The Spring 2023 anime season is now well underway, with virtually every title having broadcast at least one episode, allowing viewers to compare which series had the best start. It's too early to tell which anime will be the season's top performer, but based on their first episodes, it's evident which ones are in the lead.
The Winter 2023 anime season was fairly poor, however Spring 2023 is already wowing anime lovers with new and returning anime that, based on their respective premieres, may rank among the top titles of the whole year. If these four anime can maintain their speed and consistency, they will almost surely become industry legends by the time summer arrives.
Oshi no Ko Is a Smashing Debut Hit
Author Aka Akasaka, creator of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, has another hit on his hands with the new Oshi no Ko anime. Based on the ongoing manga of the same name, Oshi no Ko is an amusing, tragic, heartbreaking and fascinating look into the brutal and twisted pop idol industry through the eyes of a rural doctor who got reborn as his favorite idol's child. Oshi no Ko's massive 90-minute premiere episode was practically a feature-length movie, establishing its central themes and key characters in great detail, including their complex psychological profiles. With its intriguing tone, engaging subject matter and sharp writing, Osho no Ko has burst out of the gate as one of Spring 2023's biggest anime titles with its oversized premiere episode.
Fans Got Excited for Demon Slayer's Double-Length Premiere
Demon Slayer has long since established itself as an instant shonen anime classic, with its first season making huge waves back in 2019 with its strong emotional core and next-level animation techniques. The Mugen Train movie and action-packed Season 2 kept the hype going, and not even the borderline scam Swordsmith Village movie could dampen everyone's spirits for Season 3. Iffy movies aside, Season 3 promises to expand Demon Slayer's lore and cast of characters in cool new ways, from introducing new Upper Moon characters to meeting the love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, and the mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito. Season 3's double-length premiere episode had plenty of exciting content to get fans pumped for future episodes, including a tense meeting of Muzan's Upper Moons and an intriguing mystery concerning Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Muzan's quest for the blue spider lily.
A Galaxy Next Door Launched a Sweet New Seinen Romance
Anyone who needs a break from the Spring 2023 season's action and drama can savor A Galaxy Next Door, a subtly excellent new romance anime that handles itself with aplomb. Like Bakuman and Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, this sweet seinen anime is all about the tough but rewarding process of drawing manga, complete with some light reverse-isekai elements with the mysterious Shiori. The male lead, Ichiro Kugo, is determined to support his family with his moderately successful manga title, and he's also in for some wholesome, tasteful wish fulfillment with Shiori, a kind and loyal assistant who comes from the tribe of supernatural Star-People. The first episode did a fine job setting all this up, giving romance fans something new to chew on while also adding some mystery about Shori to keep viewers engaged.
Mashle: Magic And Muscles Is a Charming New Shonen Parody Series
Mashle: Magic and Muscles was a widely anticipated anime when its teasers premiered late last year, and the first episode did not disappoint. Mashle has quickly established itself as a witty, stylish, well-animated, and unexpectedly deep shonen anime that combines the aesthetic of Harry Potter with the sociological themes of My Hero Academia, all while featuring a Saitama-style protagonist in Mash Burnedead. Mashle's first episode introduced everything that makes the story so enthralling, including themes of societal injustice and faith in oneself, fantastic comedy, fancy magic, a deep emotional core, and odd but sympathetic characters, most notably Mash himself.
Now Mash is enrolled at Easton, his own Hogwarts, and he has everything to prove not just about himself but also the merits of proper exercise and the power of friendship.
