One of anime’s most sought-after genres,the isekai genrehas certainly taken the anime world by storm. Its thrilling and immersive tales, accompanied by intriguing central characters, capture audiences. Many Isekai series typically debut strongly with compelling premises and engaging casts. However, the true test of the series’ quality is shown in the following sequels.
These sequels often aim to elevate the story, deepen character development, and expand the universe. From epic adventures to intricate world-building,the best anime sequelscan either consolidate the qualities of the initial season or elevate them to a whole new level. However, the best of the best do a bit of both, and so below are the best anime sequels.
Among the best isekai series of the last decade,That Time I Got Reincarnation As A Slimehad the anime world hooked right from its debut season, which is unsurprising given the protagonist is a middle-aged Japanese loner who gets reincarnated as a monster slime into another world after a rather tragic death. Right off the bat, the series quickly hints and establishesthe possibility of an expansive universe: by the end of the season, our slime protagonist, Rimuru, is already the head of a new nation created out of his ingenuity.
The sequel to the first season does not let up either, delving deeper into the finer details of the story’s world-building, including the introduction of other significant characters, new races, old conspiracies, antagonizing forces, and overall the relationship that binds every living being in Rimuru’s new world. It does not forget to expand on Rimuru’s person either, showcasing the intricacies of his new role as ruler, teacher, and mentor even. In addition, the series’ power system is also explored in more detail, introducing the power forces of the story, with Rimuru in the middle of it all.
Starting with the premise of an entire world at the disposal of the central character, Momonga, theOverlordseries’ first season simply lays out the story’s grand plan: world domination by the bored and near-endlessly powerful Momonga and fleshes out the primary cast that will be at the forefront of Momonga’s quest for world domination.
With the precedent of an expansive world already established, Overlord’s second season just expands on exploring the world. However, how it does so is more than impressive, as it details how Momonga,also Ainz Ooal Gown,sets out his plan for conquest, exploring places beyond the Tomb of Nazarick, establishing the opposing forces, the Slane Theocracy, and expanding on the mysteries of this new world, from new races like the Lizardmen to other possible settlements of other species. Cast-wise, the season delves deeper into Ainz’s military structure, his relationships with his guardians, and questions surrounding his mysterious situation of reincarnation.
The debut season ofMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationdid not take too long to establish itself as one of the best isekai series. It also establishes that the series takes place in a vast realm, giving a good glimpse of its detailed world-building and splendid animation. However, the second season greatly improves the series’ world-building, as it follows Rudues as he wanders around the North after he is suddenly abandoned by Eris, his first love in the series.
The sequel season explores Rudeus' abilities and capabilities very carefully as he transitions from one phase of his life to another. By Rudeus’ robotic wandering, the series shows an extensive portrayal of the unknowns of Rudues’s world, from people to places and phenomena, emphasizing on the expansion of the series’ alluring world. From the North, where Rudeus finds himself new teammates, encountering Hitogami, the Human God, to enrolling in the University of Magic, the second season simply gives a more detailed experience of Rudeus and his companions as he explores his new life the best way he knows how to.
Exactly six months before the start of the second season of theLog Horizonseries, the virtual game Elder Tale became more than just a game to exactly ten thousand players after they got stuck within the game. The first season does a relatively good job of setting the tone of the series, laying the detailed groundwork for the cast’s introduction, the initial insistent glimmer of hope of returning to their daily lives at some point, and the certainty of it fading completely.
The second season comes with a fulfilled promise, as six months from the events of its first season, the trapped humans find themselves more familiar with their new and seemingly permanent reality. However, the current society in Akihabara City has been deemed to no longer have a long shelf life. Through the series’ protagonist, Shiroe, and his allies, the season carefully expands on the story’s worldbuilding as they find themselves closer to the boundaries of Akihabara City, forcing Shiro to come to terms with the reality of their options.
The second season ofRe: Zeroearns itself a spot on this piece, as it is one of the very few isekai series that does an even better job than its debut season at introducing the extended cast of its narrative. All while simultaneously adding crucial and finely detailed world-building elements, the series expands its universe without missing a beat. The series’ first season essentially lays out all the essential elements: the main cast, opposing forces, the protagonist’s person, and the story’s direction.
However, the sequel season, like an in-game level that just got harder, presents Subaru with a new set of challenges just at the point where he had only been dreaming of peace. The first is the Witch Cult’s Witch of Greed, Echidna, closely followed by Emilia’s deep dive into her past. Like a bridge, the series’s second season connects the first and third seasons seamlessly and is also the most vital piece of story development within the series.
The second season oftheAscendance of a Bookwormseries expectedly picks up where it left off from its first season. It does an even better job of opening Myne’s relatively new reality up to its darker and less attractive shades while maintaining the possibility of hope and progress in otherwise bleak situations. With the first season no more than a foundation to carefully lay out the person of Myne, her dreams, passion, and the possibility of a reality beyond her imagination, the sequel sets up to follow Myne through the next phase of her life.
The possibility of accessing all kinds of books, as well as the ownership of a printing press, stares at Myne to the point where she enters into a transactional agreement with the Holy Church in exchange for excessive amounts of mana. However, Myne soon realizes the cost of obtaining her dream and how steep it is for herself and others around her. The sequel challenges the person of Myne and follows in detail how she can receive and face the challenges on her path to becoming the ultimate librarian.
TheEminence in Shadowinitially starts off as the whims of a curiously imaginative boy who somehow has his inner desires fulfilled after dying from an accident and getting reincarnation into a world where mysteriously, all of his whims have simply fallen into place. The series’ first season sets up to detail the fulfillment of the protagonist’s peculiar whims, with great animation to boot. The sequel season, however, explores just how deeply imaginative the protagonist can get, as the world is seemingly bending to his every fantasy.
By doing so, the cast also receives detailed attention, expanding on interactions among the main characters and the major opposing forces within the series. Finally, it expands on the world-building elements even better than in the first season, introducing places like the Lawless City and its three monarchs.
By deepening its cast, expanding the already-planned universe, and maintaining its impressive animation, the sequel season to Eminence in Shadow maintains the consistency most other anime series tend to lack.
