It is time once again for our annual look back at the past year, and I’ve rounded up some of my favorite anime moments from 2023. For my tastes, it’s been a bit of an up and down year for anime, with little to watch in the Winter and Summer seasons and almost too much in Spring and Fall. Also, I feel like a lot of shows started strong and dropped off hard by the end, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, there was a lot of good anime overall, and this was a tough list to make.

It’s worth mentioning these are my top “moments” and not a list of my top shows. I thought I would point that out as this is probably the furthest this list has ever strayed from my actual favorite anime list. I even mention a show that I ended up dropping, so you can’t say I’m unfair.

That all aside, I hope everyone had a good 2023, and we’ll see you for year 12 of The GLORIO Blog in 2024!

A Real Honor

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Episode 8

I’m always happy to see confession scenes that avoid the usual anime rom-com formula. In this particular case, Yamada has never denied his feelings for Akane, and when presented with the totally hypothetical prospect of dating, he says how he feels. I love that this all fits as a natural extension of their relationship, and doesn’t just instantly change the status quo. Sure, Akane gets a bit flustered and has some things to work out, but through open, honest communication, they make it all work out.

Aoi Completes Her Golf

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story Season 2 Episode 15

The second season of Birdie Wing sadly does not live up to the chaotic energy of the first, but it does have enough absurd melodrama to keep things entertaining. One of my favorite ridiculous moments is when Coach Amuro shows Aoi “her” swing, the one that will complete her golf. She only needs to see it once, as if she was blessed with some kind of holy light while watching. This is not only enough to learn the swing, but enough to realize, deep in her heart, that Coach Amuro is her real dad. The fact that this one swing almost kills him is just an extra layer of delicious silliness. Birdie Wing delivers plenty of moments like this, but this is one of my favorites in season 2.

The Art of Seduction

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Episode 13

Yes, Frieren (the character) is a stoic, seemingly emotionless immortal with hundreds of years of knowledge, wisdom and life experience, but the secret to her character is her mischievous gremlin side. A great example is her attempt to “seduce” potential new party member Sein in an effort to recruit him. Does she truly believe blowing a kiss is some kind of magic spell to steal a person’s heart, or is she just teasing everyone? Whatever the answer, it’s a fun extra dimension to her character that keeps the show from getting too dry or boring.

I’ll Give You Three

Skip and Loafer Episode 9

This is a very simple scene where Mitsumi is just giving Shima some crackers, but it’s a really great depiction of how awkward and beautiful friendship can be. It particularly got me when their conversation seems to be over, and Mitsumi runs back to give Shima a few more crackers since he looks down. He’s barely said anything in this entire scene and Mitsumi doesn’t pry, but she’s a good buddy who can tell her friend is going through something. She was also willing to take the initiative to find him even though things were feeling awkward after being apart for Summer break. That’s what good friends do, and why the cast of Skip and Loafer is so likable.

Don’t Go in the Attic

Migi and Dali Episode 5

Up until this episode, it wasn’t entirely clear how much Migi and Dali would commit to its murder mystery premise. No matter how weird and disturbing the events of the first few episodes would get, they would always pull their punches a bit for the sake of comedy. While the show certainly never loses its sense of humor, it’s Dali’s discovery in the attic that serves as a the turning point in the storytelling. There is now an element of danger to the boys’ investigation, which adds some genuine tension and amplifies the absurdity of the jokes going forward. It’s an impressive balance that the show manages to keep throughout.

THEY ARE MARRIED

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Episode 24

Let’s be honest, the second season of G-Witch is a hot mess, but we all came away positive on it because these two crazy kids managed to make it in this cruel world. Suletta and Miorine’s relationship serves as the emotional core for the entire series, and I appreciated that no matter what colossal misunderstanding or world changing event came between them, they always found their way back to each other. Seeing them get everything they wanted and deserved made it all worth it. Also, shout out to the series’ creators for not backing down on the marriage and taking it probably as far as they were allowed to go, I want to see more of that.

Dinner with Atom

Pluto Episode 5

Using robots in stories that explore the nature of humanity is a concept as old as the concept of robots themselves. Pluto doesn’t really introduce any new ideas to this, but it does explore those concepts better than just about anything else. One of my favorite techniques they use is making a mundane scene feel dramatic or threatening, and my favorite example is Dr. Tenma’s flashback to having dinner with Atom. As Tenma comes to the realization that his creation is NOT his son, Atom’s bright smile feels creepy and his loving words turn into piercing barbs. It’s a perfect way to demonstrate an important part of the message of Pluto, one of many great storytelling moments that makes this an Anime of the Year contender.

The Rise and Fall of Ai Hoshino

Oshi no Ko Episode 1

Podcast listeners will know that I don’t even like Oshi no Ko, but I can’t deny the movie-length prologue episode hit the anime world like a bomb. Ai’s story is a bold and scathing indictment of the Japanese entertainment industry the likes of which we rarely see in anime. It’s the most artistically ambitious thing Doga Kobo has ever made, and it had me more excited to watch an anime than anything else this year. Unfortunately, almost everything good about the prologue gets abandoned in the rest of the series, but on its own I think it deserves to be on this list.

Ketil Shows His True Self

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 18

I get really upset when I see people missing the point of Vinland Saga, saying season 2 is boring and specifically the Arnheid arc is a waste of time because it’s not focused on Thorfinn. In reality, I think her arc is the best in the series, and highlights all the themes of Vinland Saga that run deeper than just “violence bad”. The climax of the arc is when Ketil finds out about Arnheid’s escape attempt and shows what kind of man he is. There are no good enslavers, and we see the ugly sense of entitlement and insecurity that is ultimately driving all these proud, violent men. I could write a whole post about this scene so I’ll stop there, but needless to say it’s a very powerful moment in a series full of powerful moments.

Their Choice

Heavenly Delusion Episode 8

Amid the strange science fiction phenomenon and post-apocalyptic hardships in Heavenly Delusion, there are many powerful human moments that make the story compelling. The best example is the Immortal Order mini-arc, where we meet the mysterious Dr. Usami and a patient he is going through extreme lengths to keep alive. It’s a situation that can only end in tragedy, delivering an emotional gut punch while also tying together the two major storylines we’ve seen up to this point. It’s unfortunate the series doesn’t handle some other key moments with this kind of grace, but they do a fantastic job with this one.