Forum - View topicThe Best and Worst Anime of Fall 2023
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1228 |
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Of what I've watched this season, Jujutsu Kaisen S2 and the final part of Attack on Titan filled the "enjoyed the manga, so seeing scenes in color is nice" slots(I still haven't watched Pluto, but I'm sure it fits in here as well), while Scott Pilgrim Takes Off really wowed me almost every episode with the direction it took. Short and sweet little package of a series that just blew me away(and I never planned on watching it!). Might even end up as my favorite of the year.
Sorry James, while I can understand(though not always agree with) your various criticisms with this season over the last few months, this one in particular is just like....boilerplate shonen story-structure? Almost every One Piece arc is more or less "one day" of story time. We just got out of 4 years of Wano, with most of that being an evening of battles. A large portion of Season 1 and 2 of Attack on Titan is set over a couple of days. 2/3s of Shaman King's main story is less than a week. Is it a good practice? Eh, maybe not. But in JJK's case, there's definitely more valid areas of criticism than "Storyline bad because it's only an evening of time". |
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flamemasterelan
Posts: 459 |
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I feel like you're missing the point, which isn't that the arc has been going on for months and covers a small amount of time. He continues:
It's a compounding problem. You're in a zoomed in section of the story for so long that you can't see the bigger effects that will result from it, and the events that make you excited are too few and far between to really enjoy yourself during it. On top of that, they're basically playing a revolving door with shocking moments that...well...
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all-tsun-and-no-dere
ANN Reviewer
Posts: 607 |
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I chose the exact same screenshot, but since Rebecca got hers in first, I had to pick a new one |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2062 |
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I was/is another very full season. Seriously, I either need to learn how to become far more picky or be sentenced to struggle at the end of every season. Anyway, some either good or bad anime that stuck out to me:
Frieren speaks for itself, an amazing adventure that has not dipped below amazing for a single episode so far. Spy X Family season 2 is a mixed yet fun bag for me, I loved the big arc and many of the sidestories, yet 4 episodes of them in a row was a tad much. Shangr-La Frontier is pure fun, every week I tune in and leave happy while every episode feels 5 minutes long. The 100 Girlfriends is crazy over the top harem amusement. The harem feels like a family instead of a lot of girls pining for one guy and the guy in question is actually a good human being. The Faraway Paladin season 2 has me hooked, I am dying to see the conclusion and I love the world it takes place in. The Apothecary Diaries is an amazing detective show(?) that has interesting cases and a setting that is rather harsh to those living in it. Migi & Dali is amazingly creepy and unpredictable, it started as a weird comedy show with some creepy vibes and has turned into something that at times resembles nightmare fuel. The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons is pure bliss for slice of life fans, sure, the first episode had horrible subs, but the show is definitely worth a look for the smiles and tears. Hmmm, my apologies, it has turned into a list of shows that I love, it seems like I avoided the stinkers this time. I watched first episodes of series like A Girl & Her Guard Dog/Butareba and just noped out immediately. |
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residentgrigo
 Posts: 2442 Location: Germany |
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Best: Pluto Best complete 2-course length show since Bebop? Likely. Dear Mr. Maruyama. You are still the best anime producer to ever do it and produced the best animation series of 2023 after a decade-long struggle. Now please make sure that M2 won´t turn into your 3rd sweatshop/Hit IP adapation conveyor belt. The same issues MAPPA has been accused of for the last few years, and we know they are guilty, Madhouse already went through.
Runner Up: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off More adaptations (regardless of medium), it´s more of a sequel to the comic and film, need to have the balls to fly off the rails. The Metal Gear Solid 2 of anime. Frieren comes narrowly third. A very packed season! Most disappointing (and also bad): Attack on Titan S4 EP 34-35. The 2 specials are now 7 eps for all that don´t know. EP 29-35. The conclusion is bad and you should feel bad! I don´t do the worst of anything. Those are free ads. |
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mayonakama
Posts: 62 |
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Best anime? JJK Season 2 I still hold in high regard, but with all the news about how badly MAPPA higher-ups f*cked up production, my enjoyment has waned to the point where I haven’t even watched the last two episodes yet. I’ll give the title to Pluto. I don’t usually watch science fiction, but between this and Witch of Mercury (silly question, but is mecha sci-fi?), I’m really enjoying it so far! Oh, and Frieren and the Apothecary Diaries are gorgeous. Not too crazy about the characters from either series, though.
Not worst, but disappointing anime? It’s the other shonen seasonal juggernaut, Spy x Family Season 2 that takes this slot for me. Yuri and Fiona, as little as they appeared, suck all the fun out of episodes better than a vacuum ever could, and for all the focus we got on Yor during the (also highly hyped) Cruise Ship arc, for me, she stays largely a static character with little impact on the larger plot in general. Low-hanging fruit, but worst would “objectively”  have to go to A Girl and her Guard Dog. Oishi Masayoshi, you should’ve used your talents elsewhere…
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Athelia
 Posts: 160 Location: Ontario |
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Three of my favourite shows this season are Frieren, Apothecary Diaries and Shangri-La Frontier. I'm glad that they're all continuing!
Also loved Migi & Dali, Tearmoon Empire, S-Ranked Adventurer, Eminence in the Shadow, Bullbuster, Dark Gathering, Helck, Ancient Magus' Bride, Ron Kamonohashi, Naughtiness, and Spy x Family. Worst for me is probably Daigo. In itself the show is very interesting, but there is sooo much reuse. In one episode, I got past the five minute mark before it showed something new! Two shows that I think we're done a disservice by their first episodes are Butareba and The Family Circumstances of the Unusual Witch. Most of the (completely understandable) concerns raised about the first episodes have fallen off. They are still there, of course. But not as intensely as the first episodes would have indicated. In particular, I love the Phoenix in Family Circumstances. |
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residentgrigo
Posts: 2442 Location: Germany |
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Jump and Shounen action manga have a BIG problem with time not moving but it can be done: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_time_(media)
24 ain´t how you do it. 12 Angry Men is. Does it make sense to have The Shibuya Incident happen over an afternoon? Yes. Is the time well used? No. Was Gege Akutami ever a good writer? Eh. The rest of the manga is just more of this. I'm simply here for MAPPA´s animation. The first time I watched an anime just for the animation in years. S1 was Togashi light and I have a bit more fun with S2 so if I had to pick a "favorite" child, the S2 it is. Sukuna v Mahoraga is a mini Zack Snyder film. Very nice, unfinished animation be damned. Would have loved to see Gantz be adapted (and fixed up) with such care. Nobara Kugisaki was never a real character. Was she fridged? Sure. Was she ever developed or had potential? Gege doesn´t think so. I will say that nails are a decent gimmick but nothing was done with them. 
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YagamiBlackstone255
Posts: 85 |
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I gotta give Rebecca my most heartfelt thanks for choosing Otona Precure as her favorite pick. Pretty Cure gets so little love and I am always glad and grateful to see people love it.
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nl_TvdL
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I enjoyed Akuma kun, because it had it's own kind of ''vibe'', otherwise i expected more out of Apothecary Diaries, for me it's good but not great, and i expected it to be great, if that makes sense. Over the holidays i'm gonna catch up on Migi and Dali.
...and then there was A Girl & Her Guard Dog. I think that was the most horrible thing i watched all year. |
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5446 Location: Iscandar |
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I have yet to watch Pluto, but to me Frieren easily takes the top spot for Fall and perhaps the whole year.
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2153 |
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Of the two big "prestige TV anime adaptations that premiered with multiple episodes" this season, I'm a little sad The Apothecary Diaries ended up playing second fiddle to Frieren, but I guess it's understandable. Oricon charts for manga sales lately show the latter doing better too.
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L0ken
Posts: 74 |
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Regarding my favourites and most standout new shows, obviously big names like Frieren and Apothecary Diaries being well-deserved the hype;Pluto finally coming out and being good, hope Maruyama was satisfied;Overtake! for a surpsingly good show beyond racing; the one I always root for and want to succeed, DP did good job on creative Undead Unluck (you should watch and stick with it, really good shounen/battle shoujo that evolves into truly great one in the manga) and particularly the shining gem of the genre that is 100 girlfriends, my favourite execution of the true harem and love gag concept in the medium, which Bibury done surprisingly fantastic job at adapting the manga, it's studios best and most passionate work.
Not mentioning established sequels like JJK S2, Spy x Family S2, Eminence S2, Dr. Stone BnW! It was one of the most stacked seasons for me in recent years, next season is much less exciting from the first glance, hoping for the best. |
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TheSleepyMonkey
Posts: 908 |
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Oh, fudge off, Fire Force's writing is still better than the average shonen and most writers wish they had the same brand of style and creativity Ohkubo has. |
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Emerje
 Posts: 7360 Location: Maine |
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In other words, Undead Unluck is "wicked sick!" There was so much good this season that I think I'm going to try and rank the shows I watched and see where stuff lands. Keep in mind I completed all of these 25. A Returner's Magic Should Be Special - If there's a more predictable show then I've never seen it. When you've already seen one future and know who his friends are along with the OP and ED plus an OPMC you can easily guess everything that's going to happen next. 24. Berserker of Gluttony - Again, predictable and rushed through every enemy so quickly. Seemed like it would be more interesting but turned into a villain of the week show. 23. The Vexation of a Shut-In Vampire Princess - Mostly harmless, fairly fun, the most interesting bit was in the middle. Wish it spent more time with her troops, they seemed like fun but were often just chewing scenery. 22. 16-Bit Sensation: Another Layer - Had super high hopes for this one, but it really went off the rails at the end. Game making and time travel was enough of a hook, it didn't need to turn into the Matrix. 21. I'm In Love with the Villainess - If it had just ended a few episodes sooner it would have been really good, but they seemed to unfortunately run out of ideas of how to keep things interesting. 20. I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness - Just fun, not terribly interesting. Easily the most harmless and low stakes show on this list. The potential second season does look like it might change the tone a bit. 19. The Rising of the Shield Hero 3 - I honestly wonder if anyone proof read the script. I haven't read the novels or manga and I could tell things were left out or so glossed over that we actually heard what we thought we heard. Like how do you forget to tell us that a character that has been around for all 3 seasons is actually a different gender from what they've appeared, they just suddenly start using different pronouns! 18. Shy - Fun show, but the first half is a bit weak. Would have probably benefited from a longer first season, but the real meat of the show came at the end. 17. The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent - Loved season 1, but season 2 felt so slow. We sort of run out of surprises so instead they just made Sei a master of everything and suddenly she's a top chef and barista, too. Then there's the ending. I mean I get it, they spent a lot of time together, but how about an official first date first? What happened to all that talk about courtship rituals? 16. Jujutsu Kaisen - Good first few episode, entertaining second set of episodes, then it got to a point where you couldn't be excited for a character to show up because you felt like they could croak at any minute. Plus the main villain being someone else after all that setup was lame. I get that we're going to get some sort of pay off for that later, but I'm not sure I like that direction or not yet. 15. My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer - Ange's antics and Bel schooling so many people thanks to Ange's boasting never got old. I had a lot of fun with this, but it's a shame the animators couldn't really handle action scenes, they never really lived up to the hype of the onlookers. 14. The 100 Girlfriends who Really ~ Love You - Definitely believe he could have 100 girlfriends and love them all equally. This guy is the true berserker of gluttony. I can do without the vice principal and the whole kissing zombie thing didn't really need two episodes. 13. Ragna Crimson - I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, it was just barely on my radar at the start of the season. Just has the right mix of wit and humor mixed with a variety of characters, some of which definitely fall into the "love to hate" category. It just clicks. 12. Spy x Family - This season was the Yor and Anya show and I didn't mind at all! The first season was mostly Twilight doing spy stuff and sometimes Yor and Anya did stuff, too, but it was nice getting a whole arc where we got to see Yor being a real badass. 11. Helck - Never in my wildest dreams did I think this goofy, He-Man-esque show would get so damn dark! Imagine if you were watching One Punch Man and Saitama went into this prolonged flashback about how his closest friends in another city alongside everyone else were turned into monsters and he had to kill them repeatedly with his bare hands. That's Helck! We always suspected there was something dark in his past for him to lose faith in humanity, but man... 10. Rurouni Kenshin - I've been a fan since the early 00s and I didn't find the animation to at least be worse than the original so it's going to maintain a special place with me. I know not everyone can do it, but I'm fine with separating the art from the artist. I still listen to music and watch movies produced by terrible people, that doesn't mean I endorse what they've done. 09. Dr. Stone: New World - Honestly, part way into this season I was really sure I was still enjoying this show. The whole idea of a baby with a photographic memory nearly killed it for me, but instead of writing it off as a cheap plot device they really leaned into it hard, especially at the end and my feelings made a 180. I do think the first two seasons were better, but this one definitely livened things up. 08. Eminence in Shadow - I mean, when you're craving some over the top, OP shonen violence this is really the best thing out there. Shadow is both brilliant and oblivious at the same time which somehow just makes him all the cooler. Because at the end of the day, he always ends up exactly where he needs to be. 07. Shangri-La Frontier - I've always heard good things about this but didn't really know what to expect. I do have a weakness for the whole MMO genre, but this one is doing some interesting things with the whole "unique" system and NPC AI or whatever. It's almost the opposite of Bofuri; One is a girl in heavy armor and defense, the other is a naked guy with high agility. One makes a bunch of fast friends, the other is a loner. One gets a ridiculous number of game breaking abilities with ease, the other isn't even at a high enough level to use his best weapons. And then there's Emul. Emul is everything. 06. The Far Away Paladin - This show does such a good job with its high fantasy story line that you completely forget it's an isekai. This season alone has done a rather ridiculous amount of world building thanks to Rust Mountain and the new elven tribe, the whole thing with the ancient trees. And let me just say, this is how you make a boss fight feel important. We're heading into phase three of this dragon fight and they still haven't done any serious damage to it. It's come to the point where even two opposing gods are intervening, it's really a fun fight. 05. Dead Mount Death Play - I've never been disappointed by Narita's writing with both Baccano! and Durarara! and this series certainly is no different. There aren't many writers that can juggle so many different moving parts as smoothly as this. His unique blending of fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, police drama and comedy shouldn't work and always done. And here he decided make it an isekai because why not? The first season was fantastic and the second has built even further on top of that, doubly so since the otherworldly elements have really bled into this one. 04. One Piece - I mean, the Wano arc has really become something special and never boring. It has really become a phenomenon in itself which is really saying something considering we're well past the 1K episode mark. And what's really crazy is that this arc may be some 200+ episode slong, but it was set in motion back during the Punk Hazard arc some 500 episodes ago! We've come a long ways (nearly half the series!) getting Kin and Momo home and their people liberated! 03. The Ancient Magus' Bride - I'll admit, a lot of times the story loses me because there's so much to remember, but sometimes I think that's part of the fun. It doesn't really matter if you or I remember every character, every fairy, every magic rule, just as long as Chise and Elias do. As long as someone remember the right thing at the right time and animation stays beautiful I'll always think of this as a top tier show. 02. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - I almost didn't watch this. I was a ware of it, but I really wasn't sure what to expect. I guess I thought it would be like Wandering Witch or something and ultimately be a depressing show, but it actually became a lot of fun, very positive, and well thought out. It's a special show that's thoughtful even when it doesn't seem like it's trying to be. It's really all about the little things, the small moments and short conversations, but it's also sometimes about Stark taking a giant ax to a dragon or a demon. 01. Undead Unluck - I mean, I've been raving about this for a few years now. It's one of only two manga that I read regularly (the other being One Piece) and it has just never gotten old. Thankfully the anime lived way up to my expectations, maybe even exceeded them in spots. So far there's only been one episode that felt like it was unnecessarily dragged out for time, but that's not bad at all. Otherwise the show is a real blast. So far they've only really developed Andy and Fuko so I have to pretend for a moment I don't know what's coming, but the story does a great job of keeping everyone interesting even when they're currently just random people with extraordinary powers. Wicked sick! Emerje |
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