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The passage of time is frightening and crazy, because it’s already 2023! A new year means new stuff, but when there’s so much stuff to sift through, it can be a challenge to narrow down what’s worth watching. Thankfully, we have you covered, with a list of what anime you should be watching in 2023.
Lupin the Third VS. Cat’s Eye
Like Lupin VS. Detective Conan, this film once again sees the Gentlemen Thief Lupin cross over with another storied anime franchise, this time with a group of thieves whose skills rival even his own; the Cat’s Eye trio!
Cat’s Eye is a manga about three art thieves, Hitomi, Rui and Ai, stealing famous works to rebuild their father’s collection, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, while Lupin celebrates its 50th! To that end, these two famous thief troupes are meeting for the first time, competing to steal three priceless paintings out from under each other.
What sticks out from the trailers is the director duo, whose most notable works are the Netflix Godzilla anime films, and the look of the film, which is CG… But still looks quite polished, even if it’s not as clean as the animation from 2019’s poorly named Lupin the Third: The First.
Lupin the Third VS. Cat’s Eye will premiere on Prime Video globally on Jan 27
NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a
More than just an anime adaptation of NieR the video game, I think we can expect something special from this. The title clearly indicates that this is not going to be a 1:1 type-beat, but will expand on the multiple endings shenanigans from the game. It’s probable that this anime will connect back to the game itself in unforeseen ways, but it’s definitely not just going to be a rehash, you can be sure of that.
It remains to be seen whether the poignancy of the interactive elements of a game can translate to a medium that is entirely passive, but at the very least, we know it will be gorgeously animated, which is to be expected from A-1 Pictures, the studio behind Sword Art Online!
Episode one is streaming via Crunchyroll now
Trigun Stampede
Possibly the most divisive anime we’ve seen be announced for the upcoming season, it’s the remake of classic anime Trigun! What you may immediately notice from the trailer is that it’s quite a stark departure from the old cel-animated look of the original, as it’s now entirely 3D-CG, but put down your pitchfork! It actually looks good!
The animation is being handled by Studio Orange, who are famous for Beastars, which is insanely well-animated (despite the quality of writing not remaining consistent…). Orange is a studio that takes a lot of pride in their work; they created insanely complex fur engines for every animal in Beastars to make all the textures look and move believably, so we can’t wait to see what tricks they pull for Trigun!
ALSO, Trigun coming back represents a return to the Space-Western anime genre, which feels quite sadly overlooked these days, so it’s good to see more of it.
Episode one is streaming via Crunchyroll now
Pokémon: Become a Pokémon Master!
2023 is forever going to be marked by a monumentally important event in anime; the end of Ash Ketchum’s journey as a Pokémon trainer. For decades, we’ve grown with Ash, Pikachu, Team Rocket, and the rest of his friends, and, while some of us may have aged out of watching, and generations since have started off with newer seasons, we all collectively lost our minds when Ash finally clutched up and become a Champion.
Whatever happens, this 11-episode arc showing the end of Ash and Pikachu’s journey, featuring Brock, Misty, and tonnes of Ash’s old Pokémon, is probably going to make everyone cry.
Unfortunately, no Australian release date has been given yet for the episodes, which start rolling out in Japan this week
But after the end comes a new beginning, because the Pokémon series torch is being passed to the next generation! We only know the protagonists’ names so far; a girl named Riko and a boy named Roy, but hopefully they can live up to the incredible legacy set by the Champion from Pallet Town.
In a sea of new releases, don’t lose precious watch minutes on trial and error; just skip the guesswork and watch our recs!
