Summary
Summer 2025 has introduced many great new anime, includingThe Water Magician, a fun isekai that revolves around magic and adventure. The story follows Ryo, who is reincarnated into another world after his death, as he attempts to survive on the planet Phi. His efforts lead him to learn and master water magic. After being isolated for twenty years, a serendipitous meeting marksthe beginning of his adventure.
Although itemploys many of the same tropes as other isekai,The Water Magicianstands out due to its slower narrative style, whichemphasizes Ryo’s daily life. As viewers wait for more episodes to air, they may want something similar to watch, so this list will include anime with the most matching elements, either in character or concept, toThe Water Magician.
Because OP protagonists are so commonin isekai, many anime watchers have come to appreciate characters who are particularly hardworking.The Water Magicianfeels nice to watch because the story follows Ryo’s extensive training over many years.Ascendance of a Bookwormis another anime featuring a hardworking main character.
In this anime, a young Japanese woman is reincarnated as Myne, the sick daughter of a commoner family. Due to her past life, she has an obsession with reading and books, which are only available to the upper class. With no other options, Myne resolves to create her own books and make them available to everyone.
Chosen One narratives appear all the time in isekai, and one of the most common Chosen One roles is the Saint.The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotentis about Sei Takanashi, who gets caught in a summoning ritual in another world along with another young girl. However, everyone in the room assumes the other girl is the Saint, ignoring Sei completely. It doesn’t take long for her to prove them wrong.
Similar to Ryo inThe Water Magician, Sei is someone with great magical power, but it takes some time for her to learn how to use it. However, while Ryo trained by himself for many years, Sei was able to adjust in a shorter amount of time with the help of those around her. It helps that Sei’s abilitiesfocus on healingrather than combat.
The story ofThe Water Magicianonly really starts once Ryo decides to leave isolation and adventure across the world despite wanting a slow life.Campfire Cooking in Another Worldis another anime where the protagonist prefers a leisurely life but ends up on various adventures anyway. It even has a similar relaxing atmosphere, despite including some fun action and battle scenes.
The story follows Tsuyoshi Mukouda after he is accidentally summoned as a hero. With nothing to contribute to the cause, he strikes out on his own to explore the world. Unfortunately, his special ability tosummon food from Earthattracts the attention of a Fenrir, leading him to become the legendary beast’s tamer.
InThe Water Magician, Ryo is essentially immortal due to the hidden blessing Eternal Youth, which is why he looks the same even after twenty years of training. Another anime that features a powerful, immortal caster isI’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years. Just like Ryo, the protagonist of this anime wants to live a peaceful life.
In this anime, Azusa Aizawa is given the opportunity to reincarnate. Blessed with immortality and magic by the goddess, she sets up her life in a remote place, where she gets by farming, cleaning, and killing slimes. After 300 years, her daily slime hunting made herthe most powerful witchin the world, attracting all sorts of people who want to challenge her.
Unlike many isekai protagonists, Ryo doesn’t start the story OP. His time as a weakling is relatively short, but seeing his training and growth is an important aspect of the story. That’s whyGrimgar of Fantasy and Ashis so beloved as an isekai anime. It’s much more grounded and realistic, which makes the story much more compelling.
This anime follows a group of people who are suddenly transported to another world with no memory of how it happened. The most capable and strongest members of the group form a party to discover the truth about what happened, but the story follows the people left behind —the weakest and most timid. Together, they face loss and hardship as they try to survive.
The Faraway Paladinfollows the life of Will. This young boy was reincarnated into another world and is raised by three peculiar figures: a skeleton, a ghost, and a mummy. Despite their oddities, they’re a happy family. This changes when Will becomes an adult, and he learns the truth behind his parents' identities.
This anime shares many traits withThe Water Magician, specifically in the circumstances of their stories. Both Ryo and Will spend many years growing and learning in a secluded part of the world, and both begin an adventure after meeting certain people. While their motivations are different,this anime is a good choicefor people who enjoy this type of narrative.
By the Grace of the Godsshares many similarities withThe Water Magician, and they are all quite obvious. In this anime, Ryouma Takebayashi is reincarnated as a young boy after an untimely death. For many years, he lives in a cave secluded from the rest of the world, learning aboutmagic and taming slimes. After meeting some local hunters in the area, he decides to move to the city and learn about life beyond his home.
The plots are almost identical, with the only differences being slight changes in the protagonist’s age and circumstance. However, this anime focuses more on the slice-of-life aspect of isekai and interpersonal relationships rather than active adventures. Despite this difference, both have relaxing atmospheres that make them enjoyable to watch.
