2023 Anime Year in Review – A Wandering Anime Blog

Episodes: 929(a decrease by 8)

Time spent watching: 361 hours and 21 mins~(an increase by 55 hrs)

Average Score: 6.45(an increase of  0.42)

Series watched(separate seasons): 60(+15)

Movies Watched: 5(-9)

Shorts watched: 24(-104)

OVA watched: 4(-2)

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Welcome one and all to the 2023 Breakdown post! Let me start off, by thanking any and all, who take the time to read this post! Secondly, let me apologize for the fact this awards post is not only late, but will also be much simpler than last years. Due to the nature of my own schedule, I just did not have time to do justice to many categories like best ost for example. I also, decided to cut back on the graphics because of time constraints as well, so expect the awards to be very straightforward this year. I think the bulk of this post will be the ranking of every single series I watched to some capacity, and I can live with that. I’ve decided as well to remove flourishes like my current challenges and other things like that to make this whole ordeal just a smoother time to create. It’s not going to knock socks off, but I’d rather not make everyone who does want to know what I thought about certain anime wait another month while I toil away on something only a handful of you will appreciate. With that said, let’s talk about 2023!

This was easily my biggest year ever when it came to the pure amount of anime shows finished. I completed 53 series and if you split that into multiple seasons, some of them would be closer to 60+. This is wonderful news for me as for years I stagnated on making progress on anime I wanted to see, but I can see I am fully back into the medium and better than ever. This year also was a slight uptick from 2022 in terms of overall score so that means this was just a better year overall too when looking at every piece of animation I completed. This makes me hope this trend continues as 2024 begins and so on. Gotta try and stay positive right!? As for this post, it will just be awards and then the overall rankings. No other accoutrements to distract the readers or bulk this post up more than necessary. Shall we begin?

Best Film

Honorable Mentions: None

Winner: Suzume

Let me get this out of the way first, I barely watched any movies last year so this wasn’t highly contested at all. It just so happens this is the only one I saw that would actually call good. I’d go as far as to call it my favorite Shinkai film now, so it’s not just a random luck win, I genuinely like Suzume. It’s gorgeous, has a solid main character and story, and was a fun ride throughout. Its big acknowledgement of a huge part of modern Japanese history too is incredibly moving and I commend anyone who has carried on the way Suzume has had to after it. A great movie winning best of the year? It could certainly be worse!

Best Short

Honorable Mentions: None

Winner: The Story of Yugo, the little bear

I’m not telling you folks shit about this. Watch this 18 min short about a stop-motion bear and come back to me after you finish blowing your nose with tissues. It’s just that darn good. Also, shout out to Poitle for sharing this with me and hosting it on youtube so it doesn’t disappear from the world!

Best Opening Theme

Honorable Mentions:

Fumetsu no Anata e S1 ; Vinland Saga S2 OP 1 ; Link Click S2 ; My Happy Marriage

Winner: Vinland Saga S2 OP 2 – Paradox

This was the hardest category of any for me to choose not only a winner but the final 5 nominations for as well. My Happy Marriage has a solid color palette, pacing, and song that makes it tranquilly soothing. Link Click Season 2 has the most inventive op of the year with a reversed song and visuals that tie together with its plot deftly. Fumetsu no Anata e season 1 has so much information in the opening that it might seem overwhelming but as you watch the story unfold it just gets better and better with the emotional beats and structure of animation cuts. Then we have Vinland Saga. Two insanely amazing openings. We have the populous preferred River because of the insanely gorgeous vocals and flow, which for a time was my opening of the year hands down. Then I watched Paradox more and more and it hit me why I kept coming back. At first, it was just a pretty opening with a decent song, and as time went on I realized the lyrics, the pacing of the animation in flux with the song flow, and the life/death metaphors at complete contrast with each other created one of my favorite openings in recent memory. This opening is addictive to listen to, metaphorically tied to the series expertly, and just breath takingly gorgeous to behold. With that, I crown it the winner of the year for best opening.

Best Ending Theme

Honorable Mentions:

Spy x Family S2 ; 86 Part 1 ED 1 ; Vinland Saga S2 ED 1 ; Great Pretender

Winner: My Happy Marriage – Vita Philosophica

This on the other hand, I found to be a little easier to choose. I mean the contenders weren’t bad of course. We’ve got Freddie Mercury with metaphor kitties. We’ve got Vinland serenading us with a beautiful song. We’ve got Sawano doing what they do best with the 86 outros. We’ve even got the SpyFam jamming out to music together with Vaundy. But….I mean come on now. The watercolored soft visuals and pretty song combination of My Happy Marriage won me over so much that seeing this ED is why I watched the show in the first place. I was considering it, saw this and immediately started the show the next chance I got. It has stuck with me ever since and I had zero qualms handing it the title of my favorite ED of 2023.

Best Animation(Short)

Honorable Mentions: None

Winner: White Fireworks

It’s a scratchy charcoal drawing in full motion! I don’t know, I just think the style and execution are completely commendable and it wins out against anything else easily because of this. Give it a watch above!

Best Animation(Film)

Honorable Mentions: None

Winner: The Boy and the Heron

I may have plenty of critiques for the story, characters, and progression of Boy and the Heron but I won’t deny that it is one of Miyazaki’s most gorgeously animated productions he has ever worked on. From the motion of water, to the wind, to the inventive opening fire sequence, this movie never stops raising the bar at what traditional animation is capable of. It’s my favorite way to show animation, and I would be a fool not to recognize it here.

Best Animation(Series)

Honorable Mentions:

Demon Slayer ; Great Pretender ; My Happy Marriage ; My Hero Academia S5/6

Winner: Link Click

This gif alone does not capture the entire scope of what Link Click offers in the field of animation. While I enjoy the gorgeous background work(maybe it is time to make a new category!) of things like Great Pretender and My Happy Marriage, and adore the insane crisp fluid action of things like Demon Slayer and My Hero…Link Click manages to do it all. And sometimes even better. The full-body movement of some parts of this series are some of the most impressive I’ve seen in any animated series. It has the attention to detail of something that PA works or Kyoto Animation would do but the action cuts of a battle shonen or sports series. Link Click never compromises and always delivers some of the best overall animation cuts we’ve been graced with in recent memory. It’s not just the winner of the year for me but one of the most impressed I’ve been in general by something in the medium.

Best Use of CGI

Honorable Mentions:

Mushoku Tensei ; Vivy ; Kaina ; 86 Part 1

Winner: Houseki no Kuni

I mean come on…Studio Orange is literally showing the rest of the anime world how it is done and it all truly began with the staggering amount of work they put into their fancy gem people doing battle against evil foes. Say what you want about other aspects of the series, I know I could, this is probably the best-looking CG anime to exist, so I’m not going to be biased and take that away from it. This gives me hope for more CG anime in the future and I feel shows like Kaina are walking because Houseki came out the door running.

Best Action Sequence

Honorable Mentions:

Monster: Lunge v Roberto ; Demon Slayer: Entertainment District fight ; Vinland Saga S2: Thorfinn v Snake ; My Hero Academia S6: Heroes v Shigaraki

Winner: Link Click S2 – Hallway Fight

I mean come the fuck on guys! Hype shonen fights are my fucking bread and butter but the things that are gonna make me annoying and shout up and down the room are the sequences like Monster, Vinland, and the winner of this year’s award Link Click. I remember having my jaw stuck to the floor after seeing this. It took two or three hours before I truly recovered because once again this show just decided to be better at something than most series out of the damn blue. I love it, but hey shout out to the impressive work in Monster that was done considering the age of that series and limitations it no doubt had. That was definitely the biggest runner-up to this stunning piece of choreographed combat.

Best Pilot Episode

Honorable Mentions:

Binchou- Tan ; Fire Hunter ; Kaina ; Link Click

Winner: Fumetsu no Anata e S1

Is this the best pilot ever like some people claim? Not even close…..BUB, but it is easily the best of the year. Yes, there are other contenders but this wasn’t actually close because this opening act sets the stage so promptly and powerfully that it would be silly to even toss a glance at the others. Once you experience this, you are in for the ride, regardless of how bumpy it might end up being.

Best Finale Episode

Honorable Mentions:

Odd Taxi ; Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc ; Link Click S1 ; My Hero Academia S6

Winner: Monster

When considering who should win this, I was stuck with what was most powerful to me. Odd Taxi has a great surprise in the finale that changes the whole perception of the series. Demon Slayer S3 made me an emotional wreck with what might happen and then with what did actually happen. Link Click had the biggest cliffhanger of any season maybe ever and no one was okay after it happened. My Hero has a poignant end to a tumultuous saga of pain for its lead hero that lands how the writer intended it to. Yet, with all of this, ending one of the most exciting and thought-provoking series in anime history with some juicy food for thought, and all the loose ends tied up? Yeah, Monster is pretty stellar at what it does in general and the ending is no different. Truly, what is a monster really?

Biggest Surprise

Honorable Mentions:

Mushoku Tensei ; 86 Part 1 ; Link Click ; Interview with Monster Girls

Winner: Vivy

This category is all about anime I had my expectations exceeded by a far amount to what I expected and Vivy stood out the most. Especially with how the first half is fine enough but doesn’t quite land with emotional resonance like you’d want. But then if you let it, the show does all of this to set up for a multi-faceted ending that for me, nails the execution and turns an above-average show into a very good and satisfying journey. Vivy didn’t get me at first, but it did by the end and I proudly give it the award for turning a maybe into a total yes. I’m a stubborn man but I am willing to open my heart to any good argument if you have it. Slow claps to you Vivy for managing to pull that off.

Biggest Disappointment

Honorable Mentions:

Houseki no Kuni ; Kaguya-sama ; Hozuki no Reitetsu ; Jigokuraku

Winner: Fumetsu no Anata e S2

What the hell happened here? I swear ever since the arc with Gugu this series has been dazed and confused. Season 1 ends on a solid high note thankfully but Season 2 is such a mixed bag and one of the most disappointing sequels I’ve ever seen. I’ve different degrees of what disappointed me from the series in the honorable mentions but just like with the Pilot of this series, it wasn’t even close when I consider what a fall from grace the season as a whole is from the first part of the story. I can’t even believe there is more planned with how aimless and mediocre season 2 was. Here’s to hoping they can course correct and fix the mistakes they laid bare in front of us all.

Best Animal/Creature/Thing

Honorable Mentions:

Appare Ranman: Hototo ; Hozuki no Reitetsu: Shiro ; 86 Part 1: Fido ; Spy x Family S2: Bond

Winner: Iceguy/Cool Girl – Nyamero

It’s a perfect cute cat owned by a cute ass lady. Need I say more?

Best Comedy

Honorable Mentions:

Odd Taxi ; Princess Jellyfish ; Taisho Otome ; Dr. Stone S3 Part 1

Winner: Golden Kamuy S4

Once again, Golden Kamuy beats out almost every anime in existence with its comedy style and execution. Some of my favorite jokes from any anime ever are present in this season alone. From the cute birds to the drawing with the enemy to pussy monster to the fart declaration to masturbation battle…Golden Kamuy season 4 is just built different ladies and gents.

Best Romance

Honorable Mentions:

Ice Guy/Cool Girl ; My Happy Marriage ; Senryu Shojo ; Princess Jellyfish

Winner: Taisho Otome

With a collection of shows that tease the romance but don’t follow through to a winner that is a complete story of love, it’s no surprise that Taisho Otome is the winner of this award. It heals the soul, comforts the heart, and makes me happy to watch it. Easily one of the best things to watch if you need a little love in your anime journeys.

Best Drama

Honorable Mentions:

86 Part 1 ; Link Click ; Vinland Saga S2 ; My Hero Academia S6

Winner: Monster

Naoki Urasawa just hits differently, doesn’t he? There is something to be said about his ability to craft such realistic stories with harrowing stakes that feel as real as life itself. Monster is a masterclass example of this and even with things like Vinland and Link Click that are tremendously impressive in what they accomplish as well, this was a complete runaway with how skillful the narrative on display is here from a dramatic sense. Monster claims best drama in a clean cut fashion with little to no competition to be had.

Best Antagonist

Honorable Mentions:

Link Click: The Killer ; Ancient Magus Bride S2; Lizbeth Sargant ; My Hero Academia S6: Shigaraki ; Babylon: Ai Nagase

Winner: Monster – Johan Liebert

In case you were wondering, the nominees for this category are also most honorary as they don’t hold a candle to the dichotomy of Johan’s psyche on display throughout the 74 episodes of suspense and mystery Monster contains. He isn’t truly evil, or maybe he is. The anime never claims either as a true fact, because as in life itself, these terms we use to predicate such ideas are in fact just human cognition at its finest. There is no factual way to determine these things outside of our established morals and Johan himself challenges not only Tenma but the viewer to see the point of view of someone who would most often be considered insane. Controlled insanity is beyond fascinating to witness, and Johan is probably the best example in all of anime, or at least one of them.

Best Ensemble Cast

Honorable Mentions:

Demon Slayer ; Vinland Saga S2 ; My Hero Academia S5/6 ; Dr. Stone S3 Part 1

Winner: Monster

While this one could have swung a few ways, the number of character nominations and wins from Monster speaks volumes about how well the cast supports itself together. My point of interest for this category though is how people who can appear only once or twice feel as rich and layered as some of the best characters from a typical anime series in general. They match the aspects of main characters and the like just by being so meticulously created to feel like they aren’t just a one-off person but a living, breathing part of the world before us. That is storytelling and character writing at its finest ladies and gents.

Best Supporting Male Character

Honorable Mentions:

Monster: Heinrich Lunge ; My Hero Academia S5/6: Hawks ; Fumetsu no Anata e: Gugu ; Vinland Saga S2: Snake

Winner: Monster – Wolfgang Grimmer

Grimmer is in a class of his own as well. I love the fellow nominees here a lot, but Grimmer might be my favorite character in all of Monster and the entire year as a whole. He is just that charismatic and rewarding to invest time into. His full character arc from start to finish is one of the most powerful of the series and one of the only times in recent memory an anime made me cry at its conclusion. There are simply few characters that have moved me quite like he was able to do, and I’m not likely to come across someone as great very often. I’d confidently say this is a 1 in 100 series level of excellence that firmly establishes why anime/manga characters can be just as amazing as some of the finest from all of classic literature.

Best Supporting Female Character

Honorable Mentions:

Vinland Saga S2: Arnheid ; Ancient Magus Bride S2: Philomela Sargant ; Major S1: Kaoru Shigeno ; Appare Ranman: Jiang Xialian

Winner: Monster – Nina Fortner

Some interesting and lovely ladies…but yeah for the last few awards Monster has basically owned the house and let everyone is just to be nice. Nina is a great supporting character who follows a parallel journey to Tenma in her quest to end the suffering and pain caused by Johan’s actions. She is smart, fierce, and a pure vessel in a world filled with terrible terrible things. Her contrast to Johan and Tenma in specific ways does an excellent job to foil them from a thematic sense while never making her feel like a mere literary device just to move along their story paths. Nina is just as much a player in the grander story and her actions and choices make such a huge difference overall. She is a gentle soul who will do anything to right the wrongs she sees before her, and I for one can relate to the gusto she brings. Being voiced by Nanako from Persona 4 also doesn’t hurt to endear me a little further. I just want her to be happy damn it!

Best Lead Male Character

Honorable Mentions:

Monster: Kenzo Tenma ; Demon Slayer: Tanjiro Kamado ; Acca 13: Jean Otus ; Link Click: Cheng Xiaoshi

Winner: Vinland Saga S2 – Thorfinn

After almost a half dozen awards in a row, Monster is finally not the winner! Tenma is great but honestly, the running for lead male was impressively good this year and the journey season 2 Thorfinn goes through shook the anime community for a damn good reason. As someone who struggles with past burdens and aims to spread love/pacifism wherever he goes, seeing Thorfinn have a full revolution of his character is beyond amazing and emotional to witness. From a rage-filled lost soul to a man trying to build a future, whatever that may be. Thorfinn is truly inspirational on how he got back on his feet after such much strife and much of that honor is aided by indispensable people who lead him on this journey. Like all of us, he is a culmination of his experiences and the people he shared them with. Never forget how meaningful it can all be and how that can be the driving force to your own great next chapter of your own story. Cheers to you Thorfinn!

Best Lead Female Character

Honorable Mentions:

Vivy: Vivy ; Ice Guy/Cool Girl: Fuyutsuki ; Link Click: Xiao Ling ; Ancient Magus Bride S2: Chise Hatori

Winner: Taisho Otome – Yuzuki Tachibana

Yeah..as much as I like the girls above, only Chise really competed and even then Yuzu came through my November Challenge like a Spring Storm that latched onto my heart with too much warm fuzziness to deny. Like I said in my challenge post itself, she is the core of what makes that show as lovely as it is, and I can think of no character who better represents healing anime than her this year.

Waifu of the Year

Honorable Mentions:

Ice Guy/Cool Girl: Fuyutsuki ; Link Click: Xiao Ling : Monster: Nina Fortner ; Dr. Stone S3 Part 1: Kohaku

Winner: Ancient Magus Bride – Chise Hatori

Considering she is one of my trifecta of waifu, this was just an excuse to say Ancient Magus Bride season 2 had a lot of great Chise moments and I love her still. Maybe next year someone else will take this but for now, yeah….Chise is my girl.

53. Good Luck Girl 

A painful attempt at being referential and humorous. One of the most boring series I’ve seen in a long time and the series that started my literal slump for my tournament in the back-half of the year. I could blame my work schedule, depression, or something more reasonable, but you know what, I don’t want to. Fuck this show and how much enthusiasm it sucked away from my life.

52. Symphogear Season 1

Most of the things I hate about anime wrapped into a messy little package. And just like a lot of terrible things in the medium, somehow can continue to thrive with new seasons so I can just roll my eyes indefinitely at all the far more deserving things that need a follow-up rather than this hot garbage. When people talk about style over substance this is a prime example of how good their argument could be. The moment when you think to yourself, I mean it sounds dumb but certainly it isn’t that stupid right? Correct! It’s actually even more brain-dead than that.

51. Mouryou no Hako

I have this complete displeasure that courses through my veins when I have to watch animanga writers try to be “clever” in the most obtuse and esoteric storytelling possible. If you want to make me genuinely checked out for the duration over your series, an excellent way is to spend a fourth of it in a single room with a conversation filled with nonsequiturs and exposition. Brilliance is far from achieved by such pitiful attempts.

50. Nekopara

It’s catmaid bait with zero substance. Was anyone expecting more from this? I sure wasn’t and it delivered in spades. And by that I mean it does literally zero value while being completely harmless.

49. Nanatsu Iro Drops

There is definitely a crowd for straightforward mahou shoujo with no frills to help wrinkle out the story from anything but cliche. I wondered why this series had so little to offer until I discovered this is a children’s anime based off a hentai game. Something about this just doesn’t connect, I’m not sure what it would be…

48. Btooom!

Cool concept, lame execution. Death games are nothing new but always bring the ability to thrill the audience. This one just forgets the basic idea of establishing a proper human motive and action that is believable. You’d be surprised how much of a difference that makes.

47. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

You know, this is a gag series, and I know people find it funny, but it’s such a one trick pony that it lost any value it had after about 2 episodes of content. It constantly retreads itself and just never manages to be funny. I felt like I was the joke after sitting through this miserable 4 hours of my life taken from me.

46. K

Okay, so this is definitely anime. This is a 12-year-old’s fanfiction come to life and it is absurd that this exists and not season 2 of Moribito.

45. Babylon

A fall from grace. A brilliant start that just veers off like a big dumb dumb and has a mind-blowingly unsatisfying ending. This is why the whole journey matters guys, this is why.

44. Video Girl Ai

A classic? I think not folks. It has some endearing moments but it doesn’t make up for all the shlock in-between that does little to make the main coupling feel believably potent or emotional. Too much focus on other misnomer storylines and not enough on the best content. I can see why this is from the same person who did DNA Agent and they both struggle in this same way.

43. Shigurui

Overly grotesque and violent and most times without good reason. Behind all the excessive blood and sexual content there is a cool history being built between two samurai before an epic duel between them. Good thing we get to see how it pays off right? RIGHT!? 😀 😀 😀

42. Houseki no Kuni

This has probably gotta be one of the anime I’d toss in the most overrated in the past twenty years. I get the people are pretty and the animation is flipping amazing, but why am I supposed to care about unearned changes in a character that gives them every advantage to tackle their problems. They literally get better at everything even being just themselves by failing and being a fuck up who annoys everyone? Phos is a shit lead character, and the rest are boring fill-ins that I’d gladly toss in a dumpster without a second thought. Themes don’t work just by existing they take more framework and time to sell than this. Go back to the drawing board.

41. Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 1

I forget anime fans think almost everything is funny. This isn’t funny, so….I guess I’m not an anime fan!? I’ve finally beaten all of you! Okay, maybe it’s just because this is repetitive and the leads are totally worthless jackasses that I could care less about their romance that could be solved by just talking a little. When the only character who is bearable is the straightforward one, all the other problems become far more apparent. If the show could be more of the finale and less of what it actually is normally, maybe I could feel something. But being a cunt just because your family is a cunt doesn’t mean it’s okay to be a cunt, you slimy cunt.

40. Servant x Service

Diet working but unfinished.

39. Tokyo Revengers

How can this series simultaneously have amazing people like Draken, Mikey, and Baji, but follow the total dunce that is Takemitchy? The time travel rules are constantly broken, the main character is a fucking useless tool, and this series is as juicy as a starburst in contradictions. That being said I do like the Tokyo Manji stuff and would follow along a little more just for that even though the main character is the epitome of lame bitch syndrome with a dose of unreliability.

38. Binchou-Tan

A blissful and beautiful start that gets completely erased by just middling fluffy slice-of-life content. I guess it could be worse, but it ends up being more forgettable which is a sin in itself. Harmless, yet a blurry recollection of moments with no sticking power.

37. Now & Then, Here & There

A cool concept and story with a jackoff of a main lead. I mean he is just a dumb kid thrust into a world that is harsh as shit so I can’t totally blame him but still, what is up with Japanese writers and putting ordinary youth in crazy anime they can’t possibly contend with. There are good themes and ideas here when you can get past all the rape, murder, and other horrific stuff happening. If you want a happy time, maybe look elsewhere, but if you thrive on pain this might be your game.

36. Daily Life of Highschool Boys

Light random comedy stuff. I find some of it amusing and most of it just fine at best. It’s the sort of thing that I assume is ball busting for many anime viewers, but I have more standards to what makes me laugh and this just can’t cut it.

35. Kaiba

This is probably the most surreal series I’ve seen in a hot minute. I love the attempt but I’m far too mushy-brained for the high-concept ideas being cooked here. I can appreciate the odd duckling here and there, but this one I’ll just let waddle down the river to a better home.

34. Ousama Ranking:  Takarabako

This was pretty weird I must say. First, we get these in-between stories that really don’t do anything of worth but just exist to sort of entertain I guess? They were passable but certainly not a good depiction of how good Ousama is from the main series. Then you get a handful of plot essential tie-in stuff and even some after-story landmines with a new cliffhanger to the overall plot? I love some of that, but really now? How in the hell are you gonna make the story feel incomplete with a spinoff like that? See how many questions I got? It ain’t okay!

33. High Score Girl Season 1

Why doesn’t the main girl talk? I am still asking questions thanks to Takarabako and it won’t stop. This series is cute at times and frustrating at others. It’s definitely a mixed back with how it tackles the ideas of young romance and just growing up during the arcade boom of games in general. I can’t say season 1 managed to really sell me on either being truly amazing but hey it is fun enough that I will probably continue to see how it proceeds. I just wish I liked the main characters as people a little more and the main girl actually spent time talking once in a blue moon.

32. Fire Hunter Season 1

Such an interesting world and ideas at full display here. It’s a shame the story writer likes to meander a bit too much with passive characters and that the series is plagued with production issues that are too noticeable to not bring up. At its best this series is fantasy done right and at the worst a total misfire. I wonder how things will go with the second season and beyond considering how shaky everything around this series is. It’s like an earthquake waiting to happen.

31. Moriarty the Patriot

It feels weird putting this here since it isn’t a bad show in the slightest. I guess this marks the shift into anime that are at least good for the most part for me in some capacity. I think the two things holding this back are asking the audience to empathize with a morally grey person and how every mystery tends to be solved without a chance for the viewers to get it themselves. It is certainly fun but the show makes Moriarty just a blame bad guy a few times and the best part is already laid out before you which is a shame all in all. I will continue this at some point but I think if it continues as is will be a downtrending experience.

30. Kaina and the Great Snow Sea

I think this series is my diamond in the rough pick of the year. It’s a little shaky from a story aspect but the completely unique worldbuilding and great CGI have me sold to continue forth on whatever journey may hold. I hope it focuses more on the mystery of the past of the world and not the human conflicts. Humans are so last year.

29. Kokkoku

What an odd series. I don’t adore it but my respect is through the goddamn roof. It is so interesting and commits to doing a story in complete stasis for the majority of the time. That’s commendable in itself but many cool ideas are also thrust on the table and I found myself eagerly approaching each episode with more interest. I would have gladly taken a double length to the episode count to flesh out all the stuff that didn’t quite work for me overall, but since that isn’t reality I will say the cast feels undercooked and the ending is a bit of a cop-out.

28. Spy x Family Season 2

So here we are people, SpyFam S2 and for the most part this is an improvement on what Part 2 of season 1 but it still isn’t really capturing the magic the first chunk of episodes did. Loid has had no story movement, Anya is cute and fine but not that impactful and Yor….we finally got an arc with her. Did it fix her for me? Not in the slightest really. She doesn’t feel all the changed after all is said and done and I can feel her stuff being sidelined for a while before it comes up again properly which makes the impeding choice in her head not feel all that important really. She is still also just a boring character so what can you do? SpyFam I plan to stick with you, but you really just aren’t cutting it for most of your episodes. Literally, both of the best episodes featured Bond heavily with Loid. Maybe that is what we need more of, the actual best boy.

27. To Your Eternity Seasons 1 + 2

Season 1 is an experience in grief, pain, and suffering, and it is pretty fantastic at different points. Not all throughout mind you, but there is so much food for thought the series had me and my gf constantly discussing possibilities that could happen. Season 2 is one of the weirdest shifts in tone and narrative structure they could have gone with and barely ever matches what made the show as good as it can be. I am torn on future parts of this show with how poor season 2 handled pretty much everything with Fushi and his journey, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt if they can give me a modern Gugu with a skateboard and biker shorts.

26. Hozuki no Reitetsu Season 1

This is the finest example of an anime that is mildly funny the vast majority of the time. I’m sure the fact that half the humor is locked behind knowledge of Japanese history and colloquial wordplay doesn’t help as a foreign watcher. The other half though has some free enjoyable bits in a show that doesn’t wow but never overstays its welcome either. Mix in the occasional really funny comedy bit and the show is something I’ll gladly revisit in the future. A perfect show to fall right around the middle of my list.

25. Great Pretender

This series has 4 distinctive arcs, all of which have varying quality. The first is a slow build to an amazing payoff and my favorite part of the whole series. The second is enjoyable but falters just enough to not meet the previous quality. The third arc is a little too brief even though it is pretty excellent. And the final arc…what do we do with this? It covers maybe the most controversial ideas, and the execution is less than stellar with how they wrap it all up. I would say it is a massive drop-off from the rest and a really dirty taste to finish the series off on. Outside of that, the visual quality of this series is one of my favorites in a while, and it might have some of my most preferred backgrounds in any anime. It is just so pretty and varied in how it depicts different parts of the world. I just wish the main story was as consistent as the art.

24. Jigokuraku

Well, this series really goes back and forth a lot, doesn’t it? It has a superb start and then stumbles like a drunk for a few episodes with another episode or two of great mixed in til the last two episodes or so finish off strongly as well. I’m not sure the overreliance on violent imagery nor everyone outright explaining everything before they “kill” someone benefits this series all that much. When your best character is the blind guy who is only in a fraction of the content it is readily apparent the main characters need a little more time in the oven. It has great action and some fun mystery, but I feel this, Chainsaw Man, and JJK are prime examples of why people value stylish battles with horrific imagery more than actual interesting characters in hard times. There is a difference and only a handful of characters between all 3 shows are worth caring about even a little bit. Big. Small. All of it matters creators, all of it.

23. Princess Jellyfish

Princess Jellyfish is one part ultra-refreshing comedy and one part disappointing as a whole. The classic element of lack of proper communication holds this series back on many occasions with incredibly frustrating narrative beats that could be solved far quicker if they were just honest. I get it, I do, but man do I get tired of it quick. Most of my least favorite arcs in any romance series use this, and this is no different here. Because outside of that, this series is really progressive, funny, and pleasant to sit through and watch. The cast is a bundle of good times and all quirky in their own ways, and the connections they share feel meaningful. I like this series but don’t love it, but maybe the content after where the anime ends only goes up from here? If it does, count me in, because I’m all here for the goods.

22. Rurouni Kenshin(2023)

This could have been my Furuba in Kenshin form, it really could have been. They nailed the visual style, got great talent behind the cast, and are going to adapt it faithfully to the manga as they can. If only they would let the show breathe a little. So many iconic scenes go by as quick as a page in a comic, and this just doesn’t do justice to them in anime. One of the things that make anime so special is how they use a mixture of timing, music, and visuals all synchronized in harmony for top emotional effect. It’s how they make up for the filling in the gaps your imagination does during a fun read. They do it for you and are meant to sweep you off your feet. The middle part of this season actually manages to do that just fine but when I think of how they handled the Oniwanban and Finale portion of the series I feel underwhelmed and disappointed by how snappy and quick it all happens. Let me bleed in my emotions a little! This is an accurate and solid adaptation with a strong style but until the directors spend more time on big moments being better I think that is all it will amount to being.

21. Senryu Shojo

Simple. Clean. Cute. I can’t ask for much more other than I would like to see much more! It doesn’t break any massive ground or anything but what it does do, it does well. Gimmicks in anime tend to be a big miss with me, but not here, and I’d gladly watch more to see how it unfolds. I like the comedy, romantic aspects, and cast, and just like what they gave me in general. This is a perfect above average time to pass the time with.

20. The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

While it isn’t perfect this is a really cute series that does a far better job of depicting adult office romance than mediocre stuff like Wotakoi does. The main guy reminds me a lot of my own GF and the dynamic between the two is ultra adorable. It doesn’t hurt that they are both flipping gorgeous either. This isn’t a top-tier romance, but it is one that hits the right spots for me, and I would happily watch more of. Just maybe cut out his sister, kid form, and the constant introduction of convenient over special people. Just key in on the best aspects like these two getting closer and being thoughtful of each other and I’m here for it.

19. Mushoku Tensei Season 1

If only Rudy wasn’t a god damn slime ball. Why does he have to be so fucking repugnant? There is a fantasy world brimming with amazing lore and ideas and a person from our world slowly discovering them in a fantastic progression. Yet, he is a fucking horny creep. It only happens on certain occasions, but it stands out from all the other good content we have here. If he was just a normal smart kid or not an otaku with major issues, this show would go from being good to amazing. Alas, anime just doesn’t know when to keep it in the pants. Granted Rudy’s acts of deplorableness are especially gross is why the community wants to castrate him, and I can’t really blame them. I  can see the good though in the series as a whole and will continue forth, where apparently even more controversy awaits me to break my soul from hoping it matures a little.

18. Interview with Monster Girls

Well that was refreshingly adorable wasn’t it? I almost feel like it should be even higher considering how much I like it overall. It is a really solid series that covers a thematic tale of understanding differences in people. It could have been fetish bait or a harem but instead, it was just a heartwarming tale with strong relatable aspects to our real world that many of us need to carry forth when meeting people different than ourselves. Not all of the comedy landed for me, but when the series put its heart in the right place, which was often, I was enamored. This is a show that could be easy to sleep on and I would urge you to not.

17. Ancient Magus Bride Season 2

A step back from season 1 but still quite enjoyable in the end. The series shifted from a mostly episodic story with overarching ideas to a slow-burn single plot line that took up the entire narrative. I think this shift was a turn-off for a lot of people but if you took the time to actually invest in the new supporting cast and see how it all plays out, I think it was well worth the time. Seeing the human side of the magic world was quite different and still pretty interesting even if it didn’t match up to the wonder and mystery of the mystical elements from the original season. I do hope though we get a stronger focus on Chise and Elias as a whole going forward and they are sidelined a bit too much here and it takes away my favorite part of Ancient Magus as a whole when they do that. Still, when I sum it all up in my head this is still an enjoyable time, just not the same as my AOTY content I had before. More Chise please!

16. 86 Part 1

Fucking cliffhangers man…why does anime think that is an acceptable way to end a season? This series is stellar when it wants to be, and it wants to be pretty often. It doesn’t hit that stride until a few episodes in but the backhalf of Part 1 is a great anime series worth anyone’s time. The critiques on the cast dwindling and people not caring are silly if you ask me since it is meant to be impactful to the remaining cast not you, you dolt! I quite like this show overall though. It’s a little melodramatic in a few places but in general, I would throw out a really solid thumbs up for its handling of war and political scapegoating. You know when a robot knock makes you emotional they did something right.

15. My Happy Marriage

A little less action fantasy stuff dominating the last few episodes and this show could have soared higher. The first 6 or so episodes are so poignant and emotionally resonant that they are easily a high point of seasonal anime this year for many people. The second half isn’t bad either but it takes away the focus from the main couple talking and getting to know each other which would have aided greatly in making this show far better overall. I like the duo, I want to see them fall in love, so please just do that and let the other stuff be a backdrop to fluffy romance shenanigans! When this gorgeous series is on the romance train, so am I, back to the tracks I go to wait. RUN ME OVER WITH FEELS!

14. Onihei

Why don’t people talk about this?! Feethebunny, the legend, the prophet, the rabbit, takes the next two anime spots as stuff he wanted me to see and both are tremendously enjoyable. This is an episodic story of a police investigator in old-time Japan that is so creative and well-made. It has so many crafty ideas on display, and no episode is like the one before it. This is one of the better episodic series I’ve seen and it is because each story is given the same amount of love and care. Sometimes you don’t need a proper plot to be worthwhile. This series gets all the brownie points for making a fleshed-out real depiction of that era and just being passionate at showing it to audiences. It is a subdued collection of short stories, the type you would find in a novella bargain bin, and recommend to friends for years to come. So yeah…..you should give it a try if you love Japanese history and anime that are thematically rich with dense characterizations.

13. Appare Ranman

What a thrill ride….pun intended! This show is filled with colorful over the top stereotypes and ideas and just rolls with it full shift. I don’t mind either, I found this to be one of the more pure fun types of anime I’ve seen lately. It gave me good laughs, an insanely hot Chinese waifu, and lots of high-octane action to scratch my monkey brain. Monkey see, monkey happy, ladies and monkeys! You can hear more in my November Challenge wrap-up if you want, but if you like anime that don’t take themselves too seriously but still massage the ole kokoro this is what you should be watching.

12. Odd Taxi

Odd is certainly the correct choice of word to describe this. The writing is offbeat, the characters are all exaggerated animals, and the pacing is atypical as all get out. It’s also insanely funny with the sharp as a chef’s knife scripting and the reveals at the end are some of the most clever in all of anime. If I was as engaged as possible the entire show it would have probably even ranked higher. Hell, this is the one show to lose in my tournament that feels awful to do that to. It was such a close race for me, but in the end, I found myself edged out ever so slightly by the next show.

11. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

What came off as maybe a wannabe Terminator anime storyline with a cuter main character than ole Arny, became just as heartfelt as the best parts of that very world. I find Vivy hits the best and worst notes of things like Blade Runner and Terminator. It takes a while to get going and mostly lands because of the themes of self-actualization and determination are present and characters are vehicles to deliver those ideas. And like those, I think this anime does a pretty great job at the end of everything at delivering those ideas. Everything comes full circle in the end and made for a truly satisfying ending to the whole chronicle. It’s not my favorite sci-fi show out there but I think it’s a damn good one by the time those final credits are rolling.

10. Acca 13

Letsa go Charlie! This is such an off-the-wall pick for the start of my Top 10 as I can imagine this show bored a lot of folks out there. It takes a very slow-paced approach at political conversation and while I’m not normally the target audience for this, I think they nailed it here. This series is subtle and brilliant with its approach to the social commentary it brings up and it all comes behind the lens of a main character who is quiet and observant versus the average anime protagonist. This is a fine example of character writing and smart parallels to the real world shining in the anime medium without a lot of fluff or crazy bells/whistles to try and sell it. It’s pure storytelling and for me, that is one of the best ways to engage me for an entire series if you do it well. This is a hard sell to many people, but if you like anime that isn’t part of the traditional route, I’d highly encourage you to seek this one out. After this and their other story House of Five Leaves, I’m completely sold on anything else they want to tell me.

9. Dr. Stone S3 Part 1

I love Dr. Stone, this is no different than what the series was doing before, but we are more at the creamy science goodness than Stone Wars so now we are back in my truly favorite part of the series. It’s funny, smart, and inventive. It continues to make me love Inagaki-sensei and the diverse characters he creates. From yummy snacks like Kohaku to hilarious exaggeration like Ryusei, Dr. Stone is littered with fun people learning science in a stone world. I’m here for it, was here for it, and will continue to be here for it.

8. Taisho Otomo Fairy Tale

Winner of my November Challenge and the cutest romance of the year, I confidently place this in my Top 10. Go read my challenge post if you want to hear my full thoughts on why this pleasant show gave my heart a big old comfy hug!

7. Golden Kamuy Season 4

A great follow-up to one of my favorite series from the year before. It’s got some of the funniest episodes in the whole series, tons of intense action, and is beginning to set up for the finale of the whole treasure hunt. This is the penultimate act of Golden Kamuy and for me, it did everything it needed to. I can’t wait to see how the end plays out. Just give me the happy happening for Sugimoto and Asirpa and I’ll be content with almost anything else they choose to do.

6. Major Season 1

Baseball….I LOVE BASEBALL!!!!! So, when I found out there is a series that chronicles the entire life of a person and their life through the sport, you damn well better believe it has been on my bucket list for the past few years. I finally started it up, and yeah, it is pretty fricking enjoyable. It has all the charm of anime stories from that time, the drama of a good story, and the quality games of a proper sports series. It started strong and I hope it continues because if it manages to do so, it might slowly climb into my favorites if the biggest moments of Goro’s life/career land as powerfully as I would like them to do.

5. My Hero Academia Seasons 5 + 6 

Season 5 is probably my least favorite of MHA if I am being honest. It is fun still, but half of it is just showcasing the upgrades to all the young heroes in their power sets and the second half is all set up that doesn’t get a payoff. Well not immediately at least. Season 6 decided to let the entire season before setting the stage so it could be the most exciting battle shonen arc I’ve seen in years. The first 12 episodes are beyond wild and I literally couldn’t get myself to stop watching it. I binged nothing quicker in the past 5 years than season 6 of MHA because it just doesn’t quit and manages to use all 5 seasons to prepare for a massive battle that actually delivers everything you would want to see. We get character deaths, we get the entire world upended and changed forever, we get the main character shaken to his core, and we get exciting developments that make the future just as exciting as the arc itself. It’s just amazing this is what all the wait was for. Totally worth it, zero regrets, would come again, please give me more.

4. Demon Slayer 

Damn guys, Demon Slayer is pretty fucking good isn’t it? I think I get why people made it lampoon as the most popular series for a fraction of time. Or if you Kitsu like I do, you’d assume every entry is the greatest ever haha. If you want a small breakdown of my thoughts since I watched all of Demon Slayer this year for the first time it would go as following: Season 1 is great all around and sets the stage wonderfully. Mugen no Train is a ton of fun but the last portion is really abrupt in an otherwise solid entry. Entertainment District is easily the weakest part in character/storytelling with how fast it moves but the fight is probably the best so it has some of the best and worst of the series. And Swordsmith Village arc…the newest one people like to shit on? Easily the best season yet if you ask me. It moves the plot along nicely, balances the cast great, has solid-paced and interwoven back stories and the fights are creative and enjoyable. Not to mention the finale is a whirlwind of emotion I personally was not ready for. Demon Slayer as a whole is just what I love about Shonen though. A great and colorful cast with an especially strong lead character that constantly keeps the motive of the story moving forward. It has stellar action, a solid villain, and good world-building. A little less Zenitsu yelling and more screentime for those Hashira who could use more interest and I’ll be a happy guy. Ah what am I saying, I am a happy guy, Demon Slayer does good things and is one of the best modern shonen series bar none.

3. Link Click 

Just where in the fuck did this come from? Why is this better looking than 99% of anime? Why is this not rife with poor clichés and stereotypes? Why is it so amazingly captivating? This series is one of the best mystery shows I’ve had the pleasure of watching and it’s an original Chinese production. Talk about being an absolute wild card who steals the show from the usual suspects. Link Click dominates the brain as it introduces impactful storylines and emotional story beats. I simply can’t believe this exists and came out of the blue sometimes. It’s such a neat and original I.P. and easily one of the most exciting series to come out in over a decade. These cliffhangers though….come on man, you can’t be leaving every season with one of those. Week-to-week watching was tough enough, now I gotta wait for season 3 to know what that means? Consider me one of your biggest sales representatives now. If you need someone to spread the word I am your guy. Batter up!

2. Vinland Saga Season 2

What a masterclass is following up your previous arc. Every little frustration, mistake, and growing pain was all for this moment. No single anime was a more enjoyable experience for me than Vinland in terms of discussion this year. Every week, me and my girlfriend would talk at length about each episode after watching it together, and it is cemented as a favorite for both of us because of how gripping it was. Vinland lives up to the massive community reception it garnered this year if you ask me. Memes and lazy brains aside, this story of forgiveness, growth, and sacrifice is beautifully executed. The love and care put on display for this manga being adapted is laudable on so many levels. Honestly not putting this as my AOTY is simply because the best of my year was that damn good. This is a tremendous success in what it achieves and I can’t praise it enough for all it does. Vinland is worth every moniker of success it got and I simply can’t wait for season 3 to come fast enough. This is an apex predator on the anime spectrum and it is devouring everything else around it with this amount of quality.

1. Monster

Here we are ladies and gentlemen, the Anime of the Year. You know, sometimes certain anime series gain this pedigree of worth of mouth that is staggering, to say the least. There is such a mountain of praise for it, all I can wonder to myself is: But could it really be that enjoyable or good? The answer to that question, is yes, yes it can, and Monster probably even exceeds that notion to me with how expertly crafted every aspect of its narrative is. This is one of the finest written and delivered stories in the entire medium, and we are probably only going to see a handful of things ever come this close. It’s so impressive that even without me giving it the award it surprises literally no one that is here. This is as basic an elitist choice. As basic a “rating matter” anime choice could be. This series is not sneaky or coming out of nowhere. Everyone has heard stories of how amazing it is meant to be, and I am just gonna go out there and say I agree with it one hundred percent. Monster is one of my new favorites and one of the only series in the past 5 years to cross my Top 25. It gobsmacked me real good and I am for one so happy it did. Smack the shit out of this silly seal and bring his world some true goodness. This is what I want a classic anime to represent and it does it wonderfully. I’ve given it so much praise in all the mini-awards that I needn’t go on about its best qualities too much further. It’s just a damn good show that tells a story about the human condition in a better fashion than pretty much anything in all of anime. If you needed just one more glowing recommendation for it, here it is, go watch it you hoser!

And another post, and another year done! Apologies for the lateness on this post, but I just didn’t have time before year’s end to do all this. Hopefully next year this will be all out and fancy like my 2022 post, but even if I can’t I appreciate each and every one of you for reading this! Here’s to an even better 2024 and hopefully more blog posts? Welp…..with that my friends…….

See you next time, my little wanderers!