For the unfamiliar, isekai is the fantasy subgenre where a character is transported into a different world. Usually, this is just one transfer, with an everyday character being transferred to a more fantastical world. Doctor Elise isn’t just a reverse isekai– with a surgeon transported to medieval royalty– it also happens to be a double isekai– the titular doctor was initially royalty in the same country before her stint as a medical doctor. While we don’t get to see Elise’s growth as a surgeon, it’s refreshing to see an isekai anime celebrate the simple privileges of ordinary modern life, namely the medical knowledge that we take for granted, and the lack of absolute power that corrupts most characters. The ridiculously successful surgeries might be the ludicrous fantasy that drives Doctor Elise, but it’s lovely to see knowledge and power used for the common good, rather than the superiority complex common in isekaied protagonists.

Isekai is a tried-and-true subgenre and, especially in a fantasy heavy season, can feel like a tired one too. More and more recent titles have made the genre feel oversaturated, especially when it tends to depict outlandish power fantasies rather than exploring a new world. The fantasy instead in Doctor Elise doesn’t come from incredible magic, raw strength, and insane superpowers– instead, the fantasy is a second chance at being better. That being said, it does glaze over Elise’s character development. It’s sad we don’t get to see spoiled Elise have to learn to be ordinary, and it’s a wasted opportunity to prove that her character growth is genuine, but the approach is certainly unique enough to stand out from other isekai anime.