The best isekai anime exploring a morally gray world

Key Takeaways

• Isekai anime explores morally gray worlds, creating compelling themes and conflicts that go beyond conventional morality.
• Characters face dilemmas of morality in a war-like environment, revealing nuance and complexity.
• In a series like “Saga Of Tanya the Evil,” the war theme explores neither side, which holds the moral high ground.

Isekai anime are known for being set in high fantasy realms, meaning that these supernatural settings are significantly different from the typical simple black and white stories. This has led to several isekai anime exploiting morally gray worlds, turning them into compelling premises that open up room for complex conversations.

Whether set in a war-torn world or an all-out dystopian setting, these isekai anime are woven with nuance and complexity that go beyond traditional morality. The characters themselves may not be morally ambiguous, but these settings place the protagonists in moral dilemmas and present all kinds of fascinating themes.

1 Wrong Ways to Use Healing Magic

Shows the human side of the devil

The world at first sight Wrong Ways to Use Healing Magic Rather, it may seem black and white. This concept is further supported by the Demon King's army and the past invasion of the Llinger kingdom. This incident caused massive casualties in the kingdom.

However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that the situation is not so ambiguous. After the Black Knight is saved, it becomes clear that demons are not inherently evil and have emotions similar to humans. This event, along with a few other surprising facts, casts a very grim light on the war between the two powers.

2 door

Explore a mystical realm with a touch of nationalism

door It may seem similar to other isekai anime with lots of harem antics, but this anime is actually set in a rather morally gray world. The story primarily revolves around Itami Yuji's efforts to contain the mysterious world that has appeared on Japan's doorstep.

Although the anime attempts to portray Japan as the “good guys” throughout the anime, it soon becomes clear that Gundo's actions within this fantasy world are not exactly pure. furthermore, door It's filled with nationalistic ideals that depict less-developed fantasy worlds as nothing more than primordial lands, a subtext that makes the premise even more gray.

3 I'm in love with a villain

Explores the rift between royalty and commoners

Based on the villain theme set in otome games, I'm in love with a villain At first it looks similar to other light isekai anime. However, the anime immediately defies expectations with a number of subtle subtexts, whether it's the stigma associated with same-sex relationships or the rights of commoners.

Later in the series, it becomes clear that a division exists between the kingdom's forgotten royals and the commoners who have been pushed aside. These events begin a conversation about the class differences that exist between royals and commoners, a topic that is further explored through the series' protagonist, Rae Taylor.

4 Grimgar: Ashes and Visions

Survival of the fittest in a hellish world

Another isekai anime set in a world devastated by war, Grimgar: Ashes and Visions focuses on the bonds that form between soldiers caught up in a conflict that has little to do with them. The anime revolves around a ragtag group of mercenaries who, after becoming isekai in a strange world, are forced to fight for their reserves.

Anime focuses more on character development and relationships between characters. But the fact remains that the series is set in a world where children are forced to be recruited for a conflict that has nothing to do with them.

5 now and then, here and there

A world devastated by the cruelty of war

Set in a dystopian world ravaged by war, Now and then, here and there It highlights the impact of war on innocent civilians and those forced to fight against their will. Shu comes to this world after trying to protect a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru, but a split-second decision plunges Shu into an unsettling world.

Child soldiers are sent to the front lines and civilians are forced to experience famine, poverty and abuse. All of this is due to insufficient resources. At first glance, the conflict may seem black and white, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that there is no right or wrong in this brutal conflict.

6 Drifters

historical figures stick together

Anime with war and conflict as its central concept tends to be set in morally gray worlds; Drifters Take this concept to another level by contrasting historical figures with one another. Known as the “Drifters” and the “Ends”, two of the greatest names in history must battle each other in a brutal conflict.

Although the Ends are the main antagonistic force, DriftersIt is revealed that this group is made up of historical figures driven to madness by the trauma and psychological pain they suffered throughout their lives. This aspect of their madness reveals that no one is inherently evil, as these characters have become antagonized by how history has treated them.

7 Tanya's Saga Evil

A supernatural retelling of World War I

Saga of Tanya the Evil is a classic isekai series that brutally reimagines World War I and highlights the morality of war. It weaves together mature themes such as war crimes, forced obedience, and the consequences of war for innocent civilians. Saga of Tanya the Evil It perfectly highlights how in an armed conflict neither side has the higher moral ground.

Tanya herself is a somewhat gray character, which further adds to the series' theme of emphasizing how desperate both sides are to survive, and the fact that there are no true winners in war. Even though it is an isekai animation Saga of Tanya the Evils The subtle subtext reflects the real world and hits so close to home.