Welcome back to Beyond The Anime! At the close of summer, I've only just finished catching up on my spring anime, with the GundamInfo release for The Witch From Mercury running from July through September three months after its original showing - but my list wouldn't have been complete without it. While I may not have watched as many shows as I did during the winter season, there were still plenty that I enjoyed, along with some fantastic surprises. Better late than never, here are my Spring 2023 anime rankings and favorites in each genre.
Best Premiere: Oshi no Ko
It probably comes as no surprise to most anime fans that this highly anticipated movie length premiere episode ended up being my favorite of the season, but it certainly was to me. I knew very little about the series going in and didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but I connected with the characters instantly and became very invested in their story. This first episode was an emotional roller coaster, and probably one of the best I've ever seen.
Honorable mentions: Having to compete against Oshi no Ko's fantastic premiere, which was really more like four episodes in one, hardly even seems fair, but there were a few great first episodes this spring. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear's second season started off with an adorable tale involving bears (of course) and a honey tree, and Insomniacs After School introduced two lead characters who had excellent chemistry and a compelling connection right from the start.
Best Opening Theme: "Idol" by YOASOBI (Oshi no Ko)
For a show that focuses heavily on idols, it's fitting that Oshi no Ko has great music to match. With a catchy beat, beautiful visuals and lyrics that portray the themes of the series, this song easily became my favorite of the season and the one playing on repeat most in my mind. It's a song I'll never skip.
Honorable mentions: The only OP of the spring season that even comes close to "Idol" is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury's opening song, "slash" by yama. The energetic music and vocals always get me hyped for more giant robot battles.
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The battles in GWitch's second season are as exciting as the first, and with even higher stakes. When tensions between Earthians and Spacians lead to the brink of war and everyone's hidden plans are revealed, the resulting Gundam fights deliver a stunning clash of ideals, loyalties and sci-fi weaponry where every move feels like it could mean the difference between life and death.
Best Adventure: Dr. Stone
The Kingdom of Science won this category when they built a ship and ventured out to sea. More than ever before, the characters shifted their focus to exploring the Stone World, setting sail across the ocean to discover new lands and uncover clues about what brought the world to its current state.
Best Drama: Oshi no Ko
More than any other, this is the show I anticipated the most week to week. I was immediately invested in the characters of Oshi no Ko and their struggles - whether it was Ai's life of love and lies, Aqua's revenge, Ruby overcoming her past fears to become an idol who inspires everyone, Kana and Akane's rivalry and insecurities, the exploration of acting in the Sweet Today TV drama and the shocking events of Love Now.
Best Romance: Insomniacs After School
This series was such a pleasant surprise. The wholesome, healing relationship that developed between Ganta and Isaki was an absolute joy to watch. The way the two of them slowly opened up to each other and simply find comfort in each other's presence made this friendship turned romance feel very real, and I was rooting for them all the way.
Best Slice-of-Life: Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible
Just like the first half that aired this winter, the adorable scenarios that played out between Kubo and Shiraishi, plus their family and friends, made this a sweet and relaxing show to watch each week. Even though it typically sticks to the status quo, I think the two leads managed to get a little closer to realizing their feelings by the final episode.
Best Mystery: Oshi no Ko
In addition to the excellent character drama, one of the things that kept me hooked on Oshi no Ko and eagerly awaiting each new episode was its central mystery - Aqua's quest to find his father, who was likely responsible for Ai's murder. His detective work and the lengths he's willing to go to achieve his goal make him a fascinating main character and gives this story a great balance of light and dark.
Best Fantasy: Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear season 2
Yuna's fun isekai adventure with her adorable bears continues in the second season. A golem-slaying journey through the caves, gathering materials for dwarven crafters, and the promise of mithril blades felt like watching a traditional fantasy game storyline, and Yuna shocking everyone with her overpowered bear gear never gets old.
Best Science Fiction: Dr. Stone season 3
One of the most exciting aspects of Dr. Stone is seeing what Senku will create next using his scientific knowledge and the limited resources available to him in the Stone World. With all of the new scientific developments geared towards travel and espionage, this season represents one of the biggest leaps forward for the Kingdom of Science.
Best Ending Theme: "Mephisto" by Queen Bee (Oshi no Ko)
This fantastic song plays at the close of each episode of Oshi no Ko, dropping its first beats during the final moments right when the big reveals happen. It takes a special song to be able to overlap with the story so well, and this one does it every time, becoming such an integral part of the experience that I still imagine it when reaching the end of a manga chapter.
Best Finale: Oshi no Ko
Ruby, Kana and Memcho's journey to become idols and revive B Komachi takes a major step forward with their first concert, which combines beautiful visuals, great music and a very emotional scene for Kana when she fully embraces her new role. The second half of the episode provides an exciting teaser for what's to come in the already approved season 2, with Aqua's investigation turning up new clues and an acting project that looks set to bring the rivalry between Kana and Akane front and center.
Honorable mention: Insomniacs After School's wonderful finale deserves attention as well. From Ganta and Isaki running away together to their very sweet confession scene with a beautiful scenic background, this episode encompassed all the best parts of the series.
My Spring Anime 2023 Ranking:
1. Oshi no Ko
My best surprise of the spring season. This series that was a complete unknown to me instantly captured my interest with its great cast of characters and perfect mix of drama, mystery and comedic moments, and I can't wait for season 2.
Rating: 9.5/10
2. Insomniacs After School
Insomniacs dealt with some heavy topics - like health conditions, trauma and abandonment - and handled them all with care. Ganta and Isaki's feelings were realistic and relatable, and watching them find comfort and support in each other was one of my favorite parts of the spring anime season.
Rating: 9/10
3. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear season 2
Although this sequel leans more into slice-of-life than the first season, Yuna's daily adventures were still very fun to watch whether she was traveling with a group, slaying monsters solo, baking delicious cakes or creating an exercise routine with her bears. It's peak relaxing fantasy, and the charming dialogue full of videogame references and bear puns remains a highlight of the show.
Rating: 9/10
4. Dr. Stone season 3
Dr. Stone has always contained an element of mystery in the green flash of light that turned all humans on Earth into stone for thousands of years, but while previous seasons focused more on surviving in the new state of the world they found themselves in, season 3 has the Kingdom of Science actively searching for answers surrounding the petrification and the history of the astronaut team that included Senku's dad. The second half starts this fall, so there's plenty to get excited about!
Rating: 8.5/10
5. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury season 2
This second half was an exciting conclusion to my first Gundam show. GWitch tells a compelling story with themes of family and war at the forefront, and has a great cast of characters. While the corporate politics seemed to move a bit too quick to follow at times, and I was never a fan of Suletta's relationship with Miorine (which was more of a focus towards the end), the show kept me invested from its explosive start last year to its emotional finale.
Rating: 8/10
6. Otaku Elf
I enjoyed Otaku Elf's creative spin on isekai. Instead of showing off a new fantasy world, the story focused on a character who came from one of those other worlds into ours, and how she adapted (and often has trouble adapting) to life in Japan. The show combined the casual daily activities of a mostly stay-at-home reverse isekai'd immortal elf with fascinating historical facts about the Edo era to compliment its story, and the result was a relaxing slice-of-life that's also educational.
Rating: 8/10
7. Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible
While it may not have left as much of an impact as the more serious stories this season, the remainder of Kubo-san was still a fun, cute, lighthearted show continuing from the slightly stronger first half that aired during winter. The daily interactions between Kubo and Shiraishi were just the kind of wholesome romance with a light dose of comedy to provide a nice breather in between all the action, mysteries and dramas this season.
Rating: 8/10
8. Tokyo Mew Mew New season 2
This season really raised the stakes, both in terms of the battles the girls would face and the emotional challenges they needed to overcome. The large scale fight scenes as the slightly more experienced but still new magical girl team tried to prevent the aliens from triggering environmental damage of apocalyptic proportions was exciting, and the bond between the girls is one of the show's best strengths. There were a few plot twists I didn't care for, like the one involving Aoyama, but the happy ending wrapped up this series nicely.
Rating: 7.5/10
The spring season was full of surprises! I was expecting my most anticipated show, the continuation of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, to take the #1 spot, but it ended up ranking third behind Oshi no Ko, a show that wasn't even on my radar at first but ended up becoming a fast favorite of mine, and the charming romance of Insomniacs After School. Overall, I watched less shows in spring compared to winter (a trend which continues into summer as well), but my average ratings were higher and I enjoyed everything I watched this season.
If you're looking for more Spring Anime content, check out my anime/manga comparisons for Oshi no Ko and Insomniacs After School, and my four-part series exploring the history facts from Otaku Elf. Stay tuned for my Kuma Kuma Kuma comparison, and my Favorite Anime of Summer 2023 post coming soon!
*All screenshots from their respective anime taken by me from the official streaming sites (HiDive, Funimation, and the GundamInfo YouTube channel). Banner art created by me in Canva.
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