Summary
Isekai is currently one of the biggest anime around. Thanks to the success of shows likeSword Art Online, studios are pumping out more isekai than ever before. That’s mostly a great thing for fans, but the sheer amount of anime coming out can make some of them feel similar.
One of the best things about isekai tends to be the out-of-place protagonists, but they can be pretty frustrating to watch. Fromisekai protagonists who make dumb decisionsto those with heavily flawed personalities, it’s not uncommon to enjoy an isekai anime but find yourself cringing every time the main character opens their mouth. The following anime are all good, but their leads need a stiff talking to from time to time.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slimehas seen massive success since its 2018 release, and that’s largely down to how likable the show’s main character is. Easily one ofthe best kingdom-building isekai, the anime shows Rimuru going from an average Joe loser to a lowly slime monster to becoming the ruler of his very own land and even becoming a Demon Lord. For the most part, Rimuru’s easy to root for.
But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Rimuru can be frustrating to watch at times. Early on, he can be a bit of a pervert and has a habit of sexualizing every female character. He can also be a bit too naive and forgiving at times. This is the kind of anime where nearly every enemy ends up joining the hero’s side. But Rimuru’s overly forgiving, diplomatic approach often leads to complications and invites even more trouble. On the flip side, when Rimuru does choose to show his tough side, he can go a bit overboard—like the time he massacred thousands of soldiers to awaken as a Demon Lord.
Anime writers subverting expectations when it comes to genre tropes is a growing trend. When creating Kazuma Satou forKazuma, the writers were trying to deconstruct isekai tropes and create a protagonist who is the opposite of the usual overpowered, noble isekai hero. They were arguably a little too successful. Kazuma Satou is selfish, cowardly, and perverted and presents what could be described as morally questionable behavior.
Much of this is played for laughs, and, for the most part, having an unapologetically flawed hero is pretty entertaining. In small doses, Kazuma is a breath of fresh air, but in bigger doses, he can be intensely frustrating. He doesn’t get a ton of character development, especially when it comes to his selfishness. Likewise, his perverted nature and hypocrisy regarding gender equality tend to be more annoying than they are funny. Thankfully, bythe end of Season 3, he was given some growth and did learn to care for his party.
Much like Kazuma Satou,Re:Zero’s Subaru is frustrating by design. The difference is that he’s far more palatable in general and actually has a good reason for his frustrating behavior. If the only way you could help out was by dying constantly to reset time but couldn’t tell anyone, you’d probably be pretty frustrating to be around too.
Subaru’s creator, Tappei Nagatsuki, is on record as stating he meant for Subaru to be a flawed and frustrating character. Subaru has an annoying tendency to make rash decisions without thinking things through. These decisions, usually based on misguided heroic ideals, often cause more problems than they solve, like during the royal selection arc (one ofthe best arcs in the anime so far) when he failed to consider the political ramifications of his actions.
Compared to many isekai protagonists, Subaru is slow to adapt to his new surroundings and can be very naive. Yet this character design is what makes the show so compelling. Especially after Season 1, Subaru sees substantial character development as the anime increasingly examines the psychological toll of Subaru’s powers and how it leads to some of his more frustrating decisions.
Sword Art Onlinewasn’t the first isekai anime, but it is one of the shows that helped popularize the genre. When the show debuted, most fans loved its lead, Kirito, but many became increasingly frustrated with him as the show progressed. He might be one ofthe bravest isekai anime protagonists, but he’s also one of the most overpowered. Frustratingly for some, that power has never felt earned.
This has led to accusations that Kirito is a male Mary Sue, also known as a Marty Stu.
Kirito’s overpowered nature and considerable plot armor tend to suck the tension out of many of the anime’s most important events. The fact that Kirito rarely has to struggle also results in a lack of personal depth. He can be frustratingly bland to watch; defined by being generically kind and heroic. Attempts to make him cooler and edgier also tend to be cringe-worthy, like the fact he proclaimed himself a “Beater” and that he keeps reverting to his loner persona. Still a likable character, the more one watchesSword Art Online,the more frustrating these flaws can become.
Ainz Ooal Gown is frustrating to watch but in a good way. At the beginning ofOverlord,he’s a fairly standard isekai protagonist—overpowered, flawed, but generally a good guy. As the anime progresses and Ainz is forced to make increasingly morally dubious decisions, he falls more and more into villainy. Oftentimes, these decisions are the result of misunderstanding and poor communication, making his increasingly villainous turn feel frustratingly avoidable.
Overlordhas lots of evil charactersand plenty of fans were frustrated watching the protagonist slowly turning into one of them. Ainz commits some terrible acts throughout the anime and is responsible for mass murder and subjugation at levels higher than usual for the genre. He’s mentally weak and often carries out these acts in an attempt to meet the expectations of his NPC followers and prove himself. While this all makes for a morally complex protagonist who challenges isekai tropes, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s frustrating to watch a once likable protagonist change for the worse.
Anime fans certainly aren’t strangers topolarizing isekai protagonists, but Rudeus has to be one of the worst. Rudeus Greyrat is a total loser who gets transported into another world, spawns as a baby, and is forced to grow up again from scratch. While he decides to treat this like a much-needed fresh start, he repeatedly fails to overcome his main character flaw.
Even by anime standards, Rudeus is a total perv. He’s a 34-year-old man in a child’s body, and his dealings with the show’s other young characters are beyond creepy. He gets excited about the idea of bathing with Sylphie, he tries to peek at Eris, a minor, while she gets changed and continues to be a creep for most of the anime’s run. This is so frustrating because Rudeus has plenty of positive qualities. He can be determined, intensely loyal, intelligent, and empathetic. From the show’s beginning, he’s aware of his flaws and doesattemptto improve himself. Through the course of the anime, he does get plenty of character growth, butit’s always frustrating to see him fall back into his perverted ways rather than leaving them behind completely.
When creating hisThe Rising Of The Shield Hero, director Tako Abo decided to run head first into some deeply controversial subject matter. In doing so, he created a morally complex, often frustrating lead who can be hard to like, especially in Season 1. Naofumi Iwatani is an open-minded, charming university student who is summoned into an alternate world to serve as one of the Four Cardinal Heroes. Shortly afterward, he’s wrongly accused of sexual assault, something that turns his personality on its head.
Naofumi becomes increasingly cynical, distrustful, and bitter as those around him treat him harshly due to the accusations. While understandable (he was falsely accused), his poor behavior can be frustrating, particularly toward Raphtalia. Naofumi has been through hard times, but it’s no excuse for treating someone like a slave. After what happened with Princess Malty Melromac, Naofumi quite rightly has trust issues, but it takes a frustratingly long time for him to start trusting his companions and treating them the way they deserve.
Cid Kagenou is another example of a character designed to be frustrating.The Eminence in Shadowis isekai anime on steroids, full of all the usual tropes dialed up to eleven. After being transported to an alternate world, Cid becomes the leader of the Shadow Garden group and is given insanely flashy and overpowered abilities. Cid is delusional, cringe-worthy, and power-hungry.
Cid does have some weaknesses, but they’re nearly all personality defects. When used for comic relief, these can make him an entertaining protagonist, but more often than not, a lack of character development just makes him frustrating. With his lack of emotional intelligence, Cid struggles to make real connections and fails to recognize his true feelings for the other members of the Shadow Garden. As a leader, he’s selfish, only cares about his own goals, and is far too reliant on luck. He might be frustrating by design, but Daisuke was arguably too successful in making him so.
