Isekai has been circulating in the publishing and anime industry for several years. It is no longer just a theme in a story, whether in light novels, manga, or anime series. It now become a genre.
Most people could grasp what the story is about upon hearing the word Isekai. But along with its popularity comes the stigma, if you will. Some would say it lacks quality and originality. The concept is repetitive. However, it is undeniable that the demand remained massive even until this year.
If you're new to the Isekai genre and are into anime series with romance and royalty themes, let me recommend my top three Isekai anime series that you can binge-watch any time you want.
Top 3
Title: Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion
Genres: Romance / Comedy / Magic
Status: 12 Episodes - Completed
Web Novel / Webtoon: Ongoing
If you're a bookworm, becoming one of the characters in the book you're reading would seem like a lovely idea. Except in this story, Raeliana is only and supposedly a side character in the novel she reincarnated in. But since she experienced a sudden tragic death in the human world, Raeliana wanted to prevent her death from happening again, leading to various events that changed the course of the original story in the novel she read.
Noah is said to be the hero of the story that would end up falling in love with the original heroine in the novel. But as Raeliana untangles her fate, she slowly becomes the heroine herself. Raeliana was still trying to prevent other changes from the original plot from happening. She even searched for the original heroine or waited for her to appear. But Raeliana could only see a glimpse of her from a distance. It made Raeliana wonder if she had altered their roles as time passed since the original heroine did not appear in the scenes she was supposed to be in.
The lack of proper build-up for the viewers to expect that Raeliana was in a magical world, not just in historical fiction, made this anime series land in third place. It wasn't until a monster appeared that the viewer could grasp there were some magical elements in the story. Political power was at play. But there seemed to be a slight imbalance between the tension and the magic system. Overall, Raeliana is an interesting character, and it was cute to see how Noah slowly fell in love with her, while Raeliana intends to match him to the original heroine she was secretly searching for.
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion originated from a South Korean web novel by Milcha and is serialized in KakaoPage. A webtoon adaptation is also on the same platform. The published version of the webtoon series is currently available in several bookstores.
Top 2
Title: I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss
Genres: Romance / Comedy / Magic
Status: 12 Episodes - Completed
Light Novel / Manga: Ongoing
Royalty and magic are well-balanced in this next anime series. Aileen was supposedly the villain in this magical game she reincarnated in. As a human, she loves playing games while confined in a hospital. As the reincarnated villainess, she aimed to marry Claude. Claude is the Demon King, said to be the final boss in the game. And Aileen only asked Claude for marriage to survive after her ex-fiance canceled their engagement.
Unexpectedly, Aileen and Claude became attracted to each other. What was initially just a partnership was leading to a relationship, especially when Aileen started caring for Claude. She wanted to prevent him from turning into his monster form, which would lead to his demise. Aileen even thought of several ways to help Claude secretly, leading to her disguising as a man to enter an exclusive school for boys.
The cuteness of their first meeting made this anime series hard to ignore. Aileen is easygoing and confident. Claude is gloomy and powerful. Not to mention, seeing Claude blush because of Aileen makes them a deadly combination for romantic fans. Claude was immediately interested in Aileen when she declared her proposal because no one dared to speak to a demon, let alone ask him for marriage. He may seem cold at first. But Claude often shows his soft side to everyone when Aileen is present.
I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss is a Japanese light novel series written by Sarasa Nagase and illustrated by Mai Murasaki. The light novel is still ongoing. However, the last manga edition was released in December 2019 and was only composed of three volumes.
Top 1
Title: 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!
Genres: Romance / Comedy / Science
Status: 12 Episodes - Completed
Light Novel / Manga: Ongoing
The resemblance between the previous anime and this anime would be obvious. Both heroines were villainesses cast aside by their ex-fiance because of another woman. However, this anime made it to the first place because it uses its Isekai element well, making it a crucial part of the story. Viewers would see flashbacks of the heroine's several reincarnations. But despite having reincarnated multiple times, the timeline was not confusing to recall.
The first episode bares it all that it even became exciting to anticipate how the other characters will meet Rishe again in the current timeline and how they react to each other. Rishe is smart and loves to study and explore her various interests. She had a chance to go back to that same timeline where her ex-fiance called off their wedding every time she died on the timeline she was in. It wasn't until she had the chance to meet Arnold, the crown prince, who would cause the war in their world that offered a different twist in her fate.
Arnold became smitten by Rishe. Her actions and words intrigue him. He could not help but wonder about her past. Unknown to Arnold, he was the one who killed her in her recent life. Arnold proposed marriage to Rishe, and Rishe accepted his proposal without revealing the plans she had in mind to stop an upcoming war. Somehow, it was a battle of wits as each tried to uncover the secrets of the other. It was astonishing to see how Arnold appreciated Rishe not only as a duke's daughter but also as a merchant, an herbalist, a maid, and a knight.
The 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! is a Japanese light novel series written by Touko Amekawa. There was also a manga adaptation of this series illustrated by Hinoki Kino.
So there you have it. The top three Isekai anime series that you might want to try if you wish to explore this genre and not end up frustrated and overwhelmed with the long titles you see online.
Does any of these titles catch your attention? Let me know in the comments section if you tried watching any of these series and if I missed out on any good anime with the right combination of plot, romance, cute comedy, and Isekai.
Enjoy!
— Old Woman