While a good chunk of the world is either metaphorically on fire or has an active arsonist on the loose, at least we’ve had a stellar year in anime. From critical darlings such as Oshi no Ko and Sousou no Frieren. To the underdogs who helped us close the year, including Uma Musume Season 3 and The Apothecary Diaries.
I even heard some chatter from trusted voices calling this the greatest year for anime since 2011. I’m not sure I would agree with that view entirely. I will say that I watched much more anime this year than I thought I would. As the year is ending (at the time of writing), I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the anime I consumed this year and what I took from them.
Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army
Starting 2023 was an unexpectedly charming series about a human in his 30s getting laid off and finding a new life for himself. At least, that’s the story on the surface. If you’re willing to dig a little deeper, you’ll find a strong story about a man having to find himself again and finding his new family in the process.
In this series, the main character, Darial, is cast out of the demon king’s army with his inability to use magic cited as the chief reason. Cast out alone in the wilderness, he eventually rescues a young woman and is brought back to her village. After meeting with the town leader, Darial finds a new life and a new family to protect.
You could argue this series was another middle-aged wish-fulfillment anime, but I argue it was much more. This series reminds us that your family is whoever you choose it to be. Who you choose to protect is your decision to make alone. Unfortunately for fans, only three volumes of the light novel have been released thus far, making me wonder how long we’ll have to wait to see a second season.
Samurai Champloo
I can’t believe I waited so long to watch this 2004 classic from Shinichiro Watanabe.
Honestly, I don’t think I can add anything to the discourse about this series that hasn’t already been said more eloquently elsewhere. I will say that I enjoyed this one from start to finish. The animation style is such an incredible breath of fresh air. I had forgotten how good animation from that era could look, and this was a wonderful reminder of that.
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story Season 2
One thing I’ve been singing the praises of over the last few years is the re-emergence of original stories. As much as I love a good manga or light novel adaptation, something is exciting about creators attempting to produce something good from scratch. That happened with the second half of the golf anime Birdie Wing.
While the first had exciting golf action, the second tied together all the loose threads. Filled with soap opera twists that included betrayal and the main characters sharing the same father, Birdie Wing kept me on the edge of my seat for its entire run. These are the kinds of twists and turns that I started watching anime for to begin with.
Eternal Boys
Yet another original story finding its way onto this list, Eternal Boys was not an Anime of the Year contender. While no one would rank this series as their number-one choice for the year, it resonated strongly in my heart. I will always have a soft spot for these middle-aged men who tried to do something new.
“Anyone, at any time, can take on something new and shine.” This quote has circulated around my head since I first watched this series. Eternal Boys may be why I’m making many positive changes in my life in 2024.
In this heartfelt musical comedy, a struggling talent agency gathers a group of middle-aged men and wants to debut them as Eternal Boys, the latest idol group on the market. Naturally, they face extreme prejudice for their age but find a way to overcome the odds.
Perfect Blue
In 2023, I had the pleasure of watching a classic by Satoshi Kon for the first time, and I did so in a movie theater with close friends.
I’m sure others more knowledgeable than me have extensively discussed this film.
As a young boy, I didn’t appreciate Kon’s works much, but my opinion has drastically changed over the years. This intense film follows a former idol’s journey into acting while being stalked by an obsessive fan. The movie was as enjoyable to discuss afterward as it was watching on the big screen.
My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer
Much like the first entry in this feature, this will not be anyone’s “Anime of the Year” candidate. But if you’re looking for a surprisingly solid story, you could do much worse than this charming little adventure story about an overly devoted daughter.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon
As of this writing, the only series I completed from the summer season was this silly little isekai I predicted we would eventually get a couple of years ago.
In this isekai, all bets are off when a vending machine otaku dies and reincarnates as a magical one in a fantasy world. Named Boxxo by the adventurer who finds him, he gets taken to a town and used regularly by the residents.
This is the pinnacle of isekai, and all others should pack their bags and go home. Reborn as a Vending Machine wins them all in terms of a sheer ludicrous plot. Somehow, it works, though, and I laughed hard at the vending machine story. I’m glad this series is getting a second season!
SPY x FAMILY Season 2
As I’ve stated before, I’m all caught up on the SPY x FAMILY manga, so I knew the cruise ship arc was coming. I also knew that most of this season would be taken up by it. Last, I was sure WIT STUDIO and Cloverworks would do a great job with the top deck fight sequence. And I was not disappointed in the slightest. While other parts of the second season waned a little due to them being one-off stories, the primary arc of the season was exactly the shot in the arm that this series needed. This is especially true after Yor spent most of the first season playing third string to Loid and Anya.
SPY x FAMILY won’t go down as my series of the year because of its storytelling flaws. But it will have an incredibly treasured place in my heart, regardless.
The Apothecary Diaries
The Apothecary Diaries, one of the most visually striking series of the year, arrived late in the fall but captured its audience anyway with a stellar premiere. This is a fantastic historical drama with twinges of comedy thrown in via the main character and Best Girl MaoMao being a little gremlin.
There are other series that will overshadow this one as soon as I see them (looking longingly at Oshi no Ko). However, this anime is in the running for the series of the year. One of the best pieces of news from 2023 is that The Apothecary Diaries will continue into 2024.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3
Closing things out, we have the little franchise that could, Uma Musume. I don’t think anyone ever expected a series about racing and singing horse girls would take off the way it has. But here we are at the close of another fantastic television season.
The theme for this season was retirement and knowing when and how to bow out gracefully once you’re past your peak. Watching our main character, Kitasan Black, figure out if she could continue racing made for touching moments. That is true for so many of us in demanding jobs. How do we know when it’s time to pack things up? Only we can make that decision, so I appreciated how hard it was for the characters in this season to make it.
Remember, folks, with 2024 starting, you’ll want to stay organized, and J-List has tons of calendars to help you out!
