Isekai: the genre where getting hit by a truck is just another way to level up your life.
Let’s be real—this genre is overflowing with anime. From magic academies to demon lords to OP protagonists who sneeze and blow up planets, we’ve seen it all. But while everyone’s busy hyping up the same dozen shows, there’s a secret tier of underrated bangers flying under the radar.
We’re talking insane world-building, main characters with actual personality, and fantasy realms so wild they make the mainstream stuff look… basic.
So, summon your party, equip that plot armor, and let’s dive into the Top 10 Underrated Isekai & Fantasy Anime that you should absolutely be watching.
#10 – The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?
Imagine this: you go to bed after a long workday and wake up as a six-year-old in a medieval fantasy world. Oh—and you’re the eighth son of a broke noble family. Not exactly main character vibes.
That’s the unlucky start for Ichinomiya Shingo, now known as Wendelin. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with zero resources, he ends up discovering a rare talent for magic. Cue his glow-up from irrelevant noble nobody to overpowered magician with real political influence.
It’s not redefining the genre, but it’s a solid ride with satisfying world-building, magical intrigue, and some surprising character growth.
#9 – Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!
This one’s chaos wrapped in comedy. Misato dies saving someone and gets offered a shot at reincarnation. She asks for just one thing: a normal life.
The gods say “sure”—but their idea of average is halfway between the strongest being and the weakest creature in existence. Yeah, she’s absolutely OP.
Reborn as Adele von Ascham, she tries to live low-key, but keeps unintentionally flexing her power and drawing attention. Add in a wholesome adventurer girl gang, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and a few heartfelt moments, and you’ve got a seriously fun, underrated gem.
#8 – I’m Standing on a Million Lives
If you like your isekai gritty and morally gray, this one’s for you.
Yusuke Yotsuya and two classmates are transported to a game-like world where they must complete deadly, time-limited quests. Die? You respawn. Fail the quest? Everyone’s gone for good.
Yusuke’s not your standard selfless hero. He’s cold, calculating, and often uses people to win. But it’s his evolution—slow, flawed, and real—that hits hard. It ditches the power-of-friendship cliché and dives into tough moral choices and the cost of survival.
Sword Art Online, but darker and smarter.
#7 – So I’m a Spider, So What?
Two shows in one. Half is political drama with massive fantasy battles; the other half is straight-up dungeon survival horror.
The protagonist? A high school girl reincarnated as a tiny spider monster trapped in a nightmare-fueled labyrinth. No weapons. No allies. Just her wits, web traps, and pure chaotic energy.
The glow-up is insane. She starts off dodging death every two seconds but eventually becomes a true powerhouse. Kumoko’s hilarious, unpredictable, and easily one of the most entertaining isekai leads out there.
Yeah, the animation can be inconsistent—but the world-building? Top tier.
#6 – The Dungeon of Black Company
Ever worked a soul-sucking 9-to-5 and thought, “There’s gotta be more to life than this”? Meet Kinji, a NEET living the dream—until he’s suddenly isekai’d into a fantasy world and enslaved by a corrupt dungeon-mining corporation.
Capitalism followed him into another realm.
But Kinji isn’t about that corporate life. He scams, cheats, and hustles his way through the system with a team of lovable misfits. It’s chaotic, sharp, and way too relatable.
If you’ve ever fantasized about quitting your job with flair, this anime is basically your spirit guide.
#5 – My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Reincarnated into an otome game as the villainess? Yeah, good luck.
Katarina Claes remembers her past life after taking a bump to the head—and realizes she’s now the main antagonist in her favorite dating sim. Every route leads to exile… or death.
So what does she do? Go full chaos mode to avoid all the bad endings.
She unintentionally builds a reverse harem and becomes everyone’s favorite person. It’s wholesome, hilarious, and completely low-stress. Perfect when you need a break from the doom and gloom of typical isekai plots.
#4 – Drifters
This one doesn’t hold back. It’s bloody, bold, and brutal.
The story starts with Shimazu Toyohisa, a legendary samurai, getting mortally wounded in battle—only to be thrown into a twisted fantasy world filled with other historical warriors. Together, they’re caught in a savage war between factions trying to either save or destroy the world.
The characters are complex, the battles are ruthless, and the tone is pitch-black. Created by the same mastermind behind Hellsing, this show drips with style and grit.
If you want action with edge and zero plot armor, Drifters delivers.
#3 – Ascendance of a Bookworm
No swords. No dragons. Just… books. And yet? It slaps.
Urano Motosu dies in an earthquake and wakes up as a sickly little girl named Myne in a medieval world where books are rarer than magic swords. But Myne doesn’t care about fame or nobility—she just wants to read.
So she decides to invent printing.
It’s a slow-burn series about using knowledge to change the world, one tiny step at a time. Inspirational, grounded, and beautifully detailed, this show proves that not all isekai need explosions to be powerful.
#2 – Knight’s & Magic
A hardcore mecha otaku dies and reincarnates as Ernesti Echevalier in a world where giant magic-powered robots—called Silhouette Knights—are real.
But Ernesti doesn’t just want to pilot one. He wants to build them better, faster, stronger.
This anime is a love letter to anyone obsessed with mechs or engineering. The passion for machines shines through, and the fights? Giant robots clashing with swords and spells—what’s not to love?
Ernesti is overpowered, but his drive, creativity, and pure enthusiasm make it work.
#1 – GATE
What if a portal to a fantasy world suddenly opened in the middle of Tokyo?
That’s exactly what happens in GATE, and Japan responds by sending in the JSDF—tanks, helicopters, and modern weapons—straight into a land of dragons, elves, and magic.
The story follows Itami, an off-duty otaku-turned-soldier who’s suddenly thrust into leading military operations in this strange new world. It’s not just about explosions; it’s about diplomacy, ethics, and what happens when modern power meets medieval chaos.
It’s smart, bold, and criminally overlooked in the isekai lineup.
And that’s the list!
Ten underrated isekai and fantasy anime that deserve way more love than they get.
If you’re tired of the same old tropes and want something fresh, unique, or just plain fun, these shows are your ticket out of basicville.