My Favorite Animated Series of 2023 Pt. 2: July-December
Welcome to the long overdue second part of my picks for the best animated series of 2023.
You know, the ironic thing about me splitting my list between the first and second halves of the year was that I was worried that it would take too long for the list to come out if I did it all in one article. And now here we are after Thanksgiving, and I still have barely even started the second part of the list. Oh well, better late than never, I suppose!
Anyway, what do you say we skip the lengthy preamble and get right into the meat? Here’s my picks for the best animated series from July to December 2023, starting with:
July
Distributors: Japan News Network, Mainichi Broadcasting System, TBS Television, Viz Media, Muse Communication, Adult Swim/Toonami
Production company: Bug Films
Director: Kazuki Kawagoe
Producers: Yuuki Hasegawa, Hiroshi Kamei, Junya Okamoto, Emi Satou, Emi Momiyama
Writer: Hiroshi Seko (based on the manga by Haro Aso)
Music: Makoto Miyazaki
Of all the things one would put on their list of “things that would be a good time,” one would think that a zombie apocalypse would be at the very bottom. But what if you hated your job so much that running from zombies would actually be preferable?
That’s the situation 24-year-old Akira Tendo (Suichiro Umeda/Zeno Robinson) finds himself in after spending three years working for an abusive marketing firm, which has left him beaten down and miserable. When the zombie apocalypse descends on Tokyo, however, he is overjoyed that he doesn’t have to go to work anymore and sets out to create a bucket list of all the things he wants to do before becoming zombified. He is joined in his quest by his old college buddy Kencho Ryuuzaki (Makoto Furukawa/Xander Mobus), a former real estate salesman with nudist tendencies who aspires to be a stand-up comedian; Shizuka Mikazuki (Tomori Kusunoki/Abby Trott), a cold and cynical young survivalist initially focused on rationality rather than Akira’s crazy carpe diem aspirations; and Beatrix Amerhauser (Minami Takahashi/Laura Post), a bubbly German weeaboo who fights zombies in a samurai suit. We follow this ragtag team through a postapocalyptic Japan as they travel to Akira’s hometown in the rural Gunma Prefecture, where a nihilistic NEET named Kanta Higurashi (Nobuhiko Otomoto/Bryce Papenbrook) has a nasty surprise waiting for his former college acquaintance…
One aspect of this show that everyone praises is how it turns the common zombie apocalypse trope of humans being just as bad (if not worse) than the zombies on its head. Most zombie media, from The Walking Dead to The Last of Us to George A. Romeros’ work, features humanity collapsing into a Hobbesian war of all against all when the zombie apocalypse happens. Akira and his group, on the other hand, see the apocalypse as a liberation from the late-stage capitalist hellscape they had been living in and decide to embrace their newfound freedom with open arms.
Granted, some characters in Zom 100 would fit in quite nicely in the more cynical zombie stories, like the aforementioned Higurashi (whose band makes their own bucket list full of selfish and destructive goals in a dark reflection of Akira’s list) and Gonzou Kosugi (Kenta Miyake/Jamieson Price), Akira’s former boss who creates a slave commune outside Tokyo that he nearly brainwashes Akira into joining. Even Shizuka counts at the story’s beginning before Akira’s overpowering optimism gets the better of her. Otherwise, this story clearly shows how, contrary to many a cynic’s declarations, apocalyptic circumstances often bring out the best in people.
The first episode portrays this beautifully through one of the most inventive visual storytelling devices I’ve ever seen. The colors slowly drain away as Akira’s job sucks more and more of his motivation from him until all that’s left is black and white, and the aspect ratio changes to widescreen to symbolize his increasing confinement. Once the zombies show up and Akira realizes he’s free from the black company forever, though, he literally rips the black bars away with his bare hands, and the colors come roaring back, with the zombie’s blood changing into multicolored paint splatters.
As can be expected from such a vibrant color palate, Zom 100 also fits alongside Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead within the “zombie comedy” niche. However, it takes its comedy to much more absurd lengths than either of those films. Perhaps the best example of this is episode 5, “Hero of the Dead,” in which the gang encounters a zombified shark that runs around on the legs of the divers it has eaten like an oversized demonic centipede! That Akira fights in a shark bite-proof diving suit as the superhero “Akirager” as part of his bucket list wish. Yes, you read that right. And that’s just one of the absurd misadventures the group finds itself in.
At its core, Zom 100 is a story about friendship, fulfilling your dreams, and enjoying the little things in life while you can. Between late-stage capitalism leaving many in the same situation Akira found himself in and lingering memories of the COVID lockdowns, it’s probably no wonder this series has become so popular. Check it out yourself, and see how funny and relatable these characters can be.
Honorable Mentions:
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire: This Disney+ original anthology series (executive produced by Spider-Verse co-director Peter Ramsey) presents ten Afrofuturist vignettes from several directors pulled from six African countries and produced by South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios. Each one offers a unique and creative take on African culture and philosophy. Highlights include “Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer” (a Studio Trigger-inspired racing epic set in Johannesburg’s Soweto township), “Surf Sangoma” (another sports tale, this time centered on surfing), “First Totem Problems” (with a hand-drawn style reminiscent of The Proud Family), “Mukudezi” (in which a teenage delinquent is transported to a cyberpunk version of Zimbabwe that was never colonized), “Hatima” (which tells of a war between merpeople and surface dwellers), and “Enkai” (with its pseudo-stop-motion style and poignant environmental message).
Those who want something similar to what Star Wars: Visions offered might do well to check this series out. You might have to do some digging to find it, though, since Disney hasn’t shown much interest in advertising it (gee, I wonder why…).
My Adventures with Superman: This shounen anime-inspired iteration of Superman’s origin story reimagines a college-aged Clark Kent (voiced by Jack Quaid) as he joins the Daily Planet as an intern, goes on investigations with his coworkers Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid), learns far more about his alien origins than he originally wanted to, and butts heads with several villains of the week, including a mysterious government agency called Task Force X that seems to have it out for the Man of Steel.
After about a decade of high-budget films portraying him as dour and angsty (on top of series like The Boys and Invincible and their more cynical takes on the superhero genre), it’s nice to have a version of Superman that goes back to the character’s roots as a kind-hearted symbol of justice. The series also distinguishes its version of Clark Kent by portraying him as a shy and awkward dork, which makes for a hilarious contrast with the traditional image of Superman we’re used to seeing. It also makes his developing relationship with Lois genuinely adorable to watch, even through some admittedly poorly handled drama in the middle of the season when Lois forces him to reveal his secret identity to her.
Despite such pacing issues, this is still a highly enjoyable show, even for non-comic book readers. It’s got charming main characters, engagingly complex action sequences, and a winning sense of humor and mystery to go along with it. Check it out on HBO Max if you’re not too mad over David Zaslav’s shenanigans.
August
Distributor: HBO Max
Production companies: Frederator Studios, Cartoon Network Studios
Creator: Adam Muto
Producers: Adam Muto, Fred Seibert, Sam Register (executive); Debora Arroyo
Writers: Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang, Hanna K. Nystrom, Anthony Burch, Adam Muto (story); Hanna K. Nystrom, Anna Syvertsson, Jacob Winkler, Haewon Lee, Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jim Campbell, Lucyola Langi, Nicole Rodriguez, Sonja von Marensdorff, Jackie Files
Music: Amanda Jones
The sequel to Pendleton Ward’s gloriously whacky fantasy series knows how to grow up with its audience while still retaining the original’s wild sense of humor.
The series follows the main characters from Ice King’s gender-flipped fanfic, Fiona Campbell and Cake the Cat (Madeline Martin and Roz Ryan), who live in a mundane, magicless world. The former is an immature 29-year-old slacker cycling through various dead-end jobs, consumed with ambitions of becoming the magical adventurer she sees herself as in her dreams, while the latter is just a typical housecat.
Meanwhile, in the land of Ooo, Simon Petrikov (Tom Kenny), the recently reformed Ice King, lives as a normal 20th-century man in a world of weirdness that he can’t relate to. He is constantly reminded of his time as Ice King (with many complaining that he was so much cooler then) and Fionna and Cake despite desperately wanting to move on from that part of his life. He gets his chance to do so when an attempt to rescue his wife, Betty Grof (Felicia Day), from the clutches of the mindless cosmic abomination GOLB pulls Fionna and Cake out of their home universe and into Ooo. When the trio learns from Prismo (Sean Rohani, replacing Kumail Nanjiani) that the creation of their universe was unauthorized and that a “multiversal auditor” called the Scarab (Kayleigh McKee) is hellbent on erasing it from existence, the three set out on a universe-hopping quest to find Ice King’s crown, which may be the only way to save Fionna and Cake’s homeworld…
One of the most praised aspects of this spin-off is the way it handles its themes of escapism and nostalgia. Fionna is at first overjoyed to finally have some adventure in her life, but as the quest goes on, she keeps getting her ass handed to her by stronger opponents and quickly realizes how in over her head she is. Then, in the infamous episode “The Winter King,” when she finally gets the epic battle she so desperately wanted, the twist-ending reveals that it was all a lie in the worst way possible, leaving her traumatized and wondering if it was all worth it.
Funnily enough, the “be careful what you wish for” theme is even explored with the Lich, of all people (voiced once again by Ron Perlman), in one of my personal favorite moments from the series. The universe the trio stumbles across in “Jerry” is one where the Lich succeeded in ending all life. But instead of reveling in his triumph, the Lich is reduced to a bored and depressed shell who can’t even summon the energy to kill our heroes when they enter his lair. We later learn that the Lich wanted to end all life to impress GOLB, his chosen deity, and is enraged when he realizes that the chaos god is too mindless to appreciate said gesture. Seeing the series’ most terrifying villain reduced to such a pathetic state is both satisfying and darkly hilarious.
In the end, though, the show’s overall take on escapism is less “avoid it at all costs!” and more “don’t let your desire for something more blind you to the good things you already have.” Fionna learns to appreciate her homeworld for what it is, and Simon is forced to question the nature of his relationship with Betty and its subtly toxic dynamic.
Everything surrounding the trio is excellent as well, especially the multiverse aspect. Aside from the extinct version of Ooo, we also get to revisit Farmworld; see a universe with a version of Ice King called the Winter King (Brian David Gilbert), who has managed to avoid the crown’s insanity curse (albeit through dubious means); visit a universe where Marceline (Olivia Olson) never met Simon and thus became an evil protege of the Vampire King, with devastating consequences for her home universe; and revisit Future Ooo, where a disembodied Simon possesses Shermy (Sean Giambrone) and runs to the library to get back to his own time, much to Beth’s (Imani Hakim) confusion.
Also, for any LGBTQ Adventure Time fans who might be wondering, we get to see much more of Marceline and Princess Bubblegum’s (Hynden Walch) relationship, especially the wholesome version we get in Fionna’s homeworld with Gary Prince (Andrew Rannells) and Marshall Lee (Donald Glover). Somewhat less wholesome is the version in “The Star,” where Evil Marceline and Bonnie seemingly can’t help but flirt with one another despite being mortal enemies.
In short, this series offers everything a more grown-up Adventure Time fan would want. It’s more adult than the original series, but not in an over-the-top or obnoxious way. It critiques the themes of escapist heroism while not entirely dismissing them. Perhaps most importantly, though, it manages to keep the original’s eccentric sense of humor while balancing it with a darker and more melancholic tone, especially the arc of Simon getting over losing Betty. I know multiverse stories are getting a bit overplayed these days, but trust me, this is one you don’t want to miss.
September
Distributors: Nippon Television Network System, Muse Communication, Crunchyroll
Production company: Madhouse
Director: Keiichiro Saito
Writer: Tomohiro Suzuki (based on the manga by Kanehito Yamada)
Music: Evan Call
We’ve all seen the epic high fantasy adventure where our plucky band of heroes journeys to defeat the all-powerful evil overlord. But what happens when the adventure ends, especially to the party member who’s functionally immortal?
That’s the dilemma our eponymous elven heroine (Atsumi Tanezaki/Mallorie Rodak) finds herself in after she and Himmel the human (Nobuhiko Okamoto/Clifford Chapin), Heiter the mage (Hiroki Tochi/Jason Douglas), and Eisen the dwarf (Yoji Ueda/Chris Guerrero) return from a ten-year quest to defeat the Demon King. After watching a meteor shower that occurs every 50 years and agreeing to get a better view of it the next time around, Frieren goes on a journey to discover magical knowledge. When she returns, however, she’s horrified to find out how quickly Himmel has aged. Shortly afterward, at his funeral, she vows to find his soul in the far north so she can give him a proper farewell.
She gains her former party member’s proteges as her traveling companions along the way. Heiter’s is Fern (Kana Ichinose/Jill Harris), a war orphan who shows potential as a powerful mage, while Eisen’s is Stark (Chiyaki Kobayashi/Jordan Dash Cruz), a kindhearted young warrior whose strength outstrips his confidence. We follow this new generation of heroes as they go on side quests cleaning up the remnants of the Demon King’s army and as Frieren learns more and more about what it means to be human.
One thing the average viewer may notice the first time they watch this is how much calmer Frieren is compared to similar shows like The Witcher or The Rings of Power. This is unsurprising since this story shows us the equivalent of Middle Earth after Sauron’s defeat, as the average person finally finds a way to live everyday life without the threat of the dark lord’s army hanging over their heads (barring a few leftover orcs and Balrogs lurking here and there). The show isn’t entirely devoid of action (the fight with the dragon after the group meets Stark, the battle with Lugner and Aura’s demon army, the Mage Examination tournament arc, etc.), but the show mainly contents itself with a slower slice-of-life flavor of fantasy.
The characters help to make this formula still entertaining despite the lower stakes. Frieren herself is an interesting paradox of a character, as her immortality gives her literally thousands of years of experience and wisdom, and she acts like a detached stoic and has a deep, mature voice that contrasts with her youthful appearance. On the other hand, she also has an immature streak a mile wide, such as her inexplicable interest in potions that dissolve clothes, her (very relatable) reluctance to get up in the morning, and her unwillingness to avoid mimics on the off-chance it’s an actual treasure chest (despite having a spell handy to tell them apart).
Indeed, it says something about the elf mage that Fern is often the more mature of the duo, which is especially ironic as Fern was only fifteen when she started her journey with Frieren. Her coaxing Frieren out of bed in the morning often plays out like an exasperated mom trying to get her child ready for school. Her romantic tension with Stark is played out with refreshing subtlety, forgoing the intense melodrama many other anime would fall headfirst into.
In all, this show is similar to Fionna and Cake in its themes of learning how to say goodbye and let go. Obviously, though, the shows could not be more different in presentation, with Madhouse’s animation going for a down-to-earth approach to high fantasy that emphasizes the small moments of connection and wonder over the war and drama often emphasized in this genre. With such crisp animation featuring fascinating characters that examine familiar tropes of immortal races from a fresh perspective, it’s no wonder this series is being hailed as a future classic of the genre.
Honorable Mentions
Tiny Toons Looniversity: This reboot of the first of several 90s cartoons executive produced by Steven Spielberg (alongside Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Freakazoid) follows older versions of Babs and Buster Bunny (Ashleigh Crystal Hairston and Eric Bauza, respectively) as they study the ways of the elder Looney Tunes at Acme Looniversity in the hope of becoming professional cartoon characters themselves one day. While pursuing their studies, they get into whacky misadventures with their friends, like timid straight man Hamton J. Pig, the narcissistic Plucky Duck (both voiced by David Errigo Jr.), the tomboyish punk rocker Sweetie Bird (Tessa Netting), and many others.
Those disappointed by the Animaniacs revival’s focus on social commentary rather than slapstick and its exclusion of several fan-favorite characters will be pleased to hear that Looniversity is a significant improvement on both counts. All major characters return, even ones the producers initially said would not (namely the much-maligned Elmyra Duff, voiced by a returning Cree Summer). The show even makes good use of characters introduced in the poorly-received ‘60s shorts, like Cool Cat (no, not the Derek Savage one) and Merlin the Magic Mouse. The slapstick gags are also very well done (like Hamton somehow failing to slip on a banana peel, World War II somehow being won with practical joke snakes, and an entire episode in which pollution in the water supply robs the toons of their ability to bounce back from catastrophic injuries). Some reviewers, like Jesse Hassenger of IGN, were annoyed by the meta-jokes surrounding cartoon tropes and conventions, but I thought it fit well with the college setting the series is going for.
It’s certainly not on the same level as the original Termite Terrace shorts, but the Tiny Toons reboot has plenty of laughs for those Looney Tunes fans willing to give it a chance.
Castlevania: Nocturne: This sequel to Netflix’s critically acclaimed adaptation of the Konami video game series follows Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), who has moved to Revolution-era France from America after losing his mother to the Aztec vampire Olrox (Zahn McClarnon). There, he hunts aristocratic vampires alongside his adoptive sister, Maria Renard (Pixie Davies). When they hear rumors that Erzsebet Bathory (Franka Potente), the so-called “vampire messiah,” is coming to their town to immanentize the eschaton, they gather allies to stop her, including Annette (Thuso Mbedu), an escaped French Caribbean slave with a talent for voodoo magic; Edouard (Sydney James Harcourt), an opera singer and Anette’s best friend; and Juste Belmont (Iain Glen), Richter’s estranged grandfather. Will their efforts be enough to stop Bathory’s rise to godhood?
Fans of the original series can expect much of the same strengths: top-notch animation from Powerhouse, thrilling action scenes, interesting characters, and gripping historical drama. The series makes good use of its French Revolution setting to set up some fascinating interpersonal conflicts between the characters. For instance, Abbot Emmanuel (Richard Dormer) is revealed to be helping the vampire aristocracy because he fears the dechristianization efforts of the revolutionaries (despite the best efforts of Maria, his illegitimate daughter). The night creatures also get humanizing moments when a central character dies and gets turned into one (something I won’t dare spoil here).
There are some downgrades. For instance, most of the villains are less memorable than those of the original series. The only exceptions are Drolta (Elarica Johnson), Bathory’s sadomanical second-in-command, and Olrox, whose relationship with his mortal enemy Richter evolves as he learns more about Bathory’s plot and how it might affect his new lover, the Knight Hospitaller Mizrak (Aaron Neil). The ending also feels a little abrupt and bleak, even if it’s helped by the arrival of a returning character (again, no spoilers!).
Despite those quibbles, though, I think Nocturne is a worthy successor to its parent series that more than makes up for its flaws with sharp action and likable heroes.
October
Distributor: HBO Max
Production companies: Titmouse Inc., Green Street Pictures
Creators/co-producers: Joseph Bennett, Charles Huettner
Co-producers: Chris Prynowski, Ben Kalina, Antonio Canobbio, Sean Buckelew, James Merrill
Writers: Joseph Bennett, Charles Huettner, Sean Buckelew, James Merrill, Jenny Deiker Restivo, Jillian Goldfluss
Music: Nicolas Snyder
This twelve-episode masterpiece has been hailed as one of the most original works of science fiction to emerge this century. So, naturally, David Zaslav canceled it after one season. He did at least have the decency not to remove it entirely, so…good job, I guess?
The series follows the struggles of three groups of survivors after the Demeter 227, an interstellar cargo ship, after it crashes on an inhospitable alien planet called Vesta. The first we meet are horticulturalist Ursula (Sunita Mani) and ship commander Sam (Bob Stephenson), followed by cargo specialist Azi (Wunmi Mosaku) and her robot companion Levi (Alia Shawkat), as they brave Vesta’s various dangers to try to reach Demeter’s wreckage. Meanwhile, technician Kamen (Ted Travelstead) goes stir-crazy after getting trapped in his escape pod for months and falls under the influence of the Hollow, which belongs to a species resembling a cross between a grey alien and a tardigrade and hunts using psychic powers that enslave other creatures to get food for them. With Kamen’s selfishness and greed helping grow the Hollow to massive size, it may just become the biggest threat to the other survivors as they try to reach the Demeter and their only possible hope of rescue.
The most prominent element that stands out to any first-time watcher is undoubtedly the creature designs for Vesta’s native inhabitants. These are some of the most creative I’ve seen since Wayne Douglas Barlowe’s Expedition (and the Discovery Channel documentary Alien Planet, which was inspired by it). Perhaps this TV Tropes summary puts it best :
There are massive sea creatures that keep their eggs hidden inside some special tube during storms, bird-like creatures who use panels on their heads to fry their prey, psychic creatures that hypnotize thralls to get food, plants that create copies of their prey to propagate themselves, and much more, which is not surprising for a completely alien planet.
That’s not even mentioning the things like the slugs that Ursula and Sam use as organic gas masks and the flower that pollinates itself with a small humanoid that immediately ages and dies once its task is complete.
But it’s not the aliens alone that make this such a great story. The character drama is also very well done, especially Azi’s growing friendship with Levi and Kamen’s descent into madness as his toxic dynamic with the Hollow grows out of control. We are also introduced to a different spaceship crew that answers Azi’s distress call halfway through the season, with which Azi builds a rapport, only to quickly discover that their leader Kris’ (Pollyanna McIntosh) motives aren’t as altruistic as they first appeared.
Complementing this is some of the best animation to come out of any Western animated production this year, bearing obvious influence from the great Jean “Moebius” Giraud without being an exact copy, which succeeds in giving Vesta’s wildlife a suitably lived-in and naturalistic touch.
In a science-fiction scene that can often seem overstuffed nowadays, Scavengers Reign sets itself apart beautifully with a lively extraterrestrial setting and a story and characters able to withstand its challenges.
Honorable Mentions
The Apothecary Diaries: This series follows Maomao (Aoi Yuki/Emi Lo), an apothecary-in-training living in a fantasy world inspired by Imperial China who solves medical mysteries while serving as an indentured servant in the imperial court and developing a relationship with the “eunuch” administrator Jinshi (Takeo Otsuka/Kaiji Tang).
The historical environment is immersive, the political intrigue gripping, and the character dynamics and performances fascinating to watch. I especially enjoyed watching Maomao skillfully weave her way through a hierarchical society while occasionally butting heads with it in her quest to solve the various medical mysteries that arose in the imperial palace.
If your heart’s desire is a medical drama a la House but set in medieval China, then your wish is granted.
Pluto: This cyberpunk murder mystery, based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa (which in turn adapts the classic “Greatest Robot on Earth” arc from Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy), follows the robotic Europol detective Gesicht (Shinshu Fuji/Jason Vande Brake) as he investigates a string of robot and human murders, with the murderer seeming to target the seven most scientifically advanced robots in the world (including Astro Boy, referred to here by his original name Atom (Yoko Hikasa/Laura Stahl), and Gesicht himself) and human supporters of laws giving robots equal rights.
Science fiction tales interrogating the humanity of robots are nothing new, but Pluto distinguishes itself with the sheer variety of scenarios it provides for robots learning to be human. From former war robot North No. 2 (Koichi Yamadera/Patrick Seitz) and his attempts to learn the piano from his prejudiced master Paul Duncan (Michio Hazama/Ron Bottitta) to how Atom’s warm relationship with Professor Ohanomizu (Toshio Furukawa/ Mike Pollock) contrasts with his estranged creator Professor Tenma (Eisou Tsuda/Keith David) to the general theme of robots being advanced enough that they’re virtually indistinguishable from humans, it certainly has a lot to say on the subject.
And with eight hour-long episodes to tell this story, the series hardly wastes a minute. With an excellent cast bringing the characters to life and a story with some unexpected twists (for those who haven’t read the manga, at least), it’s hard to disagree with Digital Spy critic Ali Griffiths when he proclaims this “the greatest robot anime on Earth.”
Curses!: Those looking for something more appropriate for Halloween would do worse than this Dreamworks/Apple TV+ production, which Comic Book Resources critic Sam Stone calls “a solid tonal mix between Indiana Jones and The Real Ghostbusters.”
When archaeologist Alex Vanderhouven (Reid Scott) is inexplicably turned to stone, his wife Sky (Lyric Lewis), son Russ (Andre Robinson), and daughter Pandora (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green) discover that the artifacts collected by their ancestor Cornelius (Robert Englund) have been cursed due to being stolen from their home cultures. Thus, it falls to the Vanderhouvens (alongside Stanley the living wooden idol (Rhys Darby), Larry the zombie pirate skull (James Marsters), and their pilot friend Margie (Rhea Perlman)) to return the artifacts to their proper places and de-petrify their father.
It’s definitely made for a younger audience, so it’s nothing groundbreaking. However, it still has fun characters, good scares, and a 2D/3D style miming 1950s horror comics like Tales from the Crypt. Plus, Freddy Krueger voices the main antagonist! If that doesn’t at least pique your curiosity, then I don’t know what to tell you.
November
Distributor: Netflix
Production companies: Blue Spirit, Netflix Animation, J.A. Green Construction Corp., 3 Arts Entertainment
Creators: Amber Noizumi, Michael Green
Producers: Michael Green, Amber Noizumi, Erwin Stoff (executive); Jane Wu, Nick Read, Nicholas Cofrancesco, Haven Alexander, Kevin Hart (not that one!)
Writers: Amber Noizumi, Michael Green, Yana Billie-Chung
Music: Amie Doherty
This action-packed historical epic, co-written by the writer of Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptations alongside his wife, has been hailed as the best anime of the year by none other than video game legend Hideo Kojima. Some of the snootier sides of the anime fandom may scoff at him describing this mainly Western production as anime, but there’s no doubt that this is one of the best animated works to come out in 2023.
Set in Edo-era Japan in 1657, the series follows Mizu (Maya Erskine), a half-white female ronin who has set out on a mission to kill the four European men who have illegally remained in Japan after the closing of its borders to foreign nationals on the grounds that one of them has to be her father. Her quest soon leads her to Abijah Fowler (Kenneth Branagh), an Irish smuggler who is revealed to be plotting to overthrow the current shogun and replace him with someone more amenable to colonial interests. To stop his evil plot, though, Mizu may need to let go of her solitary nature and learn to trust the group of outcasts she has gathered along the way, including optimistic double-amputee Ringo (Masi Oka), the strong-willed Princess Akemi (Brenda Song), disgraced samurai Taigen (Darren Barnet), and cunning brothel madam Kaji (Ming-Na Wen).
I’m just gonna come out and say it; this series kicks ass! The action scenes are creative in their brutality, with Mizu often using her enemy’s severed limbs as weapons just as often as she uses her katana. The storming of Fowler’s keep in episode six might be my favorite out of all of them, as Mizu spends almost the entire episode fighting her way through a complicated maze of guards and traps to get to him. It’s a beautiful display of her almost supernatural levels of combat skill and stamina…and also of her human limitations, as by the time she reaches Fowler, she’s too exhausted to fight him and gets her ass handed to her (especially since he greets her with a bullet to the shoulder that also smashes her blade). She opts instead to retreat, with Taigen (whom Fowler and his toadie Heiji Shindo (Randall Park) had been keeping prisoner) in tow.
The series also tackles the various social issues inherent in 17th-century Japan, mainly through Mizu herself and Princess Akemi. Mizu is discriminated against from her childhood onward for her mixed-race heritage, with many calling her an inhuman monster. The only respite she finds is in the blind swordmaker Master Eiji (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who eventually inspires her to go on her blood-soaked quest in the first place.
Some viewers have criticized Akemi’s storyline, as not only does it ultimately end up with the princess right back where she started, but she spends much of her screen time manipulating others to get what she wants. I’m more inclined to sympathize with her, if only because of how unlikable her father is (especially once we learn about his involvement in Fowler’s plot) and especially for her complicated relationship with her tutor, Seki (George Takei). However, I agree that she loses some sympathy points when she demands Mizu kill the guards her father sent to retrieve her at the end of the fifth episode. There are plenty of very good reasons for Mizu to refuse her request (she’s exhausted from saving Madame Kaji’s brothel from the vicious Thousand Claws gang, the guards are just regular non-criminals doing their jobs, Akemi literally tried to kill her the first time they met, etc.), yet the narrative and Ringo treat her like a monster for not sticking her neck out for the princess.
In the end, though, this is still one of the best animations of the 2020s so far, and it easily cements itself as an invaluable addition to the “painted CGI” revolution alongside Arcane and the Spider-Verse trilogy. It’s got insane action sequences, intense characters with equally intense performances (Erskine, Branagh, and Ming Na-Wen being particular standouts), and excellent 2D/CG animation tying it all together. Much like Scavengers Reign, it’s a must-watch for anyone who even remotely cares about the art of animation.
Honorable Mentions
Invincible Season 2: Mark Grayson/Invincible’s (Steven Yuen) story continues as he grapples with the aftermath of his father Nolan/Omni-Man’s (J.K. Simmons) deadly rampage and is plagued with fears of eventually turning out like his father. Such worries are complicated by a new set of apocalyptic threats, from other Vilrumites determined to finish what Omni-Man started to Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown), a scientist studying the multiverse who got a mutated brain thanks to an accident that Mark inadvertently caused. Can he keep his family safe while remaining true to his heroic aspirations?
Those who enjoyed the high drama of the first season will find much of the same in the second season, especially once Mark discovers what his father has been up to since he fled from Earth or when Angstrom Levy finally catches up with him. Mark’s romance with Amber Bennett (Zazie Beetz) is also handled much better this season, although whether or not this makes up for her treatment of Mark last season is up to debate.
That doesn’t mean that this season is free from errors. For example, the writers seem to have completely forgotten about Levy until the penultimate episode. Despite such flaws, Invincible Season Two is just as much of a roller coaster of emotions as the first, with a layer of interesting worldbuilding added on top.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: It would be very difficult to summarize the story of this adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s cult classic graphic novel without spoiling the massive twist that happens at the end of the first episode when Scott (Michael Cera) battles Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winsted) first evil ex Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha). Suffice it to say, though, it’s a welcome change that allows this version of the story to flesh out Ramona’s side of the story (going into much more detail about her relationships with her seven evil exes) and gives Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) a chance to define herself outside her problematic relationship with Scott.
It certainly helps that the entire cast of Edgar Wright’s 2010 film adaptation reprises their roles (even actors who have since become massive superstars, like Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, and Brie Larson), with everyone sounding surprisingly at home in this over-the-top anime version of their story, with even Cera ditching his usual laid-back monotone style to match the show’s energy. Roxy Richter, voiced by the ever-reliable Mae Whitman, is probably my favorite performance, however.
Add a deliciously frenetic dose of animation from the legendary Japanese studio Science Saru, which faithfully recaptures O’Malley’s art style and character designs, and you’ve got a worthy addition to the Scott Pilgrim universe.
December
Distributor: Netflix
Production company: Netflix Animation
Creator: Dan Guterman
Producers: Dan Guterman, Donick Cary (executive); Dayla Kennedy
Writers: Dan Guterman, Kevin Arrieta, Noah Prestwich, Donick Cary
Music: Joe Wong
Most apocalyptic stories feature characters that let go of their inhibitions and polite society’s restraints and go hog wild (Zom 100, for instance). This Netflix original, on the other hand, dares to ask, “What if the world was ending, and you just wanted to be normal?”
That’s the situation facing Carol Kohl (Martha Kelly), a middle-aged woman living on a version of Earth that is doomed to be destroyed in a few months by the rogue planet Keppler. She’s shy and anxiety-ridden and thus has no desire to engage with the reckless abandon that most of the rest of the world seems to have surrendered to, including her adventurous and somewhat insensitive sister Elena (Bridget Everett), her elderly parents (Beth Grant and Lawrence Pressman) who have become nudists and started a polyamorous relationship with their live-in nurse Michael (Delbert Hunt), or her vapid “best friend” Janette (Megan Mullally). She seems to find the perfect place for her when she stumbles upon an office building that offers a sense of routine, only to be disappointed when she discovers that the workers are discouraged from talking to one another by a zealous HR manager (Laurie Metcalfe). Still, it doesn’t stop her from making her first real friends in a long while, including Donna (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) and Luis (Mel Rodriguez).
This series could be considered the perfect bookend to Zom 100, given how it handles the apocalypse in the complete opposite way. Whereas the latter is basically an R-rated Looney Tunes cartoon, Carol could probably be best described as a cozy apocalypse. As creator Dan Guterman says, “Carol & The End Of The World is a love letter to routine. A show about the comforts of monotony. An animated and existential comedy about the daily rituals that make up the gaps that make up a life.” Carol herself eschews the hedonism and reckless daredevil antics of most of the Earth’s population in favor of a boring routine at an office complex. That doesn’t stop her from getting into sticky situations (like being forced to rob Janette at gunpoint for printer ink) or rocking the boat with her attempts at connecting with her fellow employees (holding a funeral for a dead employee with no living relatives or inviting the office to a weekly happy hour at a renovated Applebees).
Carol’s arc is complemented by stories like the passengers of a cruise ship (including Carol’s parents and Michael) allying with a pirate crew to steer the ship back to land after the captain abandons ship, and Eric (Michael Chernus), a man terrified of dying alone who had previously scared Carol away by proposing to her bonding with his son Steven (Sean Giambrone) as they go on a cross-country to reunite with Steven’s mother.
It may not have the whacky hijinks of Family Guy or Rick and Morty, but Carol & the End of the World still has plenty of laughs and heart to spare, with a unique and life-affirming way of looking at the end of everything.
Honorable Mention
Hilda Season 3: The final season of Netflix’s smash hit urban fantasy slice-of-life epic starts with our titular character (Bella Ramsey) visiting her aunt Astrid (Miriam Margolyes) in Tofoten. When she and her friends David (Oliver Nelson) and Frida (Ameerah Falzon-Ojo) accidentally disturb a nearby fairy mound, Hilda finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving her family history revolving around her mother Joanna’s (Daisy Haggard) parentage…
Many lingering questions about our characters are answered. Who is Hilda’s dad, for instance (Anders (John Simm), whom Joanna divorced because of his adventurous daredevil antics)? Where did Victoria Van Gale (Rachel Atkins) go after the nowhere space mishap in “The Windmill”? And, most importantly, where did Hilda’s blue hair come from?
Some fans have criticized Season Three for being shorter than the others (Netflix only gave it eight episodes instead of 13) and thus not having time to properly develop several of the new storylines and characters it introduces. Despite this, however, Hilda Season 3 still offers plenty of supernatural thrills and chills, especially in its feature-length series finale, in which Hilda finally discovers what’s on the other side of the fairy mound. While it’s sad to see this series come to an end, what we’ve got is still one of the most outstanding TV series of the new millennium.
So that’s the long overdue end of the TV half of my 2023 animation retrospective, but it’s not over yet! Tune in next time when I tally up the 2023 theatrical releases I missed the first time around. We’ve got Hayao Miyazaki, sci-fi detective stories, deep sea adventures, and much more! Until next time, fellow toonsters!
