Kara Dennison
July 13, 2025 
Sometimes you die. Sometimes you get isekai‘d. And sometimes you grab a magic gem and get transported back in time. Whatever the reason, many of this summer’s fantasy anime heroes get a second chance at life. But, at least in the case of these three heroes, that comes with some interesting consequences. Some are helpful, while others are just… weird. How will they fare? We’ll find out as the season progresses!
Remembering the Bad Future
Not all fantasy anime heroes come from another world; some come from another future. In New Saga, a swordsman named Kyle defeats the Demon King but loses everything. As in, literally everything. Everyone and everything he cared about is gone, and he himself will follow soon. But a strange gem changes all that, transporting him back four years into the past on his birthday. Now he’s armed with memories of the bad future, but with (hopefully) enough time to change things.
This doesn’t feel like a condition or a consequence so much as an advantage, at least at first. But while future knowledge could help Kyle change things for the better, it comes with problems. (And we don’t just mean the awkwardness of having to ask what year it is.) He remembers what it looked like when the people around him died and the world around him was destroyed. And while that will absolutely spur him on to change the future, it’s a heavy weight.
New Saga is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Looking Really Evil to Strangers
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra continues the fantasy anime tradition of “evil” rulers actually being pretty okay. Gamer and hospital frequent flyer Takuto falls unconscious in his hospital bed one night and wakes up as one of those “evil” rulers. Specifically, he awakens in the world of his favorite game, Eternal Nations. Now he has all his abilities from the game at his fingertips… as well as the support of his favorite character, Atou.
Despite the alignment of his nation and ally, Takuto wants to do nice things for other people. In the very first episode, he singlehandedly saves a settlement of dark elves from hunger. There’s just one problem: anyone who isn’t a direct ally sees him as a creepy shadow-being. It’s a bit of a problem when it comes to talking to anyone who isn’t Atou at the moment. But fortunately, it doesn’t stop Takuto from getting things done.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The List Is Very Long
Isekai fantasy anime Uglymug, Epicfighter seems to have a fairly straightforward concept. Protagonist Shigeru escapes into a game world, trading terrible looks for beefed-up power. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Shigeru’s Level -255 looks are actually a relatively fair trade for his god-tier stats. It’s everything else he gave up that makes things especially difficult.
For one thing, he can’t handle money without devaluing it. For another, he can’t touch a woman without being rendered extremely weak. All fair trades for cheat skills, provided he knows to keep his hands off money and ladies. But when Shigeru learns more truths about his party—and his fellow “players”—those limitations may become difficult to navigate.
Uglymug, Epicfighter is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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