The Twelve Kingdoms remains one of the most impressive isekai anime ever made. Long before the genre became filled with overpowered heroes and video game mechanics, Yoko Nakajima’s journey offered a different kind of adventure. After being thrown into a mysterious world, she finds herself facing major obstacles. However, despite this anime’s excellent storytelling, it has some weaknesses.
The slow pacing can be difficult to tolerate, and the 45-episode series ends without adapting the whole story. Luckily, there are several isekai anime that tell fantasy stories of similar quality, while improving some aspects of The Twelve Kingdoms. They have equally interesting main characters and explore themes of war, politics and survival. These anime offer adventures that are more ambitious than The Twelve Kingdoms.
The Vision of Escaflowne Balances Political Drama With Exciting Mecha Battles
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Image via Studio Sunrise -
Image via Sunrise -
Image via Studio Sunrise
Hitomi Kanzaki is a typical Japanese high school student whose life changes after meeting Van Fanel, a strange prince from another world. Soon, she finds herself in the fantasy world of Gaea, where there are many warring kingdoms and giant mechas.
In The Vision of Escaflowne, Hitomi gets entangled in the fight against the Zaibach Empire, and her unusual ability to predict future events makes her important to the conflict. The best thing about this anime is how it skillfully merges different genres. Van’s battles in the powerful Escaflowne provide exciting mecha action.
Meanwhile, the complicated relationship between Hitomi, Van and Allen Schezar introduces romance to the story. The Twelve Kingdoms explores political responsibility deeply, but The Vision of Escaflowne has a more varied adventure with stronger romantic elements. With its gorgeous animation and catchy soundtrack, The Vision of Escaflowne is one of the most rewarding classic isekai anime.
Every Victory Comes at a Terrible Cost in Grimgar
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash follows a group of people who find themselves in a fantasy world without any memories of their past lives. They have no special powers or knowledge that could make their new lives easier. With few options available, Haruhiro and his companions become volunteer soldiers who hunt monsters to earn money to survive.
Unfortunately, even the meager task of defeating a goblin proves far more difficult than they expect. While Yoko’s journey in The Twelve Kingdoms involves constant danger, Grimgar makes survival feel even more frightening. Its characters aren’t naturally talented warriors. Their first successful goblin hunt is particularly disturbing because the creature desperately fights to stay alive.
The scene makes it clear that taking a life in this anime is nothing like playing a video game. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash doesn’t have the political depth of The Twelve Kingdoms, but its attention to grief and the struggle to survive gives its fantasy adventure a more personal touch.
Now and Then, Here and There Explores the Horrors of War in a World Without Mercy
Now and Then, Here and There is one of the darkest isekai anime ever made. Shu Matsutani is an energetic boy who tries to help a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru after seeing her in danger. However, his attempt to protect her leads him into a ruined world ruled by a cruel dictator named Hamdo.
Shu is captured and forced to witness terrible acts of violence, including the abuse of children and the destruction of innocent communities. Unlike the fantasy adventures found in many isekai anime, his new world offers almost no opportunities for happiness.
Children are forced into military service and innocent people suffer because of their leaders’ ambitions. The Twelve Kingdoms also explores war and political oppression, but Now and Then, Here and There presents those horrors without much relief. For viewers who appreciated the darker parts of Youko’s journey, this anime delivers an even more devastating experience.
Log Horizon Gives Its Heroes More Than Monsters to Worry About
Typically, getting trapped in a video game means searching for a way to escape, but Shiroe thinks differently in Log Horizon. When a strange incident transfers thousands of players into Elder Tale’s world, Shiroe accepts that it may be impossible to return to normal life. He begins developing a society where the stranded players can live peacefully.
His plans eventually result in the creation of the Round Table Alliance, which brings together some of Akihabara’s most influential guilds. In The Twelve Kingdoms, politics plays a very prominent role, but in Log Horizon, audiences get to see the process of creating a functioning government.
The anime also gives supporting characters like Akatsuki and Naotsugu important roles in the community. Their different personalities help prevent the story from becoming a constant series of political discussions. Although Log Horizon occasionally moves slowly, its careful attention to economics and social order gives the world a level of detail that rivals The Twelve Kingdoms.
Re:Zero Has Some of the Most Complex Character Development in Isekai
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Image via White Fox -
Image via Studio White Fox -
Image via White Fox
Subaru Natsuki initially thinks that traveling to another world is going to bring him adventure, but Re:Zero quickly destroys his expectations. Subaru arrives in the Kingdom of Lugunica without useful combat abilities or any understanding of its dangers. His only unusual power is Return by Death, which sends him back to before he dies.
Although this ability allows him to change terrible events, he must endure the pain of dying while remembering tragedies that everyone else has forgotten. Subaru’s repeated failures make him one of the most complicated protagonists in isekai anime. He often believes that knowing the future gives him control over everything, but his attempts to save people regularly create new problems.
The anime makes great use of its supporting cast, providing Rem, Beatrice and Otto with important roles in Subaru’s development. Its combination of psychological drama, political intrigue, and supernatural mystery makes Re:Zero one of the most ambitious isekai anime ever made.
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