Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World
Alternative names: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, ReZERO
Subgenres: Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Drama
Stream available on: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 51
During the daily shopping, Subaru suddenly feels strange and shortly finds himself in another world. But instead of being the great hero, he is an insignificant nobody. Without any knowledge of the world, he stumbles from one faux pas to another – and is brutally murdered after just two days.
But instead of dying, Subaru soon awakens again at the spot where he first entered this world – time seems to have been turned back, and everyone else has lost their memories. Subaru tries more and more to understand the world and build friendships, trying to find a place in this new world.
But dark machinations in the background threaten not only him but also his new friends – unless he can achieve the one perfect run where everything goes exactly according to plan.
What to expect from the anime: Re: Zero has a significantly more serious premise than many other Isekai anime. Multi-layered characters, plenty of world building, and Subaru’s inner monologues are the focus, but battles are not neglected – whether they are physical or mental in nature.
However, death, physical and emotional cruelty, and delusional fanaticism are themes of this series, which starting from the second half of the first season are not for the faint of heart.
The Eminence in Shadow
Alternative names: Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!, Shadow Garden
Subgenres: Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Stream available on: aniverse (Amazon), HIDIVE
Episodes: 20
In real life, the protagonist always dreamed of becoming a true superhero – and yet failed to achieve that. That was simply not possible. While searching for a way to learn magic, he dies in a car accident.
Reborn as a baby in a foreign world, “Cid” realizes that he can use magic here and is even significantly more powerful than everyone around him. However, his big dream now is to be the “Eminence in Shadow” – the puppet master in the background who rarely appears in public. The whole world is a theater play for him.
Thus, he outwardly maintains the appearance of an average loser while losing himself in fantasies in his free time and inventing a grand imaginary world conspiracy – without realizing that this very world conspiracy is real and that he has “on the side” built a secret network of loyal, pretty elite agents who steer the fate of the world for their “Eminence in Shadow” and attempt to uncover the conspiracy.
What to expect from the anime: “The Eminence in Shadow” balances on the thin line between “cringe” and “coolness” – but does so intentionally. When Cid passionately declares in what seems to be a “deeper” meaning that he can only survive an atomic bomb if he becomes the power of an atomic bomb himself, every viewer in their teens is likely to cringe – but that is intentional.
Here, the usual power fantasy of the genre is played with, and usually intelligent plans, an interesting world, and plenty of lovable characters give the series depth.
The Eminence in Shadow is a series where you just can’t help but start the next episode, and by episode 3 at the latest, you find yourself in a daze, realizing that you were consistently entertained and longing for more.
Bonus: Uncle from Another World
Alternative names: Isekai Ojisan
Subgenres: Comedy, Fantasy
Stream available on: Netflix
Episodes: 13
For 17 years, Takafumi’s uncle was in a coma – and now it’s his responsibility to take care of him. Since he woke up, he talks nonsense. He claims he was not in a coma at all, but saved the world in a foreign realm and learned magic. Just as Takafumi wants to admit his uncle, he proves that he can use magic – and both see it as an opportunity to make a lot of money.
While the uncle keeps telling small stories from past years in the other world, Takafumi must help him readjust to reality – as he is completely unaware of things like the modern internet, delivery services like Amazon, or current scams and stumbles from one day to the next.
What to expect from the anime: Uncle from Another World is told in a slightly more relaxed manner than the other series here and stands out due to its premise. This fresh – and so far quite unique – approach provides plenty of laughs. The somewhat apathetic uncle, who misunderstood every action of his pretty companions and now explains it to his nephew, is mostly not very deep and is rather episodically told.
The anime works well as casual entertainment – or simply when you want some uncomplicated fun without having to follow a complex plot or ongoing battles.
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