9 Awful Isekai Anime Series You Must See to Believe

Isekai anime is everywhere these days, but not all of them are worth watching.

By Megan Peters

There is a lot – and we mean a lot – of isekai anime out there. From easy rom-coms to action fantasies, there is an isekai out there for every fan. The otherworldly genre has exploded over the past decade as more and more titles drop each year. Some of these releases exceed expectations while others fail to find an audience. Of course, there are just some truly awful isekai series out there, and we're breaking down eight of the worst according to fans.

The shows in questions were broken down by fans over on My Anime List, one of the biggest anime guides online. It is there millions of fans have shared their top anime dos and don'ts. Below, you can find the worst of the worst isekai TV series with at least 10K votes to their name. So if you decide to watch these shows at any point, don't say we didn't warn you!

Izumo: Flash of a Brave Sword

  • Created in 2005, Izumo: Flash of a Brave Sword is as generic at they come. Loaded with mediocre animation, the anime tells the story of Yagi Takeru as he navigates life in high school without his parents. Things get thrown into disarray when an earthquake throws Yagi into a strange new world with two friends. And sadly, that is where the anime's compelling plot line ends.

Butareba – The Story of a Man Who Turned Into a Pig

  • Sometimes, a story has a plot so wild that it works out in the end. Sadly, Butareba is not one such isekai. The 2023 anime follows the story of a greasy old otaku who gets turned into a pig in a new world. He teams up with a young girl who can ready his seedy thought, and the pair strike up a rather uncomfy partnership. So if we may... just avoid this anime.

The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar

  • If you have seen one harem anime, you have seen them all and this includes The Master of Ragnarok. The fantasy isekai does have some interesting Norse lore included, but at the end, it is hardly more than your standard hero wooing scantily clad women. The anime's story is not important here, but if you are fine with that, then so be it.

Summoned to Another World for a Second Time

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  • When it comes to intent, Summoned to Another World for a Second Time could have had it all. The series does pick at the isekai genre as its hero was summoned to a fantasy world long ago only to find himself thrust back into a different world – his original one – after falling into a trap. The reversal of expectations here is great, but the idea ends there. The meat of this show is too generic to recall, and its spotty animation will leave few fans impressed.

Endride

  • You can have too much of a good thing, and when that happens, even the best ideas can sour. That can be found in Enride circa 2016. The iffy series follows two boys from different worlds as they converge in Endra. With the throne on the line, the two boys must work together to cement the nation's future, so there is potential in this plot. Sadly, the story fills half-baked at best, so Enride has become a notorious no-go.

Isekai Cheat Magician

  • Genre fatigue is real, and that truth can be found in Isekai Cheat Magician. The 2019 anime isn't inherently bad, but there is nothing special about it. The plot beats are the exact same as those found in How Not to Summon a Demon Lord and even That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slim. For those two isekai series, they had good comedy to win over fans, but Isekai Cheat Magician is painfully flat. Definitely do not recommend.

The Fruit of Evolution

  • If you have watched The Fruit of Evolution, then you know the show is best seen when your brain is turned off. Its whacky laws of magic are hard to follow, and netizens can get along with this pandering for a few episodes. However, after you've seen one episode of The Fruit of Evolution, you've seen them all. The anime goes absolutely nowhere, so you are better off spending time on a show that actually takes you someplace.

Märchen Mädchen

  • Do you want to watch an anime that you can guess its every plot beat before its first episode ends? If so, then Marchen Madchen is for you. While some may take offense to its fan service, the show's greatest sin is how boring it is. Despite building a magical world, Marchen Madchen does little to wow its audience, and it will have fans wishing they could delete it from their memory.

Conception

  • When it comes to the worst of the worst isekai, there is only one pick and that is Conception. The series, which is based off a video game overseas, is too absurd to take seriously. The story follows a high school graduate who is sent to a new world where he must impregnate a group a women called the Star Maidens. By conceiving a child with each maiden, Itsuki is destined to defeat this new world's impurities. As you can guess, the story of Conception is as thing as it comes, but that's not even the wild part. For those interested in the show's NSFW plot, well – it is not considered hentai. Conception could not commit to an angle, and ultimately, it has become one of the worst isekai ever for the crime. 

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