The BEST Anime of Summer 2023 - Ones To Watch 

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Watching these videos is like a bookworm collecting even more books they're _"definitely"_ gonna read at some point. My watchlist looks like a phonebook

I'm surprised that you didn't bring up the IRL story behind how Vending Machine actually got made. Knowing it completely reshaped how I read it. The author's father died after falling from a ladder. As he and his family were trying to put their lives back together, he worked in his late father's convenience store (which had a bunch of vending machines). Understandably, he asked himself what he would regret not doing if he were to die suddenly like that and the answer he came up with was write a popular light novel. Vending machine was his fourth and final attempt because he was satisfied with following through on and chasing his dream even if none of them were popular. Then, unexpectedly, Vending Machine became a bigger hit than he ever hoped for getting a manga adaptation that also did well. I'm not normally a big manga reader but I binged Vending Machine after a few things clicked in my head about choices made in the first chapter. Boxxo is powerless, he can't communicate his feelings, he's starting a new life after tragedy, he wants to find meaning, and he pledges to act so he doesn't have regrets. That all sounds like generic shonen stuff until you realize that isn't at all why the author chose it. It's a deeply personal story of a man trying to use isekai fiction to process tragedy in his own way. And he comes out of it happy, funny, and with a zest for life.

Undead Girl Murder Farce takes the cake this season for THE dark horse. Brilliant witty dialogue between the mains, unique premise, good animation and direction. DIRECTION especially as we're talking about the same director that led Kaguya-sama so you know you can expect strong visuals.

My Happy Marriage honestly surprised me with its first 2 episodes. The show feels very human, no cliches, no silly anime gags just a beautiful romance drama that will probably make me feel alot of emotions. Zom 100 probably has the best first pilot episode this year and I love how stylish the anime looks, the art direction and animation make the first 2 episodes feel like I'm watching a short film + the story is REALLY REALLY GOOD All in all, this season is really good, it has a lot of banger shows and some decent shows that will be guilty pleasures for me

I always wanted a zombie apocalypse that embraced a Shaun of the Dead meets Dead Island tone. Zom 100 thankfully is on my Bucket List!

"from a wicked manipulative Snow White to a gold digging Cindirella and foot fetishing Prince" is such a wild sentence to say out loud

Better time stamps: 2:04 Undead Murder Force - Crunchyroll 3:48 My Happy Marriage - Netflix 5:42 Synduality Noir - Hulu/Disney 7:40 Dark Gathering - HiDive 9:31 The Gene or AI - Crunchyroll 11:07 Reign of the Seven Spellblades - Crunchyroll 13:12 Helck - HiDive 14:49 Yogane the Parhelion, Sunshine in the Mirror - Crunchyroll 16:03 Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon - Crunchyroll 18:14 Zom 100, Bucketlist of the Dead - Crunchyroll/Netflix 20:18 Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero 21:10 TenPuru, No One Can Live on Loneliness 22:06 Classroom for Heroes 22:42 Sweet Reincarnation 23:19 The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen, From Villainess to Savior 23:58 My Tiny Senpai 24:15 The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today 24:57 Bang Dream, It’s My Go

I found Earthsea before I discovered HP. I will NEVER forget how the first Earthsea book ended. Never. Nor will I ever stop occasionally using "Avert!" to turn aside spells lol. And Discworld is just... Good. My favorite books being the Guards, granny weatherwax, and the stuff with Moist Von Lipwig... As well as the Tiffany Aching books.

You know, the chapter titles are great fun and all, but I really wish Geoff would repeat the name of the show (or leave the nameplate at the bottom) before moving onto the next one, cus sometimes you aren't really interested and then he pulls you in, at which point you have to go back in the timeline

Honestly, Geoff, I don't know of anyone that's better at narration than you, especially when it's your own writing. Your writing is fantastic, of course, but just the way you deliver it is phenomenal. Very clear and precise enunciation while also being able to play with the rhythm of the words to make the jokes pay off extremely well. Not to mention your willingness to extend a joke just to its breaking point if that's what's needed. It just never feels like you're reading a script, instead having a conversation. Just makes all of your videos a phenomenal watch.

Glad to see Geoff spending the budget to do the worst jokes the best way possible

I’m really loving the my happy marriage adaptation, I love the light novels and manga and it’s so wonderful to have a shojo get such a great budget and direction 💜

Do NOT sleep on Undead Girl Murder Farce. This is the show you need to watch this season

Manga fan here. Helck is something special, it’s a real hidden gem.

Helck is amazing and anyone who watches it is in for a ride. It's not just a humor series

Zom 100 is an interesting-sounding take on the “zombies are always a metaphor” concept.

Helck is one of the stories that have an EXTREME shift in style of storytelling part through and then you're hooked for life and wanna cry about it

The Gene of AI... Ironically Futurama pointed out another reason why making copies of yourself is bad... Anyone remember the episode where Fry downloads an illegal copy of Lucy Liu into a sexbot?

Helck is, to this day, one of my all-time favorite manga.

ever since playing the great ace attorney i have been ITCHING for more meiji japan meets victorian london type stories and the fact that it's also a mystery just makes it better (and the fantasy aspects mixed with the historical aspects sound very intriguing)

Just my opinion: It would be super helpful in future versions of these videos to put little cards with titles and viewing sources for each anime. That way, I could be disappointed by what isn't on crunchyroll before I go search for it. 😅

"Go read some Earthsea or Discworld" Best recommendation in the whole video!!!

Hey Geoff? Thanks for the video. Hearing you say “Discworld” made me cheer (because its my favorite series) and I certainly needed that today.

Dude, you have no idea the time and effort you just saved me by putting the names at the end. Thanks a bunch!

As long as the anime adaptation doesn't drop the ball HELCK _will_ rock your socks off.

AYOOO! I visited the channel last night for this exact video. Thanks for coming through.

Thanks for the list of titles and where to find them at the end! This channel is always the one I recommend for friends who want to get into anime, but have no idea where to start.

🤩 VENDING MACHINE FINALLY GOT AN ANIME?! OH MAN! I NEED TO GO WATCH IT NOW! I read the first few chapters and I LOVED it!

I always wanted to ask you, Geoff. Do you really watch all the anime that you recommend in these videos to the end, or do you drop some of them after the first 2 or 3 episodes?

As always, thanks for the tips. Ive been finding my anime watching experience actually quite a bit more enjoyable (or less frustrating, at least) since I started writing my Watch List off of your recommendations.

Great list! Also speaking of hard hitting sequels airing this summer don't forget about the 2nd season of probably the biggest Chinese anime hit Link Click. If nothing else you should check out the OP for the 2nd season because holy crap it's nuts especially with the visuals.

I know that many will not agree with me, but... Personally, the first episode of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead was even stronger for me than the first episode of Oshi on Ko. The first episode affected me with many forms, that made me sympathize with the main character and get excited with him and all the events, without mentioning the great production and directing. The first episode of it, I definitely give it 10/10, and it became one of the best three beginning episodes that I saw in my life.

A Vending Machine as the main character. This is what I love the most about Japan that they still embody that spirit that use to exist in Hollywood & other creative industries in the 80’s & 90’s where you can through anything against the wall as long as it’s written well to see if it sticks with no Bean Counting Accounts and Trend Chasers calling the shots like they do outside of Japan these days which is most likely why Manga & Anime are kicking ass in the west today

You quite literally are the Harbinger of my endless anime backlog. Damn you and thank you.

Your videos are always the best, which is why I keep requesting Ai-kon to bring you in as a guest every year. One day it will work!!

Fair warning: while Reign of the Seven Spellblades is in a lot of ways a more developed version of the Harry Potter wizarding world, I understsnd that it's also a LOT darker than Harry Potter as well. Not that that's a bad thing, but I do think that people shouldn't necessarily go in blind to this sort of thing.

Thankyou Still trying to catch up on two and a half seasons and genuinely needed to cut this one down to essentials

'If u think Harry Potter is good.... Go read some Diskworld!' FAAAACTS

So if anyone is still on the fence about Summertime Rendering you should definitely do as suggested and go in blind that's what I did as it was coming out and by time it was ¾ of the way through I had decided to buy the whole manga and it is now one of my favorite series regardless of genre or format(I.e. anime, live action, movie, TV series)

I like it when the cat appears in these videos. They look like a big cuddly critter. Oh, and you sold me on a lot of these new shows, too, I guess

you know it's a packed season when every anime you've already picked up made it somewhere in the extended list (2 in the main and 3 in the Bargain Bin) and you still somehow found more things that also needed to go in your seasonal picks.

On the whole "hero joins the Demon Army" subject, have you seen Yuusha Yamasu/I'm Quitting Heroing? It's WAY underrated.

I was actually shown Zom 100 last night at a party and it immediately hooked me, and turns out today was ep 2! As my buddy said when he put it on: "If you're an overworked employee, this series is relatable." So far, it's a nice balance of comedy and heavy horror, so it's easily one I will recommend to friends Now, excuse me whilst I go check out My Tiny Senpai and other anime on this list.

I'm never disappointed with Ones to Watch. Consistently one of my favorite sources of reccs, even after the fact. Glad Undead Murder Farce was on here.

the last bit was done by Studio Go hands i'm happy u got to collab with an anime studio finally!!

Dude, thank you for that perfectly screenshotable list of the anime AND where to watch them. Thank you.

Nice to see Sunshine in the Mirror get brought up. You love to see it 😁👍

ep 1 of Helck had me rolling. Dude is Rune Solder Louie in his final form. this is def been the highlight of week 1 :p

Just started and finished Synduality today super excited to see that the second season is releasing as I finished the first. Great recommendation!

Its an impressive feat where in a world with nightmarish ghosts that want to rip people to bits what terrifies me most in dark gathering is the love interest

Hopefully this gets more people into love live. I didn’t have an opinion on it for years till the Dazzling White Town music video came on my recommendations and it was the coolest thing ever. Then I saw the Setsuna Yuki sings Chase scene and it was the coolest thing ever. I dived in and have loved it ever since

The first few episodes of the Zom 100 anime had some of the most impressive sequences I'd ever seen and some really great camera work - sadly it started showing the production is kinda troubled right now.

Thank you for putting the site the anime is streaming on, that's insanely helpful

Bummer that you didn't talk about Ooku. Netflix released it kinda in the middle of seasons, but I count late June as Summer XD. It gets slept on and has a madly interesting concept.

As a love live fan and especially a "sunshine is best" love live fan, I'm actually surprised to see Yohane so high. I've been enjoying it of course, but I was thinking it would be a hard sell to non-fans (I'd even argue the pilot episode is pretty weak, compared to what we have now). Curious if that holds for other people, pro-love live or "what's a love live." My top three of the season are Zom 100, My Happy Marriage, and Undead Murder Farce. The first episodes for Zom is a masterpiece, definitely has my award of best season premiere. I didn't realize Undead's director was the same as Kaguya's, but it explains how it maintains an engaging energy even with it being pretty talky at the start. Overall I think this season is mainly carried by its sequels right now (that I'm behind on so I can watch everything else), but there's definitely some hidden gems forming if they find the right audience.

Speaking of Earthsea and Ursula K LeGuin, The Dispossessed is an isekai.

Have you checked Oooku? It looks like not many people heard of it and I haven't finished yet, but it's really good. Maybe a short video about it on your second channel would be nice.

The Duke of Death and His Black Maid also is on it's second season... didn't hear anyone mention it. I know that CGI is a bit... odd, but loved the manga and I enjoyed S1 (after I got used to the CGI). S2 has been a pleasant continuation.

Finally someone acknowledging Yohane the Parhelion life good but you really should watch the rest of Love Live (beware really bad CGI in the first series but some of if not the best CGI in anime from Sunshine onward)

I appreciate the seasonal lists. I also greatly appreciate when the lists are provided in screenshot format.

Dude, I have been waiting for anime adaptation of Zom 100 for so long! I had no idea it was coming out!

Happy to see Helck getting an adaptation since the manga isn't available in my country. Hopefully the anime will convince some publisher to get it. Zom 100 is highly recommended.

Discworld is really really good, Terry was a wonderful person with a very good sense of humor. In discworld you can find deep criticism of real issues next to wordplay and puns. If you can read the discworld series in a book/e-reader rather than an audiobook, you should. Not because of some traditionalist reason but because you might actually miss puns if you are not reading the words yourself.

Love Live AND Bandori spinoffs? Santa came early this year!

Awesome episode thanks for the recommendations!

I always love to hear an Earthsea shoutout!

Boxxo using mentos soda combo attack had me laughing so hard also i like how no one bats a eye a sentent vending machine like their has to be some realy weird stuff in the world

Love the HP diss. Seriously go read Earthsea.

Hey, Geoff! Love the list! Can’t wait to dive in now that I’m done binging Summer Time Rendering! But if you can, on the next list, could ya go back to putting what services they’re available on next to the name when ya pop them up on the screen? If not that’s cool :)

Came for the Anime recommendations. Pleasantly surprised by the reference to Earthsea

Undead Girl Murder Farce has definitely grabbed my attention as the potential surprise of the season. I want to know more about the world, and the main character teaming up with a severed head definitely adds intrigue.

Diskworld mentioned neuron activate

Genuinely THANK YOU for telling us where we can watch these shows! Far too many videos never even mention that..

Seeing bucket list of the dead getting an anime adaptation (that's also good) makes me overjoyed. I feel in love with the manga after reading it last year and seeing it reach an anime audience just makes things better.

it's technically not really anime since it's chinese, but i was wondering if you'll be watching season 2 of link click?

Thank you thank you thank you for the Earthsea and Discworld mentions!!! I've loved Earthsea for years and while I only just picked up Monstrous Regiment recently, I can tell that Terry Pratchett's going to be one of my favorite authors

Nice picks man thanks

Got a like, cause i was blown away by the realism!

Can...can anime just go on strike for better conditions and pay too? I need some time to catch up on all the amazing shows from the rest of the year!

It’s a donghua, but Link Click Season 2 NEEDS to be mentioned!!!

Helk getting an anime is something I've been waiting on for years. It's so fucking good! And if it actually goes all the way and adapts tge entire manga it's going to be so fantastic

Wow you read discworld!!! Great man

happily surprised to see the yohane spin off on here, i've been looking forward to it for so long and i'm glad it's keeping up the hype! while i didn't expect to see link click season 2 on here as it's a sequel, i do highly recommend everyone go check it out. the wait after the season 1 cliffhanger was torturous lol

A few days ago, the last 5 episodes of Record of Ragnarok season 2 were released. And Honestly, this season was more than great in terms of characters and fights. Especially after the production and animation improved greatly than season 1. I highly recommend you, Geoff, to give it a chance and watch it, and maybe even make a video about it if you can. Because this anime is ,for me at least, legendary.

I think the first time I appreciated mixed 3D/2D animation was _Macross: Frontier._ The space battles were fantastic and reserving the CGI for the machines gave them a beautiful "otherness."

Always reliable and always straight outta the basement! Thanks fam.

Big props for mentioning Earthsea and Discworld. I picked them up a bit later in life and am now too spoiled for good world building and characterization now to return to HP ever, and am also cursed with the desperate need to let everyone know about best boy Vetch.

Sunshine in the mirror kinda was a joke at first, Love Live usually takes one of their April's fools and makes a real project out of it. GenYoha was one but we also had CyazaleaKiss, Setsuna's spinoff LN and this year a GenYoha themed game.

Just watched My Happy Marriage and i loved it! Thank you for the recommendation!

Ursula K. Le Guin!!!! Earthsea books history is, I think not well known. But after I random picked the first book (knowing nothing of her and her work) I was shocked. Then the second...I was: "Is this the right book?", maybe I'm reading something else....but keep on reading it and WOOOOOW.. then the 3rd...WOOOOW. and so on. The best. R.i.P. Dear Ursula!!!!

I enjoyed many of the spring animes and can't wait to dive into some of these summer ones. I always enjoy these videos

I read Earthsea long before Harry Potter so I've always had a confused reaction to their popularity. The books aren't bad but not good enough to inspire that level of devotion. Discworld does deserve that level of devotion, containing so many laughs yet so much wisdom also. Also, so glad you talked about My Happy Marriage, I've read the manga but completely missed the news that there was an anime adaptation!

Fun video, It's weird seeing you infront of the Anime, but I'm glad to see experimentation.

I have read reborn as a vending maschine twice and am so happy it gets an anime adaptation :)

Thank you for putting the titles and where the series are to be found at the end of this video. It will make it easier to come back and find recommendations in the future. I slowly cycle through the various streaming services and it helps me to find good content on whatever service I happen to be using..... especially if that content is a few seasons old.

Is that The Begginer's Guide soundtrack that I hear in the background? intentional or not, that was a lovely surprise

Thank goodness this dropped, thanks Jeff

I'm not finding this season as stacked as spring was, but it's still got some great shows. Also, +1 for the Earthsea shoutout! Those books, as are most of Ursula Le Guin's, are great. Did you ever read any of Charles De Lint's "Tamsen House" stories or Guy Gavriel Kay's "Fionavar Tapestry" trilogy? Those books, from the 80s, where my first sort of isekai experiences, and probably a bit of why I'm a lame isekai junky, even if it's rare for anything to come close to them. I'm just really enamored with the _ideas_ presented in the genre.

As someone enough read all of Helck, DO NOT SLEEP ON IT The manga is so god damn good. Idk if the anime is gonna be of the same quality but please give the series the attention it deserves