The beauty of anime lies in its ability to tell almost any type of story imaginable, allowing viewers to escape reality, leading to the rise of Isekai genre. Although isekai series are mostly famous for hit anime like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime or Jobless Reincarnation, There are also many movies where the adventure is set in another world.where the main characters become someone else and rebuild their lives or learn to appreciate the current reality, allowing viewers to experience an adventure in another world for a short duration.
Unlike films that are set in a fantasy world, such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke, or in which fantasy elements are incorporated into the characters' everyday lives, such as in Your Name or Suzume, in Isekai films, the main character is the one who travels from the real world to another world.
Isekai movies have a wide variety of storylines, from sequels, to fantasy stories about kingdoms competing for dominance, and absurd comedies that parody anime antics. One thing is for sure, Isekai anime are still enjoyable even for those who are not fans of the genre.
10 Drifting Home is an Endless Sea Adventure
A film by Studio Colorido; Directed by Hiroyasu Ishida
Drifting Home is a coming-of-age story where a group of kids enter an abandoned apartment building and find themselves in a new and challenging world, adrift in a vast ocean where the only other empty apartments in sight are floating and sinking. For this reason, the film is not a standard fantasy world, but instead uses the concept of a connected world separate from reality.
Drifting Home is a surreal adventure where children are enriched by their memories. and their goal of survival forces them to unite despite their differences. The film also focuses on themes such as friendship, family, grief, and letting go of the past, as they will have to grow up to return home.
9 Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie Has an Epic Military Battle
Nut's Movie; Based on the Light Novel series by Carlo Zen
Saga of Tanya the Evil has become an iconic series in the isekai genre because of its selfish and manipulative protagonist who is not afraid to impact the lives of others to achieve his goals. For this reason, after the success of the first season, studio NUT decided to take the next step with the first movie, adapting volume 4 of the light novel, which serves as a direct sequel to the story.
Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie has all the highlights of the anime; Tanya's fight against the plots of the god who wants to see her despairbegs for help, in addition to having obvious references to the historical events of World War I and the beginning of World War II combined with themes and dialogue that evoke contemplation of conflicts within humanity. However, what makes the film a must-watch is that for the first time, Tanya has a suitable opponent and is faced with the most dangerous situation she has ever experienced since being reborn.
8 No Game No Life: Zero is a prequel to the story of Sora and Shiro
Madhouse Movie; Based on the Light Novel by Yuu Kamiya
One of the most famous isekai destinations in anime is DisboardThe world that Sora and Shiro from No Game No Life were brought to by the mysterious game god Tet. Disboard is a fantastic world where everything is decided through games, and the formation of this world is the content of the prequel movie No Game no Life: Zero, which is not only a great introduction to the series but also shows the dark side of the story.
Zero's story, narrated by Tet to explain the nature of Disboard, enhances everything fans know about Sora and Shiro through the lives of their ancestors from six thousand years ago, Riku and Schwi. The series shows a harsh, war-torn world, touches on the curiosity of the human heart, as well as hope despite adversity, all conveyed through a lovely love story.
7 Escaflowne is a retelling of a classic Isekai anime
Bones Movie; Directed by Kazuki Akane
A classic Isekai film is Escaflowne, a retelling of the 26-episode anime that became a hit series. The film is quite different from The Vision of Escaflowne, but still keeps the plot by showing Hitomi being transported to the fantasy world of Gaea, where she meets Van, who she has seen in her visions, the young prince of the kingdom of Fanelia and the pilot of the only weapon capable of stopping the war against the Zaibach Empire: Escaflowne.
Despite lacking in character depth due to its short length, Escaflowne is an enjoyable film, with beautiful art direction and a soundtrack that is much darker than the series, as the characters are connected by loneliness, heartbreak, and a desire to end the world and their own existence. The film could also serve as a great introduction to the series, which is groundbreaking with its unique blend of medieval fantasy and mecha.
6 kids chasing lost voices
Film by CoMix Wave Films; Directed by Makoto Shinkai
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is inspired by the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, and tells the story of Asuna and Morisaki's journey to explore Agartha, a land deep beneath the planet that is said to be the bridge between life and death, which is also the main theme of the story, the process of grieving after losing a loved one.
Agartha's dream world is a beautiful, colorful place where time seems to have stopped in an idyllic medieval era, with symbolism reminiscent of CS Lewis's books, The Chronicles of Narnia. Additionally, in Children Who Chase Lost Voices, The influence of Studio Ghibli is evident when compared to Shinkai's later films. where he mastered his own style. However, its unique approach to pain and its beautiful animation are enough to recognize it as one of the best modern Japanese animated films.
5 The Cat Returns shows a journey of self-discovery in the world of cats
Studio Ghibli Film; Directed by Hiroyuki Morita
The Cat Returns follows Haru, a young girl who saves a cat and discovers that she has helped a prince escape the cat world. Although Haru is surprised to find that cats can talk, her selfless act inadvertently makes her the prince's fiancée. In order to avoid the impending marriage, Haru seeks the help of Baron Humbert von Gikkingen and Muta, setting off on an adventure in the fantastic Cat Kingdom.
Because it is impossible not to be amazed by the venerable Baron, The Cat Returns was born as a spin-off of the film Whispers of the Heart, representing the story written by the main character Shizuku.
The Cat Returns is not a profound film, as it is primarily aimed at children like My Neighbor Totoro. However, Haru's visit to the Cat Kingdom is filled with the magical atmosphere typical of Studio Ghibli and is also a journey of personal growth reminiscent of the journey Chihiro goes through in Spirited Away. The Cat Returns is also the perfect movie for cat lovers.
4 Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! Crimson Legend is the Funniest Isekai Drama
Film by JC Staff; Based on the Light Novel by Natsume Akatsuki
While other fantasy isekai anime attempt to present and develop their world seriously or provide a journey of power-ups, KonoSuba throws expectations out the window and instead presents an interesting story where the characters are not only absurd but also represent the worst of the genre's stereotypes. This is what makes KonoSuba a fan favorite and a continuing theme in Legend of Crimson, adapted from the fifth volume of the light novel, which covers the Kouta Village Arc and features the origins of Megumin and her family.
The film delivers the KonoSuba experience, with all the fun moments that come with it, in a standalone story that, despite being a direct sequel to the second season of the anime, is perfect for fans of the series and those looking for a fun comedy or just want to see if the series' humor is to their taste. Roger Avary, the screenwriter of the famous Pulp Fiction film, even praised Legend of Crimson in an article by X's.
Easily one of the best experiences in a cinema I have ever had. I would say it is the reason cinema was invented – Roger Avary.
3 The Boy and the Beast is a story about finding a place to belong.
The film was written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda.
The Boy and the Beast tells the story of Ren, a young boy who, after the death of his mother, runs away from his home and future guardian and meets Kumatetsu, a ferocious bear who takes him to a magical world called Jutengai. In Jutengai, anthropomorphic animals from popular Japanese folklore live in relative harmony and can enter the human world. However, humans are forbidden there because of their tendency to be possessed by darkness.
Fans of The Boy and the Beast may also enjoy another Mamoru Hosoda film, Belle, which offers a fresh take on Beauty and the Beast in a virtual world.
Ren, now known as Kyuta, eventually lives and trains with his unconventional master, Kumatetsu. The boy and the Beast have all the traits of an Isekai, except is one of Mamoru Hosoda's best filmsnot only shows the close relationship between mentor and student, but also a message about family and finding one's place in the world.
2 The Boy and the Heron is the pinnacle of Miyazaki's career.
Studio Ghibli Film; Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Ten years after releasing his last film, The Wind Rises, whose motto was based on the Paul Valéry poem “we must live,” Hayao Miyazaki released The Boy and the Heron, a more personal and symbolic film that instead asks the question of its original title: “How do you live?” The film is a dream-like journey with a central theme of growing up, as Mahito must learn and accept his emotions and the inevitable events of life through an adventure to a magical world.
The Boy and the Heron touches on previous themes in Miyazaki's work, from the premise that Mahito's trip serves as a form of therapy, much like Chihiro's visit to the bathhouse, to its focus on nature and critique of war conflicts, man-made destruction, family, and accepting the loss of a loved one. It's not just Miyazaki in his purest form, but a film that teaches how to live and move forward.
1 Spirited Away is a magical journey into the world of spirits.
Studio Ghibli Film; Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki's worlds are famous all over the world, but none are quite like Spirit World, a supernatural and mysterious space filled with hundreds of creatures from Japanese folklore and others like the mysterious No-Face. The plot of Spirited Away revolves around Chihiro, who stumbles into this Spirit World and must work in a bathhouse owned by Yubaba in order to return to her own world with her parents.
There are all sorts of debates that can be had regarding the symbolism behind Spirited Away, but as Chihiro is introduced to a wonderful and amazing world and eventually matures and becomes more aware of her surroundings, the film's biggest theme is the transition from childhood to adolescence. Even after more than two decades of its release, the film remains Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's finest fantasy adventure, creating Spirited Away is the best isekai series to watch.
