Isekai Anime With The Best World Building

Key Takeaways

• .hack//Sign presents a deep and interlocking lore that immerses viewers in its introspective world and questions the nature of reality.
• Grimgar: Ashes And Illusions depicts the harsh realities of survival in a fantasy world, focusing on mediocre people doing their best in difficult circumstances.
• Log Horizon excels in world-building by turning game mechanics into reality, making its MMO premise a strength that sets it apart from other isekai anime.

Anime takes place in all kinds of settings, from the cold and silent reaches of space to fantasy metropolises in which species of every variety rub shoulders and cut deals. Yet many of these worlds are little more than cardboard cutouts: they may have the right look, but there’s no depth beneath the surface.

World-building is the process of creating a setting and fleshing it out in all the detail that it needs to be believable. Economics, geography, flora and fauna, and politics are only some of the most important considerations. Successful world-building is even more important in isekai anime since the show must successfully contrast the new world with the old. Here are some isekai that have built phenomenal worlds.

Updated November 9, 2024 by Oluwatokiloba Folami: The isekai genre is known for its unique ability to captivate audiences with tales of ordinary individuals thrust into extraordinary worlds. While isekai is known to offer escapism, an equally important aspect of isekai is its presentation of delicately designed worlds where magic, politics, and culture intermingle, creating a rich setting that is as pivotal to the storyline as the characters themselves.

What makes an isekai anime great is its world-building, which combines imaginative storytelling with meticulous detail to craft an enchanting world. Isekai anime with awesome world-building offers viewers fully realized worlds that enhance the adventure and deepen the immersion into the extraordinary.

1 Restaurant To Another World

Uses Food To Bridge The Gap Between The Normal World And Fantasy World

The living beings in a fantasy world have to eat, and one would automatically assume that they survive on eating weaker animals, maybe fruits or grass. However, Restaurant to Another World takes viewers on a culinary journey as it showcases that these fantasy beings also crave delicacies and mouth-watering cuisine that most humans do. The Western Cuisine Nekoya is a Japanese restaurant in the Tokyo district that sells Japanese and Western dishes to its customers. In this fantasy world, the uniqueness this restaurant offers is unlike others by not opening on Saturdays. Rather, the door opens to another world where they serve different beings on these Saturdays.

Isekai anime commonly focuses on adventures and conflicts, but Restaurant to Another World deviates from that as it focuses on bringing earthly delicacies to fantastical creatures. This anime uses cuisine to unfold its world-building because as different creatures come into the restaurant to eat, their reaction to Earth’s food offers insights into their culture, personal history, and fantastical world.

2 So I’m A Spider, So What?

Game-Like World

So I’m a Spider, So What? tells the story of an unlucky Japanese girl who tries to make the best out of her seemingly bad situation. This Japanese girl dies alongside her classmate and is unlucky enough to be reincarnated as a spider, and to top it all off, she finds herself in a dangerous dungeon filled with strange, deadly, and more powerful monsters. This Japanese girl, now known as Kumoko the Spider, has to ensure that she does not become a victim of these monsters and tries her best and hardest to rise the ranks and survive in this dangerous situation.

This fantasy world where Kumoko finds herself is notable for its role-playing game system, which allows characters to gain levels, skills, and abilities like they would in a video game. The game-like system is important for the growth of Kumoko, as she uses her wits and evolving powers to navigate dangers and grow stronger.

3 The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic

Magic Runs This World

Usato wishes for something interesting and remarkable to happen in his life. Luckily for him, it does but it involved two of his classmates. Usato and his classmates, Kazuki and Suzune, are suddenly transported to a magical world where they act as heroes. Unlike his classmates, who are recruited into the hero and magician classes because of their offensive abilities, Usato is left on the side after his healing magic is discovered. The discovery dampens Usato’s mood, but he quickly moves on as he gets recruited by Rose, who trains him to be a fully-fledged healer, capable of protecting people from danger.

In this world, individuals have magical powers and roles that align with their magical abilities. Usato’s healing magic classifies him as a healer, while his classmates with offensive magic are classified as fighters. Each magic user has their tailored training regimes and functions in society. However, the use of magic can be switched up as even though Usato falls into the healer class of magic, his journey is quite different as his training is rigorous and combat-oriented.

4 The Faraway Paladin

Desolate City With A Unique Culture

Will barely remembers his previous life in Japan, but now that he is reborn in a new world, he vows to have a meaningful life. The Faraway Paladin is set in the city of the dead, where Will is born and is being taken care of by three undead creatures: Mary, Gus, and Blood. As the only human in this world, Will becomes curious and starts asking himself questions about his identity, and soon after, he begins to explore the world he finds himself in.

The Faraway Paladintakes place in a world that is filled with mystery and history. As Will explores this world, he learns about the historical events that have happened in this world through the personal stories of his guardians.

5 Re:Zero: Starting Life In Another World

Powerful Witches Control This World

Subaru’s trip to the grocery store takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself being taken away to a fantasy world. Unlike most Isekai characters who have an adventure-filled, fun, and overpowered life, Subaru’s life was quite the opposite in some ways. He finds himself beaten up by thugs, and later that night, he ends up being murdered. Unfortunately for him, because of the Return by Death ability granted to him by the Witch of Envy, he ends up reliving his painful death.

Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World is set in a complex fantasy world filled with diverse kingdoms and detailed politics, particularly evident in the royal selection process in the Kingdom of Lugunica. The magic system and deep mythology in Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World are centered around figures like the Witch of Envy, adding layers of intrigue and mystery.

6 Magic Knight Rayearth

Depends On A Human Pillar

An innocent field trip to Tokyo Towers takes three girls, Hikari, Umi, and Fuu, to the magical world of Cephiro, where they have been tasked with restoring peace and balance to the world. As the magical knights of this world, it is up to these girls to deliver Cephiro from evil, as the world has been in disarray since the princess was kidnapped.

In this world, the princess who was kidnapped acts as a pillar, and that is why it is vital that she is rescued from her abductor. The absence of the princess means that there is no defense and no one to pray for Cephiro’s wellbeing, meaning that the world is at risk of being destroyed. This world combines magic and mechas, blending fantasy with sci-fi.

7 Drugstore In Another World: The Slow Life Of A Cheat Pharmacist

Medical Skills Over Magic

This anime series follows the adventures of Reiji Kirio, a polite young man who is suddenly transported to another world. In this new world, Reiji decides to put his medicinal skills to use, rather than fall into the slave-like corporate cycle he was in his old world. With his medicinal skills, Reiji opens up a drugstore and comes across various individuals of different races who have the most surprising ailments.

In terms of building the world in which it takes place, Drug Store In Another World does well by allowing Reiji’s skills to be useful in a fantasy world. Rather than having magic solve everything, good medicinal skills are portrayed alongside dragons, elves, and even ghosts, making it believable and relatable for those watching.

8 Gate

Blends Modern Military Elements With A Fantasy World

Even among various isekai anime series, Gate stands out because it allows its characters to go back and forth between worlds. In this anime series, a portal to another world opens up in Japan, and both sides attack each other.

Luckily, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) managed to repel the invading forces, establish a base in the fantasy world, and enter peace negotiations with the empire ruling the fantasy world. The world-building in Gate manages to balance the elements of both worlds, as it brings the modern and medieval elements of both worlds together.

9 The Eminence In Shadow

Satirizes The Overpowered Protagonist Trope By Having The Main Character Unknowingly Influence A Vast Conspiracy

Cid Kagenou has always dreamed of becoming the Eminence in Shadow. Luckily, he is given the opportunity when he is reincarnated into a fantasy world. Humans dominate this world just like Cid’s old world, but the presence of magic changes everything.

The new world where Cid is reincarnated is well-structured, with kingdoms, varying associations, and magic schools present to regulate magic. With magic, many more things have been made possible. Thanks to Cid’s knowledge of his old world, his underlings manage to incorporate some of the technology in Cid’s old world with magic, making the world in which the series is portrayed more well-structured.

10 Overlord

Detailed Fantasy World Where An Overpowered Protagonist Navigates Morality And Power Dynamics

The Overlord anime series depicts the adventures of Ainz Ooal Gown, who is suddenly trapped in the DMMMO-RPG (Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) YGGDRASIL. With Ainz Ooal Gown trapped in YGGDRASIL, the game serves as the world in which the series takes place, and its world-building is very well-thought-out.

As a game, YGGDRASIL was widely popular. With the freedom of choice it granted players, it seemed like a world on its own rather than a game to Ainz Ooal Gown after he was trapped in it. As a world, YGGDRASIL functioned as one with nine different worlds in it, allowing for a rich diversity of races and jobs. It’s a fascinating setting for any viewer to lose themselves in.

11 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Exploring Themes Of Redemption And Personal Growth In A New Life

The isekai anime series Mushoku Tensei stands out from its counterparts in various ways. The show portrays a 34-year-old NEET who is reincarnated into another world. Planning to make use of his reincarnation, Rudeus strives to do his best and ends up in a world with different practices from Earth as he knows it.

This new fantasy world he finds himself in has similar practices to those on Earth; however, the inclusion of magic spices things up. Because of magic, some Herculean tasks are easily sorted, and the level of technology available is limited. Regardless, the new world comes with its unique history and culture, and Rudeus must learn to adapt.

12 No Game No Life

The World Is Governed Entirely By Games, Creating A Unique Setting Where Conflicts Are Resolved Through Strategy And Wit

Of the many isekai anime out there, No Game No Life has a unique world-building like no other. Despite following a unique concept where the protagonists Shiro and Sora are reincarnated into a fantasy world where everything is decided through games, the fantasy world is portrayed in a structured manner with various cultures and practices present. The world in which they are reincarnated into—Disboard—consists of 16 different races with a laid-down hierarchy.

At the bottom of this hierarchy lies Imanity, a race of humans with no affinity for magic. To change the status quo, Shiro and Sora involve themselves in a bid for power after they get transported into Disboard.

13 The Devil Is A Part-Timer!

Humorously Flips The Isekai Genre By Bringing A Demon Lord Into Modern-Day Tokyo

As a reverse isekai series, this anime takes place not in a fantasy world but in modern-day Tokyo after the Demon Lord Satan retreats into the human world. Now in the human world, Satan’s magic power is weak and diminishing, and he must get a job to cater for himself and pay the rent.

The way this anime series manages to combine the fantasy elements of its characters with modern-day Tokyo is what makes it shine. As Satan is not from Tokyo, he must learn the practices of the people while using his already diminishing magic abilities to fight off his pursuers.

14 The Rising Of The Shield Hero

Presents A Gritty Take On The Hero’s Journey

Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a fantasy world alongside four other individuals to be the cardinal heroes of the world they are summoned to. Firstly unsure of what to do and how to proceed, Naofumi researches the world he must now accept as his duty to protect.

Meanwhile, this fantasy world does not lack a rich cultural heritage, and Naofumi realizes his set of cardinal heroes is not the first, and many others have been summoned from other versions of Japan. As the series goes on, fans realize that many things up to Naofumi’s summoning were not simply by chance but follow certain conditions the world already follows to preserve itself.

15 Darwin’s Game

World Seamlessly Blends Modern Urban Life With A Deadly Supernatural Game

This video game Isekai exists in a world not that much different from reality, but because everything is dripping in dread (and often blood-soaked, too), it changes one’s perception entirely. Every building turns into a potential hideout or the safe house of a deadly threat. Each alleyway transforms into a target practice site. A simple cellphone becomes a vital lifeline, possibly containing the only means of escape.

Enduring Darwin’s Game is not all that bad, as players are handsomely rewarded for any successful killing sprees, even though the murdered users never return to reality. Each unsuspecting (or occasionally, willing) participant gets blessed with an Isekai bonus called a Sigil, granting them superhuman talents perfectly adapted for survival or assassination.

16 KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!

Typical Fantasy Tropes Within A Vibrant, Comedic Universe That Subverts Expectations

When this NEET-in-denial gets the fright of his life and comes face to face with the Goddess, Aqua, he is not terribly keen on enduring round two of life and decides to drag the blue-haired girl along for the ride. In desperate need of some finances, the pair sign up to be adventurers in the Fantasy World and quickly realize it will take some effort (and some serious coin) to increase their skill sets.

After teaming up with some equally useless quirky characters, Kazuma and his Harem battle against some of the strangest beasts imaginable, ranging from unicorn bunnies to flying cabbages (or lettuce heads in disguise) and much more. Great attention to detail is also applied to the unconventional feasts set before Kazuma and his gal pals (ones which viewers would struggle to find anywhere else)!

17 Parallel World Pharmacy

Modern Medical Knowledge In A Medieval Fantasy Setting

It’s easy for anime fans to get excited when the lead protagonist is reincarnated into a realm that has pre-established and intricate lore, as it adds significantly more depth to the alternative reality. With Panactheos arguably receiving the most praise from society, the various elemental Deities are fondly worshipped in the San Fleuve Empire, and as a reward, Divine Arts are handed out to their patrons (only to those of Noble blood, of course).

What is unique to Parallel World Pharmacy’s worldbuilding is how predominant Science is to the storyline (which also lines up with real-life facts and theories, to keep the boffins satisfied). Falma de Médiciss lands in this archaic kingdom with his bum in the butter but is thankfully using his extensive medical knowledge and powers of elemental manipulation to create life-changing medications for those in need.

18 I’m The Villainess, So I’m Taming The Final Boss

Reimagines The Villainess Trope By Having The Protagonist Alter Her Fate Within An Otome Game World

The recently reincarnated Aileen d’Autriche has to learn how to navigate her way through not one, but two separate societies within her Isekai nightmare, as humans and demons generally tend to steer clear of each other. As a Villainess who is destined to die, Aileen quickly makes an ally out of the Demon Lord, Claude, and her shadow subsequently becomes a portal of sorts, where demonic creatures (usually of the adorable variety) can pop in and out at will.

The medieval-styled terrain is not the most unique set-up in the Isekai genre; however, the strong Otome element and assortments of mythological creatures, magic items, folklore, and political structures more than make up for any lack of originality. The picturesque scenery perfectly encapsulates the feel of a classic dating-sim scenario, while the spooky woods are foreboding enough to encourage most travelers to avoid its depths.

19 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Community-Building And Diplomacy Through The Unique Perspective Of A Slime

Getting to experience the world as a Slime would make most things appear relatively amazing, and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is the perfect example of how simply changing the audience’s point of view can have a significant effect on the success of its worldbuilding. Combining the spiritual, demonic, and human realms is another fail-safe way to entertain fans while following the process of a Slime’s evolution in an RPG format creates enough intrigue to keep fans glued to their screens.

Reborn in the chaotic universe of Tensura World, created by the first of its kind, the Star-King Dragon Veldanava, Rimuru has to navigate through a complex landscape (and its equally multifaceted political system) while surviving increasingly more difficult tasks along the way. Interestingly enough, Tensura World gives the strong impression of only being a small element of the larger picture, suggesting that there is much more out there to explore!

20 Drifters

Bringing Historical Figures From Different Eras Into A Fantastical War-Torn Realm

History is a far deeper, more complex, and more confusing subject than most people give it credit for, and it’s not until history buffs begin to rattle off names, dates, and incidents that the scope of the subject begins to reveal itself. That’s one reason that most anime shy away from incorporating real people into their world-building: it’s simply too complex. Drifters tackles this challenge head-on.

A mixture of fantasy isekai and what-if biopic, this underrated isekai anime imagines many of history’s most fascinating figures thrown together and then forced to fight a war against one another. Coming from the creator of Hellsing Ultimate, Drifters has quality writing and a great aesthetic, but it’s the depth of its world-building that’s the ultimate draw.