Fall 2023 is a whopper. At least in terms of sheer volume. There are a ton of series in the hopper here, but to my tastes it’s not remotely in the same ballpark as Spring was. I’ve got a fair number os shows still fighting for places, but most of them them fall broadly in the middle of the pack this time. I’m not sure there’s a Fall premiere (edit: Pluto looks like a lock) that’s going to make the year-end Top 10 list (though that’s going to be a tougher-than-usual one to crack). Only Pluto made the “Elite” category, and Sousou no Frieren was right on the trailing edge of “Outstanding” (but with nothing else in there, I gave the tie to the runner).
That’s more or less what I would have predicted going into the season. And frankly at this point I know the game well enough that my assessment going in on how I’ll rank a season is rarely off by too much. I would say that the “high value” mid-tier shows – the sleepers and the ones with a lot of apparent potential – have mostly held their own. That’s a positive. So is the fact that the season’s clear #2, Frieren, hasn’t disappointed even if I’m not certain whether it has real greatness in it. It’s also not eligible for the 2023 list, of course.
It should also be pointed out that as I began writing this, two of the season’s top dogs, Pluto and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, had not yet premiered. Kusuriya had a triple premiere and Pluto a Netflix dump, but for me it’s still early days with both. How those two shows pan out is going to have a lot to say about how Fall 2023 fares as a whole.
The Patron Pick ballot was relatively strong at least, a by-product of the sheer number of bubble series this season brings to the table.
Onward, then, to Fall 2023:
The Elite
Pluto
Episodes Watched: 2
Grade: A+
Comments: I don’t need to say much here, do I? Pluto is great – potentially historically great. We knew the source material was, the only question was whether the adaptation was going to be up to the standard required to make it a masterpiece. After two episodes (I don’t like binge watching, want to make this last, and don’t have time to binge anyway) I feel pretty confident we’re in serious AotY contender territory at the very least. Pluto has at least four of five things going for it that by themselves would make it a great show – pool them all together and you’re talking about something truly special.
Outstanding
Sousou no Frieren
Episodes Watched: 7
Grade: B+
Comments: I want to love Frieren at the Funeral, but I’m just not quite there yet. It’s a show of subtle charms, without many characters who immediately grab me, but it does grow on you. I think there are some really interesting ideas being bandied about here, and the tone of the series is often very interesting. The standout element so far is actually Evan Call’s soundtrack, which adds tremendously to the atmosphere that’s so crucial to Sousou no Frieren’s success. It’s a very good show, and I still see it as a series with upside potential.
Very Good
Overtake!
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B+
Comments: I see a very similar dynamic with this season’s auto racing anime to the Ao Aoshi-Blue Lock one. To wit, one show for people who love sports and one for people who don’t. MF Ghost will wind up being the more popular series I suspect, but as someone who loves both sports and sports anime Overtake! is the one for me. It’s damn good – Troyca is pulling out all the stops production-wise, and a terrific staff led by Aoki Ei is delivering a polished and distinctive production.
Migi to Dari
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: Migi to Dari is a fascinating oddity, as you’d expect from the author of Sakamoto Desu ga?. I like this series better, actually – it’s a study in contrasts. A middle-America setting in Kobe, darkness and slapstick, innocence and sinister intent. It’s deeper than meets the eye, and expertly straddles the dividing lines between its different personalities. The arrow is pointing upwards here for sure.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: A late entry to the mix, but at least we got three episodes at once so we’re basically caught up. I quite liked The Apothecary Diaries’ extended premiere, though there were certain elements that didn’t click for me. Jinshi wasn’t an especially winning male lead, the art style struck me as a bit mismatched for the setting, and the barrage of chili-distorted character shots (yes, I know they’re in the manga too) seemed very out of place. But Maomao was great (and Aoi Yuuki too), and the mysteries themselves were interesting enough. A high floor here I think, if not the highest ceiling.
Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai.
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: This series is a reminder of why anime needs more shoujo (which usually seems to wind up as live-action when it gets adapted these days). The hit rate with shoujo is no better than shounen, but the tolerance for honest emotion is a lot higher. With a family drama like this that means a lot, and this story of four brothers coping after their parents’ death has a lot of authenticity to it. Refreshingly unconventional for anime in a totally different way than Migi to Dari.
Worthwhile
Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: I do enjoy a good workplace comedy, and Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen has a lot of charm. It reminds me of Cool Douji Danshi in some ways, though if anything it plays up the shounen-ai elements even harder. The series is indisputably driven by comedy and warmth, but in its subtle way it quite expertly captures the trauma of working in a black company for a terrible boss – not a problem unique to Japan, but one it all often turns a blind eye to.
Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B-
Comments: Obviously in a perfect world I’d much rather have the parent series than this spinoff manga. And hopefully we will soon enough, but After School Hanako-kun certainly makes a pleasant diversion to tide us over. It’s not completely carefree – Jibaku Shounen’s dark side shows through even here – but this is mostly for the laughs.
Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: This season is fine for what it is, but the experience is just not the same for me. There are just enough flashes of the magic and class that Mahoutsukai at its best can bring to keep you hooked in, hoping for more of them. The school arc is pretty good in the big picture, but against this series’ own standards it’s pretty mediocre.
Spy x Family Season 2
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: These episodes perfectly illustrate the Spy x Family anime experience. One (one and a half, really) mildly pleasant and totally forgettable, another (“Damian’s Field Research Trip”) a glimpse of what SxF is capable of when it’s fully engaged, and an almost unwatchable Yuri episode that tries to humanize the Stasi. Expect more of the same from the rest of the season, though we do have its first extended arc beginning with Episode 5.
Good Night World
Episodes Watched: 5
Grade: B-
Comments: Good Night World has been thoroughly lost in the Netflix dump landfill, completely ignored my most Western anime fans. I’ve managed to watch five episodes and I must say I quite like this story of a dysfunctional family interacting in a MMORPG without realizing who the others are (the cast is especially great).
Still Watching
Bokura no Ameiro Protocol
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: It would be hard to find a a TV anime with an English stream that gets less attention than Bokura no Ameiro Protocol. But I gotta say, I quite like it. There are a few cliche moments to be sure, but this story of a bunch of gamers trying to save a bankrupt net cafe by winning an esports tournament has a real sense of fun to it. “Cheeky” would be a good word to describe it, and that’s a quality I often rather like.
Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku-hen
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: C+
Comments: I’m right on the edge with TMR, at least as far as coverage is concerned. I really liked episode 2 and 4 but I find myself prioritizing other shows over it, and the whole “Groundhog Day” aspect of the experience has worn me down. I don’t think the show has gotten any worse – it’s just that it stays the same, and that’s part of the problem.
MF Ghost
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: C+
Comments: It’s rare that character designs throw me enough to really derail my engagement with a series, and I know this all goes back to Initial D, but I can’t stand them with MF Ghost. The old-school casual sexism is pretty heavy too. But the racing stuff is decent, and there is a modest charm to the goofiness of the character interactions.
Shangri-La Frontier
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: C+
Comments: I’m not enough of a gamer to be in the target audience for Shangri-La Frontier, but I find it sort of fun. The visuals are surprisingly good and the depiction of the in-game experience is nicely done. I’m not crazy about the protagonist and none of the other characters has made much of an impression (though Ohtsuka Akio as the yaakuza bunny has possibilities) but characters aren’t really the point here.
Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C
Comments: 100 Girlfriends is probably the most vexing show of the season. So many people seem to like it but it just doesn’t click with me. The humor seems mostly crass and stupid and while I’m aware it’s intentionally recalling old school harem romcom anime, by gosh is the sexism overpowering. Humor is funny that way, it either works for you or it doesn’t.
16bit Sensation: Another Layer
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C
Comments: 16bit sensation is a time travel anime that feels like a time travel experience. Full credit to it for conveying that vibe effectively but on balance, while I find the nostalgia interesting, the heroine is annoying as hell and the overall appeal is pretty limited.
Dropped:
Megumi Daigo, Undead Unluck, Ragna Crimson, Kamierabi, Kawagoe Boys Sing
Here, then, is this season’s blogging prospectus:
Monday:
Definitely Blogging: Migi to Dari
Tuesday:
Definitely Bloogging: Helck
Wednesday:
On the Bubble: Tokyo Revengers Tenjiku-hen
Thursday:
Definitely Blogging: Ruroini Kenshin 2023, Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun
Probably Blogging: Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai.
Friday:
Definitely Blogging: Sousou no Frieren, Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2
Saturday:
Definitely Blogging: Spy x Family Season 2, Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen
Probably Blogging: Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
Sunday:
Definitely Blogging: Overtake!
On the Respirator: Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo
Covering as viewed: Pluto
Manga: Otoyomegatari, Hunter X Hunter (hiatus)
Watching For Now: Bokura no Ameiro Protocol, Good Night World, 16bit Sensation: Another Layer, Shangri-La Frontier, MF Ghost
One more thing before I wrap. Sincere thanks to everyone who’s stepped up to support LiA during our fall pledge drive! I had to stretch the dates a bit, but we just about hit the goal – thank you! The need for support is as dire as ever – links are in the sidebar as always if you want to help out. The “LiA Bespoke” commissions program is officially open and has proved to be a great addition to LiA, so please check it out.
Please check out the LiA YouTube channel for manga recommendations, from the vault anime, Japan journeys and more!
L0ken
October 30, 2023 at 8:45 pmFor me Fall season is definitely strongest in the entire year, toping even Spring that had a 6-7 quite stand out shows (some were particularly great like Heavenly Delusions). I guess Fall wins for me simply by sheer variety and the amount of high-profile works. It has plenty of series I was curious for a while and a few adaptation I’m avid source readers, and that not counting sequels which is separate deal. Since there is so many new series, I just highlight my High-Priority shows that I’m most excited to watch each week. Particularly:
1)Pluto is thankfully turned out to be great. Like, nothing much to say, go experience it. Though I have my small complaints regarding some “Urusawism”, personal quips about explorations of some ideas and characters, and yeah, some digital effects clearly aren’t the best. I’m just glad it finally exist, too bad Pluto seems to flying under the radar of mainstream audience due to Netflix specific distribution model.
2) Frieren is surprisingly delivering despite me being somewhat skeptical about it, I already clicked with the characters and tone of the story and it doesn’t seem to be pretensious. Although I’m not exactly over the moon of it, I can see it happening or it just stays a very good series.
3) I was seeing bits and pieces from Kusuriya before, reading some manga pages and LN passages and was already liking what I’ve seen, so no surprise MaoMao series comfortably clicks with me, I actually find cartoonish faces quite charming and Jinshi while not the most compelling, from later passages seems more interesting. I’m thoroughly enjoying it and will continue to follow MaoMao medical mysteries
Now two series that I deeply love and up to date with source material, their anime adaptations not only delivered, but exceeded my expectations, despite me knowing UU and 100gf early section aren’t particularly strongest :
David Production fully recognized Undead Unluck potential ( learned some call it “battle shoujo” series, kinda see it), giving it a right treatment and stylish Shafty-approach. While early section is the weakest, I like it way more animated and episodes 2, 3 and especially 4 were just joy to watch knowing full story, glad that they pulled off first serious moment in the end of ep 4, surprisingly quite emotional. Now that true plot starting to unveil itself from ep 5, I expect more people to be intrigued by the scope of the story and unusual world-building. If only it wasn’t distributed by Hulu, right now it’s unknow when Disney + releases it, series keep stuck being legally available only in USA and Japan, major blunder. Naturally expected that Enzo won’t stick with it beyond 1st episode, too bad, I was the same until eventually giving it another try.
On the 2nd note, Bibury animation surprised me even more with sheer passion and effort towards 100 girlfriends adaptation, anime looks and feels more high-profile compared to it’s harem peers, elevating very early content which is full of good moments and character building. Still it is before series completely hits it’s stride when there is enough girlfriends, bonds are formed and Rentarou exhibiting more and more love monster energy.
Episodes 3 and 4 shows they know how to adapt more serious dramatic moments and sweet romantic aspect, building first blocks of internal gf relationship and Rentarou’s care for them. Just seeing lovers properly communicating about issues in relationship and doing casual kissing that you normally don’t get in romcoms is very refreshing to me.
Regarding clicking with jokes, I like seeing enormous amount of the most different and wild combination of tropes ramped to 11 and left to endlessly interact with each other, so I naturally vibed with the humor from the start. While I kinda see how it may come as sexist to you, the 100gf as a whole is probably one of the least sexist harem and romcom in the medium, in fact it’s very respectful to females, and I keep finding more non-male audience picking it up now through anime discovery, especially being drawn by seeing pages from later content of this very ridiculous , but genuine polyrelationship. Doubt 100 kanojo will ever fully click with Enzo due to humor and being unhinged by design, including stuff he might find offensive, but seems like episodes 3 and 4 should be tolerable to him.
Rest of the shows while overall solid and good, series like Overtake!, Shangri-La, Migi to Dari, Tearmoon, it’s on lower priority due to not resonating too much with them, it’s a good time but it not doing enough to me to be actively. Found Ameiro Protocol really dull and unengaging, so not for me. Haven’t tried some other series like 16th Bits and Ragna Crimson is on hold because I recently found manga to be actually pretty good and interesting, anime adaptation from Silver Link just aren’t up to the task for doing source material justice, it’s fine and maybe even good, but I wish more high-profile staff had taken on this project. Eventually will check the anime fully, but I content with being manga reader now.
Really pleased with Fall season so far, most of my AOTY contenders will come from it and Spring.
Panino Manino
October 30, 2023 at 11:07 pmAbout Pluto, is good, but should be better.
Its a very safe and timid adaptation. For the length of time this was I’m production the end result should be better than this, in animation and story.
My conclusion was the same as when I read the manga. Swap episodes 7 and 6 and delete episode 8.
Monymous
October 31, 2023 at 2:48 amMy top 5 of the season (so far):
Pluto – My dream would be this is a big enough hit that 20th Century Boys gets an anime adaptation.
JJK Shibuya Incident – I thought the first season was unremarkable, but the direction, animation, and atmosphere for this arc is at another level.
Helck – Building momentum episode to episode.
Shangri-La – My surprise of the season so far.
RRK 2023 – Hope they make it all the way through the manga.
Guardian Enzo
October 31, 2023 at 7:01 amOn RK, you and me both!
Raikou
October 31, 2023 at 11:06 amI just watched Pluto, and I must say Maruyama Masao did his best to make this project a reality.
Makes me think if we can get other Urasawa works to be adapted to anime, like 20th Century Boys, Billy Bat, Asadora or Mujirushi.
Guardian Enzo
October 31, 2023 at 11:15 amThe more the merrier, though it probably all comes down to whether Pluto makes money. How are the streaming numbers? Did the merch tie-ins sell at all? Any bump in manga sales either for Tezuka or Urusawa’s version? Those are the variables that producers will notice.
Simone
November 1, 2023 at 9:59 pmI can understand thinking 100 GF is not funny (the humour is not exactly high brow most of the time), but how precisely is it sexist?
Guardian Enzo
November 1, 2023 at 10:19 pmI frankly can’t even grasp the question. Like, literally I can’t answer it because I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be rebutting.
Simone
November 2, 2023 at 12:51 amI mean, in what sense is it sexist? The premise is what it is as a form of lampooning the harem genre. The characters are various degrees of wacky and caricatural, but that includes the MC. For the (comedic) standards of the story, they still are all able of agency, expressing their own personality, and generally being actual characters rather than just plot devices. I genuinely don’t see where the sexism is supposed to be specifically – unless you mean how something like “boy has 100 girlfriends” would play in real life, but this show’s relation with realism of any kind is not just tenuous, it’s downright non existent.
Guardian Enzo
November 2, 2023 at 6:28 amAgree to disagree.
sonicsenryaku
November 2, 2023 at 8:26 amAwww; I was genuinely interested in what you found sexist about the 100 girlfriends show. Is there something about the way it handles its ridiculous premise that rubs you the wrong way? Is it the focus on harem female archetypes that makes the show sexist? Is it the “fantasy” of one dude trying to legitimize corralling 100 girlfriends the problem? Does that give off the impression of a show that’s treating the women as collectables the main character has to “manage?” In good faith, I would have liked to hear your answer to the question; but it’s a conversation you’d rather not get into, I understand that as well
Guardian Enzo
November 2, 2023 at 8:51 amLook, I really hesitate to go down this rabbit hole because when there’s no common ground to be found, I’ve gotten to the point where I can spot that.
All I’ll say is this. – the mere idea that a guy should have multiple girlfriends and they should all be fine with it is incredibly sexist on the face of it (to me, at least). I keep hearing “satire” but I don’t see much in the first three eps that indicates that this is actual satire. More, I think it’s just having fun with the tropes – spoof is not the same as satire. But hey, that’s me – maybe, as you say, it just rubs me the wrong way.
Simone
November 2, 2023 at 11:11 pmI think the problem is that you are reading this as some kind of wish fulfilment fantasy instead, which is also anything but. Rentarou is absolutely not a reader self-insert, but a character in his own right, and in fact he’s such a tall bar for a romantic lead (straight up inhumanly so) that he’s at best aspirational. The work as a whole, warts and all, definitely comes off to the entire readership as a celebration of open communication and dedication to each other in relationships, if we want to find a thematic thread amidst all the insanity. The part of the harem genre it’s mostly dedicated to negating is the fact that that genre rides and dies on toxicity – jealousy, misunderstandings, pettiness, the works that keep the drama churning. So basically 100 GF intentionally positions itself to negate that and approach the same premise with endless positivity instead, which results in “ok what if a harem but instead it evolved into a genuine poly relationship in which somehow everyone went along swimmingly?”. It’s unrealistic the same way e.g. slice of life shows are unrealistic – everyone is too much of a saint to ever hold serious grudges and everyone is incredibly sincere and well-meaning. And sure, IRL this scenario would devolve into all kinds of problems and yeah, it becomes misogynistic because obviously the relationship can’t be symmetrical. But the whole ridiculous premise of 100 GF is the fantasy of it *being actually symmetrical*, because Rentarou is a superhuman Love Monster who can indeed more than match the efforts and attention of 100 different girls and maintain a fulfilling relationship with each of them individually.
Snowball
November 4, 2023 at 9:49 pmNice to have a year bookended by two great series.
Guardian Enzo
November 4, 2023 at 9:52 pmIndeed it is. More than two in my opinion.
Aera
November 14, 2023 at 5:19 pmJust curious, are you planning on covering Akuma-kun? I saw you briefly brought it up in the seasonal preview and was wondering if you are interested in watching the series, since it’s another one of Mizuki-sensei’s works.
Guardian Enzo
November 14, 2023 at 9:33 pmI watched the first ep and liked it, but the idea of adding another dumped Netflix show on top of Pluto is daunting – I don’t know when I’ll have time to watch it, never mind blog it.
If anything I might do a composite post when I do finish it.
Joshua
December 7, 2023 at 7:17 amPersonally, it’s merely fine, but it doesn’t come close to Gegege no Kitaro 2018. Didn’t like its attempt to update the setting this time.
Joshua
December 7, 2023 at 7:26 amAs for other shows I’m watching, considering how much of a bad first impression Bullbuster made with its janky CG mecha fight in its premiere, this show manages to pull it together surprisingly with a genuinely biting critique on Japanese companies, skewering all parts of the business and work culture, in between all of the character drama (pretty compelling), environmental allegory (people being displaced from their homes due to a disaster) and occasional mecha action (which doesn’t get much better sadly). Not much of a surprise that PICS, the creator of Odd Taxi, came up with the original concept. My pick for the most underrated show of this season, but you really have to remove yourself from the fact that the mecha parts are the weakest aspect of the mecha show.