Suzuki Ichirou is a programmer for a game company, and in order to keep up with demands, he frequently sets his work pace to “death march” in which he works for days straight with little sleep and without going home. During one of these death marches, he falls asleep and when he wakes up, he is somehow transported inside of one of his games.
Another season, another Isekai. However, this one takes pride in focusing on the small details of being inside a game, which can make it more interesting to watch. If you want more anime recommendations like Death March, then check these out.
Anime Like Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
For Fans of Video Game Isekai
Sword Art Online
With the aid of NerveGear technology, video game players can now experience their playable worlds like never before – in virtual reality. For Kazuto Kirigaya, his game of choice is Sword Art Online. After beta testing the game, he logs into the launch and finds himself, as well as ten thousand other players, trapped in the game world.
The similarities are obvious here. Both are about people trapped in a game, with the main character being long involved in the development process. However, to Sword Art Online’s credit, it isn’t quite so upfront with its harems themes right away unlike Death March. You should also note that Sword Art Online deals with VR transfers while it is suspected that Ichirou is dreaming.
In Another World With My Smartphone
Touya Mochizuki is accidentally killed, and as an apology, God allows him to be reborn into a fantasy world. He also gets one wish. Touya chooses to use his wish to keep his smart phone that he uses to give him the knowledge to dominate his new world.
You know how you dominate a medieval fantasy type RPG world? You have working knowledge of modern science or at least how the game is supposed to function. In both series, the main characters have that sort of inside knowledge that allows them to fully thrive in their new world and build their fantasy harem.
Overlord
As the final hour approaches the life cycle of the MMO Yggdrasil, Momonga, a powerful wizard and leader of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, is there to see it off. However, to his surprise, the servers don’t go down and even stranger is that all the NPC characters have come alive with their own unique personalities.
The difference between these two series is actually in the details. In Overlord, the main character is one of the last players on when an MMO dies and in Death March the main character is a programmer fixing code before it even launches. However, in both, through circumstance, the main characters end up inside the game in a way where there should be no logical reason why they are in there.
For Fans of Fantasy Harems
Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There
Japanese Self-Defense Force solider and otaku Youji Itami is in the Ginza district of Tokyo feeding his hobby one afternoon when a gate to another world opens and medieval soldiers flood modern day Japan. While Itami, in conjunction with the local police, manage to save many civilian lives, his hero status forces him to go beyond the gate with his fellow soldiers to explore a mysterious new world filled with swords, magic, elves, and dragons.
Are you a fan of the fantasy harem that Ichirou attracts with little to no effort in Death March? Gate is of a same nature. The series is set in another world, but video games have nothing to do with its creation. In both series, the main characters are so nonchalantly badass that a bunch of beautiful women take interest in them.
Konosuba
On his way back from buying a new game, Kazuma Satou died a pathetic death. However, he awakens before the Goddess Aqua who gives him two choices: go to heaven or reincarnate into an actual fantasy world. Naturally, the gamer picks the fantasy world. Now Kazuma must deal with defeating an evil demon king, useless party members, and paying living expenses.
The thing to remember when going into Konosuba is that it is primarily a comedy series. This means the main character is designed to be undeserving trash and nothing is going to be taken seriously. However, while Death March has some funny moments, Konosuba manages to make the isekai trope fun instead of serious.
Outbreak Company
With parents that write light novels and draw eroge, Kanou Shinichi was born to be an otaku. One day, he finds himself transported to a fantasy world full of elves and dragons. In this world he is given a quest, not to fight monsters, but to become a moe missionary to teach everyone on the finer points of being an otaku.
Both are obviously shows about being transported to a fantasy world where the main character still has working knowledge of our world. However, while Outbreak Company takes a comedy stance, Death March remains more serious. However, make no mistake, they are both major harem shows.
For Fans of Analytical Main Characters
Log Horizon
Thirty thousand Japanese players of the popular Elder Tale game all log in to explore the new update of their game, only to discover they are unable to log out. The story focuses on the socially awkward college student Shiroe, a master strategist in-game, and his friends as they try to navigate their new reality.
The reason both of these main characters that are presumably stuck in a game thrive there is because they are very intelligent and look at all things in a strategic manner. As a programmer, Ichirou thinks of all problems as a programmer would while Shiroe uses his experience as a strategist.
Knights and Magic
After a car accident buying Gunplay kits after work, Tsubasa Kurata – a passionate mecha otaku – is killed and reborn in another world. In the medieval kingdom of Fremmevilla, he is reborn as Ernesti Echevarria, grandson of the principal of the Royal Laihaila Academy. While Fremmevilla is rife with dangerous beasts, Ernesti is thrilled to discover that to combat these beasts and other threats, the kingdom deploys Silhouette Knights, giant mechs piloted by specially trained individuals called Knight Runners. Realizing his new life has made his otaku passions a reality, Ernesti dives into the world of Silhouette Knights in order to bring his mech designs to life.
The obvious difference here is the setting. Despite the name, Knights and Magic is mostly a mecha show. However, they do have the same isekai theme in common. The main characters also attract quite the harem with their deeds and use their knowledge from the modern world to thrive in this fantasy one.
The Irregular at Magic High School
After magic, once thought to be folklore, was turned into a technical skill, schools to teach it opened all over. At one such school are siblings Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba. While Miyuki excels, her brother is placed in a lower class due to his seemingly magical ineptitude. However, he has rather unique abilities that make him quite irregular.
While Irregular isn’t an isekai show, it does have the same harem themes where the main character attracts a bunch of high achieving women. However, while Ichirou is overachieving in his world, Tatsuya is somewhat less so, but he still possesses great powers.
Did we miss any more anime recommendations for Death March? Let us know in the comments section below.
After the series that you mentioned are based on Light Novels
Light Novels are ruled by isekais
*All the series