The Best of 2023 Anime: A Ranker Collection of 21 Lists

2023 was the kind of anime year that makes your watchlist feel like it’s doing cardio. Big-name sequels showed up looking expensive,
bold new originals arrived with “no skips” energy, and streaming made it possible to jump from prestige sci-fi to cozy slice-of-life
without changing your pajamas (a modern miracle).

Instead of pretending there’s one “correct” Top 10, this article is built like a Ranker-style buffet: 21 mini-lists,
each with a theme, a quick “why it matters,” and a handful of standout picks you can argue about in the comments like it’s your side hustle.
Upvote with your heart, not your homework.

How to Use This Ranker Collection

• Pick a vibe (action, romance, mystery, comfort food anime, etc.).
• Start with the “gateway” titles if you’re new, or go straight to the weird stuff if you’re brave.
• Build a “3-episode test” queueexcept when an anime is clearly built to break that rule on purpose.

List 1: Best Overall Anime of 2023

The “If you watch only a few, make them these” categorybig impact, big craftsmanship, big conversations afterward.

• Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2) blockbuster action with cinematic direction and high stakes.
• Vinland Saga (Season 2) character-first storytelling that trades noise for meaning.
• Pluto prestige sci-fi that feels like a novel you can’t put down.
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End fantasy with quiet emotional weight and gorgeous pacing.
• Oshi no Ko a show-business thriller that knows exactly where the spotlight hurts.

List 2: Best New Anime Series of 2023

Fresh starts, clean slates, and “how is this already my personality?” debuts.

• Oshi no Ko
• Heavenly Delusion
• Skip and Loafer
• My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (dark comedy with bright paint splatters)

List 3: Best Returning Seasons of 2023

Sequels that understood the assignment: bigger, sharper, or surprisingly deeper.

• Vinland Saga (Season 2)
• Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2)
• Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc
• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (continued cour)
• Spy x Family (more “found family,” more chaos)

List 4: Best Finales, Farewells, and “We’re Not Crying, You’re Crying” Moments

2023 brought major concluding chapters and emotional punctuationsometimes loud, sometimes devastatingly quiet.

• Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters the endgame finally arrived.
• Mob Psycho 100 (if you caught up around this era, it still counts as a goodbye tour in the fandom)
• Hell’s Paradise (a “survive the island” arc that leaves you wanting more)

List 5: Best Action Anime of 2023

For when you want choreography, momentum, and a fight scene that makes you rewind “just one part.”

• Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2)
• Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc
• Hell’s Paradise
• Rurouni Kenshin (2023) (a classic story with a new coat of paint)
• Undead Unluck (chaotic fun with inventive powers)

List 6: Best Fantasy Anime of 2023

Magic, myth, and worlds that feel lived-inlike they have rent and emotional baggage.

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
• Mushoku Tensei (season content in 2023)
• The Ancient Magus’ Bride (continued)
• The Eminence in Shadow (if you want power fantasy with a wink)

List 7: Best Sci-Fi Anime of 2023

Robots, futures, and existential dreadserved with impeccable lighting and theme songs.

• Pluto
• Trigun Stampede (stylish reimagining with modern bite)
• NieR:Automata Ver1.1a
• Heavenly Delusion (sci-fi mystery vibes)

List 8: Best Mystery/Thriller Anime of 2023

For the “one more episode” crowd who accidentally watches sunrise.

• Pluto
• Oshi no Ko
• The Apothecary Diaries (court intrigue + detective energy)
• Heavenly Delusion

List 9: Best Drama Anime of 2023

Emotional storytelling that doesn’t need explosions to hit hard (but sometimes brings them anyway).

• Vinland Saga (Season 2)
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
• Oshi no Ko
• My Happy Marriage

List 10: Best Comedy Anime of 2023

Because sometimes you need healing, and sometimes healing looks like absurdity with perfect timing.

• Spy x Family (the “chaos family” continues)
• Buddy Daddies (heart + comedy = dangerous combo)
• Mashle: Magic and Muscles
• The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (commitment to the bit: elite)

List 11: Best Romance Anime of 2023

From sweet to spicy (emotionally), with enough longing looks to power a small city.

• My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
• My Happy Marriage
• The Dangers in My Heart
• Insomniacs After School

List 12: Best Slice-of-Life & Comfort Anime of 2023

Low stakes, high charmthe category that quietly fixes your whole week.

• Skip and Loafer
• Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill
• The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
• My New Boss Is Goofy

List 13: Best “Underrated but Addictive” Picks of 2023

Shows that didn’t dominate every timeline, but made their fans extremely loud (as they should).

• Tsurune: The Linking Shot (sports + craft + calm intensity)
• Undead Girl Murder Farce (mystery with flair)
• Dark Gathering (spooky energy without being graphic)
• Dead Mount Death Play (genre mash-up chaos)

List 14: Best Anime Based on Manga of 2023

Adaptations that made readers say, “Okay… they cooked.”

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
• Oshi no Ko
• Hell’s Paradise
• Pluto (based on Naoki Urasawa’s work)

List 15: Best Anime Based on Games of 2023

When game worlds make the jump to anime, the best versions keep the vibe and upgrade the storytelling.

• NieR:Automata Ver1.1a
• Pokémon (2023 era) (good luck escaping this cultural force)

List 16: Best “Gateway Anime” from 2023

Friendly entry points for new viewersor for friends who swear they “don’t watch anime” (until they do).

• Skip and Loafer
• Oshi no Ko
• Pluto
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

List 17: Best Anime to Binge in One Weekend

Shorter commitments, maximum payoff. The “I’ll start one episode” trap, but in a good way.

• Pluto
• Buddy Daddies
• Oshi no Ko (season-length binge that hits fast)
• Zom 100 (when you want color, comedy, and momentum)

List 18: Best Streaming-Era Anime Moments of 2023

2023 wasn’t just good animeit was good watching. Big drops, weekly debates, spoiler dodging like it’s a sport.

• Weekly “What did I just see?” discussions around major arcs and finales.
• Prestige releases that felt like event TV (hello, “binge temptation”).
• Opening themes that took over playlists and social feeds.

List 19: Best Anime Movies to Watch After Your 2023 Series Marathon

When you finish a season and need something big, cinematic, and emotionally satisfying.

• Suzume (North American theatrical run / streaming era conversations carried into 2023)
• Classic comfort picks (Studio Ghibli nights are a lifestyle)
• Franchise films that pair well with ongoing series (choose your fandom wisely)

List 20: Best Animation, Art Direction, and “Pause the Frame” Craft of 2023

Not every great anime is about plotsometimes it’s about how a scene breathes, moves, and lands.

• Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2) cinematic staging and memorable action language.
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End calm, painterly fantasy atmosphere.
• Trigun Stampede bold visual choices that feel modern and confident.
• Pluto grounded sci-fi visuals that support the story’s weight.

List 21: Best “If You Loved This, Watch That” Pairings

Because the best way to finish a great show is to immediately start another one that scratches the same itch.

• If you loved Vinland Saga S2 → try other character-driven dramas and historical epics.
• If you loved Jujutsu Kaisen S2 → try action series with smart power systems and high-intensity direction.
• If you loved Pluto → try sci-fi mysteries with moral questions and slow-burn tension.
• If you loved Frieren → try fantasy that prioritizes mood, reflection, and relationships.
• If you loved Oshi no Ko → try thrillers about fame, performance, and hidden motives.

So… What Made 2023 Anime Feel So Big?

Part of it was variety: you could get peak action, warm-hearted comedy, prestige sci-fi, and quiet fantasy all in the same year.
Part of it was timing: major franchises hit big arcs while new shows arrived fully formed, ready to compete.
And part of it was simply how anime is watched nowweekly community reactions, instant discourse, and streaming access that turns
“I’ll try one episode” into “It’s 2 a.m. and I’m emotionally attached to everyone.”

If you’re building your own “Best of 2023” rankings, don’t stress about consensus. The fun is the debate:
Is your #1 the show that’s objectively crafted like a masterpiece… or the one that made you yell loudest at the screen?
(Correct answer: yes.)

Fan Experiences: What It Felt Like Living Through 2023’s Anime Year

If you watched anime in 2023, you probably remember the oddly specific emotional rollercoaster of “weekly hype + group chat chaos + spoiler anxiety.”
It’s the year where a lot of fans realized they weren’t just watching showsthey were participating in a pop-culture rhythm. Mondays weren’t Mondays anymore;
they were “catch-up days.” Fridays weren’t just the end of the week; they were “drop day.” And Sundays were for quietly negotiating with yourself:
Should I start a new series tonight… or do I want to be functional tomorrow?

The shared experience was half the magic. Some series turned into communal appointments where everyone raced to watch before social media “accidentally”
served spoilers like appetizers. You’d see posts that started with “NO SPOILERS BUT…” which is basically the internet’s version of saying “I’m about to spoil it,
but I feel guilty.” Meanwhile, comment sections became mini town halls: people comparing animation cuts, analyzing character decisions, and debating whether an
episode was “slow” or “beautifully paced” (a conflict that has ended friendships and at least one family group chat).

2023 also felt like a year of genre mood-swingsin the best way. You could go from a high-intensity action episode to a soft slice-of-life
show that re-taught you how to breathe. Plenty of fans built “emotional playlists” for anime: one show for adrenaline, one show for comfort, one show for
thinking too hard at night. The vibe was basically: therapy, but with opening themes.

Then there was the joy of discovery: the moment you try a series on a whim and it instantly becomes “your show.” It might not be the loudest title in the room,
but it’s the one you recommend with suspicious intensity. You start sentences with “Trust me,” and end them with “Just watch three episodes,” as if you’re
recruiting for a very stylish, very wholesome cult. That’s what an underrated gem does: it gives you something personal to champion.

And of course, 2023 had the special satisfaction of watching “serious” anime conversations go mainstream. Friends who used to say “I don’t watch anime”
suddenly had extremely specific opinions about a season’s pacing, a character arc, or an ending theme. People started treating anime the way they treat prestige TV:
comparing directors, noting animation styles, discussing adaptation choices. It wasn’t about proving anime is “good” (it already was). It was about watching more
people finally act like it.

If you’re revisiting 2023 now, you get a bonus: you can curate the experience. You can binge, sample, or build a personal “Ranker list” that fits your tastes.
And if you’re doing it with friends, even betterbecause the true peak of anime fandom is still the same: laughing at the memes, debating the rankings,
and texting someone “ARE YOU OKAY?” after an episode that absolutely wasn’t playing fair.

Conclusion

“Best of 2023 anime” doesn’t have to be one rigid rankingit can be a set of lists that match how people actually watch: by mood, genre, and obsession level.
Use these 21 Ranker-style lists to build your queue, settle debates (or start new ones), and make peace with the fact that your watchlist will always be longer
than your free time. That’s not a problem. That’s the hobby.