The Isekai Genre Is Declining, And Here's Its Replacement

Key Takeaways

• Shonen animation is still popular, but shojo animation has been making a comeback in recent years.
• The success of shojo anime adaptations such as Dress Up Darling and Horimiya caught the attention of the public.
• The decline in popularity of isekai may be due to the over-exaggeration and displacement of life-like content.

Shonen will always be at the top of the charts, but the shonen anime period tends to share the limelight with the “standard” genre that follows closely behind. Dozens, if not hundreds, of period anime are anime with long titles and cookie-cutter harem stereotypes, where the protagonist is obviously OP and may never lose. There are exceptions to the Isekai rule that are really well done or offer new perspectives on the genre, of course; Re: Zero, Konosubaand At that time I was brought back into the body by Slime are some of the most outstanding examples of Isekai.

But times are changing. The only Isekai that has been successful in recent times is the continuation of an already successful franchise; The new Isekai are fewer, farther apart, and less highly rated. While shonen has always been at the top of its game, and won't be backing down anytime soon, there's a new contender to compete with the popular shonen this year… and it's the exact opposite.

Shojou Anime shines once again

Romance, Slice-of-Life, and other Shojou genres fill the charts

While shojo manga and anime had their heyday in the early 2000s, the genre has been on the decline for over a decade, leaving the well of shoujo anime dry and with few exceptions. However, recent years have seen an explosion in shojo manga. This, of course, leads to a shojo manga adaptation. Some of the flashbang hits of the past few years are Dress Up Darling, Horimiahand current delivery Fiancé Yakuza taking over social media. Another song for the last time Kaguya-sama: Love is warthe Fruit basket reboot, Komi cannot communicateand others.

Some of them, including those mentioned above Love is war SY Fruit basket exceeded for a while Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and was the highest-rated anime on the popular anime review site MyAnimeList, creating a sensational online controversy.

In noting the fruit basketThe reboot's, many popular Shojo anime from the 90's and early 2000's are getting universal; Ranma 1/2 among them. Even Crunchyroll is reporting what they call a “Shojo Renaissance” in this year's article, noting anime. Who is Todoke? received a third season after a 13-year hiatus, and popular manga like Signs of Love SY Honey Lemon Soda is finally getting an adaptation after years of fans waiting. Shojo anime is making a comeback, and it's influencing how other genres treat romance.

Why is Isekai so big?

Why did Isekai explode in the first place?

Isekai as a genre is often included in fantasy worlds, usually MMORPGs or other types of video games, but almost always includes fantasy worlds. This provided a level of escapism for anime fans everywhere. The reputation of Sword Art Online certainly contributed to isekai's overall success; Most animation studios wanted to recreate that scene Sword Art Online past But another reason for Isekai's success is the escape into the extreme fantasy of the average gamer becoming the main character of their favorite game.

In isekai anime, it is often a familiar character that is reincarnated or transported into a fantasy game that has been played. And these days, most MMORPG players are also anime fans, because most modern MMORPGs have built themselves on anime, so there is a lot of overlap between the two niches. Logically, these hybrid gamers and anime fans will be drawn to an anime that shows a character with a bat, walking through an exciting video game world similar to a game they've played, or it is not?

So why isn't Isekai as popular anymore?

What Has Changed in the Isekai World?

There are two theories that may contribute to isekai's decline in popularity. The most common is oversaturation. When a genre of music stands out as a popular and well-known magazine, media fans can become obsessed with them. This is especially true for anyone trying to keep up with anime over the last decade or so, and has seen the isekai genre slowly gobble up the space held by more diverse genres.

“The isekai genre doesn't need to die, it needs to be reborn in a less cartoonish form. It's already starting to happen, but the process needs to be accelerated. Anime studios in particular should be more selective about numbers. In isekai is they are willing to adapt to a certain era, and writers who want to write isekai would be wise to try something else.”

Another theory pointing to the fall of Isekai is that we generally don't need to run as much as we did a few years ago. Depending on the country you live in, COVID-19 lockdowns have been on and off for a few years and have disrupted experiences with the outside world for a long time. Many otaku spent time during lockdown watching anime and playing video games, so isekai was more connected. Now the world goes out and experiences the world again, and what is relatable are the characters in a more realistic and established situation as seen in shoujo anime. Most people have spent years with limited communication, shut down social activities, and online school instead of in person. When people experience it again in real life, people want to see similar experiences and events.

The Isekai genre itself is starting to reflect this, with dozens of isekai genres popping up alongside the usual fantasy adventure genres. Although isekai is not very popular, the ratings of shojou anime have increased and sometimes surpassed isekai. The dominance of the species will not last much longer, unless they find new ways to renew themselves.