2023's BEST, WORST & Most CURSED Anime

[@mothersbasement]

Your current browser is bad. Get a better one here: operagx.gg/MothersBasement3

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

You're amazing man 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤

[@JadeTheHobo]

what if i'm already using opera? IF OPERA GX IS SO GOOD WHY ISN'T THERE AN OPERA GX 2?

[@sxblck]

You know, I just might…

[@daredaemon8878]

Hard to do worse than Opera TBH

[@EmmettJayhart]

Please step away from Opera GX. The product itself is spyware, and the company they work for is both sketchy and scummy.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

When Geoff was talking about getting his girlfriend more into Jujutsu Kaisen than he is, my mom squealed a little, paused the video, and told me, "Your dad got me into Star Trek like that. I'm telling you, these two are *definitely* getting married!" So Geoff, when that happens, just know 1. my mom called it and 2. she would happily send you a wedding gift.

[@julesmallow]

that's so sweet!!! ❤❤❤

[@Cyromantik]

That's adorable! Also, your mom is very cool, I might as well be a student of the Sumerian language when it comes to myself and my parents having any kind of geek crossover.

[@professorsparklepants]

This is sooooo cute and also I'm laughing really, really hard.

[@dylanyoung465]

When your family is so cool that you watch mothers basement videos with your actual mother

[@neverpass04]

Hearing all these stories from you about your mom watching anime in geoff’s comment section is so wholesome and they genuinely lift my mood up a bit

[@fionashampine4134]

My favorite thing about Zom100 is how hopeful and genuine it is. A lot of zombie media is all, "humanity is the real threat, everyone is dangerous and out to get you". But Zom100 says, "Yeah, some people suck, but if you show kindness to people, a lot of them are going to show kindness back". It's just really life affirming and positive and I really like that

[@zzz43344]

Yeah, it's a great anime!

[@66Roses]

That's honestly what turns me off to zombie stories. So often the zombies become set dressing for a Mad Max post-apocalypse where the social bonds which formed our civilization evaporate the second the air conditioning shuts off. Zom100 is incredibly refreshing.

[@thomaswhite3059]

​@66Roses I think there is a way to do that "humans are the real monsters" thing (or at least something riffing on that theme) well. Like what others are saying, we highlight how life under late stage capitalism alienates us from our neighbors, and we hate each other and ourselves, and see humans as the root of our problems instead of the real cause (our exploitation). We see some people challenge this and build real relationships and community. I think they did something like that in the Last of Us show? At one point someone says "oh hey it's like communism!" "No it's not!" And the leader says something like "Yes it is. This is a commune. We're communists."

[@TrueMikeyQ]

I can't believe the last 3 episodes are back in just a week!! I vibed so much watching Zom100, watching it as soon as a new episode came out with spicy Pringles in bed😄

[@zzz43344]

@@TrueMikeyQ Yeah, I can't wait!

[@thedocblock6421]

following "I didn't Include Vinland Saga 2 because I haven't seen it" with "My number 11 is a harem anime" is an incredibly bold move sir, I respect you for that alone.

[@bernardoheusi6146]

Season 1 overall was better however, I miss best bois Askeladd and Thorkell

[@MattieBubbles1887]

no, farmland saga is head and shoulders above@@bernardoheusi6146

[@VOlDTALES]

@@bernardoheusi6146nah season 2 was for sure

[@Mrinsecure]

This list of good anime is so good that Apothecary Diaries didn't even make the list, and I can't even be mad, despite the fact that "3rd Century Chinese Sherlock Holmes where Sherlock is a young female poison-obsessed apothecary and Watson is a eunuch(?) scribe working in the Imperial Harem" is such a good premise on its own that the high-tier animation and voice acting is just icing on the cake.

[@scraplette9608]

If you're enjoying Apothecary Diaries you should give Raven of the Inner palace a watch. It's inner court detective mystery but with a supernatural twist

[@MrGksarathy]

I'd say Jinshi is more like modern iterations of Irene Adler playing the role of Watson.

[@GameFuMaster]

I have a feeling that Jinshi isn't going to be a Eunuch for plot purposes, although this is just speculation

[@Mrinsecure]

@@GameFuMaster Watch the anime or read the manga and maybe you'll get an answer.

[@GameFuMaster]

@@Mrinsecure eh, I'll spoiler myself if the anime ends without revelation.

[@dramallamaabq8121]

I humbly request a "Disney Anime You Must Watch" list. It looks there are genuine masterpieces are on there that are dying on Didney Ploos

[@Readera]

I second this request!

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

Tokyo Revengers is on Disney plus right?

[@Veecy]

Hearing you say that the first episode of Oshi no Ko ends with "the mother of all rug pulls" and that you couldn't talk about it without spoiling it made me finally decide to stop the video right then and watch the first episode of this show that everyone keeps hyping up. In other words, I managed to go into the show completely spoiler-free and I was absolutely shocked. Thanks.

[@AnarchoCatBoyEthan]

that’s so funny because that was also a coded spoiler lol which i thought was a great joke.

[@LibertyMonk]

​@@AnarchoCatBoyEthanall the best spoilers are like that, the seem like they give everything away to those in the know, but they're actually foreshadowing at worst to the uninitiated.

[@magiradyne]

Literally the exact same thing happened to me. I didn't even know there WAS a bait-and-switch, but I paused and watched the full 90 minute first episode and I'm so glad I did.

[@jenntall8494]

Funnily enough, reading this comment is what made me stop the video and watch the show before coming back lol

[@Veecy]

​@@jenntall8494 That's awesome

[@Ash_Wen-li]

With Vinland Saga, Pluto, Frieren, Apothecary Diaries, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, JJK and many more, this year was absolutely STACKED with good shows

[@darkelwin02]

Apothecary Diaries should have been mentioned.

[@TeamGhostRyderINC]

So many good Amine this year that there was too many too count. Some was on the list this year best of list and we have so many other being able to get missed out on. Vinland Saga is just the best thing to replace Attack on Titan epic, you got live action anime like one piece and zom 100 (funny story that was on netflix and came out in summer of this year at the same ist timeline as the anime). There was so many good ones to watch that it's hard to make a list of Anime to think about as well. I think this is the strongest the anime community should be proud of. However next year (2024) is going to wild. Solo leveling is going to looking like it's might be anime of the year, Spice and Wolf is returning as a remake, and so much more. So Geoff you're going to have a very tricky one to make a list for next year. Also we are getting a new dragon ball series so keep that in mind as well. Editor Note: Classroom Of The Elite is returning just like rent a girlfriend did this year, some how. ?????? I didn't wanted to have another one of C.O.T.E again but I'm not looking forward to next month as well but I'm just going to watch anything else.

[@EvaOwnsAll]

Was kinda bored with Vinland... It was pretty and all, but... Felt very stuck in place.

[@nichescenes]

@@EvaOwnsAll A lot of people said that, and get drowned by people saying you only like action. I watched a bit of ep 1 and liked it, but i get why people wouldn't. I think people who watch these series think everyone wants some super deep symbolic masterpiece, but sometimes we wanna have fun. It's like when people say JJK season 2 is trash, and I'm like ok what's better, then they say all these slow stories about the meaning of life, and I'm like fine, but most just wanna enjoy a compelling story with stakes lol. That said Vinland Saga season 1 was a bit hyped for what it was but season 2 is under-hyped, I haven't finished, but it seems like it gets deep and I would finish it just so you have an opinion.

[@EvaOwnsAll]

@nichescenes I suppose. However, I didn't feel like the MC had his own agency in S2. After the story was completely driven by it in the first season. Mainly, I just didn't feel like the character evolution really took place to explain it. For him to become so fervently against any violence, even to protect oneself or your friends. For what it's worth, I thoroughly liked Andor, despite its lack of action. It was a great character study and reimagining of a daunting and competent empire. It also didn't employ a load of action.

[@RedPandaLesbian]

I was legitimately heartbroken when zom100 went on an indefinite hiatus as it was one of my favorite anime of the year. I was SO relieved when they finally announced the return on Christmas ✨ Frieren is still my personal anime of the year though, it was just such a masterpiece of effective storytelling and pacing and character study. My absolute ideal fantasy story told with absolutely stunning art and animation

[@zzz43344]

I loved both of these anime, too! I'm glad to hear that Zom 100 is returning, cuz that one was my personal favorite of the year.

[@Anodyne_Akôn]

Zom 100 is returning ? It's a Christmas miracle !

[@bishielurfer]

Frieren gives me such cozy feels. I get such a specific feel-good vibe from it.

[@loke6664]

@@bishielurfer Agreed, most anime and for that matter western media never really get how someone living for millenia would be. Far too many anime elves are clumsy, stupid and funny even though they are supposed to be centuries old. Frieren actually acts her age which is refreshing and the world building and art is excellent. It is my top pic of the year (but I still have a few shows to watch including Zoom100, I got a week off work next week to do just that so I might change my mind).

[@RedPandaLesbian]

@@Anodyne_Akôn Yep! Crunchyroll announced episodes 10-12 will go up on Dec 25th 🎉

[@IronDino]

Thank you for mentioning Zom 100 and how it inspired you to resume writing your novel. I've experienced the same with my own novel, and I feel like that might be just what I need to jumpstart my own motivation again.

[@jonathanhamlet1942]

Hope your novel is going very well! :)

[@Dae-D-Ellis]

I for one appreciate that over half the video is about you talking about stuff you actually liked. Worst and Cursed may be the bait, but hearing about things you really enjoy is the real treat

[@princessthyemis]

Same!!!

[@siliconhawk]

am i the only one that came for the latter half of the show. like i already know the good shows and how good they are but man i love watching trash reviews coz they are just sooo fun

[@KeDe1606]

@@siliconhawkI get it. It’s nice to hear someone talk positively about a something that they genuinely. However… Sometimes there’s just nothing better than a good teardown

[@wildfire9280]

@@KeDe1606 ironically not for the first cursed ranking

[@Pedro-yr8fl]

Kamikatsu is something else That fucking real farming footage put through a filter with the anime head on top is just gold Also the manga art is gorgeous definitely worth a chance

[@sirvalhart7464]

the animal throwing up and the immediate "thats not good" got an instant belly laugh out of me, definitely checking it out

[@Dr.Spatula]

The show is garbage because it's supposed to be, which actually makes it good

[@fraktaalimuoto]

Kamikatsu also has some genuinely interesting things to say both about religious cults and community. Within all that trashiness.

[@allysoncygan5110]

Kamikatsu is absolutely a shitpost but then every so often the writing would be genuinely interesting or you’d see a flash of quality to know that they intended the bad bits. I can’t help but feel the team behind Kamikatsu would view it being called cursed as a compliment.

[@thomaswhite3059]

​@@allysoncygan5110truly the 100 gecs of anime

[@Mangacide]

Me;casually: "Oh so it's astroboy" Geoff: "It's astroboy" Me; less casually: "I WASN"T EXPECTING TO BE RIGHT"

[@Anthonybrother]

Genos in One-Punch Man is also astroboy

[@Wraither_91]

Geoff, I got to the Frieren section and thought how beautiful it looked and after I heard you praise it, I had to check it out. I binged every episode so far in one sitting. Immediately had to come back and thank you. One of my new all time favorites. So thank you!

[@Wraither_91]

.... But I'm also mad at you because now I have to wait for more. You terrible beautiful bastard you.

[@alechall7082]

I just did the same. I usually wouldn't watch something like it but hooo boy am I glad I did. What a great show. I can't believe we're only halfway through the season.

[@pfeilspitze]

I was all set to enjoy it for its slow, cerebral reflection on life and time. Then episode 3 came out and it proved that it could do fights better than most shows focused on that. After watching episode 10, it's no longer just anime of the year, but is making a strong case for anime of the *decade* too.

[@rambbler]

I can't not sing the praises of the Apothecary Diaries. I've been a fanatic following the Manga and Light Novel for a while and nearly screamed when I found out it was getting an anime this year. It has not been a disappointment. Extra mentions to other adaptions I was looking forward to, The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion and The Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts.

[@KahlevN]

I also cannot sing the praises of it enough either, and I walked into it with zero source material knowledge. Completely blew me away, and the lead is probably one of my favorite characters in anime in years. The one huge omission on his list imo, hope he can get around to it eventually, I think it’s going to eventually go down as one of the best of the decade when it’s all said and done.

[@jonahgarcia4476]

I cannot agree more, I was truly saddened when it was not mentioned in the best anime segments. Although it may not be some symbolic/metaphorical masterpiece that breaks the grounds of anime, it is damn well a good show and a genuine fun and entertaining watch.

[@Becvar80]

Heavenly Delusion is one of those rare examples of visual media where it actually GETS BETTER on subsequent watches, because of how much more you understand about what's happening. Far too often the reveals make rewatching a chore, rather than a reward.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Any well written story is better the second time around. And generally, the better the writing is, the larger the number of re-watches that remains true for.

[@standowner6979]

The male protagonist really, really, really likes to sexually assault his travel partner.

[@hitachicordoba]

HD/Tengoku Daimakyo was one of the best *except for THAT episode ugh

[@mateidragne6666]

@@hitachicordoba Yeah i genuinely dunno how people can rate it so highly when that episode is so jarring and poorly written/executed. I don't know if it will be touched on later but the way it was brushed aside is really bad. It completely ruined the narrative for me. Otherwise cool show.

[@BobNinjaCat]

@@mateidragne6666 I'm assuming you mean the rape episode? Define "poorly-written" without coming off as a complete psychopath and/or some shut-in who has never interacted with another Human being aside their parents.

[@bobbenson6825]

I really admire your willingness, and ability, to sit through anime that I figuratively throw through a window within an episode or two. My patience has worn very thin with some of this stuff. With the number of great anime we saw, at least we could turn to high quality to wash that taste out of our brains. Thanks for being so funny and so on point with your criticism, may you have more success next year. And please, please don't put yourself through anything like marathoning 7 Deadly Sins ever again.

[@mothersbasement]

Ah man, I wish I could promise I won’t but that video got a LOT of views

[@marocat4749]

​@@mothersbasementmaybe cult live action adaptations next?

[@Steelblaidd]

@@mothersbasement Your sacrifice will not go un-remembered.

[@Brasswatchman]

​@@mothersbasement Think of all the viewers you spared the same torment, though!

[@MABfan11]

@@mothersbasement and the worst part is that 7 Deadly Sins is still ongoing, though in a spin-off sequel form

[@Champiness]

46:21 had me legitimately hyped for a few seconds about my imagined prospect of a 2023 anime that had shamelessly cribbed its premise from Jim Carrey’s _Liar Liar_ and just hoped nobody would notice

[@SomeRandomJackAss]

For some reason I now want Geoff to just do a review of Jim Carrey's Liar Liar legitimately.

[@jadenbryant9283]

​@@SomeRandomJackAssI mean he's done reviews that aren't anime before so it wouldn't be out of place

[@kaitlynmorgan8097]

Also gotta bring up skip and loafer. I never seen such realistic high schoolers being portrayed and mistumi makes be wanna be a better person everytime i see her. Go watch it right now if you haven't

[@JeffDvrx]

beautiful show

[@mytimetravellingdog]

It's fantastic and the manga after the anime adaptation kicks it up a gear and the next series, if there is one, will be even better. This is a show about teenagers and the sort of everyday trauma and baggage they have and relationships. These are characters who are complex and don't just not understand other but don't understand themselves. And it's just low key devastating so often. Sometimes in very low key the reader has to read into it ways. There's so much to say about it, particularly after the anime.

[@collinbeal]

It presents itself as a high school romance anime, and it is, but it isn't a "high school romance anime". The characters are so deeply human, even the one whose intentions are dubious throughout much of the show, that I'm honestly of the opinion that it's a Josei. Absolutely incredible character writing, and the rare anime OP that I don't ever "skip" 😅

[@MrGksarathy]

Already watched. Just have to shell out money for a bookwalker subscription to actually read it.

[@michaeljpatrick5335]

Both Skip and Loafer and Insomniacs fall short of Dangers in my heart for me

[@spacemermaids]

i’m really happy your novel/writing project has gotten attention (and inspiration). i hope you decide to share whatever you make with your audience, regardless of how long it takes.

[@RobClouds]

I am genuinely interested in whatever Geoff is cooking up. It is surprisingly rare to see an Internet person you like who does commenting come out with a fully original work themselves.

[@ravindrarambarran6177]

The thing that really gets me about zom 100 is that its a show that highlights the struggle of overworked employees while it had to be canceled largely because its studio was overworking its animators

[@dvillines26]

actually that's not what happened. The problem was that the quality standard was too high for their schedule so they simply weren't able to deliver episodes they were proud of in time. I think the delays happened because there WASN'T a huge amount of crunch. most studios would crunch when they realized they wouldn't meet their schedule, but in this case it seems like they took the hit instead.

[@kellychuang8373]

@@dvillines26 Seems like it really a rough industry then again after those TV and Movie strikes involving Hollywood and rising costs it really seems bad news all over.

[@michalovesanime]

The apothecary diaries is my fav this year, though its not better than the top shows mentioned here ( I have watched and loved most of them).. Beautiful animation, one of the best female MC's Ive seen in a while, a bit of mystery, a love interest thats not the main focus and an interesting setting. I love me some anime fighting but this stuff is like candy to me

[@slevinchannel7589]

Hate-Watching and Ironic-Watching and all that s-it-excuse-pile has really f-ed us all. Normalizatiion of Concepts but also just 'in generall' bad quality got triggered cause supply and demand work how they work

[@bishielurfer]

I started reading the manga when I read about the premise and I love it so much. The clips I've seen of the anime look gorgeous but I haven't had a chance to sit down and check it out yet.

[@eriktnnesen6437]

Apothecary Diaries pushed Frieren down to second best of year for me.

[@Shiruvi]

i like to think that maomao would approve of her series not catching too much attention considering that's what she was trying so hard to do.

[@Treegona]

@@bishielurfer It looks absolutely GORGEOUS in stills, but if there's one point of criticism I have it's that some of the movements are a bit jank. Not usually when it Matters, but like. Someone eating rice and their arm looks rotoscoped. The most egregious of which is the dancing animation in the intro. Still absolutely worth watching, still looks absolutely great in the slow movements and the important scenes. Just. You can notice that the budget wasn't applied evenly.

[@KonkaBass]

Bless u for taking the time to highlight Summertime Rendering again. It won't ever make up for how much its popularity got snubbed by Disney, but it helps. ❤️

[@stevensmileyprod]

Insanely good show

[@GameFuMaster]

@@stevensmileyprod interesting premise, and actually ends well.

[@LemmaEOF]

I really wish Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury wasn't as slept on outside of Japan. Hand-drawn mecha are so rare nowadays and WfM deserves so much more credit and appreciation than it got for how beautifully-detailed every single fight scene is, along with incredible character writing and animation on top of an *aggressively* anti-capitalist story.

[@organizerbmo]

I really don't like mecha anime but that last line got me hooked to try and check it out, thanks!

[@LemmaEOF]

@@organizerbmo I hope you enjoy it! It's just free to watch on youtube so go nuts

[@SpadesHeart]

It's like the Zelda windwaker of gundam. It might be fantastic, but it's absolutely not what many gundam fans wanted. They were hoping the direction would lead to a more mass appeal, but it doesn't seem to be catching everywhere. And it's hard to draw fresh fans to something like gundam, regardless of the theme being drastically different. So eventually I foresee it being a cult classic, at which point, the holdout gundam fans may watch it and heep on the too late praise.

[@MattwosRandomNonContent]

@@SpadesHeart The Wind Waker of Gundam is SDGF. 🤣The animation is a bit jank sure but outside of the formulaic MotW stuff (which is oddly similar to Cubix in this case), the story is actually pretty good. Or really just SD Gundam in general, it doesn't get enough love in the west because of the super-deformed art style. Even with anime becoming more mainstream, there will likely never be enough love for the best stuff with chibi character models (Isekai Quartet aside but that's probably because us i fans of the four main anime represented in that show are constantly starved for content lol (Kemono Michi for Isekai Quartet! Also, Season 2 when? )) and I think that's a shame.

[@B_Skizzle]

Would you recommend WFM to someone who really likes deep and engaging stories (and yuri) but doesn’t care much for fight scenes? I’ll probably watch it at some point either way because I’ve heard a lot of praise for it, I'm just not sure if it should be a priority.

[@ynottony105]

I'm very saddened there was not a single mention of undead murder farce! That was my favorite this year, with its beautiful animation, hilarious pantomime inspired dialog, and deeply anime ish "we grabbed a league's worth of extraordinary gentlemen from Victorian literature to fill out the character roster."

[@collinbeal]

It's a very fun anime, but it's not a contender, as that's about where it stops. I love the snappy dialog and the who's-who entourage of 19th-century literary juggernauts, but it doesn't transcend the medium or elevate anime to new heights; it's just a good use of your time if you want to be thoroughly entertained.

[@MrGksarathy]

​@@collinbealI mean, it's only the first season, but don't fully disagree.

[@dvillines26]

@@collinbeal for me being fun was enough, because the consistency of the fun and the mood it put me in at the end of every episode were unmatched. and god the banter between the leads was peak. also the show had the guts to pretty much make it explicit that Shizuku is gay.

[@MrGksarathy]

@@dvillines26 Oh definitely. It was pretty clearly spelled out that Shizuku is extremely gay. The only issue I have is that she implies Aya had sex with all her handmaids, which is kinda squicky on multiple levels.

[@menchita]

​@@MrGksarathyThe day men finally realize that most girls are bi to some extent, and the things we do with our "girl-friends" way before we begin dating guys... 😅 Seriously, they should be really really really grateful hormones make us put up with their hairy, smelly butts, when pretty girls are an option.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

I don't suppose most of them fit on this list of extremes, but this year had a weirdly large list of actually good Isekai with female protagonists. Tearmoon Empire is technically not Isekai since the protagonist reincarnates into the body of her past self, but has enough of the tropes that it sorta counts, and is absolutely hilarious in ways similar but sufficiently differentiated from Hamefura. The Magical Revolution of The Reincarnated Princess and The Genius Young Lady is a major contrast in that it doesn't really focus that much on the Isekai tropes, having the protagonist recall her old memories, but retain her existing identity, just now with all these ideas in her head from her old life that she tries to implement using the magical technology of the world she lives in, and then it goes into a bunch of magical political intrigue and yuri, plus several pretty good action scenes, just to keep things constantly unusual. I'm not even sure how to sell I'm In Love With The Villainess because it's not like it stands out in some way that's easy to explain. It's like, hardcore stating right out of the gate that the yuri isn't bait, but also never going out of its way for fan service or fetishization so if you're allergic to "anime bullshit" this is probably gonna be a safe watch for you. Unless you're homophobic... this is not safe for homophobes. The protagonist breaks out the "Daisuki" in the first episode, "Ai" in the second, and in the third her best friend literally asks her if she's gay, and then they have a five minute conversation about sexuality that actually somehow works. It's a goofy comedy that is also a romance, but also some political intrigue, but is also now seemingly starting to explore just how fucked up the protagonist's old life had to have been to have become the person she is now with regard to loving a fictional character so much that she acts the way she does in this new life.

[@Saltyoven]

Magical Revolution was a major shrinker for me. Mostly due to inserting a character that existed solely to be a plot device and having no character themselves, yet trying to make me care. It says a lot that it started the season as one of the highest rated, yet ended with a lower score than farmsekai a rare example of an anime where the censorship honestly made it better.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

@@Saltyoven Huh?

[@michaeljpatrick5335]

@@Saltyoven what in the world are you talking about with MagiRevo?

[@Sadfluffybear]

Talking about Bookworm, a 4th season has been announced by Studio Wit so chances are we might get a full adaptation since, as far as I know, the last book of the LN-series has also just recently been released on December 9th (Anime announcment on Dec. 6th).

[@elifia]

What I heard was actually that they'll be covering part 3 of the LN, which likely takes more than a single season. So there's a pretty good chance this announcement also includes a season 5. But the last book of the LN is part 5, correct? So it'll probably take a few more years to get a full adaptation.

[@Sadfluffybear]

@@elifia yeah but what I was trying to say is because they announced another season right before the LN ended chances are they'll adapt everything eventually

[@JeffDvrx]

wait WHAT. they really announced the 4th season? dude I'm reading prepub, I'm on the series' discord, all of it and I somehow didn't know lol. I really hope they adapt it all the way through, but... let's say I also hope they take it in a _very_ different direction for its animation.

[@JeffDvrx]

@@elifia nope, the last _part_ of the LN is part 5. Part 1 is 3 volumes part 2 is 4 part 3 is 5 part 4 is 9 part 5 is 12 volumes (out of which only 8 have been officially transalted so far, but it's progressing steadily). So it's 33 volumes total, out of which 7 have been adapted so far.

[@lynpotter6471]

How did I miss this?! If this isn't some cruel internet lie, it just single-handedly saved 2023 for me.

[@Ryutix]

I'm so happy Insomniacs after school is even mentioned at all here. Some of the best displays of quality time and intimacy with someone you vibe with I've ever seen in media. I wish it got more attention while it was airing

[@LK.Cynric]

If you are into Manga read it. I highly recommend it and the author other 2 Manga. Shorter but also nice in their own ways. Some of the art for the photos in insomnia are just insane.

[@kellychuang8373]

Yes it really was something and got through that at 1 time I think really was early in the year I suppose though don't ask me how I went through it and with other anime coming really can't keep it's going to be a busy year and season.

[@em1mike]

God damn 100 girlfriends has no right to be as good as it is. I would have never given it a chance with out your review and now im loving it

[@KegOfMeat]

I’m happy to finally see a big anime KZbinr talk about Pluto. It’s absolutely incredible and is a must watch for everyone.

[@JinStreams]

It has too much raw prestige in those 8 episodes to just exist on netflix with no fanfare

[@orestria]

My favourite character in Shangri La is a background character. she's clearly a girlfriend playing the game with her boyfriend cuz he asked her to and she keeps pulling her bow on every player character who looks really weird. this is literally just a recurring background gag but it's gotten me every time.

[@dvillines26]

that gag is amazing, that girl is ready for bow violence at the drop of a hat

[@NovaKorpov]

She does NOT fuck around. It's ON SIGHT with her

[@wildfire_]

i read ahead on the 100 girlfriends manga, and it's looking to be 400-500 chapters total. the girls only really ever get one chapter to themselves each (that being the one where they're introduced), and that remaining 300-400 is dedicated to building the relationships between them and doing random slice of life (or as slice of life as you can get with a girlfriend count well into the double digits).

[@ruslanhoncharenko2179]

To be precise we are still getting regular individual focus chapters after girls get introduced

[@wildfire_]

@@ruslanhoncharenko2179 that is true. i suppose the most incredible thing is that it still hasn't reached a point where it feels like girls are being added just to fill out the roster (though there are some questionable ones).

[@MrGksarathy]

​@@wildfire_I guess that kinda comes with the territory.

[@philo2189]

This year has been an incredible year for anime. I honestly didn't understand how it will follow 2022. I thought this year might've been weak. But it's on par with how great last year was. Maybe even better to be honest.

[@wabbajack2]

Luffy punching tf out of Kaido will never be topped. Fight me.

[@LudwigVaanArthans]

​@@wabbajack2one piece ain't all that

[@loke6664]

It has, but I worry a bit that the total trash western movies and shows have been the year might affect my views. Some dude compared Frieren to Galadriel in the Rings of power and it was a good representation of my feelings. I think every single really good media I watched from this year have been anime and that is not usually how things go. So I am not 100% if anime keep getting better or everything else is just getting worse in comparison.Perspective is hard.

[@philo2189]

@@loke6664 I don't watch Western movies or shows I mostly watch anime. And anime has been rejuvenated the past 6 or so years. Basically since Demon Slayer came out anime has been on a roll ever since. Not saying demon slayer is the cause but it just started around that year in 2018 ish. Before that we had good anime but it just kinda feels like it was stagnant.

[@leinine1834]

but 2023 didnt have bocchi the rock, tho. (frieren comes close and is def anime of the year, but hear me out: Bocchi the Rock)

[@Bogglemanify]

An underrated gem this year that wasn't mention is Dark Gathering. An actually good horror anime that has only gotten better every episode and is my most anticipated show each week. Hopefully it gets a season two.

[@Epicfail90001]

The action and sakuga are surprisingly top tier and the pacing gets better each episode. Definitely one of my top 5 for 2023

[@GenerationZ313]

I really hope it gets a second season eventually, though I guess we should all be grateful for the fact that the show is 25 episodes to begin with, which was quite surprising to me.

[@vlexonkol8466]

No, thats not gem, that was straight nightmare

[@nicosb2810]

Really great anime!

[@JEppsLars]

One of my favorites this year!

[@kciref6016]

This year saw Kaguya-Sama: The First Kiss that Never Ends, and I loved it, so I wanted to mention it. I loved it so much, in fact, I read the whole manga. The main one and the side, 4-koma one. It was one of the best things this year! On another topic, I’d love to get Geoff talking more about the shows he liked and why

[@Actual_Real_Person]

2023 has been incredibly stacked in almost every category you can think of

[@TorgoHiggins]

I absolutely bailed on Northern War after one episode despite being ass deep IN THE MIDDLE OF PLAYING Cold Steels 3 and then 4 when it was airing. An absolute slam dunk of an idea, timed perfectly with my own personal hype for the series AND the Erebonia arc specifically, absolutely squandered by a total lack of an even passing level of competence in any department. I have a couple buddies who say they're still going to get around to it for the lore. I've told them please no. Only time will tell if they'll listen to me.

[@KazeAizen]

Was about to have some strong words when you got to Shangri-La and almost implied Bofuri was not top tier. I will not have Maple slander. This anime being a personification of what boss rush lovers love and Bofuri being a great example of social games. They complement nicely. Also I just like Bofuri a lot because I find the “what if the internet didn’t suck” outlook so nice. But all of these are on my list.

[@Dr.Spatula]

I can't enjoy the "cute" of Bofuri because the video game it's set in is so garbage. Shangri-la is beginning to push that line for me and I hate that because I enjoy almost everything else about it. (the creepy gross stalker love interest is also a huge turnoff)

[@KazeAizen]

@@Dr.Spatula Honestly I kind of find Bofuri almost better because the game is broken. Like I think its very intentional that New World Online is clearly a badly designed game. Like the devs were more focused on making a fun world you'd just like to hang out in with no regard to what actual balance looks like.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Bofuri had a chance to be good, and it fumbled. It had a premise, but it went nowhere with that premise, just repeated the same joke for way too long.

[@collinbeal]

​@@dontmisunderstand6041it's a good joke, though. It's only insufferable when a bad joke is told innumerable times (e.g. Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World). Otherwise, it's simply good fun. Bofuri is not the peak of anime, but it is indisputably in the upper echelon of its obscure niche.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@collinbeal It was a good joke, for a solid 4-6 episodes. The anime has 2 full seasons.

[@RanwulfMaxwell]

I love you Jeff. Like, not parasocial love, but I have been following you for years, and I want to know how proud I am of how much you growth. I remember you talking about how hard it was living with your mom, feeling lost, feeling like shit, but now look at you. Not only you got a house, a girlfriend, and more you are not writing a book. My man, I'm so happy for you. I'm always happy to watch these.

[@luvslotsastuff]

Being 100% serious, Kamikatsu's big plot twist four episodes in absolutely blew me away. I did not expect THAT of all shows to have one of the best twists of the year.

[@aperson4097]

I'd say oshi no ko's twists were a bit better, for the sole purpose of execution. While kamikatsu's twist was extremely cool and changed the entire plot of the show, it was handled with.... an unecessary amount of exposition.

[@yuuichi4356]

Thank you for this video, Geoff.And these are: My Top 10 (New) Anime Of 2023. 1- Pluto 2- Heavenly Delusion 3- Oshi no Ko 4- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End 5- Hell's Paradise 6- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead 7- Trigun Stampede 8- Tomo-chan Is a Girl! 9- Undead Unluck 10- Mashle And also: My Top 10 Anime (With A New Season) In 2023. 1- Jujitsu Kaisen Season 2 2- Kengan Ashura Season 2 3- Bungou Stray Dogs Season 5 4- Attack on Titan: Final Season Part 3 5- Vinland Saga Season 2 6- Record of Ragnarok Season 2 7- Link Click Season 2 8- Baki Hanma Season 2 9- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Separation 10- Scissor Seven Season 4 I don't have a list of the worst anime, because when I mostly realize that an anime is bad, I drop it immediately.

[@JJ-M]

Hold the hell up, Tomo-Chan was this year too? Damn 2023 was stacked.

[@collinbeal]

​@JJ-M yeah, romance fans were eating good this year (if you don't pay any attention to the dark corner of the room where lurk the groomer anime and the TWO shows about being turned into an animal and "cared for" by a teenage girl with oft-exhibited frilly underpants).

[@Justiguy]

I have been singing 100 Girlfriend's praises since its very first chapter and seeing it make videos of yours three times now makes me feel just so darn proud of it.

[@chloesantos8637]

saaaaaaame!

[@Kfaircloth13457]

I keep putting off watching it because while I don't mind harem.... Is OP boring and stupid like most self inserts? I KNOW they're usually wish fulfillment fantasies, but damn. Is it worth it? Honestly asking?

[@alibekzholaman2923]

​@@Kfaircloth13457OK, so imagine Tadano from Komi san can't communicate, but all the dribe the fandom spews about him being a Chad is actual 100% factual truth, and that is Rentaro

[@Roriipupper]

@@Kfaircloth13457the OP is the main catch of this series who overtime grows Saiatama levels of power. There's a reason why the community calls him Chadtarou and the most common meme of: " From 'It should've been me, not him!' to 'Why can't I be one of the GFs?'."

[@nenmaster5218]

The Joke this shitshow is "actually good for real" was never fun

[@completely_original9760]

shocked that trigun stampede didn't even get a shoutout. it came out pretty early, but it was still one of this year's highlights for me. the 3d animation is actually jaw droppingly gorgeous and the story is wayyy tighter than it's predecesor (though i do miss the zany antics and iconic character designs from 1998 trigun). i think it's cool that they brought back one of the classics for a new generation of fans :3

[@twentytwoblue22]

For real it’s a shame it didn’t get a spotlight it’s always a joy when Studio Orange drops a stunning and well written anime every few years. They even worked really close with Trigun’s mangaka for Stampede

[@dohalimilqarasdeldemenanci8483]

He said animes that he watched, maybe he just didn't have time to watch it with everything we got this year

[@completely_original9760]

@@twentytwoblue22 i heard! it's a total rework years later now that the mangaka is more mature. very similar to scott pilgrim's situation, now that i think about it lol. we got a lot of treats this year

[@komyn27]

That anime is near the top of my "worst" list, lol. My husband and I were both deeply disappointed as fans of the original anime and manga. It was especially painful to think about after watching the Kenshin remake, which has been significantly better.

[@completely_original9760]

@@komyn27 how so? i watched the original anime right before tristamp so i can't say that i have any nostalgia for it, but the plot felt way more coherent, not to mention the creative use of animation that wasn't possible yet in the '90s. i did feel that it lost the charm that comes with the episodic format, but overall it was a fantastic rework imo

[@enlongjones2394]

I would like to call a bit of attention to Shangri-La Frontier’s English dub. The voice actors are doing very well with the characters, for one. But also, the writing is just funny. The English dub writers are clearly having fun with the dialogue, and I always enjoy it when Sunraku comes out with some line that I wouldn’t have expected to hear in an official anime dub, but which totally fits the irreverent gamer character he is. Especially when he’s bantering with other players he knows from other games. There’s not a lot of anime where I’d expect the protagonist to say “hang on a kingdom-burnin’ second”, or call an opposing player a “baby-clown diaper load”, but I’m here for it.

[@RapidsLurker15]

I've been waiting to hear someone tear into FLCL Grunge. I wish you could have gone on longer about it, though I understand why you didn't. This as someone who's favorite FLCL seasons are Alternative and Shoegaze.

[@ben-san9677]

4:53 The way you said "Rentaro Aijo" made me thing "Cotton-Eye Joe," so I blame you for this... If it hadn't been for God's typo I might've settled for one _kanojo_ Watch as my "family" continues to grow Harem gigachad Rentaro Aijo

[@mothersbasement]

Brilliant!

[@tess4940]

What broke my immersion with Shangi-la frontier was the moment when Sunraku beat 18 enemies between 45 & 90 levels above him at half exp and only gained 2 levels. That’s not a god tier game, that’s an alright game with a horrendous game ruining exp curve.

[@AWanderingSwordsman]

Many games have an xp penalty if you are too far below the target to prevent power leveling. Seems more unreasonable to me that he can kill them so fast in a game designed around party play. I solo a lot of bosses in action MMOs and even being hyper aggressive, that shit usually takes forever. I'm talking 45+ minutes sometimes. If you had a party in shangri-la with an actual tank, you could kill any of the enemies including bosses shown incredibly easily with just a few seconds of concentrated party dps.

[@jaxdragonvein8162]

Also, many games will adjust the difficulty of a boss if you fight them solo, vs. fighting them with a party in order to appeal to solo players. Along with the xp penalty, Sunraku was wearing an item that halved the amount of xp he could get in exchange for more skill points with each level up. ​@@AWanderingSwordsman

[@cheesepuffs9879]

Try playing celtic heroes, youd get one shot by any boss 25 lvls above you and u not levling at all if u kill them

[@aheadsounds2522]

I remember playing a game called stick ranger and there was a mechanic where you do not gain exp if you are 10 levels above or enemy and are reduced as well. This ruins the games exp curve extremely badly and makes the game more grind that it definitely should be especially playing blind. It tries to force you to comply with the exp curve but then that absolutely ruins the exp curve and they never balanced the exp so it is easier to grind with this restriction. Thanks game!

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

It's explained as being more like an MMO dark souls I guess. However, that should also mean that levels, skills, and stats are not nearly as important as they seem to be made out to be. It would also make pvp real weird since I don't think anyone in the real world has figured out how to balance a game like that. OTOH, this is immersive VR so the interface is far more versatile with regards to transferring intrinsic skill over without making everything samey.

[@NootNoot.]

Thank you for even mentioning Kamikatsu, what a courageous and brave act. The show fills the konosuba-void in my heart, a chefs kiss in yard dump trashiness.

[@Paratet]

Kamikatsu is so gloriously unhinged I couldn't help but love it. On top of the humore, the story is actually really good and unique.

[@enricomassignani]

The story behind KamiKatsu is pretty deep. I'm almost sad that it was "wasted" on a trashy parody like that.

[@platinumfactor]

This was a genius way to trick me into watching your best of the year list

[@hickumu]

First off - I know it's probably less rewarding from a views/engagement perspective to start with a best of list, but I really appreciate that you did. Lately I've been trying to make a conscious effort to engage with more positive media analysis/reactions for the sake of my mental health, even though listening to "worst of" lists is easier and sometimes funnier, but you have a genuine enthusiasm that made this list a real mood booster to get through (and absolutely got some recs added to my list) As someone who disdains pretty much every anime under the "harem" banner and doesn't even enjoy like 90% of romance anime, I have to admit, I'm a couple of episodes into 100 Girlfriends and your review was entirely accurate and spot on. There is something so actually, genuinely compelling about what a good guy Rentaro is to these very different girls and it makes it very clear why they'd love him. I'm literally actually aromantic and when he presented those two four leaf clovers in Episode 1, I was like "yeah! Yeah I'd share this boy with another girl."

[@jvever4904]

The fact you hard cut from Vinland Saga S2 to 100 girlfriends gave me such whiplash I had to stop the video and stare in confusion at the screen

[@thehappypolybunch5791]

SAME HAAHHAHA

[@Discerned_]

It really isn't for everyone, but personally Eminence in Shadow S2 has been the biggest treat to me this year (aside from Frieren). There is so many great shows though. We are truly blessed.

[@realah3001]

It does go hard ngl

[@collinbeal]

I showed my partner the "I. Am. ...a-to-mic..." scene just a few days ago, and they were very entertained 😂.

[@dvillines26]

I kind of thought the second arc was a step down, but the first arc, filler episode, and third arc so far have been pretty good. most recent episode has an argument for being best of the series so far.

[@_ikako_]

I just adore how Frieren the show took the trope of "1000 year old elf girl" and made her canonically asexual. The show takes so many annoying anime tropes and turns them on their heads just to show that it's better then that.

[@theyawster]

I don't think she's asexual. Rather, elves live such long lives that their relationship and understanding of time is different. 10 years to Frieren is like a few months for us. So in the same way it might take a few months to realize you're in love, it would take elves 100-200 years to make that same realization.

[@MrGksarathy]

Yeah, I don't think she's asexual. Just emotionally stunted and inhuman in perspective. To be fair, Frieren and Kraft basically tell us that all elves are more or less on the ace spectrum in human terms.

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

@@theyawsterShe herself explains that elves typically don’t have a natural sex drive or inclination for romance like humans do, which is a big part of why they’re nearly extinct.

[@Jesus_Zendejas]

​@thedapperdolphin1590 I know it's a silly argument but theoretically we can't really apply sexual identity in the same way as we do for us. If Frieren was like an actual person their psychology would be different from us.

[@MrGksarathy]

@@thedapperdolphin1590 Yeah, but again, considering how inhuman her perspective is and how much it's already changed, it seems more like a species-wide tendency as opposed to a human sexuality. Frieren might in our terms be on the ace spectrum, probably some kind of demisexual, but how much does that mean to a species that views time and relationships so differently from our own?

[@vexorian]

I honestly would have filled my list with Insomniacs After School. Dangers in my heart. Skip to Loafer. Tomo-chan is a girl, Nagatoro season 2. Frieren. I just think this was a great year for romcom/SoLs. There was even a Kaguya-sama mini season consisting of the best arc/last good arc of the manga. But it's amazing how the year was so stock-full of cool stuff that it's not the first thing I think of.

[@Monika-di7vv]

The 100 Girlfriends is top 5 of the year for me. Hell yes. Girlfriend Girlfriend is right behind it too 😅

[@Metruzanca]

I loved the way you described stark. "The Cowardly Dragon Slayer" such a confusing title but such a fitting one.

[@nesmontou2393]

Northern War is actually some complete garbage, the moments in Cold Steel 3 where Rean briefly talks about the war in front of a sepia filter CG are unironically more interesting than this entire show

[@byusaranicole]

YESSSSSS #2 hottest trash! Omg... every single episode is worse than the one before, and all the comments on Crunchyroll are like, "Wow... you can tell the animators hate this anime...." It just keeps getting jankier and jankier.... The thing is, I'm not opposed to a (well-written) age-gap romance in my manga, but why ON EARTH did they greenlight THAT one??? *shakes her head* I just cannot.

[@deykuzor]

I decided to watch Pluto upon watching this video. I love Monster and 20th Century Boys, and Black Jack, Dororo, and Astro Boy so something like "the brain child of Tezuka Osamu and Urasawa Naoki just sounds like my thing. Also I figured I enjoyed Dororo 2019 so a reimagining of Tezuka's work seemed like it could be great again. I never read Pluto (I'm not a big anime or manga fan, so despite having read and watched Astro Boy, I must've just missed Pluto somehow in my 30 years of existing) so I didn't really know what to expect. I know you said to take it slow... But I just binged the entire show today. It was amazing. Absolutely knocked me flat. Just to express how absolutely gobsmacked I was: My mother (adopted) is a 60+ year old white woman but she grew up on Astro Boy (the american dub of the 1963 animation of all things) and remembering her enjoyment of it as a child, would buy me the VHS of the 1980 series. I then would buy the collected volumes because it was a fun tv show and I wanted more. I've read the greatest robot on earth. I thought I'd at least recognize this plot as it unfolded. I did not expect to be put into Gescheit's shoes with a crime scene in episode 1 but I just suddenly felt like i was in Urasawa's world... It was Monster all over again but with familiar Astro Boy characters. I have now recommended the Netflix adaptation to my mother. I don't know if she'll watch it, or get as much out of it as me. I dont remember if the 1960 anime even covered this part of the comic, but I hope she does watch the show. I hope it blows her away like it did for me. Thank you so much for the recommend. The only other show from Japan I've watched this year without getting bored and losing interest is Frieren. Suddenly I had 9 hours of amazing anime handed to me that I didn't even realize was out.

[@tedweird]

So happy to see Insomniacs get some recognition. I knew it was special by the end of the first episode, fell in love shortly after, and absolutely binged it after the season ended. It was one if the most human romances I've seen in a long time

[@rainbowchewynuggets]

Hey, congratulations on starting your novel! I’m also a writer-y person who gets kicked headlong into projects after intense inspiration by anime. I can’t wait for us fans to get to read your work someday. :)

[@jasonguarnieri4127]

I don't really like pointing out the worst of anything, but my best of the year is The Apothecary Diaries for it beautiful animation that compliments its core themes of beauty. And my most cursed is Migi And Dali fir being so strange I feel like I'm watching performance art.

[@jessip8654]

I really thought Summoned to Another World for a Second Time was going to be about how his crazy rival had been reincarnated along with him as his childhood best friend. I thought that concept had a lot of potential for drama, twists, and possibly even a unique romance. It was about three episodes in that I realized I had given the show way too much credit, and that the childhood friend character mattered to the plot about as much as the dirt under protag-kun's boots.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

This is why you don't hype things up for yourself.

[@Wolf-bz6kq]

Zom 100 pulled me in with tendo's elation when he realized he didnt have to go to work, that woke up apart of me i lost in my mid twenties, couldnt help but cheer for him when he goes on one of his littl adventures

[@jorgelopez-xb5dv]

Heavenly Delusion was the surprise hit in my opinion. I never heard of it or even know that there was a manga. It was my number one anime of the year (2023) It's definitely new anime of thr year for me!!

[@jeans4460]

Heavenly Delusion really did feel different than most anime I’ve seen. You get a sense of the setting- Japan 15 years after a disaster that caused society’s collapse- through natural character interactions, and the way everyone exists in their world feels so believable. People survive and even try to rebuild in so many interesting ways. And when you piece together some of the mysteries with the breadcrumbs you’re left… you end up like me re-reading the entire manga 3 times waiting for the next update. But I’ll eventually stop gushing over my personal fave long enough to try something new

[@matijamaksan4344]

Usagi Drop is still my second favourite anime. Anime ended where it did and manga to exclusive anime watcher like me has no impact. Love the video, your picks are great.

[@moerril]

As always, your scriptwriting is amazing to listen to :) If there is one show that people probably have missed that shouldn't be missed that would be Bang Dream, Its my GO!. You can watch it without knowing anything about any of the other seasons, and in my opinion it is the best Slice of Life relationship drama since Hibike Euphonium.

[@Princesa.Nathali]

This is the review I look forward to every year. I’m mostly unfulfilled by each seasons’ anime throughout the rest of the year, then you line up bangers for me to binge during my depression season

[@mario98730]

I cannot thank Geoff enough for putting me on to Frieren. From that initial catalyst moment “why didn’t I get to know him better” I was immediately in love and deemed Frieren my anime of the year pick (and in contention for my favorite waifu). It’s a cozy found family show but has some stellar fight scenes, great comedy, incredible animation and a cast of characters you can’t help but love. That said I also have to blame Geoff for convincing me to watch Ron Kamonohashi, an anime which self-imploded so spectacularly that I literally might revive my all but dead dream of making video essays because I want to roast this show so bad and no one’s talking ab it online (I suspect Geoff will roast it soon but still I’m so angry 😂 )

[@Andernerd]

Thank you for bringing the glory that is the Trails of Cold Steel Northern War runaway truck scene to the masses. I'd hate for people to have to watch that whole thing just to experience its best moment.

[@bdown08]

I watched 3 episodes of Summoned to Another World for a Second time and then took a few days off and when I went to continue it I couldn't remember a single thing that had happened.

[@haski002]

Apothecaries Diaries is such a good anime I'm kinda sad it's airing in such a stacked year. It's very good, and the animation is generally good with the occasional fantatsic moments. But also it's not as good as something like Frieren so it just doesn't measure up.

[@edithmccarthy8206]

There are a lot of video essay people on youtube, out of all of them I notice the care you put into your scripts the most I would love to read a novel written by you. I hope you keep it up and it all goes well much love!

[@YugenTFT]

This year has been incredibly packed with outstanding shows like Vinland Saga, Pluto, Frieren, Apothecary Diaries, Heavenly Delusion, and JJK, making it an absolute feast for anime enthusiasts. Your mention of Oshi no Ko caught my attention, especially when you emphasized the "mother of all rug pulls" in the first episode. Unable to resist the intrigue, I paused your video immediately to experience the much-hyped show without any spoilers. Thanks to your discretion, I went into it completely spoiler-free and was genuinely shocked. Appreciate the heads-up!

[@kickflipindi]

hbomberguy we got another one

[@YugenTFT]

@@kickflipindi huh?

[@catantcha99]

Jjk season 2 is hard for me to watch after hearing how poorly the animators are being treated

[@MoondustManwise]

Oshi No Ko is at the very least MY anime of the year. And one of my new all time favs.

[@FourthStar]

Coming back here to thank you for recommending "Overtake!". Seeing how it's about F4 racing, I probably would've just ignored it completely if I came across it while browsing Crunchyroll. Man, that was a good watch. The characters were so enjoyable, the artstyle and animation were nice and consistent (big props for their masterful integration of the 3D cars/racetrack), and needless to say I cried like a baby on the episode in which we learn the photographer's full backstory/source of his trauma. Not over-the-top, not strident. No villains; just people trying their best. Glad I got to watch it!

[@alicethemad1613]

“Gretchen, stop trying to make FLCL happen. It’s not going to happen.”

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

I didn't watch Pluto for months because I figured the 'What if Monster wrote Astro Boy' was so apparently laser-focused on what I like that there was no way it actually could be all that. I got two episodes in and it punched me right in the heart three times already.

[@michaelmeyers4843]

My top anime of the year that wasn't mentioned was Undead Murder Farce. But otherwise this video hit all my faves. Only ones I didn't watch this year were Shagri-La Frontier, Insomniacs, Pluto, and Overtake, and I would have watched Heavenly Delusion if I could find it on Disney+. Oh, and haven't gotten around to Scott Pilgrim yet. I might try Shangri-la at some point. The others aren't for me. Anyways, my personal top 5 AOTY would be Oshi no Ko, Zom 100, JJK, Konosuba Explosions Spinoff, Undead Murder Farce. Runners up are Mushoku Tensei, Bluelock, 100 Girlfriends, Handyman Saito, Dark Gathering, Gene of AI.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Frieren was a massive Highlight! Thanks for making me know!😊😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@mothersbasement]

glad you enjoyed it so much! hope you find some more good ones in this video, and thanks for always cheering me on, Dan!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

@@mothersbasement My pleasure! You're one of the Best! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@gfgivoltage1769]

Oshi no ko is my aoty. Such a masterpiece and easily became my favorite anime. Also glad 100 girlfriends is getting love from this video. It's the best harem I've watched and has some fantastic writing.

[@Bronimin]

I got tricked into watching that show by the initial premise that never went anywhere and I hate it

[@gfgivoltage1769]

@Bronimin ok

[@joeltoomer3332]

@@Broniminsame tbh

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

@@Bronimin Me too. But then they introduced high school Kana, and so I forgave the show.

[@andrerossel8394]

My favourite it's sacrificial princess and the king of beast although i can see why overtake makes the list. Although it can be a bit boring sometimes. It also offered the most pure human connection moment I even seen. And it wasn't even between the main characters.

[@TelepathicVoyeur]

Wow. I didn't think the final entry of one of these could be more horrifying than My Sister My Writer, yet here we are.

[@LawrenceofCanadia]

Oh my god what a welcome surprise! Had no idea this video was coming out tonight. Also, how did it feel to know you hit the big time when you got referenced in an HBomberguy video as one of the GOOD guys???

[@mothersbasement]

HBomb contacted me ahead of the video to confirm that James couldn’t have gotten the quote somewhere else, so I knew it was coming. Honestly I was mostly just floored by what he uncovered and how big the people doing it were.

[@LawrenceofCanadia]

I think we all were man. I couldn't figure out which emotion was stronger: disbelief, or disgust. @@mothersbasement

[@Dr.Spatula]

@@LawrenceofCanadia if disgust isn't the stronger emotion than you are far too innocent for the internet lol

[@marocat4749]

Did he regerence down the rabbithole too with eve😮 And yes, watching todd of the shadows,its bizarrly done too, why.

[@lostlegend2197]

I think for me, one of the most surprising things about My Life as Inukai-san's Dog is the fact that Inukai's best friend Nekotani is voiced by Kasumi Nakasu's (Love Live! Nijigasaki) VA Mayu Sagara. That shocked me when I found out she was in this. 😳

[@dreammech_test1]

Jujutsu Kaisen and undead unluck are my current personal faves but if I have time I’ll definitely give these other bests a try

[@robosmith8513]

thank you Jeff! Since I've little time to watch anime, I base most of my watching on your recommendations. Theyve been stallar so far, with Frieren being my absolute favorite.

[@RobertIsLostInTheWires]

I'm definitely going to book off time to watch a few of the shows mentioned here (Heavenly Delusion and Scott Pilgrim especially, but the endorsement of Insomniacs has me interested). Also, Mr. Basement, sir: so glad you're working on that big writing project, and I'm glad Zom100 inspired you to get on it. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[@jdng86]

I had not heard about that FLCL sequel and now my Christmas is ruined, and I say that as someone who thought the last FLCL sequels were okay. Thanks Geoff!

[@Someone-zn4dh]

100 girlfriends is peak harem and what a harem should have become. Endering character with actual interesting plot and relationship, either between the male and female or the females rival together

[@Petpatrol2]

Hi Jeff! Idk if you read the comments but I just wanted to let you know i've been following your channel(s) for a few years now and I really love your videos. They're fun, interesting, funny, and have shown me many great shows I wouldn't have otherwise known about (and made sure I know about stuff that's worth just knowing about without actually... watching.) I enjoy your content a lot snd am happy when new videos come out, especially seasonal lists or round-ups. Keep making awesome content.

[@mothersbasement]

It took a while to see this one b/c after making the vid I was WIPED and needed a break, but I do read most of them! Thanks for watching and thanks for the kind words.

[@SsnakeBite]

Most of the entries in the "Best" list seem like stuff I'd genuinely want to watch, especially _Heavenly Delusion._ Thank you for the recommendations!

[@sakaki_chrono]

Thank you for speaking about KamiKatsu. I really think it's a surprisingly good anime of the season. Everything comes together well enough and the twists are pretty engaging.

[@mikeisfine]

So shocked by the verdict on KamiErabi! I felt like I was one of very few that really enjoyed it, and not in an ironic way. Like at first it's really jarring, but it's oddly charming and well done despite the questionable decisions. It quickly became one of the anime I was looking forward to each week, and maybe that's partly in due to the fact that a lot of people were hating on it which kinda polarized my enjoyment, but I'm genuinely excited that It's getting renewed for another season and I'm really looking forward to what Yoko Taro might have cooking.

[@thicboibigsmoke7220]

100 girlfriends is the first time ever that I discovered a piece of media before it got an anime adaptation, and I am SO SO SO SO SO HAPPY that its adaptation is equally as awesome as the manga. Its my personal comfort food, something I know will be sweet, kindhearted and a pleasure to experience and to see something i love get an adaptation that rocks is indescribable

[@loturzelrestaurant]

No one's forcing to say these embarassing things, right? Acting like its genuinly good behind the cringe when cringe is all that it has to offer, if not at this point outright normalization? I mean, you do literally call it; to the disgust of many; sweet and wholesome even though its an actual harem. You think consent makes a harem ok? So-called chemistry being there makes it not disgusting? Even if we forget he makes them kiss so he can watch, this isnt wholesome, this makes some people vomit and maybe you check yourself why the massive discrepanacy? Oh and i heard 16 year old protagonist gets paired with adult women and 12 year olds but you call that cute and sweet i suppose??

[@Qualjyn]

​@@loturzelrestaurantsir, this is a Wendy's drive through.

[@WalkmanWillWalkAllOverYou]

​@@loturzelrestaurant There are valid discussions to be had about problematic things being normalised/romanticised in Anime. You're Toxic and Childish Outbursts are not the way.

[@noblesseoblige319]

The reincarnated for a second time thing actually had a fantastic premise! It just... Ignored literally every aspect of the premise that had any positive attributes. I mean, he IMMEDIATELY gets proven to be the same hero, has all his same skills, and literally just... Leaves his entire class behind to do plot. So the "deal with all your classmates being there now" bit, the whole attempt to prove who you are or keep it secret thing, and even the "how have things changed, and did I actually do anything lasting" are just left behind entirely.

[@DannigBB6]

Really happy that you included Overtake! I came into it expecting Capeta but it was so much more. Episode 9 probably one of the best things I've seen in a long time

[@hitachicordoba]

They actually "went there" with the 3/11 Tsunami flashback and I was shook deeply. Such a great story and character development, Best Girl was in her 30s, an ex-wife who never stopped believing in her ex. Finale was perfect and extremely satisfying- this show really Overtook MF Ghost in feels and quality.

[@MelloWun]

Hey, @mothersbasement ! I've been a fan for a while and I'm just hype to hear you say you want to write a novel. I'm a writer in film/TV/graphic novels and I had to build the courage to drop my first video on KZbin about writing(on another channel). And making that video was my proudest project this year. Because it was for me. This is all to say: I really can't wait to read your novel. I'm excited and I'll hold you to it.