26 of the Best New Anime of 2023: The Ultimate List

As 2023 comes to its end, it’s safe to say, it’s been an extraordinary year for anime. Last year was marked by a wave of original anime stories that won over fans globally. To celebrate the crème de la crème of 2023 in the anime category, and their amazing artwork, we have compiled a list of the freshest anime of this year.

This guide is your ticket to binge-watch all these great shows as we step into 2024. Each anime category has its finest show so that you can discover the best ones. But before we start with our list why not remember the greatest anime show of all time with some alternative shows with similar themes?

Check out our amazing recommendations to watch after Attack on Titan: Final Chapter, so that you can keep moving forward! Now without any further ado, Let’s jump right to our list.

New Anime of 2023 to Watch Before 2024 Starts!

2023 saw a lot of great fantasy anime breaking the records of some of the most celebrated anime of the past decade (yes we are talking about Fullmetal Alchemist). That’s why we have included these mind-blowing fantasy stories at the top of our anime list for 2023!

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Have you ever come across an anime that feels like a cozy hug? Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is one such anime that will make you fall in love with it. The story centers around an immortal Elvan mage Frieren, who collects spells her whole life across different parts of the world.

She is a passing traveler, indifferent to other beings and devoid of attachments. Having lived for over 1000 years, she encounters a “hero’s party“. This group includes Himmel, a warrior, Heiter a priest, and a dwarf warrior Eison, whose mission is to defeat the Demon King.

As Frieren becomes part of their troupe, they successfully defeat the Demon King. Years after their passing the elvan mage, now alone reflects on the experiences she shared with the group. She misses them and regrets not using her time with them more meaningfully.

From there she begins to value human encounters, treasuring connections and bonds. This anime focuses on journeys that never end but have once-in-a-lifetime connections that lead to new beginnings.

2. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

Princess Anisphia ‘Anis’ Wynn Palletia is a noble who is unable to wield magic. But since dreams have no boundaries, this noble lady dreams of flying through the sky. However, like any sane human, the people of her kingdom consider it a silly ambition.

Driven by her passion for flying, she gives up her right to the throne to pursue ‘magicology,’ an art in which the wielder combines various resources with knowledge. This leads to Anis’s younger brother, Algard, to claim the throne.

Owing to his new responsibilities, the young prince is pushed into a political marriage with Euphyllia Magenta. But he finds himself attracted to a commoner. After Euphyllia tries to intervene, Algard publicly calls off their engagement.

In a dramatic twist, Anis crashes into the occasion on a flying broom and rescues Euphyllia. Her new madness? Deciding to make Euphyllia her assistant, a role Euphyllia reluctantly agrees to. However, their partnership harbors more layers and some ulterior motives.

3. Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

This story is about Highland, a place where fairies once roamed and lived happily. But things changed when humans showed their decisive nature. Humans started to capture the wings of fairies, only to enslave them.

Amidst all this, our female lead, a mere 15-year-old Ann Halford, dreams of freedom for fairies. Moreover, Ann is also an aspiring confectioner and aims to follow in her late mother’s footsteps to become a Silver Sugar Master.

To change her fate, she starts her journey towards Lewiston, a place that is known for its Royal Candy Fair. Her only ambition is to get a royal medal for her silver sugar creations. On her way to this town, she encounters Shall Fen Shall, a feisty warrior fairy.

She rescues him from a harsh fairy trade and vows to restore Shall’s wing upon reaching Lewiston. As their journey proceeds, Ann and Shall develop a deep bond, revealing they feel more than mere friendship and ambitions.

4. The Apothecary Diaries

In Medieval China, a 17-year-old girl named Maomao is abducted while collecting herbs and forced to serve in the imperial palace. Resigned to her fate as a low-ranking servant, her life takes an unforeseen turn when she discovers a severe illness plaguing the emperor’s infants.

Due to her empathetic nature, shaped by her past in a red-light district, Maomao decides to use her hidden talent as a pharmacist to aid the palace. Her exceptional skills in herbal medicine are eventually noticed by Jinshi, the chief eunuch of the court.

With her sharp intellect, Maomao starts her mission to become a noble member of the palace. You can also read our article on The Apothecary Diaries to know the complete story of this young pharmacist!

No action anime list is completed without MAPPA’s contribution, and this year the top action anime was none other than Hell’s Paradise. Keep in mind that we are only listing new action anime of 2023, and that’s why you won’t find any Jujutsu Kaisen rankings here!

5. Hell’s Paradise

This year, one of the craziest shows was none other than Hell’s Paradise. The story centers around a mysterious island from which no visitor can escape. Amid this mystery, we encounter the ninja Gabimaru, who was betrayed by the leader of the shinobi and captured by the executioner clan.

Believing he deserves this fate, Gabimaru loses his will to live, yet mysteriously survives every execution attempt. However, Sagiri Yamada Asaemon uncovers the reason behind Gabimaru’s survival. Recognizing his love for his wife, Sagiri proposes an alternative plan.

She suggests that Gabimaru retrieve the Elixir of Life from the infamously twisted island of Shinsekyo in exchange for his freedom. Despite the slim chances of survival, Gabimaru accepts the challenge, only to find that the island harbors darker secrets than he could have ever imagined. Intrigued enough? Read our article on Hell’s Paradise and the influence of adaptability!

6. Ragna Crimson

For folks who love dragons, this one’s for you! This story unfolds in a world inhabited by dragons ruling the sky, sea, and land. To dominate them, one must become a superhuman, surpassing the limits of normal human strength.

From here, we are introduced to our protagonist, Ragna, a dragon hunter. He joins forces with the mysterious Crimson, who seems deceiving and somewhat doubtful, yet shares Ragna’s goal: to destroy the kingdom of dragons and bring the dragon monarchs to their demise.

7. The Kingdoms of Ruin

This one is a tale of science versus magic. It unfolds in a civilization where humans and witches coexisted, with witches aiding humans through their magic for decades. However, as times changed, the invention of scientific Gear Expansion rendered both magic and witches obsolete.

Now, humans seek to rid themselves of witches and liberate humanity from the influence of magic. Against this, the Empire of Redia begins a campaign to exterminate all witches. Our protagonist, Adonis, witnesses the death of a witch he deeply loves. As she perishes, he vows revenge. Teaming up with a wizard, Adonis embarks on a quest for vengeance fueled by blood and fury.

8. Berserk of Gluttony

Imagine a protagonist endowed with the skill of Gluttony. In Berserk of Gluttony, we meet Fate Graphite, who possesses this unique ability, leaving him in a constant state of hunger. The narrative turns when this protagonist kills a dying thief and devours the man’s strength and his soul.

With this act, the true hunger of Fate’s Gluttony is awakened. If he can harness and control this power, he will finally become the master of his own destiny.

9. Undead Unluck

Just like Goju Satoru once said, Love is the most dangerous curse of all. This anime exemplifies that very notion. The story focuses on Fuuko Izumo, who is sick of her life due to her unique curse. This curse renders her unlucky and harms everyone around her.

Upon finishing her favorite manga, she decides to give up on her life, but the moment she stands on a bridge, she encounters another man. To save his life, she touches him, which sends the man in front of a train. To Fuuko’s surprise, the man remains intact and doesn’t die.

It turns out that Andy, is immortal and, like her, longs for death. From there, Fuuko decides to help Andy achieve his desired demise. However, as they embark on their unusual quest, they get targeted by a shadowy organization seeking to exploit their powers.

No anime list is complete without a good selection of anime from the Sci-Fi genre. And we have picked this year’s top Sci-Fi anime. Sadly, it’s only one show that met the expectations.

10. Heavenly Delusion

This anime is more like The Promised Neverland but the adult version of it with more terrifying creatures. The story starts 15 years ago when man-eating monsters start to roam the earth and humanity gets caged behind walls.

The walls act as an isolated facility shelter where children live and nurture in peace. However, just like its innocent version, in a heavenly delusion, some kids get out to find the truth behind the world’s current situation. Meanwhile, outside the walls, we get to see two young survivors, Maru and Kiruko. Together, they search for a special place called Heaven.

To know more about this anime, read our amazing article on Heavenly Delusion and uncover the secrets behind the delusions!

This year’s shoujo anime category was superb, each story has its unique charm. We were swept away by the storytelling, character designs, and execution (A strong competition for My Dress-Up Darling, we must say).

11. My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999

Want to watch a gamer guy fall in love with a silly but pretty girl? My Love Story with Yamada-kun is one such interesting story. Akane, betrayed by her boyfriend who breaks up with her for another girl, starts reminiscing about her ex by playing ‘Forest of Savior,’ the MMO they used to enjoy together.

Through this game, she devises a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend at an in-person event for the game. However, this plan leads her to encounter Akito Yamada, a gaming legend who is also her guildmate. To support her plan, Akane insists Yamada help her to get revenge on her ex.

12. My Happy Marriage

This story is about Miyo Saimori, whose miserable life never seems to turn into a happy one. Born from an arranged marriage, she is discarded by her own father after her mother’s passing. After her father remarries the woman he loves, her younger half-sister Kaya takes charge, making Miyo’s life even more pathetic.

Miyo starts to live as a lowly servant and lacks the strength to fight for her rights. But one day, Miyo’s father decides she is to marry Kiyoka Kudou, the head of the distinguished Kudou family. Despite his noble background, Kiyoka is known to be a callous man who has dismissed all his former fiancées.

At the Kudou household, Miyo expects the worst treatments. However, to her surprise, Kiyoka shows her the kindness and love she desperately needs.

13. The Dangers in My Heart

This is a wild story about an introvert, Kyoutarou Ichikawa. He appears shy and reserved, but deep down, he is a psychopathic, bloodthirsty killer. He fantasizes about nothing more than witnessing his classmate Anna Yamada’s beautiful face in pain before he kills her. (Seriously, WTF)

But soon, Ichikawa starts to see an entirely different side of Yamada. He realizes that his model classmate is actually an airhead who can never read the room. As they spend more time together, the boy can’t help but feel not only a sense of endearment towards the very girl he wishes to murder but also a desire to protect her at all costs.

14. Tomo-chan Is a Girl!

Tomo-chan is a Girl is an anime about two childhood friends, Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou Jun Kubota. Things take a turn when Tomo actually falls in love with Jun, but he regards her more like a brother due to her tomboyish looks and mannerisms.

At the start of their first year of high school, Tomo confesses her feelings to Jun. However, her lack of hesitation to throw a punch does nothing to sway Jun’s heart. Realizing that he will never accept her unless she does something about it, Tomo must find a way to show her love to Jun.

15. A Galaxy Next Door

After his father passes away, Ichirou Kuga starts taking care of his two younger siblings. To support his family, he rents out rooms in the apartment complex and works full-time as a shoujo manga artist. However, his manga sales are low, and due to stress, he gets overwhelmed by his workload.

Just as stress threatens to overwhelm Ichirou, an extremely competent novice artist, Shiori Goshiki, enters his life to become his new assistant. But in a bizarre accident, a supernatural experience unfolds between Ichirou and Shiori, leading her to declare them engaged. Ichirou now has to manage his new and peculiar relationship with the mysterious girl, all while fulfilling the duties that rest on his shoulders.

16. Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible

Junta Shiraishi wants to enjoy his youth. However, due to his introverted nature, he is practically invisible to his peers; even his teachers routinely fail to notice his presence. But Nagisa Kubo is determined not to let him quietly fade into the background.

Unfortunately for Shiraishi, this means he finds himself in some peculiar situations, all orchestrated by Kubo. Perhaps Kubo’s playful acts might become a catalyst in sparking the excitement that Shiraishi longs for. Also to know more about this year’s Shoujo anime you can read our list of the best Shoujo anime of 2023!

It was a good year for Isekai as well. We saw many Isekai stories turning into cozy plot twists and some truly surprised us with their twisted and brutal action sequences.

17. Dead Mount Death Play

This one was the best Isekai that surprised us all this year. The story centers around a powerful necromancer, known as the Corpse God, who dies during a legendary battle, only to be reborn as Polka Shinoyama.

As he tries to adapt to his new physical body, he becomes targeted by various groups dealing with the supernatural. Among them is Misaki Sakimiya, who can see spirits and is out for his blood from the moment they meet.

Polka eventually meets Takumi Kuruya, a skilled guy who does surveillance and hacking, along with Lisa Kuraki who is also sort of a criminal. Now Polka braves danger to uncover the truth of his reincarnation and the fate awaiting the world he now lives in. Since we cannot spill all of the tea here, read our article on Dead Mount Death Play to find out more about Polka’s Journey!

18. Farming Life in Another World

In this anime, the protagonist, Machio Hiraku, dies from sickness. But he gets one more chance to be reincarnated, and this time he chooses to have a healthy body, live peacefully, and for a third wish, to know the local language. His final wish is to be a farmer. (Super simple)

19. Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill

YES, this one is about another guy who just wants to live peacefully! Salaryman Tsuyoshi Mukouda, who has no skills other than bargaining and selling goods, gets summoned as a hero to the Kingdom of Reijseger.

In this parallel world, he tries to help defend against enemies. Mukouda is able to talk his way out of the situation due to his, Online Supermarket/ Selling skills. With this ability, Mukouda can cheaply purchase food products and utensils from Japan.

As Mukouda cooks up some delicious dishes, he catches the attention of a mythical wolf Fel. The legendary beast negotiates a contract to become Mukouda’s friend. Mukouda and Fel travel the world, as adventurers and merchants, while enjoying delectable meals on their way.

Folks, comedy anime never disappoints! Each year, we get a bunch of anime that will leave you rolling on the floor with laughter, and this year was no exception.

20. Buddy Daddies

What if you get surprised by a four-year-old? Miri Unasaka is that one extraordinary child who arrives in Tokyo in search of her father. Because of her small, four-year-old body, Miri visits a big hotel and a man with a delicious-looking cake.

But we later learn that the inviting place is actually a cover for a foolproof plan to assassinate a dangerous mafia boss. Professional assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, who live together, find their mission disrupted because of Miri.

This leads them to bring Miri home and return her to her mother. However, the girl’s innocent laugh and pure worldview quickly endear her to Kazuki, who secretly enjoys playing a parent. It’s not long before Rei’s impenetrable heart makes room for Miri.

21. Mashle

DAMN, we enjoyed watching this! This anime is an amazing parody of the legendary Harry Potter but in anime form! In this magical world, people’s rights are based on the type of magic they possess. People with magic have distinctive marks on their faces.

However, deep within a forest lives Mash Burnedead, who can be found pumping iron with one arm while lifting a cream puff with the other. This aloof boy has superhuman strength but no magical abilities and leads a quiet life with his father, who adopted him when he was young.

Mash’s peaceful life gets disturbed when the authorities get to know his secret. They force him to compete to become a Divine Visionary. So, he enrolls himself in Easton Magic Academy, where he tries to overcome the other students relying solely on his muscles. Seems Interesting? Why not read the complete article on Mashle to have a good laugh?

22. Masamune-Kun’s Revenge R

A sweet revenge story unfolds with Masamune Makabe, who was rejected by Aki Adagaki. She teasingly gave him the nickname Piggy for being overweight. After getting rejected because of his looks, Masamune starts putting great effort into his appearance.

Fast forward to his teenage years, and he now seeks revenge. He plans to make Aki fall madly in love with him and ultimately reject her the next time they meet. (Dude just wants to leave her with trauma) Soon, Masamune gets transferred to Aki’s school and begins to form a relationship with her.

But he fails miserably and receives a mysterious letter addressing him by his old nickname. Now, he seeks to discover the sender’s identity.

How can we forget this genre, it brought us two of the most popular hits of this year! We are glad to see diversity in thriller and horror anime.

23. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

This story is about Akira Tendou, a passionate young man with dreams. He has nailed every step on the way to securing his dream job. Life seems to be going very well for Akira until he slowly realizes that sleepless nights and brutal work have become his new reality.

After three years of mind-numbing labor in an exploitative company, Akira can hardly recognize the tired, unaccomplished person he has become. But now, as the world suffers from a mysterious zombie apocalypse, Akira decides to complete a bucket list of a hundred things he wants to do before he potentially turns into a zombie.

Check out a complete article on Zom 100 on Appuals to find out more about Akira’s journey!

24. Dark Gathering

Keitarou Gentouga is someone who hates spirits. However, due to his strong spiritual presence, spirits often find him attractive. With the encouragement of his childhood friend, Eiko Houzuki, he became a private tutor. Things change when his first client turns out to be the tutoring firm’s most promising student, Yayoi Houzuki.

Yayoi is Eiko’s cousin and possesses two pupils in each eye. This ability allows her to see into the spirit world and seek vengeful spirits to exorcise. But Yayoi has been searching for the powerful spirit that kidnapped her mother’s departed soul.

From there, she convinces Keitarou to help her collect other evil spirits that will assist in her future fight. Although her quest is dangerous, Keitarou reluctantly decides to join her, even as each new spirit they encounter has him questioning his resolve at every turn.

You can also read our recent article on the best horror anime shows that you can binge-watch before 2023 ends!

25. Oshi No Ko

This one left us all HOOKED! Ai, a sixteen-year-old rising star of the pop idol group B Komachi, has the world captivated; however, when she announces a hiatus due to health concerns, the news worries many. A gynecologist Gorou Amemiya who also happens to be a huge fan of the pop artist, cheers her on her performance.

But deep down he longs to meet her once in his lifetime. His wish comes true when Ai shows up at his hospital, pregnant with twins. While the doctor promises to safely deliver Ai’s children, he wonders if this encounter with the idol will forever change the nature of his relationship with her.

Check out our article on Oshi No Ko and the amazing mystery that this anime holds for its viewers OR! you can read our recommendations on the best thriller anime of 2023!

No matter what you do, you can’t avoid watching those silly harem stories because of their obvious nature, and we don’t want to disappoint our readers too. So, we’ve picked this year’s best harem anime so that you can watch it without any guilt.

26. The Legendary Hero Is Dead!

WE HAD TO INCLUDE SOMETHING FOR THE ECCHI LOVERS! But this one is interesting to watch too. The story starts when the Gates of Hell reopen and with that demons start to terrorize humans. But Touka Scott is unbothered until a demon attacks Yuna Eunice.

Luckily, the legendary hero Sion Blandan arrives to strike down the vile creature. Sadly, Sion dies after falling into a trap that Touka set to defend his radish farm from unwanted animals. Anri Hayworth, Sion’s necromancer companion, resurrects the hero by transferring Touka’s soul into Sion’s corpse. Now, Touka is tasked with resealing the Gates of Hell and defeating the demons that threaten peace.

Bottom Line

We hope these recommendations helped you in picking your next beloved anime show. For more authentic and amazing anime news and articles, visit our anime section on Appuals to have your daily sauce of anime!