The 17+ Best And Most Underrated Anime Shows Released In 2023

Today is the 22nd of December 2023, meaning we’re getting closer to the end of the year.

So let’s talk about the best anime shows of 2023 before the year closes out.

Anime genres included:

Shounen.
Fantasy.
Isekai.
Slice of life.
Romance.

And others.

Here’s a list.

1. Dark Gathering

First off is Dark Gathering. This anime is one of the most underrated anime shows of 2023 and one of the best as well.

We don’t get many horror shows these days but this is one of those that will go down as a classic if the quality keeps up.

It has a similar vibe to something like Higurashi as far as the “fear factor” but certain aspects you can think of the anime like Pokemon but with horrific, brutal, and savagery built on top of it in a meme but serious kind of way.

2. Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World

Konosuba’s prequel series was worthwhile and necessary to fill in some gaps that we couldn’t have known in the main series of Konosuba.

Megumin’s past, Yunyun’s past, the whole Crimson demon family, and how they all graduate and become who they are years later.

Not to mention seeing how Megumin ends up meeting Kazuma and becoming part of his guild with Aqua in the storyline, and what takes place before it.

This anime deserves attention and is underrated in 2023.

3. Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Arc

Bleach already dominated in 2022 with the new TYBW arc. Yamamoto’s fight with Ywach, and the invasion of the soul society, and how even characters like Byakuya got their asses handed to them.

It was dramatic, violent, brutal, and tragic.

The 2nd part in 2023 continued that and showed some gorgeous fight scenes and brought back the classic tunes from the original Bleach but with a twist in some cases.

You can’t leave 2023 without mentioning TWBY arc part 2.

4. Tomo Chan Is A Girl

Tomo Chan is a Girl was a worthwhile rom-com series. The approach is a little different but still familiar for those who are fans of rom-coms.

The tomboy main female character, her airheaded friend, and the introvert and savage best friend – all three characters make this anime a highlight and more entertaining than many expected.

A season 2 might be unlikely, but for a 12-episode series, it deserves a lot of credit.

5. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

Mahiru Shiina is the angel of the series and the one the anime is based around and named after.

She’s perfect in school, kind, gentle, and loveable. But in real life outside of school where she doesn’t have to wear a mask, she can be more insecure, vulnerable, and even naive despite being mature and having her head screwed on.

The romance of this series is too wholesome to ignore, and it’s been a highlight of the year 2023.

6. Oshi No Ko

Oshi No Ko was one of the biggest anime shows to be released in 2023, with ratings high enough to challenge FMA on MAL despite FMA fanboys having a monopoly on the ratings.

The long first episode which took ideas from Re:Zero (which may have set the standard), and introduced so much entertainment and tragedy in that episode was a big win for the franchise.

The following episodes while not as dramatic still maintained their quality and the anime’s season 2 will be crazy once it airs.

Idol anime series but with realism and showing the dark side of the industry.

7. The Eminence Inn Shadow S2

The Eminence In Shadow’s first season was killing it and has become one of my favourite isekai of all time.

That’s saying something because not many Isekai are such a high quality.

The parody elements of this series along with the non-series MC, and his desire to have fun, do things he couldn’t have done in hi previous life, and treat things like a joke when in reality it’s dead serious are part of this anime’s charm, humour, and sometimes intense action.

Season 2 did the same thing again but with fewer episodes.

8. My Happy Marriage

Miyo Saimori is the female MC and the tragic character of the series. This romance is about her upbringing, being mistreated by her own so-called family, and getting lucky when she’s forced to marry off with a certain family only to find out that the family is kind, generous, and her saving grace.

This makes the anime wholesome and sweet, but also semi-violent and dramatic because of the unexpected action and “dark” elements that brew in the background.

The visuals are nice as well.

9. My Hero Academia S6

My Hero Academia has been criticized for years at this point but when all is said and done, the anime continues to dominate and impress.

Season 6 took things to new heights no one thought was even possible.

The level of carnage, savagery, brutality, and tragic events was off the charts and out of this world. No one expects [ed it.

The way Deku changes and many of the heroes try to cope with the new reality as they’re overwhelmed by “evil” is a sight to see.

Season 7 has a steep hill to climb over in 2024 because of the standards set in Season 6.

10. The Kingdom Of Ruins

Not many will agree with this one, but The Kingdom of Ruins has had a strong start with its amount of savagery, evil, sadness, and depressing stories.

The death of important characters, the carnage that follows, the vengeance from the MC Adonis, and the calming character Dorooka who seems to bring balance to the entire theme.

Depending on how this anime plays out and where it’s headed, it could only get better but as for 2023, it’s a stand-out series.

11. Zom 100

Zom 100 is another horror series but instead of being brutal like Dark Gathering or psychological for that matter, it’s more of a comedic horror series with adventure and fun baked into it.

After the world goes to shit and everyone becomes a zombie, the remaining survivors like Akira decide to live their life on their terms, finally pursuing all of their dreams and goals without hesitation.

He makes a list of 100 things to do before he becomes a zombie, and starts ticking it off one by one.

It’s a shame the anime went on hiatus for serious reasons, which affected its popularity that at the beginning, was at an all-time high.

12. The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses

Mie-San is the cute girl in school who forgets her glasses, which the male MC enjoys for his own selfish reasons.

He fancies Mie-San, and as they start to get closer, and Mie-San starts to even recognize him without her glasses, their teenage romance becomes more wholesome and delicate.

It’s a simple anime with a simple message, with stunning visuals that few anime can compare to in 2023.

Especially in the romance category.

13. Heavenly Delusion

Kiriko and Maru are the anime’s main characters. The designs in this anime stand out among all the similar anime made in 2023.

In this world where there seems to be a hidden nursery where kids are being raised (supernatural kids), and in the outside world where there are man-eating monsters, everything is mysterious, puzzling, and strange.

The main characters work together to fight off monsters as they travel to find what they call “heaven”.

The vibe is a mixture of Dark Gathering as far as the dark elements, and similar shows like Railgun or Index in a sense.

14. Goblin Slayer S2

Goblin Slayer season 2 is finally here, and it’s doing the franchise justice. The studio has changed, but it’s for the better. The visuals warm on you, and it’s one of the new anime’s best parts.

Onna Shinkan (Priestess) and Goblin Slayer’s conversations are as entertaining as ever, as well as the lizard man, high elf archer, and the dwarf.

You get some new but familiar characters and the usual goblin-slaying missions.

It may not be a masterpiece of a series, but it’s one of the best 2023 anime for its pure entertainment value.

15. A Galaxy Next Door

Shiori Goshiki loves manga and anime and is a bit of a weeb in her own right.

She comes to Japan and meets Kuga. She works for him as his assistant since he himself makes manga and gets royalties from it.

They accidently become connected, supernaturally, and this leads to them eventually dating each other which leads to the diabetes this show is full of.

It’s another GREAT slice of life series that puts you at ease and is peaceful to watch.

16. I’m Giving The Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued A Crash Course In Naughtiness

Another diabetes type of show is this one. The title is long, but the quality of the anime makes up for the stupidly long title.

Allen Crawford is committed to helping Charlotte Evans learn about the “naughty” things of the world, meaning things that are fun, rebellious, and the types of things others don’t want you doing typically.

She’s never had these types of fun experiences in her life, so she welcomes them with open arms.

Their relationship grows, and so does the comedy, but at the heart of this series is its wholesomeness and diabetic sweetness that will guarantee a shot of insulin just to cope.

17. Rurouni Kenshin 2023

Rurouni Kenshin was a classic, but the 2023 version has only made the anime that much better if you ask me.

The visuals are an obvious improvement, and so are some of the fight scenes, action, and the choice of words used in some scenes.

Some may complain about it not sticking to certain scripts, but overall you can’t knock the quality of this series with its new and improved animation and quality.