2023 was a great year for anime releases. Familiar stories were reimagined with Trigun Stampede and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, long-awaited continuations gave fans new episodes of ongoing series like Jujutsu Kaisen, and we got a chance to discover brand new shows like the twisty, captivating Heavenly Delusion. And through it all, viewers took to the web to discuss their thoughts on the fan wikis for each show.
We’ve already told you the overall 10 most popular anime wikis of 2023, but those understandably tend to be almost entirely franchises with years of both fan adoration and lore behind them. But there’s another interesting way to see what anime are popping with an audience when it comes to the release of new stories, and that’s looking at what caused Fandom’s wikis to leap in traffic immediately after their debut. Whether it be the new season of a longtime favorite or an entirely new series, this is what caused fans old and new to eagerly head to Fandom’s wikis to explore more about these worlds. With that in mind, here are the ten anime from 2023 that caused the biggest instant jump in wiki traffic!
10. Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
Horimiya, the anime adaptation of the romantic comedy manga, first debuted in 2021. The story follows two high school students, Hori and Miyamura. They seem like polar opposites – one an outgoing over-achiever, and the other a quiet, brooding otaku. But when they have a chance encounter outside of school, they discover that they both have hidden depths that their classmates know nothing about. They quickly become close friends, and develop a deep bond that just might grow into something more. On July 1, 2023, another anime adaptation of the same manga was released in the form of Horimiya: The Missing Pieces. As the title implies, this series includes characters, storylines, and chapters from the manga that were not included in the 2021 anime, giving fans a chance to fill in all of the missing pieces from the first series.
9. Attack on Titan:
Final Season Part 3
After a full decade of speculation and anticipation, it makes perfect sense that the final chapter of the Attack on Titan anime would attract quite a bit of discussion. Since the first episode aired in 2013, viewers have wondered what would become of complicated protagonist Eren, his childhood friend/adopted sister/love interest Mikasa, and the rest of the troubled cast of characters. Throughout the years, the cast and world of Attack on Titan have been put through the ringer, and the audience right along with them. For every moment of victory, there was a tragic loss, a brutal death, or a shocking betrayal. And all of it finally came to a head on November 5, 2023. Whether you loved the finale, hated it, or fell somewhere in the middle, one thing’s for certain: it left us all with plenty to talk about.
8. Mushoku Tensei:
Jobless Reincarnation
In 2022, the Isekai sub genre of anime received a new entry: Mushoko Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. For those unfamiliar, Isekai means “other world”, and while the specific nature of Isekai stories can vary wildly in tone and subject matter, they all involve a protagonist somehow finding themselves in a fantastical new world. In Mushoko Tensei, a 34-year-old recluse loses his parents and his home. He realizes that he has made very little of his life, but decides to make one last heroic choice, saving a teenager from being hit by a speeding truck. He is killed in the process, but is reborn in another world as Rudeus Greyrat . Though he begins this life as a baby, he retains all of his memories and knowledge from his previous life. As he grows up he masters swordfighting, magic, and embarks on a second chance at life. He may even have the chance to become a hero.
In 2023, Season 2 of Mushoko Tensei premiered, and the first half aired from July to September 25. The second half will begin airing in April, 2024. In it, Rudeus faces new challenges, heartbreak, and embarks on new adventures as he navigates the dangers of the Northern Territories.
7. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Jujutsu Kaisen is an award-winning action fantasy anime about Yuuji Itadori, a high school student who stumbles upon a cursed item and finds himself thrown into the middle of a hidden world of demon curses. Oh, and that happens after he swallows a demon King’s finger. Buddy, why’d you do that? Well, it doesn’t matter, because now he’s in the thick of it, and must embark on a new path at Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, where he will train to become a Jujutsu sorcerer. Season 2 of the show, which premiered on July 6, 2023, adapts the “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” and “Shibuya Incident” arcs of the manga.
During the run of Season 2, there was a great deal of controversy surrounding MAPPA, the studio responsible for the show, as animators exposed the grueling, stressful, and unhealthy working conditions taking place there. In spite of some pervasive internet rumors, there have been no official announcements regarding a third season.
6. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– To the Swordsmith Village
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Shonen fantasy action series that follows Tanjiro Kamado, a teenage boy determined to become a Demon Slayer after his family is killed, and his younger sister Nezuko is turned into a demon. In February, 2023, the franchise released its second feature film adaptation, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village. The film, directed by Haruo Sotozaki, is a sequel to the second season of the anime, and is intended to act as a companion to the series, using footage from the last two episodes of season two, as well as the first episode of season three. It adapts the “Entertainment District” and “Swordsmith Village” arcs of the Demon Slayer manga.
5. Black Clover:
Sword of the Wizard King
Demon Slayer isn’t the only anime film on this list. Black Clover also released a feature film adaptation in 2023, premiering Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King on June 16, 2023. Unlike To the Swordsmith Vilage, which takes place during the canon of the series, Sword of the Wizard King is a standalone story, though it occurs after the events of Black Clover Season 4. It follows the return of Conrad Leto, who was once locked away for betraying the kingdom, but has returned with the Imperial Sword in hand, ready to destroy all that oppose him. It is up to Asta and the Magic Knights to defeat him.
4. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
From feature film adaptations of ongoing series, to new favorites, 2023 had it all. Another one of the year’s splashy new releases was the dark fantasy psychological thriller, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku. The series is a period piece, set in the Edo period of Japan. The story centers around Gabimaru the Hollow, a ninja captured during an assassination mission and set to be executed. But when the time comes, he won’t die. In light of these strange circumstances, executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri gives Gabimaru the chance at a full pardon, if he can track down the elusive elixir of life. A second season was officially announced, along with a teaser trailer, but there is no word on a specific release date yet.
3. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
What would you do during a zombie apocalypse? Stockpile all the resources you could find and try to wait it out in a bunker somewhere? Grab as many weapons as you could get your hands on, and try to go down fighting? Or simply succumb to despair? Well, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead rejects all of these options in favor of something new, and surprisingly optimistic for the genre. At the center of Zom 100 is Akira Tendo, a 24-year-old office worker who is stuck in a rut and can’t see a way out. But when a zombie apocalypse brings life in Tokyo to a screeching halt, Akira sees something no one else does in this new, deadly world: an opportunity. Akira creates a bucket list of everything he wants to do before he dies, and becomes determined to check off every item on that list. The list gives him a renewed sense of purpose, and the will to keep going. Along with his friend Kencho, Akira dodges zombies all around the city, encountering other survivors along the way, and checking off as many items on that bucket list as they can. In a genre that frequently gives in to nihilism, focusing on exploding zombie heads and the decay of society at large, Zom 100 injects the zombie apocalypse with a bit of joy. It is satirical and silly at times, but also includes genuine moments of hope, and a look at the indomitable nature of the human spirit.
The show premiered on July 9, 2023, but after the ninth episode aired on September 24, the series was placed on indefinite hiatus. There is currently no news about a scheduled return date. Hopefully, there will be an update soon, and like the zombies it features, the series will rise from the dead and keep on moving.
2. Record of Ragnarok Season 2
In Record of Ragnarok, the Council of the Gods assembles every thousand years to vote on the fate of humanity. This time, the Gods have decided that humanity has gone on long enough, and committed too many horrors to be allowed to continue. It is time for them to be made extinct. But the valkyrie Brunhilde has other ideas! She proposes that they give humanity one last chance. The Gods agree to hold a tournament, Ragnarok, where humanity can prove its worth by defeating the Gods in seven out of thirteen matches. Humanity may represent itself via the Einherjar, a group of champions made up of famous humans from throughout history, including Adam (yes, that Adam, the biblical one), Spartan King Leonidas, sumo wrestler Raiden Tameemon, and Buddha. These champions will go up against Gods such as Thor , Poseidon , Shiva , and Beelzebub. Action and excitement is sure to ensue.
Season 2 of Record of Ragnarok premiered in 2023, and followed the continuation of the battle between humanity and the Gods The season began with another epic match-up, between Heracles, the son of Zeus, and…19th century serial killer Jack the Ripper. Anything can happen in an anime, even a human-turned-God fighting it out with a murderer in a replica of 19th century london. Currently, there is no official information on a third season of the show.
1. Oshi no Ko
There is no anime out there quite like Oshi no Ko. If you’re unfamiliar with the series premise, strap in. It’s a rollercoaster. It begins when an obstetrician-gynecologist named Gorou Amamiya is tasked with attending to a very special patient that is about to give birth: pop idol Ai Hoshino. On the night that Ai is going to give birth to twins, Gorou is murdered by Ai’s stalker. But his life isn’t over, and Gorou is reborn into the body of Ai’s son, Aqua, alongside one of his patients, who is reborn as his twin sister Ruby. The two retain all of the memories of their previous lives. When their mother is murdered by the same fan-turned-stalker, the two grow up as talented performers with a goal of working in show business. They want to become stars, but they also have another goal: infiltrate the industry, find their father (who may have played a part in their mother’s murder), and kill him.
Both the anime and original manga of Oshi no Ko have been massively successful. Season 1 of the anime premiered in 2023, and a second season has already been greenlit. There is no official release date yet, but it should be premiering sometime in 2024.
