Isekai anime are one of the most popular genres in the world today, but I shouldn’t have to tell you that, with every passing season Isekai anime make an impact and draw viewers.
Personally, I can say Isekai have made an impact on me as an anime viewer some for my favorite shows fit the Isekai format perfectly, and while they may not be favorites of everyone I can for sure say they have left a mark on me as a viewer and individual.
Some of the earliest memories I have as an anime fan are Isekai related and honestly, I think a series which has a huge hand in that is Sword Art Online and its spinoff Gun Gale Online.
Something about the SAO was just appealing to me when I was younger, and honestly looking back on it now, even though I’ve grown I can see why, I had just started expanding my catalogue of anime viewership and was locked mainly to dubs on Netflix at the time, and after I had finished Naruto I was looking for something new and exciting to draw me in, and SAO was just what I needed at the time.
I’m a huge gamer and the thought of a VR MMO made my mouth water, so I started watching religiously, absorbing any content I could get my hands on and clamoring for more to come my way, something about the seemingly normal protagonist, trying to survive in this wild MMO world was something I could envision some alternate universe version of myself doing.
That’s part of why I think people like me love Isekai, the what if it were me, the endless possibilities, the adventure, the growth, and of course the prospect of a whole new life unfolding in front of us, is a fun one I believe.
Another part that I feel makes the genre so enjoyable is the ease of enjoyment, and variety of content, there are always new shows flooding the streaming platforms and they all come with a new, if not familiar, story usually with a twist, to keep us locked on our screens and maybe if you find a fun series like Konosuba, a few laughs can be had along the way too.
But why else is it we find ourselves tuning in every week to watch more Isekai shows, it could be the fun concepts.
Take SAO for example, it’s like waking up in a fantasy MMO, where you make the choices, and it happens around you, not just on a screen, there are dungeons, monsters, spells, magic, and swords all waiting to be found and mastered, so it makes for a fun journey as a viewer.
Lastly let me be a little frank here and say that the sheer multitude of content from the genre while overwhelming to some, also means that there really is something for everyone, a journey with a smartphone, a protagonist revived as a vending machine, people getting hit by trucks only to wake up as the next hero of prophecy, Isekai has it all.
So, I think we find ourselves gravitating towards Isekai every season because of a few things
- Ease of entry
- Fun Premise
- Cool Concepts
- Sheer amount of content
Really, I think Isekai is important to the anime community and its growth, because each new fan is sure to find something to start them off or keep them tuned in.
Isekai really is the embodiment of the anime is for everyone belief that I personally hold so close and tout consistently.
Leave a Reply