Love it or hate it, there’s something special about the isekai anime genre. Anime is uniquely capable of transporting us to fantasy worlds full of fun, adventure, action, romance and so much more.
Isekai is one of the most common genres around, and it can be super tough to separate the gems from the cliches. Don’t worry, we’ve gone through all the releases to unearth the best isekai anime in 2022 that you need to be watching!
Related: Anime Genres Explained: From Shonen to Seinen, Shoujo, Josei, Isekai, and More
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Skeleton Knight in Another World
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In the Land of Leadale
This show stars Keina Kagami who, after her life support in hospital fails, finds herself transported into the VRMMORPG world of Leadale.
While she was once most of the most powerful people in the game, 200 years have since passed without any human players. Still, she adopts her old name of Cayna and sets off on a fun-filled adventure that has a lighter touch than most action series on this list.
In the Land of Leadale is available to watch now!
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The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2
The first season of The Rising of the Shield Hero aired in 2019 and garnered a passionate fanbase that is eagerly awaiting the sequel later this year.
The story takes place in the fantasy kingdom of Melromarc, where four ‘real-world’ people are summoned to play the role of four heroes, each wielding a different weapon. Unfortunately, Naofumi becomes the Shield Hero, someone ostracised for his lack of attack skill.
Discriminated, betrayed and effectively banished from the kingdom, the story follows him and his small team as they try to save the world, rebuilding his unjust reputation across the kingdom.
The Rising of the Shield Hero season one can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Funimation. Season two is set to premiere in April 2022.
Related: The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Release Date, Studio, Where to Watch, Trailer and Everything You Need to Know!
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The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
Whether this is a pure isekai anime can be debated – maybe it’s an ‘isekainception’ – but I’m accepting it as it tackles similar themes.
In this series, Demon Lord Varvatos has become bored of being the strongest entity in the world. So, he decided to reincarnate with totally average abilities thousands of years in the future. Unfortunately for him, everyone else has got smaller weaker also.
Now living as ‘Villager A’, he finds himself pulled back into the same roles as before, despite his wishes to live a normal life.
This manga adaptation is set to premiere in April 2022.
Related: The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody Release Date, Studio, Where to Watch, Trailer and Everything You Need to Know!
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Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
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Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Season 2
Harems are a classic staple of the isekai genre, and Arifureta is a great example.
Arifureta follows Hajime Nagumo who, along with his class, is summoned to a fantasy world. Unlike the others, though, he’s not given any particularly effective combat skills. Betrayed by his classmates, Hajime has to fight to survive, eventually teaming up with various women who join him on his journey from commonplace to the world’s strongest.
Season one of Arifureta aired in 2019, while the second season started airing in January 2022.
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Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3
Ascendance of a Bookworm is a charming isekai story that is more slice-of-life than classic action fantasy.
The series focuses on Urano Motosu, a young girl who loves nothing more than reading any and all books. When a tragic accident ends her life, she finds herself reincarnated in a fantasy medieval world as Myne, a five-year-old girl.
Still desperate to read, she finds herself in a world without a printing press, where reading is almost exclusive to nobles. Thus, she sets out on a journey to fill the book-shaped hole in her life by any means necessary!
The highly-praised first two seasons were released in 2019 and 2020. The third season of this popular series is set to air from April 2022.
Related: Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 Release Date, Studio, Where to Watch, Trailer and Everything You Need to Know!