What was the best anime of 2023? This year, Crunchyroll’s panel of judges nominated six titles they believe deserve the top spot at this year’s awards show. It’s a tough race this year, with lots of nominations for popular titles like Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, and JUJUTSU KAISEN.
Keep reading to see lists of this year’s nominees in the Anime Awards’ biggest categories, and be sure to tune in to the Anime Awards on March 2 to see who wins.
Jump to:
Anime of the Year
- BOCCHI THE ROCK!
- Chainsaw Man
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc
- JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2
- OSHI NO KO
- VINLAND SAGA Season 2
Crunchyroll defines its Anime of the Year pick as one that “sets the standard for anime.” This year’s contenders include popular titles like Chainsaw Man (which aired in late 2022, but still meets the requirements for eligibility) and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
OSHI NO KO is a surprising pick for Crunchyroll; OSHI NO KO streams exclusively on Crunchyroll’s competitor, HIDIVE.
Best Original Anime
- Akiba Maid War
- BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- Season 2
- Buddy Daddies
- Do It Yourself!!
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
- THE MARGINAL SERVICE
A lot of modern anime is adapted from somewhere else (usually a manga or video game), so we’re glad to see this category exists. It gives a spotlight to something other than the same six popular titles that are nominated over and over in this year’s awards.
We personally enjoyed Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, which we recommend to fans of Attack on Titan. It starts as a simple story about a high school for mecha pilots, but it quickly turns dark as the students confront the horrors of war and industry.
Best Continuing Series
- Attack on Titan (Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc)
- JUJUTSU KAISEN (JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2)
- One Piece
- SPY x FAMILY (SPY x FAMILY Season 1 Cour 2)
- VINLAND SAGA (VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2)
The Best Continuing Series category will be another close race, since the longevity of these titles means they all have pretty active fanbases. The winner in 2023, One Piece, has been running since 1999, and Attack on Titan’s final season alone has been airing since 2020.
But you never know—a more recent anime like SPY x FAMILY or VINLAND SAGA could pull ahead in the end.
Best New Series
- BOCCHI THE ROCK!
- Chainsaw Man
- Heavenly Delusion
- Hell’s Paradise
- OSHI NO KO
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
A ton of new anime simulcasts hit our screens in 2023, and it’s hard to say which new title was our favorite. Chainsaw Man is probably the most popular on this list, but Hulu’s Heavenly Delusion, HIDIVE’s OSHI NO KO, and Netflix’s Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead were all able to reach audiences outside of Crunchyroll’s usual user base.
Best Film
- Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King
- BLUE GIANT
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -The First Kiss That Never Ends-
- PSYCHO-PASS: Providence
- Suzume
- THE FIRST SLAM DUNK
Best Anime Song
- “Idol,” OSHI NO KO
- “KICK BACK,” Chainsaw Man
- “Seisyun Complex,” BOCCHI THE ROCK!
- “Suzume,” Suzume
- “Where Our Blue Is,” JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2
- “WORK,” Hell’s Paradise
Best Main Character
- Bocchi, BOCCHI THE ROCK!
- Denji, Chainsaw Man
- Eren Jaeger, Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 1
- Mob, Mob Psycho 100 III
- Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece
- Thorfinn, VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2
For a full list of this year’s Anime Awards nominees, check out Crunchyroll’s website.
Where to stream this year’s nominees
Even though Crunchyroll runs the Anime Awards, not every anime is a Crunchyroll exclusive. Here’s where you can find some of this awards season’s hottest anime titles:
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
Related Posts
