The 7 New Anime of Summer 2023 You Should Be Watching
Let’s not mince words here: in the grand scheme of anime history, Summer 2023 is a notably weak season for standout new anime amidst all the sequels galore. Our discussions and debates lacked the verve and intensity of past seasons, which we attributed to the relatively slim pickings on offer during these (very) hot months. As such, what follows are our collective favourite shows this season, yes, but also some lesser-known picks that, should your shameless addiction to Japanese animation (same) not be satiated, you may find comfort in.
Maybe you need to spend some time in a colourful apocalypse? Perhaps an alternate history where women rule and men are a dying breed? What about spooky times with some teenagers or thinkpieces about what humanity’s future might look like? This season might be light, but the seven shows we’ve selected for you are heavy, thought-provoking, and downright entertaining.
Here are some things to remember before you start reading:
1)We have omitted continuing shows and sequels. This list is only for new anime this season. Check out our Summer 2023 sequel guide for that information:
2) Only shows available for legal streaming are considered. Streaming services have complicated what this means, but limited-availability shows like Netflix originals are fair game for our list.
3) Each entry contains a “where to watch” section, but keep in mind that we base our listings on United States availability.
Now, grab your favourite beverage and settle in for our picks of the season!
Dark Gathering
Written by: Alistair Hyde
Genres: Adventure, Horror, Supernatural
Where to Watch: HIDIVE
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Keitarou Gentouga is a college freshman who hates ghosts. Unfortunately, he has a knack for attracting spirits. After an incident two years ago leaves both him and his friend cursed, Keitarou shut himself away from the world. However, he is slowly but surely reconnecting with society thanks to his childhood friend Eiko Houzuki. In an effort to overcome his anxiety, Keitarou becomes a tutor. His first student: Eiko’s cousin and spiritually gifted child, Yayoi Houzuki. Their tutoring quickly turns into something far more supernatural…
Why You Should Be Watching: Dark Gathering is a fantastic supernatural horror story about interactions between humans and spirits with an effective balance between spooky and light-hearted moments, resulting in a blend with an effective sense of dread you rarely see in this media.
Regarding the cast, I like how the author put effort into providing characters with defining features that, as the plot thickens, reveal layers of depth. The initial chemistry between Eiko and Keitarou wouldn’t be out of place in a rom-com, but the dark twist outlines how they see each other. This uncanny valley of sorts defies first impressions, forcing the viewer to rethink how things will continue.
The reveals that unravel the mysteries surrounding the characters during each episode provide enough shock factor and entertainment to keep the plot engaging as it builds its ghost hunt and the relationships forged along the way. It uses a monster-of-the-week format to show the gore and body horror and how those aspects affect interactions between the characters.
The fact that Eiko tries to make Keitarou reconcile with a side of himself that only gets out when he faces his fears is interesting in that the show refrains from arguing if this is positive or negative for him. On the other hand, Yayoi is a true stoic hero on a mission to protect the Houzuki family and catch every bad spirit until she runs out of stuffed animals, and that is the closest depiction to a Pokémon creepypasta we will ever get.
I also appreciate that, unlike the recent Higurashi, the gore and horror is less preposterous. It is used more sparingly and is more well crafted, which prevents the viewer from becoming used to it. Lastly, this is the type of anime I recommend not only to horror enthusiasts like myself but to regular anime viewers. This is a worthy production among the best in the genre, and that’s not an easy thing to accomplish.
Recommended by: Alistair Hyde, Arcane, Doctorkev, Marquan, Requiem
The Gene of AI
Written by: Doctorkev
Genres: Science Fiction, Medical, Drama, Anthology
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Sometime in near-future Japan, a race of sentient artificially intelligent “Humanoids” have completely integrated into society, winning equal rights to humans. On the surface they are almost indistinguishable from humans, except for their eyes with horizontal oval pupils. However, their brains are robotic, and their bodies and minds develop illnesses that require a physician specialised in Humanoid medicine. Dr. Sudo runs a clinic that treats all manner of Humanoid illnesses, when he’s not also performing illegal underground medical work.
Why You Should Be Watching: The Gene of AI is by no means the flashiest anime of the season, but it’s one of the most pleasantly cerebral. It won’t win any awards for its incredibly plain presentation, but it does score points for succinct, efficient, and thought-provoking storytelling. Dr. Sudo is essentially identical to Osamu Tezuka’s Dr. Black Jack, except he heals robots and androids. Sudo takes on any and all medical problems, and generally tries to help his clients without making moral judgements. Those are left to the viewer.
Although there’s a minimal backplot involving the past of Dr Sudo’s mother, The Gene of AI is composed almost entirely of narratively separate vignettes — anything from two to four per episode, following the lives and problems of Dr. Sudo’s patients. Oftentimes Dr. Sudo is little more than an observer, at most saying a few supportive words, or performing a medical procedure, often issuing a moral warning before doing so.
Like a more upbeat Black Mirror, The Gene of AI covers a wide range of thought-provoking and sometimes disturbing topics. Not every story concludes neatly, not every character makes good choices, and the viewer is left to mull over the morality and consequences of the characters’ actions long after the credits have rolled. Fans of classic speculative science fiction, stories that deal with ideas will be right at home with this show that explores — in a gentle, measured way — concepts like memory alteration/erasure, mind duplication, AI romance, neurodivergence, etc.
The Gene of AI is, in a way, almost like a slice-of-life show, offering tiny slices of people’s complex lives — in this case, the people are mostly synthetic but fall in love, raise families, hold jobs, have hopes and fears. It rarely offers all of the answers to the problems each character faces, and occasionally its stories can end in discordant discomfort. I’d much rather have a haunting conclusion than receive pat, trite answers to meaty moral dilemmas, and The Gene of AI offers plenty of mental gristle to chew on.
Recommended by: Arcane, Doctorkev
Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero
Written by: Arcane
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi
Where to Watch: HIDIVE
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Ten years after the Demon Lord’s latest defeat, he finally manifested enough power to reappear in the mortal world — albeit in a much less threatening form. His secretary begins catching him up on the absurd amount of progress that human culture and technology has made in the last decade, but he’s most curious about one thing — what’s his slayer, great hero Max, been up to? Unable to get answers out of his servant, he decides to go find out for himself… and discovers Max is now a celebrity wash-up living in a single-room apartment! The Demon Lord decides that he now has two goals — to resume his domination over the human world and to get this sad-sack Hero out of his doldrums!
Why You Should Be Watching: This show does not immediately seem like something I would wholeheartedly recommend — ecchi anime generally don’t do anything for me, and the premise, essentially The Devil is a Part-Timer! mixed with Welcome to the NHK!, definitely doesn’t sound like it would work. The first episode is… fine, but most of the comedy is centered around the degeneracy of Max now that his adventuring is over.
What kept me watching, though, was that Silver Link’s extremely solid production overcame a few rote pervy-dude jokes. The second episode sold me on the show by proving what it’s good at: restraining its lewdness until the moment it becomes the absolute funniest punchline. The secretary wearing a moderately-revealing outfit is pretty tame for this kind of show, but getting naked while drunk and chasing the hero through the streets of the city had me in tears.
The Demon Lord’s typical post-rebirth appearance is a very androgynous child, but when they disguise themself in public, they adopt the form of a voluptuous female like their secretary. Their outfit, a bra and miniskirt they believe is a completely normal “school uniform”, would be straightforward fanservice in most shows. Here, we get the punchline of every single person they walk past staring in shock at the apparent exhibitionist.
And then, even beyond the comedy, the show explores the complicated relationships that Max has with his former friends, most of whom have spread throughout the human world and taken either positions of power or a cause of some kind. Even better, though, several of them are in conflict with each other now, and all are trying to recruit Max to their own side.
Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero isn’t the most amazing show I’ve ever seen, but it has done a lot to exceed my expectations and become one of my favorites of the season. Fish-out-of-water shows are a dime a dozen these days, be they isekai or reversed, but it’s exciting to see such a simple-seeming show prove itself to have more depth and creative energy than most of the pack.
Recommended by: Arcane, Requiem, umrguy42
My Happy Marriage
Written by: Marquan
Genres: Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Where to Watch: Netflix
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Miyo Saimori is the “powerless” daughter of a prominent supernatural power-wielding family sold off to Kiyoka Kudou, a powerful, high-ranking government official who specializes in hunting supernatural enemies of humanity. Kikoya is known as a cold man who runs off or gets rid of potential marriage prospects, and it falls on Miyo to overcome the trauma from her less-than-ideal upbringing and learn to grow in a relationship she was forced into.
Why You Should Be Watching: My Happy Marriage immediately gives Cinderella vibes: Miyo, a child from an arranged first marriage, is disrespected and bullied by her sister and stepmother on a daily basis. Due to her lack of supernatural abilities, she is treated as little more than a servant sold off into marriage to a man who hasn’t been able to keep any of his fiances. Expelled from her loveless home and harboring trauma, her submissive and subdued temperament makes perfect sense, but this backstory does nothing to lessen the blow from how defeated she is the first few episodes.
The character development you see in the initial episodes alone puts many drama anime to shame. The psychological warfare Miyo experiences, and must learn to heal from, is intense, empathetic, and at times, all too real. You get to experience the lows of Miyo’s life early on, making the brightness she experiences for the first time in a long time that much more cathartic. My Happy Marriage isn’t afraid to lean into dark topics such as depression and abuse, and it handles those topics tastefully, allowing for personal growth in every episode. Not an episode goes by that a light isn’t shone on some sort of darkness in Miyo’s life, and while it can be tough to see how much she’s gone through, the fact that her new life allows for her to slowly but surely experience happiness again makes the journey worth it. If you love to see relatable adults working to overcome trauma and personal issues whilst also developing a romance that I’m sure will be sweet, My Happy Marriage is your show.
Recommended by: Arcane, Doctorkev, Marquan, TheMamaLuigi
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
Written by: Doctorkev
Genres: Alternate History, Period Drama, Gender Role Inversion
Where to Watch: Netflix
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: In mid 1600s Edo Period Japan, during the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a mysterious plague — the “redface pox” — kills four-fifths of the country’s male population, leading to sweeping societal changes. For the first time, women must assume male roles, from farming the fields to ruling the country. Marriage is abolished but for the richest women able to purchase a husband, and the few remaining fertile men are either forced into prostitution, made to sell their seed, or the very best specimens are hoarded by the female Shogun in the Ōoku, a closed prison-like harem within Edo castle, where hundreds of men serve their lives with no hope of escape.
Why You Should Be Watching: This sedate yet tense period drama is perhaps best described as “The Handmaid’s Tale mixed with Y The Last Man in 1600s Japan:” a serious political drama that inverts traditional Japanese gender roles in a meticulously-researched alternate history setting.
Much like the recent Oshi no Ko, the first episode is feature-length, and though it could almost stand alone, it sets the scene for a fascinating and sometimes harrowing story to follow. The historical Ōoku was a real place that housed hundreds of female concubines for the exclusive use of the Shogun, ruler of Japan during the Edo period. In this version of history, although gender roles have reversed out of necessity, Japan’s strict social structure dictates that positions and duties must be fulfilled. The men sent to the Ōoku are repeatedly emasculated — not only by receiving female names, but by being made to wear brightly-coloured kimonos in designs normally reserved only for women. Most Ōoku men never even meet the Shogun they are supposed to serve, their presence in the Ōoku mainly a way for the Shogun to boast of her power. While the rest of the country’s women struggle to find men to continue their family lines, the Ōoku is a wasteful folly imprisoning hundreds of men uselessly.
The Ōoku’s culture is even more tightly-controlled than usual Japanese society, with strict rules that come with the risk of death should they be transgressed. The men form friendships and bitter rivalries, and struggle to maintain their purpose and dignity when their main role is to be essentially pretty ornaments. Bitterness and tension occasionally erupt into violence, some of which is sexual. Although the show rarely depicts anything more explicit than the occasional nipple (male and female), there are multiple scenes of implied rape and sexual assault, both hetero and homosexual — though this is never glorified or lurid.
Due to its grim subject matter, Ōoku can be a difficult watch. Its simple aesthetics, cheap production, and flat visuals fail to do its grand story justice. However, it’s never less than compelling, with deep characterisation and complex moral dilemmas. Ōoku demands its viewer follow long conversations between characters sublimating their emotional pain in the service of sworn duty. It sounds dry, but with its unique setting and mature storytelling, it’s one of this year’s most fascinating anime.
Recommended by: Doctorkev, Marquan
Undead Murder Farce
Written By: Requiem
Genre(s): Supernatural, Mystery, Disembodied Heads
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Set in an alternate late 1800s where supernatural creatures and beings exist, Farce is the story of Tsugaru, a human-turned-(against his will)-half-demon called an Oni Slayer. Tsugaru leaves his sad life as a carnival performer — where he performs an act involving brutally killing monsters — to accompany Aya Rindo, an immortal detective who is literally just a head in a birdcage, carried about by her maid Shizuku. Aya’s body was taken by the same man who’s responsible for turning Tsugaru into an Oni Slayer, and severely truncating his life span as a result. Aya wants her body back, Tsuragu wants his life back, and both want revenge on the mysterious foreigner responsible. And so, the three travel Europe, solving mysteries, getting tangled up with famous characters, and hoping each leap will be the leap…home. I mean, hoping to find what they’re looking for.
Why You Should Be Watching: We often try to describe a show by comparing it to other shows or movies. For Undead Murder Farce, the one that comes to mind immediately is “League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen by way of In/Spectre”, and by League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, we mean the outstanding Alan Moore comics/graphic novels, not the odious movie with the late Sean Connery. The mix of supernatural mystery stories and an eclectic cast of public domain fictional characters makes that comparison apropos.
Farce begins with an arc featuring a classic “murder in a country manor” detective tale, albeit it flavored by the manor being owned by vampires and the detective being a head in a birdcage. But then it spins a wider yarn, a caper involving such fictional luminaries as Arsene Lupin (or Lupin I if you’re nasty), Sherlock Holmes, Phineas Fogg, and even the actual Phantom of the Opera (who sadly hasn’t sung Music Of the Night. Yet). It may sound like a lot, but Farce makes it work with a wink and a sardonic streak, bolstered by outstanding character writing and dialogue so sharp, you could kill a werewolf with it. You know, if you dipped it in silver first.
The writers balance the ever-widening cast extremely well, making all of them interesting in one way or another, and even managing the extremely difficult task of making Holmes smart without outshining the main cast — and making Aleister Crowley someone to take seriously. But for all the neat supporting cast they throw at us, the shining core is the main trio. Shizukuis a bit of a mystery thus far, but she’s a badass in a fight and great for a cutting remark at our man Tsugaru. Tsugaru himself is fantastic, a man obviously hiding pain behind a clown’s mask, putting on an act and performing goofy rakugo bits and exchanging just exquisite banter with Aya and Shizuku. Aya is a classic archetype: the character who’s lived too long and is mostly tired of it. She possesses incredible intellect but is severely limited by being a disembodied head, something the show frequently mines to great comedic effect; the joke of people thinking Tsusgaru is a ventriloquist never gets old.
All this stellar writing pairs with engaging presentation and highly competent animation, especially during its fun action pieces, and it has what is easily one of the best OPs of the season (and maybe the year). So, get ahead of the game and give Undead Murder Farce a try.
Get it? Huh? Ah you get it.
Recommended By: Doctorkev, Marquan, Requiem
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Written by: TGRIP
Genre(s): Post-apocalyptic action-comedy
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
Spoiler-free Synopsis: At 24 years old, Akira Tendo is brand new to office life and approaches his first job with earnest enthusiasm and gusto. After a few months, however, he has grown completely disillusioned with a workplace that fully exploits him and his coworkers, leaving him with no time for anything else. Every day, he’s off to an overly stressful and unrewarding profession and then goes right home for a few hours to eat takeaway, watch TV, and sleep; rinse, repeat. This dead-end routine is shattered when a zombie infection breaks out overnight; instead of fearing for his life, his first thought is “wow… I don’t have to go to work today!”. While the apocalypse is no laughing matter, Akira finds himself in a world where anything feels possible, and as he quickly realizes his life can end at any moment, he vows to do everything he’s always wanted. Writing up a bucket list, from the mundane “grow a beard” to more exciting ventures like “try skydiving”, and even personal matters like “visit mom and dad”, he ventures forth and quickly forms a traveling group with other survivors who want to enjoy life to the fullest in a world now drenched with blood yet also full of color.
Why You Should be Watching: Not only is Zom 100 one of the most distinct looking shows of the year with a great premise, this is also a surprisingly refreshing take on the zombie genre. While zombie media feels like it’s finally starting to let up after dominating movies, TV, and video games for over a decade, it is still one that has felt in desperate need of something to shake things up. Enter this adaptation of the hit manga of the same name that asks “what if the zombie apocalypse could be fun?” This might sound like a concept so simple that it would quickly fall apart, but Zom 100 makes it case with a captivating opening episode that can win over anyone who’s been stuck in a job that they hate and yearns to break away and do the things they’ve always wanted. The series supports itself through its overall tone which, while perhaps not for people who can’t stand something overly comedic, is constantly rewarding thanks to fun characters, a story that keeps up its momentum with dynamic and ever changing settings and scenarios, and a surprising amount of depth, introspection, and personal growth.
As someone who’s read the manga, I’m not surprised that Zom 100 became an instant hit, but what really makes this show great how it improves upon its source material, largely due to a studio that makes it pop in ways I didn’t expect (splatters of color all over the place should look weird, yet it works brilliantly for this show) while grounding the tone and slowing the pace just enough.. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a comedy through and through with some fantastic action set-pieces, but what makes Zom 100 one of my favorite ongoing manga is its earnesty in finding joy and meaning in a myriad of ways. The heart of this show is its titular bucket-list that not only moves the plot forward organically while dropping hints at what’s to come, but also showing just how much freedom there is in a world where you’re able to finally do whatever you want. After years of the zombie genre feeling like it’d been mined dry, the undead have finally had some new life injected into them thanks to the best show of the season.
Recommended by: Arcane, Doctorkev, Marquan, TGRIP, TheMamaLuigi, Alistair Hyde
Our seasonal recommendations articles are the results of weeks of collaboration and discussion by many members of the AniTAY community. Some wrote part of the article, and many took part in the voting and discussion to bring this list to life.
- Alistair Hyde
- Arcane
- Doctorkev
- Gugsy
- hybridmink
- Marquan
- Requiem
- Stinolez
- TheMamaLuigi
- umrguy42
- Yohan
First time experiencing our seasonal recommendation list? Check out last season’s here!
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