Fantasy Anime Battle! 'Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku' vs. 'Nageki no Bourei'

Every new anime season brings us several new isekai and isekai-adjacent fantasy works, and it can be hard to know which to watch. In this post, let’s compare Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouraku vs. Nageki no Bourei and see which one is worth your time!

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Hitoribocchi No Isekai Kouryaku: Loner Life In Another World

Haruka is a loner in his class, unwilling to blend in with any of the other cliques around him because it would cut into his light novel reading time. When his class gets isekai’ed to a fantasy world, he tries to escape and ends up stuck with all the worst skills. He doesn’t mind, though: he’s perfectly happy to explore his new world by himself. In one pivotal scene, he spots the other groups in the class (the gals, the nerds, the jocks, the class representative group) and wonders if he should call out to them…but decides to keep quiet, so he can keep enjoying his new life alone.

The “weakest hero in an isekai world” concept Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku offers is as textbook as you can get…and that’s just fine. When I watch episodes of House M.D. or CSI or Criminal Minds, I would never complain that every episode follows the same pattern. That’s literally the point of that kind of show. Enjoying the same kind of story in a slightly new form is perfectly fine.

As usual, the progression of our weak hero as he rises in level is enjoyable. But when he reconnects with the other members of his class, using his skills to protect them while learning new magic from them at the same time, things get even better. Watching his journey from a loner to a helpful member of his class is entertaining to see.

As with any show, the female characters are important to the story. The artwork for the novels was done by illustrator Booota, and the character designs for all the girls are great, especially Class Rep-chan.

Nageki no Bourei: Let This Grieving Soul Retire

In a fantasy world, Krai Andrey and his friends dream of becoming famous treasure hunters one day. And they succeed wonderfully…all except Krai, who lacks the skills his friends were blessed with. Krai wants to retire from treasure-hunting, so he can enjoy a slow life and not hold his friends back. But when he tries to quit, they make him the leader of their group, guaranteeing him lots of future headaches. What’s a reluctant hero to do?

This show wouldn’t have come onto my radar except for my love of sexy fan service. And that is pretty significant, especially the character of Tino Shade, the clumsy assassin who provides the majority of eye candy for the series. But are a few sexy camera angles enough to carry a show long enough for fans to become invested in the characters’ journies?

Hitoribocchi No Isekai Or Nageki No Bourei: Which Fantasy Anime Should You Watch?

Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku and Nageki no Bourei are both solid offerings if you’re a fan of fantasy anime. While I usually can’t say no to some thick anime thighs, I think I have to go with Hitoribocchi no Isekai, personally. The journey the main character is on is too interesting to not keep watching, and I like the promise of interesting relationships that might be coming in the future. I really like the character design of the Class Rep character, too.

Thanks for reading this blog post about the best fantasy anime to watch in the Fall 2024 anime season. Will you be watching Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku or Nageki no Bourei? Or something else entirely? Tell us in the comments below