<i>Isekai</i> as a Reflection of College Student Transition Theory

Abstract In the isekai genre, characters are transported to another world where they must learn new cultural norms, create new relationships, and work through the changes that come with who they are in this new world. The transition of characters in isekai from their world to a new one mirrors the transition college students experience as they move from high school to college, albeit one with less magic. As anime continues to gain high school and college‐aged fans, the narrative of how isekai characters move through their transition could be highly impactful to fans who are experiencing their own transition into the new world of higher education. By incorporating case studies and using the theoretical frameworks of Schlossberg's transition theory (1981) and marginality and mattering (1989), readers of this article can understand and explain how isekai characters can be powerful examples of role modeling positive transitional approaches and act as a guide through transitional stages for fans experiencing their transition from the world of high school to the world of higher education.