Solo Leveling’s Great, but Anime Fans Are Missing Out on One Underrated Genre

Solo Leveling is one of the most popular series in recent times. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it has contributed a lot towards popularizing manhwa across the globe. The first season of the anime debuted in January 2024 and the second season is currently ongoing. It’s definitely the most popular series of the year so far as it surpasses streaming records held by Jujutsu Kaisen, one of Shonen Jump’s most popular series. Solo Leveling follows the journey of an underdog Hunter as he climbs his way to the top while battling deadly forces of scaling threats to himself and the world. After getting the power of a mysterious system, he quickly rises to become the strongest there is.

This action-packed show focuses primarily on the overpowered main character, and it’s quite satisfying to see him defeat enemies with ease, part of a common power fantasy trope that’s popular with battle shonen anime fans. However, the world of manga and manhwa is vast and there’s an underrated genre waiting to be discovered. Otome Isekai doesn’t get enough attention compared to other action series but there’s a large variety of them. While some of them do get anime adaptations, their popularity still doesn’t hit the mark. If you like reading manhwa, it’s definitely worth checking out some of the series from this genre.

What Is the Otome Isekai Genre?

You may be familiar with the word “Isekai,” where the main character is transported into another world and begins a new journey. “Otome,” refers to a story-based romance video game targeted towards girls. However, this genre isn’t limited to video games. The main character is reincarnated or transported into the world of a video game, novel, or alternate world, or they regress to the time when the story begins. The protagonists are generally women who use their knowledge of the game to avoid their destined bad endings. With game UIs commonplace in manhwa like Solo Leveling, there’s an interesting overlap with Otome Isekai, but this genre quickly takes its own distinct deviations.

The protagonist is usually reincarnated as a villainess or a minor character, who either gets murdered, executed, or dies in the story. The path ahead of them is full of several challenges. It’s also intriguing that most Otome Isekai stories take place in an aristocratic society, full of scheming nobles and court politics, often in a fantasy world. One thing that’s common in most Otome Isekai series is that the protagonists are usually clever and quick-witted and focus more on independence than romance. While these stories may not be as popular as Solo Leveling, they are often praised for their gorgeous artwork or engaging storylines. These series also focus on the side characters and their growth as the story progresses.

Otome Isekai Manhwa Series Present a Complicated Array of Themes Outside Solo Leveling and Action

Most of the Otome Isekai series are manhwa and light novels, rather than manga. Some of them even get anime adaptations but are often underrated. Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke’s Mansion follows Raeliana’s endeavors as she reincarnates in the world of a novel where she will die at the hands of her fiancé before the story even begins. She must break the engagement but the man is rather persistent. Hence, using her knowledge of the plot, she makes a deal with the male lead of the novel and convinces him to pretend to be her fiancé. The story focuses on a quick-witted young girl who slowly gets recognition in the kingdom for her talents; it also stands as another recent hit for manhwa-to-anime adaptations you can watch on Crunchyroll.

This Villainess Wants a Divorce focuses on the protagonist who is reincarnated in a famous novel as a minor villainess. Carnelia Easter is destined to be executed by her husband, the Crown Prince, for several crimes. However, since she knows her future, the first thing she must do is get on her husband’s good side and divorce peacefully when he meets the female lead. However, things aren’t easy for her when she decides to play the role of a double agent and fool the Empress, the main villainess of the novel.

In How to Win My Husband Over, a young girl who died in a helicopter crash finds herself transmigrated into a novel. She has taken over the body of Rudbeckia de Borgia—the infamous villainess of the Borgia Clan. The story tackles some sensitive topics like trauma, abuse, depression, and eating disorders as the protagonist does everything she can to survive. Her family arranges a marriage for her, but will life turn for the better, or is another hell waiting for her? You’ll quickly find these manhwa have compelling, burning questions keeping the readers coming back every week.

[RELATED: Solo Leveling’s Greatest Strength Sparks Its Biggest Backlash]

The Villain’s Savior is another overwhelmingly tragic story where the protagonist is reborn as the female lead’s twin sister, someone who didn’t exist in the original novel. The main villain’s tragic past and his impending doom broke her heart when she was reading the novel. However, now that she can see him up close, will she be able to change his fate? The series plays with common elements found in Otome Isekai, with redemption arcs somewhat commonplace instead of the usual power fantasy elements such as in Solo Leveling.

If intense stories like How to Win My Husband Over and The Villain’s Savior overwhelm you, then the light-hearted Miss Not-So Sidekick is a must-read. The protagonist finds herself in the world of her favorite novel. Transmigrated as a minor villainess, Latte Eclair seeks the drama of the plot and the love polygon centering around the female lead of the story. This, among many other Otome Isekai series, have a localized home on Tappytoon, although Webtoon and Tapas are equally worthwhile to check, provided their localization speeds are up to par with the original release.

While these are only some of the great series, official manhwa reading apps like Tapas and Tappytoon are overflowing with Otome Isekai. Most of these manhwa are often based on light novels like Solo Leveling. These series are even more common than action-packed adventures, yet they belong to a beloved genre often well-represented in audience polls and even awards nominations. So, it’s definitely worth checking them out, and once you begin, you will keep wanting to read more.