1.
another world; parallel world; fantasy world
A world different from the real one, especially a fantasy or parallel universe. Widely used as a genre term in Japanese fiction (anime, manga, light novels) where a character is transported to or reborn in a different world.
異世界 has become one of the dominant genre labels in Japanese pop culture since the 2010s. The term is now widely recognized even outside Japan.
Common collocations
- 異世界転生 — reincarnation in another world
- 異世界転移 — transfer to another world
- 異世界もの — isekai genre (stories)
- 異世界に召喚される — to be summoned to another world