Whenever one year comes to an end, it brings with it a fresh start and a chance to look to the future. But it also invites us to look back over the year in the rearview mirror, and think about all of the good, bad, and weird things we got up to during those 365 days spinning around the sun. The laughs we had, the mistakes we made… and the anime we watched. There were new seasons of existing favorites like Spy X Family and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and fresh hits like sci-fi mystery Tengoku Daimakyo, school romance Skip and Loafer, and zombie apocalypse horror comedy Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. Whether returning to old favorites, or discovering new ones, anime fans had their plates full this year!
But what exactly were they filling their proverbial plates with? What were the anime people were most engaged with and seeking out info on? Well, below we’ve got a roundup of the most popular Fandom anime wikis of 2023. In a year with a lot to enjoy, these are the shows that people just couldn’t stop talking about!
Kicking off the lineup is Black Clover, a fantasy adventure anime that released its first four seasons from 2017 to 2021. Its story follows Asta, a young boy born into a world where everyone is able to use magic. Everyone…except for him. But, gifted with a rare grimoire that allows him to develop anti-magic powers, he plans to become the next Wizard King. He joins the Magic Knight squad the Black Bulls, and faces a variety of dangers and magical obstacles in pursuit of his goal.
During the wait for a possible Season 5, there has still been more Black Clover to watch. 2023 brought the release of the animated feature film Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King. The events of the film serve as a standalone story, taking place after the events of the anime’s fourth season between the Elf Reincarnation Arc and the Heart Kingdom Joint Struggle Arc. In it, the Clover Kingdom has gathered together to watch the Triumph, a fighting tournament held once a decade, but the festivities are interrupted by the return of an old enemy of the Kingdom. Asta and his fellow Magic Knights must work together to defeat this threat, and save the land. There is no official release date slated for a fifth season of Black Clover, but fans are holding out hope!
During its 328 episode run, released over the course of nearly a decade, Fairy Tail racked up a majorly dedicated fanbase. The magical story of Lucy the aspiring Celestial Wizard, her friends Natsu, Gray, and Erza, and the adventures and antics of the Fairy Tail guild was so successful that it was followed with a sequel manga, Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest. This continuation of the story picks up where the first series leaves off, and takes readers on the journeys of Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy, and Carla as they embark on the titular 100 Years quest. There has been a swirl of rumors and speculation this year concerning a potential anime adaptation of 100 Years Quest, which many fans and journalists alike theorize will release sometime in 2024.
The hit high school murder mystery death game series Danganronpa began its life as a series of visual novels created by Kazutaka Kodaka, but quickly took over the anime world following the release of Danganronpa: The Animation. Since then, there has been a high demand for more explorations of Hope’s Peak Academy, its students, and of course, Monokuma the bloodthirsty animatronic bear. The most recent entry in the wild world of Danganronpa was 2021’s video game, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp.
The creators of the games released a new title in 2023, but it wasn’t another installment in the Danganronpa franchise. Instead, it was a completely separate murder mystery story titled Master Detective Archives: Rain Code. Danganronpa developers Spike Chunsoft also announced another new title, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, which will be available to play outside of Japan in February, 2024. In terms of another Danganronpa installment, there is currently nothing concrete about a fourth game or any additional anime adaptations, leaving Danganronpa‘s fanbase in either a state of cautious hope, or… Ultimate Despair.
It’s been a long road, paved with blood, sweat, tears, and severed body parts, but after a decade on the air, the Attack on Titan anime finally reached its conclusion in November, 2023. The conclusion of Eren ‘s journey, the epic tale of war, loss, and the darkness at the very core of human nature, was a controversial one. The ending of the original manga was contentious, and though some changes were made in adaptation, there has still been debate all across the internet regarding the ways in which the story’s ends were (or weren’t) tied up. But for better or worse – and on Attack on Titan, characters frequently learned that things could always get worse – Attack on Titan remains one of the most memorable anime of all time.
And it’s still not gone for good. In 2024, manga readers can look forward to an 18-page bonus chapter, included as part of the series’ first official color art book.
Since the conclusion of Stone Ocean in 2022, there haven’t been any new episodes of the colorful, chaotic, stand-filled Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime. Those seeking their regular dose of action, adventure, and the ever-expanding legacy of the Joestar family this year were forced to rewatch the existing arcs instead. That still leaves plenty to enjoy of course, with the run of the anime so far taking views from Victorian England to 21st century Italy, to a women’s prison in Florida.
But 2023 did bring some fresh new Jojo’s, too, in the form of the manga! The Jojolands, part 9 of the manga, began serialization in February, 2023. This installment travels to yet another new setting, the island of Oahu, Hawaii, where a young boy named Jodio Joestar is growing up, dreaming of a life filled with wealth and glory. How does he plan to achieve this goal? Well, you’ll just have to read it and find out. But since it’s Jojo’s, well… you know it’s going to get bizarre.
The first 13 episodes of superhero anime My Hero Academia‘s sixth season aired in Japan in 2022, and the series continued in 2023 with episode 14 on January 7. The season concluded with its 25th episode, “No Man Is an Island,’ which aired in Japan on March 25, 2023. The first half of the season focused on the events of the Paranormal Liberation War Arc, while the second half was concerned with the war’s aftermath, as well as the Dark Hero Arc. On December 16, 2023, the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the series posted the trailer for Season 7, scheduled to premiered on May 4, 2024. The show will kick off with four recap episodes, referred to as My Hero Academia Memories. Between the building excitement for Season 7, and promise of massive plans for the upcoming live action movie adaptation, there is a heroic amount of buzz around My Hero Academia right now.
When it comes to anime, Dragon Ball might be one of the biggest household names out there. From the original Dragon Ball series, to Dragon Ball Z , to several other anime series and 21 anime films, this durable title has plenty of Dragon Balls to spare. Well, actually, there are only seven Dragon Balls, but you get the idea. The ever-expanding franchise isn’t done yet, either!
2023 saw the official announcement of Dragon Ball: Daima, a new series that will be premiering in Fall of 2024. Series creator Akira Torimaya will be heavily involved with the new anime, which, much to the surprise of fans, will apparently feature Goku , Vegeta, Bulma, and more classic Dragon Ball Z characters as children! Why and how that is the case remains to be seen, but Dragon Ball: Daima is sure to be full of surprises even as it brings back familiar faces.
This year didn’t see any new titles from the anime, manga, and card game franchise Yu-Gi-Oh!, but that doesn’t mean there was nothing for fans to talk about. In 2023, Konami released the 25th Anniversary Tin: Dueling Heroes in celebration of the game’s 25th anniversary. In August, 2023, the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship returned for the first time since 2019, crowning several winners. The card game also put out a Two-Player Starter Set, and Age of Overlord, a new core booster. Meanwhile, the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! Kept airing from 2022 through 2023, continuing the adventures of Yuhi and Yuamo Ohdo . With a constant stream of Yu-Gi-Oh! stories to consume and cards to play, it’s always time to d-d-d-d-duel!
When it comes to the beloved Shonen series, news coverage this year has come with a bit of whiplash.
Naruto fans were shocked this year when a planned 20th Anniversary special, which was slated to consist of four new episodes of the original series, was suddenly postponed. It was originally scheduled for release on September 3rd, 2023, but just as that date was about to arrive, the Naruto Anime Production Committee released a disappointing statement, announcing that the release was being held. The reason given for this was “to further raise its quality.” At this point though, no new air date has been announced. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations continued to air throughout 2023, with a new Sasuke-focused storyline that began on January 8, but this was cold comfort for those hoping to get brand new episodes of their beloved completed series. Hopefully they’ll get what they’re waiting for in the new year!
One Piece swoops in again to snag the number one spot, holding on to its crown from last year. This series truly is the king… the Pirate King, anyway. There are over 1,000 episodes of the pirate adventure anime series, a 2022 animated movie, and that’s not all!
In 2023, fans got the chance to see Luffy and crew as they’ve never been seen before: in the flesh! This year saw the release of the Netflix live-action adaptation of One Piece. Fans were anxious to see what the show would be like, and many didn’t have particularly high hopes. Let’s face it, live-action anime adaptations don’t have the best track record. But much to the surprise and delight of many anime and streaming television fans, One Piece was a massive success. In its first week, it racked up 18.5 million views, and added over 19 million more in its second week. According to Variety, it’s accumulated over one billion minutes of watch time, and is one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. A second season has been greenlit, so those who enjoyed the adaptation will have even more live action adventures to look forward to!
But that’s not all! As the year was coming to a close, Netflix announced that the WIT Studio will be producing a brand new anime adaptation of One Piece, entitled The One Piece! This new take on the anime promises familiar storylines and characters, with a brand new creative touch. Ya-yo, ya-yo!
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