Now we’re more than halfway through February, it’s about time for me to share my opinions of the anime that I have been watching during the winter 2023 season. With nothing else to add, let’s jump right into it.
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. Season 2
The second season of BOFURI is proving to be just as fun as the first season. Maple’s picking up some rather interesting new techniques. The rest of her guild aren’t exactly lagging behind, either. Every episode so far has been a good time, and I suspect that will continue to be the case right up until the end of the season.
BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS
After having Sasuke and Sakura fight dinosaurs (yep), we’ve returned to canon as BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS steps into the Code arc. We’re only a single episode in at the time of writing, but it definitely has some pretty interesting stuff going on so far. I’m quite looking forward to seeing how the arc will unfold.
D4DJ All Mix
Can we just have Maho speak in English for the rest of the season? I quite enjoyed hearing her do so in episode 6. Then it went all Zombie Land Saga on us, weirdly. Can’t say I was expecting that, but it certainly made things interesting. Having a lot of fun watching this show.
Ippon Again!
There was something towards the beginning of Ippon Again! that wasn’t so great, but I figured that once the judo got underway proper, it would be fine. And what do you know, that’s exactly the case. We’ve got some pretty good judo sequences so far, and we also have had some pretty nice character moments – particularly when it comes to Nagumo. Really like what I’ve seen of this one so far.
KanColle: See You Again on Another Quiet Blue Sea
This season of KanColle has been all right. I think. Feels like there has been far too much time between episode if I’m honest, and things like delays have not helped that. There wasn’t exactly a whole lot going on in episode 7, but things look like they’ll pick up in episode 8, the final episode.
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady
I am absolutely loving The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady. Our two leads, Anis and Euphy, are fantastic, and the chemistry between them is superb. In a year that looks like its going to provide plenty of yuri, I couldn’t think of a finer show to kick things off than this one.
My Hero Academia Season 6
The sixth season of My Hero Academia is proving to be a much darker one than previously, and perhaps for that reason I am finding myself enjoying it a lot. I would even go as far to say that it is better than all the previous seasons. Been some pretty interesting stuff with society’s perception of heroes drastically changing.
NIJIYON ANIMATION
Super short bursts of fun with the school idols of Nijigasaki High School. Gonna keep this one short, too: enjoyable stuff.
One Piece
One Piece is steadily moving towards the climax of the Wano Kuni arc. Enemy forces are dwindling, and only the most powerful foes remain. Luffy has returned to battle as well. I’ve read the manga so I know what to expect, but I am very much looking forward to seeing how the anime will approach various events.
Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement
Saving 80,0000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement has been a pretty fun take on the isekai genre. Mitsuha’s ability to warp between worlds as she pleases gives her the opportunity to use modern-day Earth knowledge in a medieval fantasy world. I like what this show is giving us.
Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
We may only be two episodes in at the time of writing, but Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure has proven to be fantastic so far. From an action-packed first episode, to the whole princess and knight thing between Mashiro and Sora, this season of Pretty Cure is scratching all sorts of itches that Delicious Party could never touch. I have high hopes for the franchise’s twentieth anniversary season.
Spy Classroom
Can’t help but feel that Spy Classroom has been doing things in kind of an odd order. The team’s ultimate goal is to complete a so-called “Impossible Mission”. You’d think they’d introduce the characters as they build up towards that, but nope – that Impossible Mission is done by episode 4. Then it goes back to before the Impossible Mission to introduce more of its characters. I guess they have something different planned for the finale. This show has been pretty OK, overall, though. Nothing too spectacular going on here, but it is watchable.
Not included on this list is NieR:Automata Ver. 1.1a, since that was hit with an indefinite hiatus after episode 3. A shame, because I really did quite like what I saw from those first three episodes. Here’s hoping the show can resume sooner rather than later. But that does also mean that there’ll probably be plenty of time to play the actual game before it resumes, something that I definitely recommend.
We’ve got a decent season here, with The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady and Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure being the shows that most stand out. I’m enjoying the heck out of BOFURI, too, so you can consider those my top three at this very moment in time. Very impressive for Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure in particular, because we only have two episodes as opposed to the six or seven of the other shows. Those first two episodes are just that good.
Very much looking forward to the rest of the season, and then whatever other delights 2023 will bring us afterwards.
Rory Muses 