Fans of isekai can't afford to miss this one.
Jobless Reincarnation has been recognized as the best fantasy of the year for three years in a row by the Anime Trending Awards.
Some consider it to be the forerunner of modern stories about people who end up in another world, putting it on par with Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. Others criticize it for the abundance of fan service and the image of the main character.
We tell you why Jobless Reincarnation has become so popular and whether it is worth seeing (it is).
What Is Jobless Reincarnation About?
The main character of the anime is an unemployed thirty-four year old recluse. He was cruelly bullied at school, so he stopped leaving the house and immersed himself in computer games and anime.
Everything changes when the man is hit by a truck. After his death, he is transported to another world and becomes a child again, while retaining all his memories. He decides to take this chance and start a new life, correcting all the mistakes of the past.
In the new world, the main character's name is Rudeus. His parents are former adventurers from noble families. After the child shows a talent for magic, a personal mentor is hired for him – the sorceress Roxy. She helps Rudeus overcome his fears and explore the world around him.
Jobless Reincarnation Made Isekai Popular
The original light novel began appearing on the fan-made site Shosetsuka ni Naro in 2012. In just one year, it became the most popular work on the platform and caught the attention of major publishers. In 2014, the light novel was published in print and received a manga adaptation at the same time.
Jobless Reincarnation was not chronologically the first isekai in history, but it was the success of this light novel that launched a wave of imitators.
The work popularized many tropes: the protagonist's extraordinary magical abilities, the image of a god who appears to the characters in their dreams, and reincarnation into a new world.
The Anime Was Created by the Best Professionals in the Industry
In 2018, a separate company, Bind, was formed under the wing of White Fox, the studio known for Re:Zero. The studio was created specifically to work on Jobless Reincarnation. The next three years were spent recruiting top talent and developing the first season of the anime.
The series was worked on by animators who had worked on Re:Zero, Cowboy Bebop, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and dozens of other famous works.
Jobless Reincarnation is the quintessential modern isekai and a perfect choice for fans of the genre – gripping, with plenty of humor, character development, and top-notch animation.