In contrast, these isekai shows stand out because of their knack for humor — and they offer different types of comedy too. There are parodies, character gags, lewd jokes, self-referential humor… some even have outrageous voice acting and perfectly timed pauses and sound effects. Either way, I hope these comedy isekai series will brighten your day.
15. The Rising of the Shield Hero
This Kinema Citrus didn’t just succeed because of Raphtalia, the tanuki and demi-human hybrid who became one of the top contenders for the best girl of 2019. Apart from its fanservice and the general isekai hook of escapism, The Rising of the Shield Hero has an MC who’s down on his luck. Naofumi Iwatani had a 75% chance to get one of the three offensive weapons when he became one of the chosen Cardinal Heroes — yet ended up with the shield. If this wasn’t bad enough, only one person wished to join him in his training, and this woman then caused his downfall. So Naofumi turns into a cynical man with a cynical sense of humor, thirsty for revenge (and stronger stats and party members). And with the highly anticipated second season in Spring 2022, its massive fanbase will have more moments of hype and hilarity.
14. Log Horizon
Sure, the premise of MMORPG players getting stuck in the game is something out of Sword Art Online. But Log Horizon offers a satisfying look into what it means to be a valuable member of a party or guild. It successfully captures the reality of MMORPG players who learn and use political strategies and economic concepts in the digital world. This is a generally pleasant watch, with bits of action and adventure here and there. And because of the realistic & non-hasty way that the characters deepen their bonds, the comedy from their situations feels very natural.
13. Cheat Kusushi no Slow Life: Isekai ni Tsukurou Drugstore
At this point, it feels like corporate slaves are a necessary element of isekai. In Cheat Pharmacist’s Slow Life: Making a Drugstore in Another World, the unfortunate office employee is Reiji Kirio. Instead of having the outfit of a swordsman or wizard in his new world, he attains incredible expertise in the world of pharmacies. This motivates Reiji to launch a drugstore in town, a refreshing change from how other MCs embark on their big adventures. Helping him each day at Kirio Drugs is the fluffy, adorable Noera (who can transform into a big wolf) and Mina, a ghost who amusingly refuses to acknowledge that she’s a ghost. Basically, this is a slow isekai designed to calm the senses. The characters all feel generic in one way or another, but they’re undeniably wholesome. Plus this show has no dearth of funny character acting. And the clever jokes really stand out, as Reiji meets all sorts of interesting customers from all over the kingdom.
12. I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
Not to be confused with the other more popular isekai about a slime MC, this one is about a girl who unexpectedly attains the highest level in her fantasy world – after 300 years of fighting low-level slimes. Before she got isekai-ed, she was always working too much as a corporate employee – so much so that she died because of it. Azusa wanted nothing more than to live her new life as an immortal witch as comfortably as possible. She loves the daily routine of farming, killing the super-squishy slimes, and defending the village when necessary. So when she unintentionally attains the max level, her peaceful and slow life becomes threatened. Word about her prowess reaches far corners of the world, and many entities—including a dragon, an elf, and a slime spirit—yearn for her company and guidance. Essentially, this is an isekai CGDCT, characterized by lighthearted humor, a soothing artistic color scheme, and fantasy slice-of-life activities.
11. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu knows exactly what it is — and that’s why it’s higher on this list than Log Horizon, despite Log being the better isekai overall. The twist here is nothing more than that the MC is a demon lord named Diablo (who’s unsurprisingly an otaku gamer IRL). Diablo is summoned by a voluptuous blonde elf and a flat-chased neko girl. The girls wanted Diablo to be their slave, but the opposite happens – and they’re now under his control. Thus, How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is a journey of Diablo and his harem across the video game-like world, in the hopes of breaking the magical contract. It has a lot of [optionally uncensored] fanservice, and it’s loaded with loud, predictable, and childish bantering & gag sequences. And you know what? Sometimes that’s what you need to relax after a tiring day.
10. So I’m a Spider, So What?
This is an isekai about a teen girl who gets reincarnated into a fragile spider — but that’s not all. Apart from Kumoko, other students who died at school due to a disaster were sent to this world as well. The big difference is that they took on better fantasy roles, such as nobles, elves, and vampires. But Kumoko isn’t going to give up so easily. After all, she’s an expert in RPGs because she was addicted to gaming. Kumoko just needs to compensate for her weak stats and (tiny size) with her wit and basic spider abilities. I love her sarcasm in this show, which she often uses as some sort of coping mechanism. It’s a way to fend off her fear and anxiety as she attempts to defeat dungeon monsters and improve her stats. It’s also fun to see how the other students embrace their new identities. Even with the lackluster CGI elements, Millepensee at least produced 24 episodes here – and those will hopefully inspire enough people to check out the beloved light novel series too.
9. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rimuru Tempest wasn’t a corporate slave in the real world. He was a 37-year-old who died after getting stabbed. In his new life, he’s neither male nor female: He’s a two-year-old basic slime who can consume pretty much anything and copy the looks and abilities of other entities. Similar to Log Horizon, TenSura explores the political, social, and community-building aspects of living in a fantasy world where different creatures coexist (or engage in all-out war). Things do get serious though, especially in the second season. Yet TenSura never runs out of comedy – especially among Rimuru and his pals. In fact, there’s a whole spin-off series called The Slime Diaries that focuses more on the slice-of-life and humorous aspects of living in the Kingdom of Tempest.
8. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
“Expect the unexpected” doesn’t apply to this show — and that’s great! Sometimes, simplicity is key. At its core, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear really is about an MMORPG-obsessed teen girl who gets transported to a fantasy world and is stuck with a bear outfit, specifically designed by her favorite game’s admins to make her overpowered. Yuna doesn’t have to follow a specific journey. And this allows her to truly enjoy the fantasy world more than the real world. If you love online RPGs yourself, you’ll probably feel a little nostalgia from this series – because it feels like a regular MMO playthrough. Yes, the MC constantly gets made fun of for her bear outfit. But Yuna effortlessly forms nourishing friendships with folks like Fina and Noire Foschurose. Plus it’s pure fun to see her learn about the creatures, items, and features of the world, all with a kuma attire on.
7. Overlord
Overlord is about Ainz Ooal Gown and his path to world domination. Yet even with all the violence and painful experimentation, this anime gets incredibly hilarious and heartwarming as well. You see, Ainz Ooal Gown was formerly known as Momonga, which is more adorable than frightening. Also, he’s the only remaining member of his guild as everyone else has moved on. Thus his dream of ruling the world is also about spreading the glory of Ainz Ooal Gown, the guild that he and his buddies fostered for many years. And funny enough, he has a harem (fan-favorite Albedo is part of this) even though he’s made up of bones and lacks reproductive organs. Overlord is such a grand franchise with great worldbuilding. And Madhouse won’t disappoint with the fourth season.
6. No Game No Life
Sora and Shiro are two shut-in genius video gamers and siblings. One day, a divine entity named Tet invites them to a fantasy world where everything is settled by games. Naturally Sora and Shiro accept the offer, and their path to world domination begins – one bet at a time. No Game No Life is immensely enjoyable and binge-worthy. The characters and the entire world are dripped in saturated, vivid colors, as if grayscale was blasphemy. Sora and Shiro are insane to play against because they compensate for one another’s weaknesses. Plus, the games and the routes to victory can be over-the-top — and I couldn’t ask for anything else. This series has ecchi elements too – but what you might not expect are the numerous jokes with references to other anime. No Game No Life is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind. Yes, it’s part of the oversaturated isekai genre. But the source material, the Madhouse production, and Atsuko Ishizuka’s direction make this stand out from beginning to end.
5. Isekai Quartet
This isn’t technically an isekai because it’s more of a parody and a meta-isekai. However, this is literally called “Isekai Quartet”. And it came into existence only because of the success of the genre, so it at least deserves a spot here. Think of the most iconic characters in the isekai anime. Isekai Quartet puts many of the genre’s popular MCs together in an ordinary school setting, complete with them drawn in chibi style. So you could say this is the ultimate fanservice for long-time fans of isekai and comedy anime. Where else can you witness Re:Zero’s Emilia in the same classroom as Overlord’s Momonga, and Rising of the Shield Hero’s Naofumi? Isekai Quartet only has 11-minute episodes, but it has two seasons as of this writing — and I don’t think it’s going to stop there.
4. Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
The hero of Shinchou Yuusha is Seiya Ryuuguuin, a hero called forth by the healer and newbie goddess Ristarte. Yes, Seiya is a strong individual that can handle the arduous task of safeguarding Geabrande from all forms of danger. But as the title implies, he’s too wary about everyone and everything around him. He’ll literally spend days and weeks just training and improving his state, all while Ristarte panics and wonders when Seiya will finally get out of his room. Still, there’s a twist that stops the show from becoming repetitive. But honestly I love the general brand of hilarity arising from the stoic MC’s overpowered nature, along with Ristarte’s distinct but equally hilarious reaction faces, all amazingly drawn by the folks at White Fox.
3. Outbreak Company
Shinichi Kanou is an expert in many things – which should make him an ideal employee, right? The issue is that his treasure trove of knowledge is based on otaku culture. One day, he’s kidnapped and taken to the fantasy world of Eldant. As it turns out, the Japanese government wants him to share all he knows about otaku culture with the citizens of the holy empire, which has elves, dwarves, and the like. Nearly all of the episodes are about hilarious predicaments and numerous references to anime and manga — and the OST is fittingly bright. It’s sad how Outbreak Company isn’t as popular as most decent isekai titles. Hopefully more fans will check it out & convince others to see it.
2. My Next Life as a Villainess
With its main premise of a girl getting transported into one of her favorite otome games as the main villain, Hamefura is the first of its kind in the field of isekai. Catarina Claes doesn’t have the generic hero’s journey or fantasy adventure. Instead, she must avoid death flags and bad endings using all the information she has about the game. Her character is designed to ruin the lives of others, but Catarina will challenge fate—or rather, the developers and writers of Fortune Lover—to remain alive and forge a more amicable identity. Actually, Catarina can be too humble and selfless. Even if she just wants to be friends with the male and female characters, they sometimes end up falling for her. Fans lovingly refer to the MC as “Baka-rina”. That’s proof enough of how much this show has kept them laughing with running gags, otome shenanigans, and just the dense personality of Catarina — and there’s even a movie in the works.
1. KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!
In Winter 2016, isekai fans witnessed the birth of the greatest isekai comedy anime of all time – featuring the most iconic four-member party. I don’t even know where to start. Because everything about KonoSuba is designed for maximum laughs. For one, I knew this something special when Kazuma Satou realized how he died: He thought a speeding truck killed him as he tried to save a girl. In reality, the vehicle was a tractor leisurely moving on the road. He only thought it was a truck, which then caused him to die from shock. Furthermore, the voice acting here is nothing short of outstanding. Jun Fukushima, Rie Takahashi, and everyone else is amazing. The character gags—from Megumin’s Explosion-induced fainting, to Darkness’s masochistic tendencies, and Aqua’s general uselessness as a goddess—are unfailingly hilarious. Everything from reaction faces to the OP sequence and the dilemmas they find themselves in elevate KonoSuba into a place of being one of the best anime of the entire 2010s. This series is a parody like Outbreak Company that also works well as a genuine isekai. I’m just glad to be alive at a time when anime fans have two seasons and a Megumin-focused movie of KonoSuba to enjoy.
