#**Recap and Rules**
You can read Part I if you missed it [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/13ddky9/my_favorite_winter_2023_seasonal_anime_ranked/)
To recap, I’m ranking ALL the new shows that were airing this Winter in 2023 that I watched, with the exception of ones that were delayed such as *Nier Automata* and *Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible.* If you don’t see it on this list, I didn’t watch it it was probably a sequel to a season 1 I didn’t want to rush and catch up on.
With that out of the way Let’s get started.
#**#13:**
**Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement**
A lot of people say this show is flawed and a lot of source readers say its a shadow of what the adaptation of said source should be.
THOSE PEOPLE ARE……
100% correct.
I haven’t read the source, but I can smell where about they are leaving/speedrunning something out even if I’m not sure what.
And yes this series does have flaws, so why is it this high?
To put it bluntly, I had to fall very neatly in the type of niche audience this show is appealing to with its tropes, concept, humor, etc so that even a nerfed form of the concept just does a lot of things right for me.
I’m sure I’d love the source and if I read it, the anime would be very disappointed but FUCK IT MAN THIS SHOW IS SO DAMN BASED!!!
Also for some reason this is the only show where I consistently laughed out loud for most of the episodes and I chucked and had a stupid grin the for the whole thing. Which is odd because I don’t think humor is the primary hook for the show.
And I don’t mean laugh in a “It’s so bad its good where your laughing at the show failing” I meant I legit laughed at the jokes.
There is something just so smug and knowing about how it presents the jokes and situations.
Like the best comparison I can draw might sound weird at first, but its like a good mix between *Girls Und Panzer* and Neal Stephenson Novels in appeal.
In that its very good at making the mundane magical and the magical mundane with lots of nerd and history porn, that basically asks and answers those prompts on forums (If I had x Super Power, or if I had x knowledge and advantage, how would I exploit it?)
You can tell the author was a huge nerd and did their research, and the times there are so called “plot holes” or “implications not thought through” I think its more the author being cheeky and meta with the humor, which is where I get the Girls Und Panzer comparison which puts a lot of thought into its history references, war otaku and history buff knowledge, and the amount of absurd worldbuilding needed to justify the absurdity of the premise and does so straight faced without any shame!
It’s like a joke that only people that are nerds about what they are talking about are in on, where you have to be knowledgeable enough to get invested but not try to be “too smart” and take it so seriously you nitpick the joke.
Matsuha is also a very underrated best girl candidate she’s gun toting Ayn Rand Loli Mascot that would make any Libertarian proud and I love it!
Honestly I wish this was the anime that caused Twitter wars and people to lose their shit other than ANOTHER entry coming up later on the list.
Basically this show appeals to my RPG Type advantage so I got way more mileage out of it than another viewer.
If I didn’t get that, I would probably rank it much lower, although its not nearly as bad as show as some people make it out to be. I’d still rank it about *MagiRevo* and *Spy Classroom* for sure and after that its a bit more ambiguous and a What if that trying to go down would be pointlessly circular.
So Yeah Matsuha is poggers, this show is based, and if you don’t like it fuck you, you’re a commie and need some Guns and Freedom!
(Also showed actual good depiction of responsible firearm usage and someone having to use it in a realistic life or death situation so there is that.)
Probably the “worst” show on here I most want to see a second season of.
#**#12:**
**DON’T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO 2nd Attack**
The First of only three Sequel Seasons on this list (Not counting continuing from the previous Fall Season.) Nagataro is simultaneous a step up and step down from the first season.
The First Season had immaculate visuals, lighting, and the individual episodic episodes were very well done. And the Direction made certain moments really shine.
The Second Season I feel production wise the heartfelt moments don’t get as much Sakuga but the dankness of the animation and character models makes the humor pop more, we get into more of an overall arcing narrative and the beginnings of real progress in the relationship and learn more about our two mains personal lives, dreams, and fears for the future outside of their relationship. We also get more fun with side characters both old and new.
I feel this season is still mostly set-up for what is yet to come which might rank much higher depending on how much better or worse the future season’s competition is.
#**#11:**
**My Hero Academia**
I’m going to tell you a dirty little secret. After the first two or three seasons My Hero Academia….never really feel off and was consistently good.
I know the common narrative is season 4 (Particularly the last half) and season 5 (Beyond a handful of standout episodes) Was supposedly….”falling off” not so much jumping the shark, (Supposedly that comes later but I’m not a Manga Reader.) but just kinda being….eh compared to the strong start of the first two seasons.
For me however I kinda felt the series has always been a consistent 8/8.5 or a High B Low A Tier.
I’m not going to go into breaking down all the past seasons that’s take its own Essay which I don’t really care about writing, as My Hero Academia for me was never ether the dumpster fire generic Shonen trash haters make it out to be, more a super amazing take on the genre. It just was entertaining with some hype moments, sad moments, fun moments, etc.
Season 5 for me continued that.
However it did mark a change in the overall type of show it became and finally answered some challenges and minor, not so much complaints, but things about the show I just kinda accepted as “well its that kinda show I won’t expect it to go there” and it went there.
It’s Legit extremely well done.
I don’t have much to say, sorry if I don’t sound as passionate as I should for a top 11 pick, but when I sit down to rank the shows, I just couldn’t see how I could put it any lower, it is peak My Hero Academia even if for me, peak is a small rise rather than a huge peak.
#**#10:**
**Kaina of the Great Snow Sea**
Bla Bla Bla CGI Bad, SHUT UP!!!!
Not the best CGI I’ve ever seen (We can’t all be Studio Orange) but I still think it comes together to deliver a feel that traditional animation wouldn’t be able to convey.
Anyway what I like about the show is it feels like an honest Classic Golden Age Hard Sci Fi (Don’t get on my ass about realism How Hard the Sci Fi is has little to do with strictly just realism but how much the “science” and “mechanics” of the technology play a part in the narrative.) You know back in the pulp era with Jules Verne or more modern writers like Neal Stephenson, where its about Science Fiction ideas and being a nerd with said concepts with simple stories and characters, until we had to get all “literary” where the Sci Fi was just asethetic trappings for so called “deeper themes” from snobby English Major Professors that called you a nerd for liking Fantasy and Sci Fi because they weren’t “high brow” enough?
Instead we have a Sci Fi World where everything that happens in said world is a natural result of the mechanics of this unique planet ecosystem, the systems that keep is running, it breaking down, and how it shapes the population that don’t understand this technology and how our protagonist who in his village got passed down the ancient wisdom of…..”reading” and gets ancient relics that act as Chevok guns for the plot that is just technology they don’t understand, ergo Clarktech. (But for us its clearly Clarktech) Wrapped up with a simple yet effect coming of Age Narrative Hero’s Journey and Boy Meets Girl Story. (Ririha is another best girl candidate that was snubbed in the recent contest.)
The Other elements of the story are more or less meant to support the main Sci Fi quest but while the other elements are simple they are still sincere and well done to give our characters motivations and heartfelt moments and not just make them feel like cogs in the plot. Which is a criticism people often leverage at a bunch of Older Sci Fi. The Couple in this show are not super complex and not too much time is spent on their relationship, this isn’t a romance anime, but what time and moments are devoted are not wasted.
Sadly, the conclusion to this story we have to wait for a few months for the ending movie and this story basically ends on the second act of a three act structure. (Although where it ends is at least on that acts Ending, rather than just randomly stopping.)
If you like Sci Fi Heavy Shows like *Blame!* and *Knights of Sidonia* (Which is by the same author and their are easter eggs suggesting it takes place in the same universe as his other works.) Looking for Sci Fi that isn’t just Fantasy with a Space Opera paint job. Or am longing for something that feels like *Nausicaa* or some old OVA series. Give it a try.
Also If I hear one more person asking….”Why don’t they just drink the water in the sea….”
#**#9:**
**Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari**
The Amount of people that wrote this off in the first episode because either A, they assume every anime with Monogatari in the title (And missed the extra “on”) is a sequel to the *Monogatari* series and was disappointed, or wrote off the MC as an Eren Yeager clone for similar hair and aggressive attitude really pissed me off about as much as Yuu when Hyouma is getting closer to Botan.
Anyway this show would be even HIGHER if you could believe that if it wasn’t mostly set up for the real story in the second cour, but the set-up itself is really damn good.
The Fights aren’t ufotable or bones levels but they get that “Glad/Sad/Mad/Scared” dynamic down and each fight does feel like an engaging mini narrative, and can be particularly engaging when multiple characters are fighting and swapping opponents at once.
[Spoilers]>!Hyouma running through a damn house and out the other side in mid air got me pumped!<
This is also another series that isn’t primarily romance, but romance is still a prominent side plot, and this being a Seinen rather than a Shonen, actually doesn’t feel like shit and an afterthought but intertwined with the main conflict.
However what really jumps this entry up so high, and its what I think is the most underappreciated aspect of the show, is the main Protagonist Hyouma Kunato.
He honestly if we had seasonal best boy contest would have been my uncontested pick. (But then be immediately voted out since no one watched this show….. *sigh.*)
Despite being stubborn and harsh, he’s equally harsh on himself and when he makes a mistake or crosses a boundary he will do whatever it takes to make amends and be a better person, even if what he’s doing puts him outside his comfort zone.
Even in the beginning of the series he shows a lot of respect towards people he at this point, hates and has some unwarranted (But understandable given his past trauma) prejudice against.
He basically has this very refreshing….”Come at me Bro” attitude except he’s not screaming like a lunatic or an overgrown ego. He’s aggressive but he has focused and channeled aggressive.
Basically he’s a chad Sigma on that grind.
However that doesn’t mean he can’t have moments of thoughtfulness, vulnerability, and compassion even when he can be clumsy in trying to execute them, he’s so honest, earnest and a straight shooter it can be refreshing for both the audience, and the female protagonist Boten, who despite his pleasant polite demeanor has real bite when lines are crossed with her.
Basically Hyouma is the kinda guy that will never apologize if he did nothing wrong just to get back clout, but when he does something wrong and realizes will quickly make amends and own up to his mistakes.
He can be blunt and unsophisticated but he always has your back.
He can be tunnel visioned and hot headed but he doesn’t let it make him make overtly stupid mistakes.
Basically its the fun of a Battle Shonen Show written with the sophistication of a Seinen without also have the gore and Nihilism that people meme Seinen as being about. The Worldbuilding isn’t particularly original but the mechanics and mythology go towards fleshing out themes about the characters or to construct the narrative.
In short it 90% plays by tropes but for 10% its not afraid to, and not for the sake of some cheap “subversion.”
And that’s really all I ask for.
Basically our main character feels like he’s written like a college age young man, he’s not liking for his identity or who he is like an adolescent teen, but he is still in the process of finding his place and integrating who he is in society and in the years where he’s ideals and beliefs are becoming more fixed but their is still a small closing window to root out some of his prejudices.
Just watch the first three episodes and give it a chance.
#**#8:**
**The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten**
I knew before the show started there would be people bitching about it being for Incels, Wish Fulfillment, Sexist etc etc
Like they do for every romance/rom com ever.
However I was not prepared for this show somehow being more controversial with have such a divisive polarized split in Loving the Show vs Absolutely Loathing it, then say another entry further down the list.
And I honestly think its a little ridiculous. I can understand if people find it boring and vanilla (I mean I disagree with them and it just sounds like they are at the point where they can’t appreciate a vanilla Hentai tag but I understand the rationale.) and just don’t want to bother with it.
But how such a rather inoffensive, chill, and straight forward the premise is, I did not foresee the amount of animus it would bring out. Almost touching on a culture war.
Look Even if this series was 100% Bullshit, Fluff, Wish Fulfillment, I’d see nothing wrong with that, heck that’s basically *Farming Life in Another World* but I don’t believe this show is like that, and I feel the level of pandering it does has been greatly exaggerated and in some cases the people flat out either lied about the show, or “told me they didn’t watch the show without watching the show.”
A lot of what Mahiru does for Amane and their sickingly cute interactions and dynamic…..is just how young couples act at a certain “honeymoon phase” of the relationship.
And contrary to what people think that probably didn’t even finish the first episode, Amane doesn’t just passively get pampered and take her services, he contributes to the workload and shopping in the house (Even if she still does most of the cooking, because she’s better at it so why wouldn’t she?) And Spoils her just as much.
Some people have said this show doesn’t have enough spice (But those people clearly didn’t even get to the halfway point where Mahiru starts to break out of her Angel Persona and starts to transform into cheeky “Devil Mahiru.”) But honestly the show being vanilla ironically is what makes it feel fresh. When it feels every romcom has a quirky gimmick, a waifu with a quirky or even toxic personality traits, a supernatural subplot, love Tesseracts, etc or needs to “play with or subvert” tropes, or otherwise distract us with gimmicks, just a show being about two people bonding with each other, and being the catalyst for the other become a better person, how many recent anime romcoms actually do that with no other strings attached?
Basically is it really worth….as another user put it “essays after essays” on why the show sucks and how it murdered your dog, got your dad fired, NTR’d your wife, seduced your sister, raped your mother etc?
If the biggest “supernatural gimmick” is the two’s relationship got started by being at the right place and right time, then I think that’s not that big a crime.
That being said, this show would be higher if it weren’t for the production issues which makes a lot of sentimental moments….not hit as hard, composition makes certain arcs feel a bit speedrun (Although the most critical scenes and moments were kept.) And the two characters lives outside of their romance together was often cut from the Novels. (Which strictly speaking aren’t necessary for the plot but does add texture to make it feel more like real life and not this romcom bubble that a lot of romcoms (including this one) are often guilty of.
Also Amane…..Yeah even if he was done as well as he was in the Novels, there are better versions of his character Archetype and development that have been done, but saying he is the most bland NPC self-insert character is literally just stoic introvert slander.
Kindly Fuck off good sirs.
As a Novel Reader of this series my disappoint for what was left out and how it was adapted it balanced out by how it wasn’t as bad as I feared it could be.
If this was done by a different studio in a two 10 episode cours (Or just Project Number 9 with not a rookie director and not half the show outsourced.) It could have been as masterpiece, but I think the content is strong enough to put it at this spot.
And if there is a second season, it only gets better from here.
Also Mahiru Shiina is best girl no matter what anyone says.
#**#7:**
**The Eminence in Shadow**
#**I**
#***Am***
#***ALL-RANGE***
#***^^^atomic….***
This show shouldn’t work but it does.
The Author took all the tropes that we are told are trash, and makes you eat that shit up.
It works on two layers as Cid’s story about how he treats the entire world as his larping session for his Chunni Self, and Ironically a second narrative of sincere and well written character dramas of how everyone else has to either deal with or becomes affected or inspired by him. (For better or worse.)
All the different elements just come together to make something more than the sum of its parts.
Despite Cid being Super Op the fights themselves through a combination of pacing, cinematography, choreography, storyboarding, etc somehow feels engaging.
Moments and character arcs that should be silly feel impactful, they make you tear up about a burger wrapper being destroyed!
Also Cid’s VA, best VA of 2022 Maybe Shinpei from *Summertime Rendering* could give him competition.
It’s not a satire or parody or a subversion as some people cope and claim when they can’t explain why they like this show that they’ve been conditioned to believe should be “Isekai Trash” but just fully embracing its cringe and being honest about it while still confident it has the right and ability to make you care about the plot and stakes.
#**#6:**
**Ippon Again!**
Don’t be mistaken this is not just a Moe CGDCT show (Well it is also that) its a legit hotblooded sports drama, with engaging bouts, failures, triumphs, and rivalries. It’s not afraid to have our main characters take some L’s when he expect them to win.
All the Main Characters are well done, and each of the side characters also makes the most of their screen time often returning or promising to return (If this show gets a second season, I can tell things are just getting started) The Production is consistently good, and for the right moments the Saguka does indeed hit.
The Matches just have such a great combination of the “Mad/Sad/Glad/Scared” dynamic, one moment flows into the next one and also enhances each girls arc, their triumph and frustration, you literally have no idea what’s going to happen in later rounds, I felt more hyped watching many of these fights than *My Hero Academa’s.*
I honestly don’t know how to describe why you should watch this show without just doing scene by scene break downs and spoiling it. If you like either CGDGT or sports anime (Particularly Judo) You should check it out, if your open to being surprised at least give it a chance.
If it means anything its ranked this high despite one episode and character arc that really REALLY PISSED ME OFF and I felt was a bad message that went opposite of my values [Spoilers]>!Anna quitting the Kendo Club for…..what I think was stupid reasons!<
#**#5:**
**The Fire Hunter**
I thought the animation was great and a stylistic choice.
The Artsytle and Vibe felt different, nice to get a Novel rather than Light Novel adaptation, and plus we get more of that idea porn speculative fiction.
The World is interesting, the characters are more grounded, the mystery of where this story is going is intriguing, mixed sci fi with traditional fantasy elements (Traditional Eastern Fantasy that is.)
Only reason its not higher is because its not finished and this is the first cour and said first cour does still leave us with more questions than answers.
You can tell its a unique passion project.
Feels like something that Brandon Sanderson would write, (He actually wrote something very similar in feel with *Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.* Taking a gimmicky sounding concept and building an entire world around it based off the logical implications of people having to live in a world around said gimmick.
Once again tempted to put it higher, but It just feels like an incomplete story with its upcoming second cour.
#**#4:**
**ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister!**
Ah this is the series that was Twitter people’s next target and what I thought would be the most controversial and rage inducing show this season.
But naw it was the harmless girlfriend simulator instead….
First off, One of the Best Animated not just of the season or even of the year, but best animated TV series ever and could even give some films a run for their money, both in overall consistency and in that Saguka moments which blend and flow very well into each other.
I will be very upset if the Jury doesn’t do their job later this year and makes sure it wins, since I don’t know if I can count on the General r/anime audience for it.
(P.S Jury Members just think of it instead of being a lewd gender bender, a self-insert series for CGDCT Slice of Life, I’m sure with those mental gymnastics you can make it Anime of the Year like you did with *Encouragement of Climb* last year.)
However it doesn’t just have good animation it also has great direction both in art, sound, and boarding.
Voice acting is the perfect mixed between idealize moe fuwa fuwa cuteness and down to earth homey performance.
And despite what the OP and ED might have you believe the show is not nearly as degenerate as you’d think, there are plenty of times where you expect the show to go in a lewd direction but it smugly goes….”What you thought you were going to see something” but its also by no means prudish either.
There are sincere interactions, and some humor about the differences and troubles between and being the different sexes. (Two young boys that are reoccurring side characters just cannot catch an W in the most humorous way.)
It also works as a simple but gentle series about personal growth and the MC by becoming best girl learns how to be a better man. (Assuming at the end of the series when its down he doesn’t just decide to accept his new life as girl, which I can see happening.)
Watching this show made me way happier than it should have, it made me wish for a moment, that it’d be nice if everyone could (temporarily) be gender bent and by walking in the opposite sexes shows better understand both how we have it good and the perks and the downsides and struggles of the other.
I of course realized how ripe for abuse and a bad idea that would be in a realistic and not idealized world.
I’m curious if a gender bend series exist of a girl becoming a guy and having to deal with the complications that come with that. (I suspect they are more rare because that doesn’t appeal as much to Otaku’s.)
Also Kaede Hozuki is best girl, and favorite Gyaru of all time (Sorry Marin), she is literally in my top 3 best girls of this season.
She is cheerful, kind, playfully aggressive, perceptive of others, good with kids, covers up embarrassing situations and shame, knows what to do and say to break the Ice, looks out for her people, is a great cook.
That’s not to mention her great figure. (Every scene with her Gainaxing becomes the next best Gainax in anime history.)
Oh yeah did I mention the Sakuga is peak, the entire ED in particular is a reason you should watch the show alone.
I honestly can make this show and the #3 on this list interchangeable.
#**#3:**
**Revenger**
Not to be confused with Toyko Revenger.
It’s Gen Urobuchi being Gen Urobunchi but more personal and introspective. Probably the time where he’s writing the character feel the most like real characters and down to earth rather than simply walking archetypes for the greater themes. (Well the main cast at least.) A lot of the episodes in this show were some of the best of the whole season.
The Plot isn’t as tight but I think it adds its own kinda charm where its the real world and things are more messy and unrefined than the clockwork that is say *Madoka Magica.*
There is still plenty of subtext about Philosophical beliefs about religion, morality, humanity, etc. Not all of which I agree with but all of it enriches our understanding of the characters and their struggles.
Plus is has fun Uber Macho Rule of Cool Fights in an old Fashion Period Drama.
There are a few plot threads that are kinda just introduced and cut short before coming to fruition but they feel relatively minor compared to the rest of what’s great about the show.
#**#2:**
**Handyman Saitou in Another World**
Honestly the biggest surprise of the season in terms of how high is ranked, my favorite Isekai and my favorite new show that is not a sequel this season.
Also I think very underrated looking on its 74% score on anilist it should be being flooded with 8.5’s as the most UNCHARITABLE interpretation and should be getting consistently 9’s and I myself was considering giving it a 10.
A lot of people claim the episodic skit nature ruins the story, but to me that is just an innate bias against episodic type shows and not taking something for what it is as opposed to how you want it to be.
Each episode with its jokes and gag often builds the world, sets up a plot device as a chevok gun, or develops a character, sometimes all at once, all without you realizing it because you’re guard is let down by the humor.
The characters are simply but well written, you can also tell the author was a huge D&D nerd with each character archetype really feels like a player having fun and experimenting with their build both from a gameplay perspective and to play with character tropes and archetypes.
The Romance is great (If still a minor subplot), the character development is great, lots of fights feel tense, lots of times where you think its going to be a cute little show, you are constantly hit with HOLY SHIT moments, and you fall for it every time.
The Worldbuilding feels simple but every detail counts.
To Give you an example let me talk about my favorite character in the show Lafanpan, the Fairy White Mage of the Party.
When we are introduced she seems like a miserly Fairy, everytime someone gets an injury in the party that is NOT life critical even if its just back pain or a minor wound she always makes sure to either charge them or hold their debt over them, however we also see that we people do favors for her she always wants to pay them back and never accepts charity.
This might seem like she merely is just a “work by the sweat of your brow” mentality, and partially it is however we learn that [Spoilers]>!As a Moon Fairy she is under a Curse from the Moon Goddess that every night if she doesn’t offer a coin offering to the Moon she slowly will shrink and grow smaller in stature because the Moon Goddess a long time ago basically was jealous of the Fairies and cut their stature and set up the arrangement, basically those coins are in a sense her literal personal lifeline, she her not accepting “hand out money” and not wanting to be a burden on other, shows just how compassionate and thoughtful she actually is!<
This is later developed in another scene on one of the best episodes in the show when [Spoilers]>!The Part is fighting quite literally a Demon King Level Threat Demon and two times they open with a top level party wiping spell that’s mean instant death, Lafanpan uses an instant White Magic Protection Spell to stop it, what does it cost her? Why 7 entire of those coins, the ones she needs to find off her goddess’s curse, AND SHE DOES IT TWICE without hestitation, lots of characters in that show show a lot of great BIG DAMN HEROES Moments, but that is one that goes by so fast that no one doesn’t notice compared to Raeliza’s stand, Satou’s Save, and Morlock’s Absolute Dramatic Entrance and Curbstomp but to me meant so much, knowing the context of just what that cost her!<
There are tons and tons of little moments like this, like one gag with the slime that melts metal armor (And surprise surprise it accidentally lewds the female knight wearing said armor) But later that Slime is used to take out a Golem, we hear how female adventurer’s being in the work force makes it harder for men in the dating market since the average female adventurer doesn’t need a man to support them so they have less pragmatic incentive to settle down for an average joe past their prime as a joke that shows some real world insight, various side characters that have their own mini skits meet with each other and our main characters.
Satou the aforementioned Handyman mixes modern engineering and knowledge and munchkin’s it with a lot of fantasy esq magic materials and items to take advantage of the best of both words. (Basically acting as a cunning Jack of All Trades Rogue.) Such as having a Dwarf make Wire Cutters with Fantasy Super Metals to get the properties of say Mithril with the engineering and design of modern tools.
Certain characters that are introduced for one or two episodes just for a mini arc have stories that hit harder than a lot of character that are “more complex” can with entire seasons.
There are so many great direction choices to keep the tension that fake you out. What was one moment a funny reoccurring joke is not the “do or die” in a high risk situation.
To Round it off, a Final Lafanpan story, [Major Spoilers]>!So near the end of the series Lafanpan and Satou are hanging out alone, and there is this one moment where she uses this chalice as a make shift hot tub because she’s a small fairy that’s the size of one Mareka (Another Gag we don’t have time to go into) Anyway she is technically naked but she tells Satou not to worry because she’s a Fairy and he’s a human so that thought doesn’t even cross her mind if he sees her as a woman, at this time she was already my favorite character and waifu of the show but I was like….Damn if only she was upscaled for proper night time activities, well just as the thought was in my mind, the next scene she wakes up in Bed with Satou FULL SIZED and they freak out, turn out that Magic Chalice grows whatever is put in it and it’ll be awhile before she returns to normal, she gets to briefly experience what its like being a human woman (The plus sides and down sides) and gets a brief crush on Satou and changes her mind about him seeing her in her birthday suit, however she wistfully lets him go, because she doesn’t want to get between him and Raeliza (Who have more or less confessed to each other) but you can tell the experience deeply affected her, where there was something between her and a coworker she never conceived would happen, not only was it some great Fan Service (In both senses of the word) but it added a side to her character that felt very real!<
Honestly I could go on and on about this show and just how well composed it is, but This post is already too long and we have one more show to go.
Seriously if you want a fun D&D romp with Adult characters that use the D7D tropes and trapping to their fullest to both give something familiar with the audience but then take advantage of the template to have some original and well down story telling using a long form made of short form formats where each little skit builds to something more than the sum of its parts. That also has amazing production and multiple episodes that could be the best episodes not just of the season but in general. Check this show out, and please watch past the first three episodes, which are the set-up and prologue for the larger set of mini arcs.
***And now my Number #1 favorite Anime of the Winter 2023 Season is…..***
#**#1:**
**Bungo Stray Dogs 4**
Well everyone that watched it praised it (rightfully so) to high heaven’s, it was still a tragically underwatched show.
The First Season I thought was Great though not quite a masterpiece, but the Second Season onward has been nothing but Incredible and constantly getting better.
The Fourth Season somehow managed to surpass my very high expectations and feels like some of the best work in the series and by this studio.
Every episode is great as a standalone but also builds the longer plot, the use of powers are great, the literary subtext is great, the characterization is great, the plotting is tight but at the same time the characters feel like not just plot devices including a character that [Spoilers]>!In Universe came into existence as a literal plot device (It makes sense in context.)!<
The Production and Direction of the series is great, and despite it being more like the first cour than a stand alone 4th season (The upcoming 5th season is more like the second cour of this one) It still feels satisfying like the first act. Leaving just enough mystery to keep you hocked but still leaving us with some satisfying resolutions, there are interesting themes and subtext but it never feels like it comes at the expense of either the characters or the logic of the world.
So many “oh shit moments” that still work even when the surprise wears off and is not merely gratuitous shock value and sensationalism.
I watched the first three season dubbed a few months ago at once, so I watched this one in dub, so I wasn’t around for the discussions, but man…….I can only imagine the discussions that went on in this series.
It’s smart, but has heart, action packed but still can slow it down, surprises you yet everything makes perfect sense in mindset, it balanced so many moving parts without every getting lost in its own juggling act, has themes that don’t subsume the story but compliment it.
It’s honestly perfect, and I can’t wait for season 5
#**Overall Conclusion**
So that was my Ranking of all the completed Anime Seasonals of Winter 2023? Any entries you were surprised to see or surprised on their placement (Check out [Part I](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/13ddky9/my_favorite_winter_2023_seasonal_anime_ranked/) in case you don’t see your favorite on this half of the list?
You agree with me? You think I’m full of shit? (It’s okay if you do and tell me, I’d probably do the same to you!) Did I convince you to check out any shows or retry a show you might have dropped early?
What are your favorite seasonals of Winter 2023? Some stuff I missed by not seeing you think I should try out?
Let me know in the comments!
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