Isekai shows still haven’t been out of the trend and there’s no sign of it stopping at any moment.
For those of you who don’t know what an “Isekai” is, Isekai anime is when the protagonist of a story is sent to another world usually through magic, reincarnation or the infamous “Truck-kun.”
Truck-kun is the name of the recurring Truck that slams on the protagonist, sending them to another world after they died.
I know that this is kinda morbid, but it is that so common to send someone to the other world with this method that the anime community named the truck as a recurring character.
But I digressed.
Isekai has diluted itself with these kinds of repetition that shows like Re: Zero and Overlord skipped that part of transportation from the old world to the next just by dozing off or in a blink of an eye.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a couple of Isekai shows but the roster as of now feels like
it’s been trying so hard to make a satire or a parody of the genre and in turn, making the show forced.
Enter KonoSuba and Hataraku Mao-Sama
***may contain minor spoilers
Konosuba or Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! follows our main guy Satou Kazuma together with his companions, a magician a priestess and a knight as he embarks on a journey to defeat the Demon King.
If that’s not the most generic plot of a fantasy world then I wouldn’t know what is.
But don’t let this dissuade you from watching it because it’s almost never about that.
That plot is just a setting to give this joyful anime the elements it needs for the wonderfully unforgettable characters to have genuine and fun interactions.
What makes this show good is not because of flashy fight scenes but its ability to make mundane tasks fun and enjoyable for the viewers to watch.
A refreshing take on the genre that doesn’t take itself seriously, leaving you with a smile on your face.
Hataraku Mao-sama or The Devil is a Part-timer is the opposite and what you could consider as a “reverse Isekai“.
The story revolves around again a protagonist trying to take down the Demon King.
Escaping his impending defeat, The demon king escaped to the real world.
With no way of going back, he decided to work for a fast-food chain for a living trying and climb the corporate ladder.
Mao-sama the Demon King giving all his best to what a normal employee would be dealing on a daily basis.
Still haunted by his past life he has to deal with all sorts of stuff that goes into conflict with his fast-food job.
It is a comedic anime but still manages to keep its fantasy tone.
Both The Devil is a Part-Timer and Konosuba managed to give this genre a twist that it has never seen before.
If that intrigues you, both of these shows are available on streaming sites like Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Enjoy watching these two great Isekai shows!
To see our Bob10 Isekai anime to watch, Click here.
