We’re kicking off our list today with a case of mistaken identity in Jimi na Kensei wa Sore Demo Saikyou desu (The World's Least Interesting Master Swordsman)!

A young guy with an old man’s name, Sansui Shirokuro, accidentally meets his end sooner than expected when God mistakes him for an old geezer! Reincarnated into a fantasy world, Sansui is now an “Immortal” who can achieve amazing power… assuming he puts the time into it. Wait, isn’t that just regular training?!

After 500 years of training in the way of the sword, Sansui is the world’s most powerful (and sheltered) swordsman, so God uproots his monotonous life by giving him a baby to raise and throwing him out into a world of adventure!

Can Sansui navigate the challenges of parenthood, marriage, and political scheming?

What happens when a virus researcher gets reincarnated into another world—and becomes a virus?!

No matter what fantasy world you’re in, it’s time to level up! In Virus Tensei kara Isekai Kansen Monogatari (It’s That Reincarnated-as-a-Virus Story) our protagonist begins his new life by infecting a lowly rat. From there it’s a short mutation away from taking control of a hobgoblin and getting some sweet new digs!

Our sentient virus soon finds himself dragged into trouble alongside the adventurer, Elena. Of course, he’ll need to keep his true identity a secret as he infects more creatures and grows to create a powerful pandemic in this new world!

Based on a web novel, the fabulous manga adaptation of It’s That Reincarnated-as-a-Virus Story has two volumes available in English!

When a 37-year-old salaryman is killed at the hands of a robber, he gets a second chance at life in another world! Except…he’s been turned into a slime monster, with the ability to absorb other creatures and temporarily mimic their form.

In short order, our slime befriends a dragon, gains the new name “Rimuru,” and becomes the uncontested leader of the Great Forest of Jura. Life isn’t peaceful for our gelatinous protagonist, though—there are demon lords to worry about, and war against other nations brewing!

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) has received both a manga and an anime adaptation. The original light novels have fourteen English volumes available thanks to Yen Press.

Starting a new life in another world doesn’t always mean becoming a new savior. In Yuusha-sama no Hisho ni Narimashita (I Became the Secretary of a Hero!), a paralegal becomes the secretary to a fantasy world’s hero!

Aki Konishi pursues her kidnapped sister through a dimensional rift and arrives in a fantasy world, where she learns that her sister has been stolen away by the Dark Lord. Aki meets a hero, a mage, and a priest—but what can an office worker do against the forces of evil?!

I Became the Secretary of a Hero! is equal parts shoujo romance and whimsical fantasy! There are 3 volumes of the light novels currently available in English.

Okay, technically Yuri Kabe (Yuri Wall) isn’t an isekai (since the world appears to be the same), but this short series definitely qualifies as one of the strangest plots we’ve ever seen!

An unnamed yuri-loving fanatic gets reincarnated as, quite literally, a sentient wall in an apartment. This apartment always ends up being inhabited by two women in a relationship with each other, but sometimes our protagonist needs to take more forceful measures to ensure the girls end up together!

A hilarious comedy that’s perfect for fans of shoujo ai/yuri series, it’s hard not to like the Yuri Wall and their need to see these girls fall in love! You can read all 8 chapters of Yuri Kabe (Yuri Wall) online via Manga.club!

When Nichika is spirted away to another world, she’s told: “You’ll die if you stop ingesting bodily fluids from the opposite sex.” That means tears, blood, and even spit from kissing!

Despite Hinekure Shishou to Itsuwari no Koibito (The Eccentric Master and the Fake Lover) sounding like a smutty ecchi story, it’s a surprisingly light-hearted romcom. Nichika ends up under a magical contract, serving the eccentric and arrogant witch Oswald. Despite this mismatched master/servant relationship, at least Nichika has guaranteed access to those bodily fluids she needs…right?

Originally a web novel, there are currently 2 English volumes of The Eccentric Master and the Fake Lover.

Reincarnating into inanimate objects is clearly a recipe for success! In Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita (Reincarnated as a Sword), an ordinary 30-year-old otaku gets reincarnated into a fantasy world as a sentient sword and becomes the chosen blade of Fran, a cat-eared adventurer.

Reincarnated as a Sword follows our sword (named Master) as he acts like a parent and guardian to the young Fran. Master can resize himself and eventually create clones of his own swordly body, but for the most part, he’s stuck in weapon-only mode!

The series has found its way to manga format, along with an excellent anime adaptation, so there are plenty of ways to enjoy this isekai story!

Here at Honey’s Anime, we’re pretty big fans of parody and satire manga. Ponkotsu ga Tensei Shitara Zongai Saikyou (The Invincible Reincarnated Ponkotsu) is an oddball isekai that reads like a self-aware parody of ecchi isekai tropes.

16-year-old Shouta is walking to school with his shy, big-chested friend Kana, when his strong (but useless) friend, Sanae, tries to save them both by shoving them away from a small cart…and pushes all of them into the path of a truck.

Waking in a fantasy world, all three have gained magic powers based on their original lives! Shouta is ridiculously strong after years of getting slapped by female friends; Kana’s huge boobs have magical healing powers; and Sanae has earth-shattering strength.

With an assortment of terrifying (but equally useless) powers, these three friends have to survive in a new fantasy world and try to get back to their home world! The Invincible Reincarnated Ponkotsu is already complete at 5 volumes, so it's perfect for binge-reading!

Who hasn’t thought about being reincarnated as a beloved pooch? When ordinary salaryman Routa dies from overwork, his dying wish is to be reborn as a pet in a rich family. But his wish doesn’t go as he expects!

Wanwan Monogatari: Kanemochi no Inu ni Shite to wa Itta ga, Fenrir ni Shiro to wa Itte Nee! (Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir) follows Routa’s second life as a wolf pup that’s slowly growing into the legendary Norse wolf, Fenrir. He mostly lives a carefree life with his new family, pretending to be an ordinary pup—but danger abounds in this new world!

Routa is joined in various adventures by elves and adventurers, and even pits himself against a demon lord (because is it really an isekai without a demon lord?!). This series about man’s best friend (super-sized edition!) is fully complete at 7 volumes.

Our number-one pick for the weirdest isekai plot is the novel that inspired this list—Jidou Hanbaiki ni Umarekawatta Ore wa Meikyuu wo Samayou (Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon). Recently announced for an anime, this bizarre isekai is everything it promises on the tin—a light-hearted dungeon fantasy about a vending machine.

If you’ve been to Japan, you’ll know there’s a difference to vending machines over there. Far from offering just beverages and snacks, you can find manga, bowls of ramen, or even Buddhist amulets at vending machines. You might even find vending machines dedicated entirely to chewing gum or underwear!

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon takes the humble vending machine to another level when the series’ protagonist—an avid fan of vending machines, naturally—gets reincarnated as one after dying in a traffic accident. Alone in a mysterious dungeon, our protagonist soon meets an adventurer gal and becomes an important member of a lake town by dispensing food, love charms, and magic items!

If you’re looking for a refreshing take on the isekai genre that’s weird but endearing, check out Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon!