Awash in a lot of more popular subsequent seasons of anime, the Summer 2023 anime season as filled with a lot of “pretty good, but really just okay” anime. You know, like a solid 7/10 score for most new premieres, but very few were real stunners.
There were three real standout this season, but there were a few gems that deserve a second glance for those who don’t make much time for “just okay” anime.
If you want to know what anime we thought was worth watching in the Summer 2023, head on down below.
Best Summer 2023 Anime
Zom 100 – Bucket List of the Dead
While initially excited to begin his adult life, Akira Tendou ends up employed at an exploitative company that breaks his spirit and saps his energy. Unable to quit and contemplating suicide, he dreads each new day of going to work.
That is, until one day when he leaves for the office only to discover that a zombie apocalypse is in full swing.
Realizing that the world as we know it is now over, Akira is overjoyed! He creates a bucket list of all the things he wanted to do but never had the time or energy for as a working adult. Now, he enjoys the apocalypse to the fullest before he becomes a zombie like everyone else.
Why It Is Worth Watching
Are zombies back in style? I hope they’re back in style, but I guess they were never too in style when it came to anime and its spar-few zombie apocalypse-themed anime.
Zom 100 puts the fun in zombie apocalypse by featuring a main character all to easy to relate to as an adult – an overworked guy happy the world is ending so he doesn’t have to go to work!
The series has him treating every day as a new opportunity to do the things he never had the time or energy to do before. He created a little bucket list of desires and is checking them off before he too inevitably ends up as a member of the undead.
The neat thing about Zom 100 is that it is a comedy, but never lets you forget that it is set in a horrific apocalypse either. It definitely means the jokes are more for those who enjoy their black comedy anime, though.
My Happy Marriage
Despite being the firstborn daughter of a noble family known for its supernatural abilities, Miyo is treated little different than a servant by her father, stepmother, and stepsister after not manifesting any supernatural abilities.
After years of abuse and neglect, Miyo is told that she will be married off into the Kudo household. Kiyoka Kudo has built a reputation as a cruel man, having chased off several fiancees already. Knowing that she can’t return home and will be left homeless if the marriage fails, Miyo is ready to bow and scrape. However, she finds Kiyoka Kudo to be a quiet, but kind man. Unfortunately, not everyone takes her marriage into the Kudo family so well.
Why It Is Worth Watching
My Happy Marriage is a romance anime that could have easily floundered. The main character lacks self-esteem, but her lack of self-esteem isn’t obnoxious like it sometimes can be for shoujo heroines. The male lead is cold, but not unlikably cold as can also be the case. Combine that with an aesthetically nice historical setting and a increasingly interesting supernatural plot surrounding the main character, and this series hits all the right notes.
It isn’t the most swoon-worthy romance, but it is a series that is often just nice to watch. By the time it moves into its more intense supernatural plot, you are already well-invested in the characters and endlessly curious to see what will happen next.
Undead Murder Farce
In an alternate 19th century, supernatural creatures exist among humans, but have been hunted and persecuted to the point where they have become quite rare.
Tsugaru Shinuchi is an experimental half-oni that has been used by a freak show to destroy the supernatural for the entertainment of the crowd. One night, he is approached by a woman carrying a bird cage containing a severed head. The head introduces herself as Aya Rindo, and asks Tsugaru to help her find and retrieve her immortal body that was stolen from her by a mysterious foreign man.
Leaving Japan for Europe, the trio decide to become detectives who come to be known as, “The Cage User,” investigating supernatural mysteries hoping they might hold clues to the mysterious body thief.
Why It Is Worth Watching
Undead Murder Farce is one of those series that is hard to explain why it works so well. Like Moriarty the Patriot or The Case Study of Vanitas, it combines historical inspirations with fictional or supernatural inspirations. Wrap the supernatural mystery-solving plot up in a blanket of interestingly designed characters and slick, fluid animation, and you always have yourself a fan favorite for those that gave it a shot.
Undead Murder Farce is definitely one of those anime series that you need to “give a shot” at watching. It is hard for people to sell it to you if you aren’t brought in by its unique character designs.
Helck
While humanity is celebrating the defeat of the Demon Lord at the hands of a lone human hero, the Demon Realm is preparing for the contest of a lifetime where they will decide the next Demon Lord.
Demons from around the realm show up to test their might, but among them marches one lone human – Helck.
Although Helck shows his indomitable might in the three months of tournament fights, he also shows his compassion to his opponents while proudly proclaiming his hatred for humans, winning over the crowd.
As Helck becomes the favorite to become the next Demon Lord, things don’t sit well with Red Vermilio, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Realm. She believes that Helck has other motives and decides to uncover what he is plotting. However, something sinister is building in the Human Kingdoms…
Why It Is Worth Watching
Helck is often more interesting than it appears at first glance. It is actually more than the basic fantasy comedy anime that it appears be.
Helck starts off following a super strong human hero who is fighting in a tournament to become the new demon lord. A tsundere demon general is suspicious of him because he is human. However, he is such an amazing guy that most demons come to love him, especially since he proclaims he hates humans.
It starts off as just a basic comedy anime, but actually develops a pretty unique plot – something rare for fantasy anime in these days of isekai.
It turns out humanity found a way to turn everyone into heroes whose power grows after each fight. They now seek to destroy demonkind for good, and Helck feels it is his duty to stop them.
While Helck never lets you forget that it is a comedy anime, it does commit itself to an interesting plot.
The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today
After finding a small black kitten in a snow storm, office lady Saku brought it home. However, she never expected that the little kitten would start taking care of household chores, shopping, and cooking. She also didn’t expect him to grow up to be taller than her either.
More the size of a bear than a cat, Yukichi is the most masterful of all cats, and it is a good thing he is. Saku, although a working adult, isn’t too masterful at taking care of herself just yet.
Why It Is Worth Watching
This is one of those “one joke” comedy slice of life anime that is meant to be something for the average office worker to peacefully enjoy.
A lady adopts a stray kitten, it discovers she is bad at “adulting,” grows up to be as tall as a person, and is now capable of taking care of her like a spouse or mother. That’s the joke – her cat takes care of her.
While cozy to watch, the series manages to keep the slice of life plot feeling as fresh as any other enjoyable slice of life comedy, and is actually probably one of the better anime about cat ownership.
This is for those that want something that is peaceful while often teetering between cute and comical.
What did you enjoy from the Summer 2023 anime season? Let fans know in the comments section below.
Masterful, Helck and Undead are on my watch list, just haven’t gotten around in to watching them. My happy marriage, I’ve heard good things about it, after watching my tiny senpai, I’m taking a small break from romance shows xDD. Good post wolf!