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Despite mixed reviews of its second season, The Rising of the Shield Hero is one of the most popular isekai anime series to come out in recent years. The term “isekai” translates to “other/different world,” and in anime, it refers to a series in which a character or group of characters is marooned in another world.
Famous series such as Sword Art Online popularized the genre, bringing it into the mainstream. Older series such as Inuyasha can also be classified as isekai and have seen a boost in popularity thanks to the genre’s resurgence.
Here are 10 anime series to watch if you like The Rising of the Shield Hero.
The Rising of the Shield Hero is eerily similar to these 10 isekai anime
1) Sword Art Online
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Sword Art Online, as mentioned above, is an early 2010s anime series which reignited the isekai fervor. The series follows protagonist Kazuto Kirigaya, also known as Kirito, in various online games. He finds himself trapped in the world of Sword Art Online, a game where his life is truly at risk if he dies while inside.
The series follows his adventures throughout the game, as he and his friends try to escape the hell they find themselves trapped. While the tone is overall darker than The Rising of the Shield Hero, there are enough similarities between the two for fans to try out Sword Art Online.
2) Inuyasha
Inuyasha follows deuteragonist Kagome Higurashi, a contemporary teenage Japanese girl whose family maintains a shrine near their house. One day, Kagome falls into the shrine and finds herself transported into feudal-era Japan, meeting the eponymous half-dog-demon, half-human Inuyasha.
The two then begin a journey to find and reconstruct the Shikon Jewel shards, which the evil Naraku is also hunting for himself. All the while, Kagome balances these quests with her modern-day life, making for some funny scenes and storylines that other isekai can’t do. The Rising of the Shield Hero fans should definitely give this one a chance.
3) How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is probably the most tonally similar series to The Rising of the Shield Hero. Like Naofumi Iwatani, protagonist Takuma Sakamoto is a modern-day Japanese citizen, with the main difference being the latter's status as a recluse.
He finds himself summoned to the world of his favourite game in the body of his own character, Demon Lord Diablo. The two girls who summoned him tried to make him their servant but ended up serving him instead.
The series follows the three as they help each other with personal issues and search for a way to remove their servant collars.
4) KonoSuba
KonoSuba follows, like The Rising of the Shield Hero, a contemporary Japanese teen by the name of Kazuma Sato who is also something of a recluse and shut-in. Following his embarrassing and accidental death, he is given a chance by the goddess Aqua to reincarnate into a parallel world with MMORPG elements.
He expectedly takes the chance, shrewdly choosing the goddess when asked what he’d like to bring along with him before realizing Aqua is useless. The two find more adventurers and eventually go on a journey to defeat the Devil King.
5) Overlord
Overlord follows protagonist Momonga, the screen name used by a player in the VR MMORPG YGGDRASIL. When YGGDRASIL shuts down its servers, Momonga is still logged into the game and finds himself unable to log out.
He also finds that the NPCs of the world are becoming more lifelike, developing personalities, emotions and other aspects of sentience.
With this, Momonga decides to adopt the name of his former high-ranking guild, rebranding himself Ainz Ooal Gown and deciding to conquer the new world of YGGDRASIL. While thematically different from The Rising of the Shield Hero, it’s still worth a try for fans of the aforementioned series.
6) Re:ZERO - Starting Life in Another World
Often shortened to Re:ZERO, the series follows yet another young Japanese recluse named Subaru Natsuki. He’s suddenly summoned to a fantasy-like world, where he is quickly killed trying to protect a half-elf girl named Emilia. However, he is revived to a few hours in the past, eventually discovering his ability to return to life a few hours prior to his death.
The series follows him as he helps Emilia and others realize their goals. With that being said, it has some incredibly dark undertones. Subaru feels incredible pain upon activating his powers, and he also remains painfully aware of the events of his past lives upon reincarnating.
While thematically very different from The Rising of the Shield Hero, the core elements of the series are similar enough for fans to give Re:ZERO a try.
7) No Game No Life
No Game No Life follows siblings Sora and Shiro, two reclusive Japanese citizens whose lives are about gaming and nothing else. Each one embodies half of the famous gamer profile Blank, eventually being challenged by and beating the god of games at chess. However, he summons the two into Disboard, a world where everything is settled by board games.
After learning of the world, the two decide to maintain their undefeated status by winning enough games to eventually challenge Tet, the god of games, for control of the world. It’s one of the most beloved isekai anime in existence, having a level of notoriety similar to The Rising of the Shield Hero despite being a season long.
8) Angel Beats!
Angel Beats! is a very different type of isekai compared to The Rising of the Shield Hero, but it's incredibly enjoyable nonetheless. The series follows Yuzuru Otonashi, a high school boy who has died and been sent to a high school-like limbo world awaiting passage to the afterlife.
The series hits several different themes and plot points, with a conflict in the early episodes giving way to peace and bonding between all present. It’s an incredibly emotional, interesting and engaging series, with fantastic character development and emotional plot lines.
9) Tower of God
While not technically an isekai, Tower of God does have some elements found in the genre such as its narrative structure. The series follows protagonist Twenty-Fifth Baam, who enters a mysterious Tower to pursue his only friend, Rachel. Notably, the latter abandoned him to climb the said tower. Once inside, he finds different locations, enemies, and allies on each floor, hence the isekai elements.
It’s similar to The Rising of the Shield Hero in that both incorporate elements of isekai and adventure. Likewise, Baam is just as likable and deep a protagonist as Naofumi Iwatani, allowing viewers to easily become invested in him and his journey. While not technically an isekai series, there are enough similarities for fans of The Rising of the Shield Hero to give it a shot.
10) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Finally, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime follows 37-year-old salaryman Satoru Mikami, a man content with his monotonous life who is suddenly stabbed at work. Upon dying, he hears an unfamiliar voice chanting commands, before waking up as a Slime monster in an unfamiliar world.
He eventually learned his skills after befriending a dragon named Veldora. Adopting the name Rimuru, he tries to find his way out into the world.
Through a series of events, he eventually begins ruling over an area, much like Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero. However, Rimuru must deal with all those who either seek his support or rebel against him.
Be sure to follow for more anime updates and manga news as 2023 progresses.
This article was modified on Sunday, June 25 at 16:39 PM.
