With all the anime that came out in 2023, it’s hard to determine a person’s top ten list; nonetheless, there’s a clear top five in my opinion. A lot of people have different tastes when it comes to anime, but I highly recommend giving these five a go.
5. Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 2
The second season of Jujutsu Kaisen being this low on anybody’s list may come as a surprise to many. It was the best anime of the year, according to ICSA students.
It also recently won Anime of the Year, best character design, cinematography, action anime, opening sequence, and ending sequence in this year’s Anime Awards.
Stunning visuals, a plot that captures the heart of the people, and a great opening sequence are just a few lines used to describe the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen.
In this anime, we see a group of gifted people fight to protect nongifted humans from themselves. This is because, in the show, humans give off uncontrollable negative energy that ends up becoming monsters.
The anime was very exciting and satisfying to watch. Mappa Studios really outdid themselves with the animation, so much that I can’t even put into words how good it was. It included non-stop and eye-catching action scenes that would keep anyone on their feet.
Watching this masterpiece really left me heartbroken as I witnessed multiple of my favorite characters come to an end. It also taught me not to get too attached to fictional characters.
4. One Piece
2023 was a big year for One Piece as fans witnessed the Wano arc come to an end after four years and four months of airing. Wano was absolutely stunning to watch, and the story of Wano itself was what got people hooked.
Saying the visuals were amazing would be an understatement. As a manga reader, you look forward to seeing critical moments in the story getting animated, it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. You’ll have to watch it yourself to see what I’m talking about.
Toei Animation created a masterpiece, and the animation is so good it even set a world record for having 39 impact frames in 2 seconds. It also won the award for best-continuing anime.
The main reason it’s above Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 is because I am amazed by the fact that after 25 years, the author Eiichiro Oda has still been able to feed us heartfelt stories. One Piece is that anime that just doesn’t miss.
3. Demon Slayer, Season 3
Out of all the anime on this list, this is the most likely to make someone cry. Watching this season made me tap into emotions I didn’t even know I could feel.
The thing that made watching this anime even better was that it had been hyped up for a while. I also couldn’t wait to see what ufotable cooked up considering the fact that the past two seasons and the movie had incredible animation.
It is no surprise that it won the award for best animation and best fantasy anime. This season also had a compelling soundtrack, which is often overlooked in anime. I could listen to just the audio of the anime and still enjoy it.
Seeing a boy my age go around fighting to protect and save his sister really speaks to me as a brother. That narrative is what makes me so emotionally connected to the anime, and that’s also why it is third on my list.
2. Attack on Titan, The Final Season
Attack on Titan is one of the most inspirational and downright disrespectful anime to debut in modern day. It was also one of the first anime I started watching and it changed my perspective in many ways.
This anime had multiple ups and downs, and sometimes it just left me absolutely speechless. It makes sense that it won the award for best drama anime. The main character of this anime, Eren Yeager, is also one of my favorites.
As a kid, I used to look up to Eren. Watching all the things he went through made me feel sorry for him. It also made me agree with the not so morally good things that he did. There are a lot of those in the final season of the anime.
Attack on Titan has the best action scenes out of all the anime on this list by far. The animation studios for this have changed but one thing that hasn’t is how beautiful it is to watch titans fight each other.
The anime had a perfect ending with a one-hour special episode. It was great to see some of my favorite characters’ dreams come true and to shed tears for the characters who made a sacrifice for the greater good of humanity.
1. Bleach Thousand Year Blood War
This new season of Bleach has that legendary “P” word; PEAK. It is nothing short of peak fiction. It is the most thrilling and exciting piece of animation I have witnessed in a while.
The first part of the anime finished airing in 2012, I was not even 3 years old then. Some people have had to wait over a decade for the next part to get animated. I’m glad to say it was worth the wait.
Pierrot is an extremely underrated animation company. The work they did with this new season is spectacular. An anime’s soundtrack is often overlooked but I did not fail to notice the beautiful sounds I hear while watching this anime.
The fans got introduced to numerous unique characters. Along with a new race of people that was believed to be extinct. This new season changed my perspective of what I believe to be possible and impossible.
The fact that the main character Ichigo Kurosaki keeps overcoming adversity after adversity is one of the main reasons why it is number 1 to me. I am eager to see how he continues to battle through his enemies for the sake of his loved ones.
