🥇 My 2023 anime awards! ✨
Hello! Since we're slowly approaching the end of 2023, I wanted to give awards to the animes I've watched this year, just like I did in 2021 and 2022!
Before we start off, I want to clarify two things. Firstly, this list contains animes I've watched this year, not necessarily animes that have aired this year (though there are some of those, too). Secondly, these are my opinions, which you may disagree with. Please be sure to stay respectful. With that said, let's begin!
First anime watched this year: My Hero Academia
I began 2023 with the well-known MHA. I doubt it requires an introduction, as it is one of the most famous animes out there, but I wanted to say that, even if it has some lows (especially in S5), it remains a great anime that deserves the recognition it gets.
Last anime watched this year: Ao Haru Ride
I actually finished watching this one today. It was a pretty good ride (pun intended), though it did leave me a little disappointed. Still, it makes for a good romance/character study show, which I recommend.
Worst anime watched this year: Abunai Sisters: Koko & Mika
Do not watch this sh*t. Or, you can, to have a laugh. It is evident in my mind that this anime is the worst one in existence. Nothing in this piece of garbage is done even remotely correctly, so save yourself the trouble.
"Honorable" mentions: (A Girl & Her Guard Dog, Ex-Arm, Call of the Night)
Prettiest anime watched this year: Oshi No Ko
If there's one thing I can't take away from Oshi No Ko, it's how beautiful it looks. We were all hooked on the art and animation from the first second, which then stuck. The character design, in particular, is breathtaking.
Honorable mentions: Demon Slayer S3, Insomniacs After School, Call of the Night
Best plot in an anime watched this year: Monster
It has aged like fine wine. Monster has many qualities, but its plot is the first one that comes to mind. It is the near-perfect combo of suspense, adventure, and psychology. It perfectly fits with the art style and the characters, too! A great gem!
Honorable mentions: Hunter x Hunter, Code Geass, Black Lagoon
Best action scene in an anime watched this year: Netero vs. Meruem (Hunter x Hunter)
I did not hesitate for even a second when choosing the winner for this category. Of all the scenes that make HxH such a unique experience, this one stood out the most. It is the climax of one of the best arcs in Shonen history, executed perfectly. I have shivers just thinking about it!
Honorable mentions: All Might vs. All for One (My Hero Academia), The Final Confrontation (Attack on Titan Finale), Sukuna vs. Jogo (Jujutsu Kaisen S2)
Best romance in an anime watched this year: Fuyutsuki-san & Himuro-kun (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague)
I'll deal with these two in more length later in this post, but I absolutely adored Fuyutsuki and Himuro's relationship. Everything about them made me a silly, blushing mess. They're straightforward characters when you think about it, but perhaps it's part of what makes them such great characters in my mind. I love them!!
Honorable mentions: Miyo & Kiyoka (My Happy Marriage), Tomo & Jun (Tomo-chan is a Girl!), Ganta & Isaki (Insomniacs After School)
Funniest anime watched this year: Great Teacher Onizuka
GTO's a classic and for all the right reasons. You cannot stop yourself from laughing at Onizuka's antics. Nonetheless, GTO remains more than a mere comedy. It's this mix of humor and seriousness that makes the funny scenes even funnier.
Honorable mentions: Buddy Daddies, Nodame Cantabile, Spy x Family S2
Saddest anime watched this year: Hunter x Hunter
Thinking that HxH is a childish show based on the first few episodes alone is a grave mistake. This adventure is a rollercoaster of emotions, and a few scenes, in particular, come to mind that will most likely make you tear up. Even if it can be painful at the moment, these events are part of what makes this show legendary!
Honorable mentions: Oshi No Ko, Attack on Titan Finale, Code Geass
Best opening in an anime watched this year: History Maker (Yuri!!! On ICE)
This anime is well-known for many things, but its opening theme is cruelly underrated! It fits the show to a T and is so catchy and fun to listen to! I've undoubtedly listened to it dozens of times during the year, and it's one of my favorites overall! Kudos to Dean Fujioka for such a masterpiece!
Honorable mentions: Venus Line (Birdie Wing: Golf Girls Story), Idol (Oshi No Ko), VORTEX (Link Click S2)
Best ending in an anime watched this year: Tokyo et Paris (Nodame Cantabile)
Such a fantastic song for such an underappreciated show! It has definitely gone off the radar due to being from a relatively unknown anime, but I loved this theme from the first time I listened to it! It's not the style of music I typically listen to, but it makes a great change of pace, and it totally fits with the ambiance of the anime!
Honorable mentions: Mephisto (Oshi No Ko), yurukuru love (Tomo-chan is a Girl!), Yofukashi no Uta (Call of the Night)
Best scene in an anime watched this year: Hunter x Hunter
I'm not gonna be able to go in-depth about this scene due to risks of spoilers, but fans of the show probably know what scene I'm referring to here. I'll just say that it punctuated a fantastic moment in the story and closed an arc in the most remarkable of ways. Truly splendid.
Honorable mentions: Oshi No Ko, Attack on Titan Finale, My Hero Academia
Worst character in an anime watched this year: Koko & Mika Abunai (Abunai Sisters)
They're pieces of cr*p, in short. I don't even want to talk about them since their whole existence is a mistake and should be avoided at all costs. See, flawed characters can have redeeming features. Not only do they have none, they're enough to worsen the whole industry.
Honorable mentions: Miyabi Aizawa (GTO), Minami Uezono (Ex-Arm), Mikio Tanuki (A Girl & Her Guard Dog)
Best character in an anime watched this year: Fuyutsuki-san (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague)
I kinda went over why I love her so much in an earlier category, but I just want to reiterate: she makes me happy. The thought of her (but also of Himuro) is enough to make me smile. Whether it's her voice, her design, her personality, her bonds with the others... Everything about her is so excellent; I can't help but love her. She'll go unnoticed because she is from a show that's not so popular, but that doesn't make her any less fantastic.
Honorable mentions: Himuro-kun (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague), Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass), Eren Yaeger (Attack on Titan)
Best anime watched this year: The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague
I think it was somewhat predictable, thanks to the huge amounts of praise I gave the show earlier, but this award, probably the most important, has gotta go to this anime. It also aired this year! Tuesdays were days I was looking forward to last winter for this show alone, and it definitely helped me get through tough times. You probably will hear very little about it as it's not a big production, but it had everything I watch anime for: the music, the art, the cast, the relationships, the cute moments... I even bought the manga to know the rest of the story, which I usually never do! Hopefully, we get a second season someday, though I'm slightly worried. In any case, if you're into cute workplace romances, I can't help but recommend this anime a million times. You won't regret it.
Honorable mentions: Hunter x Hunter, Perfect Blue, Insomniacs After School
Overall, 2023's been another excellent year of anime, whether for me or the community as a whole. We got a ton of fantastic shows and great sequels. I'm personally looking forward to more of the same next year, with great names either airing or coming back!
To conclude this post, here are my yearly tierlists for the opening themes, the main characters, and the shows themselves. I managed to fill them quite a bit this year, as well! Thanks a lot for reading, and I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve!
