The season of Winter has already come to an end, and oh what a season it was in the world of Anime.
This season, anime fans were transported into a fantasy world.
A magical world where we could get almost 40 new anime shows and up to 15 relevant sequels and boast of enjoying the lot of them on the roster.
To add to the electrifying continued shows from last season- My Hero Academia, Urusei Yatsura, The Eminence in Shadow and Blue Lock, we got several other extremely anticipated returns which actually lived up to the hype, and some even surpassed it.
Fans often ridicule and criticise how heavily sectioned the final season of Attack on Titan is, but at least we can attest to the fact that every part of this closing season has delivered incredibly.
On March 3rd, weebs were graced with an hour long continuation of the season, and that ended up being one of the best anime episodes of all time.
With the rumbling in full swing and the dark version of our beloved protagonist rages on destroying the world, former adversaries join forces to stop him.
The episode encapsulates everything that makes Attack on Titan great. High octane action, impeccable drama, and visceral narrative foreshadowing, all guided extravagantly by the able hands of studio MAPPA.
Production was transferred from Wit to MAPPA and the Farmland Arc was adapted in a remarkable manner.
The arc had an immersive story that takes a more peaceful route than the arcs of the first seasons, as it focused on Thorfinn's emotional growth after his Viking days alongside his companion- Einar.
For an already outstanding season, it still had a standout episode being the 9th episode where Thorfinn confronts his past, which showcased transcendent level of direction as well as storytelling.
This is undoubtedly the best sequel of the season.
While Blue Lock represents the hype and extremeness of its sport, Tsurune takes a more character-driven and grounded approach to its setting.
In its second season, Kyoani took the animation quality to the next level. The games where visually stunning and exhilarating, and even with new characters, the entire cast were given captivating moments as it developed more organic rivalries in its beautiful story.
Bungou Stray Dogs got its 4th season this Winter, and it once again delivered an eccentric story loaded with amazing superpowered clashes.
A sequel that aimed to tell an eccentric story and didn't exactly succeed was In/Spectre, whose second season couldn't live up to the first.
The same can be said about the second season of The Misfit of The Demon King Academy.
Tokyo Revengers also got an amazing second season as its "Christmas Showdown" arc had compelling drama driving its many intense action sequences.
Bofuri returned with it's charming cast to once again deliver extremely fun action content which has been highly entertaining so far.
The Vampire Does in No Time and By The Grace Of The Gods, while being underrated fantasy shows, both had plausible sequels this seasons as well.
The best among all fantasy sequels this season goes to the second half of Danmachi IV, which fantastically delivered nonstop high octane action and all the drama that accompanies the story's sky-high stakes.
Similar to its first season it fails in all dimensions to live up to its beloved source material, and Gokushifudou season 2 was pretty much the same.
The Fruit of Evolution season 2 and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Season 3 are pretty much sequels that should've never happened, definitely not before No Game No Life Season 2.
Aggressive Retsuko Season 5 was a fun sequel, but the show's gone on for too long to be relevant.
And finally, Itou Junji: Maniac was also nothing worth giving attention to.
The sequels this past season were impressive, But when it came to new shows, we got a literal flood of colourful and entertaining content.
An astounding number of 39 new animes aired this winter! And believe it or not, we got up to 30 that were at least enjoyable to watch.
Isn't that just magical?
It was another season where we got anticipated adaptations from popular franchises as well as a ton of sleeper hits which cover the wide variety of genres in the anime spectrum to satisfy our respective tastes.
Action was also rich this season outside the fantasy genre and there's a lot of romance as well to balance it out.
This season especially was hard to pick the right shows to follow, especially when everything looks good.
But like any other season there were a few that were clearly the best among the bunch.
So, here's a list of the most impressive shows that aired in Winter 2023.
(Fantasy, Action)
The story is exactly what the title says;
A goddess grants the heroic king- Inglis his request to be reincarnated in order to master the blade, and he gets reborn as a girl ( yup, we got a genderbender) who's part of a Noble family.
Inglis now hones his/her sword skills in order to become a master swordsman.
Although narratively, it doesn't do much more than the expected tropes.
(Fantasy, Action)
Four adventurers who were betrayed and lost faith in humanity- Nick, Tiana, Zem, and half-dragon Curran formed a party together after bonding at a chanced meeting. Despite their struggles and world views they move forward together towards their fate to one day save the world.
Well, this IS a power fantasy so if course it's packed with entertaining fights but the visual quality and overall story doesn't go too far.
(Action, Historical)
Revenger follows Raizou Kurima who seeks revenge on his former Lord alongside an eccentric group of assassins called the "Revengers".
The story is of course set in an era of Japan where opium trade was the prominent criminal venture and as Raizou encounters corrupt Japanese and European leaders on his vigilante path, he becomes more aware how broken the world is.
The political commentary is also really good, but after the premise it set, as it tries to go deeper into its conflicts, it's entertainment value depreciates significantly.
(Action, Fantasy)
Tripling down on the Power-Fantasies, once again we've got yet another show whose title literally describes its story.
Haruyoshi Kuga was the strongest exorcist in his world and that got him killed.
But not for long, as he got reincarnated in another fantasy world as Seika Lamprogue, an illegitimate son of a noble family that prides itself on magic.
Now the powerful exorcist navigates a world of magic and tries to avoid making his previous mistakes.
It's got amazing displays of magic in its exhilarating fights and its interesting characters make it that much more entertaining.
Although to title feels ChatGPT generated and the story structure seems basic, this could geniunely surprise you with how engaging it is.
(Fantasy, Magic)
Hirako Machio gets reincarnated after a tragic death into a fantasy world by a deity who took pity on him and granted the "Almighty Farming Tool" that allowed him to start a farm in this new home and have an eventful life with the tons of cute helpers that joined him.
It takes a wholesome approach as it showcases the new life of the protagonist as he forms new bonds with the many charming female characters in the series and gains new experiences.
(Fantasy, Action)
Darius who's been loyal to the Demon Army for over 30 years got fired by the new commander for his lack of magic potential.
After rescuing a human damsel in distress named Marika in the forest, she invites him to chill in her village. He accepts this offer and her village became his new home, but soon he discovers his identity as a human with great potential that could drag him back into an action filled life.
But even in a familiar story, we could learn to fall in love with the setting again, especially when the characters feel geniunely lovable and the romantic development between Darius and Marika is just so damn refreshing.
It's also got healthy doses of magical action which it delivers quite amazingly.
(Fantasy, Romance)
If you want a fantasy with a lot more romance, then this is a show you should get into.
Broadcasting club member Kobayashi drags her friend Endou into playing an otome game named Magikoi with her, and in this game she was particularly obsessed with the villainess- Lieselotte.
Things take a sudden turn when Lieselotte's crush/fiancé- Prince Siegwald heard their voices and labelled them as "gods".
Now Endou and Kobayashi use this new connection to attempt to save Lieselotte from her impending demise and develop her relationship with Seigwald.
The romantic developments both in and out of the game are developed with tremendous vigour and the antics of the characters make for great comedy content as well.
It's a fun romcom fantasy that fans who give it a try will certainly enjoy.
(Comedy, Romance)
A Romcom that certainly appealed to more anime fans this season was Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague.
Himuro- a kindhearted demi-human is troubled at the office as he emits a blizzard anytime his emotions spike in any way.
A beautiful colleague named Fuyutsuki steps up to help him with his problems and he ends up falling for her.
The more she helps him out with his work problems, the harder it becomes for Himuro to hide his feelings for her as he's literally got a storm to show for it.
But in this case, we've got a love story between two kuuderes and its amazing how enjoyable this show is.
With a relieving ambiance and a surrounding cast of charming characters, each episode feels like an ice cold lemonade to calm our nerves after all of life's stresses.
(Fantasy, Comedy)
Since we've got Lemonade, why not get a full meal to go with it.
Isekai fans are literally eating this season, and MAPPA made some room in their kitchen to cook one of the best ones this season.
This story follows salaryman- Tsuyoshi Mukouda who got accidentally summoned as a hero in a fantasy world and was deemed useless for his non-violent skill, "Online Supermarket".
Well, that ability in fact ended up being the best ever, as he could literally order food items and cooking utensils from Japan and prepare incredible delicacies.
After tasting his glorious meal, a legendary wolf- Fenrir becomes his familiar and Mukouda travels as an adventurer with unreal culinary fortitude.
Not just the food, but the processes as well are illuminated with mesmerising animation quality to make each meal prepared by Mukouda as orgasmic as possible.
The story itself is a wholesome one featuring a bunch of fun characters and amazing humor as well.
(Fantasy, Action)
In a world where fairies are ostracized and treated as slaves by humans, a young girl named Anne Halford hones her skills as a confectioner and aims to become the "Silver Sugar Master" like her deceased mother.
She soon meets and partners with a sharp-tongued fairy named Shall Fen Shall, and on the road to accomplishing her goal, she bonds with her new companion while striving for a world where humans and fairies can coexist.
This was by far one of the most surprising new shows this season.
It takes a narrative path which some would find cringe or generic and reforms it into an endearing tale of passion filled with artistically brilliant displays of confection crafting and captivating drama.
It's a genuinely sweet tale with an intoxicating romance between the main duo and exhilarating fantasy battles sprinkled in this charming story.
(Sci-fi, Action)
In a post apocalyptic world where humans were literally chased to the moon by machine lifeforms, an android from YorHa- 2B along with her partner-9S fight these invaders to take back earth.
On her missions she slowly discovers the truth behind the state of the world and becomes even more concerned about her own existence in that world.
For a show absolutely loaded with fights and futuristic machinations, the animation managed to be consistently spectacular and this made for one hell of an entertaining treat.
It presents a post apocalyptic world in such an amazing fashion.
NieR had potential to be anime of the season but with its constant postponements and waning narrative quality, the 10th spot is best for this show.
(Action, Super Power)
Finn hustles hard in order to save his orphanage from being closed down and he eventually goes to try his luck at a casino.
There he met a man who as unusually lucky due to a special card he had, and after a fight broke down with other superpowered card welders, he discovered the truth of the world.
There were 52 playing cards which grants their users called "players" special powers and a secret organisation called High Card was collecting these cards to maintain world order.
Apparently he was a player, and with his gun-summoning ability he gets recruited into High Card and now fights other players alongside his new companions.
Even while taking a familiar route with its story, it presents a cast of fun characters with exquisitely crafted abilities, and the animation quality helps elevate the experience of its many action sequences.
The animation quality isn't anything top tier, but it's sufficient enough to amaze viewers during displays of power and heated fights.
It's undoubtedly one of the most entertaining animes of this season.
(Comedy, Romance)
Highschooler Junta Shiraishi wishes to enjoy his youth, but he has the unfortunate trait of literally being invisible to everyone around him.
Well, all except the his cute seatmate Nagisa Kubo, who never fails to spot him and her taunts put him in precarious scenarios which actually make his life more eventful.
Compared to these shows however, the dynamic between the lead couple is a lot softer and watching these interesting characters form a bond with eachother makes for a rigourously refreshing experience.
It's an effortlessly charming romcom that you won't regret watching.
(Romance, Slice of Life)
Now, if you're in the mood for a more straightforward romance, this is the show for you.
Mahiru Shiina is referred to by her schoolmates as "Angel" for being beautiful and proficient in both academics and athletics.
Her next door neighbour- Amane Fujimiya lives a reserved life but he lends her an umbrella one day while she sat in the rain.
Afterwards he caught a cold and to make it up to him, she took care of him until he recovered.
But that wasn't the end, as she began visiting more frequently to help overturn his unkempt life and the two grow closer as they spend more time together.
Even though this story takes a very familiar route, it gives off it's own distinct feel.
This anime makes you feel how intoxicating vanilla romance can be, as the episodes are laced with genuinely captivating moments which showcase the main duo falling in love with eachother.
It puts the romance at the forefront of its story and made for a heartwarming experience during its single cour run.
(Fantasy, Action)
It's been a while since the last Isekai.
Well, this is actually the second best one this season.
The story focuses on Saitou who (surprise surprise) is a talented handyman, who lost his job and life in the real world on the same day after being underappreciated for years.
He of course gets transported into a fantasy world and joins a party comprising of a female knight- Raelza, the moonlight fairy- Lafanpan and an old mage named Marlock.
There he gains tons of appreciation for his handyman skills while joining his crew on dangerous quests.
With its remarkable visuals from C2C, the story offers an action packed adventure with its winning factor being it's eccentric characterization. The main cast of characters are just too fun to watch, whether they're on the battlefield or just bickering amongst themselves.
The story is also surprisingly engaging in its own way and that sets it apart from a lot of generic Isekai you'd expect it to be.
(Comedy, Slice of Life)
If you're in the market for a Cute-Girls-Doing-Cute-Things type anime from this past season, the best one was undoubtedly Studio Bind's Onimai.
It tells the story of Mahiro Oyama living that sweet degenerate life of being shut in for years and doing nothing but binge-playing erotic visual novels until his genius sister- Mihari decides to crash the party.
She creates a drug that transforms her brother completely into a girl in order to make his life more eventful, and now Mahiro has to live with his new gender while waiting for the drug to wear off.
And while I admit there are ecchi scenes in this anime, I appreciate how beautifully crafted they are by Studio Bind and how little effect they have in the story.
It mostly displays the charming dynamics of its ensemble cast with incredible comedy to accompany the cool vibes.
(Romance, Comedy)
The most anticipated romcom of winter, which ended up being the best among the bunch was none other than Tomo-Chan is a Girl.
The story follows Aizawa Tomo, a tomboy who fell in love with her childhood friend- Junichirou Kubota, but struggles to make any romantic progression with him, due to the fact that he sees her as a boy.
This means they do almost everything together but given her masculine attitude, he shrugs her romantic advances off as normal bonding between guys.
Tomo becomes dedicated to making Jun see her feminine charm and making him fall in love with her.
The show is effortlessly hilarious due to the comedic displays and dynamics of its characters.
Alongside all the craziness comes an actually compelling romantic development between the main duo as well as all the other side couples in the show.
It was everything it promised to be, and even if it's not up to the level of Kaguya Sama, it's entertainment value is really remarkable.
(Action, Comedy)
If Spy X Family left a hole in your heart, here's a show that'd fill it right up.
The story begins when a 4 year old girl named Miri wanders around Tokyo alone in search of her father.
She ends up running into a duo of hitmen named Kazuki and Rei, and almost ruins their fullproof assassination plan.
After the incident, Kazuki and Rei take her home, looking after her as parents and they strive to give her a normal life even with so much they're dealing with.
While amazing comedy does exist in this show, the real driving factor of this narrative are captivating moments of family bonding between the main trio.
This show is one that could instantly shift from heart-warming to heart-wrenching without its experience withering in quality and that's due to the amazing characters at the forefront of its story.
It's one that actually attempts to tell a compelling story on the path of each character which pulls the strings of this family and their bonds.
(Action, Sci-fi)
Apart from NieR and Tomo-chan, another show fans were hyped to see this Winter was the remake of the legendary Trigun by studio Orange.
While the reviews on this adaptation are mixed, I can assure you that Trigun Stampede was worth the hype.
Set in a futuristic world, the story follows a cheerful wanderer named "Vash The Stampede", who, despite his friendly nature had a bounty on his head due to malicious acts commited by his twin brother- Knives Millions.
Vash fends off bounty hunters and protects those around him, but things build towards an eventual clash between him and his powerful twin to save the human race.
Trigun Stampede is no doubt the most visually stunning anime this past season, with consistently fluid and transcendent animation in its fights and casual scenery.
For a show that's absolutely action-packed, the visual quality never waned, but instead effectively showcased how advanced this world is.
It's also got mesmerising scores to create the appropriate ambiance for every epic scene.
Even while the visuals and action sequences did most of the heavy lifting, there was also a compelling narrative at play here.
A layered account of how siblings with contrasting views on the world tried to change eachother in the most heartbreaking of ways.
The only thing that deprived it of the top spot on this list is its slightly rushed pacing, which was one of the things that pissed off fans of the main show.
(Fantasy, Action)
Who would've thought in a million years that a Yuri Isekai would have what it takes to be at the top spot of such a stacked season.
Well, the 2020's decade has been a miraculous decade. And while many of you might not agree with this, the anime that pulled my heart strings the most this winter and my pick for Anime of the Season is none other than Tensei Oujo.
The name makes it seem like just another average Joe fantasy show, but right from its debut episode, Tenten Kakumei makes it clear how superior it is to those expected shows.
She renounces her right to the throne; leaving it in the hands of her brother- Algard. She applied her knowledge of science she gained in the real world and made use of the magical facilities of the fantasy world to create her own study called "Magicology", which was geared to provide magic to those who lacked it like her round the world.
She dedicated her life to this cause and invented special magical weapons such as a flying broom and magic swords which she used as an adventurer and eventually earned the nickname- "The Marauder Princess" due to her talent and brutality on the battlefield.
Her admiration for the Euphilia's magic soon came to light, and they got closer as they worked together to bring an age of magical equality throughout the world.
The character motivations, the state of the world, the impact of the concept of magic and so many other deeply compelling aspects were layed out pretty early, all while eccentricly supressing the "Isekai" aspect of its story.
The show presents a stack of endearing characters with clear inspirations and reasonable roles in the story.
It's impossible not to get instantly charmed by the main character- Anis; as she gives off an energizing and positive vibe while doing the most extreme things imaginable in their world.
She feels a lot like Chisato from Lycoris Recoil in terms of her cheerful nature, but what's also to love about her is how passionate she is about making her chivalrous dreams a reality.
Euphilia and Anisphia are both compelling characters in their own right, but watching them become passionate lovers through their shared hardships was something exceptional.
Non-yuri fans may not like it, but it stands as a revolution for Yuri Isekai and its already an unforgettable entry to 2023's roster.
There are a lot of high staked fights illuminated with well-placed Sakuga.
The displays of magic feel genuinely enchanting, but the real magic comes from the emotional dialogues that accompany every personal clash in this show.
It's a show that delivers drama, romance and the spoils of heated magical battles.
Welcome to Spring 2023.
Ranking My MOST ANTICIPATED ANIMES OF SPRING 2023;
1) Demon Slayer: Swordsmith village Arc
2) Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage
3) Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World
4) Hell's Paradise
5) Oshi No Ko
6) Dr Stone: New World
7) Ancient Magus Bride Season 2
8) Tonikaku kawaii: Over The Moon For You Season 2
9) Insomniacs After School
10) Mashle
I'm sure we'll have a fun season this Spring and I'll be here once again to give you my review of it.
Be sure to leave a comment of your thoughts on the animes mentioned here, and share this link to your friends.
Have an amazing month and Spring season.
Damnnn. This was well written.
ReplyDeleteNext season seems like it's going to be even better 🔥🔥
ReplyDelete