They say Isekai Manga is an acquired taste, but there are some series that are ideal for Beginners and could turn any fan of Manga into a follower of the Isekai tropes. With this crescent genre quickly becoming popular among fans of adventure and shōnen, there are plenty of available series on the market ready to be picked by those who are not so familiar with this sub-genre.

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In this list, fans will find several series that are Ideal for Beginners from the top tier and easy to follow, to the most niche ones that might suit the taste of more mature audiences, coming from other genres, especially Grimdark, Dark Fantasy, and Sci-Fi.

6

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Good To Convince People That Think Isekai Is All About Harems

• Author: Fuse
• Artist: Taiki Kawakami
• Year published: 2015
• Number of volumes: 24

One of the best things about Reincarnated As A Slime is that this series avoids certain heavy and cliché tropes, and avoids the Harem route as much as possible. One of the things that many beginners of the Isekai genre feel more rejected about, is an Overpowered male character being constantly surrounded by women and persistent and unnecessary fanservice moments.

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Fans of Fantasy manga won’t have to worry too much about this, and they will be rewarded with a mildly dark setting, in a fantasy world that has seen better days. Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken deals with serious topics like racism, social segregation, the persecution of minorities, and mainly misfits seeking the acceptance of a world that constantly rejects them. TenSura (as called by fans) has a great number of colorful characters and an easy-to-follow plot that might be a little bit attractive to fantasy fans, so that’s a big plus if manga enthusiasts who enjoyed DanMachi and other similar series need a refreshing dose of adventure.

5

The Rising Of The Shield Hero

A Very Mature And Hardcore Fantasy Setting, Ideal For Those Coming From Other Genres

• Author: Aneko Yusagi
• Artist: Kyu Aiya
• Year published: 2014
• Number of volumes: 22

Fans of the Fantasy genre will agree that, in many cases, worldbuilding is the main attraction of a series. Rising of The Shield Hero is a good example of a series with solid world background design and tons of lore to explore. With a setting that starts like the typical Isekai anime, but a little bit on the ‘planes wars’ trope, with worlds colliding in a battle for survival, and heroes wielding weapons designed by a mysterious system to protect those worlds and overpower other places.

Behind all that fantasy setting, a story about discrimination, racism, and internal struggle, where the Main Character, Naofumi, is treated with a level of disrespect bordering abuse, and thrown out of the Hero team by the agency of one of the worst villainesses in the history of fantasy anime. Political struggles and a battle for survival begin shortly after, in a world where everyone thinks wrongly of the Shield Hero, the only protector of the weak and discriminated beastfolk. Though the series might be a little bit controversial, it is a good manga to fuel fans’ interest in the isekai genre.

4

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!

A Lighthearted Satire, With Colorful And Quirky Characters

• Author: Natsume Akatsuki
• Artist: Masahito Watari
• Year published: 2014
• Number of volumes: 14

Natsume Akatsuki is a master of satirical comedy, and KonoSuba is the maximum expression of his zany humor. With a high dose of adventure, heartwarming moments, and crazy characters that will give readers no quarter, this manga is an excellent way to get onto the brighter side of the Isekai genre. The cast of this manga is composed of a main character who is an obnoxious Neet, a ‘useless’ goofy Goddess who cannot find purpose in her life, a ridiculous masochist paladin, and a glass cannon Archmage with an incipient 8th grader syndrome. Of course, many other quirky fellows chip in to give life to this wonderful world.

Isekai is mainly divided into three types: Merciless grimdark worlds with a mature setting, lighthearted/humorous soft fantasy settings, and hardcore fantasy settings with shonen/harem vibes. Konosuba sits comfortably between the first and second types and offers a satirical tone that can crack up a smile even when it crosses the line. Believe it or not, even when crossing the line, it does it in such a ridiculous tone that readers will feel okay with it.

3

Re: Zero – Starting Life In Another World

An Easy-To-Follow Plot, A Less-Than-Perfect Main Character

• Author: Tappei Nagatsuki
• Artist: Daichi Matsuse
• Year published: 2014
• Number of volumes: 7

Combining kingdom-building elements with old-fashioned Isekai tropes, Re: Zero is a series about new beginnings, and serious topics such as discrimination, coping with psychological trauma, and reflection on oneself past mistakes. Underneath its colorful and well-developed worldbuilding, lies a plot that is complex but at the same time, easy to follow. Some of the characters in the series will be reminiscent of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest universes, and that’s all right, because those franchises have inspired countless authors of the isekai genre, so gamers who have enjoyed them will surely find some cool references hidden in plain sight.

Another of its strong points, is Subaru, a Main Character who most fans of the Fantasy anime will agree to call ‘Flawed,’ and even arrogant. But, on the bright side, he is a cool dude who loathes seeing others suffer, and he is willing to take the burden of the world over his shoulders if that saves others from experiencing what he had to. Overall, it is a great manga series, though the anime is a little bit better since it draws the full potential of this series to the maximum. Give or take, it is a balanced Isekai, and ideal for beginners.

2

The Saga Of Tanya the Evil

A Darker, More Mature Isekai, Ideal For Those Migrating From Grimdark Manga

• Author: Carlo Zen
• Artist: Chika Tojo
• Year published: 2016
• Number of volumes: 31

Now if fans of darker and mature universes like Bastard, Berserk, or Fullmetal Alchemist are looking for the ideal Isekai to dive into a complex plot, with an evil main character who is borderline psychopathic and only wants to watch the world burn, then they’re up for a wild ride by reading The Saga of Tanya the Evil (Better known as Youjo Senki). It is a perilous path of no return into the darkest side of the Isekai genre. Ideal for those who are veterans of the Grimdark Fantasy genre, but are total beginners in terms of Isekai Manga.

After being reincarnated into the body of a young child in a world ravaged by war, a former salaryman will become the force that will swallow the world into flames. Moved by the memory of her past self, and her ruthless desire to become top-dog, Tanya will lead the army with ruthless efficiency, and manipulate the threads that bind human lives to a cycle of endless violence. It is a controversial series, but a masterful expression of what would truly happen if a reincarnated person who is less than heroic kept their memories of past lives.

1

The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes An Adventurer In Another World

Ideal For Those Ready To Jump From Sci-Fi Into Isekai

• Author: Atsuhiko Itoh
• Artist: Tomomasa Takuma
• Year published: 2018
• Number of volumes: 7+

This series, also known as Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer, is perfect for those who are transitioning from the Sci-Fi or Sci-Fantasy genres into the Isekai manga. The story is about Alan Corinth (a character who has reminiscences of Rick Hunter) a simple Galactic Navy Soldier who is stranded in an unknown world after a disastrous battle against the enemy of mankind: The Bugs.

With lots of cool references to the Starship Troopers series, solid worldbuilding, and lots of dark twists and secrets, it narrates a story about the collision between science and technology, and the magic of a world ruled by a mysterious being called ‘God.’ The plot is easy to follow, and devoid of the most annoying tropes like harems, overpowered main characters, and Demon Lords. It’s more about how a decided agent from humanity’s most advanced civilization modernizes a medieval fantasy world based on sword and sorcery, so it has that Kingdom-building flavor that most fans of Isekai Manga have begun to appreciate.

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