Rebirth and Redemption: 9 Anime Series Featuring Reincarnation
Whether it's mystical beings, high school students, or overworked businessmen, you name it, anime has reincarnated it.
1. "Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World"
Have you ever had a really bad day and wished you could just hit the reset button? Well, Subaru Natsuki, the main character in "Re:Zero," can do exactly that, but it's not as great as it sounds. After being inexplicably transported from a convenience store to a fantasy world, Subaru discovers his ability to reset time by dying. His gruesome deaths and rebirths make for a complex, dark, and surprisingly philosophical series. On MyAnimeList "Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World" scores a solid 8.32/10, making it maybe a lesser-known, but still deserving anime series.
2. "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime"
You've got to respect the audacity of an anime that thinks, "What if we reincarnate our hero...as a slime?" After Satoru Mikami, an average 37-year-old man, is killed, he's reincarnated in a fantasy world as a slime monster, of all things. Not exactly the majestic, overpowered, mythical creature one might hope for. But as it turns out, being a slime in this world isn't half bad! With unique abilities and a knack for making allies, Satoru begins building a kingdom for all creatures to live in peace. The idea for the series came from the author's desire to see RPG monsters as protagonists, and boy was it executed well!
3. "Fushigi Yuugi"
An oldie but a goodie, "Fushigi Yuugi" follows Miaka Yuuki, a junior high student who gets drawn into a book set in ancient China. She becomes the Priestess of Suzaku, destined to gather seven Celestial Warriors to summon a god for a single wish. Along the way, there's drama, intrigue, and romance. Did I mention she gets reincarnated into this world, with her best friend as her arch-nemesis? That's some bad luck right there (although being reincarnated as a slime is still worse, probably).
4. "Inuyasha"
"Inuyasha" is a classic tale of reincarnation. Kagome Higurashi, a modern-day high school girl, is transported to the Sengoku period of Japan after falling into a well in her family shrine, where she meets the half-demon Inuyasha. Kagome is the reincarnation of a priestess named Kikyo and possesses a powerful jewel that attracts demons from all around. The anime boasts a blend of action, romance, and comedy, with a dash of historical fiction. "Inuyasha" was initially planned to be a horror series, but evolved into a romance over time.
5. "Yu Yu Hakusho"
"Yu Yu Hakusho" begins with the main character, Yusuke Urameshi, getting hit by a car while trying to save a child – a noble, albeit tragically premature end. To his surprise, the afterlife wasn't quite ready for him yet, so he's given a chance to come back to life. There's a catch, though. He has to work as a Spirit Detective, defending the human world from various supernatural threats. As a result, he frequently dies and comes back to life, which is one heck of a job perk. "Yu Yu Hakusho" has won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award for best anime twice, so it's definitely worth checking out.
6. "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!"
Our main man Kazuma Sato, after a rather unheroic death, gets reincarnated in a fantasy world. How unheroic, you ask? Well, he dies of shock thinking he's about to be hit by a truck, only to find out it was a slow-moving tractor. After his undignified death, Sato's offered the chance to live in a real-world RPG game, but in a twist, he drags along the goddess who's been making fun of him (as if you wouldn't). The result? A chaotic, hilarious journey of two highly flawed but loveable characters navigating a world of quests, monsters, and, of course, epic fails. "KonoSuba" was originally a web novel before it gained enough popularity to be published as a light novel, manga, and finally, an anime!
7. "Erased"
Breaking up the comedy train, we've got the psychological thriller, "Erased." When Satoru Fujinuma, a struggling manga artist with a rather unique ability to travel back in time, experiences a tragedy, he's sent back 18 years to his childhood. The purpose? To prevent the murder of his classmate and change the course of the future. It's not exactly reincarnation, but time travel with life-or-death stakes carries a similar sense of rebirth. "Erased" was named as one of the best anime of the 2010s by Polygon, which is no small feat considering the wealth of fantastic series released in that decade.
8. "RIN-NE"
"RIN-NE" is a mix of comedy, romance, and supernatural elements from the legendary Rumiko Takahashi, the same creator behind "Inuyasha." The series features Sakura Mamiya, a girl who can see ghosts after a mysterious disappearance into the woods behind her grandma's home as a child. She meets Rinne Rokudo, a classmate of hers who's actually a Shinigami tasked with guiding spirits to the wheel of reincarnation. The title "RIN-NE" refers to the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth, known as "samsara."
9. "Angel Beats!"
In "Angel Beats!," death is just the beginning of the journey. The story unfolds in a high school that serves as a purgatory for young souls to learn to give up any lingering attachments before they can proceed to the afterlife. Yuzuru Otonashi wakes up in this afterlife without any memories of his life, only to be told he's dead. The series takes a comedic yet deep enough dive into themes of life, death, and what it means to live.