After unenthusiastically blasting his way through an otome game set in a world dominated by women, the protagonist stumbles down a flight of stairs and reincarnates inside the dating sim. Once he regains his memories, Leon sets out to use his knowledge of the game to attend a prestige academy and lead an uneventful but enjoyable life as a mob character. Naturally, the latter does not happen.
Those who have been enjoying the latest addition to the isekai subgenre should make sure to check out these upcoming anime like Trapped in a Dating Sim.
My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!
What’s worse than reincarnating as a nothing character? Becoming a game’s main villain. Although there are many isekai anime set in games, few go down the dating sim route; in fact, prior to Leon’s animated misadventure, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! was the outlier in the subgenre.
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Similar to Trapped in a Dating Sim, My Next Life as a Villainess features a protagonist who regains their memories of a past life that reveals they are currently living through an otome game. In this case, Catarina realizes that she is programmed for a bad ending, a fate she quickly sets out to change. Packed with humor and lovable characters, this series is a delight, particularly the first season.
The Rising Of The Shield Hero
Currently airing alongside Trapped in a Dating Sim, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a more conventional example of an action-driven isekai anime. Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a fantasy world as one of its four heroes, a situation that quickly goes sideways when he is framed for a crime and left with nothing to his name beside a bad reputation.
While they use wildly different methods to explore their themes, Trapped in a Dating Sim and The Rising of the Shield Hero both envision societies defined by inequality, be it through gender or class. Leon and Naofumi are isolated figures who challenge the status quo while accumulating a harem in the process.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!
Trapped in a Dating Sim is not a full-blown comedy, but it certainly appreciates a hearty laugh. Leon’s “arroganz” drives most of the humor, and the series is fond of a bit of slapstick. In the realm of comedy isekai anime, KonoSuba is the gold standard, and Kazuma is cut from the same MC cloth as Leon.
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Both characters approach their respective situations with a mix of pessimism, bluntness, and a hint of vindictiveness. Leon is a bit more overtly generous than Kazuma, although the latter is still generally a decent person. KonoSuba parodies elements synonymous with isekai stories, taking shots at harem tropes and overused MMO conventions.
Knight’s & Magic
It would be inaccurate to describe Trapped in a Dating Sim as a mecha series, however, some of the anime’s best episodes revolve around massive robots battling it out in an arena. The show is set in a world built upon a blend of magic and technology, and while neither of these aspects has been explored in detail so far, they add flavor to the overall narrative.
Knight’s & Magic takes this idea and runs with it, although this isekai anime is more interested in mecha than magic. A programmer, Eru, is reborn into a world that allows him to bring all of his robotic dreams to life.
The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?
The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? is not a particularly good show; in fact, it is underwhelming even by the isekai genre’s fairly low standards. However, this show shares too many similarities with Trapped in a Dating Sim to not mention it.
For one, both protagonists are reincarnated as the youngest children in big, struggling families that see them as unimportant burdens. Secondly, like Leon, The 8th Son’s Wendelin is powerful, and he uses his affinity for magic to overcome any challenges and prove everyone wrong. Lastly, they acquire female companions who mostly provide moral support. Trapped in a Dating Sim handles all of these ideas better than The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?, but they are still present in the latter.
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