Autumn 2023 Mid-Season Rankings

Are we really half way through the season already? I don’t want most of these series to end, this lineup is so much better than summer’s! As usually happens when I’m spoilt for choice, I picked up more anime than I usually would; even then, I had to skip a lot that I was interested in. But, this seems to be just the right amount for me to keep up with each week. 🙂

I guess I should give a special mention to the one big autumn series that isn’t on my list: I skipped Sousou no Frieren because I’m already reading the manga, and wanted to focus on stories that were all new to me, as gorgeous as that adaptation looks. Very much one that I’m planning to go back to, no need to recommend it – but please do recommend (or warn me against!) anything else I haven’t covered here!

Anyway, long intro is long. Onto the list:

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19: Goblin Slayer II

Despite their reputation for being weak, goblins are cruel, intelligent, and dangerous in large numbers, leading to many inexperienced adventuring parties getting wiped out. The eponymous Goblin Slayer is a man whose mission is to destroy them all. S2 started with him and his party training new adventurers, while the Priestess worked towards earning a promotion independently of her higher ranked friends.

I remember enjoying the first series, though reading back through my Autumn 2018 thoughts, it was mostly shock factor and decent fight scenes that propped up its otherwise average story. Five years later, the shock factor is gone. New studio, animation isn’t as good. Without that, this sequel hasn’t gripped me. I’m not even sure if there’s a plot, aside from ‘visit place, find goblin, kill, repeat’. Which is the name of the show, I guess! Characters don’t interest me, I wonder if the lack of names contributes to that. I’m undecided as to whether I’ll continue with it.

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18: Paradox Live the Animation

In the near future, a substance known as ‘phantometal’ is used by hip-hop artists to enhance their performances, by combining with their DNA and displaying their emotions in the form of flashy illusions. BAE are one such group, who (along with three others) suddenly receive an invitation to take part in a round robin hip-hop battle tournament. The prize for the winners: ten billion yen, and the chance to take on the ultimate unit known as BURAIKAN!

I generally avoid music-themed anime, but I noticed that one of the characters used gender neutral pronouns, so I thought I’d give it a chance. As I suspected, not really my cup of tea – I know very little about hip-hop, but most of what I’ve heard here doesn’t sound great. The characters are a mixed bag, each with their own motivations for taking part in Paradox Live; the mysterious Ryu is by far my favourite, helps that his rap actually sounds good too (and it seems the Crunchyroll comments largely agree!)

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17: Shy

War and conflict on Earth have ended, thanks to the presence of superheroes in every country. These heroes now spend their time rescuing people from natural disasters or accidents. Japan’s national hero is Shy, whose true identity is a 14 year old schoolgirl named Momijiyama Teru. After a rollercoaster malfunctions, Shy safely rescues all but one of the riders, who is severely injured. This incident, and the backlash from the media and online, leaves her unable to transform… but when faced with a burning hotel, and inspired by a child whose life she previously saved, she jumps back into action.

The first half felt very mediocre on the whole, though maybe I went in with the wrong expectations. A lot more training and slice of life scenes than actual action, and when the villains do show up, the animation is little more than a slide show. That said, Amarariruku did catch my interest in ep 6, so maybe there’s still hope.

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16: Helck

I’ll keep my thoughts on the continuing series shorter. Helck didn’t impress me much even in the underwhelming summer 2023 season, but the last 6-7 episodes which focused on Helck’s backstory have been much better! The plot isn’t ground-breaking, the usual story of betrayal and humans being jerks, but I appreciate his character much more now that I know the weight and emotion behind his dumb smile and ridiculous strength. Hopefully it’ll hold my interest, now that the focus is back on the present.

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15: Kamierabi

Goro is a highschool boy who is dissatisfied with life. One day, he receives a weird phone notification inviting him to make a wish; he types that he wants to do ‘something naughty’ with his crush, Honoka. The next day, his wish suddenly ends up being granted! Then, things get really weird, as a mini floating girl shows up to inform him he’s now a ‘god candidate’, and must fight other candidates in a death match. His first opponent: none other than Honoka!

Janky 3D animation and survival games. Two of my guilty pleasures finally meet in one series! I was expecting it to be trash, and the first few episodes very much were, but… I think it’s improving? The characters have really unique abilities, with Goro’s in particular having crippling side effects from overuse. Backstories have been dark and interesting. We still don’t know a thing about the forces that set this game in motion, hopefully we’ll at least get a bit of info about that before the series ends.

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14: Dark Gathering

Another continuing summer 2023 series. And my word, is this show ramping up the dark, terrifying content! Love hotels haunted by the victims of sex trafficking; domestic violence and cannibalism; impregnation by ghosts – and that’s just the last four episodes! On top of that is the newly realised fear that ghosts can steal the bodies of the living, accessing all their memories and passing themselves off as those individuals. I dread to think what the next haunted site will throw at our ghost hunting trio.

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13: 16bit Sensation: Another Layer

It’s 2023, and the bishoujo game industry is in decline. Meiko works as a sub-illustrator for a struggling dev company, working on low effort budget titles. Her own game pitch is shot down as too ambitious and expensive. While on her lunch break, she finds a 2nd hand game shop, selling rare 90s bishoujo games for virtually nothing! She befriends the owner, and promises to return later, only to find the shop abandoned soon after. All that remains is a bag of the games she picked out. She opens one of the boxes, there is a sudden flash of light… and Meiko is now back in 1992, the dawn of the bishoujo game era!

As voted for by my blog readers, thanks once again to everyone who took part! 16bit Sensation hasn’t gone quite the way I expected, with Meiko only spending an episode in 1992 before traveling back and forth between the present and different points in the 90s. Each visit felt too brief, I wanted to see more of the tech, of the Alcohol Soft team at work, or of Meiko interacting with them in general. Seemed like I’d finally gotten my wish in 1999… then the plot massively thickened! I’m concerned about the impacts her meddling with have on the present, too. This is getting more complex and interesting every week. 😀

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12: Uma Musume: Pretty Derby S3

Series 3 of Uma Musume focuses primarily on Kitasan Black, a young child in S2 who has now made her racing debut, and who hopes to match the success of her idol Tokai Teio! Also featuring is her childhood friend, Satono Diamond, whose family have yet to achieve any real success in a big race – will she finally be able to break the so-called Satono Curse?

More horse girls running in pretty but highly impractical outfits! Though significantly less focus on the after-race idol concerts; I wonder if that part wasn’t popular, or could they just not get the necessary 3D animation this time around? Regardless, this is such a fun series, and one that doesn’t require me to focus or engage my brain too much while watching it. Strong but friendly rivalries, great comedy (Satono Diamond’s ‘training’ episode had me in stitches), and this season has already featured more of Gold Ship than I remember in S2, which is always a good thing.

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11: Hoshikuzu Telepath

Konohoshi Umika suffers from extreme shyness. Though she wants to make friends, she cannot express her feelings in words. She is also super into space and aliens, a hobby which led to her being teased in the past. Her goal is to one day travel to other planets, in search of life forms with whom she can communicate easier than her fellow humans. Enter Akeuchi Yuu – an energetic girl who claims to BE an alien! By placing her forehead against Umika’s, Yuu is able to read the thoughts that Umika can’t say out loud. And since Yuu needs a lift back to her home planet, she’s more than happy to team up with Umika and work towards building a rocket ship.

An adorable slice of life 4-koma adaptation with very likable characters, based around club activities that are literally rocket science! Cute chibi scenes and full-face blushes abound. Also, their secret lighthouse base is cool. Good for lifting your spirits into orbit!

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10: Dead Mount Death Play Part II

The first part ended on a huge clash between powerful characters, right above our main characters’ base of operations, which did not escape the attention of Shinjuku’s general population! Among those descending on Polka’s apartment is Kochou, a tabloid reporter who wants to know more about the famous fortune teller. More worrying is when the police arrive, searching for a suspected mugger, only for a corpse to show up in their basement! Who is setting Polka up, and is the similarity of this situation to that of Hosorogi’s death 5 years earlier a coincidence?

As with other Narita Ryohgo series, the cast keeps growing with every episode, and the tangle of stories + character relationships is getting super complex. For every mystery revealed, 3+ more spring up to replace it! But, it’s never boring, and I’m confident it will all make sense eventually. Animation-wise, it doesn’t always look great, but they do put a bit more effort into the fight scenes at least.

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9: Bullbuster

Okino Tetsurou is an engineer and mech pilot with Kanie Technologies, whose new combat robot Bullbuster has been leased by the ‘pest control’ company Namidome Industries. Almost immediately after arriving at his new workplace, an alarm rings, signalling the appearance of said pests! Since Namidome’s only other robot is out of action, Tetsurou immediately heads into action… or tries to anyway, until Namidome’s accountant points out that he hasn’t yet signed his employment contract. Comedic workplace bureaucracy ensues, after which Tetsurou is finally able to sortie – and only then does he learn that the ‘pests’ he’s been tasked to fight are clawed monsters the size of houses!

I picked this up expecting real robot action, but the majority of the focus is on Namidome as a small company – its finances, HR issues, branding and logos, the struggle to find a boat or staff with a boating license, dealing with info leaks to the public, etc. It’s refreshingly different, and I’m really enjoying it! An overlooked (if unpolished) gem.

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8: Dr. Stone: New World Part II

New world, old problems, as Senkuu and Co suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of the same petrification ray weapon that zapped most of the world’s population millennia ago! Though they now have unlimited revival fluid, their enemies under Ibara’s command waste no time throwing their frozen friends into the deep ocean… which means it’s time for Senkuu to reinvent scuba gear! Meanwhile, Kohaku and Ginro continue their infiltration, and learn a big secret about the island’s chief.

It feels like Dr. Stone’s days of competing for the #1 spot in my rankings are long gone, these more action and plot-focused arcs just don’t have the same spark as S1’s long tech tree did for me. That doesn’t stop it from being a ton of fun, and absolutely hilarious… but also a lot more dramatic and violent, this time around. My favourite anime character list is filling up with members of the Dr. Stone cast! Shout out to the ending sequence, which is a work of art.

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7: Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri

A serial murderer somehow drowns five victims in an area with no open water, and the Metropolitan Police have no leads after 9 months. Young but naïve detective Ishiki Totomaru is sent home, as his superior feels he will just get in the way. However, an older colleague suggests that he pay a visit to Kamonohashi Ron – a Sherlock Holmes level super detective! Totomaru arrives at Ron’s home to find the man living as a hermit in a plain padded room, cut off from all outside information. Apparently Ron can’t help but solve a case once he hears about it, but despite his skills and love for the job, he has one major flaw that makes him deeply unsuited to police work…

I was hoping for a top tier detective mystery series to replace last season’s Undead Girl Murder Farce; Kamonohashi Ron isn’t quite that, with relatively quick cases that are wrapped up in an episode or two, but they’re still intriguing. The main difference, which took me completely by surprise, is how daft this show and its characters are – especially Ron himself!

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6: Megumi no Daigo: Kyuukoku no Orange

Onoda Shun is a young firefighter, who dreams of joining the special rescue corps. But despite getting the necessary recommendations and passing the qualification test first time, he now dreads the intense training, and his instructor’s hazing techniques. Among the fifty other fire officers who made the cut are a man named Toake Daigo, whose strength, stamina and determination seem to be on another level, and Nakamura Yuki, the only woman to qualify.

My first time watching a realistic (relatively speaking) anime about firefighters, so it gets points for that already! I definitely enjoy the rescue scenes the most, even the training one in the burning building was intense and gripping. A good portion of the episodes so far have focused on character introduction and development though, which has been solid, but it is noticeably slower paced compared with the season’s other offerings – likely because it’s running for 24 eps. At least the 6 minute recaps have stopped!

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5: Under Ninja

Ninja still exist in modern day Japan, secretly blending into society. However, there are far fewer jobs available for them than there used to be. Many choose to leave the profession, despite knowing that they’ll be hunted down if they do. Kumogakure Kurou is an unemployed young shinobi, who spends his days lazing around in his apartment, blowing darts at the ceiling and stealing his neighbour’s beer. One day, he receives a mission to infiltrate a high school…

Under Ninja is the series I’ve struggled the most to rate. If you’d asked me a week earlier, this might have been #1. A few weeks before that, middle of the pack. As with Dead Mount Death Play, it has a huge cast and lots of interlinked stories, but on top of that it’s not being told in chronological order, which makes it even harder to keep track of what’s going on. What I do know is, nothing else this season has made me laugh so hard. It’s crude, deadpan, stupid, but so funny.

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4: Spy x Family S2

A spy, an assassin and a psychic kid form a ‘fake’ family for their own conveniences. Hilarity ensues~ And let’s not forget their precognizant dog!

The early episodes of S2 were mostly split into two or three mini stories, mostly light-hearted and comedic, all very watchable. Damian’s Field Research Trip was particularly charming. But not much focus on Operation Strix yet. It fully lured me into a cutesy comfort zone, just in time for a tonal shift and exceptional mid-season climax with the (still ongoing) cruise ship story. When this series really wants to focus on the assassin/spy stuff, it gets surprisingly serious! Thankfully, we’ve still got Loid’s failed attempts at reading Anya’s facial expressions to provide some comic relief. 😀

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3: Jujutsu Kaisen S2

Another series that I struggle to rate. The Shibuya Incident arc has been almost non-stop fight scenes, increasingly ramping up in scale and power with every episode. MAPPA’s animation is (for the most part) sublime, even if it’s hard to tell what’s going on in some of the sequences. As a fan of action anime, it’s a highlight of every week. But though there has been some character development and exposition between or during fights, I’ve missed the lighter-hearted, more comedic moments. I guess that’s the downside of splitting stories into multiple series; if I’d watched this straight after S1, maybe I’d connect with it more.

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2: Migi to Dali

An elderly, childless couple visit an orphanage, looking to adopt. However, they limit themselves to one child. They end up choosing a young boy named Hitori (meaning ‘one person’)… but he has a secret: he is in fact two twin boys, Migi and Dali (names resembling the Japanese words for ‘right and ‘left’). The two brothers work hard to present as one in front of their new parents, while constantly switching places under their very noses to ensure both get a chance to eat and interact with them. And though ‘Hitori’ seems like the perfect angel, the twins clearly have an ulterior motive for getting adopted, and are very manipulative behind the scenes.

The late Sano Nami has to have created one of the strangest series I have ever experienced. The twins are so odd, particularly their movements, but you have to side with them given their sad past. And the mystery they’re investigating just gets weirder and weirder with every revelation! Highly recommended.

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1: Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Maomao is a young apothecary in ancient China. Her life suddenly changes when she is kidnapped and taken to the Emperor’s rear palace! Put to work as a servant, Maomao’s plan is to avoid attention and steadily pay for her own freedom. When the Emperor’s two children both fall ill, rumours of a curse begin to spread among the servants – but Maomao immediately figures out that their sickness has a more scientific explanation. She secretly leaves messages to both concubine mothers, and though only one of them follows her advice, her child lives while the other dies. Unfortunately for Maomao, this act of kindness is soon traced back to her, and her job role changes yet again…

Top of the season according to Anime-Planet average scores, and this time I’m siding with the majority. I love the setting, the politics and the medical mysteries. Stellar animation and fantastic music. But the best part has to be our protagonist Maomao, instant favourite character of the season. Highly intelligent, kindly but with a sadistic side, mostly wants to be left alone to conduct toxicity experiments on her own body. The fact that she grows chibi cat ears when excited is just icing on the cake. 😛