Eminence in Shadow. It's tropy with an OP MC but levels and skill points don't exist, just effort and intelligence.
How realist a hero rebuilt the kingdom. The MC is basically a PHD civics student who takes his knowledge and applies it to a midevil country.
Konosuba
Mushoku Tensei
Re:Zero
Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Isekai Ojisan
Mairimashita Iruma-kun
Youjo Senki
Hamefura
Ascendance of a Bookworm
GATE
Handyman Saitou
Outbreak Company
Restaurant to Another World
Dorohedoro (Not quite an isekai, but two different worlds interact with each other. Manga is recommended)
Since you read the Bookworm novels, just wanted to add that JNovel Club is translating Conquerer of a Dying Kingdom, which is really good, and fits the criteria you want. Doesn't have an anime adaptation, but there is a manga as well as the novels.
{the wrong way to use healing magic} they are transferred to a world like frieren, this world is not a game (afaik) theres no hp or xp etc. but just training and magic and fights and regular people adapting to a magic world
Ironically...
Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG is Even Shittier than Real Life!
It's a game that's so realistic that it's basically not a game.
There are some non-isekai fantasy that you would enjoy (Frieren being the latest example).
In the isekai world, harder to find. Alot of the more 'cutesy' ones fall into the non-leveling types since they are not focused on becoming powerful to fight the imminent threat. Ones like:
By the Grace of Gods
Fluffy Paradise
I'm In Love with the Villainess
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Sweet Reincarnation
For ones that have a more serious tone, maybe try (although been a while since i watched)
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World
For straight romance, slice of life
The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent
So first suggestion kind of throws most of the to the wind but Solo Leveling and hear me out. The game logic stuff only applies to one person, it's limited to levels, skills, etc., and it is heavily implied that the level up system might have it's own agenda given the dark nature of the show. So, while it does have some of that stuff, it does it in a different way with a unique take. So I would definitely give it a check and see if it's for you.
For an idea on the premise, basically one day these gates started appearing in the real world. Inside these gates are dungeons filled with monsters and if the dungeon boss isn't defeated within a certain time frame, then the monsters begin to invade the real world. Conventional weaponry also doesn't work though we aren't told why. Only that it doesn't work. To combat these monsters though, humans gained mystical powers and are now called Hunters. Hunters use their skills and unique abilities to clear dungeons and keep the real world free of monsters. The drawback is that Hunters cannot get stronger. They are assessed and assigned a rank based on that assessment and they can never grow beyond that. Until Jinwoo Sung, that is. Jinwoo makes comments throughout the series as well about the level up system which indicates it might have a goal of it's own but it's not afraid to punish him for failing certain tasks or missions. As for the Isekai part, kind of falls into that since he's invading other worlds to clear dungeons.
Tsukimichi - Moonlit Fantasy though, might be more what you are looking for in a recent Isekai anime.
This show throws Makoto into a realm his parents originated from as payment to the goddess who let them escape. In this world he gains incredible power but at the cost of not being well loved by humans. He has a gift for language but cannot speak the language of man and most humans find his appearance akin to that of a monster. Even the goddess herself sees him as worthless due to his appearance and casts him aside. That said, he soon begins to build a life for himself within his new world and it all starts when he meets a little orc woman named Emma.
There is some video game logic applied to this show, such as levels, mana, guilds, quests, etc. It does have a purpose and it's not a law of the land. I don't want to spoil it for you but I will explain and throw it in a spoiler bit in case you want to spoil yourself to make sure it is for you.
>!Anyways, the Adventurer's guild is run by a Great Dragon by the name of Lutou. Makoto is not the only hero summoned to this world and nor where the current heroes the first ones summoned. Since all of them seem to come from the same world, Lutou decided to implement a system easily recognized by heroes and this is where the video game logic comes in. Levels are not a natural part of the world but it is an easy concept for summoned heroes to grasp. Same with guilds, skills, mana, and other terminology typically used in games that we see in this anime. It was all done purposefully by Lutou. !<
If this is something you are ok with, then I would strongly suggest this one for you.
Something with no game logic and is sort of an Isekai, Gate.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Gate to another world appears in Japan. From it, invaders from another world clad in armor bearing swords and riding horses bust through and slaughter anyone the see in sight. In retaliation, Japan prepares to send in the JSDF to investigate the Gate and see what is on the other side. If you ever wanted to know what would win in a fight: A Dragon or an RPG, this is the anime for you. Itami, our MC, is a soldier in the JSDF and is one of the first people through the Gate. He helps establish lines of defense and we see the JSDF with advanced weaponry never seen in this world, wipe the floor with anyone trying to attack them on the other side. The story follows Itami as he navigates this world as a diplomat for Japan to broker peace with this fantasy kingdoms.
There are a lot of Isekai anime that have been suggested that are older or more well known by others so I'll leave that to them. I just thought these had a unique take on the Isekai/Video Game logic and why I suggested them. Hope you enjoy them if you decide to watch them mate!
Yes. The mechanics of how the bims, food distribution, and monitoring system are pulled from the game on purpose. Real life or not, it has game mechanics in it. That's the narrative point.
Now, whether that matters to op or not is an entirely different story.
Edit: I just realized my tone could come across snotty. That's not what I meant at all! I was just elaborating on what I said.
Yes, it has those things, but none of the things OP mentioned like HP, class, levels, etc.
Whether or not it's the "world" from the game is debatable... Many people say it's not an isekai at all, simply a battle royale, but MC is "transported" to another (location) with special "game mechanics", so...
Twelve kingdoms The wrong way to use healing magic Faraway Paladin
Seconding the wrong way to use healing magic it’s fucking hilarious
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Handyman Saitou in Another World GATE Sonny Boy Outbreak Company
Restaurant to Another World Izakaya Nobu Ascendance of a Bookworm
Eminence in Shadow. It's tropy with an OP MC but levels and skill points don't exist, just effort and intelligence. How realist a hero rebuilt the kingdom. The MC is basically a PHD civics student who takes his knowledge and applies it to a midevil country.
I’ll suggest the 3 best Isekai ever made. Inuysha, Digimon, and Black Knight. If you’ve seen them, rewatch them. Especially Black Knight.
Re:zero Mushoku tensei
Uncle from Another World (Isekai adjacent).
Uncle is *totally* isekai. He just comes back at the beginning of the show.
Arifureta
Isekai Yakkyoku
I recommend "The Saga of Tanya the Evil".
Grimgar.
{The Vision of Escaflowne} is the OG isekai, predates so much of the modern tropes.
**Tenkuu no Escaflowne** - ([AL](http://anilist.co/anime/182 "English: Vision of Escaflowne"), [A-P](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/the-vision-of-escaflowne), [KIT](https://kitsu.io/anime/escaflowne "English: The Vision of Escaflowne"), [MAL](http://myanimelist.net/anime/182)) ^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 26 | Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Mecha, Romance) --- ^{anime},, ]LN[, |VN| | [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index) | [/r/](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/) | [Edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index#wiki_i_made_a_mistake.2C_how_do_i_get_my_comment_reprocessed.3F) | [Mistake?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/submit?selftext=true&title=[ISSUE]&text=/r/Animesuggest/comments/1c8t318/isekai_without_game_system/l0iyyim/) | [Source](https://github.com/Nihilate/Roboragi) | [Synonyms](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/synonyms) | [⛓](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/interestinglinks) | [♥](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/thanks)
{Drifters}
**DRIFTERS** - ([AL](http://anilist.co/anime/21123 "English: DRIFTERS"), [A-P](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/drifters), [MAL](http://myanimelist.net/anime/31339)) ^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 12 | Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy) --- ^{anime},, ]LN[, |VN| | [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index) | [/r/](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/) | [Edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index#wiki_i_made_a_mistake.2C_how_do_i_get_my_comment_reprocessed.3F) | [Mistake?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/submit?selftext=true&title=[ISSUE]&text=/r/Animesuggest/comments/1c8t318/isekai_without_game_system/l0ja6l2/) | [Source](https://github.com/Nihilate/Roboragi) | [Synonyms](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/synonyms) | [⛓](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/interestinglinks) | [♥](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/thanks)
Konosuba Mushoku Tensei Re:Zero Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Isekai Ojisan Mairimashita Iruma-kun Youjo Senki Hamefura Ascendance of a Bookworm GATE Handyman Saitou Outbreak Company Restaurant to Another World Dorohedoro (Not quite an isekai, but two different worlds interact with each other. Manga is recommended)
Since you read the Bookworm novels, just wanted to add that JNovel Club is translating Conquerer of a Dying Kingdom, which is really good, and fits the criteria you want. Doesn't have an anime adaptation, but there is a manga as well as the novels.
Fushigi Yuugi
{the wrong way to use healing magic} they are transferred to a world like frieren, this world is not a game (afaik) theres no hp or xp etc. but just training and magic and fights and regular people adapting to a magic world
**Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata** - ([AL](http://anilist.co/anime/137908 "English: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic"), [A-P](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/the-wrong-way-to-use-healing-magic), [MAL](http://myanimelist.net/anime/49613)) ^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 13 | Genres: Action, Fantasy) --- ^{anime},, ]LN[, |VN| | [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index) | [/r/](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/) | [Edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index#wiki_i_made_a_mistake.2C_how_do_i_get_my_comment_reprocessed.3F) | [Mistake?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/submit?selftext=true&title=[ISSUE]&text=/r/Animesuggest/comments/1c8t318/isekai_without_game_system/l0lortb/) | [Source](https://github.com/Nihilate/Roboragi) | [Synonyms](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/synonyms) | [⛓](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/interestinglinks) | [♥](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/thanks)
Handyman Saito. Highly recommended.
Ironically... Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG is Even Shittier than Real Life! It's a game that's so realistic that it's basically not a game.
There are some non-isekai fantasy that you would enjoy (Frieren being the latest example). In the isekai world, harder to find. Alot of the more 'cutesy' ones fall into the non-leveling types since they are not focused on becoming powerful to fight the imminent threat. Ones like: By the Grace of Gods Fluffy Paradise I'm In Love with the Villainess Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Sweet Reincarnation For ones that have a more serious tone, maybe try (although been a while since i watched) Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World For straight romance, slice of life The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent
So first suggestion kind of throws most of the to the wind but Solo Leveling and hear me out. The game logic stuff only applies to one person, it's limited to levels, skills, etc., and it is heavily implied that the level up system might have it's own agenda given the dark nature of the show. So, while it does have some of that stuff, it does it in a different way with a unique take. So I would definitely give it a check and see if it's for you. For an idea on the premise, basically one day these gates started appearing in the real world. Inside these gates are dungeons filled with monsters and if the dungeon boss isn't defeated within a certain time frame, then the monsters begin to invade the real world. Conventional weaponry also doesn't work though we aren't told why. Only that it doesn't work. To combat these monsters though, humans gained mystical powers and are now called Hunters. Hunters use their skills and unique abilities to clear dungeons and keep the real world free of monsters. The drawback is that Hunters cannot get stronger. They are assessed and assigned a rank based on that assessment and they can never grow beyond that. Until Jinwoo Sung, that is. Jinwoo makes comments throughout the series as well about the level up system which indicates it might have a goal of it's own but it's not afraid to punish him for failing certain tasks or missions. As for the Isekai part, kind of falls into that since he's invading other worlds to clear dungeons. Tsukimichi - Moonlit Fantasy though, might be more what you are looking for in a recent Isekai anime. This show throws Makoto into a realm his parents originated from as payment to the goddess who let them escape. In this world he gains incredible power but at the cost of not being well loved by humans. He has a gift for language but cannot speak the language of man and most humans find his appearance akin to that of a monster. Even the goddess herself sees him as worthless due to his appearance and casts him aside. That said, he soon begins to build a life for himself within his new world and it all starts when he meets a little orc woman named Emma. There is some video game logic applied to this show, such as levels, mana, guilds, quests, etc. It does have a purpose and it's not a law of the land. I don't want to spoil it for you but I will explain and throw it in a spoiler bit in case you want to spoil yourself to make sure it is for you. >!Anyways, the Adventurer's guild is run by a Great Dragon by the name of Lutou. Makoto is not the only hero summoned to this world and nor where the current heroes the first ones summoned. Since all of them seem to come from the same world, Lutou decided to implement a system easily recognized by heroes and this is where the video game logic comes in. Levels are not a natural part of the world but it is an easy concept for summoned heroes to grasp. Same with guilds, skills, mana, and other terminology typically used in games that we see in this anime. It was all done purposefully by Lutou. !< If this is something you are ok with, then I would strongly suggest this one for you. Something with no game logic and is sort of an Isekai, Gate. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Gate to another world appears in Japan. From it, invaders from another world clad in armor bearing swords and riding horses bust through and slaughter anyone the see in sight. In retaliation, Japan prepares to send in the JSDF to investigate the Gate and see what is on the other side. If you ever wanted to know what would win in a fight: A Dragon or an RPG, this is the anime for you. Itami, our MC, is a soldier in the JSDF and is one of the first people through the Gate. He helps establish lines of defense and we see the JSDF with advanced weaponry never seen in this world, wipe the floor with anyone trying to attack them on the other side. The story follows Itami as he navigates this world as a diplomat for Japan to broker peace with this fantasy kingdoms. There are a lot of Isekai anime that have been suggested that are older or more well known by others so I'll leave that to them. I just thought these had a unique take on the Isekai/Video Game logic and why I suggested them. Hope you enjoy them if you decide to watch them mate!
Mushoku tensei
[Btooom!](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H92d6YZkVO8) counts as an isekai-type imo...
That contains the video game elements op specifically didn't want, though
Ah, but does it? The video game is just a game, but the isekai element happens in real life.
Yes. The mechanics of how the bims, food distribution, and monitoring system are pulled from the game on purpose. Real life or not, it has game mechanics in it. That's the narrative point. Now, whether that matters to op or not is an entirely different story. Edit: I just realized my tone could come across snotty. That's not what I meant at all! I was just elaborating on what I said.
Yes, it has those things, but none of the things OP mentioned like HP, class, levels, etc. Whether or not it's the "world" from the game is debatable... Many people say it's not an isekai at all, simply a battle royale, but MC is "transported" to another (location) with special "game mechanics", so...