, their love becomes the emotional core of Eureka Seven. Their love directly influences their actions which in turn, affect the future of the world.

3 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Makoto’s Time Leaps Shape The Lives Of Those Around Her

Time is a delicate concept, and it takes less than a second for things to change drastically. After a near-death accident, Makoto discovers she has the ability to leap through time. This powerful ability in the hands of Makoto is used carelessly as she uses it for unimportant things like to avoid embarrassment, redo failed tests, or relive fun moments with her friends Chiaki and Kousuke.

Makoto discovers that her time-leaping powers offer her freedom but at a hefty cost. Time-leaping has serious consequences as it disrupts the lives of those around Makoto, as her friends almost had a bicycle accident, the same one she avoided. Makoto’s emotional decisions, whether avoiding conflict, fixing mistakes, or protecting her friends, and her relationship with Chiaki influences the flow of time and the events in her world, making it a sekaikei anime.

2 Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji’s Journey To Save His World From Angels

Angels have a reputation of being saints, incapable of causing harm, but in Neon Genesis Evangelion, they are the opposite, acting as humanity’s greatest threat and fear Angels. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Neon Genesis Evangelion tells the story of how a 14-year-old, Shinji, is forced to pilot a giant bio-mechanical robot called Evangelion to save his world from the Angels.

Shinji’s emotional state directly affects his ability to pilot the Evangelion, which determines whether humanity can survive the Angels’ attacks. His feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and longing for connection are mirrored in the apocalyptic stakes.

1 Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Madoka’s Final Decision Reshapes The Universe Itself

Puella Magi Madoka Magica showcases just how experience is the best teacher, as it shows the dark side of what it means to be a magical girl. Madoka and her friends encounter Kyubey, a mysterious creature who offers to grant any wish in exchange for the girls becoming magical girls tasked with fighting Witches, manifestations of despair.

Madoka and her friends soon learn that witches were once magical girls, and it is almost impossible for a magical girl to not become a witch. Being a magical girl is a curse that ultimately leads to despair, transforming them into witches upon losing hope. Madoka and her friends’ emotional breakdowns result in their transformation into Witches, creatures that perpetuate destruction, and this affects the state of their world.