Perhaps after such a packed Fall 2022 anime season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Winter 2023 season would fall short in the eyes of many viewers. Despite the much-anticipated return of Vinland Saga, Tokyo Revengers and Bungo Stray Dogs, among others, the last few weeks of anime have felt lacking -- on MAL, Vinland Saga is the highest-scored anime of the season with 8.7, followed by Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 with 8.6, while Tokyo Revengers only reached a 7.6. With a mere three titles with a score over 8, it looks like the winter line-up failed to meet many fans’ expectations.
While the 2023 Spring Season seems to show more promise, especially for fans of the hugely popular Demon Slayer, its success is not a given. Returning series Demon Slayer and Dr. Stone dominate people’s watching lists with 245 and 193 thousand members respectively, but a multitude of new titles are set to come out, and their quality and appeal will determine the outcome of the upcoming season. For now, the only certainty is that Demon Slayer is bound to cash in on another highly-watched arc.
Demon Slayer, Dr. Stone and Tonikawa Are All Returning Anime Titles
After delivering another unsurprising box office success with the latest film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village, the saga is ready for the next arc, with Season 3 set to premiere on April 9. For fans of the series who did get a chance to go to the theater, the first one-hour special will be no more than a recap. Then, the next part of the story will begin, with Tanjiro looking for a way to repair his sword. As usual, ufotable’s sleek animation and the popularity of the demon-hunting group of teenagers is sure to satisfy fans looking for more action and adrenaline-filled flights.
Dr. Stone Season 3, whose first episode will come out on April 6, is also a much-anticipated sequel, continuing the adventures of Senku and friends as they cross the ocean to solve the mystery of the petrification that decimated humanity thousands of years before and almost caused its extinction. The beloved science-focused shonen anime is returning after almost two years, the wait having been somehow satiated by the film released in 2022, Dr. Stone: Ryusui.
Finally, in an uncharacteristically high place for a romance show, Tonikawa is also returning for a second season. For those who are not familiar with the series, it recounts the bizarre circumstances of a marriage born of a chance encounter and a love at first sight. Season 2 will premiere on April 8. Konosuba and Ranking of Kings (or Osama Ranking) are also part of the packed group of returning shows for this spring, although their sequels don’t seem to have drawn as much expectation as the first three.
Hell’s Paradise, Mashle and My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Have Fans Excited
Ninjas and other notorious historical Japanese characters populate the fourth-most anticipated upcoming spring anime on MAL: Hell’s Paradise. Perhaps because of the popularity of MAPPA, the studio behind it, which is also responsible for Attack on Titan’s continuous success, Hell’s Paradise is the new series that everyone is waiting for. The story follows a ninja and an executioner as they embark on an expedition to a faraway island in order to find the elixir of life. Set to premiere on April 1, the show promises fantastical creatures and mysterious worlds as well as the cutting-edge fight scenes for which MAPPA is now so well-known.
Two peculiar new shows follow at Hell’s Paradise’s heels: Mashle and My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999. Produced by A1 Pictures, the studio behind Sword Art Online and Your Lie In April, Mashle recounts the hilarious journey of Mash, a young man who, after enrolling in Easton Magic Academy, has to fight his way through a world dominated by magic using only his physical strength. On the opposite side of the genre spectrum, My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 is the love story between two passionate gamers. Perhaps appealing to a younger audience whose daily life revolves around online interactions, the show has garnered quite a following.
Seinen Is Making a Comeback With Anime Like Insomniacs After School, A Galaxy Next Door and My Home Hero
In a Spring 2023 Season still widely ruled by fantasy and isekai shows -- Studio Kafka’s The Ancient Magus Bride Season 2 being the highest-ranked of these on the list -- seinen anime are represented by a remarkably large number of titles. Highest on the list, Insomniacs After School seems to promise a slice-of-life coming-of-age show with a lot of heart. In it, Ganta and Isaki meet chasing after the ghost of a dead astronomy club member and then start sharing sleepless nights. A Galaxy Next Door, on the other hand, perpetuates the childcare trend that has been consistent since the success of Spy x Family, with the addition -- at least on paper -- of a supernatural twist. In the stunning-looking show by Asahi Productions, Shiori finds someone to help him take care of his younger siblings and conjunctly, a fiancée.
On a darker note, My Home Hero sees a father going as far as killing someone to avenge his daughter's abuse. After the murder, he is inevitably dragged into the world of organized crime. On the sci-fi side, which seems to have been mostly missing from recent seasons, at least in terms of highly successful shows, Heavenly Delusion tells the story of Maru, a boy brought up in a world where children are raised by robots. Finally, Skip and Loafer is set to entice audiences in need of their fix of high school anime -- this time, in the form of a heartwarming story about a blossoming friendship between country girl Mitsumi and handsome Tokyo city boy Sousuke.
All in all, while still underwhelming compared to the titles of last year’s fall, the Spring 2023 season is ready to deliver a much more varied lineup, with fantasy and isekai balanced out not only by action and romance but also by intriguing sci-fi, comedy, slice-of-life and crime titles.