My top 10 anime for the year.
10.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
“Wow, dude, why is the best show of the year is so ridiculously low on your list?” Because I literally only watched two episodes. I loved the two episodes I watched. A lot. But I feel like I couldn’t rank it higher because of that. But those episodes did knock Yamada-Kin at Lv 999 and Oshi no Ko, two great shows off of my list. The most ridiculous part: didn’t watch Pluto yet. And I’m a Naoki Urasawa fan who has been dying for more adaptations of his series. And everyone says not only is Scott Pilgrim great, it’s a re-examination of a franchise that aged weird itself with the original cast. I promise I’ll get to them! It’s been a while fall season.
9.
Bullbuster
Bullbuster is a show that crept on me. Every seasons, there are a few shows that are not high end animation and competent but not mind blowing scripts that somehow worm their way into my hear. And that was Bullbuster this year, a show I had no expectations about. Blue collar mech animation is not a new genre (Patlabor was much that, too my memory) and this feels like a throw back to lo-fi mech storytelling but also is an interesting examination on a small company trying to survive in the world of capitalism but also be ethical. I feel like there are shows I found better in a lot of other ways and I could easily see others see this one as kind of forgettable but I really liked how the show shook out. It wasn’t the show I was most excited about, but it was one where I was surprised how invested I was in.
8.
Skip and Loafer
I like to think of myself as a viewer who tries not to align specifically with a favourite genre but I can’t deny, I can be a bit more forgiving of shounen series for being samey (especially action) and less forgiving with shoujo in that same regard. But I’m always really happy to see a really good shoujo that reminds me of what I love within the genre; characters we care about bouncing off each other, vibing not only romantically but as friends and support systems. 2023 had some good ones: My Love Story With Yamada-Kun at Lvl 999 made me afraid it was going to be a trite love story with pandering to gamers but somehow completely won me over. But Skip and Loafer… God, I love just spending time with these kids. The stakes are usually low but at the same time I am so happy with the victories they get and am completely into spending time with them. Please give this one another season!
(EDIT: I found out this series is a Seinen series! The hell?!)
7.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles
See what I mean? Skip and Loafer has few flaws. Mashle makes it a level higher and yet I put it a level higher? I’m so unfair and biased! But I have a reason. Yes, some of the leads are more annoying jerks but the real enjoyment hinges completely on the shoulders of the lead character; a guileless, stoic and maybe brainless muscleman who has a sweet heart, a sweet tooth and will not hesitate to punch the fuck out of assholes. See, yes, there are flaws but as good as Skip and Loafer is, there’s a pure hit of dopamine every time Mash Burnedead punches the shit out a smug magic fascist. I can’t wait for season two. Also, I’m given to understand there might be just two or three seasons, which makes me think it won’t wear out it’s welcome. Yay!
Oh, also, love the music. Some of these youtube videos suggest the instrumental versions. Never.
6.
Dr. Stone
In it’s first season, I felt a little guilty for not including Dr. Stone despite being so much fun. I guess I found that while I liked a lot of what it did, it lacked something emotionally (I learned my lesson, which is why Mashle is in my list). But even with those caveats, Dr. Stone’s New World arc is not only the most satisfying, the big fight is also the tensest. It reminded me of what I liked of the series writer’s previous manga Eyeshield 21, where working with the artist they managed to sell the sense of winning by the skin of your teeth for all factions. In this series, the stakes are far higher and every move the characters make when it finally happens hits me either in the feels or giving me goosebumps.
5.
The Apothecary Diaries
For whatever reason, I feel like I often either completely bounce off a lot of anime set in old timey China or am just a little checked out. This is not one of those series, the Apothecary Diaries is exactly my jam; mysteries solved with knowledge of drugs. It’s in many ways a good old-fashioned mystery series set in the imperial court. There are overarching plots and so far they are feeling very satisfying but even without them, I would get a lot of joy just hanging around with these characters and having them solving some smaller stakes mysteries. But the setting also sets up some bigger themes of characters being part of a system that hurts them and while I can’t imagine it’s going to end with out hero setting fire to imperialism or… even doing more than a mild admonishment, I do think it shows the fallout from the system. But mostly it’s about the cool mysteries.
4.
Heavenly Delusion
Heavenly Delusion or Tengoku Daimakyō is a series that was not easy to find at first but when it finally popped into Disney Plus, I was down for it early on. The series juggles it’s two timelines well, revealing a lot but also not actively pointing out “HEY, THIS THING THAT HAPPENED DIRECTLY CONNECTS TO THIS.” So it makes you feel smart for putting some of it’s puzzle pieces together. But beyond that, it’s also a really engaging and dark story. As I must, the penultimate episode is harrowing in a way I genuinely did not expect and without giving too much away from the twisty story, it really needs a content warning because I could see people finding it uniquely upsetting (and also greatly complicating trying to read into how the show is dealing with gender). Overall, the series is truly engaging and I have no idea where it will go from here but I really care about the two made leads from the post-apocalypse story and feel worried for the leads in the “this utopia is actually a dystopia” story.
3.
Spy x Family
On a much less conflicted note, it’s the feel-good action-spy sitcom. If you are looking to move the main plot along, you are shit out of luck. If you want more time with your favourite found family, then you get exactly what you want. Yes, there’s an epic four part cruise adventure but mostly it’s still all about laughs and character, getting a little more insight into the worlds of Loid, Yor, Anya and even that one bratty kid with the rich parents (who gets a surprisingly sweet little story). Frankly, there’s little I can say that I didn’t say when the show first premiered except there’s more of it and it’s still awesome.
2.
Migi & Dali
Going in, I learned some surprising things right before seeing the first episode. That it was by the creator of the delightful comedy series Haven’t You Heard, I’m Sakamoto, mostly. And that, tragically, the creator died a month before the series premiered. But what I wasn’t prepared for was a show that balances tones in a way I really haven’t seen before, mixing warped but very goofy humour with a gripping revenge plot. Seriously, the best way to describe it for me is Pinky and the Brain meets Parasite and yet that is so misleading. It’s just hard to compare. I guess, maybe it’s the non-super powered parts of Jojo when it is at it’s weirdest. But even goofier.
1. Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga’s first season was a revelation, a series from the creator of Planetes that felt like it was for the Berserk crowd but less exploitation and more political maneuvering. The first season ends with a genuine game-changing shock and the mic drop; end of prologue. Season two, however, was something I wasn’t prepared for in the best way. Most series would have “haunted former killer is called back into action, despite wanting a life of piece”. That’s not what this is. It’s a series about violence and the choice to reject it, how hard that truly is and the kind of path that is. You’d think that wouldn’t be as engaging as life-or-death battles but it’s proven to be an extremely rewarding story and where season one had the lead as one of the least likeable characters in his own series, the second had him become someone I feel for, for him to find not only redemption but for him to achieve in his path. In this world, there is no one it is OK to kill. It’s easy to say but this is a series dedicated to showing pacifism as engaging as any fight.
