Bullied and now forced to seclude himself in his room, a young man has found himself unable to cope with the world outside and rarely leaves his safe room. One day he decides to venture into the world, and the young man tries to save another person’s life only to be met with a swift demise. However, instead of moving to the afterlife, the young man is reborn in the body of a baby and now will be given a new lease on life in a world very similar to a fantasy. Now named Rudeus Greyrat, our former lost soul can finally achieve a life he desires…but will that be such an easy task?

Jobless Reincarnation is pretty well known among the isekai fans as being one of the best the genre has to offer. Despite some controversial themes and adult matters, Jobless Reincarnation goes less for the typical reincarnated story and instead is quite mature and filled with a deep narrative that never fails to shock. Now at two seasons—with a third releasing soon—this is the perfect time to watch a series that does exactly what Uncle From Another World does, goes against the mold, and tries to be original!

Kazuma Satou died a really…really dumb death. His death was so laughable that not only was it pointless, he died in a way that is straight out of a comedy skit. Luckily, the goddess Aqua gives Kazuma a choice since he was still trying to be heroic before he died. Kazuma could be reincarnated in a new body with no memories of his past life—which could be an even worse life than he had—or be summoned to a fantasy world and try to be a true hero and kill the Demon King! Our hapless teenager decides on the latter option and when given a choice on what to bring with him to this new world, he chooses Aqua to join him. Now summoned to this strange new world, Kazuma must embark on an epic quest to avoid being broke and to stay away from death once again.

Uncle From Another World is downright comedic and we knew no list of similar anime would be correct if KonoSuba wasn’t one of the recommended anime! Both series are just comedic spoofs of the idea of being summoned to another world and both are consistently funny! Konosuba has two seasons, an amazing movie, and a third season being worked on as we speak! So why not catch up before season 3 releases!?

Forced to fulfill a pact made by his parents long ago, Makoto Misumi is about to be thrown into a new life with little choice on the matter. Despite being thought he was the so-called “hero” to the goddess, she takes one look at Makoto and sees nothing but an ugly being before her. Before Makoto can even do one heroic action, his title is taken back and he is banished to the far reaches of this unfamiliar world. Thankfully, Makoto learns within this world, he has powers and now will use them to rejoin humanity and reshape the world to something fair for all who exist in it!

Uncle and Makoto aren’t really ugly and yet, in both series, they are considered monsters by various people who come across them. That’s why when we first hear Uncle being called an Orc in his respective series, we immediately think of Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- as a series that shares a similar protagonist and theme. Both shows are incredibly funny and unlike Uncle From Another World, Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- has a tad more action for some pretty exciting battles that take place. If you are craving an isekai that isn’t overly traditional but echoes themes of Uncle From Another World, then you should check out Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-!

The MMORPG Infinity Game has been around for 15 years but finally, is about to be shut down by creator Akira Oono. As Akira is about to shut the servers down for good, the clock strikes midnight and Akira soon discovers he isn’t in his body anymore…or his world for that matter! Akira is now in the older body of Infinity Game’s Demon Lord, Hakuto Kunai! Despite this world looking and acting like the one he made, Akira…Hakuto…now wishes to discover what happened to transport him inside the game and if this really is the world he created long ago.

Again, not every protagonist needs to be a teenager with spiky hair and handsome looks. Yes, we know they won’t become husbando material for everyone but older protagonists are cool and quite relatable for some of us aging otaku! That’s why we love series like Demon Lord, Retry! Like Uncle From Another World, Demon Lord, Retry! examines a protagonist that is far from his youth and one that isn’t the usual main protagonist molding we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. Aside from the protagonist’s age and looks, Demon Lord, Retry! is a bit more like a traditional isekai but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few cool ideas peppered in for some originality. Plus, Hakuto is extremely OP, and watching some of his fights will send shivers down your spine!

While video games lead to a means of escaping reality, nothing can beat the immersion offered by VRMMO games. These virtual reality titles have begun to grow thanks to a particular game called Kiwame Quest, but like all fads…time can be a cruel mistress. The VRMMO scene is beginning to die down slightly but that doesn’t concern Hiroshi Yuuki, who just wants a new RPG to escape his life. Unfortunately for Hiroshi, he is about to meet a very persuasive young woman named Reona Kisaragi who will convince the teen to buy Kiwame Quest and will soon discover a new world…that might just suck as much as his current one!

Us otaku all picture the idea of escaping into a VR world as a truly breathtaking experience. Yet, what if it wasn’t!? That’s why we love series like Full Dive which make jokes out of our dreams and remind us, maybe we should just enjoy what we have currently. Like Uncle From Another World, Full Dive isn’t a full-on isekai series but utilizes the genre to create a pseudo isekai adventure with tons of comedy, some nice ecchi thrown in, and a fun story that will have you rolling on the floor with laughter! Full Dive is so underrated, sadly, but we think those laughing at Uncle in Uncle From Another World will no doubt want to watch this series too!

Despite being a JSDF (Japan Self Defense Forces) officer, Youji Itami is far removed from the soldier mentality. Youji would rather spend his money on otaku items and some food to survive. Then one-day, Youji’s world is rattled when a mysterious gate opens in the middle of Tokyo spewing forth various beings from another world. Despite his otaku nature, Youji’s training kicks in and he softens the blow on civilians around him, saving the day from utter destruction. Now, months have passed and Youji has been given the special task of joining a small team that will enter the gate and sees just what lies on the other side.

Similar to how we can’t say Uncle From Another World is a straight-up isekai, GATE also is a series that is a hybrid of genres. Mixed with themes of isekai and fantasy with some action thrown in, GATE examines what if we could just jump into a portal and see another world for ourselves. Like Uncle and his adventures during his coma, Youji gets to travel to a place unseen by humanity and intermingle with a variety of characters, some just happen to be waifu material which is perfect for our GATE otaku. We really think if you love the comedic nature of Uncle From Another World but want it to be just a bit more serious, then you’re going to love and adore GATE.