Have you already Returned by Death, been Reincarnated as a Slime, and experienced life as a Lich? Have you been wondering to what other worlds that infamous truck can take you? Then it’s time to step away from the best-known isekai light novels and explore those a little further from the mainstream.
Of course, we can’t guarantee that avid readers haven’t heard of any of these, but hopefully, you’ll find some new titles among our recommendations.
Want to look for merch for these or Japanese physical copies for your collection? Using ZenMarket, who have kindly sponsored this article, is a convenient way to do this. They’re an import service that focuses on helping to order items from Japan, consolidating packages to keep the delivery costs down, and sending items worldwide. We’ve given an overview of our experience with their service and how to use it in a previous article.
Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon
In this light novel, Yuki is reborn as a Demon Lord in charge of a new dungeon, one that appears in the territory of an ancient dragon. He soon finds himself having to navigate dangerous situations and the politics of the nearby human settlements, all while keeping his new family of monster girls safe.
Now I’m a Demon Lord! Happily Ever After with Monster Girls in My Dungeon spends more time on cute moments with the family and it doesn’t delve too deeply into the mechanics of dungeon management. That said, it doesn’t shy away from serious situations or the consequences others face for trying to harm the people Yuki cares about. There’s always an interesting plot going on, even if it’s at times overshadowed by Yuki trying to look cool or his motivation being to make the area safe so he can take his ‘daughter’ on holiday.
Find it on J-Novel Club and Take a Look at Available Merch
Outbreak Company
Isekai stories typically involve some kind of accident or reincarnation. Outbreak Company breaks that formula by having the Japanese government kidnap Shinichi and put him to work in a newly discovered world. Their goal? To have him spread otaku culture.
Beneath the comedic moments and typical harem hijinks, there are some more serious themes. Discrimination is a problem in the Holy Eldant empire and not everyone is happy to see the spread of a foreign culture.
It is worth mentioning that the entire series of Outbreak Company is already fully translated. No waiting for the next volume if you want to jump in!
Find it on J-Novel Club and Take a Look at Available Merch
Lazy Dungeon Master
In Lazy Dungeon Master, Keima is summoned to become the new dungeon master. Unfortunately, the dungeon consists of only one room and one hallway and is already infested with bandits. He’s not particularly interested in doing anything other than resting, but if the dungeon is defeated, then he’ll die too.
There’s an amusing dynamic between Keima and Rokuko, the one who summoned him. He’s intelligent and refreshingly merciless for a protagonist, while Rokuko doesn’t come off as the brightest. This evolves over time, as does the world which gets built up quite a lot, adding many new locales and a wide cast of characters.
As a warning, this one is for mature readers. You’ll find Keima making his proclivities clear from the very opening.
Find it on J-Novel Club and Take a Look at Available Merch
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear follows the typical isekai formula of someone arriving in a fantasy world, being completely overpowered, and becoming an adventurer. That is, aside from the protagonist being Yuna, a girl whose powers are tied to wearing a bear onesie and are all bear-themed, much to her dismay.
This is a light-hearted story where Yuna meets plenty of new friends and starts making life better for everyone while having adventures along the way. It’s relaxing, and even when battles happen or problems occur, the experience is wondering more about what ridiculous way she will win rather than if she’ll win. Her only major challenge is trying not to cringe too much about wearing the bear onesie when people constantly bring it up.
Find it on Seven Seas Entertainment and Take a Look at Available Merch
Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement
The author FUNA has a set formula: a female protagonist ends up in another world and befriends several girls while solving problems. Unlike the other titles by this author though, Mitsuha’s power is to leap between this new world and modern-day Japan, leaving her to use wits and trickery to get what she wants, rather than overwhelming firepower or flexible magical skills.
It’s a fun read. While the initial goal of using her power to save gold becomes less important as the series goes on, the story escalates and we see Mitsuha having to deal with bigger problems as time goes on.
If you’d like to find out more about this, we do have a full review of the first volume of Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement.
Find it on BookWalker and Take a Look at Available Merch
Thanks again go to ZenMarket for sponsoring this article. If you’d like to import any goods from Japan, please consider checking out their service and don’t forget to use code NOOKGAMING when signing up for 800 Yen worth of ZenPoints toward delivery.
If you are looking for more posts about light novels, you may enjoy our review of Management of a Novice Alchemist, which is not an isekai, but will likely be enjoyed by people who enjoy the genre.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
