From highly-anticipated sequels to new shows, 2023 gave us an exciting lineup of anime titles ranging from the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen to Pluto. Here’s a list of five anime series currently streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll that made a huge impact this year.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Adapting two arcs from Gege Akutami’s manga — the Premature Death/Hidden Inventory Arc and the Shibuya Incident Arc — the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen left fans shattered at the end of the finale on December 28.
The story of Jujutsu Kaisen revolves around Yuji Itadori, a high school student who becomes a vessel for the formidable King of Curses and enrols in Tokyo Jujutsu High to combat cursed spirits. The anime took a darker turn this season as Yuji’s mentor Satoru Gojo encountered a blast from the past — his best and only friend, Suguro Geto, whose dead body has been reanimated by a third party for their evil deeds. As Geto takes over the entire Shibuya station along with other cursed spirit users, Gojo gets sealed and the fate of humanity rests upon Yuji and his fellow Jujutsu sorcerers.
Where to watch: Netflix
Vinland Saga Season 2
Vinland Saga follows the life of Thorfinn, a young Viking intent on killing his father’s killer, Askellad. The second season of the anime garnered more than 55 million viewing hours on Netflix.
Covering the manga’s Slave arc, Vinland Saga 2 showed a completely different side of Thorfinn, highlighting everyone’s need for a clean slate. The young Viking, whose only purpose in life was to avenge his father’s killer, finds himself without any work after Askellad gets killed by Prince Canute in Season 1 finale. He gives in to being a slave on a farm and does not even fight back when he is beaten.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Being the highest rated anime of 2023 on MyAnimeList with a staggering 9.1 stars, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End takes us to a world ruled by demon kings. It follows elf-mage Frieren and her allies — hero Himmel, priest Heiter and warrior Eisen — as they vanquish the king of demons following a decade-long mission, ushering in an era of peace.
As they prepare to part ways, the four companions reflect on their odyssey. However, the passing of time is different for elves, thus Frieren witnesses her companions slowly pass away one by one. Filled with regret, she begins a new quest — to establish meaningful connections with people and experiencing a multitude of events on the way.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Pluto
An adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s spin-off manga with a modern twist on Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, Pluto offers a profound exploration of complex themes such as the nature of humanity, artificial intelligence ethics and the aftermath of war.
Set in a society where humans and robots coexist, the show kicks off with the brutal murder of a Swiss robot. Subsequently, a human is killed in Germany, prompting Europol detective Gesicht to uncover a complex conspiracy aimed at dismantling robots that served in the 39th Asian War. Racing against time, Gesicht must now protect the remaining robots while navigating the delicate balance between humanity and machines.
Where to watch: Netflix
Zom 100
Zom 100, which sees the everyday world in the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, is a biting satire on Japan’s overworking culture. The anime introduces a protagonist who gets his thrills from moving around in a zombie-infested world.
The protagonist, Akira Tendo, works at a corporate firm. Heavily overworked, he finds a new thrill in a world infested by zombies despite the spine-chilling horror. The apocalypse seems to have liberated Akira from his job as he wants to live a life where he can tick off his bucket list before meeting his inevitable fate as a zombie.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
