Summary
Isekaiis amangagenre that has always been welcomed and appreciated. Readers mainly enjoy the fantastical worlds and the many surprises that it brings. Gone are the days of one’s mundane modern life as escaping to a new world posed unexpected challenges. However,the isekai genre is one that is truly hard to break intodue to the surplus of stories and can often fail due to opposing views on what really defines the name.
There are some isekai manga that have done amazingly well, and so it can be hard to release a manga that does better than its forebears. But that’s not all, as there are many isekai manga out there that face other problems with completion. They either receive criticism from readers, face editorial problems, or the author’s health deteriorates. Should readers wish to experience these stories or not, here are somegood and bad isekai mangas that may never be completed.
2021-2024
Chapters
13
Helian is the top player in a nation-building VR game, and when he gets transmigrated into it, he ends up encountering an army of demons and NPC’s that have leveled up. He now has no choice but to hide his identity and take responsibility for this tumultuous nation he has created. The manga introduces exciting concepts of world-building anddraws heavily (but reasonably) fromOverlord.
Isekai Nation Archimaira: The Weakest King and his Unparalleled Armyonly has 13 chapters in manga form, as it derives most of its plot from its Light Novel(LN) counterpart. Unfortunately, the light novel did not get a great reception from the Japanese audience after Volume 3, and there have been talks to cancel the series after the artists health took a toll on his ability to continue the series. This, in turn, would mean that the author cannot work on the manga, and the story will come to an end.
2021
1
Cheat Slayerfollows the protagonist Lute, who wants to join a guild consisting of people reincarnated into the world. Aside from fighting against the demon lord’s army, the guild has also committed heinous crimes, and Lute’s goal is to infiltrate it. Unfortunately, not much can be said about this series, as the manga was canceled by Kadokawa due to its stark resemblance to other popular isekai manga.
The author received backlash for this, as readers did not appreciate the villainization of their favorite isekai leads. The art is original, and so is the backstory regarding the character’s evil personas, but many readers believed this parody was ‘overdone.’ It might have been interesting to see how far the author could have developed the plot, since the other authors of the mentioned characters were willing to help brainstorm further ideas.
2018-2020
7
Originally a hardcore otaku, Ryouko’s life came to an end on her birthday, and she was reincarnated as a beautiful prince in a fantasy world. She’s now Prince Herscherik, the youngest prince of the nation, who uses knowledge from her past life to uncover all the heinous plots against the throne.
The manga forThe Epic Tale Of The Reincarnated Prince Herscherikwas illustrated by a different artist, and her inspiration was drawn from the original light novel by Nobiru Kusonoki. Unfortunately, the writer seemed to have lost interest in continuing the novel series after a hiatus, and when she finally got back into it, the publication company ignored her. She was initially excited about the manga, but she and the artist had major creative differences. This seemed to have pushed her into a position where she lost her motivation and officially decided to cancel the manga, opting instead to focus on her family and retire from writing.
A Fluffy Series That Was Unexpectedly Canceled
Japanese Name
Akuyaku Reijou ni Nanka Narimasen. Watashi wa “Futsu” no Koushaku Reijou desu!
2020-2022
8
After being reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game, Rosalind plans to use all her knowledge about the game to avoid her death. All she wants is a happy life, and she’ll do anything to achieve it. Much like many other isekai manga,I Won’t Become a Villainess. I’m Just a “Normal” Duke’s Daughter!is also based on a light novel of the same name. Despitebeing a simple run-of-the-mill villainess storyoverflowing with fluffy moments, the light novel received a great reception from audiences.
Unfortunately, not much information has been released on the manga, as it has been at a standstill since 2022. The series is said to have been cancelled after 11 chapters, and it has been speculated that it is due to the artist’s health. If readers do indeed enjoy the story, they can follow the light novel that is currently ongoing, and hope that a company eventually picks up the manga again in the future. However, for now, that option is rather unlikely.
2016-2022
49
Many readers and anime fans may recognize their favourite slime, Rimuru Tempest,in this spin-off ofThat Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slimeby Fuse. The manga is based off a Light Novel series, and this spin-off is one series among four others.That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime: The Ways Of The Monster Nationpicks up after Volume 9 of the LN and follows the Jura-Tempest Foundation expanding their influence.
Most of the spin-off mangas take a more unique route with their plot, which is why they have done well. Unfortunately, this one had to be suddenly cancelled as the author’s health began to continuously deteriorate. There is no chance of the manga picking back up, and the publication has decided to drop it after announcing the reason why the manga was on hiatus for 3 years.
2012-2017
4
Log Horizonis a relatively popular isekai series that has received recognition for its exciting action and hilarious side plots. It mixes sci-fi and fantasy, where Shirou (the MC) and his friends enter a video game in their assigned character skins. The four manga are spin-offs based on the light novel, but unfortunately, it’s been quite some time since the story has gone on hiatus due to the author’s tax evasion scandal.
Any and all information released is speculation, but it has been confirmed that the author is under house arrest and unable to continue the light novel plot. Thus, work on the manga has also been halted. Officially, the manga is said to be ‘on hold’ (same for the light novel and anime), but it’s safe to assume it may very well be an extremely long time before viewers receive any information about its continuation or cancellation.
2020-2021
10
If readers are looking for a fluffy shoujo isekai,I Want To Become The Hero’s Bridemay just be worth the read. Despite only having 10 chapters, readers follow Berlina, who has been reincarnated into a fantasy world and now only has one goal in life: to follow the love of her life. The story is quite cute and gives readers hilarious moments between Berlina and Chris.
The story ends in 2 volumes, and there’s no hope for the manga being renewed. The publication company confirmed that the series has been canceled, yet no concrete reason has been given as to why. The manga is adapted from the novel, but the novel has never been officially translated into English. Unofficial novel translations have also ceased since 2020, and no news has been released since.
2021-2022
17
When a woman ends up reincarnated as Leysritt Von Lotus, the last thing she has on her mind is solidifying her status as a noble lady. She just wants to eat the best snacks and relax as much as she can. Yet, as her days go by, the more she notices that her life looks a lot like something she’d read in a book. A chance encounter ties her to the royal family, and soon, she ends up using her past life skills as a nurse to save lives a second time around.
The Villainess Who Became A Nightingalebrings a medical twist to the rising villainess sub-genre. The story is captivating, the art is phenomenal, and the characters are easy to love. This manga is also adapted from a light novel. However, it has been canceled by the publication company. The artist is willing to work with the author in the future should the opportunity arise, but for now, nothing has been confirmed. Sadly, even if readers wanted to try reading the Japanese version of the novels, they might come up short, as only 2 volumes have been released with no further news.
