Winter 2023 Anime releases: what’s with these titles

A New Year’s gift from Netflix, this anime dropped together with the ball (and it’s one of my personal favourites). Based on a manga series. Tatsu, former yakuza boss and nicknamed “The Immortal Dragon” gives up his life of crime to become a househusband. He tries to adapt to domestic life as best as he can, but keeps getting interrupted by his criminal past.

In this story based on a manga series we follow Himuro, a newbie office worker. When emotional, he causes blizzards and starts building snowmen and igloos. He’s secretly in love with his coworker Fuyutsuki, which causes him to sometimes freeze those around them. Even though they’re both very awkward when it comes to love, their relationship gradually evolves both at work and eventually outside of office hours.

In this anime series, based on a manga, we follow Tomo Aizawa. She can be best described as a tomboy. Tomo has had a crush on her childhood friend Junichiro Kubota for a long time now, but he only views her as “one of the boys”. Trying to show her love, she keeps winding up in comical situations.

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation. War has come to an end, and with it comes the realization that weapons have become too destructive. So now, war will be fought in the dark, with covert operations, information, trickery, i.e. a war of spies. After his spy team was destroyed, Klaus wants to create a new team that specializes in “Impossible Missions”. These missions have been failed by a spy before, meaning that the security is now tighter. However the team he has scrambled together are all bottom of the barrel from their respective spy schools, and Klaus has little time to train them.

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation and video games. We follow Bell Cranel, a rookie adventurer in the city of Orario. Orario is home to a number of gods, who are limiting their powers to experience hardships of those in the mortal world, purely for excitement. Each god supports a group of adventurers, who mainly explore the labyrinth under the city to battle monsters and harvest crystal shards. If an adventurer beats powerful monsters, their level increases and they can unlock special powers, much like in an RPG. Bell is the sole member of the Hestia Familia. He was once saved by the famous and powerful swordsman Ais and vows to become as strong as her.

Based on a web manga series, I’m really mainly including this one on the list because the plot reminds me of this bop. The protagonist was turned into a dog and gets to live under the care of his crush, Inukai-san. Though he wants to return to his human form, it’s also pretty great to live his life like this… Woof!

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation. Our protagonist Amana lives by himself in an apartment. And the most beautiful girl in school, Mahiru, lives right next door. Despite being classmates, they’ve never really spoken to each other. Until one rainy day, where Amana sees Mahiru in distress and lends her his umbrella. In return she offers to help him around the house, causing the two of them to slowly grow closer.

Based on a video game, this anime series was announced during a live stream for the fifth anniversary of NieR: Automata. In 5012 earth gets invaded by aliens and their creations. Humanity nearly goes extinct. Any surviving humans take refuge on the moon to plan a counterattack using android soldiers. The alien creations, machine lifeforms, continue to multiply infinitely. As a response the humans send a new kind of android soldier as the ultimate weapon: YoRHa. The story follows the androids and their endless fight for humankind.

Based on a web manga series. Nagatoro, a freshman in high school, loves to tease and torture her male classmate Senpai (Hachioji). At first he’s very introverted, but all the teasing makes him more self-confident. When other people try to bully him, Nagatoro becomes hostile to them. Does she have a crush on Senpai?

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation. Kura Sakuragawa is struggling to get over the break-up with his girlfriend when he gets approached by Kotoko Iwanaga. She says she’s been in love with him ever since they met, two years ago. She adds on that she’s a Goddess of Wisdom, serving as an intermediary between the real and supernatural world. Kuro, on the other hand, is actually a monster that has gained powers of immortality. They decide to team up and set on various adventures.

Based on a manga series, this anime’s first season was animated by Wit Studios, while this new season is in the hands of MAPPA. Both the manga and anime are critically acclaimed, having bagged multiple awards. The story takes place in England in 1013 AD, which has been largely conquered by a Danish king. The protagonist is Thorfinn, son to one of the greatest Vikings. However, when his father is killed in battle by the mercenary leader Askeladd, Thorfinn swears to avenge him. He starts working for Askeladd in order to challenge him to a duel, but ends up caught in the middle of a war for the crown of England.

Based on a manga series, our protagonist Junta Shiraishi is an ordinary high school student. He is in fact so ordinary, that his classmates and even his teachers don’t even notice him. As if he were just a mob character in a video game. That changes when his female classmate Kubo starts paying attention to him, making him do things that cause him to stand out.

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation, the anime adaptation is handled by Silver Link. Kaede begins playing VRMMORP NewWorld Online because of her friend. Her character Maple is a shield user with maxed out defense stats. She keeps on only adding status points towards her defense. As a result, Maple is very slow and without magic, but endures almost every hit without taking any damage. Together with her creative thinking, she becomes one of the strongest players in the game.

Based on a light novel series with a manga adaptation. Our protagonist Seiichi Hiiragi is a high school student, he’s overweight and gets bullied because he’s a “loser”. One day a God transports his entire school into a world of swords and magic, almost like a video game. Seiichi almost avoided it because he was hiding, but eventually got caught. He eats “the Fruit of Evolution”, changing his physical appearance. This kicks off his new life as a “winner”.

There’s no specific release date set, but the fifth and final season of Aggressive Retsuko is supposed to drop in February 2023. This one is definitely a personal favorite of mine and I’m sad to see that Retuko’s story is coming to a close. Created by Sanrio and licensed by Netflix, Retsuko is a 25 year old red panda, working in the accounting department of a Japanese trading firm. She deals with typical problems people of her age face in Japan. Her outlet? Going to karaoke and singing death metal.

This movie is the sequel to Sasaki and Miyano. Based on a manga series. Miyano spends his days reading Boys’ Love manga, but his dream world is about to become reality. In the middle of a fight he meets high school senior Sasaki, who wastes no opportunity to get to know Miyano better.